Gary-Summer: December 2021

Saturday, December 18, 2021

December 18, 2021 - Snowshoeing Princess Campground, Indian Basin Grove Trail

Title: December 18, 2021 - Snowshoeing Princess Campground, Indian Basin Grove Trail
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshowing
Trail head: Entrance to Princess Campground
Trail: Indian Basin Grove Trail
Destination: Loop
Distance: 1.65 miles ¹

Start Time: After 1pm
End Time: Before 4pm
Elevation Rise: 226'
Descent: 226‘
Maximum Elevation: 5,947'
GPS Tracks

¹My GPS recorded, but not the tracks. The above is from a guess on our travels with Google Earth.
It really did seem further. And maybe it was as various guides put the trail as being 1.4 or 1.5 miles
(one says 2 miles), and this is from the trailhead and not the road like we did.

Description:

Korra and the camp gate

I woke up early, really early, like 5:45. This was not planned for. But it still allowed me to get various things ready and made for a relaxed morning. We were not going to leave early as Kings Canyon NP was reporting snow and ice on the roads. I would like to give the ice a bit of a chance to melt before we get there.

Sherri, Steven and Gary at lunch

A little after 11, Steven, Korra, Sherri and I piled into the car and we started on our journey. In the Central Valley, we have a thick layer of low lying clouds blocking the sun. The temperature is in the low 40’s and probably not going to get much higher. But when passing through Dunlap, we break through the clouds into the bright sunlight. At one point the car’s thermometer says it is 50 degrees. Seems like it will be a good day.

The Indian Basin Grove Trail

The road has only small patches of snow on it, so we can have a pretty good time. We get to the closed entrance to Princess Campground. We park here. By the time we got all ready-Korra was ready from the moment we stopped, it was a little after 1. The first part of our trip is down the snow covered entrance road and then the road to the trailhead.

Bridge over an unnamed creek

By this time, it is 1:30. We should have had lunch. There are some picnic tables, albeit, covered with snow. Steven clears off the bench part and we cover them with rain jackets and sit for lunch.

The paved part of the path-it is covered by snow-leads out from our lunch spot. It is easy to follow. I comment that I can read the snow better than I can the canyon washes of Death Valley. Indian Basin Grove Trail is a pretty easy walk. Mostly flat with some easy grades. That is good as this is our first time out this season. Even walking in got us breathing pretty good. The snow is starting to be a bit crusty. Sometimes we walk on top, but mostly we break through. During this part I am breaking snow. The top crusts break apart and have jagged,m hard edges which scrape against my legs, sometimes on the verge of tripping me.On the other hand, Korra is in her element. She bounds around, leaping up the trail, snooping at the base of trees, most of the time floating on top of the crusty snow; other times sinking to her belly. If dogs could smile, I would say she had a wide grin.

Steam and sawed Sequoias

Still the scenery is fabulous. During the summertime, there is this long, wide meadow with Indian Creek running through it. But now with snow, it is a flat blanket of white. But beyond this, in between trees we can see a few mountains on both sides of the Kings. Just spectacular. Also the Indian Basin Grove Trail is an interpretive trail. There are signs every so often which explain various facets of the area. Most of the signs are covered with snow, but we wipe away this covering to read about the flora and fauna of the area. This includes the Sequoias which used to be numerous in the area, but now are stumps. One sign points out some young Sequoias, about a hundred years old. Two signs which draw our attention are about Converse and Hoist.

Aspen in the meadow

Another sign talks about having a cabin at the edge of the meadow and the view they had. Of course, the sign only talks about the now. I suspect that in the person’s day, there would have been logged activity right in front of them. They may not have admired the sight, but more computed how many more logs they had to cut to make a profit.

Steven

Korra

We briefly lose the trail, not because of being lost, but see one of the numerous benches along the way. Evidently the trail curled around the low lying ridge we are on. This is our signal to start heading back. Steven is once again breaking snow. We shortly come up to a forest service gate and wonder, where did we lose “our” trail? It almost looks like a road now. Checking the Forest Service map, there is no road here. So we backtrack about 50 yards and see where the trail goes off.

