Tuesday, March 12, 2024

March 12, 2024 - Big Meadows Snowshoe

 


Title: March 12, 2024 - Big Meadows Snowshoe


Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's 



Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing

Trail head: Big Meadows Winter Trailhead

Trail: Big Meadows Road

Destination: Big Meadows

Distance:  4.90 miles 1

Start Time: 12:33

End Time:    4:12

Travel Time: 3:38  (1.35 mph)

Moving Time:  2:39  (1.85 mph)

Elevation Rise:  586'

Descent: 545‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,827'

GPS Tracks

 1There seems to be some discrepancies between this figure and some signposts. A sign says 2¼ miles to Highway 180 from Big Meadows and the trailhead is about a quarter mile from the highway. So we should have gone a total of 4 miles. Also Steven’s Strava is less than five miles and he went all the way to the main Big Meadows Trailhead for Weaver Lake.


Description:

The Mist of being in a cloud
Depending on the weather, today may be the last day we will be able to go up and play in the snow. The reason? First, Sherri and I are going to visit Andrea for a two week trip. Next, the promised snow in the mountains has been less than exciting. As a clue, today the snow was maybe 2-3’ deep at 7,000’. With daily temps being in to 40-55 degrees, that snow will not last long.

I slept in a bit until 7:30, of course last weekend I lost an hour, so this is really 6:30. Sherri has a doctor’s appointment, so we will leave after she gets back. She gets back home around 10, we load the car and leave around 10:45. Even though the drive is uneventful, I am eyeballing the continuous layer of gray clouds stretching in front of us. We travel through a layer of clouds and end up at the entrance station by Grant Grove.

Burnt Trees from the Rabbit Fire

Sherri on the Big Meadow Road
  We, or should I say I, talk with the entrance station lady, Jessica. I think she must not have been very busy today as we gabbed for five minutes. But that is not why we traveled up here. We moved on and get to Big Meadows around noon. Our first order of action when we get there is to eat lunch. Then get our gear together and are off.

Steven got a five minute head start-even though being on skis he did not need any advantage. Sherri and I take off at 12:45. The road is freshly groomed with only Steven’s ski tracks, Korra’s paw prints and a snowmobile print. The sky is cloudy with only an occasional peeping out of blue and even less of the sun. At times a mist floats by-wwe must be in a cloud. Even though when we left the car said we were in the 42-44 degree range, it was a cold temperature. I have my warmer gloves on.





Sherri and I make our way along the road, doing pretty decently. About every third of a mile we take a break to breathe, we are at 7,500’ after all. Really not much to see except for the gray of the clouds and the trees lining the road.

At the junction with the Rabbit Meadow road, we decide to just go on to Big Meadow, following Steven’s tracks. We start to see signs of the Rabbit Fire from last year. This was a lightning cause fire which the Forest Services decided to manage to burn some of the excess duff, so they needed the fire into areas which they wanted burnt. But there are stands of burnt trees which must have been in the path of the fire before it was brought under control. In the distance I have been hearing a bird chirp, but I could not see it. It is a reminder that even in a dead forest, there is still life.

 

 

Shortly afterwards, we see the warming hut at Big Meadows. It is the end of the line for Sherri and I. Steven’s tracks go further on. But not for long as we see a snow cat coming down. When they stop at the hut and start unloading, I know who one of the people is, Dutch. He is a recipient of my lightning report and I see many of his pictures though Wendy. I introduce myself and we talk for a few minutes and then rejoin Sherri.

Redwood Canyon in the clouds

We got to the hut right at our turn around time of 2:15. Steven comes back, with Korra. We compare our mileages. I have 2.6 miles, Steven has less even though he has traveled at least a mile and more like a mile and a half further. There is a sign saying the highway is 2¼ miles away. A continuation of the discussion from last Friday.



Big Meadows Road


And we all start our return journey. Steven and Korraa quickly are out of sight, followed by Dutch and his friend on a snowmobile. While the clouds are not getting less, there are breaks in them which allows us to see windows into the surrounding mountains. This is an awesome view. Clouds have that way with me. Not sure if it is because they hide and reveal, similar to how God is hidden, but gets revealed.

About halfway back I can start to feel that I have not gone this far on snowshoes this season. Another way to say that I am starting to tire. But maybe it is the uphill which I am going up-not a long one. Once we get back to the Rabbit Meadow junction, I start to feel a bit rejuvenated. Maybe because it is downhill from here? Or maybe it is like a nag who can smell the oats in the barn ahead.

