Got Commando because I wanted to tackle the (I thought) trail-less overland route to the little lakes I could see from the top of GR proper. We parked under the shade trees where the trail to GR starts and headed overland down the meadow.
We got to the edge of the cliff and looked down over Sanford lake. As expected, there's no easy route down the cliff for a hiker. We paralleled the cliff edge for a while gazing over the spectacular view and then worked back to the meadow. We crossed a dry stream and then intersected a good trail to Sanford that followed the stream's course.
We took it, and after about 1/2 mile or so, we were soaking our feet in Sanford lake and gazing around. The lake is at the base of GR and is framed by a lichen covered granite head wall on that side. The granite continues around the lake getting lower and lower until it disappears and gives the lake that "endless" pool effect overlooking the wilderness beyond.
We waded around and explored some of the shoreline and I tossed sticks for Commando. Although I had carried my big, heavy Neal Stephenson book (System of the World) I just wasn't quite in the mood to sit and read it as planned.
There are quite a chain of little lakes and so we headed out to find some of them. There wasn't much of a trail and the first lake we found was really just a muddy pool. Then we found a dry lake. Then we found a tiny, pretty lake, then another little lake. At a granite saddle at the north(?) end of this lake I could see another big lake (about Sanford sized) maybe 500 feet below. This was Downey lake.
It was getting late so we turned our backs on Downey and scrambled up some scree and into a volcanic slot to the top of the ridge overlooking both the little unnamed lake and Downey lake.
We just kept bearing west and south and going up and eventually we reached the proper trail and had just a bit of a climb left to back to the car.
I saw some strange, fresh tracks on the trail. I thought, gee, those look like cow tracks, but I'm not sure they graze cows here. I tried to make them out to be very large deer tracks...or perhaps scuffed horse tracks...or perhaps horse tracks where the horse had some kind of weird shoe...but none of those theories seemed plausible.
As we neared the camp, I could hear some musical tones...perhaps a banjo? Also, the music was intermittent. Keep in mind that it's windy and non-wind sounds are obscured wind sounds.
Eventually the mystery was cleared up...by...free range cows with bells! They were marching through meadow just below the camp. The campers thought this was pretty exciting and people headed into the willows to get closer to the cows. The cows weren't too fond of that idea and a terrific mooing racket began. It wasn't really mooing, more like braying and mooing.
By now I had Commando on his leash, because I was pretty sure he would find cows entertaining to chase and that's just not right. We kept walking along the (now) road back to the car while the cows kept up the same pace just below us in the meadow.
The continued the braying and mooing. Something was stirring them up (and it wasn't Commando).
We saw them stretched out in a loose line below. A caramel colored cow, followed by about 7 light to dark red cows, then a dark red cow behind and still in the brush. The last cow was making most of the noise.
We kept on to the truck and sat down near it on some rocks bordering the meadow just as the line of cows was walking over the saddle to wherever they were headed. The caramel leader cow paused at the top to give another loud bray, moo bellow and they continued on at a fast pace. These were cows on a mission.
I kept sitting on my rock while Commando kept trying to figure out if there was some combination of moves he could take to escape the leash and follow the cows.
A good while later, I heard the bell again and the dark red cow and a large dark red bull calf crested over the saddle. They didn't like seeing us and paused, but then continued on after circling us. So this explained the mooing and braying! The bull calf wasn't keeping up and the other cows were scolding him. The lead cow had finally abandoned the mother and her calf to get the rest to...wherever they were going. Fascinating!
Commando was very disappointed to not get to chase the cows but he settled down once we were back in the truck headed home.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Visit from brother
Andy came for a visit this past weekend. It was fun (except for his usual foot odor) and relaxing. I did forget to put the Trader Joe's croissants in the oven so breakfast was a bit haphazard. We drove up to Grouse Ridge and strolled around there, up to the lookout and up to Grouse Ridge itself. We also lazed around in lawn chairs reading. Very nice. Up from GR, it looks like a very short hike to some small lakes just down the crest from the camping area. That will be my next trip.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Camping at Blue Lakes
It was slated to be an over 100 degree weekend here in the Valley so we decided to head up to the Sierras. I had been wanting to take the Burnside lake trail from the lake to Grover Hot Springs state park and this seemed like the time to do it. We arrived at the Blue Lakes area around 5 pm-ish and drove through all of the various camp sites before settling on the farthest site, or Upper Blue Lake.
