Wet weather walks

On Saturday we drove up to the Spenceville Wildlife Refuge and hiked around at random. We scrambled through a barbed wire fence, getting my knees and lower legs thoroughly wet. We hiked along an old dirt road and then went along a well used cow path that went uphill. It stopped being a path as we neared the top of the hill which was crowned with a fortress of upthrust volcanic rock. We amused ourselves scrambling on the rock and then followed a fence line downhill to another old dirt road. This followed an old water channel back to the car. I scraped my knee a bit on the barbed wire getting back out so I hope my tetanus shots are up to date.

Today we drove up to see Hidden Falls just outside of Auburn. It's a pleasant enough walk through the typical foothills poison oak, regular oak, scrub pine and brushy tick habitat. Commando couldn't be off leash the whole time. There was some sort of Placer County employee there (possibly a ranger), and then there was an open range (saw no cattle), and then there was another not too friendly dog. He did manage to be off leash for about 1/2 the time though and enjoyed the usual sniffing, digging, and hopeful chasing of imaginary animals.


I had thought about going to the snow in spite of the storm but decided I just wasn't ready to freeze and have no view. The snowshoes still wait in my car for suitable weather.

Washer and dryer now fixed

Finally got the dryer hose back on. It turned out to be easier than I thought. I did end up with a spare part, but I don't think it's important. After running through two folks at Home Depot that didn't know anything, I was finally turned over to a guy who did know about dryer hoses and he assured me that it was trivially simple and there was no need to obsess about it. Basically, it's just make sure that not much air and moisture leak out so duct tape and ducts and those circular clamp things are really all you need. I also bought a cool circular clamp with a big plastic turn key on it so I didn't have to find the right screw driver and seat it in the tiny hole and then lose all leverage as the screw gets tighter. Whoever invented this is a genius.

I would give this chore about 1/2 a screw driver for difficulty. Getting to the back of the equipment is mildly irritating and unscrewing and screwing the hoses was mildly irritating and there's the potential to cut yourself on the metal duct.

For those who might be cackling at my inability to fix a simple hose, keep in mind that I didn't own a dryer until I was in my mid-40's and there's no inborn genetic knowledge, that I'm pretty clumsy, and that I can't see things close up (like tiny screws) without my reading glasses. Okay, laugh away, I'll admit I'm lame.

Not much of a walk

Although I'd planned to go to the snow several times over Turkey Day weekend I ended up not going at all. The best walk we had was on Tuesday at Cache Creek Regional Park near Rumsey. It's interesting terrain...dry...rocks and rock layers upended and twisted in many directions from the active fault lines...plenty of evidence of seasonal bad flooding in spite of the dryness. In the summer it will be hot and dusty. On this almost winter day it was cool. I saw no one the entire day. We hiked up the main dirt road. It's blocked at highway 16 due to a dicey bridge crossing or two. There's a cool stone barn that someone has spent a bit of time sprucing up. It has new doors and it looks like someone has mended the metal roof. The stone is volcanic rock and must have taken some hardy pioneer a bit of effort to put together. It is a nice bit of engineering and rock work though as it seems to be ready to stand straight and level with nice square corners for at least another hundred years. Took a picture of this weird plant. I have no idea what it is and I've never seen anything like it. It was fist sized, a small fist. That's two weird plants I've discovered. I've got to find a botanist so I can identify these.

Snow plow

Lots o' snow

Drove up 80 to visit the snow. I didn't even bring my snowshoes, but next trip I'll have to. We ended up at the scenic overlook on Hwy 20. The snow was about knee deep and very fluffy and dry. I couldn't make snowballs.

We really just strolled around in the woods and followed a soon to be x-country ski trail. The trees were blazed but no one had skied yet.

There seems to be a known sled hill there as some kids were leaving and some arrived as we were leaving. The roads weren't too bad.

Gambling and hiking along the Mormon Emigrant Trail

Met up with some of the BOE folks for a bit of gambling and the delicious buffet at Red Hawk. Commando napped in his luxurious palace in the back of the car. I was a loser at all the games I played. Scott was the big winner.

Then drove up MET to see if it was clear to Highway 88. I turned close to the end as the snow was noticeably deeper and I really do NOT want to get stuck. We hiked along the Light Canyon road in light snow, or maybe it wasn't Light Canyon. We strolled for about a mile paying close attention to the interesting animal footprints. We got to a road crossing that hadn't been driven too since the snow dropped. There was a rock fire pit and a nice place to camp or picnic. I briefly considered going overland on the unmarked road, but decided that it would be wiser to just retrace my steps.

I tried several times to take a good picture of the Crystal range. It was glowing with the late afternoon sun. Unfortunately, in my cell phone pic, it was a tiny whitish smudge. Someone else with a better camera will need to snap the picture.

Sitting at Icehouse Lake in the Eldorado National Forest

I wasn't in a very good mood today but forced myself to head up and do some hiking. I'd originally planned to hike around Wright's Lake, but there was a bit too much snow on the road. The vehicle has 4WD and snow tires, but they don't seem to be really good snow tires. We drove back down to 50 and then up to Icehouse. We parked along the Wright's Lake Tie road and hiked down to the lake and then along the shore. I tossed sticks for Commando and found one that he really liked. He carried it for a long time.

I stopped in some shade to lean against a rock and just look out over the lake. I like this picture because I think I framed it nicely.

First snow (for me) winter 2010

Drove up to Wright's Lake again. Just before the Lyon's Creek trailhead it was starting to rain and snow at the same time. After Lyon's Creek it was snowing and with every little bit of elevation the snow got deeper and deeper. We parked at the main lot for the Bloodsucker lake trail and hiked through the campground and along the trail. We could have crossed the creek if we'd wanted to wade through the calf high, freezing water but we wisely chose not to. Instead we followed a clearly delineated trail. It's not marked on the map, nor is it evident on Google Earth. The route started to get quite marshy and so we headed back.

Commando really LOVES the snow and he ran everywhere. I hope this snow is a harbinger of a great snow shoeing season.

Low elevation hikes

It rained on Saturday so drove up to Colfax and took the Yankee Jim's road up to Foresthill. We tried to hike up the American River at the bridge crossing but found that Shirttail Creek was a bit treacherous to cross without a human partner to report on any broken limbs. We ended up hiking around the forest near Foresthill road and the Christmas tree place. Commando chased a deer.

On Sunday it was nice an sunny. We drove up to Colfax and then up Iowa Hill road to the Foresthill area. The river crossing was busy with folks so we didn't stop there. The hoary denizens of Iowa Hill were out in full force and stared at our unusual car when we drove by. We ended up hiking in the forest and on some OHV trails and then at the Fork House trail and also on the forest service road near Fork House.

I put two pads in the heel of my problem foot and it feels fine. Maybe I just need to make absolutely sure that it's fully elevated and I'll be healed.

Go Giants!