We make it back to the car at 4:10 with Steven and Korra waiting for us. When I sit down to take off my boots, I can feel how tired I am. Steven is driving back-I am grateful for this. We stopped at the overlook at Redwood Canyon. I am tired enough that I left Sherri and Steven to snap their pictures while I sti in the car. We decided that Bear Mountain Pizza is a good place to get refreshed. We make it home by 6:15. I promptly lay down for half an hour-feels sooo good.

 

 

Extra Photo's



Gary going down the Big Meadow Road

Big Meadows under snow

Shell Mountain

Gary starting off

Gary

Clouds hiding a mountain

Sherri on the way back

Burnt trees on Big Baldy from the KNP Complex

Redwood Canyon

Redwood Mountain

Steven

Friday, March 8, 2024

March 8, 2024 - Shaver Lake Snowshoe

 



Title:
March 8, 2024 - Shaver Lake Snowshoe
Hike Info : Description



Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing 

Trailhead: Dinkey Creek Road and Nevins Road


Trail:  Nevins Road

Destination:  Shaver Lake

Distance:  3.10 miles

Start Time: 10:59

End Time:    2:25

Travel Time: 3:25  (0.91 mph)

Moving Time:  2:05  (1.49 mph)

Elevation Rise: 547'

Descent: 497‘

Maximum Elevation: 5,674'

GPS Tracks


Description:

Steven likes to go to Shaver Lake. Not just to anyplace, but to go to the Nivens Peninsula. Steven took us there two years ago. It is time to revisit this area: Sherri and I on snowshoes; Steven on Nordic skis; Korra on her paws.

 

Korra, the snow dog
I get up first at 6:45. I am not really expecting anybody to be up for the next couple of hours and they do not disappoint me. Around 8:30 I start to hear noises. By 9:45 we are in the car, leaving. We head up highway 168 until we get to the town of Shave Lake. The turn onto Dinkey Creek Road. A few minutes later, Steven informs me that I have passed by the trail. So I turn around at Camp Chawanekee.

By the time we get ready with snowshoes and skis, it is 11:05. Well, we all are almost ready tp start. After walking about 15 steps, I realize that I left my phone in the car-my phone is also my camera. How am I going to have a blog without pictures?

Gary, following Steven's tracks
 

 

After retrieving my phone, I joined Sherri. Steven and Korra have already gone down the road. The road is Nevins Road, even though most maps do not give it a name. The snow is not very deep, maybe 1 foot to a foot and a half, except in a few drifts. But where the sun has been shining, the depth is measured in inches. In some ways this is to be expected as Shaver is only slightly higher than a mile up.






Shaver Lake

Sherri and I plod along at a pleasant pace for us. We are going downhill after all. We follow Steven’s tracks which are on the road. Towards the end of the peninsula, the road loops around, but Steven has taken a route away from the road down to the edge of the peninsula.

 

Steven and Korra
 

 

 

 

 

 

When we reach him, about 12:15, we find a rock to sit on and enjoy a lakeside lunch. Steven and I discuss the distance we have traveled. My GPS shows about 1.6 miles while he shows considerably less. We look at various other things, including the trail signs we have seen and map notations, but do not come to a definite conclusion. I know that with the GPS, there is a tendency for it to wander if we are slow or stopped, so when I download the GPS data I will remove readings where there is less than x mph. In this case I removed less than 0.3mph. Steven found an AllTrails which said out route was 2.7 miles while my total computation is 3.1. So I think it is whatever seems right and is in the ballpark can be used.



Sherri on the return trip

And now for the return trip. Since we came down going to the lake, we started back UP to get back to the car. It is not a bad ascent. I just like my uphills to be at the start and downhill to get back to the car. The view is mostly of trees and snow, which is a nice sight. By the time we have gone most of the way back, my legs are starting to get tired. But when we approach the gate to the start of the road, I remind Sherri, and myself, that no matter how tired you are or how slow we are, it is how we finish is what matters. So we finish strong.

We get back to the car at 2:25 with Korra and Steven waiting patiently for us. It takes up about 20 minutes to get packed up and gone. The question is where do we eat? The choice is the Shaver Lake Pub&Grub-and it is good grub. We make it home by 4:45.

 


 
 


Friday, February 23, 2024

February 23, 2024 - Cherry Gap Road


Title: February 23, 2024 - Cherry Gap Road
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals 





Hike Info:

Type:  Snowshoeing

Trail head: Cherry Gap

Trail: 13S77

Destination:  About a mile or  maybe a bit more.

