Gary-Summer: February 2021

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

February 24, 2021 - Buena Vista Peak

Title: February 24, 2021 - Buena Vista Peak

Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's

Trail head: Kings Canyon Overlook/Buena Vista Peak Trailhead

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking
Trail: Buena Vista Peak Trail
Destination: Buena Vista Peak
Actual Destination: about 160’ below the peak and 0.6 miles along route
Distance: 1.23 miles
Start Time: 2:21
End Time: 5:04
Travel Time: 2:43 (0.45 mph)
Moving Time: 2:07 (0.58 mph)
Elevation Rise: 351 '
Descent: 324‘
Maximum Elevation: 7,423'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri and I have been out snowshoeing quite a bit this month. Between age and activity, my energy level is down a little bit. So we were not sure what we wanted to do today. Something easy, something relaxing. So we begged off with our hiking buddies, Betty and Rose. Late in the morning, we decided that maybe a hike up Buena Vista Peak might fulfill the need to go out, yet not be terrible energy sapping.

View of Spanish Mtn from Kings Canyon Overlook

This trip was a good reminder of several things. A couple of these are:

Be prepared for conditions which you might not expect
Check your equipment before you leave
Conditions close by may be different than what you encounter, particularly in the Sierra.

Buena Vista Peak Trailhead

A contributing factor is that I had heard that there was barely a covering of snow on a trail close by. The person whom I heard it from did not need snow equipment on his trip, so I figured we would not our snowshoes. I should have figured there is a significant difference: my friend is like Legolas and I am more like Boromir. If you do not know what I am talking about, look at the Lord of the Rings. He could fly across the top of snow and I would sink.

Looking up to Buena Vista Peak

Enough of the preamble. We did not leave our house until after lunch, around 1pm. During the Summer, this is not a problem. We got to Big Stump, used the facility and noted how packed and slick the snow with. So we continued on to the General’s Highway. Quail Flat

Sherri hiking on snow

looked pretty appropriate for snowshoeing, not hiking. We went on to the Kings Canyon Overlook. While the snow going up to Buena Vista Peak looked constant, it looked pretty solid, with tracks left by others.

By the time we got everything ready-basically putting on our boots, it was 2:15. Good thing Buena Vista Peak is only a two mile round trip. We start walking up the already trod snow. Not bad, just a bit choppy. Once we get about a tenth of a mile in, I start to occasionally sink when there is a soft spot. But at least it gives tracks for Sherri to follow. I recognize some of the places where we have walked before, but the tracks go off on a different route, but in mostly the same direction. We follow the tracks..

Path going steeply up

My walking gets to be pretty tentative, having to test each step. Still, it is a good day. As we go along, we watch clouds starting to swirl a ways to the west. No rain or snow is in the forecast, still if these clouds move in, it will get cold.

We get to a place I recognize as a place where the trail has a lot of scree. Not today-just steep snow. I cut steps with my boots for Sherri to follow. This seems to work. The slope is only about 20-25’ tall, still steep enough. After this, a few more postholing.

Traditional Gary and Sherri Picture

The path seems to go straight up the slope-I am pretty sure the trail dips and goes around the backside. It looks easier to go up the path, so up we go. Not bad. It is steep and I am glad it is not icy, still there is the concern about slipping, also about going down. When we get to the top of this rise, I look at the time. It is my turn around time-probably a bit after it. Talking about being an exercise in futility. Now how to get down? The snow is softer on the side, so we go down that way. We take our time, picking our way down this slope.

Ridge we are walking down

About halfway down, there are a few footprints going about 30 yards over to the top of the ridge, even with us. We go that way, so we can look down into Redwood Canyon. But there is one problem. You know those clouds I talked about earlier? They now are engulfing Redwood Mountain and down into the canyon.

Mists starting to come in

We walk down the ridge, following some tracks. There is now mist drifting towards us and crossing our ridge. Not enough to make navigation a consideration, but enough to bring down the temperature. There is mostly soft snow with an occasional foot and a half plunge through a bush hole. We are moving a bit slower than I thought we would. But we are doing it safely. We spot a familiar rock. This is the one Sherri has on her Zoom background. We have to get some pictures of it.

Sherri's Zoom Rock

From here it is another eighth of a mile walk down to the trailhead. Then across the highway and to the car at the Overlook. It definitely took longer to get back than I thought it would. Still enjoyable. On our way down to Fresno, we have Steven order out. Turns out we have a Habit Burger meal. We get home at 6:30, just in time to get on our family’s Zoom call.

Trail Lesson: Be prepared for conditions which you might not expect.

Extra Photo's

Looking up the hill

Clouds

A Trail Runs Through It

Looking at the Ridge above Rabbit Meadow

Clouds

Buck Rock

Sherri coming down the steep slope

Sherri snow hiking along ridge

Gary and Sherri

Looking across Kings Canyon

Sherri's Rock

Sun and clouds

Blazing Sun

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

February 17, 2021 - Meadow Trail

Title: February 17, 2021 - Meadow Trail
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Trail head: Tamarack SnoPark

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing
Trail: Meadow Trail, Rock Creek Road (Road 9)
Destination: No set destination
Distance: 4.34 miles ¹
Start Time: 9:55
End Time: 3:15

Elevation Rise: 423'
Descent: 423‘
Maximum Elevation: 7,584'
GPS Tracks

Candance Gregory's Route in Blue, Ours in Red

¹Above is the data from a Google Earth track I manually created. If you look at the two maps, I think the one on the left is more accurate concerning the route we took. I have misplaced my GPS. Above is from a manual set of tracks Note: Rose’s InReach has us going 4.5 miles while her phone app has us at 4.9 miles.

