Sky Lakes Wilderness - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

The Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest is a United States National Forest located on both sides of the border between the states of Oregon and California. The formerly separate Rogue River and Siskiyou National Forests were administratively combined in 2004...

and Winema National Forest

Winema National Forest

The Winema National Forest is a United States National Forest in Klamath County on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon, and covers . The forest borders Crater Lake National Park near the crest of the Cascades and stretches eastward into the Klamath Basin...

s in the southern Cascade Range

Cascade Range

The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...

of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, U.S.. It comprises 116300 acres (47,065 ha). 75695 acres (30,632.7 ha) of the area are located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and 40605 acres (16,432.3 ha) located in the Winema National Forest. It was established in 1984 under the Wilderness Act

Wilderness Act

The Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...

of 1964.

Topography

Sky Lakes Wilderness straddles southern Oregon's Cascade Range from Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the sixth oldest national park in the United States and the only one in the state of Oregon...

southward to Highway 140. It is approximately 6 miles (10 km) wide and 27 miles (43.5 km) long, with elevations ranging from 3800 feet (1,158.2 m) feet in the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Rogue River

Rogue River (Oregon)

The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...

, to 9495 feet (2,894.1 m) at the top of Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin is a steep-sided lava cone built on top of a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The mountain is north of Mount Shasta, south of Crater Lake, and west of Upper...

, the highest peak in Southern Oregon and the highest point in the Cascade Range between the Three Sisters

Three Sisters (Oregon)

The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range in Oregon, each of which exceeds in elevation. They are the third, fourth, and fifth highest peaks in the state of Oregon and are located in the Three Sisters Wilderness, about southwest from the nearest...

and Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...

.

The Wilderness contains more than 200 pools of water, from small ponds to lakes of 30 to 40 acre (12.1 to 16.2 ). Fourmile Lake

Fourmile Lake

Fourmile Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is northeast of Medford....

, near the southern end of the area exceeds 900 acres (364.2 ha). Several of the lakes at Sky Lakes, including Alta and Natasha, were found to have among the most chemically pure water known of all lakes on the globe.

Geology

Geologic studies indicate that the earliest rocks in this part of the High Cascades began forming when a chain of volcanoes erupted between five and three million years ago. During the Ice Age

Ice age

An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...

, the composite volcanoes of Mount Mazama

Mount Mazama

Mount Mazama is a destroyed stratovolcano in the Oregon part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the Cascade Range. The volcano's collapsed caldera holds Crater Lake, and the entire mountain is located within Crater Lake National Park....

and Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin

began their initial build-up. On their north and east slopes, Mount McLoughlin and other peaks bear scars caused by glaciers. Like most other major drainages within Sky Lakes Wilderness, Seven Lakes Basin and the deep canyon of the Middle Fork of the Rogue River were carved by the massive ice fields which covered the highest elevations of the Cascades. Approximately 6,700 years ago, when Mount Mazama exploded, collapsed, and formed the caldera of Crater Lake, some of the vast amount of rock and ash which was thrown into the air landed in the northern portion of Sky Lakes Wilderness, creating the pumice-covered Oregon Desert.

Vegetation

Many plant species thrive in Sky Lakes Wilderness, including nearly two dozen tree species. These range from the Pacific yew and Engelmann spruce

Engelmann Spruce

Picea engelmannii is a species of spruce native to western North America, from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, southwest to northern California and southeast to Arizona and New Mexico; there are also two isolated populations in northern Mexico...

in the lowlands to the mountain hemlock

Mountain Hemlock

Tsuga mertensiana, known as Mountain Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Tulare County, California....

and subalpine fir

Subalpine Fir

The Subalpine Fir or Rocky Mountain Fir is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of Yukon, British Columbia and western Alberta in Canada; southeastern Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, northeastern Nevada, and the...

at the higher elevations. Shasta red fir

Red Fir

Abies magnifica, the Red Fir or Silvertip fir, is a western North American fir, native to the mountains of southwest Oregon and California in the United States. It is a high altitude tree, typically occurring at altitude, though only rarely reaching tree line...

dominates much of the Wilderness, and lodgepole pine

Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...

is common, but is in its element in the Oregon Desert portion of the Wilderness. Whitebark pine

Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis, known commonly as Whitebark Pine, Pitch Pine, Scrub Pine, and Creeping Pine occurs in the mountains of the Western United States and Canada, specifically the subalpine areas of the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the Pacific Coast Ranges, and the northern Rocky Mountains –...

is an uncommon tree in Sky Lakes, but can be found high on the slopes of Mount McLoughlin and Devil's Peak. The forest's understory is dominated by species of huckleberry

Huckleberry

Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...

