October 30, 2019 - Kaweah Oaks

Title: October 30, 2019 - Kaweah Oaks
Hike Info : Description : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Grapevine, Sycamore, Valley Oak, Dry Creek, Red Rose

Destination: Loops

Distance:  4.24 miles 1

Start Time: 8:40

End Time:   11:26  

Travel Time:  2:45 (1.54 mph)

Moving Time:  2:08 (1.99 mph)

Elevation Rise: 180 '

Descent: 190‘

Maximum Elevation: 388'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri is sick today, so she will not be joining us on this Meetup hike. On the other hand, if she was not sick, we might either be in San Francisco or returning from the Bay Area and this blog entry would be different.

I got up at 5:30 and got ready. Left the house a few minutes later than I thought I would, but still got to the parking lot before 7. Today, I am being unsociable and will be returning right after the hike, before going to lunch or visiting the Exeter murals. So I will drive down-no one else is unsociable evidently. We get to the Preserve’s parking lot around 8:30.

Kaweah Oaks is a preserve of lands which resemble how the Valley in the area looked a hundred years ago. In some ways, it is unfair to expect a full blown Sierra hike. On the other hand, you can envision yourself being around where the early pioneers were. As was said, this is with the Meetup group. I have not hiked with them for over two months. Now that my parents' place is almost taken care of, I should be able to do more-probably not for another three weeks though.

Because of the shortness of this jont and how level it is, it is a good event for an out of shape person such as myself. The first loop is the Sycamore Trail, about a ¾ of a mile loop. I suspect the Fall is not a great time for this. The grasses are brown and everything is receding to stand against the Winter siege. But there are things of interest, such as the spindliness of the sycamores which have given up on life against the sky.

When we finish with the loop, we find that a new loop has been creaked called the Dry Creek Exercise Loop. Not sure what the exercise is, but it looks like a road which used to be used by the farm. So we go around that one as well. I walk with John, we do a bit of chit-chat stuff.

After completing that loop, we headed back to the bathrooms and go west, up the road to the Swamp Loop. It has been closed at times when we have gone up here, but today, it is open. So off we go on this 7/8th mile trail. During the Spring or after a rain, this can be a bit soggy. But like all of our walks today, it is dry. The trail meanders around a lot, so sometimes the front people have almost looped back to us back people. There is a reddish-purple plant which Karol identifies as Poke leaf, you know that 60’s song called Poke Salad Anne. The Preserve must be clearing out unwanted debris and plants as there is evidence of burnt stacks. 

 Our next, and last loop, was the Red Rose Loop-sometimes called the Wild Rose or just plain Rose trail. We were going to go on the Grapevine Trail, but it is closed today. This area is the more attractive part of the Preserve. It is lush, lots of green, with vines draping over the oaks and sycamores. At times when I have been here before, the light gets filtered through the towering leafy pillars. Today, I am settling just to be a bit awestruck by the sun streaming through unfiltered. It is a pleasant closing out of the days hike.

We regroup in the parking lot. Most of the rest of them are going to go into Exeter with Rebecca guiding the group through a tour of the town’s murals. It is well worth the small effort to go into town. It is even more special to have a knowledgeable native such as Rebecca to guide you. But today, I am going back after the hike. Having gotten in yesterday after five days away, I need to get a few things in order. So I say goodbye. It has been good seeing the good people who I hike with.

 

 
Flowers and Plants

Tobacco Weed

Poke Leaf

Jimson Weed

October 28, 2019 – Buzzard Roost, Big Basin

Title: October 28, 2019 – Buzzard Roost, Big Basin
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's 

Trail head:  Big Basin Headquarters

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Skyline-Hihn Hammond Connector, Pine Mountain Trails, 

Destination: Buzzard Roost

Actual Destination: Just before Buzzard Roost

Distance:  4.87 miles ¹

Start Time:  2:13

End Time:    5:57

Travel Time:  3:44 (1.30 mph)

Moving Time:  3:04 (1.59 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,195'

Descent: 1,219‘

Maximum Elevation: 2,009'

GPS Tracks

 ¹A couple of things. I forgot to turn on the GPS’ when we left the car. So it was about a third of a mile down the path before I turned them on. Second, yes there were two GPS’ involved. Sherri’s Garmin 60CSx had been acting up and I have been using my Foretex 401 to take measurements of our trips. So far, the Foretex seems more accurate with the distance, while the 60CSx seems more accurate with the elevation. That is the measurements I have shown above. The map and profile are from the 60CSx.