The rest of the trail back to the trailhead is in the shade of a pretty forested area. A few “young” Sequoias, but mostly pines, cedars and some broadleaf. There is a sign which describes the change of environs from the time when the area was lumbered till now. Someplace in this section, we cut another corner, but rejoined the trail a couple hundred yards from the trailhead.

Once back at the trailhead, our route back is much easier-no breaking snow, just follow our tracks in. Korra must have had one too many times on the coarse top snow as we see dabs of blood in her tracks. But she does not seem to care. But she is getting a bit tired, aren’t we all?

We got back to the car a bit before 4pm. Some kids are playing on sleds. As we pack up, so do they. Evidently they had gone into the meadow and one of the kids fell into Indian Creek. Wet, cold with a bit of embarrassment, but no damage. When we leave, Steven notices something flying off the car-my gloves. We go back and retrieve them. Steven drives us home.But, we stop briefly at the McGee Overlook-there is a blanket of clouds below us in the valley.We decided to have burgers from Habit close to us. A bit tired, but glad for the day. I think Indian Basin Grove Trail will be put on my list of snowshoeing trails.

Extra Photo's

We are on the right track

Fallen and sawn Sequoias

Bridge across an unknown creek

Steven, Gary, Sherri

Ice on grass

Indian Basin Meadow

Indian Basin Meadow, looking south

Sequoia Stump

Abbott Creek drainage

Delilah Lookout

Thursday, December 2, 2021

December 2, 2021 - Park Ridge Trail

Title: December 2, 2021 - Park Ridge Trail
Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's

Trail head: Panoramic Point

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Park Ridge Trail

Destination: Park Ridge Lookout

Distance: 5.62 miles

Start Time: 12:35

End Time: 4:54

Travel Time: 4:19 (1.30 mph)

Moving Time: 2:55 (1.93 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,145'

Descent: 1,130‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,748'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today will be the first time back at Park Ridge Lookout since July. Since then the Lookout came close to burning down during the KNP Complex fire. So we are looking forward to seeing the lookout which we first got involved with being a volunteer with the Buck Rock Foundation. After it became evident that the Lookout was safe, some discussion was made about celebrating it. I think there was a facetious comment about decorating Lookout’s tree. Along the way, we meet with a surprise or two.

I get up at 7am. But we do not leave until 11. Sherri is driving, so I am reading Mark Arax’s book West of the West. I only get through a few pages when we reach the foothills when I put down my reading material. We enter Kings Canyon, going through Grant Grove all the way up to Panoramic Point. We get there by 12:20. Once our boots are on, packs on the back and the restroom properly visited, we are off by 12:45.

Our first stop is Panoramic Point itself, only a couple hundred yards away but on a pretty good uphill. There are two German tourists already there. They are enjoying the clear view from this perch. And so do we. It is as clear as I have seen it in the past five years. To the east is Buck Rock, clearly visible. Then to the north we can see Mt Goddard and beyond. looks like even into the Evolution Basin area as Mt Mendel is peaking through.

View from Panoramic Point

Downed trees along the trail

And then we start our hike in seriousness. The first part up to the Point can be the most strenuous, just because it is right out of the chute. Most of the rest of the trail follows the ridge-sometimes on top, sometimes on the eastern side, sometimes on the western. The trail goes in and out of trees. There are times the views are gorgeous and then other times, they play hide-and-seek with us as the trees There are a few short climbs followed by nice level walks. Then it descends into areas between two knolls. There are many trees down-I would assume they came down since September, but I do not know.

