Tamara Lopez and myself hiked to an alpine lake that I think both of us would agree is the best we have experienced thus far. We drove through Alturas, CA, hit county road 56, and drove up into the South Warner Wilderness. We eventually reached the Summit Trial trailhead that leads south toward Warren Peak and Patterson Lake. The trail quickly ascends up onto a ridge-line, and remains on the ridge for most of the remainder of the hike. Views of the Surprise Valley, the Great Basin, and the Nevada border emerge to the east within the first hour of hiking. In addition, Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak are visible to the west. After 4 to 5 miles of hiking, Tamara and I reached Cottonwood Lake, which was embedded within an alpine environment beneath lava cliffs defining the 9500 foot Warren Peak.
We then used iPhone GPS to guide us across mountain snowfields to Patterson Lake. The lake appears to be the former location of a cirque glacier surrounded by a towering semi-circular band of mountain cliffs. This is truly a magical place, and I highly advise hiking to it in late spring or early summer so you can experience the lake when it is iced over and surrounded by snowy headwalls...it is a truly special experience to be embedded within this environment. The drive to this remote trailhead, and subsequent hike across rotten snowfields might be a pain in the ass, but the reward is definitely worth the effort...Patterson Lake is a hidden California gem.
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