Lost formula

For the past week or so I've been binge watching Lost on Netflix. They definitely have a formula.

Running through the jungle...pointless marches from one location to another by either small groups or large groups...pointless pointing of guns at each other...storms...not sure how they keep the torches lit when running in the the jungle in a storm...WALT! Where's Walt!! I'm his father I NEED to have my son!!!...torture porn scenes...no one bothers to ask politely for information or to even consider why they really need the information they just begin DEMANDING knowledge now and the person questioned pointlessly refuses to give the knowledge...just how many tarps and plastic sheets were on that plane?...Kate going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth between Sawyer and Jack

Woods Lake Jan 2014

Because the snow level is so low this year we took a trip to Woods Lake. There was parking at the end of the road. Usually there is a few feet of snow and the plows do not make any space.

The snow, what there is of it, is hard and icy. I was glad to have the cleats. We just followed the road to the lake and then crossed the lake to a little island and ate lunch. Round trip was about 3 miles. The road climbs gradually a few hundred feet to the lake so the way back is easier.

Weather was spectacular! I was in shirtsleeves until after lunch on the way back. Finally put my coat on because it was shady and perhaps just a bit cooler.

We'll have to come up in the summer and take the side trip to Round Top Lake. Looks interesting and it's not a trip we've done before.

More pics:

Plan for a summer trip

This branch was on Lunch Island and made a nice frame for the sun

View of an island in the middle of the lake

Finding the Forgotten Flat trail from Silver Lake

Older maps show a trail from Silver Lake down the Forgotten Flat trail to the Silver Fork of the American River. It's largely been obliterated and the forest service has blocked the road to the parking area. Someone has ducked the early parts of the trail and, once I found those, was able to stay on the trail itself.

It's an excellent trail and I'm not sure why it's been removed?

http://goo.gl/maps/cGmEo

Hike around the marshy lake at Kyburz Flat

We've been enjoying exploring the Truckee terrain. Most of it is meadow mixed with pine forests and lots of streams. Kyburz Flat is a huge meadow and beautiful all year. I was there this year in the winter and earlier in the spring. We walked around on the other side of the meadow and took some pictures of deer bones.

There are two pictures of the marsh/meadow/lake. They are the same picture, one is a close up. Most of the "lake" is marsh grass with a few pockets of open water. Many ducks and geese are hiding in there enjoying the food and safety. Occasionally they would fly out.

These aren't good pictures, but these are what look like fairy rings. There is a small island topped with sagebrush and late spring wildflowers. There seems to be a ring of water around the island. There are several of these and they are stunning. I would like to do a flyover to get a good view of them. I suspect it would be a very muddy trip to try to wade out and see them up close.

There is also a picture of Commando just gazing around while we take a quick rest in the shade. Great day, walked for about 4K, very easy and I've been meaning to do this hike for some time.

Short trip at Kyburz Flat

We took a side trip to Alleghany, CA and couldn't find a good place to park. The snow was easily 4 feet deep with relatively steep snow plow banks along the side of the road. We ended up driving all the way up 49 to 89. It was certainly a beautiful drive, but not the most athletic trip. Alleghany will be worth a visit in the summer.

How can you trust Amazon rankings? network20q lecture 5

These are just some thoughts or comments on the non-math parts of the lecture. They are not notes!

Would I pick 2 reviews or 1000? I might if someone whose review I knew and respected was one of the two.

I wonder if Rotten Tomatoes is the same as Amazon? Or Yelp? I actually don't trust Yelp reviews although I do sometimes consult them. Yelp definitely has a gatekeeper problem. The YouTube comments are also completely useless.

Not sure I agree that electronics reviews are objective unless there's a match to specific requirements and objective test measures (no hotter than 98.5, battery lasts 10 hours).

Independence is interesting. On VRBO I felt social pressure to not say anything bad as almost all of the reviews are positive. People are on vacation and only want to say something positive about their fun time.

 The look over time charts seem like stock market charts.

It would be helpful in answering the questions if we could easily page back to the lecture. Or is that the point?

Of course, Reddit got IMDb to give top billing to an extra in a movie with Tom Cruise.