Description:

Redwood

Today is a big day. After getting up, we went down to the escrow company to sign papers to sell our parents’ house. That went quickly, so we stopped in to talk with our banker. Before seeing us, she was with another client,. We got our questions answered and said our goodbyes. Now it is time to say goodbye to my brother who will be traveling to Eureka, hoping he can get through the parts of California which is on fire (He did.) Before our day's adventure, we went to REI and used a coupon which was expiring.

Then we took off to Big Basin-making a wrong turn or two, but getting there shortly after 1:00pm. We used our senior pass-I love being older! (at times). Big Basin has you fill out a form if you are hiking, saying about where you plan to go. Sort of a bit unnerving planning on getting lost.

Opal Creek

Our initial plan was to go along and finish a trail we had started earlier. This was a trail which went on the south side of the Blooms Creek. So we made our way down the Opal Creek on the west side, stopping for lunch at the end of a handicap trail. A nice little bunch of redwoods there. I figured out there, I had not turned on my GPS'. Yes, plural. Sherri's GPS, Garmin 60cxs has been giving a bit of readings which do not seem to match with the terrain, so I am trying to see what the problem is.

After lunch, we continue on to the Hihn Hammond Road-the paved part just off of 236. There we sort of changed our plans as well as got a bit confused about which trail we were on. We had started a bit later than we thought we would. Also there was a place called Buzzards Roost which is about a 1,000' climb from where we are. We decided that would be a good place to go to.

Gary sucking air

So we go up the Pine Mountain Trail. Up is the proper word for this trail. It may be because I am sadly out of shape or it is steep, I find myself catching my breath. Of course, it does not help when a tall, slender red-headed guy passes us without breaking stride.

Besides being steep, we pass through hill sides of oak-not the gigantic barrel trunked oaks you sometimes see, but modest ones, growing pretty dense. They block out direct sunlight, leaving a filtered look to the sunlight. Manzanita and other brush cover the ground. While there are not spectacular sights, it is a pleasant enough place to travel.

Stone Sherri climbed

We cross the Pine Mountain Road, not to be confused with the Pine Mountain Trail. For a few feet, the trail levels off, before it starts its relentless climb up. And up we go some more. But not the trail gives some natural breaks in the walking climb. Such as a stone of about six feet which we need to climb up. Or a fallen tree we need to scoot under.

Then Sherri amazes me. She is ahead and comes to a stone include off the trail. She climbs up the stone, about 20’ so that she can get a better view. The old Sherri would never do that. Wonder what has gotten into her? But it does give me a chance to rest some. Once she is down, I tell her I will continue on. Once she catches up to me, we will turn around since it is after 4:00pm.

I go on for ten or fifteen more minutes before Sherri catches up with me. I had found a nice viewing place where I could just barely see the ocean. Also there was a pretty good rock wall to climb, about 8’ high. I think we are about 200 yards from Buzzards Roost. But the shadows are starting to go long. We decided that the Roost would need to wait for another day.

Our turn around point

The trip back is just following the trail back-at least most of the way. Sherri usually is about the same pace going down as going up. But today she is full of surprises and sets a decent pace going back down. To state the obvious, going down is a lot easier for me than going up. The sunlight I was concerned about does not disappear, so we make pretty good time. When we reach the Hihm Hammond Road, we decide to follow that back to 236. This is at the end of the Bloom Creek Campground-which is closed. But the bathrooms are still open, which are made use of.

Gary Walking the Trail

We follow a path which goes beside 236 back to the parking lot. We got back about six, while there is still light, but darkening quickly. At least there is no SAR teams out looking for us. I am a bit pooped, but feeling like I have accomplished something.

