Gary-Summer: January 17, 2018 - Wawona Meadows Extended

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

January 17, 2018 - Wawona Meadows Extended

Title: January 17, 2018 - Wawona Meadows Extended
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Wawona parking lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Fish Hatchery, Chowchilla Mtn Road, Mt Savage Road, Connector Trail, Wawona Meadow Trail, Ditch bank

Destination: Loop

Distance: 7.84 miles

Start Time: 11:04

End Time: 5:20

Travel Time: 6:16 (1.25 mph)

Moving Time: 5:43 (1.37 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,403' ¹

Descent: 1,187‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,875'

GPS Tracks

¹There is a 4024’ difference between the starting and ending elevations. So the 1,187’ elevation descent is probably accurate than the 1,403’ gain.

Going down to Big Creek/Merced

Description:

Sherri and I did a variation of this hike last Fall and really enjoyed it. If we can, we will cross Big Creek and try to find the Wawona Arboretum. Rose is coming with us so we meet at her place around 9:00am and take off from there. We leave shortly after that, stopping at Judy’s Donuts in Oakhurst.

On the way in, we recognize Ranger Corey from walking with him last June around Wawona Meadow. He does not think Big Creek is easily crossable right now. We shall see. We get to the parking lot before 11 and start our walk at 11.

To start with, we cross 41 by the start of the golf course. Then loop around the end of the course. Mounds of dirt look like something has been digging (golfers on this course can get a mole in one). We come to the old smokehouse/the current golf storage. Then follow a road to Big Creek.

Confluence of Big Creek and Merced

We decide to go down to the fish hatchery first. When we get to the confluence of Big Creek and the Merced River. we look around for a place to cross Big Creek. While it is crossable, none of us want to get our feet wet. So we looked around the area for remnants of the fish hatchery--not much too find.

Balancing log along the Merced

So we head back up to where we have seen a unmarked trail go up. This is the same one as Sherri and I went up a couple of months ago. This trail is is truly a lovely trail. It just does not go anywhere. When we get to a place which is maybe 100 yards before the trial stops, we come to a shelf overlooking Big Creek. After discussing, we decided that this would be a good place to eat lunch.

Lunch Spot

After lunch, we retrace our steps down this interesting trail, back to the road to Big Creek. We follow the road back to the golfers barn. Along the way, there is some interesting moss on rocks. But the thing about these kinds of scenes is that the eye can take in so much more than a camera lens. So the pictures appear without the richness we see. Memories are fragile, but more powerful than fixed images.

Walking back

It is time for more history. We cross over to where Galen Clark's house stood. The problem is, we are wondering if it is in a different spot than where we thought last time. Another trip may give us a third location. But the four Sequoias he planted have not moved, nor has the location of the fruit trees.

We find a road which the golf carts uses. Along here, Rose sees the vertebrates of some smaller animal just laying around. We examine it and then continue on till we reach the Chowchilla Mtn Road.


Galen Clark's Sequoias

Question: Do we go easy, around the regular loop? Or go higher up the slope of Mt Savage? Up we go for our real climb of the day. Surprisingly I feel pretty good going up. I keep up with Sherri and Rose. We get to a split and follow it up to what I call the Mt Savage Road. I think this road must have been an old entry road, but I have not seen document on this.

Our deer

Mt Savage Road crosses across the mountain, somewhat rising. This is not a route with vistas, just the quiet beauty of hiking along a forested road without seeing others. Well almost quiet. Rose and Sherri hear the sound of a coyote calling. And then again. A third of mile later, three or four deer come through the trees. Excitement along a quiet trail.

Gary over a log

Then there is a little notch along the side of the road. That is the trail back down to Wawona Meadows. Another quiet, nondescript trail. The trail is almost all descending. Few people go down it or even know about it. Nice and mellow. A good canopy of leaves overhead, mountain misery around our feet. There are logs we need to go over, a testament to the lack of use of the trail. We see some power lines which follow our trail. The the trail weaves its way around a service road until we get to the bottom and meet up with the loop trail.

Once we get to the loop trail, I think we are ready to head back to the car. The walk continues around the far end of the meadow. When the trail approaches the road, we see the remnants of the flume. I now know what I am seeing. Also I ask if they would like to go back via a level, but overgrown path. Sure. So we follow the flume around till we get the the fire road. From there we descent past the Wawona hotel and down to the lower parking lot, and too.our car

We head on home as Rose’ husband is preparing her dinner. We get home at 7:30, pretty tire. A shower revives us before Sherri and I go out to dinner.