Grouse Lake Success

On my second try I made it to Grouse Lake. The first time I just wasn't feeling very good and even the easy, flat trail sections were hard. This time, although the steep climb was hard, we charged right up. Once the trail splits from the Twin Lakes trail there is a short, somewhat steep granite section. Then, there's a right turn up and there's a steeper forest section. Next, it levels off a bit, but still angling up and somewhat southeast. Just before the last bit, we ran into some hikers on the way down. The man said the lake was just at the base of the leftmost rounded "peak" as I faced the steep forest/granite wall ahead. The trail switches back to the left (northish?) and angles up the wall. This section is the steepest and reminded me of the trail to Loch Leven lakes or even Mt. Judah. There weren't many switchbacks though because there isn't really room for them.

We started to cross the stream that exits the lake but I couldn't see the trail on the other side. As it turns out, that's the trail. Instead we took some marked cairn "trails" up and did eventually reach the lake. We found a likely spot. Commando gobbled his trail meal down. I had my banana and some vitamin water placebo. I soaked my feet in the lake. Wow. It was cold. It was so cold my feet turned red and my toes started to ache with cold. The socks and boots went back on.

As we headed back we ran into a backpacker and his dog coming up over the granite ridge instead of from the trail. The backpacker asked what lake this was, and then asked how to get to Twin Lakes. Hmmm. I told him the general vicinity to head cross-country and said he could also backtrack on the trail. I hope he makes it.

I then stupidly decided to try and make it back cross-country. We angled along the ridge generally heading down, west, and south trying to find the path of least resistance. My theory was that there was a long, gradual ridge that led back to Wright's Lake. I don't think my theory was correct. If it was correct, I never found the ridge.

We headed down dry stream beds interspersed with granite slabs or large granite blocks. As we got lower, we got caught in a section of large granite blocks (some the size of houses) and dense manzanita. We had to climb rocks and push through dense flora. At one point I looked down and realized that the manzanita was hiding a 3-4 foot drop next to the boulder I was trying to go around. Commando had difficulty too. He can't see over the manzanita and he's not so agile over the big rocks. He needs some type of flat surface for his paws to grip.

At one point I realized that, although we'd been hiking for a while and were still descending, we weren't on the trail yet and the sun was starting to set. We headed straight down to get to the trail fastest. At first, we were helped by some deer trails. There were also fewer rocks. Then, it was back to thick manzanita. We just pushed through as carefully and as quickly as possible. At last we reached some flat space and soon discovered the trail, just inside the Desolation Wilderness boundary. I'm really not sure my "short cut" had saved us any distance.

The sun set before we got back, but we were almost to the flat section of the trail when it set. There was plenty of residual light to see. The moon was up and a little over half full so it's reflected light was enough to cast a faint shadow.

Both of us were exhausted when we got back to the car after about 7 hours of hiking. Commando is still sleeping on the bed, a sure sign that he's one tired doggy.

It was a great hike though!

Barrett Lake Jeep Trail Hike

I wasn't feeling very motivated so took an easy and somewhat boring hike up the Barrett Lake Jeep Trail.

We met a few rigs coming down the trail. I have to remember to park us uphill from the various vehicles because being on the downhill side was a little scary. There wasn't always a lot of room to stay out of the way and I kept worrying about the rigs rolling over on top of us.

The first vehicle that passed us made Commando quite nervous, but he calmed down with the next sets.

Like the grumpy people we met a few weekends ago at the Enchanted Pools I was grumpy when there were about 5 trucks parked at the Silver Creek crossing. Unlike most of the other vehicles, they weren't very friendly. I had wanted to stop there and soak my feet and eat my sandwich, but the large group, and not very friendly dog convinced me to keep going. Commando would have liked to have stayed to try to use his wiles, but I didn't get a good vibe from the other dog.

We climbed up to a "summit" and then then sat and ate. Commando was quite hungry and really tucked into his food. He was so tired he even laid down for about a minute. Wow!

When we got back to the creek crossing, no one was there. We relaxed for a bit and I ate part of my sandwich.

We didn't encounter anyone else until we were back at the car. Two hikers came down after us.

We stopped at the Best View in the Sierra Nevada so I could soak my feet and Commando could clean some of the mud from his paws. A great way to end what turned out to be a good hike.

Best view in the Sierra Nevada

Hiked part of the way to Grouse Lake. The original plan was to hike to the Enchanted Pools and then to Lake Umpa but I changed my mind on the trail. It was getting late and as I hadn't done any research on Grouse Lake I wasn't sure how much farther we had to go. It was climb, climb, climb and an allegedly REALLY steep bit at the end. I'm glad we turned back.

Water was everywhere from the rains. Two weeks ago the terrain was parched, now, it's wet. There were puddles everywhere and snow dusting above about 8000 feet.

We stopped at the Wright's Lake boat ramp and this is one of the best views in the Sierra Nevada. The Crystal Range seems to loom over the still lake. Today, they were wreathed in clouds with some faint pink from the setting sun. A bald eagle flew over our heads clutching an enormous trout in its talons. It landed on a tree snag and scolded our presence and then flew away, still clutching the trout. Wow.

Best View in the Sierra Nevada 2

Second day at Schneider Cow Camp

Hiked up the forest service road and then up the stock trail. It's marked on the map but has no particular sign. It does allow motorbikes and two of then passed us on our way up. We reached the possible crest of the trail and headed off trail straight up the ridge angling a bit south east to head toward Little Round Top. It's not too difficult other than the altitude. The ground varies from somewhat loose dirt to hard packed dirt with rocks. There are plenty of mule's ears. We had almost reached the crest when the threatening storm clouds started to release rain and a few tiny bits of hail. There was also some thunder an lightning so we decided to descend. We cut back heading slightly more south towards Caples Lake heading for a tree line.

I was glad we got to some trees because the spitting rain turned into a downpour and we were glad to take shelter and stay somewhat dry under some trees. Poor Commando got soaked and had difficulty seeing through the rain, he really did look pitiful. We kept heading down and finally intersected with the stream that intersected the forest service road.

I had dry clothes in the car which I was glad to change into!

I guess it will take one or two more trips for me to "summit" Little Round Top.

Exploring Schneider Cow Camp

Hiked up to the saddle overlooking Meiss Meadows. WOW, what a view. The saddle has some nice rocks for sitting and really outstanding views. There's the whole Carson Pass area, Red Lake Peak, Stevens Peak, Elephant Back, and Round Top. There's the whole Kirkwood area including Thunder Mountain. A little bit along the ridge and there's Lake Tahoe including (maybe) Mt. Rose and (maybe) the Three Sisters. Spectacular. A bit of a rain came up as I was heading up to the top of an unnamed prominence so we headed back down. We were going to persevere, but the wind started getting colder.

As we were coming back down to the saddle two people on horseback were headed our way from the Tahoe area. Commando was quite interested although I was glad they turned off and headed into Meiss Meadows. I'm not completely convinced that Commando will act like the gentlemen he is around horses.

An older couple heading down overtook us as we were headed down. The man was way ahead and had a somewhat disagreeable dog with him named Pip. There was only barking and Commando acting a bit foolish to try and get Pip to play. Pip was extremely uninterested. I suspect he finds hiking serious business.

We stopped for a snack and water break and to watch the rain fall in this nice flat area close to the end of the hike. Commando refused water but scarfed his food down with interest. I felt a bit sorry for the hunters camped around the area. I have seldom seen fewer deer signs.

