November 20, 2013 - McKenzie TableTop

See Note Below

Title: November 20, 2013 - McKenzie Table Top

Trail head:  Parking Lot at Sierra Foothill Conservancy

Hike Info:

Trail: Table Top

Destination:  Table Top

Distance:  6.26 miles

Travel Time: 5:10 (1.21 mph)

Moving Time: 3:15 (1.93 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,132'

Maximum Elevation:  1,847'

Description:
If it is Wednesday, it must be time for another Mid-Week Meetup Hike with John, Jerry and Cathey. Preceding this day, the weather forecast was for stormy weather-rain which we sorely need. But on the day of the hike, the ground was a bit wet from a light rainfall that night. But the skies were clearing. So it looks like another beautiful day in the Central Valley.


This hike is at the Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve, 2600 acres held in trust by the Sierra Foothill Conservancy for open spaces and to continue ranching. Part of this preserve is Table Mountain and is not a public access area. Nat is a docent with the Conservancy and was able to get us permission to go on the property. A couple of weeks ago, I hiked along the northern base of the mountain along the San Joaquin River Trail. This time, we will climb the Table Top, to the side of Table Mountain, from the south and go to the top. Exciting. 

Meetup Marching Along

We got to the McKenzie parking area, just off of Audberry road a little before 9, after driving from the Kohl's parking lot in RiverPark. It turns out there is another group who is also on the Preserve today-a group from Gateway High School in Clovis. Looks like there is 15 of them. We will be leapfrogging them all morning. So Nat has altered our route a little bit so we will be hiking separate trails for about half of our walk today.

This takes us more to the west and up a single track trail, along the spine of a small ridge. After maybe a third of a mile, we meet a dirt road. This contours around the Table Mountain and then below the Table Top area-a separate plateau from Table Mountain. We are starting to enjoy the views of the foothills. After a ways, we are done sluffing off. The climb starts in earnest when we leave the road and return to a trail.

This is slow going for a couple of people--they are huffing and puffing. but what makes us feel good is that we have caught up to some of the high school students and they are doing worse than us. It is a perverse pleasure to observe someone having more trouble with a slope than you are. But we all make it to the top of the ridge and have lunch there.

Upper end of Millerton Lake

Most of us proceeds to the Table Top. It is a short climb from the ridge. Once on top, we see where the top has been somewhat weathered and is rough with small stones, just trying to catch your toe and making you trip. So even though it is level, the going is slow since we do not want to fall. On top we get some good views. First to the north where we see the upper end of Millerton Lake. Then towards the south and the area which Audberry Road goes through. 

Nat talking about the grinding holes

The sun is nice; the sky is clear and blue; and we get a bit warm. On the return trip, I hike down in shorts and a T-shirt, feeling very comfortable.  On the way down, Nat takes us around a different way. First there are some grinding holes used by the Native Americans in the area, maybe Yokuts. We pass several places where there are holes. Then Nat takes us to a place where the miners in the 1870's would crush rock in a fashion, similar to how wheat is ground. A donkey is fixed to  pole and drags around a heavy stone, crushing the ore.

Illustration from Nat

A short walk later, we are back to our cars. We finish up at 2pm. Then it is on to Don Fernando's's Mexican resturant, just a couple miles up the road. A good way to end the hike.


Note:
The map above and the path we took do not exactly line up correctly, particularly on top of the Table Top. Use this as an approximation.

November 9, 2013 - San Joaquin River Trail

Title: November 9, 2013 - San Joaquin River Trail

Trail head:  Wellbarn Rd, Clovis, CA

Hike Info:

Trail:  San Joaquin River Trail

Destination:Sky Harbor Road, Clovis, CA

Distance:  12.93

Travel Time: 6:03 (2.14 mph)

Moving Time: 4:44 (2.73 mph)

Elevation Rise:  2,180

Maximum Elevation: 1,376

Description:

It was a pretty cool morning and I am a bit apprehensive. Why you might ask, it is just a hike? Well yes, but I am not sure if I will be able to keep up. This is a faster group than I usually hike with and the trail is advertized as being 14 miles. I am pretty sure about the mileage, but not sure about the speed.

Upper end of Millerton Reservoir

We meet at Starbucks and then head out. We need to leave one set of cars at Sky Harbor Road. We drive mine and Lori's cars over to Wellbarn Road for the start of the hike.  We are close to 1000' up and the trail will sort of wander between here and Millerton Reservoir. So the elevation will nto be an issue. There are eleven of us on this trip. Many of the people I know-Bill, Gary F, Lori. But there are many others who are new to me: Carter, Rose, Monica, Harold, Mark, Theng Theng and Darrell.

Looking to the west down Millerton Reservoir

We set out at a good clip, of course it is downhill on a dirt road, going towards the river. But we are in good spirits as the walking is fine. After about a mile, we then start on a long journey through rolling terrain. We also change from a descending dirt road to a trail, walking more single file. I walk with Lori for the first three miles. We talk and I get to know her a bit better.

The TRIAL Sign

There is an outhouse conveniently located at the three mile mark. Then in a short distance from there, we see a sign saying this is the San Joaquin River TRIAL and it is seven miles to the parking lot where we left our shuttle cars. Somehow that sign is a bit suspect.

All in a line

At this point I drop back a ways and hike with Bill, Gary F, Mark and Harold. The morning has changed from being cool to starting to warm up-good hiking weather. We go in and out of views of Millerton Reservoir, well the upper end that is. It really reminds me of a the Horseshoe Bend/Dead Horse area of the Colorado River, albeit on a smaller and less grander scale. The somewhat twistiness of the gorge with the 700' high bluffs above the river and reservoir.

At the six mile mark, we stop for a lunch break in sparse, but sufficient shade. We enjoy the break with both Gary's laying down and resting our eyes. Others decide to investigate some of the black cows around us. I get up feel a bit refreshed.

Fall Colors

As we travel along, we go into some ravines where there is a good 15 degree difference in temperature-feels good. Also it is here where you see some diversity  of growth. Some of the leaves have started changing colors. Others, such as the oaks, have fully grown leaves to fan us with. There are numerous gates to go through and close behind us.

The Reservoir

The last two miles now brings us on the big uphill for the day. It is a seven hundred foot climb out of the reservoir area to close to the top of the Pincushion Ridge. While the climb itself is not bad, particularly with one foot in front another attitude. But it does come at the end of the hike and the mind starts rebelling against the thought of the cruelty of this happening so late in the walk. But the trail is the trail so up we go. You get a nice closing view of the eastern park of the reservoir. We finally get some wildlife in the form of some tarantulas.  Cameras come out, but no animals are harmed--one of the tarantulas was alreadyed flattened when we first saw it. Now it is a descent down to the Sky harbor lot and to the cars to shuttle us back to the Wellbarn Road to pick up the rest of the cars.

A good day of hiking. Enjoyed the day. Even my earlier fears was allieved as I kept a respectable pace.