A buddy and I set out for Kaleetan Lake Friday after work in hopes of finding some seclusion for the evening. We departed the Pratt Lake TH at 4:40 PM and was hoping to make Kaleetan Lake before sunset.
It was fairly quick moving until we hit the Pratt River crossing - I walked across the log and my buddy decided to take off shoes and walk through which took quite some time. The log is big but there's a nice bounce to it when you start walking and if you stop in the middle you are in for a rather unpleasant ride - just don't stop!
The uphill climb seemed to take forever as precious daylight was slipping away. We made Lil Windy Lake by 9:20 and considering Kaleetan Lake was just down a bit further we most certainly weren't going to stop short.
Well, at the final 300 feet you are greeted by ridiculous blow downs all over the place which made for very difficult going and my buddy lost his sleeping pad as it was strapped to the outside of his pack.
We finally make the lake by 10 PM and there's a lone camper in the best spot by the lake and we have to unfortunately walk by his camp as we're trying to find a spot. Rather pleasant gentleman hops out, greets us and offers us a spot right next to his tent. Well we're too smart to bring tents and we're both in hammocks... All of the trees are either spaced really far apart or there's 4 feet high brush everywhere. Yay! So here we are fumbling around in the dark like a couple of clucks trying to find a good spot, which there really wasn't. We ended up picking the best of the worst let's say.
Quick dinner follows and I bust out some surprise tall cans I brought in which immediately lifted spirits and turned moral around. I slept like a baby, woke early morning but back to sleep and finally up at around 9AM with the sun's gentle rays on me - awesomeness!
The friendly fellow was already long gone, hopefully we didn't ruin his experience and weren't what drove him off.
Hike out was uneventful and luckily with the GPS track we located the lost sleeping pad. From now on everything is going inside the pack!
Nice swim in Lower Toscohatchie Lake - which is still a bit cold but should be prime shortly.
First view of Kaleetan Peak
Thanks for the report. I know nothing about Kaleetan Lake or how popular it is, but I was surprised anyone was there besides you. And it's good to know the blow down is there and needs to be worked on. I'll be on a BCRT on the Pratt River trail in a week and maybe I can put a bug in someone's ear.
we're both in hammocks... All of the trees are either spaced really far apart or there's 4 feet high brush everywhere. Yay! So here we are fumbling around in the dark like a couple of clucks trying to find a good spot, which there really wasn't. We ended up picking the best of the worst let's say.
Looks like a nice outing in spite of the hammock tree problem. Actually, I am always running into that problem. People seem to think if you are in a heavily treed area you can always find a good hammock set-up. NOT!
It was an awesome outing! I've camped with the hammock setup many times and this is the first I've encountered the brush issue, there's definitely many other problems I've encountered hammock camping. I still like it very much though.
Wonderful report and pics. In that area, Kaleeeeeeeeeeeeeeetan is the LEAST so to say nice lake. It's kind of a swamp fest. Looks nice in the pics, but any lake that has its camp sites a hundred yards away from the water isnt for me. LOL.
"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
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"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."
— Abraham Lincoln
You are absolutely right, total swamp fest, the left area in the larger panorama photo is swampy AF! Lil Windy was better but no awesome Mt views, Lower Tuscohatchie is by far the best for lake access, quality and views, not seclusion though! Perhaps swampyness would go down in a month and it would be more enjoyable.
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Actually, I am always running into that problem. People seem to think if you are in a heavily treed area you can always find a good hammock set-up. NOT!