Title: December 20, 2017 - Waterman Gap to Jay Camp
Hike Info:
Type: Backpacking
Trail: Skyline to the Sea
Destination: Jay Camp
Distance: 8.12 miles 1
Start Time: 9:18
End Time: 4:29
Travel Time: 7:10 (1.13 mph)
Moving Time: 6:36 (1.23 mph)
Elevation Rise: 2,194'
Descent: 2,103’
Maximum Elevation: 2,049'
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| Skyline to Sea Trail |
1It took about a quarter of a
mile for the GPS to start registering. This is added to the mileage.
Also as a note, most signs indicated it was 9.5 miles for this
segment. We saw a sign post which put this mileage at 9.5 miles, same
as yesterday.
It rained last night so we
have a little bit of a late start this morning about 9:20 or so. It
started raining around 2:00am and kept on raining until about 5:00am,
with a few drops afterwards. We got up around 7:00, but the rain has
slowed down our start. The rain fly is wet-both inside and out,
Sherri sleeping bag has gotten wet around the foot area-maybe from
condensation.
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| Sunlight on Trail |
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| More Sunlight |
Breakfast was our traditional
oatmeal and granola and fruit in anything else which way which would
go into us we spent some time trust trying to dry out and getting
packed not having really backpack in awhile. So with tea in Sherri’s
hand, we are able to start hiking around 9:15.
My memory is the trail follows
a service road to close to the junction of Highway 9 and 236. But my
memory seems faulty as a separate trail heads off up a hill and then
drops to highway 9. We cross it and start walking the STS again.
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| Sunlight filtering trees |
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| Gary going uphill |
And this is where two things
confront me. The first, the memory of this stretch is being gently
rolling. Instead, it is a steady climb, not bad, still a climb, and
it went on for a ways. The second thing is, you know how I lagged
behind on hills yesterday? Well, it was not an isolated phenomena. In
a few minutes, Steven and Sherri disappeared and I got to hike in
solitude.
Now solitude is not bad and I
do enjoy walking that way. The sunlight through the trees gives a
feeling of cleansing of the forest after a rain. The rain has washed
the forest and the the sunlight now makes everything look sharp.
After walking an hour alone, I
finally catch up to them. But I had rested only a few minutes before,
so I continue walking on. In five more minutes, we cross 236 and head
around to the upper part of Boulder
Creek.
We are still in the lush part of the Park as we climb up to China
Grade.
But once we cross 236 again, the whole environment changes from
forest to chaparral. When we have hiked this before, it has been
hot. But today, the sun is still low and the heat is not there.
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| STeven at rest |
We find a rock to sit on and
have lunch. The usual fare-PB&Nutella and crackers. We sit around
for 30 minutes, enjoying having the load off of our feet.
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| Lunch Rock |
The next mile and a half leads
us across the face of a ridge which normally is very warm. But today
it is nice and refreshing. After the cool of this morning,. Manzanita
and madrone replace redwoods and dogwoods. Just going to a different
side of a ridge changes so much. We have shed our long sleeve shirts
and are hiking with T-shirts on.
Now comes a steep drop into
the creeks which feed Opal
Creek.
That pleasant warmth disappears as we descend into the darkening
light of the gullies of the Opal Creek drainage. The light is so dim,
many shots were wasted because of slow shutter speeds. On the way
down, we past a memorial grove called The Loving Parents-Steven
insists, without much coercion, that we pose here.
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| Loving Parents |
But the subdued light also
brought out some of the deeper colorings. The greens appeared richer,
the water darker, and soils browner with fungi everywhere. The
walking was on flatter ground, a relief from out steep earlier
downhill or the starting long uphill.
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| View from Ridge |
Once we get to Opal Creek, it
is a straight shot to the Big
Basin
Headquarters. The problem? It is is three miles to there and a ways
further to Jay
Camp.
That means a little less than two hours of walking. It will be close
to making it to camp before dark.
 |
| Colorings |
Even for tired bodies, the
walking is easy. Also there is a lot of eye candy to relieve the
mind. When we reach a road, the question comes up: road or trail. I
decide on road because I think we will make better time, which we do.
After an hour and a half, we come into the populated areas of Big
Basin. That means restrooms. Unfortunately they are locked for a long
ways. But we find two handicap openings which we take advantage of.
When we get to the
headquarters, Steven and I have a discussion about how much further
Jay Camp is. Steven was right, about a quarter mile. He goes ahead
and finds a good site for us, #5. Among the trees, it is starting to
get dark. We get our hammock and tent up in the light. But dinner is
cooked in the dark. With the dark, comes cold. So after cleaning up,
it is straight to our bags we go for a good night of rest.
Background
STS: Skyline to the Sea Trail
Menu
Breakfast
|
Lunch
|
Dinner
|
Snacks
|
Ritz
Crackers,
Peanut Butter, Nutella
|
Clif
Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scratch,
Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly
|
Extra Photo's
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| Sunlight |
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| Sunlight |
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| Skyline to Sea Trail through madrone |
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| Darkening Cover |
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| Near Boulder Creek |
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| Whaleback rock |
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| Steven on an overlook |
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| Sherri descending |
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| Skyline to the Sea Trail |
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| Skyline to the Sea Trail |
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| Sherri on the Skyline to the Sea Trail |
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| Opal Creek View |
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| Unnamed Creek |
Flowers and Plants
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