Now for the big question: where to eat? We decide on the Foster Freeze down in Ben Lommend. When we get there, hungry, we find that it is closed. We continue down Highway 9 and come out in Santa Cruz. So we might as well go on to our pizza place: Upper Crust. There we have a pizza, a bit slow, or we are hungry, not sure which. Then it is back to Mountain View. When we look in the window, all the staging furniture is gone-we were expecting that, just hoping it would be Tuesday or Wednesday. Oh well. As we are getting situated, Sherri starts to feel sick. So that sort of settles things, we will go back to Fresno Tuesday. So tonight, I sleep for the last time in my bedroom, stretching back fifty years.

Extra Photo's

North Looking

A rock on the trail to climb

Gary maneuvers under an obstacle

October 26, 2019 – San Francisco: Corona Heights and Buena Vista Park

Title: October 26, 2019 – San Francisco: Corona Heights and Buena Vista Park
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's 

Our walking route

 Trail head:Castro Street Station

Hike Info:

Type: Walk
Trail: Parts of Stairs of San Francisco Walking Loops 19 and 30

Including trip via Muni

Destination: Stairs of San Francisco Walking Loops 17, 18, and 20

Distance:  5.07 miles ¹

Start Time: 1:00pm

End Time:   6:30pm   

Elevation Rise: 1,210 '

Descent: 1,262‘

Maximum Elevation: 570'

Google Earth Route

 ¹I did not have my GPS on, so these figures are estimates, drawn from Google Earth

Description:

We are spending several days in the Bay Area while we still have my parents house. We came over to Mountain View last night and will be using it as our base. My brother David is also with us at the house, but declined to join us today. We like taking public transportation-it gives an added sense of adventure. We have a book called The Stairway Walks of San Francisco by Mary Burk. Three loops are close beside each other: loops 17, 18, and 20. So we think this will be our itinerary for today.

 After breakfast, David and us talk for a bit. Then walk over to the CalTrain station. We miss the train we are aiming for, but the next one is only about 20-30 minutes behind it. The ride up is pleasant, if unhurried. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get to to The City. We are looking for the K-T muni trolley. But we get to tram stop and do not see it. After a few trains, we decide we are at the wrong place-the right one being around a corner. We see the next train will be in about 15. So we duck into the Panera's across the way. Sherri gets a Nutella croissant, while I load a new app-David gave me a Samsung Fit2 for my birthday.

From Corona Heights

We catch the T trolley with time to spare and ride it to the Castro Station. Note to Gary: When getting out of a place, get correctly oriented. Why, you might ask? Well, when we got out the book, it showed that I was going in the wrong direction=only about 20 yards of traveling. We head north on Castro St until we get to the beginning of our walking loop, #19-a different loop than planned.

Beaver St is where we start in. Sort of a lead up for the rest of the day. It is a good uphill which leads us to the first set of stairs. There are not long and are called the DeForest stairs. They pretty much lead us into the Corona Heights Park. After going by some tennis courts, we climb more steps, ascending ever higher into the Park. As we go over, views of the city comes into play. Also these views gives us, particularly me, a chance to catch my breath. We go to the top, well not quite the top, about 15' below it. The top is littered with people, but we are close enough that we are content with going down. Then we descend out of the park on Roosevelt Way. Nice quiet neighborhood. And then we come around to Park Hill Ave which leads us to Buena Vista Ave and the entrance to Buena Vista Park.

Entrance to Buena Vista Park

We leave loop #19 and hop onto loop #30. You can sort of get the idea we are not doing the planned route, but what seems to come to us. There is a grand staircase entrance to this section of the park. We then ascend a path through the park. A few stairs are here, with the final 41 steps leading to a grassy knoll. This is the top of the park, at least what we know of. From here, we catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. Also there is a church with its steeples to the north of us. I do not know what the church is.

Golden Gate Bridge from Buena Vista Park

 

To the top of Buena Vista Park

We enjoy the feel of the grass on top along with the sun shining on us. We decide to have lunch up here. Could stay like this for awhile, but our stairs call us on. We descend to end southwest end of the park, and then cross out of the park. This leads us to a pretty posh neighborhood. The first thing we see is an elegantly dressed up house. We are thinking in a normal season, this house has got to be really nice. But they have gone overboard with decorating for Halloween. Pumpkins are line the area and a Wizard of Oz style witch guards the entrance. That witch scares the bejeebers out of many people when it seems to respond to their movement and words.

