Antler Trailhead to Yamsay Mountain

Antler Trailhead to Yamsay Mountain

Rating

            5 out of 5 for whole trail

Mileage

            Antler Trailhead to Antler Springs                                                            3.5 miles

            Antler Springs to Yamsay Mountain                                                         4.5 miles

           

Elevation Change

            Antler Trailhead to Antler Springs                                                            +1044 feet

            Antler Springs to Yamsay Mountain                                                         + 742 feet

GPS Coordinates                                                Latitude                            Longitude

            Antler Trailhead                                       42  57.509                        121  14.853

            Antler Springs                                          42  56.892                        121  18.179

            Yamsay Mountain                                    42  55.830                        121  21.640

Trail Description

           

Yamsay Mountain is the largest shield volcano in the Cascade Range.  A shield volcano is created by multiple flow of lava through a crack in the earth’s crust.  Layer after layer lava increases causes the mountain to look like a big hump instead of the more traditional cinder cone shape caused by the release of pyroclastic material or craters caused by violent explosions.  Even though Yamsay Mountain has an altitude of 8196 feet, making it one of the highest mountains in the area, the mountain is not easily identified on the horizon.  Ice age glaciers have eroded the north side of the mountain leaving some steep cliffs to give the mountain some respectful top and a fantastic view to the north. 

The Yamsay means “north wind” in the Klamath language.  The Klamath tribe considers the mountain the home of the supreme being in the Klamath mythology, so even though it appears insignificant to our eyes, native Americans recognized the importance of the mountain.  Today the area is semi-primitive area with mechanized travel not allowed within its borders.

Hiking to the top is an ordeal from both the eastern basin side and the Klamath western side.  From the east you begin at the Antler trailhead at 6400 feet, but the total vertical climb is much more than the approximately 1800 feet difference.  During the eight-mile traverse along a ridge to the top there are three declines.  The first and last lead to valleys containing lovely springs with rich, green vegetation, while the second crosses a disused dirt road about half way to the top.  Other than the springs, the vegetation on the forest floor is almost nonexistent.  When the trail moves to the north side of the ridge, there are some nice stands of Pacific silver firs, but most of the rest of the hike is through stunted forests of western white pine and lodgepole pine.  The trail is not heavily used.  I only met a couple on horses during the whole hike on a Saturday in August.  At the top of Yamsay Mountain the trail disappears in a meadow, but by then the destination is in sight.

The hike from the west is much shorter, but troublesome in that it was once a road to a lookout tower on top.  When the lookout tower was removed in the 1970s, the forest service decommissioned the road by digging innumerable trenches across the road, driving hikers crazy.

                                                               Top of Yamsay Mountain from trail on ridge

                                                                  First view of Yamsay Mountain from trail

Driving Directions to the Trailheads

Antler Trailhead

            About 1 mile west of Silver Lake on Highway 31 turn south on Road 27.  Turn right after 9 miles on Road 2804.  Go 2.5 miles and turn left on Road 7645.  Go 5 miles and turn left on Road 036.  Go 2.3 miles and turn right on Road 038.  The trailhead is .6 miles.  There is a campground at the trailhead with water, toilet and paddock for horses.