Trying to decide my next summit experience

Having somewhat successfully conquered Mt. Lola after only 4 tries, I think I'd like to try to get to 10,000 feet or 3048 meters. I need to be able to start at about 8000 feet or so and not have more than a 5 mile round trip. Also, hiking only, no scary slipping and sliding or falling.

I'm thinking Hawkins Peak or possibly Mt. Rose. Just some thoughts.

Group hike to the Enchanted Pools

A group of us from work met at the Costco in Folsom and grouped into cars to take the Enchanted Pools hike. Commando and Cheyenne (Mike and Angie's dog) came along too. Unfortunately for me, I slept in until 8 or so and was scrambling to get to the meetup place. I forced everyone to stop at the MacDonalds in Placerville so I could get coffee, breakfast and lunch. Good thing I happened to have some Vitamin water in my pack or I would have been really hurting.

The weather was great. We hiked pretty slowly up because I was the only one that knew the way and the trail is indistinct in several places. The dogs got along great even around food.

Alex and his posse stayed at the lower pools which were apparently the best. The rest of us went up higher to a not so scenic area and ate lunch.

There was a grumpy couple in a good shady area. I mean, they were really grumpy. Theresa walked by and they said they had hiked 4 hours to get here and wanted to know how long we'd be there. I had to wonder where they'd hiked from to take 4 hours. I certainly understand the desire for peace and quiet, but this is a pretty popular hiking spot and there are usually many other people there. It's better to bring your peace and quiet with you instead of relying on it from outside.

We hiked back on the Tyler Lake, Rockbound, Loop trail route with little problem. Once you're there, you're actually on established trails and route finding is easy. It was a good day.

I didn't take the pictures, Wee did and they are great!

Last morning at 157 Seacliff, Aptos

We stayed at The Tides of Life in Aptos and our visit was just what we wanted. We can highly recommend this as a vacation rental. We walked on the beach every day, relaxed on their comfortable furniture and tried to find the hidden bottle of wine!

This movie is from this morning as we were packing up to go.

More fun playing games

After several spirited games of Scrabble we decided to relax with a few lines.

Sitting outside at the beach rental

711 pm (Sat) I'm outside on the patio overlooking Rio Del Mar beach. There are many people heading to the beach to have bonfires and perhaps stir up trouble.

735 pm (Sat) Still sitting outside but getting a bit cold. Read the frugal traveler in the nytimes. I can hear the waves and folks laughing and talking on the beach.

739 pm (Sat) Just like home the neighborhood dogs are barking across the valley to each other.

541 pm (Sun) After a long day in San Juan Bautista we're watching some parachutists land, presumably safely, on the beach.

849 pm (Sun) After a great chicken adobo dinner I decided to see when the House season premiere is on and knocked over the table next to the couch. Fortunately, nothing was broken.  Gary wants another video.

Altar at the beach rental

We hike to the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

We drove to the Forest of Nisene Marks and up the Aptos Creek road. We were able to drive past the winter gate and park at the second gate. We hiked up the old road. We saw several joggers and mountain bikers. The turn off to the hiking only trail is well marked and is about 1 mile from the start. The foot trail goes along Aptos creek and occasionally goes along an old logging right of way from the early 1900's. There are two stream crossings.

I first hiked to the epicenter in the early 90's. It was pouring rain and I remember taking shelter under a redwood. My memory must be faulty, or they've moved the epicenter because there weren't any big redwoods there.

It's an interesting hike and brings back memories of the earthquake.

The picture is of Donna crossing a log. I crossed the same log a few minutes before she did.

First day at the beach house vacatioin

Well, we've been through quite a bit of wine. One of us is calling to complain about the "rosemary" she bought to garnish our chicken dinner.

Walking down the stairs and first view of the beach house

Exploring Caples Creek

On Friday drove up 50 to Kyburz and took Silver Fork road. Stopped at the Fitz Ranch bridge to hike up the trail to Government Meadows. I gave some thought to hiking across Caples Creek then up a trail to Forgotten Flat then back down a forest service road to Silver Fork and the car. It's a round trip of 5 miles. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling very good so once I crossed the creek and looked at the first uphill switchback I decided not to continue. I wasn't that committed to it so I wasn't disappointed.

Today we did the same hike, but continued on to Jake Schneider Meadow. I had wanted to stop there somewhere at Caples, take my boots off and cool my feet off. Caples is a lively creek busily trying to carve a canyon out of the granite so there weren't any good places. The banks were a steady 2 feet or more above the water level. The water was also moving pretty fast with many snags and really dangerous strainers so I didn't want to chance going in.

There was one place that had been made into a campsite with beautiful, soft sand and a bit of a calm area. I soaked my feet until a spider (I'm a bit phobic) decided that he wanted to share this exact same spot and he didn't appreciate my fat butt on his grassy home. I left.

We also stopped at the granite and sand beach just down from the nice bridge about a mile up the trail. No one was there and I soaked my feet for quite a while without disturbing any arachnids. Commando and I played some splash for a bit and he cooled down nicely.

It's a nice, easy trail with some good views. The meadow was dry, not quite golden but close. Grasshoppers and dragon flies were abundant. I'll definitely do this trail again.

Silver Lake to Granite Lake

As I was forced to take a furlough day in September, and couldn't take any day prior to today off I decided to take advantage of the lack of crowds by hiking to Granite Lake. Silver Lake has camping, two resorts with camping, and forest service cabins so it's usually crowded. I like to let Commando off leash but that means going to lonelier places so I don't bother anyone.

The trail head as described by the forest service is well marked. The sign says 1 mile as do the forest service directions, but I'm not so sure. After climbing a bit through a mixed granite high altitude pine forest there is a surprise trail junction. It says Granite Lake .5 miles ahead and the parking area 1 mile back. Even my math says that's 1.5 miles.

We reached the lake and I changed into shorts and waded around. The water was nice and cool. I did pick off something that looked like a leech though. Ick. We met some odd women with a Puli dog on a leash. They didn't know where Plasse's was and said they had hiked to Hidden Lake which was several miles along. Hmmm, I didn't think it was that far. Plus, didn't they look at a map?

Read a little, drank my drink, ate my sandwich. Commando waded, scared off the blue jays, and chased squirrels. It was nice and relaxing. Headed back and encountered no one so it was a perfect day.

More Mt. Lola pictures

 

My signature on the summit log. Commando refused to sign.

This is the box in which the summit logs are stored. It would have been interesting to read all of the entries...the box is stuffed with papers.

Bagged Mt. Lola - Finally!

A few weekends ago I decided to try and summit Mt. Lola. The trail from White Rock Lake is described as about 2 miles to the 9100 ft' summit. The first time I got on the wrong trail. I tried to follow a use trail that goes straight up and I gave up because it was too difficult. I did have a nice hike around the lake though.

The second time I studied the terrain and decided to dispense with the trail entirely and go up a saddle on the dam end of the lake. Although I had a great hike, going cross country proved to be a bit much and I didn't make it.