Loop #30 makes a quarter mile loop or so around the Ashbury Terrace. On the lower part of the area, there are little steps helping us to climb back up. Along the side of the sidewalk, in the flower beds are little legs sticking up in the area. I guess this area is into Halloween decorations.

Halloween House

 

Legs Planted

When we come out, we are on Buena Vista St where the East meets the West. We headup to Java St and re-entry the Park. Now it is a pleasant walk on a path which goes on the North side of the park. Nothing in particular which stands out, just pleasant enough walking. After awhile, and I feel myself starting to tire a bit, we pop out on the northeast part of the park, where we entered. We walk on Buena Vista East St a block over (in retrospect, if we were really following the book, we would have walked down Duboce, but this is our walk.). There is the Adah Bakalinsky Stairway. Adah Bakalinsky is the one who pretty much figured out where all of the stairways in San Francisco were.

Gary grazing at Delfina's Pizza

When we get down the stairway, we decide that we pretty much had enough stairs for today. But we would like to have something to eat. Sherri and David had talked to about a bakery called Tartine’s, which is a bit more than a mile away. So we head there, going down Castro to the subway station we came in on. Looked like there was preparation for some festivities there. But I suspect this is probably a regular occurance.Then headed east down 16th St. When we got to Guerrero St, we turn right and go for a block. It is sort of obvious where Tartine’s is-there is a line there. We decided that we did not want to wait a half an hour or more, so we went around the corner to Delfina’s Pizza where the place was full, but no line or waiting.

Bicycle Mural

We ordered a prosciutto pie. It came with what you would expect, prosciutto with a white sauce topping. But it felt like one was grazing through the abundance of arugula. Still on the whole, the pie was good and the service was excellent. Of course, one of the waitresses, not ours, kept dropping glassware with the predictable results. As a fringe benefit, there was a bicycle mural right next to the restaurant. Now what could go with a pizza dinner? Oh yes, ice cream. There is a place right across the street with an unpromising name-Bi-Rite Ice Cream. But it has a very promising line. So we joined in the line. The ice cream did not disappoint.

We took our spoons and bowls over to the park across the way and contentedly devoured the ice cream. Then we started heading towards the Church St subway station. You know that comment I had above, about checking direction when you are in a city you are not quite as familiar with? We talked about half a mile, 150’ up a hill before I realized I might be going the wrong way. All which I have to say is, it was an OK view. Down we go, passing Mission Dolores and hitting the station at Church and Market. Down into the bowels of the city we go and take the T train back to the CalTrain station. We got off and onto the CalTrain about five minutes before it left. Good timing. Around 8:30 we made it back to Mountain View and shortly afterwards to bed.

Trail Lesson: It never hurts to check where you are going.

Extra Photo's

Looking east from Corona Height, including across the Bay

Stairs to the top of Buena Vista Park

Golden Gate Bridge

Sherri and Gary in Buena Vista Park

More legs planted

Ice Cream

Sherri and her pizza

October 22, 2019 - Giant Forest

Title: October 22, 2019 - Giant Forest
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons :  Extra Photo's 

Trail head: Giant Forest Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Rimrock Trail. Soldiers Trail, Bear Hill Trail

Destination: Wander around Crescent Meadows

Actual Destination:

Distance:  4.04 miles ¹

Start Time: 12:20

End Time:    5:42

Travel Time:  3:22 (1.20 mph)

Moving Time:  2:33 (1.59 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,147'

Descent: 769‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,808'

GPS Tracks

 ¹GPS went on at Beetle Rock rather than when we started walking. So there is about a quarter mile farther and an unknown amount of elevation change.

Description:

When sequoia giganteas are barely holding their own in a beauty contest with trees turning their autumn colors on, you know it is a splendid day. That is the kind of day it is.

l got up at 7, which is sleeping in for me. We get going around 10am. Our plan is to head to Giant Forest and do something around Crescent Meadows. On the way up, Sherri is interested in her cup of coffee from Clingan’s Junction. Of course, a pastry comes along for the ride. We see Mike coming across the parking lot. Mike lives on the road to Delilah Lookout. We see him on our way out when he is on his bike. We stop and chat for a bit, taking about the Ridge Fire which was a couple of weeks ago. Then it is on to Giant Forest. We get stopped on the General's Highway a couple of times for construction. But make it eventually to Giant Forest.