Buck Rock

Smoke in Redwood Canyon

Some of the trees hides the viewing places, I look towards Redwood Canyon. Is that smoke? Or is it snow caught in a gully on the side of the ridge Big Baldy is on? We travel on with an eye towards that canyon. When we get to a bit clearer space, we were able to confirm that it was a smoke. It is in the footprint of the KNP Complex. Does the Park want to know about flare-ups? So being good little fire lookout volunteers, we try to get ahold of someone. We tried Ash Mountain Fire-no Verizon service. Ditto with Park Dispatch’s phone number. Then on down the list of Buck Rock-all are not answering their phones. I even try our little low-powered radio-nobody is answering. I see I have the number for the Grant Grove Visitor Center. Leah said that they knew about it.

Gary approaching Park Ridge Lookout

With that, we kept going to the Lookout. Along the ridge we would have a better view than at the lookout, unless we could get up onto the catwalk, but that should be locked. We do stop for lunch at the junction with the Azalea Trail-it is about 2pm.Then on we go. There is a climb on the other side of the junction and then down into a saddle before the lookout itself. And then we see the sight we feared we would not see again, Park Ridge Lookout.

Outhouse and Big Baldy

First thing we do. Opps, first thing is interrupted-Wendy is responding. We talk-the catwalk may be open, at least last week it was. She also sends a picture of a smoke and wonders if this is what I am seeing? No. Looks like this one is to the northeast of Redwood Mountain. Sherri finds that the trap door to the catwalk is locked. In keeping with our somewhat jocular notions, she starts to put up Christmas ornaments. I go and try to find Wendy’s smoke. By going behind the telecom buildings, I can find an opening in the trees and see the smoke-not a nice column like Wendy’s picture, but it seems like it is in the right spot.

Burnt area to the west of Redwood Mountain

When I come back, Sherri has most of the ornaments up. So we go around, take pictures and just enjoy the thought that Park Ridge Lookout will survive another Christmas. Even the old, unused outhouse survived-burn marks all around it. Sherri takes down the ornament, and I go back up and see if there is anymore smoke activity. In some ways this illustrates the differences between Sherri and I. She enjoys the preparation and the celebration, while I get my kicks from being part of something-even if it is only in my head.

Ornaments at Park Ridge

I get to bug Wendy a couple more times. Sherri spotted smoke on the way over, to the west of us. At first, we were thinking: Needle Dump-an area where the Park and Wilsonia burn the small green debris. But as we travel around, I get to thinking this is not where the Needle Dump is. I realize it is closer to Lake Sequoia. Wendy notes that burning is permissible. A few steps later we are seeing across the Kings and there is a large plume beyond Patterson Bluffs, maybe Blue Canyon. They seem to have a lot of prescribed burns there.

We walked back on the service road to the car. This is the service road we drive when we staff Park Ridge Lookout. The first part as we come out is on the east side of the ridge. We spot snow in some of the now dried up meadow areas. Then at the trail junction, we pop out onto the west side. This coincides with the sun lowering in the western skies. We are treated to a sunset with layers of clouds creating a sky of glory.

Not only are the skies golden, but it filters through to the plants we walk beside. The now discolored stocks gain a new glow to themselves. We bask in this as we come to our car. It is fitting that as we prepare to leave, the skies turn from golden to purple inviting us to return back home.

On the way back home, Sherri and I talk about the innocent who are in prison. We go back and forth between the assertion that the innocent should not be in jail and what the process should be to reverse a decision of the courts that these people are guilty. There is no conclusion.and we wear out the conversation by the time we get back to our house around 6:30. We have a dinner at home of tamales given to us by our friends, Cathey and John. A good day.

Background

Redwood canyon

Redwood Canyon

I know we saw at least four smokes and maybe five of them. Here is the list:

Upper Redwood Canyon
Smoke below Big Baldy Trail

A second one is a possibility up on the ridge below the Big Baldy Trail. It may be the smoke from Redwood Canyon

Smoke beyond Patterson Bluffs
Northeast of Redwood Mountain. This is the one Wendy’s picture showed. This picture was taken by the NPS helicopter flying reconnaissance. Later I saw the NPS Facebook post with this picture.
Burning of forest material by Sequoia Lake
Possible prescribed burn in the Blue Canyon area.