The third time I determined to carefully follow the trail. Unfortunately, I skipped lunch and didn't bother to hydrate or eat while hiking and somewhere very close to the summit I became ill and had to turn back. This route was quite punishing once I got to Mt. Lola's final flank. The trail from White Rock Lake is not well marked and is a bit hard to follow, although, not impossible. There also seems to be a trail, not on any map, that seems to head over to Castle Peak area so be careful.

After more terrain and map studying, I decided to drive up a forest service/logging road to Cold Stream Meadow and take the trail from there. There also seemed to be a sort of road on satellite views that went to almost 8500 feet and put one quite close to the summit.

The forest service road is passable by most high clearance vehicles. It's narrow and overgrown so you'll get paint scratches. I chose to drive over the foot bridge and it felt sturdy but it was scary nonetheless. If it ever fails there will be a good 3 foot drop into the creek.

The road forks above the meadow. I didn't like the look of either and parked a few feet back in a logging clearing. I chose to hike the road that went up and this turned out to be a good decision. It goes up and up and up with several switchbacks and a few steep places. It finally ends at a logging clearing and I had to just go up through the forest, then across a boulder field, then through some mule's ears and scraggly manzanita to a saddle. Once here, the going is not bad. It's all worn volcanic rock with scrubby plants worn down by the wind. It's not very steep, but there is still a climb to a rounded peak, then a slight drop, another climb to another rounded peak, then a slight drop, then, finally Mt. Lola!!

On this trip I set an alarm every 1/2 hour and forced myself to rest, eat, and drink. It made a big difference in how I felt. Although I could tell I was at elevation, there was none of the nausea and dizziness of Friday's trip.

I chose to take the trail back to the meadow and the car. I'm really glad I took the road up because I think it was easier than the trail. It took about 3 to 4 hours for me to get up and only 2 to get back to the car.

Bassi Creek Loop

It's hot again! I decided to ignore the heat though and hike the whole Bassi Creek Loop trail. I'm not sure if I've done the whole loop before. I've hiked the whole thing in both directions but at different times.

My one concession to the heat was to carry a lot of water and Revive Vitamin Water (don't care if it's bad, it keeps me well when hiking in the heat) and stop at Bassi Creek and rest in the cool water for a long time. I even brought a book.

Commando doesn't like the heat either and he actually deigned to drink some of the water I carried when we stopped at about the half way mark to the creek.

The creek was higher than the last time but not so high that it was dangerous. The water poured over the granite in sheets and pooled up deeply in spots. Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of shade. I got soaked nicely and had a good rest.

We meandered to a few places with shade that had various kinds of bugs. A spider scared the shit out of me on rock 1. Some kind of fly bothered me at rock 2. Rock 3 looked good for a while and I rested and almost napped. Then I noticed a tick like insect, some ants, and some kind of tiny red bug.

This was the only place I saw people. As I was heading to a good crossing, some people were meandering up the other side. Three horses came down going the opposite way. I headed along the trail.

At one point I almost lost the trail. It was rocky and overgrown and there were a lot of likely looking "trails." Some people were camping and I asked them. They weren't sure but the guy said he thought I was on the right trail and that it headed up. Well, I knew that part.

Within a few feet I could see the horse hoof strike marks on the granite and a cairn and was pretty sure I was on the right path. After that I never lost the trail again.

After hiking a LONG time up and up and not seeing the intersection that was next goal I was starting to worry. Could I have missed a turnoff? My map didn't show a turnoff and I hadn't seen one, but that didn't really mean anything. We came in sight and sound of a creek. If I was where I thought I was that would be Bassi Creek again. I wasn't so pleased that we were so close to it though. I kept going up and up and at LAST saw the sign and the trail junction that put me back on impossible to miss trails back to the car.

Had a great pizza and Commando is snoozing heavily in his basket. I guess it is possible to hike his paws off after all!

alea iacta est

Tom Stienstra's thoughts on getting out and hiking.

Good hike, Meh hike

Today we drove up 50 to Wright's Lake road and then parked at Dark Lake to hike on the Barrett Lake Jeep Trail. The gate was closed. That's bad for the jeeps, but good for hiking. It's definitely a road that requires special outfitting on your rig. It's a lot more like a trail than a road. There are still trees down across the trail. For hiking it's quite nice. It's relatively level. It climbs a bit, then is flattish, then drops a bit, then climbs a bit, then drops. We stopped about a mile in at the crossing of the Jones Fork of Silver Creek. The trail is mostly dry and dusty with a few muddy spots. The creek is great. It was running nicely but the snow has melted and the water was warm enough to soak my feet. Commando fished for sticks and spent most of his time hunting rodents on the surrounding granite.

The trail has lots of fabulous views of Red Peak, Taylor Peak and the rest of the Crystal range.

Saturday we drove up 50 again to Wright's Lake road and then turned up the Wright's Lake tie. Just after crossing the cattle guard near the Wilson Ranch meadow we turned left onto a forest service road. From the maps, it looked like we could explore Lyons Creek from some unusual angles. It wasn't much of a hike. We parked and walked along the very bad road and could occasionally see the creek below, protected by steep canyon walls. There were some dusty, rocky, brushy places to scramble down but we didn't try any of them. The road eventually just disappears.

We turned back the other way. The road dead ends at Lyons Creek and the land to the left is marked private property. We scrambled around on the Eldorado side and eventually found shade a nice granite and a sandy pool. I read until deer flies forced us to leave. Commando chased rodents.

Visited Donna, Malene, and Gary for dinner. Donna and Malene were having a quilt fest and I borrowed their sewing machines to do some much needed repairs.

I can recommend the Barrett trail for hiking but Lyons Creek is a bit of a hot, dry scramble without much payoff.

Forgotten Flat Trail Fail

According to various maps, including new maps, there is a trail about a mile up a dirt forest service road. The road is undriveable just past one of the creeks because there has been major flood damage. At one place, they have removed giant culverts leaving a hard to cross gash across the road. It's easily 10 feet deep with steep sides. I went up stream to where the natural banks were more gradual and crossed there. I hiked up about a mile and saw where the trail should be according to the map, but no easily identifiable trail. I hiked up the dirt road a bit more, but it was hot so I turned back.

It's a nice area, the pine forest before getting high enough to be all granite. There are lots of streams and some might even have water in them all year.

I'm not sure I'll try this again unless I check with a ranger to see if the trail is passable. It's one thing to follow a road, but I really don't want to follow a faint trail that gets lost and then dead ends at an impassable creek.

Sat in the creek where the car was parked and cooled my feet.

Dinner in the City

Left Sacramento a little late and was the last arrival at the Eureka Lounge near the Castro in the City. It was a very nice place with a homey feel to it. Before I'd even said anything when I entered the guy said, "Oh, you must be the long-lost last member of the Victoria party!"

It was great to see everyone and rehear or retell all the old stories and catch up on whatever we're each doing now. Mrs. Robinson, the Hartman, the Peeps, our plethora or lack of "friends" on Facebook, the famous artist's ceramic pots, J Bird, the kids, the grand-kids, the pets, etc.