Actual Destination:  Close to the top of the hump on Hoist Ridge

Distance:  2.61 miles

Start Time:  10:45

End Time:      1:26

Travel Time:  2:40 (0.98 mph)

Moving Time: 1:41   (1.55 mph)

Elevation Rise:  541'

Descent: 338‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,094'

GPS Tracks



Description:

Start of our walk
It has been awhile since we have been out with Betty. Really looking forward to it. And then a new addition to our group, Laura. She is part of a book group I am involved with. None of us, except for Steven will be going very far today.

Korra
We will be meeting Betty at Big Stump. We do not have enough space in the car for Laura so she will need to drive up there. At 8:45 she comes to our house for a 9:00am departure. Sherri goes with Laura to use her pass to get into the Park. Steven, Korra and I are the last ones to get to Big Stump. Laura and Betty have already been introduced, so we are all ready to start our snowshoe adventure.
 
 

Spanish Mountain
We move over to Cherry Gap. Instead of going west towards Converse Basin, we are going east along Forest Service Road 13S77. We used to do this road with cross-country skis. Today for the first time we will do it with snowshoes. That is except for Steven who will be on skis and Korra with her paws. This is also Laura’s second time on snowshoes-we will see if she goes again with us.

Top of Park Ridge
We got to Cherry Gap about 10:20. Then spend some time getting ready. Our shoes hit the snow at 10:45. The first hundred yards is a bit bumpy, but then the snow levels out and we just need to contend with the upward trajectory of the road. Mind you, it is not a steep climb, but enough of one that I felt the drag of going uphill..
 
 

 

The Hill
 We get our first views of Spanish Mountain across the Kings. It is spectacular. But this view goes away as we turn a corner and are masked by pine and fir trees, I am feeling pretty good, with only a bit of shortness of breath. Laura calls my attention that Sherri and Betty are falling further behind. I guess I am doing better than I expected.





Steven, te skier



Steven is far ahead with Korra. The sun keeps hiding behind the clouds, poking out occasionally. It is warm enough that we start shedding some of the outer clothes and gloves. A good day for snowshoeing.

I can tell that we are starting to tire out. I have set in my mind a goal of two hours of moving. Since we are going uphill, I figure we will do about 75 minutes in and 45 back. I am asked how much longer: about 15-20 minutes. And then magically we come to the top of Park Ridge-I was mistaken at the time as I thought at this end it would be Hoist Ridge, but Hoist is to the west of us and Park Ridge curves around a bit.

The ladies are a bit tired, but I am interested in a hill to the north of us, Hill 7124. So I started up it. I see Korra coming down it and I see ski tracks. I thought Steven was going to the south. Then Steven comes down. He says there is a really good view from the east side of the hill. So I go on up and he goes down.




Hume Lake and beyond

He is so right! It makes the trip pretty much worthwhile. While I am gawking, Steven comes back up. And then I see Betty and Sherri coming up. Laura’s hips are starting to ache, so she is staying down in the flat. Steven gets a picture of us. From this vantage point, we can see up the Middle Fork of the Kings, the
Monarch Range and then eastward to the Crest of the Sierra. University Peak, near Forrester Pass is viewable as well. Then looking a bit southeast is Buck Rock and Shell Mountain. Pretty grand.

 

 

 

 

 

Buck Rock
And now we start our trip back. Steven, on skis will make better time, so he decides to do a bit more exploring up the road and over the hill. Poor Korra, she is confused. She starts back with us and realizes that Steven is not with us and heads back. But I do not think she can find him and we lose track of her. About halfway down, she comes bounding along, without Steven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Peaks seen from Hill 7124 from the PeakFinder application





Going back down is easier than going up. Laura and I discuss the advisability and practicality of always hiking going up as you go in and down on the way out. I try to do that, but there are times that it is not a good plan. Surprisingly, I am doing well. After my January COVID it seemed like whenever I exert myself, I would tire pretty easily. Today, I'm doing well.

Korra, waiting for us
As we approach the cars, Steven comes up behind us. Korra seems happy to have him back. We get back to the cars at about 1:30. It is close to the time I was thinking it would be. We suggest stopping at Bear Mountain Pizza for some pizza-surprise. Betty and Laura are agreeable to this. So off we go. We order the pizza at Big Stump and it is ready when we get to the place. Here we split up and proceed to our separate homes. A good and tiring day.




Extra Photo's
 

Hume Lake and Beyond

Korra

Laura, Sherri and Betty

Looking Northwest

Looking Northwest

Looking East

 

  Animals