After setting up camp and eating a Trader Joe's packed meal, Commando and I drove down to the lake shore and splashed around for a bit. The moon was full (or close to it) so the water was extra beautiful.
The next morning we ate and headed to Burnside lake. We stopped at Sorenson's Resort for coffee to go. I will give Sorenson's props for living up to it's luxury reputation. The extremely courteous concierge helped a woman who complained that her mattress was falling off her bed and also complained that her dinner dishes hadn't been picked up yet. The concierge was affable and polite although I was wondering why you would come to a beautiful place like Sorenson's to eat dinner inside. Next he helped a peevish older woman with a call to Southwest. She seemed to take it personally that her cell phone didn't work here (duh!). He dialed the number (from memory!), joked that he flew SW too and that's why he knew the number, and reminded her that there was a phone room available. She remarked that they were going to have to drive down to Sacramento and I wondered why they didn't try for cell reception somewhere along the way.
When it was my turn the concierge told me the coffee was around the corner and unblinkingly charged me $5 for the two paper cups of ordinary (but good) coffee.
Burnside lake was packed with campers, including some at our "special" location. I would have let Commando splash around in the lake and gotten both of us wet for the start of the hike but the two dogs nearby didn't look like suitable playmates. I geared up, checked my watch and headed off on the trail.
The meadow just to the southeast of the lake is gorgeous, absolutely stunning. We walked through tall grass that was halfway between spring green and full-on summer golden. We hopped over a sluggish and slow moving stream with deep, deep sides. Thousands of grasshoppers leapt up in outrage at our passing and then settled back down into the grass. I also lost the trail here, or perhaps no trail can compete with the lush growth of this meadow.
There was one mark. At the camping side of the meadow, some brainless idiot buryed their camping trash (a whole carload of it) a good 2-3 feet deep. Animals had dug it up and strewn the trash around. May these people someday realize what they'd done and burn in shame and then spend years cleaning up other people's messes in payment of their debt.
I found the well marked trail at the east most side of the meadow and was very glad. I knew this was a rough trail, but it should have been well marked and I wasn't quite sure what I would do if it wasn't.
The trail wound slowly down by the same stream that had cut such a channel through the meadow. Then we reached the edge of the downhill part. Wow. I had been imagining a slope, this was a cliff. There were spectacular views over the valley below. I could even see the roofs of the hot springs bathing facility.
The trail was now steep, and still followed the stream, now more of a boulder choked waterfall...although, I could only faintly hear water underneath the boulders, not actually see any water. There were still pines.
Eventually we came to a sentinel pine, crouching at the cliff edge and guarding the end of shade for some time to come. I had to lower myself off a 2 foot granite drop (sliding on my ass) to continue. We headed down, still loosely following the waterfall on a very steep trail composed of loose dirt and granite rocks. Manzanita brush and another bush lined the path along with willow and stumpy, poor soil aspens. I inched down the trail and Commando scurried from shade patch to shade patch...sometimes jamming himself into a bush to cool his paws. We stopped several times for water.
We reached what I will name, "Cabin Rock" and had a good long rest in it's shade. Cabin Rock marked another level-ish part of the trail perhaps about halfway down. We were just reaching the top of a thrust of rock across the waterfall and I kept scanning it for signs of a trail to see if we would have to climb any part of it.
During this level part, I decided to stop to pee. As I stepped off the trail, towards the boulder creek, a bear leaped out of the rocks below and ran off up the creek and to the other side. Commando ran off full tilt after it and only stopped when he got to the boulder creek. Poor bear, if it had only stayed still I would have peed and we would have been on our way without being any wiser.
The trail soon became extremly steep again, and hot. I couldn't believe how hot it was and poor Commando was really suffering too. He hates to drink bottled water, but he drank twice at our rest stops (although he spurned the water once too).