Description:

Our second snowshoe walk this year with Rose and Betty-the first was last week. This is getting to be habit-forming, a good habit. We are going up towards Tamarack Ridge, or if it looks too chopped up, maybe over to the Coyote SnoPlay area. I have seen a route which Candace Gregory did which looked impressive. If no one else has any ideas, maybe we can do that one.

Start of Trail

Sherri and I leave our house at 8:25, a few minutes later than expected. So we got to Prather a few minutes later than expected. We meet up with Betty and Rose there and then head off to Tamarack Ridge. This is the first time we have been through the area of the Creek Fire. There is a sense of sorrow as we get past Mountain Rest and then Cressmans. The hills are scorched bare. It is like that until we start to get to Shaver Lake. It is both a miracle and skill which saved that town.

We are the first ones at Tamarack Ridge. The trail does not look like it is chopped up by snowmobilers so we decide this is where we will go today. But where? Nobody has a good idea, but I have maps on my phone.so I will try to figure out what to do. As we leave, a couple more cars pull up.

We set off on the Rock Creek Road. The morning is cold. Driving in the car temperature measured 35-37^o .It has been packed by snowmobilers. I make a comment to Betty that we had better not fall as it will hurt. But the good part about being packed is that it gives us a chance to loosen up quickly and move easily.

Nice Clean Snow

We get to a junction about a quarter mile in with trails going everywhere. I pick a trail without snowmobile tracks called the Meadow Trail. There is a set of cross-country ski tracks and that is it. The others are in agreement, well at least are not against going this way. So off we go.Turns out this is not Candance Gregory’s trail.

I am in the lead, breaking snow. Seems appropriate since I am the heaviest and biggest. The first part of the trail is not bad. I stay to the side of the ski tracks for the most part.The snow is a bit crusty, but most of the time holds up under my weight. But after a while, I am sinking about ¾ of a foot or more. This is harder work. We are passing through trees. It is refreshing being amongst these trees.

Our group following the tracks

We go along for aways, just enjoying each other’s company, the trees, snow and blue sky. Even though it is cold, we have gotten our warm layers off and feeling better for it. The tracks we are following are making a wide bend, going down some more (I really felt we were going up, but that does not jive with reality.). I ask the ladies about going up the ridge, maybe we will see something. They said they would follow me. Ordinarily I would give a caveat warning about not knowing what we will find or what kinds of terrain we will encounter. But these ladies have followed me before. Sometimes to places wonderful, other times I am glad they did not have a knife in their hands.

Lunch Rock

Something about going across virgin snow makes it seem like nobody else has ever been here before. So wonderful, so peaceful, only the sounds we make, with an occasional sound from a bird. We go up a knoll and then find that a small creek is there. Rather than dip into the creek, I begin looking for a place across it. I do not think there is water, but neither am I sure. After being like Billy on the Family Circus, I finally found a place to cross over. At least coming back, I just need to follow my prints to find this place.

Billy from the Family Circus = sort of like my route on this trip

Betty

A bit more walking and another creek. These two creek crossings will help me to orient where we are later when we stop for lunch. As we climb out of the second creek, there is a nice long bit of unbroken snow leading up to a rock at the top of a mound. Sounds like a good spot for lunch. There may even be a good viewing place there. It still takes 15 minutes to get up there, but it is not bad to climb.

Gary, playing Kings of the Mound

We climb to the top of the mound, to the rock-I have christen it in my mind, The Lunch Rock. Snow is on it, but I scrape away the snow. There is at least enough room for three of us. But Rose has her own pad, so does Betty. So Sherri and I sit on my coat. To the north-northeast we can see Kaiser Peak. Below that there is a cloud of warm moisture rising from Huntington Lake-we cannot see the lake. An unidentified peak is to the west of Kaiser-still do not know what it is. To the east is another peak. I guessed it might be Red’s Mountain-I confirm this when we get home.

In looking at the map, I figure out where the two creeks we crossed and where our rock is. I mention that Road 9 (Rock Creek Road) is just a hundred yards to our west. And then I look over and see it. We now discuss what we want to do. We decided to go down to the road and travel on it for awhile.

Once we get to the road-pretty easy, we cross it and follow a snowmobile track up a mound. Once at the top, where do we go now? I think I must be feeling a bit tired as I am not interested in following the track to wherever it might go. So we go back down to the road. We follow it for further until we get to a long straight away. It is my turn around time. But there is that peak again. I am still trying to work out what it is. Chinese Peak I think is further north, so I am still thinking it is Red’s Mountain.

Rose

Coming back we follow the road back to where we first met it from Lunch Rock. Once again the decision is mine about which way to go-up the road or follow our tracks. It seems a shame to have made these tracks and not use them again, so I follow them. We circle Lunch Rock and pick up the tracks on the other side. Now it is downhill, back to the creeks. No problem following the tracks here.

And now we are back to the Meadow Trail. Should be easy right? As we go along, I notice I am slowing down more and more. Yep, this old horse is getting a bit tired. And then I notice that it looks like we are going uphill. But didn’t we go uphill to get here? How could we be going uphill both ways. Sigh, my mind seems like it is getting feeble. Sherri gives me a drink of her energy brew. Not sure it helps, I wonder if the psychology can work in reverse. You know, if you think it will help it will. In this case, I am wondering if it actually will help and I do not feel a boost from it.

Either way, we make it back to the Rock Creek Road junction. Now it is a lot easier on a packed surface. We hear a lot more voices than this morning. As we approach the parking lot, it is full. Glad we arrived this morning when we did. None of us seem to be in a big rush to leave. Each of us find a reason to doddle. But eventually we all take off. Sherri and I make it home by 5:15, grabbing a Habit Burger for dinner. Then we got on Zoom for our Wednesday family call. A good day.