Girls Gone Camping 2012

We stayed at a nice house near Heavenly. First night we cooked delicious T-bones (with balsamic vinegar reduction and bleu cheese) and some red potatoes.

On Saturday we relaxed. I took a brief trip to Kiva Beach. Too bad Commando wasn't there as he would have given it 4 paws up. There was almost no one there when I arrived around noon and snagged a prime shady space leaning against a log. I didn't swim but did wade out a good distance to admire the view. Free parking, few people, and a spectacular view!

Met everyone else at Harvey's and tried to eat at Cabo Wabo. As it was closed, we ate at the American River Cafe across the street at Harrah's. It was extremely average if not more so.

We gambled for a bit with no big winner's and then headed back to the house to drink and play games. A card game called "Spite and Malice" was a hit although I am pretty sure that Shirley was just making the rules up. We also played Scrabble and almost everyone drank. Dinner that night was delicious pasta and meat balls.

On Sunday Tami and I headed for Spooner Lake and did a leisurely hike around (2.1 miles). It's a pretty enough lake with aspens scattered around and the trail is relatively level. It might even be possible to take a wheelchair around if one could stand being tilted to one side or the other. We headed off trail to view the various animal tracks in the mud and got covered in some bugs that were feasting on the young willows. The bugs were harmless. It's a nice enough hike but not particularly wonderful. The trail was busy (and will probably be nearly mall-like in the summer). Early spring and later in the fall (when the aspens turn) would be the best times to visit.

We did end up driving an older couple from Boston to find their car. They had passed us on the last uphill bit while we were gawping at some scenery and then discovered they couldn't remember where they had parked. It was just in another parking node but it's always irritating to finish a nice hike and then have to roam around a less than scenic parking lot with sore feet.

We headed back to the house where everyone else was relaxing and probably fighting off a bit of a hangover.

We watched a bit of relaxing TV and developed a crush on a guy named Morgan who was buying some property with his wife. Dimples for the win!

I headed back to Kiva beach. No one was there and, as it was late in day, I stayed on the sandy part and swam. The water was cold but tolerable. Once I'd put my towel on I was warm heading back to the car in spite of the stiff breeze. I warmed up in the hot tub and then drove with Tami and Malene to Mont Bleu. Tami gamble while Malene and I ate some tolerable appetizers. Although we'd snacked most of the day, I was getting hungry. We returned to gamble and lost our usual casino contribution.

Tami and Malene did a bit more gambling at Harvey's while I rested in the car and listened to some coyotes howling off in the distance. Apparently they've added some special chairs to the slots so they move around with the game action. It sounded fun!

Sunday was get away day. We divided up the food and the little remaining booze, cleaned up the place, and left for another year. Next year may be the coast although I would be happy to return to Lake Tahoe every year.

Ambled up Silver Creek on some use trails and then just bushwhacking. Met some dogs with a friendly owner. The bushwhacking was starting to be quite a bit too bushy so we crossed over the creek and then headed to the road. We got back just above the giant log that blocks traffic. It's not a bad area in any season, even this dry one. Unlike early spring, there weren't too many mosquitoes
Saw some fresh deer tracks so they'd better start hiding as I believe hunting season is soon.


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Bye-bye faithful old hiking boots

We've done plenty of miles together but it's time to say goodbye. We've been on dry trails and on wet trails and often on no trail at all. You've kept my feet warm and comfortable with no blisters. The foot doctor said that you had too many holes and too much water was pouring in. You couldn't be saved. Here's your last view over Caples Lake and Schneider Cow Camp road. Your laces have been removed and their memory will live on in my new boots. Happy trails and may you biodegrade with dignity in the Sacramento solid waste landfill.

Stroll near Upper Lola Montez Lake

Had both Harry and Commando on this trip. I do have some adorable pictures of them swimming and standing and may soon be able to link them here.

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Safety tip: Do not run through the gate!

Commando decided to run through the back gate. It wasn't one of his smarter decisions. The wound was disgusting to look at for me and VERY painful for him. Fortunately the emergency vet was able to patch him back up quickly. He was at the vet by 8 am on Saturday and home by about 1 pm. He was incredibly groggy the whole day. He seems much better today. He has eaten his treats and some breakfast. He still hasn't taken a drink so I'm a bit worried about that. Also, I haven't quite got the gate back up yet.

