July 3 Pelican FSR

July 3rd i went out for dinner, out the Pelican Forest Service Road, via the Blackwater Road, for smokey dogs over the fire.  My first stop was at Shesta lake with plans on heading out to a recreational camp ground that i didn't completely remember the location of, where i'd have a fire and possibly a swim.  There was a nice short cut down to the parking lot with a steep decline, seemed better than the normal road in.  There are a few picknick tables here and a large parking area.

This last pic was from the other side of the lake, another picknick table and possible camp spot was here.  Next i journeyed back onto the pelican rd and tried to remember which road to turn onto.  I traveled for further than i thought necessary and recognized the road (just passed mile marker 12).  It looked to be well traveled but like most of the trails this year had more grass growing through and was a little rougher than i remembered.  Near the end there were signs of active logging and i saw some machinery on a new road in the distance.  There was also a fence there that was new, with no signs of a gate across the road, I hope there isn't one in the plans.  The road crosses back over the blackwater and then maybe 10 minutes theres a road leading to here:

There is three tables/fire pits in the main area here and another 2 on a road off the the right.  Also an outhouse!  I was hoping to have a fire, hotdogs and a swim but after about 20 minutes and a beer i had discovered the flys were bad, there were ants around the fire pit i wanted to use and the water was full of tadpoles!

So I decided to backtrack to stop #1, Shesta lk and have dinner there.

Bugs where minimal there and i had noticed a stack of firewood there.  A few hotdogs and a few beer went down nice on a hot day.  Spent an hour and a half or so there.  Fish were jumping, loons were calling, only two other vehicles went by on the pelican and neither of them came down to where i was.  I let the fire burn down and poured water on it before i left.  There were groups of butterflies on the ground there, didn't realize they stuck so close.

So after looking at a map, what i had been referring to as the Pelican forest service road is listed as Shesta Lake Road.  Map