May 8, 2012 – Alder Creek

Starting Place: Wawona

Destination: Deer Camp

Actual Destination: Alder Creek Crossing

Miles Traveled: 8.2 miles

Elevation Rise: 2,568'

Travel Time: 8:50

Moving Time: 4:25

 

       

Got up a little before 6—must be getting ready for camp life. Sherri gets up at 6:30, while Steve drags himself out of bed at 7:15. We get a few last minute things ready and hit the door by 7:45.

We are going back up to Alder Creek. Hopefully making it past the falls this time. Should be warmer than last time. It has not rained since we last were up in mid-April.

We stop in Oakhurst to get Steven a Carl's Jr, Breakfast Burrito. We then stop at Wawona for a wilderness permit—which as it turns out, I leave in the car. We make it to the trail head around 9:40. Then hit the road a half an hour later. Much better than the last time we were up here.

Same trail, same sun on us. We go a third of mile when Sherri discovers she left her GPS on the hood of the car. Steven goes back to get it. Sherri and I continue on.

Dry heat with little breezes at time to cool us off. When we left the car, it was 70 degrees. At 11, after going 1.2 miles and 700' up, we stop for an elevense's break. After a few minutes, Steven catches up with us.

More uphill. I write a little while longer as Steven and Sherri continue on. I plod after them for about half an hour before catching up with them. We past the fallen log where we lost the GPS last time. At 12:15, we have our lunch, 2.8 miles into the trail-just a tenth of a mile from the Mosquito Creek trail junction. Usual fare of Ritz crackers, Peanut Butter and Nutella. We debate on how healthy can this be? My thinking, who cares? It tastes so good and we are doing so much work, it cannot be too bad.

While reading and resting, we saw a hawk gliding overhead, riding the warm air currents. It looks so graceful as he swoops and pivots and swoops again, free from visible effort. But we get no picture for Capture California.

1pm—we leave our lunch spot and start in. Shortly we come to the trail junction. After this it is a series of rolling hills, gradually going up. We pass our campsite from three weeks ago—completely free of snow. Three Falls is still flowing. After a spurt of up hill, we top out on the old railroad grade. From here, the trail is flat. You see remnants of old railroad ties. We stop at our creek to refill water bottles and take a break.

Then comes the highlight of the trip—Alder Falls. If Alder Falls was along a road or in the Valley, it would compete with Vernal and Nevada Falls. But you need to hike in 5 miles, climb 2,000' to enjoy this view—I like it that way. The effort makes the enjoyment that much better.

We look and gawk at the Falls. Then continue on, up Alder Creek. Then the railroad leaves us above the Falls. The trail is more single file. But gentle. We get to the creek crossing for Alder Creek. The snow runoff is going strong still. So we ponder our options. In the end, we decide to stop before crossing. We have gone 7 miles, with a gain of 2200' in four hours walking. Not bad. Of course, my brother would not let this stop him. (Later in talking with him, he thought that we were there to enjoy, not to show courage.) We have crossed this creek before, just as wet, just as wide. But it is just as cold now as then. I am getting more cautious in my old age.

The campsite has a pretty good tilt to it. We shall see if we roll down the slope tonight in our bags. I am so tired, I am not sure I would wake up. Sherri makes us Beef-Vegetable Wrap. It is always refreshing to have good food on the trail.

Now waiting for it to get dark and then it is to bed we go.