View south from Beetle Rock

Autumn Colors

When we got to Giant Forest, it looked like there was a sign which said Handicap Only on the road to Crescent Meadows. So we parted in the museum parking lot. What a way to start the day! Sherri found out later that the sign was only for the parking area by the Museum rather than the road. But we were all ready to go, so we decided to make the best of it.

We went about a quarter mile south to Beetle Rock. Now I have never been to Beetle Rock, but I have been fascinated by it since elementary school. As a young kid, my parents would take me to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. I remember one summer, at the evening campfire program, a movie would be shown: One Day at Beetle Rock. I had always envisioned Beetle Rock as a magical place where animals would come out and show themselves, if you would only be patient enough to wait for them to appear. Today, it would be a bit of a hard time to have very many animals appear-there are many people there, taking in the sun and enjoying the view. We stay for about ten minutes before heading out. By the way, there is also a book by the same title.

Path through the forest

Sequoia Grove

We go back to the General’s highway and cross it. This gets us to the Rimrock Trail. Now we have been on part of this trail coming from Crescent Meadow to Moro Rock. But not really on this side for any significant length. Our first impression is that we can have a nice, but not memorable walk-that is except what I memorialize in this blog. We are going through oaks with a few pine and a lot of scrub brush. There are sequoias away from us, but within view. On the other hand, no one is on this trail- nice to be alone, except for a car or two on the road a ways away.

 Well there is a couple which goes by. And another couple goes by when we stop to eat lunch. Where we eat lunch is at the top of a ridge before we head towards Moro Rock. While before there was some signs of leaves turning to their autumn colors, now there is a certain lushness to it which adds to the color. When we descend into a ravine before the Moro Rock ridge, colors start popping. When we ascend out of the ravine, we have a decision-where do we want to go next?

We decided to do the trail which Jeff, Rose, and Betty did with us a couple of years ago. This is the Soldiers Trail. It is starting to get into the mid-afternoon area and even making it to Crescent Meadows would say we would just turn back. Soldiers Trail has us walking about a quarter mile up the road to its start. Sherri did get one classic shot which our daughter said I turned into a meme, whatever that may be.

Gary

Before Soldier Trail, there was enough autumn colors to make it worth while. But now, the forest explodes with yellows, reds and oranges with greens and browns as a backdrop. We meet only a couple of people, who quickly pass us by. Sherri and I are content to wander and enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. A sequoia with most of its base gives an opportunity for Sherri to improve her photographic skills. While a sign saying Broken Arrow leads me on a search for this mystery. We also meet an uphill, while not enormous for Sierra standards, it is enough that I need to stop and rest a few times. The top is, well just the top, not a grand vista. It is signals the time to go down. More colors greets our eyes. 

 

By the time we meet the Bear Hill Trail, I am ready to go on flat ground.for awhile. This trail used to be a road and beyond where we go, I believe it still is a service road to a weather station. But for what we are doing, we follow the trail up and around a ridge. When we get to the top of the ridge, there is a Martian robot waiting for us there. Or is this the Bear Hill weather station (RAWS)? We stop and have the remains of an energy bar. Then we go back a few feet to the trail junction heading us down towards Pinewood Picnic Area and the trail back to the museum. This segment is about a third of a mile line. But it passes through several areas of interest, particularly a massive downed Sequoia. At its end is a bouquet of color. On the upper end, the Park has cut out a passageway for us hikers to go through the log.

Downed Sequoia and Autumn Leaves

One more short trail leads us to the Museum at Giant Forest. Then we cross the General’s Highway and are back at the car. From what started as a disappointing we-are-not-going-where-we-want-to-go, it ended up as an amazing hike full of color and wonder.Then down to Three Rivers we go and dinner at RiverView. Pretty good meal by the Kaweah River. Now what could be better than that? Going to Hanford for a sundae, of course. That tops off the day.

Trail Lesson:  Enjoy what God gives you, even if it is not what you wanted.

Extra Photo's

Sequoia with a burnt out base

Sherri walking Soldiers Trail

Gary feeling small

Gary and Sherri

Sequoia along the Soldiers Trail

Sherri coming up to Bear Hill

Sequoia growing tall

Sunlight and autumn leaves

Our path in sunlight

Walking through the tree