Title: August 21, 2019 - Fresno Dome and the Way of the Mono
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants
Hike Info:
Type:
Hiking
Trail:
Fresno Dome
Destination:
Fresno Dome
Distance:
1.65
miles
Start
Time: 9:41
End
Time: 11:55
Travel
Time: 2:14 (0.74
mph)
Moving
Time: 1:27 (1.14
mph)
Elevation
Rise: 512'
Descent: 277‘
Maximum
Elevation: 7,512'
Description:
This will be a meetup hike, or
more accurately, hikes. The first one is to Fresno
Dome,
maybe about 2 miles-this is where Sherri, Andrea, Steven and Lawrence
went to in July when their way was blocked from going to Chain
Lakes.
The second hike is the Way of the Mono, about half a mile. Should be
an all around easy day-at least that is what I am telling my body.
We get to the parking lot
where the meetup group is gathering a few minutes late. We had a few
last minute things to take care of. As we are ready to go, one of the
cars had a dead battery. Not a problem for us-we were intending to
take the Ranger up, but it causes a bit more reshuffling of people
into cars. Sherri and I need to stop to get gas, just in case. In
Oakhurst we gather a few more people at the Chevron station. Then it
is off up the mountains.
 |
| Sherri on her way to the top |
Fresno Dome is well off the
highway. For the most part, there is a paved road-Sky Ranch Road
which goes past Calvin Crest and Nelder
Grove.
But once you are well back, you turn off onto road 5S38-you know when
you are getting back aways when the roads stop having names and are
using forest service designations. As we go up the road, there are
signs that logging is taking place: the road turns muddy from
spraying to keep the dust down and there are stacks of logs and
machinery.
Then at the Fresno Dome
Campground we get stopped by a flagger. They are bringing down some
trees. We all get out of our vehicles and stretch a bit. I do not
recognize the car in front of me. In talking to her, she is going up
to Fresno Dme as well. Jenny is part of the meetup group, just came
up here independently. After about 20 minutes, we are let through.
 |
| Those ants up there are people |
We finally get to the Fresno
Dome trailhead. A few minutes to get ready and organized and off we
go. I would say the first part of the trail is pretty nondescript. If
you have been hiking in the Sierra before, you have probably
encountered much of what we walked through elsewhere. On the other
hand, there is a freshness about being among the trees and meadows.
Confession is that I do not see the flowers going in. I feel pretty
good that it is pretty level or a slight downhill and I seem to be
walking OK. I am towards the back-my choice. Just enjoyable walking
with John.
And now we start our climb. It
is not a bad climb at all, if you take your time. There is a side
benefit for helping someone in this situation. That is besides the
generally good feeling you get helping someone accomplish something
they thought they may not be able to do. But the benefit to me is
that we are travelling deliberate enough that my out-of-shapeness
does not come into play. So up we go a few steps and then pick our
way up another section. I think I will need to get someone to help on
any slope :-).
When we get to the top, there
is a great view. Shuteye is towards our east and Oakhurst to our
south. I am not sure where Quartz
Mountain
or if I am seeing the Merced-I
think I am. A nice little dome. While it is not crowded, except with
our meetup group. There is a man and his dogs up here, but they leave
pretty soon after we arrive. And then there is Jenny from our logging
stop and her dog. We stay up at the top for awhile before heading
down.
 |
| View to the east and south |
 |
| View to the south and west |
 |
| The way down-yes, those are people down there |
Down is not too much of an
issue. Just keeping off the scree and onto solid rock. Sherri has
joined John and I in working our way down the dome. Once on the flat,
my legs stretch out a bit. There has been some tree falls which has
had people reroute the path, but nothing too bad as far as route
finding. We get back in a reasonable amount of time. But I suspect
that the road travel and the time it took to pick our way up the dome
made for a bit slower travel.
Trail
head: Way
of the Mono Parking Lot
Hike
Info:
Type:
Hiking
Trail:
Way of the Mono
Destination:
Loop
Distance:
0.54 miles
Start
Time: 1:18
End
Time: 1:53
Travel
Time: 0:35 (0.93 mph)
Moving
Time: 0:25 (1.30 mph)
Elevation
Rise: 105'
Descent:
198‘
Maximum
Elevation: 3,675'
We
make the long trip back down to Bass Lake. We get stopped for a
couple of times when they are falling a tree. While we hear trees
falling at Delilah, this one made a really impressive sound with a
loud thump hitting the ground. After it is safe, we get waved on. Our
route takes us back to Highway 41 and then down to Bass
Lake.
Then we turn off onto Road 222 and drive along the west side of the
lake.
The
parking lot is a bit small, so we need to maneuver around the cars.
We have lost five people-they needed to get back early. The Way
of the Mono
is a short interpretive trail showing the natural surroundings and
the relationship the Mono people had with it. While short, in a few
places the incline will make you want to stop and learn what the
signs say. But when we reach the top, there is a broad piece of
granite able to hold the entire gang-about 20 now, with room for
more. The view of Bass Lake is worth the climb. After loitering on
the granite for about 10-15 minutes, we decide we are hungry. So down
we go. While a good downhill, we take our time and complete the loop.
Now
it is time to go to Ducey’s
on the Lake
for our meal. I think the waitress is up to the task, but is hampered
by the system. So many of us pay cash to avoid problems. The
bacon-burger I ordered was huge-I was able to eat the whole thing.
Now it is time to get back to Fresno. After stopping to check and
make sure the car with the dead battery can leave OK, Sherri and I
make it home by about 6pm. Glad we went.
Extra Photo's
 |
| Gary the photographer wanna-be |
 |
| Just a nice looking tree |
 |
| Bass Lake and Meetup group |
Flowers and Plants
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