Sutter's Landing Dog Park

The town is really putting up a lot of dog parks so Commando and I headed to the one downtown. It was a hot day and we wisely went just at dusk when the temperature was below 90. The park is nice enough and Commando like it. There's not much shade but I'm not hanging out when it's hot anyway. There are some hills covered in bark to add an interesting place for the dogs to run. It's also got a distinctly urban feel to it. The hipsters were out in force and one guy was sitting on the ground trying to play his guitar. I didn't actually SEE any dogs go and pee on the guitar case, but I know they wanted to. Supposedly we can go down to the river here so we'll have to check that out later. We'll be back.

Donna's Cute Cottage

Donna's assistants assemble a cottage for her backyard.

North Fork Falls, Emigrant Gap

Drove up 80 and exited at Emigrant Gap. Drove to the North Fork Campground and hiked on the opposite side of the river from the trail. It was a relatively easy 1/2 mile although I spent time following the river and ending up in various oxbows.

The falls are pretty as is the rough volcanic rock that forms the drop. The falls are also hard to see from the top. If it had been warmer or if the water were warmer I probably would have scrambled down to the deep pool and swum around to see the falls. This might be a good hike for early fall on a hot day when the camp is closed, the water is as hot as it's going to get.

Forest Service road 19 was clear until several downed trees blocked the road completely. Someone had been there with a chainsaw, but hadn't cleared the blockage. There seems to have been a very recent forest fire (last year?) as the trees are burned but there really not plants or brush growing back yet. I don't remember a big fire here last year...but then, my memory isn't what it used to be...and it was never that good.

Lover's Leap Trail From Camp Sacramento

Drove up 50 to Camp Sacramento to take the Lover's Leap trail. This trail is the shortest at only 1 mile, and, because it starts at the highest elevation, I suspect it's the easiest. The link shows a 2.5 mile trail and there is also a trail from the town of Strawberry.

There are a few parking spaces just for the trail and then you head up the road to Camp Sacramento and head right after the camp store and just keep right till you see the trail marker.

It's a relatively straight, easy trail. It climbs steeply through a marshy area shaded by willows and aspens, then levels out through pines, then climbs steeply again over granite up the back side of Lover's Leap. There were a few snow drifts but it was easy to walk over them or go around them. They might last another week or two and then they'll be gone.

Met two off road motorcycle riders at the summit. There are great views over Strawberry and the surrounding mountains. Mt. Ralston looked close enough to touch.

I might hike this again in the fall when the camp is closed. The trail is probably very busy as long as the camp is open.

On the way back drove up Wright's Lake road. The snow blocks the road just past the Granite Springs road. Someone had driven further but they'd gone off the road a bit and damaged the terrain so I wouldn't recommend it. It might be possible to get through the drift in a really high truck with good tires.

Commando enjoyed the hike although he doesn't like heights. He looked over briefly at the top and then ignored it.

Road Trip Vacation to Most Northern Counties in CA - Day 5 and 6

We turned off 395 to Eagle Lake and were disappointed. It's high on a volcanic plateau and isn't surrounded by trees. The water was low and quite a bit of muddy looking shoreline didn't tempt us to try and dip our toes in the lake. We pressed on to Lake Almanor.

We reached Lake Almanor quickly with plenty of time to check out the various campgrounds. After looking at a private campground in Chester and the PG&E Last Chance campground Donna chose the Best Western's last dog friendly room. Donna showered. I took Commando for a short hike along the North Fork of the Feather River along the Chester Warner Valley road. This turned out to be very relaxing. We viewed a pretty campsite, walked along a stream, and played stick.

I also stopped back at the Lassen National Forest ranger station and bought some maps. They had closed but forgotten to lock the door. The woman was startled when I came in, but was very friendly, chatty, and helpful. I told her about the dead coyotes I'd seen along a fence. She laughed when I wondered if the coyote shooter noticed that the coyotes didn't seen deterred. She said her husband was from a settler family and that he had shot coyotes from an airplane when he was young. We agreed that coyotes certainly eat a few cattle but might also keep the rodents who dig holes in the pastures down too! There were a lot of taxidermied animals and birds. I thought the mink might be the animal we'd seen at Blue Lake...it was the right size. She said all of the animals were road kill, except the mountain lion. She had been shot by a rancher. Of course I'm an animal fan, but I see mountain lions as a lot more dangerous to cattle than coyotes so I have some sympathy for the farmers too. At least he'd had the sense to make some use of the cat instead of hanging it from a fence.

She said her husband had been out deer hunting and seen a mountain lion family and hadn't shot any of them. He had been on a rocky outcropping and seen the cats below. He froze, than realized that he couldn't see one of the cats. He peered over the rock and saw the daddy lion peering up at him. He stood up and waved his arms and yelled and the cats tripped over themselves to run away as fast as they could. His pals thought that was nuts and said they'd have bought him a six pack if he'd shot the lions.

We woke up early the next morning and took our time getting ready. I bought coffee and one of the best cinnamon rolls ever and took Commando along the Feather river again for him to stroll around and me to drink the coffee and eat the cinnamon roll. Donna napped and had the continental breakfast.

We headed back along 36 to Westwood and turned north on County Road 21. We turned left onto Silver Lake road and up to Silver Lake. This borders on the Caribou Wilderness. Silver Lake is exceptionally beautiful and has summer cabins. One end of the lake has a volcanic cliff which was covered in snow. We hiked along the lake to where the snow started to make hiking difficult. I continued up to the cabin road to try to get to the top of the volcanic cliff. I stopped at a seasonal creek with a pretty little waterfall. We hiked back along the road.

Donna had gone back and then hiked the opposite way along the shore. I saw her walking along and we got in the car and met her. We had snacks at some picnic tables and I soaked my feet in the lake. The water was so cold I really couldn't leave my feet in for more than a minute. Commando ate his breakfast.

He gives this lake 4 paws up!

We drove along to nearby Caribou lake. There was snow over most of the terrain so we stayed near the parking area. Commando played a bit with a lively gray terrier. He also swam out for a stick that I threw and then had some difficulty getting back through the floating logs. He thinks floating logs and bark are land and then is confused when he has to keep swimming. I was almost thinking I'd need to wade in and get him when he made it safely to shore. I didn't throw any more sticks for him!

We headed out then and back to 36 for home. After checking the map highway 32 looked interesting so we took that to Chico. It's surprisingly not very scenic although we did stop at the Lower Deer Creek Falls. Some federal rangers were having a nice lunch here and Commando took quite a liking to the guy. Donna almost lost her camera by dropping it down the trail. We also hiked a short distance up the creek to a natural spring that falls into the creek.

Commando gives this 3 paws up! It's short, but he likes the water and he liked the guy.

That was about it for our vacation. We continued to Chico and then took 99 south for home. I wish we'd had longer to stay and more internet access along the way.

Highlights of the trip: the beaches, the redwoods, the Garberville pancakes, Juanita Lake, Frank and Luke, Mill Creek Falls, the northern volcanic plateau scenery, the coyote carcasses, a large group of pronghorn in a lush hayfield eating the hay the thoughtful humans had planted, the 5 or 6 deer on their way to the lush hayfield that disappeared before Donna could take a picture, the Leffert trail adventure, the woman at the Lake Almanor ranger station, and laughing and traveling with Donna for 6 days.