Best View of Codfish Creek Falls

This is a pretty but short hike to Codfish Creek Falls from the Ponderosa road bridge over the American River. The road exits from highway 80 at Wiemar Cross Road. Head right and down. The road is extremely narrow and is dirt for quite a bit. If you a have a wide car or can't back or have vertigo I would not recommend this road. It was relatively good this weekend but could easily become very rutted and not safe for low clearance. The trail is well marked, although the start isn't...stay on the Wiemar side of the river and head downstream. At just a bit past a mile there are some use trails that lead into what looks like a meadow. Don't take these. Stay on the trail to the right just at the tree line. After another couple 10's of a mile you'll be at the falls. In a wet year the falls will be more exciting. On the other hand, in a wet year the road might be a bit too exciting. I would recommend following the meadow use trails on the way back. They lead to the American River with some nice places to sit and stare at the water.

We hiked it late on Sunday. It was sunny but rain was expected. In spite of the rough drive, the late weekend, and the unsettled weather there were many hikers. I would not call this a very wild and scenic trip. Commando did pick up one tick.

Memorial at Rattlesnake Fire

On Sunday we drove up I-5 to Willows and then west on 162 to scout this part of the Mendocino National Forest. It is different terrain than the mountains to the east. In July 1953 15 men lost their lives in the Rattlesnake Fire. There is an elaborate memorial with photos and a full description of the incident. On the steep hillside across from the memorial crosses have been placed where each man died. It is both haunting and uplifting at the same time.

What are people searching for?

So, Google has some analytics and I was surprised to see how many keyword searches were related to dogs. Most of my content is about hiking not dogs...although, of course, Commando the Wonder Dog is my main hiking companion. It looks prettier on the analysis page.

Search Keywords

cgbikes.blogspot.com 40

rhodesian ridgeback australian shepherd mix

26

dalmatian pitbull mix

21

shepherd ridgeback mix

15

enchanted pools

14

wrights lake to twin lakes

12

cgbikes

11

pitbull dalmation mix

11

ridgeback shepherd mix

10

australian shepherd rhodesian ridgeback mix

8

Bloodsucker Lake

This is an unusual route to Bloodsucker Lake in the Eldorado National Forest that involves a bit of cross-country travel but is still easy. I believe it shortens the distance to the lake. There are also no creek or stream crossings. My Atrix GPS said 4 miles but I think it was closer to 2 miles. The elevation is at about 7200 feet and there isn't much elevation gain or loss.

BL itself is not incredibly scenic but the views of Pyramid Peak are interesting.

We started by following the instructions of Ted's Outdoor World. Take highway 50 east from Sacramento. After Kyburz, turn left on Wrights Lake road. About a mile after the Lyon's Creek bridge, turn right onto forest service route 11N28. If you get to the big meadow, or to the Wrights Lake tie road to Icehouse reservoir, you've gone too far. The road is very good for about 1.3 miles. Then it starts to get bad. A higher clearance vehicle is probably best. The section pictured at left is an uphill section where it starts to get bad.






At just about 2 miles, turn left onto FS 11N28B. This will head uphill and will get progressively worse. Still, the original road looks even rougher so it's not hard to miss.

Park where the road ends in a burned over space that was probably used for logging. Just up the hill is a nice turnout for what is called distributed camping. Someone has already built a rock campfire ring and there are views.


You'll be traveling off trail for about a half mile to a mile so have a good map or GPS and some route finding skills. The area is fairly open from logging and there are plenty of use trails. You'll travel slightly uphill, then downhill to BL and generally veer left when you have a chance.

We spent some time wandering around finding the route but were never really lost.

Head uphill from where you parked heading straight up from the end of a stack of logs.




This tree stump growing out of a rock is a nice first goal just a few steps up the hill. Stay below this tree and head to the left.

















It's not very brushy here so by staying on the forest duff and heading on the easiest path we soon found the first use trail. Turn left on it to see a cute little No Name pond.

Here is the No Name pond. Folks have camped here and at the end just to the left. We ended up hiking around the pond and finding another and better marked use trail but it wasn't necessary. It's perfectly easy to get to BL by leaving this pond and heading right.

