November 26, 2022 - Hitchcock Meadows

 

Title: November 26, 2022 - Hitchcock Meadows
Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Big Stump Parking Lot

Trail: Hitchcock Meadow Trail, Sunset Trail

Destination: Hitchcock Meadow

Actual Destination:  Beyond to a ridge above Sequoia Creek

Distance:  2.53 miles

Start Time:  9:55

End Time:    1:10

Travel Time: 3:14  (0.78 mph)

Moving Time:  2:25  (1.05 mph)

Elevation Rise:  516'

Descent: 500‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,349'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Carol, Emily and Sherri on trail

In October I was talking with Carol at a potluck. She mentioned she and Emily liked to go for a hike around Thanksgiving day. I indicated I would like to tag along. When Sherri talked with her in November, they planned to go out on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We went to Hitchcock Meadow in September. Evidently this trip stuck with Sherri,because that is where the women planned on going

 

 

 

 

 

 

More of Emily, Carol and Sherri

Sherri and I left our house at 8 and picked up Emily and Carol about 8:30. Then it is off to Big Stump. I asked if anybody wanted to stop at Clingman’s Junction for coffee. Evidently that was not a winner of a suggestion. But right after we pass by, I see Micah running along 180. Micah is one of our fellow fire lookouts.

 Surprisingly the Big Stump Parking Lott is not very full. But there is something which I did not think about: snow covers our trail. I asked if anybody is concerned about this? Not unless the snow is deep. I love these women! We get ready and start walking a few minutes before 10.

Our first obstacle is right after we leave the parking lot. The trail drops by ten feet on very packed snow/ice, making things potentially slippery. We all make it down and start our walk. I am not sure why, but I start us off down the trail. It is relatively easy to see where we are going-people have already trampled down the trail. The operative word here is down. The trail leads us down. We stop occasionally just to admire what we are walking through. Big Stump does not have a monopoly on large stumps. We pass by some, too many when you consider how majestic they must have been 150 years ago.

Gary and Emily

I do watch my step. Even though the footing is solid I know it would be easy to slip. We come to Hitchcock Meadow, which is also covered by snow. There is a sense of plainness to this view, which is also pleasant to the eye. There is a pool and a stump, along with a few Sequoias scattered around. We gaze at this view for a while before deciding what to do next. We have three choices. First, just go back to the car. Second, continue on with this trail, and lastly cross the meadow and pick up the Forest Service road on the other side of the meadow. We decided to continue on this trail since we are energetic.

 

 

Bearing Sign

This is the Sunset Trail and eventually it would end up at Grant Grove. I do not think we will be traveling that far today. But the sun is out, the trail is obvious and the company is enjoyable-at least I enjoy them.

 

 

Reflection in pool: Hitchcock Mdw

We follow the trail, sometimes snow covered, other times we walk on bare ground. The trail rolls along with the terrain. One of our stops is a trail back up to the General’s Highway. It will meet with a road to the Needle Dump and then continue up to Park Ridge as the Azalea Trail. A fragrant trail in late June, early July.

When we stop for a few minutes, we spot a sign in the distance. Too far away to read, but too close to ignore.I satisfy my curiosity by taking off to figure out why they posted this sign so far off the trail. What does the sign say? Do not disturb the bearing tree I look around, wondering what they were taking a bearing off of. And there it is, about 20 yards away. What is it? Just an old style legal marking. I go around and meet the trail up there.

On our return

After circling around and meeting the trail, I consult with my fellow travelers. I saw a rock outcropping along the ridge we are on. Looks like a good place to eat lunch. From here, we can look west and northward. It is a good view. We see where the trail would descend down into Sequoia Creek and Ella Falls, but we do not see the water from the creek, nor the white tumbling of foam from a fall.

After a satisfying lunch break, we decided to head back. It is pretty much the same going as well as coming. I can tell my boots are getting a bit old, and maybe I am as well. I can definitely feel the cold of the snow and am wondering if the wetness from the snow is seeping through-it wasn’t, at least when we got back to the car my socks were dry.

We stopped by Hitchcock Meadow. I noticed the pool was very reflective. I tried to get some reflections of a big stump and some Sequoias. I was only moderately successful.