Road Trip Vacation to Most Northern Counties in CA - Day 4

We woke up to a beautiful morning at Juanita Lake, packed up, and headed out. We took a brief drive to the Butte Valley Grasslands. This land parcel was reverted to the government in the '40s when drought drove the homesteaders out.

We continued on 161 east until it intersected on 139 south. This area is also part of the Klamath National Forest and we stopped at several places to look at birds. We hit 299 and headed east again to hit Alturas and get gas. For some reason, I thought there were plenty of campgrounds between Alturas and Cedarville. We found one, and it wasn't very scenic or nice. After Cedarville, we drove south on Surprise Valley Road to try and camp in the Warner Mountains off county road 40. Although scenic, the two spots were full so we headed back to Alturas to go south on 395.

We turned on the road at the town of Likely, and headed to Mill Creek Falls campground. We'd gotten a late start from beautiful Juanita Lake and had dawdled along the way looking at the high volcanic plateau scenery so it was dark when we pulled into camp. We were also tired, hungry, and cold. We tried to start a fire but all of the firewood was wet, the matches were wet, and the lighter was broken so we gave up. We had set up the rain shelter, because it was sprinkling, and that took a bit longer too. Eventually, we just turned in for the night to listen to the intermittent rain.

As it turned out, this was a comfortable place for me to sleep in the tent. The ground was softer and less lumpy than at the other sites. Donna froze in the back of the SUV and her sleeping mat wasn't holding air so she was not very comfortable.

I woke up at the crack of dawn and tried to start a morning fire. The same impediments existed as last night and I soon gave up. With no fire, and still cold and hungry, we packed up in a hurry just as the sun was starting to light the camp.

We headed on the trail to Mills Creek Falls and the walk before breakfast and coffee was well worth it. Although the rain and cold were not making us comfortable, it was certainly making all the water features much prettier. We headed into Likely to the lone diner to have coffee and breakfast. I had my usual pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The bacon was good but the pancakes were not good. The diner was filled with kitchen antiques and we both thought of Malene with her collection.

We drove back up to the Jess Valley and to the Blue Lake campground. Blue Lake was nice enough and we hiked along the shoreline for a bit before getting back in the car.

Commando only gives this part of the trip 3 paws up. He got two small hikes and had to spend a lot of time on the leash or in the car.

Road Trip Vacation to Most Northern Counties in CA - Day 3

We left Crescent City and Del Norte county intending to head into Sisiskiyou county to camp and tour. We drove up 199 through the redwoods and into Oregon. We stopped at a botanical area walk along 199 and it was spectacular. It's a dry area so the permanent flora (trees, bushes) are small and sparse. The wildflowers are not. Everywhere we looked along the decomposed granite path there were more and more flowers. My favorite was a electric blue flower.

Commando gives this area 4 paws up!

We drove down I-5 with a brief detour along the scenic Rogue River road and even 99. The scenic road was nice but 99 wasn't worth it. Soon after crossing into California we saw Mt. Shasta far ahead. It it a majestic mountain. We turned northeast on 97. We stopped at several wetlands areas in the Klamath National Forest to look at migrating birds.

We stopped for directions at the Goosenest ranger station in McDoel, CA and were directed to Juanita Lake campground. Outstanding! The lake has a camp host named Frank who was charming. He moved to the McDoel area in 1958 and plans to be buried here in "God's Country." The campsite was immaculate and is built for limited mobility folks and wheelchairs. There is a 1.5 mile paved trail around the lake. Great idea!

It rained overnight and snowed on some nearby hilltops. The snow left a dusting of powder on the pines just like someone has sprinkled powdered sugar over the them. The snow melted away as the sun rose. Frank said there is a nesting pair of bald eagles, although we didn't see them. We hiked around the lake and dropped into a magical meadow just up from the lake. Juanita lake must have looked like this before it was dammed. The campsite was almost deserted with only 1 other camper. Frank had a cute little dog named Luke and he and Commando spent a lot of time frisking around together.

Commando gives this camp, with no pesky leash and a fun dog companion an enthusiastic 4 paws up!

Road Trip Vacation to Most Northern Counties in CA - Day 1 and 2

We drove over to Sonoma and Highway 12 and then 116 to Jenner and Highway 1 as the most scenic route. We stopped just north of Ft. Bragg and camped at a KOA in Westport. The weather was cold so we stayed off the beach and had the campground almost to ourselves. I'm not a big fan of private campgrounds but this one was nice. The tent sites are next to a stream with otters (although we didn't see any). In the morning, we walked on the beach. Commando LOVES chasing the waves and did that till he could barely stand. He was joined by a cute white staffy in wave chasing until both of them were exhausted.

Commando gives chasing waves with a hot staffy 4 paws up!

We kept going up Highway 1 until it ends and joins 101 at Leggett. We had been hoping to eat at Leggett but there isn't anything there. We ended up eating in Garberville at a restaurant completely decorated with cows. I highly recommend the pancakes. They were delicious! I'll go on a bit about these pancakes because I ate them regularly on this trip and these were really outstanding. They were buttery tasting and the edges were reminiscent of caramel. I wish I could remember the name.

We kept driving up 101 through the redwood forests. If there was a scenic route option, we took it. We strolled at Founders Grove with some tourists who seemed to be on a bus tour. We also stopped at a quilt store Arcata. We saw the elk along the way.

Commando gives seeing elk but not chasing elk 0 paws!

We finally stopped in Crescent City. It was very cold and raining. The weather report was for more cold and more rain. We ended up staying at the America's Best motel. It was clean, renovated, and reasonably priced with friendly staff. We bought books on the desk clerk's recommendation at a nearby second hand store.

The Chart House fish restaurant was not good at all. It was disappointing to be in a fishing city and not be able to get a good fish meal.

We really felt we hadn't gotten in enough exercise so we headed to the Jedediah Smith State Park to put in a quick hike. Although it turned out well, our inadvertent adventure does remind me to review a map before hiking.

We turned off on a random road that seemed to offer a likely walking opportunity. We soon saw a sign for the Leffert Loop at .7 miles and the Ellsworth Loop at .2 miles. As it was late (7 pm or so) and raining, these distances sounded just about right. It's normally not that hard to get lost on a loop trail either.

We started out and crossed a bridge and a walkway over a marshy area. The redwoods were lovely. We came to a trail junction sign which was a bit confusing. Fortunately, Donna took a picture of it.

We hiked uphill for a bit, then along a flattish section, then downhill for a bit and then to a trail junction that looked just like the original trail junction. Donna asked which way and I pointed to the direction leading out of the loop. She thought that it didn't look right. I said let's look at the picture and we did. Imagine our surprise when we saw that the text on the sign was the same, but the arrows pointed in the opposite direction. Hmmm.

We headed along the flat section. It was getting darker. Donna had a cell phone but no signal and her batteries were running out. It was cold and wet. We were warm as long as we kept moving but would become very chilled if we had to stop. We decided to keep time on Donna's cell phone and walk for 15 minutes. At about 10 minutes we came to a stream. Should we continue or turn back? Fortunately we continued because within 20 steps we were back at the original sign and were back warm in the car withing minutes.

