April 10-11, 2013-Redwood Canyon

Title: April 10, 2013 - Redwood Canyon
Trail head: Redwood Canyon Parking Lot

Hike Info:
Trail: Redwood Canyon
Destination: Cabin in Redwood Canyon

Distance: 5.7 miles
Travel Time: 3:02 (1.88 mph)
Moving Time: 2:35 (2.21 mph)
Elevation Rise: 549'
Maximum Elevation: 1,296'












Description:
We were scheduled to go backpacking yesterday, but the weather forecast had it being in the upper 20's in the morning and with the wind chill, in the upper teens. A bit too cold for us. But there is not a significant amount of wind forecast for today, so off we go.

 We leave Fresno around Noon. Well almost. The plan was to grab a Subway sandwich and split two foot longers in half. Eat one half for lunch and the other half as dinner. Got to Subway and found we did not have money-used credit card. But returned to the house to eat and retrieve the loot. By the time we left, it was 1pm. We promptly got into. Traffic jam on 41 which held us up 20 minutes. But then it is off we go. Picked up the wilderness permit and got to the trailhead at Redwood Canyon. We got on the trail a little after 2:45.

Sherri and a fallen giant

With the late start, we will go straight down the canyon. Originally, we thought about doing a loop by following the Sugarbowl ridge and drop into the canyon. As it is, it is being a beautiful hike. While yesterday's hike at Nelder Grove was really nice-one we want to do again, this one has us wandering right amongst the redwoods. These trees seem to be a lot younger than the Mariposa or Nelder Grove trees. So they are straighter and slender, with a spouting at the tops of them.

Root base of a Sequioa

We are not going fast considering we are heading downhill-tomorrow will be a lot slower. Still we make good time. We come to the Sugarbowl and Hart tree trail junctions after about an hour. The creek is still has water in it. We say we will hike for another hour. The trails seems to have been rerouted since my 1993 topo map. We do not seem to climb nearly as much as the topo map says we should, still we can feel this is the first time out for the season. Even slight rises causes us to realize we have a ways to go before the JMT. But we are enjoying the trail, with its canopy of evergreen. As we go down lower, the Sequoias are sparser. Makes you appreciate the upper part of the canyon.

As we close in on five, Sherri asks, where is the water. I say right over there in the creek which we have been following. But then I do a double-take, where is the water? The creek is dry. So we continue to walk along. But we are thinking that we will need to go back up to the junction, if we we do not find water soon. We think we are close to a cabin marked on the topo map, and then there is a creek marked close by. We get to the cabin. It has an outhouse, some tables, and some faucets. But the creek is dry beside it. But we follow the line which connects the faucet. In a couple of hundred feet we hear the sound of trickling water. So the tent is pitched, water is collected and the Subway sandwich is devoured.

It is getting cold, and it is not even 8 yet. But we will turn in soon to our hopefully warm sleeping bags, inside of our warm tent. Read for a little while. In the sleeping bag, shut down the iPad, and it was off to sleep.



Title: April 11, 2013 - Redwood Canyon
Trail head: Hart Tree Trail

Hike Info:
Destination: Redwood Canyon Parking Lot

Distance: 8.8 miles
Travel Time: 5:57 (1.48 mph)
Moving Time: 4:29 (1.96 mph)
Elevation Rise: 2,059'
Maximum Elevation: 1,075'


 

Description:
Slept pretty well. For the first part of the night, was a bit cold, so kept on rolling over to get another part of my body warm. During one of Sherri's times out, I put on socks. Slept warm after that. Woke up around 6:30. Warmed up the iPad, and read from 1 Samuel and Luke. Then went for a walk. Meant to only go to the next creek, but walked almost to Big Springs. Just more forest. This section of the trail looks hardly ever used. Still no water. Maybe at the springs, but I stopped about a quarter of a mile from it. Thought I was hearing a whistle, but I think it was some birds. Nice uphill back. Got back at 8:30. Sherri is still in her bag. She got up a little after 9.

Have I said anything about the accommodations? Like I said, we camped near a cabin. It was locked up, but looked like it was in good shape. It may be used by people who do scientific studies. Wood has been cut, plus there are water faucets. They do not seemed to be turned on yet. Also there are tables, which we used to cook at eat at. But the best part of the area is that there is a two seater loo!

CalFire

We pack up and leave at 11. We make decent time going up the canyon. We start seeing more redwoods in front of us, inspiring us to go forward. As much as we went down, we come back up again. So we are feeling the packs a lot more than yesterday. But the coolness of the morning helps makes it refreshing. We do have one incident. As we were walking along, with Sherri in the lead, a downed branch reached out and tripped me. I suspect if I had not packed a bit top heavy I would not have fallen. But as it was, the pack went over the top of me. Nothing hurt, except for pride. Sherri was concerned, but not badly. Got up and started walking again.

 Had lunch at the trail junction. A group from CalFIre came along with a training mission. We watched them go across a log we had inched over. The log was a fall end Sequoia.

After lunch, we start up the hill towards the Hart Tree. It is a pretty good climb. It shows us how out of shape we are. But we are making good, steady progress. The many standing Sequoias break up the climb for us. While we do not stop to gawk at each tree, we do look at many of them. Even the ones lying on the ground. The Fallen Goliath is not just a tree, it is one which was truly a giant in the land of giants. We feel like hobbits among the Ents.

Buena Vista Peak

Moss and a tree shadow

Arrive at the car at 4:50.