Title: Aug 18, 2015 - Ostrander Lake
Trail head: Ostrander Lake
Hike Info:
Type: Hiking-Cross Country
Trail: None
Destination:Wandering on west side of Horse Ridge
Start Time: 9:48
End Time: 1:36
Travel Time: 3:47 (0.36 mph)
Moving Time: 1:54 (0.72 mph)
Elevation Rise: 401'
Maximum Elevation: 8,568'
1While the mileage is small, remember this is cross country.
Description:
Stars were just beaming last night. It is amazing what happens to them when there is no moon and no smog and we are up 8,000'. Sort of wish I would stay awake more to see them and get friendlier with them.
I did get up at 6:40, which is late for me in the mountains. Maybe yesterday's tiredness was real. I did sleep well and comfortably. I had my quiet time by
Ostrander Lake. Gives you a small taste of heaven. That will be so much more, but this is not even one of those little spoons you taste ice cream with at a store. It is glorious in its own right, but only a seeing though a smoky glass into heaven.
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| Breakfast |
I also went for a walk along the ridge we are on and then over to the boulder field west of the ridge. Nice vista looking down the
Bridalveil Creek drainage. Wonder if I can convince Sherri to cross the field? There is also a good view of where we walked up yesterday. When I return, Sherri was up and shortly afterwards she fixed our oatmeal. It is a slow morning, but that does not mean a bad one. Just we are not in a rush to do anything. Sherri even decided to do a clothes washing-it was that kind of a morning.
One thing which is not slow is charging up my phone. With a battery pack, the phone quit charging after bumping up 1-2%. But if I charged directly from the solar charger in the direct sun, I was able to charge 30% of the phone in an hour. Pretty impressive.
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| Gary on the boulders |
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| Sherri wondering about them rocks |
We did decide to go west and not to
Hart Lake. So we retrace much of the same steps as I took this morning until we got to the boulder field. There, we took our time and went on a south-west decline across this gully of about a quarter mile. It is such harder to go down boulders than up them, but to get to a bench on the western part of
Horse Ridge, down we must go. After much navigation, we get to our bench and what do we find? Two ski trails labeled the
Merced Crest, trails 16 and 17. Later on I talk with Andrea and she tells me that she wanted to go on one of these trails-they are considered advanced. But she was warned off of them at the time because of avalanche danger.
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| View from Boulder Field |
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| Merced Crest Ski Trail |
We were right in heading for this bench. It is nice walking and we get to look down on Bridalveil Creek. There is a perfect spot for lunch
(N37° 37.426' W119° 33.557'). It has the view of Bridalveil, along with the west end of Horse Ridge and the ridge separating Bridalveil from Highway 41. Pretty nice. Not sure if we could see Henness Ridge or not-may be just below the horizon. As an added one time bonus, we spot a woodpecker in a dead tree close-by. This guy entertained us for at least 20 minutes.
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| Our lunch buddy, the woodpecker |
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| Lunchtime view |
After lunch lunch we went a bit further until we got to the ski signs showing a split-one going up the ridge; the other down. And why you might ask? At least we did. When I peered over the embankment, there was a pretty good drop. So I considered the wisdom of the ski trail makers. The next ridge to get around was a ways away and required us to descend into another bowl-probably more boulder hopping. After discussing the situation with Sherri, we decided to turn around. Now in distance, we had not traveled that far, maybe a mile at the most, but it took us 2+ hours to do so-lunch was maybe a half an hour.
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| At rest before re-crossing the boulder field |
When we came to the boulder field to re-cross it, we decided to go lower. but before crossing it, we took a few minutes to rest and get ready. This time the crossing was easier and quicker. Once across it, we were just left with a 150' scramble up a slope to get to our campsite. A nice little trip.
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| Gary after his dip |
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| Sherri reading |
For the rest of the afternoon, we mostly rested and read. Rested from what you might ask? Well for whatever reason, we both felt a lack of energy. So feeding the mind was good: Sherri with
All the Light We Cannot See and I a book about the Inklings called
The Fellowship. Around 3, I decided I wanted a bit of refreshment, so I went for a dip. Surprised I did not see a layer of dirt and sweat on the lake water. Even more surprised that the water was not freezing like a good mountain lake should be. It did feel good floating on the lake and even better being bathed by the warm sun on a rock.
After my swim and upon returning to camp, I found Sherri pondering her sleeping pad-deflated. Why? After close examination, she finds the source There is a hole in the rubber seam near the valve, creaking a slow leak. We tried to patch up it up with
Tenacious Tape. But the release of air was only slowed, but not stop the leak. What to do?
There are three options: 1) Sherri can live with it; 2) Gary can live with it; 3) we can return tonight. We decided to have our dinner first and decide. By the time dinner was completed, one option was eliminated-we were not going back. So Sherri says she is resigned to a bad night of sleep.
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| Ostrander Lake looking west |
The nice thing is we get to experience the beauty of the lake. After dinner, we walk about two-thirds of the way around the lake. AT that point, Sherri had enough of boulder hopping without an evening of more. So we turn around and return to camp where Sherri cooks up some hot cocoa, schnapps and oreos.
But the sun is still up-just a little low in the sky. So I go back to the lake and take a few pictures. Sheri meditates on the surroundings. Around 8:30, we turn in. But not before Sherri takes the option of getting a good night sleep.
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| Ostrander Lake at Sunset |
| Breakfast |
Lunch |
Dinner |
Snacks |
| Oatmeal
and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola.
Tang. |
Peanut Butter and Nutella on crackers |
Mountain House freeze dried dinner-Chicken Terriyaki
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Clif Bar, Scratch, GORP |
Pictures:
Elevation Rise: 401'
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