Phew! Commando gives the hike 4 paws up! He thought the forest smelled delicious and there was plenty of water to wade in.

Late Spring Off Highway 50

Drove up to 42 mile road near Sciot's Camp and hiked along the road that eventually goes to Cody Meadow. It follows Strawberry Canyon up Strawberry creek. The road is barely passable with a modified 4WD although I wouldn't recommend it. There are still too many big snow berms and the road is wet.

I was fascinated by the land slip a bit of the way up. A huge section of the hill has slid down to the creek at sometime in the past. You can see the huge scoring, rumpled dirt, and downed trees scattered over the hill. It was a while ago though as the road was built through it and the vegetation is back. Although I wasn't really worried, I didn't linger in the vicinity.

Commando enjoyed himself but was still tired from our hike on Saturday. I can't wait for full summer so I can explore more of this area. The Eldorado National Forest is truly a magical place.

Late spring off Highway 80

We drove up to the Eagle Lake exit and parked at the OHV parking area and hiked up the 4WD Carlyle Road. We have hiked to Eagle Lakes before so this time we turned left onto Grouse Ridge trail (actually another 4WD road) to visit the Pierce OHV staging area.

All the roads were wet with streams running down them and big, deep puddles. Freshets cascaded off any available slope leading to the Yuba river. We had to wend our way through the mostly deserted campground because of a snow melt lake across the trail. We relaxed at the river and were deafened by the noise.

Saw a funny pickup truck with an "Impeach Obama" bumper sticker. I'm not about to make snide comments to random strangers but I did wonder why they seemed to be all geared up to recreate in the socialist Tahoe National Forest.

Today was the day for funny sights. Almost at home we followed a stretch limo Ford Explorer. That seems an odd choice for a limo because I certainly have never considered Ford to be a luxury line.

Good day, tired dog, waiting for the pizza delivery.

Still miss San Francisco

Obama was in the city for a visit and a diverse group of protestors came to celebrate. These are a few things from the video that remind me of the city and why I loved living there.

Everyone is relatively mellow...diversity...it's raining!...the new Right...the Old Left...the creative solar protest chant...plenty of other people not there because they're doing something different and don't care...the happy, smiling cop at the end of the video.

San Francisco is just a town that likes to party and likes to be a spectacle.

Puppies and water

On Saturday drove to Arbuckle to look at a cute Boston terrier puppy with Diane. Although I'm a spay and neuter and adopt from the SPCA kind of person, these puppies were pretty cute. The dog runs were clean and the animals seemed well cared for and healthy. Diane ended up getting the puppy. She'll have to wait a few more weeks though till she's old enough to go home with her.

We drove up highway 20 and looked at the late spring flowers in Bear Valley and then drove up a dirt road into the Mendocino National Forest. We hiked up the dirt road along a stream and then hiked down the stream (getting pretty wet in the process) back to the car. It wasn't much for distance, but scrambling along the rocks and route finding were interesting.

On Sunday drove up to Kyburz and took the Silver Fork road to the Caples Creek trail. The road is blocked by snow just over the Fitch Rantz bridge. The trail is pretty easy, at least to the intersection with the Forgotten Trail. I think this summer we'll have to spend a bit more time along the Silver Fork road.

Camping Trip

Drove up to the Salt Springs Reservoir for a night of camping. The usual roads are blocked by gates and snow so I took the Tiger Creek road. It's quite a road; it follows the Tiger Creek and North Fork of the Mokelumne River canyons. It's extremely narrow and only about half paved...although, the dirt parts were some of the wider and faster parts. Because it runs through the canyon area, there's a 500 ft. to 1000 ft. drop on the water side. The fast moving forest service and PG&E trucks were a bit scary too, but there was always room to pass as long as you folded in your mirrors and didn't mind exchanging dust particles. I was glad there weren't any logging trucks because I wasn't wearing brown pants.

We checked out the dam area (no camping) and 2 of the 3 campgrounds. We selected White Azalea because it had a flat open space on the Mokelumne River. There was a couple at the other campground and me at this campground so it wasn't very busy.

Commando and I enjoyed a stroll around. We went down to the empty picnic area...over a bridge...along an old, unmarked forest service road/trail...and then back to camp. Commando ran all over the campground. He played in the water. He chased birds flying overhead. He chased far away squirrels.

I made a sandwich and lit a fire and just relaxed. Sometimes I read a book. Sometimes I looked at the fire. Sometimes I looked around at the river, or the fish biting, or the bats scooping up insects from the air, or the ducks paddling in the water. It was a bit colder than I'd expected but I stayed warm enough with the clothes I'd brought.

We went to bed in the back of the Escape. I closed the hatch but left the window open and we were as snug as could be. There wasn't much of a moon, but I could see stars. Sometime late at night, Commando woke me up with growling as another car pulled into the camp area. I could see the glow of their headlights against the tree trunks for a while, but eventually I went back to sleep.

In the morning we got up just as the sun was peaking between the V shape formed by Calaveras Dome and Hammer Dome (thanks KE). I had brought two cups of cafe mocha from Peets for my morning coffee and put it on the Propane Coleman to heat up. I went down to the river's edge to share a moment with Commando. When I came back all of the coffee had boiled away. I drank some dregs and then ate breakfast.

From the scouting the day before, we decided to hike up to the top of Garnet Hill. This is an old mine road that loops about 1000 feet up to the summit. I stupidly didn't bring any water for Commando, thinking there would be some seasonal stream for him to drink from. The trail loosely follows Monroe creek and it was filled with snow melt and was a constant and substantial noise. Unfortunately, Garnet Hill was dry and Monroe creek too steep sided even for nimble and athletic Commando. By the time we got to the summit (meh) he was one thirsty dog. He still wasn't thirsty enough to drink my Vitamin water though and he still had enough energy to chase off after squirrels.

We hastened down as fast as the steep terrain would let us. Poor Commando tried to get down at one point, but was defeated by the steep banks of the creek. It was almost comical to see his disappointed face. Less than 1/10 of a mile down though, and with some guidance from me, he was able to get his drink. He actually hates any bottled water and has often refused water I've carried for him. I bet he might drink water if I filled up from any lakeside that we might happen to be near.

We finished the trip to the car and then headed home. We did make a few side trips and excursions, and, after driving 22 miles out of the way, discovered that the Panther Ridge road back to 88 was not only blocked by snow but also blocked by a gate.

It was a good trip and can't wait for more of the high country to melt so we can camp again.

LOVE "Community"

This week's episode, a sly parody of action movies, was outstanding. I won't pretend to know all of the mocking references to actual action movies, but I could see many of the cliches in action. The show meta-mentions some of the cliches but leaves us to enjoy others. The hero coming into the game late, the male bonding, the gratuitous sex scene, the magical Asian fighter, evil laughter, and the hero backlit by an explosion as the fight comes to its end. The show also references Glee although the tubby Glee Club body shot out of a tree also pokes fun at the hotties on Glee. Fun, fun, fun.