The next milepost was crossing the waterfall that we'd been following down and getting onto that ridge of rock I'd been eyeing. I could swear I heard ducks fussing and a loud splashing noise but couldn't see any pond nearby. Although I wanted to rest near a pond, and get Commando a good long drink and get him soaking wet I didn't want to go off the trail. We were now down in the forest and could get lost or wander around aimlessly searching for a teeny tiny pondlet and expending energy that I didn't have to spend. I was getting a blister on my left big toe and I hoped it would stay at the annoying stage and not progress to the "must take my boot off and limp home" stage.
The trail went down, down, down still with both toes jammed into the front of my boots. I stopped a few times to re-lace, but it wasn't any help. At least now we were (mostly) in the deep shade and I thought I could see level ground below.
Down, down, down. Switchback after switchback. Surely just a few more steps. Down, down, down, the bottom is just there, I can see it, why aren't we there yet? I slid down a dusty part. I slid down a pine needle part (surprisingly fast, perhaps scarily fast). Still the trail went down.
Finally, finally, the trail leveled out. The downhills were mild and short and we were headed due east-ish...or due Grover Hot Springs. We crossed a wet swampy area and Commando wet his paws and drank some of the water. We stopped soon after and had our lunch and finished the water. No more until trail's end.
I thought I recognized where we were from previous visits and got excited when we crossed a dry streamlet (hadn't the crossing been bigger?) and I thought for sure we would soon be on the flat meadow proper.
Oh no. Another steep, sandy, and hot hot hot downhill. We had just been on a plateau, not the floor. Ow. My aching toes. How can we be suffering so much from the heat? It can surely only be 80 and that's not so hot. More down. Stop and rest. Down. Stop and rest.
Finally, finally we're down. We're in an open forest and I can see the line of the creek that runs through GHS just off to the right. Then, at last, I can see other hikers ahead...soon, the Burnside Lakes trail joins the trail the trail to the falls. We are almost home! I'm not sure how far we have to go, and it's still amazingly hot, but I'm pretty sure I can stagger to the waiting car.
The trail soon gets very close to the creek and Commando cools his paws and soaks his belly in the cool, cool, cool water. I want to go down and soak my feet, but even the few short downhill steps seem like too much. I want to conserve energy at this point and rest my aching toes.
Soon, we come to the junction with the trail that goes to the hot springs, and I see that we only have 3 tenths of a mile to go. Whew. I can make that. Although, why does it feel so frickin' hot at only about 80 degrees F?
I make it back to the car. The temperature is 99. GHS is lower than Burnside (by about 2000 feet) and that explains why it is so hot...because it is.
We stop at the ranger station at the exit so I can wash Commando's feet with their hose. He had cut the back of his leg and there was quite a streak of blood. I wanted to make sure it was okay before we left civilization in case I needed to find a vet. He had licked the leg a lot, and perhaps favored it a bit when lying down, but he hadn't been limping and he had no trouble running off at full speed to chase the rodents and other critters.
Total miles for the hike is 5.5. I was glad mother was there to pick me up at the end, because there is no way I could have hiked back up! As hard on me as the downhill was, the uphill and the heat would have killed me!
Hmmm, next time maybe Charity Valley?
After setting up camp and eating a Trader Joe's packed meal, Commando and I drove down to the lake shore and splashed around for a bit. The moon was full (or close to it) so the water was extra beautiful.
The next morning we ate and headed to Burnside lake. We stopped at Sorenson's Resort for coffee to go. I will give Sorenson's props for living up to it's luxury reputation. The extremely courteous concierge helped a woman who complained that her mattress was falling off her bed and also complained that her dinner dishes hadn't been picked up yet. The concierge was affable and polite although I was wondering why you would come to a beautiful place like Sorenson's to eat dinner inside. Next he helped a peevish older woman with a call to Southwest. She seemed to take it personally that her cell phone didn't work here (duh!). He dialed the number (from memory!), joked that he flew SW too and that's why he knew the number, and reminded her that there was a phone room available. She remarked that they were going to have to drive down to Sacramento and I wondered why they didn't try for cell reception somewhere along the way.
When it was my turn the concierge told me the coffee was around the corner and unblinkingly charged me $5 for the two paper cups of ordinary (but good) coffee.
Burnside lake was packed with campers, including some at our "special" location. I would have let Commando splash around in the lake and gotten both of us wet for the start of the hike but the two dogs nearby didn't look like suitable playmates. I geared up, checked my watch and headed off on the trail.