And then it was back to the car. An enjoyable hike with enjoyable people, even though there was more snow on the ground than what I expected. I am glad we came up today, even though it meant a day away from slaving away on our front yard. We dropped Carol and Emily off and made it home a little after 3.

  Extra Photo's

Hitchcock Meadow

Hitchcock Meadow

Interesting Sequoia

Gawking at the Interesting Sequoia

One of the many stumps in the area

Eye candy for our lunch time

Returning to the car: Gary, Emily, and Carol

Sherri and Carol

Sherri

Gary

Our trail down to Hitchcock Meadow

Nice looking Sequoia

November 24. 2022 - Miami Mountain Trail

 

Title: November 24. 2022 - Miami Mountain Trail

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Miami Creek OHV Area - Lone Sequoia Entrance

Trail: 21E244A, 23E244, 21E245, 4S04, and 21E243

Destination: None

Distance:  3.71 miles 

Start Time: 1:20

End Time:  4:18

Travel Time:  2:57  (1.26 mph)

Moving Time: 2:13   (1.67 mph)

Elevation Rise:  523'

Descent: 553‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,826'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today is Thanksgiving. Both of our daughters and their boyfriends could not make it to be with us-or is it we could not arrange to be with them? Either way, we will miss them. But we have Steven.

Steven completing the Turkey Trot

Speaking of Steven, his day started at 8am at Woodward Park to run in the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. I accompanied him, rooting him on and taking a few pictures along the way. We saw a couple of our friends named Doug there as well. Steven looked pretty good at the finish.

Sherri had made German pancakes which she and Steven ate-I already had eaten breakfast. We were a bit lackadaisical in getting ready to go on a hike. today. So we did not leave until just before noon. But the only effect is how long we will be able to hike as we are only going just a ways above Oakhurst. It takes a bit more than an hour to get to the trail head.

 

 

Start of our hike

Miami Mountain Trail is not really a hiking trail and is different from going up to Miami Lookout.. This is an area for off road vehicles, such as motorcycles or OHV type vehicles. We are the only ones in the parking area, so we are not too concerned. There are several choices, three of them are roads, one of them is a wide trail. That is the one we take. The actual trail name is 6S244, It looks more like something which a motorcycle might use than a hiker, but the trail is only moderate in places, is wide and pretty even.

 

 

We go along and it is a pleasant walk. Some of the trail has us going through overhanging trees, giving the feeling of going through a series of arches. And then we open up into views to the south towards Miami Mountain itself. Or looking east, we can see some of the area which Nelder Grove is in. I think we see the Grandfather Tree up on a ridge.

We are glad we are walking it today when the temperature is reasonable. I think that on a summer day, even in the morning, this trail would be really warm and unpleasant.

There are several offshooting trails. One goes up to a road which we will return on. But another one would eventually take you to a campground with an intriguing name: Lone Sequoia. In several of the places which we could lookout over, I was trying to spot this tree, but was not successful-from a description of the area, it is not large, yet. After passing by this trail, we head up to a road which has been parrelling us. While most of the trail has been moderate at worse, this little segment is pretty steep, but doable.

Possible Grandfather Tree

Shortly after getting on the road, three off-road vehicles come by us-they are courteous, not raising a whole bunch of dust and acknowledging our presence. A short distance later, Steven finds a place to sit down and eat.

Miami Mountain Lookout

As we finish lunch, our OHV’s pass by again. We are then off, going further down the road. When we round a corner, I lookup and see a picket fence. A hiking friend of ours had told me about a cemetery around here several years ago. I believe I found the Westfall Burial Grounds. Looks like there are two men buried here: John Ruffin O’Neal and John LaTouche.Evidently they both got killed, at different times, when trees fell on them. See the Sierra News Online article by Candace Gregory for a fuller writeup.

Sherri at lunch with Korra

And on we went. We come to a sheltered spot with snow around the road and a bit of icy, packed snow on the road. Korra is in her element now. We continue on in awe of what we see of the Autumn coloring interspersed with the greens of the conifer forest. It is getting close to 3pm and we hear the sound of an alert dog. Soon we came to the part of the road which runs through private property. We could go on, but the time says we should turn back so we are not walking in the dark.

