January 1, 2019 - Kreyenhagen Peak

Title: January 1, 2019 - Kreyenhagen Peak
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's :  Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Coalinga-Mineral Springs

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Kreyenhagen Peak Trail

Destination: Kreyenhagen Peak

Distance:  4.78 miles

Start Time: 9:36

End Time:  2:14

Travel Time:  4:38 (1.03 mph)

Moving Time:  3:30 (1.37 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,702'

Descent: 1,403‘

Maximum Elevation: 3,552'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I am a bit anxious about this hike. I know how much up there is and am concerned about losing any strength as we climb. I have not done anything this hard in about nine months. But there is only one way to find out.

Yucca plant, looking west

The Meetup group starts from Fresno at 7:00am. Our friends, John and Cathey are the organizers who put this hike together. We leave the parking lot. I am driving by myself because I will continue on afterwards to Mountain View. After leaving Fresno, the fog closes in on the road so it was easy to lose track of the car in front of me, except for the red taillights. But we get to Coalinga safely where its is bright, sunny and cold. Starbucks is waiting for those inclined, then onward to the Coalinga-Mineral Springs, about half an hour away.

The trailhead is in a county park, but the peak and most of the trail is on BLM land. So there is less trail restrictions than on National Forest or Nation Park land. Which is a good thing today. There are about 36 people who are on this hike.

Kreyenhagen Peak

Around 9:30, John herds us into a group for a picture and last minute instructions. And then we are off. I am towards the back of the pack. Dan and I talk for a little ways. Then I talk with Sam, Dan’s daughter. This helps out with the first third of a mile. But I can feel this will be a trail I will be stopping a lot on.

Evidently I am not alone. The trail has a good amount of uphill, but what makes it a bit tricky is that will the trail does goes up, it keeps the contour of the hillside-rather than being cut into the hill. So your foot is always at two angles-the upward way you are going and the downward slope of the trail at a right angle to the trail. Evidently this was too much for several people who decided that the trail and the accompanying vertigo was a bit too much for them. Also the stress caused by this conflicting angles caused another couple to develop enough aches where they felt it was enough for a day.

Looking into the Coalinga-Mineral Springs County Park

 

All of this gave me opportunity to rest some and keep going. But having about a mile more to go up, it is just John and I bringing up the rear. Somehow my boots feel like they have weights in them-maybe because I have had these on once in the last seven months? Just guessing. But we make it up step by step. As we approach the final ridgeline,, we pick up Lee as well. Now the rest of the people have started down and we get all the usually cries of “Just a little further” and “You are almost there” and “The rest is easy”. I know that to some people, “Just a little farther” is true, but at the state I was in, Kreyenhagen Peak, looked like it was still a hundred or more feet of climbing. Sometimes it is good to be on receiving end of these remarks. Maybe I can come up with something which is a bit more comforting to a tired person.

Kreyenhagen Peak

But the top is not really that far, so we do not give up. We make it to the top, to find Umberto and Cathey still up there. Umberto leaves after about five minutes. John and I rest for a little while, with Cathey waits for us.

While today was mostly a clear day, to the east was the fog and cloud layer which obstructed a good view of the Sierra’s. We are almost straight east of Three Rivers and we should be able to see some of them. To the west is a good view, but I am not familiar with their names. Glad I was able to make it up there.

But it past noon and we need to start making it down the peak. It is easier going down, but much more tricky. There is a fall or two on the way down-not by me and nothing very serious. Just more as a warning to be careful. While it is easier walking down, we are taking almost as long going down. Each time I glance to where the truck is, it seems a long ways off. But down we go some more.

By the time we reach the parking area, it is a little past 2:00pm and there are only two vehicles left. I say my goodbyes and start my three hour trip to Mountain View. The drive along highway 198 is pleasant, but definitely not made for speed. After reaching highway 101 and traveling a little ways north, I stop at a Carl’s Jr for a lunch/dinner. I had not eaten on top of Kreyenhagen Peak for lunch. So it was good that I stopped here. By the time I reach my parent’s house, it was about 6:30pm. I was tired and ready to shower-that felt good. A good thing about having a brother, is that we can talk. And that is what we did until almost 10:00pm. I could not keep my end of the conversation going. It was a good day and glad to see that I could hike, even if it was a bit slow.

West Looking

East Looking, including the Sierra's

 
Flowers and Plants