The meadow just to the southeast of the lake is gorgeous, absolutely stunning. We walked through tall grass that was halfway between spring green and full-on summer golden. We hopped over a sluggish and slow moving stream with deep, deep sides. Thousands of grasshoppers leapt up in outrage at our passing and then settled back down into the grass. I also lost the trail here, or perhaps no trail can compete with the lush growth of this meadow.
There was one mark. At the camping side of the meadow, some brainless idiot buryed their camping trash (a whole carload of it) a good 2-3 feet deep. Animals had dug it up and strewn the trash around. May these people someday realize what they'd done and burn in shame and then spend years cleaning up other people's messes in payment of their debt.
I found the well marked trail at the east most side of the meadow and was very glad. I knew this was a rough trail, but it should have been well marked and I wasn't quite sure what I would do if it wasn't.
The trail wound slowly down by the same stream that had cut such a channel through the meadow. Then we reached the edge of the downhill part. Wow. I had been imagining a slope, this was a cliff. There were spectacular views over the valley below. I could even see the roofs of the hot springs bathing facility.
The trail was now steep, and still followed the stream, now more of a boulder choked waterfall...although, I could only faintly hear water underneath the boulders, not actually see any water. There were still pines.
Eventually we came to a sentinel pine, crouching at the cliff edge and guarding the end of shade for some time to come. I had to lower myself off a 2 foot granite drop (sliding on my ass) to continue. We headed down, still loosely following the waterfall on a very steep trail composed of loose dirt and granite rocks. Manzanita brush and another bush lined the path along with willow and stumpy, poor soil aspens. I inched down the trail and Commando scurried from shade patch to shade patch...sometimes jamming himself into a bush to cool his paws. We stopped several times for water.
We reached what I will name, "Cabin Rock" and had a good long rest in it's shade. Cabin Rock marked another level-ish part of the trail perhaps about halfway down. We were just reaching the top of a thrust of rock across the waterfall and I kept scanning it for signs of a trail to see if we would have to climb any part of it.
During this level part, I decided to stop to pee. As I stepped off the trail, towards the boulder creek, a bear leaped out of the rocks below and ran off up the creek and to the other side. Commando ran off full tilt after it and only stopped when he got to the boulder creek. Poor bear, if it had only stayed still I would have peed and we would have been on our way without being any wiser.
The trail soon became extremly steep again, and hot. I couldn't believe how hot it was and poor Commando was really suffering too. He hates to drink bottled water, but he drank twice at our rest stops (although he spurned the water once too).
The next milepost was crossing the waterfall that we'd been following down and getting onto that ridge of rock I'd been eyeing. I could swear I heard ducks fussing and a loud splashing noise but couldn't see any pond nearby. Although I wanted to rest near a pond, and get Commando a good long drink and get him soaking wet I didn't want to go off the trail. We were now down in the forest and could get lost or wander around aimlessly searching for a teeny tiny pondlet and expending energy that I didn't have to spend. I was getting a blister on my left big toe and I hoped it would stay at the annoying stage and not progress to the "must take my boot off and limp home" stage.
The trail went down, down, down still with both toes jammed into the front of my boots. I stopped a few times to re-lace, but it wasn't any help. At least now we were (mostly) in the deep shade and I thought I could see level ground below.
Down, down, down. Switchback after switchback. Surely just a few more steps. Down, down, down, the bottom is just there, I can see it, why aren't we there yet? I slid down a dusty part. I slid down a pine needle part (surprisingly fast, perhaps scarily fast). Still the trail went down.
Finally, finally, the trail leveled out. The downhills were mild and short and we were headed due east-ish...or due Grover Hot Springs. We crossed a wet swampy area and Commando wet his paws and drank some of the water. We stopped soon after and had our lunch and finished the water. No more until trail's end.
I thought I recognized where we were from previous visits and got excited when we crossed a dry streamlet (hadn't the crossing been bigger?) and I thought for sure we would soon be on the flat meadow proper.
Oh no. Another steep, sandy, and hot hot hot downhill. We had just been on a plateau, not the floor. Ow. My aching toes. How can we be suffering so much from the heat? It can surely only be 80 and that's not so hot. More down. Stop and rest. Down. Stop and rest.
