Trail head: Moss Springs Parking Lot
Hike Info:
Trail: Bear Gulch Cave, Rim Trail
Destination: Bear Gulch Reservoir
Distance: about 2 miles
Description:
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| Start of Hike |
This is a three day camping trip, with Andrea at the new Pinnacles National Park. Sherri and I leave from Fresno a little after 8am and stop only in Hollister to get a Subway sandwich for us all. The weather has been warm for February, but the weather forecast says there will be a change. The weather does not disappoint. We find a campsite, #59 in the Pinnacles Campground. We get the tent pitched and go for a walk to pay our fee while waiting for Andrea. The rains start and it turns cold. But Andrea arrives round this time. She has a table rain cover which works out good (probably would work better pitched a little different.)
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| Andrea |
While the rains came, we ate or sandwich. Then crawled into our tent and played
Ticket to Ride on Sherri's iPad. Andrea won-pretty good for a first timer. The rain started slacking a little before four. So Andrea and I decided to go for a short walk around Bear Gulch. First opportunity to wear a pair of rain pants David got me a couple years go.
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| Falls in Caves |
We went up to the Moss Springs parking lot and started from there. Up the trail-I am puffing some trying to keep up with Andrea's slow pace. But we get to the caves, which are more like giant rocks thrown into piles, forming tunnel ways through the rock. But there is a small creek going through the rocks with some nice little places where water drops down 20-30 feet. We enjoy our time walking among the rock. We even chose a route in on place which led us astray, but not badly. I needed to crawl through one or two places. Fun stuff.
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| Bear Gulch Reservoir |
We come up on the reservoir and gawk at the sun being gloomed upon by some mending rain clouds. But the over all picture is one of beauty with the reflection on the reservoir. We met a couple of guys surveying old mines for NPS. They had been caught out in the storm. Said hat it even snowed a bit on them. Later on we would figure they were a little above 2000' up. We move on, going up the Rim Trail. Nice views from this trail, looking down into the ravine where Bear Gulch resides. At the junction with the High Peaks Trail, we decide to head back. It had been sprinkling on and off, and then it turned into hail. Just enough hail to turn the ground white in places. Got back to the car a little after five and headed back to camp in a jolly good mood.
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| Hail in Hand |
When we got back to the car, we came upon the two people we met at the reservoir. Andrea discovered the pack's rain cover had slipped off. So she went up the trail to retrieve it. Turned out to be about a mile plus. While she was doing that, I talked with the guys. Turned out they were up Frog Canyon. They ultimately report their findings to Denver NPS.
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| Enterance into Bear Gulch Cave |
The rain has started up again. But dinner needs to be cooked. It is Sherri's left over drunken chicken with brown rice. We eat and enjoy, albeit a bit cold. After cleaning up, we retreat into the tent for a rematch of
Ticket to Ride. Then it is off to our sleeping bags, and the warmth in them. Andrea is sleeping in her tent.
References:
Feb 20th Hike
Feb 21st Hike
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