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