Finally, finally we're down. We're in an open forest and I can see the line of the creek that runs through GHS just off to the right. Then, at last, I can see other hikers ahead...soon, the Burnside Lakes trail joins the trail the trail to the falls. We are almost home! I'm not sure how far we have to go, and it's still amazingly hot, but I'm pretty sure I can stagger to the waiting car.
The trail soon gets very close to the creek and Commando cools his paws and soaks his belly in the cool, cool, cool water. I want to go down and soak my feet, but even the few short downhill steps seem like too much. I want to conserve energy at this point and rest my aching toes.
Soon, we come to the junction with the trail that goes to the hot springs, and I see that we only have 3 tenths of a mile to go. Whew. I can make that. Although, why does it feel so frickin' hot at only about 80 degrees F?
I make it back to the car. The temperature is 99. GHS is lower than Burnside (by about 2000 feet) and that explains why it is so hot...because it is.
We stop at the ranger station at the exit so I can wash Commando's feet with their hose. He had cut the back of his leg and there was quite a streak of blood. I wanted to make sure it was okay before we left civilization in case I needed to find a vet. He had licked the leg a lot, and perhaps favored it a bit when lying down, but he hadn't been limping and he had no trouble running off at full speed to chase the rodents and other critters.
Total miles for the hike is 5.5. I was glad mother was there to pick me up at the end, because there is no way I could have hiked back up! As hard on me as the downhill was, the uphill and the heat would have killed me!
Hmmm, next time maybe Charity Valley?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Bassi Creek by Red Peak Trail
My original plan was to head back to Schneider camp and try for the lake again, but as I drove up 50, I just couldn't get excited about the longer drive and the elevation. I decided to go up Icehouse road to Cheese Camp road and then hike to Bassi creek.
At the end of the paved part of Cheese Camp, at the locked gate, there are 3 options for getting to Bassi creek. I ducked under the gate and hiked up the road. This is an easy hike with a gentle grade up. Even this late in the season there were pools of water in Tells Creek.
There was no one at the horse camp, and I only encountered two fisherman coming down as I was going up. A little over two miles is the junction with the Red Peak trail and Bassi creek is right there. I took my boots and socks off and soaked in the creek while Commando ran all over like the lunatic he is. He chased a few sticks that I threw, but he was more interested in running full tilt through the water and wading around.
I put the socks and boots back on and we continued up the trail to where it officially crosses the creek. Just before the crossing is a gorgeous meadow, just turned golden for summer.
We turned back at the crossing and headed back.
The Crystal Basin area is truly magical!
At the end of the paved part of Cheese Camp, at the locked gate, there are 3 options for getting to Bassi creek. I ducked under the gate and hiked up the road. This is an easy hike with a gentle grade up. Even this late in the season there were pools of water in Tells Creek.
There was no one at the horse camp, and I only encountered two fisherman coming down as I was going up. A little over two miles is the junction with the Red Peak trail and Bassi creek is right there. I took my boots and socks off and soaked in the creek while Commando ran all over like the lunatic he is. He chased a few sticks that I threw, but he was more interested in running full tilt through the water and wading around.
I put the socks and boots back on and we continued up the trail to where it officially crosses the creek. Just before the crossing is a gorgeous meadow, just turned golden for summer.
We turned back at the crossing and headed back.
The Crystal Basin area is truly magical!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Schneider Camp
I wanted to hike from Schneider Camp to Showers Lake but got a late start to the day and it was hot and I was really feeling the altitude. Turned back after a short distance and explored around the barn and the crossed the meadow and got back onto the road. It's late spring in the high country now. There are still plenty of flowers, but it's clear that they've seen better days and it's only a matter of weeks before everything turns golden.This view is of the flapping door to the barn which Commando did not find as amusing as I did.
After that, drove to Burnside Lake and splashed around to cool off. There was a family of ducks at the lake, but the kids were almost grown and Commando gave them a cautious look, but didn't chase them. After we'd been splashing around for about an hour, another family of ducks came by. This time, the ducklings were small and cute so I hustled Commando back to the truck and leashed him up before he could commit a war crime.
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