, manzanita

Manzanita

Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...

, kinnikinnick

Kinnikinnick

Kinnikinnick is a Native American smoking product, typically made of mixture of various leaves or barks with other plant materials.-Etymology:...

, snowbrush, and heather

Calluna

Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...

Wildlife

Elk

The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...

herds spend much of the summer and early fall in the northern third of the Sky Lakes Wilderness. The entire wilderness supports roving populations pine marten

Pine Marten

The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...

s and fishers

Fisher (animal)

The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...

, black bears

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, cougars, coyote

Coyote

The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

s, as well as pika

Pika

The pika is a small mammal, with short limbs, rounded ears, and short tail. The name pika is used for any member of the Ochotonidae, a family within the order of lagomorphs, which also includes the Leporidae . One genus, Ochotona, is recognised within the family, and it includes 30 species...

s and golden-mantled ground squirrels

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

The golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis, is a type of ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of western North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical adult...

, goshawks and various other species of wildlife. During October and November, migrating birds pass over in the hundreds of thousands, often stopping at the high lakes. Osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

s, eagle

Eagle

Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...

s, and other large hawkss can occasionally be seen at Sky Lakes. Uncommon animals in the area include the yellow-bellied marmot

Yellow-bellied Marmot

The yellow-bellied marmot , also known as the rock chuck, is a ground squirrel in the marmot genus.-Description:...

, the fisher

Fisher (animal)

, and the pine marten

Pine Marten

.

Game fish are stocked in the Sky Lakes lakes by the State of Oregon annually. These include brook trout

Brook trout

The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...

, rainbow trout

Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

, cutthroat trout

Cutthroat trout

The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...

, and Kokanee

Kokanee

Kokanee is a word from the Okanagan language referring to land-locked lake populations of Sockeye salmon . It may also refer to:* Kokanee Range, a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada...

. Cutthroat are only stocked in Big Heavenly Twin and Isherwood lakes, and Kokanee are only stocked at Fourmile lake.

History

Beginning several thousand years ago, Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

groups - ancestors of the Klamath and the Takelma

Takelma

The Takelma were a Native American people that lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwest Oregon, with most of their villages sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means Along the River.-History:...

Indians - hunted game and gathered huckleberries within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area. However, prehistoric visitors didn't spend a significant amount of time in the area due to the short season of mild weather and the limited variety of food plants and animals. Prehistoric stone tools have been found in the Wilderness.

The early non-native settlers hunted, trapped beaver and marten, and grazed their stock in the high meadows. Settlers from lower-elevation communities would travel to pick huckleberries at places like Stuart Falls and Twin Ponds. After 1906 the newly established United States Forest Service

United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...

built trails and fire lookouts within the Sky Lakes area.

Recreation

The Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...

passes through the entire Sky Lakes Wilderness from north to south for about 35 miles (56.3 km). The three main lake basins see quite a bit of use, particularly at the larger lakes, which are popular fishing, hiking, and camping destinations. Hunting is popular in the Wilderness, especially for elk.

Points of interest

The Twin Ponds Trail follows the route of the old Rancheria Trail, a Native American travel route. In 1863, it was widened and used as a military wagon road between Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Oregon

Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....

and Fort Klamath. This portion of the Rancheria Trail is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

and many segments of the old wagon route are visible the trail.

At the southeast end of Island Lake is Waldo Tree. This inscribed Shasta red fir bears the carved names of early-day Oregon conservationist Judge John Waldo and four companions. In 1888, these men hiked south along the crest of the Cascades, from Waldo Lake to Mount Shasta