Gary-Summer: 2017-08-21-Azalea Trail to Park Ridge Lookout

Monday, August 21, 2017

2017-08-21-Azalea Trail to Park Ridge Lookout

Title: 2017-08-21-Azalea Trail to Park Ridge Lookout

Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: South Boundary Trail

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Azalea Trail, Park Ridge Trail

Destination: Park Ridge Lookout

Distance: 5.25 miles

Start Time: 10:05

End Time: 3:25

Travel Time: 5:20 (0.98 mph)

Moving Time: 3:04 (1.71 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,400'
Maximum Elevation: 7,559'
GPS Tracks

Description:

We really were supposed to be backpacking today. But things happened such as a fire, Butte, which was causing smoke at a couple of lakes. But that fire got contained, only another fire, South Fork, pop’s up making most of Yosemite smokey. So after three of our places being smoked out It also closed out another one just outside of you semi which caused is not to go there so we just decided we just do a series that they hikes.

Rose and Sherru

We decided to go up to Grant Grove today. On the way up, we decided that we would like to go to Park Ridge Lookout. When we got to Grand Grove, about 9:30, we found out Rose had never done the Azalea Trail. So we park by the South Boundary Trailhead and started in.

This is a trail Sherri and I did with Andrea five weeks ago. Lets just say, I was pathetic. Going up, I stopped at least three times to rest and close my eyes. Each time for have an hour each. So I am interested in seeing how I will do today.

The trail starts outside of Wilsonia and it starts going up. Mind you, it is not a terribly steep climb but it is a good incline for me these days. A meadow, maybe about a third of mile in, which was sopping wet vice weeks ago, is drying out today. Enough that we can just walk in the solid mud.

Buck Rock Lookout

We stop to see if we can bring in the solar eclipse through our binoculars-no success. I have not had success before with binoculars, but there was some clouds playing peek-a-boo with the event. We did see the sky darken though. Then it was on our way again.

The trail follows a little creek up a pretty good acclivity. This little area between two small ridges is lush. The little creek is spotty right now, while when we went through in July, there was running water. But it still.provides moisture for the dogwoods and azaleas. Earlier in the season we would have seen wet-loving flowers, such as leopard lilies.

At the top of the ravine, Sherri and Rose take a small break. I surprisingly can go on after a minute or two. I am thinking that I am the weak link here, so I push on. While not going fast, I am steady, which is a bit surprising to myself. The upper part of the trail goes steadily up, but does not feel as steep as the earlier part. Or maybe I am in delusion, I don’t know. There is more exposed area.

As I get close to the top of Park Ridge, I hear the sound of blades turning. Looking around I see helicopter H522 flying up north. Then in about 10 minutes, he flies back going back to Ash Mountain. He must have dropped someone off at Pan Pt where there is a heli-pad.

Clouds gathering

Portents of this afternoon

About 10 minutes later I reach the apogee of the trail. Here it joins the Park Ridge Trail and the service road into the lookout. A couple from Australia talk with me for a few minutes. Then a couple of men pass by with a nod of their heads. After a short wait, Rose and Sherri join me. I feel somewhat revitalized-either the downtime I had, or maybe the few jelly belly’s consumed. We take off towards the lookout via the Park Ridge Trail.

The trail rises up maybe another 100-150’ from the junction. Not bad, just more rolling than anything else. We meet the couple of men on one of the humps. They have their binoculars trained on a rock. Why I wonder? They were eyeing a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. I do not think I could have seen it if they had not pointed it out to me. We meet them coming down from the lookout again. They said it was too noisy-a crew was cutting logs. Sounded like they wanted to go up into the tower, but were unsure if they could(they could have). */span>

Towards Monarch Ridge

The three of us make it up to the Park Ridge Lookout around noon. Before going up into the lookout, we stop and have lunch. Rose and Sherri are busy organizing Sherri’s pack, so I go up. There are two visitor’s already there. The person in the lookout is Carol M-when we came up five weeks ago, she was also there. Her two visitors from Tennessee was really interested in how a lookout works. While up there, I notice that there was a new fire posted close to Poop-Out Pass called the Trail Fire. Looks small. I try to spot it, but could not get a visual. But we were able to get a bearing on it.

We spent an hour at the lookout before moving on. As much as we liked being up there, it was a good thing to move on. For the 15 minutes before I was observing clouds moving in, some Cumulonimbus to be a bit more exact. Or in everyday vernacular, I am thinking these may be thunder clouds, We made an easy decision: return along the ridge or use the service road which is lower than the ridge. We use the service road. Turns out this is a good thing. About 15 minutes from the lookout, we hear the first of an afternoon of rolling rumbles above us. No flashes of light, just the sounds of a bowling alley. Our pace does speed up some.

Clouds

Do you hear what I hear?

Rose and Sherri returning back to car

When we get to the Azalea Trail junction, we take off down it, a bit quicker than what we came up it. Actually, a lot quicker. The thunder was still sounding, only more quickly. Not too much stopping, even for picture taking. A few times there was a few sprinklers, not enough to get us wet, but enough to remind us, it could rain.

Its back to the car without getting wet. Yipee! Now following hiking tradition, where do we eat? We decide on the DNC restaurant in Grant Grove. So up the road we head and get in to the restaurant. And probably not too quickly. Within five minutes of being seated, the sky opens up. We eat watching the storm dump. This went on for about an hour. Then we escape and get back to Fresno.

Background

^*The general rule on going into the three lookouts which we are involved with: Buck Rock, Park Ridge and Delilah is that the cabin is open for visitors between 9:30am to 6:00pm. There may be times when a lookout is busy doing a task-responding to a radio call, reporting a fire or taking weather readings. During those times, the lookout may request you to wait outside. Also if there is a dangerous situation, such as a lighting storm, the lookout will have you get off the tower into a safer area.

_{Extra Photo's}