Our hiking day was under overcast skies with thunder and lightning. There were some sprinkles on the hike and we saw this hail on the ground but the really bad weather held off until we were in the car headed home.

It's always good to have Ma Nature wash the dust off the car.




By following the use trail away from No Name pond or to the right once found, you'll cross a marshy area and the use trail heads over a saddle and starts to head down, presumably to Lyon's Creek. Just after the marshy area head uphill to the left. About a football field up you'll come to another use trail that goes up the hill. Follow this and now you're good to go. There's a trail headed in the same direction as the saddle trail that crosses the uphill trail. You can get back to the No Name lake on this trail. This all sounds a bit confusing, but once you see the map and the terrain it will make sense.

This from the uphill trail near the top. There is Pyramid Peak showing that you're going in the right direction. There seemed to be some faint signs of horses along the way so this may be a pack trail.






Just over the crest of the hill you'll see another big, bare logging area. You'll see double tracks from an old logging or skid road and then you just follow it for a very short mile to BL.

I didn't take a picture, but there seems to be an old hunting blind built up in the tree behind the bushes. There is also another pond just downhill to the right. You'll see the reeds and grasses around it as you look through the trees on the downhill side of the road.











Here is the old road that you'll follow. It goes up for just a bit, and then heads down to BL. Just over this crest, you'll get a cell phone signal again just in case you want to call someone from the trail.

The road will curve back to the left and then you'll be very close.















This is the first view of BL with Pyramid Peak in the background and reflected in the water. On a sunny day it might be more spectacular, but even on this stormy day it was scenic enough for me. Some mother ducks were swimming around in the lake too.







At the other end of the lake I think this is Blue Mountain and perhaps Mt. Agassiz in the back. I could be wrong. I sat on a rock here and ate some nuts and drank some water until the mosquitoes decided that DEET was a sauce and not something to be avoided and we headed back.

Map coordinates

Silver Fork of the American River Hike

Commando and I hiked along the Silver Fork of the American River and stopped here for a long session of reading, napping, eating lunch, chasing rodents, messing around in the water, and playing splash. There's a heavily used trail along the river. About a quarter mile upstream is a small waterfall and above that some granite pools. There were tons of people in those pools and all over the surrounding rocks. I was hoping this trip wasn't going to be a bust. We left the river and headed down a wash just over a big granite ridge. It lead onto some more granite and then into the little forested area. Downstream and over another granite ridge was another small waterfall and someone's tent. We were at the river for about 2 hours and just after a splash session we were passed by two guys hopefully fishing the river. We hiked back up by just following the various granite outcroppings and then meandered (pushed through somewhat dense forest with lots of downed stuff) back to the trail.

I'll go back again in the spring, and maybe for a snowshoe trip this winter.

Weird thistle pictures

Was walking with Commando outside of Davis on just a random walk and started taking some pictures of the weeds. For some reason, I just really like these pictures. I have no idea how the white one got that way

Not to the Enchanted Pools

Drove up to Wrights Lake and hiked some of the Rockbound trail. I was planning on going to the E.P. but decided at the trail junction to stay on the R.T. It's a nice trail, at least as far as I took it, although I prefer a less sandy surface.

Commando had a great time swimming in Beauty Lake and sniffing things. We met an unfriendly dog and a friendly dog and several overnight hikers.

It's finally drying out although there is still snow on the peaks. Grassy areas in the sun are dry and brown. Grassy areas in more shaded areas (or slightly higher) are still green and filled with wildflowers. I met a couple coming up having just passed through the most beautiful scenic meadow. He was ranting on about statistical analysis and missing the whole point.

Trip to Bodega Bay August 2011

On Friday we all arrived at the house on Swan Way. It's a great house and we would definitely "camp" here again. Friday night was the usual drinking and staying up late laughing and talking. Saturday we went to the Sonoma County fair and the races there. It was nice to be at a quiet fair. No long lines for food and the crowds weren't enormous. The turkey races were fun.

Sunday we walked around and visited the Bodega Bay headlands. There may also have been some kite shopping.

Monday we packed up and left. Met Donna and Tami at the Rock Creek casino and lost a few dollars before heading home. Click the picture to see the rest of them.

Something smells good