Wright's Lake Road

The road was clear for about 2.5 miles and then it was very snowy. As we climbed, the snow got deeper until it was about 5 or more feet deep. We followed snowmobile tracks so going up was relatively easy. Once the sun started melting the top layer of snow I put the snowshoes on to avoid post holing. I actually hurt my knee near Lyons Creek and favored it on the way back. I also forgot to put on sun screen and burned the bottom of my cheeks from the reflection off the snow. Ow. We had a great time and both of us are very tired. Can't wait till the snow melts, however, it looks like it won't be until June at the earliest. Good for the drought, not so good for hiking at Wright's Lake.

What would it be like to live a thousand years?

That's the time from the Dark Ages till now. You'd have over 10 modern lifetimes. You'd have to work for how many of those years? Could you not work them? You could be a fireman, policeman, ballerina, doctor, lawyer, engineer (both train and civil), sailor, teacher and whatever else. What if all you could be was a ditch digger? Could you be a ditch digger for a thousand years? Could you make lattes or bus tables for a thousand years? Everyone you talk to, "I know, I know, I know." What would it be like to be 800 and be dating someone 200? Would science stagnate because everyone has all of their good ideas in their 20's? What if Octo-Mom wanted to have even more babies? What would we do with all those people?

Snow is melting fast

I've been sick most of April so my hikes have been limited. Last weekend we went along highway 49 to the Cronan Ranch area. We didn't end up hiking there, but just down the road from there at another entrance to the river hosted by the socialist Bureau of Land Management. It was a great time to hike here. The weather was still cool and there were plenty of wildflowers. Later it will be baking, crowded, ticks will be about, and the grass will turn to prickly weeds that get in the dog's ears.

This weekend we went up Highway 50 to Icehouse road. We hiked along the Granite Springs road for a bit. The snow is melting fast, fast, fast and water is pouring off the hills. We tossed snowballs in the stream and watched the water eat it up.

Today we went again and I tried to find a part of the Pony Express trail that is marked on my shiny new map. I found what might be the trail but it was just a forest service road and it was pretty hot so we headed up to Union Valley reservoir. We ended up hiking along a thumb near the dam and then coming back along an old logging road. Commando had quite a good time chasing some waves. I discovered that some of the bank is made of sticky, slippery mud. I also picked off another tick. I hate ticks.

Felt better today and I hope this cold and sinus infection is finally gone so I can really hike.

Stroll along highway 20

In spite of the unsettled weather we drove up highway 20 and hiked along the Dascombe Loop trail to the Pfeiffer trail and then back to the car. It hailed a bit and rained a bit and was sunny for a bit.

We normally wouldn't do this trail because it's fairly busy and there are horses. Not quite sure how Commando will do around unfamiliar horses.

It was a nice exploratory stroll.

More video of the trip to the snow

Getting lazy...last two weekends

Donna came up and we took Brianna and Kayla to Red Lake near Carson Pass and played in the snow. We had intended to snow shoe at the yurt, but decided just to sled. Surprisingly, the sleds weren't very sleddy so we couldn't make much progress down the hill. The snow was also extremely fluffy so we mostly got stuck in it.

We also went to the Capitol building. The girls were fascinated by GAS's office and kept quoting that famous movie line. Of course, there were no elected officials working, only state employees.

On Sunday we went to the Crocker Museum of Art and toured around. It's free till 1 pm...great deal. The girls were quite interested in all the paintings, even the older ones. They were surprised at some of the risque scenes and we had some good discussions about the lives of the subjects.

This weekend I went up the Pacific House and hiked around trying to find the forest service road to Jenkinson Lake. There were a few inches of snow of the ground but not enough to wear my snow shoes.

Today, Diane and I went to Jenkinson Lake. We even paid the extortionate entrance fee. Commando cost extra. We parked at the boat ramp near the mid-point and walked to Park Creek Falls. Then we strolled around the campsites till we saw a possible forest service road leading to Pacific House. We met a great retriever puppy and he and Commando played and played by the falls. Nice family out for a picnic lunch with their daughter.

Great views

Drove up 50 again to snowshoe but ended up hiking. Across from Pacific House is Hazel Valley road that possibly turns into Light Canyon road and intersects with Mormon Emigrant. The various maps are not clear.

I'd discovered it last weekend and stopped at a bridge where the snow started. By this weekend, most of the snow had melted so we kept driving until we got to a ridge top and then started hiking.

We hiked to the top of a hill with some great views of the Crystal Range and then just strolled around on top of various hill crests. I almost went off trail to find a faster way down to the road. Good thing I didn't because after examining the maps...I would have gotten lost!

Commando dug for rodents and chased birds and squirrels. I made a great stick for him and he happily carried it around.

The dead tree is just an excellent picture. My brother took a photoshop class so maybe he'll put a scary pumpkin head on it for me. Or is that too predictable?

What it's like to snowshoe

Took this video yesterday at Grass Lake.

Grass Lake Snowshoe at Luther Pass

Drove up 50 and saw what looked like a small airplane crash on the westbound side in Eldorado Hills. Don't see anything on the sacbee about it though (now that I'm home).

I was going to try to get to the top of Lover's Leap but decided not too after all. Instead, continued on the 89 south and then parked at the south most end of Grass Lake.

Grass Lake is a marshy area and in the winter is a big, flat snow filled bowl surrounded by mountains and trees. There were many others out enjoying the high temps and beautiful sun. Everyone I saw was cross-country skiing although I followed someone's fresh snowshoe tracks for most of my trip.

The snow was excellent! There was a firm base with just a bit of powder on top to make it interesting. Even trail blazing was easy and following someone else's tracks was even simpler.

Commando had a good time running around in the trees and jumping for snowballs. I've always meant to try Grass Lake and now I have.

Commando Catching a Snowball

Exploring Sayles Canyon Tract

It's amazing how snow transforms the mundane into the special!

We drove up 50 to a little plowed out area just after Camp Sacramento. There were two trucks already parked there, but no people.

We followed a heavily traveled trail that followed a road. It went gradually uphill following Sayles Creek. Most of the traffic led to one cabin that was in use and then it was fresh snow with older tracks just visible under about 6 inches of beautiful snow. It was perfect consistency...supported weight easily...not too wet so no balls of snow under the feet...stunningly beautiful.

We just kept going up and when it started to snow we headed back. Big storms are coming in and I wanted to be below 5000 feet before they hit!

The movie is of Commando jumping to catch snow balls. He does this for fun and to get a drink.

More snow, fewer ticks

Yesterday we lazed around except for the usual stroll along the river. After the stroll, Commando was a bit more tired so obviously he'd gotten plenty of exercise at Jodi's.

Today we drove up the Mormon Emigrant trail to see how far we could go. We got pretty far, and could perhaps have gone farther. We stopped when there were only single tire tracks showing pavement and hiked up the hill and then back down. Commando did a beautiful "wait" to avoid getting run over. He also was charming to a little girl who was visiting the snow with her father. He sat nicely for her and licked her face.

There was a spectacular view of the Crystal Range from one place on our hike. The sun highlighted the peaks. Made this trip special.

By Folsom we were back in the gloomy fog again.