Lookin' Around
While on Brown we did catch some great views of Mount McLoughlin (9,495 feet), in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, and several peaks in the Mountain Lakes Wilderness. You can look, you just can't touch, at least on a snowmobile. We were also able to see Lake of the Woods, and farther to the north, Pelican Butte.
As with many mountains along this stretch of the Cascades, Brown Mountain is a volcano and, aside from its elevation and drainages, presents some interesting challenges on a snowmobile. We were told to watch out for "hot spots" on the mountain. These hot spots are some kind of a vent from within the mountain that emit steam and are evident as spots where there's no snow. Some are big enough that, well, it could make things interesting on a snowmobile.
The other volcano we climbed on the first day was Pelican Butte, a definite highlight of riding in Klamath County and a near 20-mile trail ride from Lake of the Woods. At 8,036 feet, Pelican Butte is another 725 feet higher than Brown Mountain. According to the USGS, Pelican Butte's original volcanic shape is largely preserved. Glaciation carved a steep canyon and broad cirque in the northeast flank.
The mountain is loaded with fun, from top to bottom. There is a trail from the base to the top, where there is a tower usually encrusted with layers of wind-blown snow. We used parts of the trail to access the summit but mostly weaved through the trees where the powder was deep and challenging. Once to the top we again got a great 360-degree view of everything in the surrounding area. Looking north you can see Crater Lake National Park. Look east and you see Upper Klamath Lake and Chiloquin Ridge. Looking south there is the Mountain Lakes Wilderness, Brown Mountain, Lake of the Woods and farther south, Mt. Shasta. Part of the reason the views are so spectacular from the top of Pelican Butte is because, as the USGS points out, the mountain is "detached from the axis of the Cascades." All that means is that you're a bit away from the rest of the range, allowing some great views.