Much of the road looks about the same. But there are a few things which I observe a bit more. One of them being Silver Knob. There has been a time or two I have heard this on the lookout radio and now it is here on the other side of the creek. It is an interesting looking mound, but not particularly beautiful. I am glad to have gotten a decent photo of it.

Autumn Leaves

Gary walking through mud

We decided to take the road all the way back in rather than backtrack down the trail. The road is a bit smoother and gentler than the trail, so it meets our Thanksgiving stroll criteria. A couple of vehicles, regular vehicles, pass us by. We get opportunities to look down into the Miami Creek drainage. Lots of trees, a pleasant afternoon view. When we get closer to Highway 41, we start to hear the traffic, But before we hit it, we go down a motorcycle trail. Evidently it is well used and it is pretty muddy. Snow covers parts of it and where the snow has melted, there are pools of water. We get down OK to the car.

I drive back to Fresno, stopping in Oakhurst at Carl’s Jr, our favorite go to spot when we do not know where else to eat at. And then it is back to Fresno. We get home in time to shower and watch Jeopardy.

Extra Photo's

Sherri hiking through mud

Sherri on the road

Korra and her snow

Autumn Leaves

Autumn Leaves

Gary coming down from Westfall Burial Grounds

Log crossing, Sherri style

Korra being cool, waiting for us

On the trail through the trees

Steven at start of run

Autumn Leaves and Steven

Looking southeast

Forest and result of a fire

Silver Knob

November 4, 2022 - Lewis Creek Trail

 

Title: November 4, 2022 - Lewis Creek Trail

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's :  Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Highway 41 turnout

Trail: Lewis Creek

Destination: Red Rock Falls

Distance:  3.28 miles 1

Start Time:  2:00

End Time:   5:00

Elevation Rise:  696'

Descent: 696‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,213'

 ¹A GPS was not taken on this hike. Data is from plotting the trail on Google Earth.

Description:

Gary

With all of my working in the front yard, I am trying to get out and do something I really enjoy, such as hiking or being in a fire lookout. So today, we are going to go on a hike. The “we” is Sherri, Steven, Korra and myself.

But first there are a few things. I get up at my normal time and do the normal stuff: have my quiet time, read, and do the lookout lightning report. I also spend about an hour digging up a pathway in the front yard. And then there is the OSHER Book Club. We discussed Marie Benedict’s

Sherri

The Personal Librarian. It is a book which holds your interest, a fictionalized telling of JP Morgan’s librarian Belle Greene. I think her life is interesting enough without having to resort to fiction.

It is after 11 when my book club finishes. I hunt around and find Sherri and Steven out in the back garden. We have lunch before we go. So it is approaching 1 before we leave for Lewis Creek. Steven is driving, which is good as I want to rest for a bit. We get there about 2pm with a few minutes to get our boots on.

 

 

Steven

This is a trail we have been on many times, particularly in the Fall. Most of the leaves are still green and on the trees. It seems like the last time I crossed Lewis Creek, I had to pick my way across the water. There is a new bridge across the creek.

The air is cool, but pleasant for hiking. Steven and Korra take off as befitting their youth. Sherri and I lag behind, strolling along. enjoying the air and the walk. A couple from out of state stops and talks with us for a while. We give them some tips about what to see. I can tell I have not been on a trail in a while. I have been working hard physically, but not the muscles which are used for hiking. So by the time we reach Red Rock Falls, I am ready to rest.

 

 

 

Korra

There are plenty of reasons to stop at Red Rock. I will say that today, the Falls are rather anemic. But that is to be expected this time of year, particularly with as little rain we had last year. Still it is a good place to stop and have a snack. Food revives our energy levels.

So off we go back to the car. Not much happens. Even though there are a few cut rounds of logs which we lust after, but which are much too heavy to lug back to the car. We stopped at a new place, North Fork BBQ. Sherri and Steven order and I wait in the car with Korra until it comes. Korra only gets to rest about 15 minutes while I am away. The food is good. We will probably add it to our list of places. By the time we get back to Fresno, it is dark. The shower still feels good.

Extra Photo's

Lewis Creek

 
Flowers and Plants