Gary-Summer: November 2023

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

November 29, 2023 - Azalea Trail

Title: November 29, 2023 - Azalea Trail

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

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Highway 180

Trail: Azalea Trail, Park Ridge Trail

Destination: Park Ridge Lookout

Distance: 5.32 miles

Start Time: 10:20

End Time: 3:04

Travel Time: 4:44 (1.12 mph)

Moving Time: 3:34 (1.49 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,396'

Descent: 1,428‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,559'

GPS Tracks

Description:

All the leaves are brown, And the sky is grey

I've been for a walk, On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm, If I was in L.A.

California dreamin', On such a winter's day^*

Gary at the start

On our hike, the sky was grey and the leaves were brown. But we hiked the Azalea Trail here in California in the Fall and I definitely was not thinking of being in LA. But the song seemed to fit the environment of our walk. It was a cold and somewhat windy day.

We were to get an early start, but I did not get up until after 7 and Sherri sometime after me. We still left Fresno around 8:40. We did stop at Clingnan’s Junction for coffee for Sherri along with a chocolate chip scone-which I had a few bits of. This is a good place to get coffee, evidently. We made it into the park, stopping at Big Stump before parking at the South Boundary Trail trailhead-not that we are doing this trail. The Azalea Trail starts right across Highway 180 from it.

I was up the Azalea Trail

Sherri crossing Sequoia Creek

last July when all was green and starting to be fragrant from the Azalea flowers. Today life along the trail is preparing for Winter and going dormant. The ferns and Azaleas have either gone brown or lost their leaves. The air is crisp with not much opportunity for going in a T-Shift.

But the climb up the side of Park Ridge provides enough warmth to keep up comfortable, at least warmth-wise. Leg and lung-wise, not so much. This is a pretty good uphill, about 800’ to the top of the ridge. About half way up, Sherri is ready for lunch, but when informed it is not even 11, she settles for a fig newton. Still, we make it up to the Park Ridge Trail a little after noon. There we have our lunch, resting a bit.

Buck Rock

When asked if she wanted to continue on the Park Ridge Lookout, the answer was “You Bet!” or something which means that. So on we go. We take the trail up and over a couple of knolls. From there we spot both Buck Rock Lookout and Delilah Lookout. What is a hike in this area without looking for these two friends?

As we got closer to the Park Ridge Lookout, I saw smoke coming up towards the west of us. When I pointed it out to Sherri, she exclaimed, Needle Dump! Yep, that explains why the gate is open where we parked.

Delilah in the center

Needle Dump Smoke

A few minutes later, we got to our lookout. Pictures and rest are warranted. Sherri sings O Tannenbaum to the Park Ridge Lookout Christmas Tree. We did not bring ornaments this year-I must be aging. Maybe next year. I text Wendy, my lookout lead at Park Ridge. Not sure how impressed she was, but she noted about the Needle Dump smoke, once a lookout, always a lookout.

After getting rested up, we head back via the service road to the saddle. The road is not the most adventuresome or picturesque, but there is a certain quietness I feel walking this way. The trail on top of the ridge has a sense of lightness with minimal tree covering. Just a couple hundred feet below it, there is a good forest covering. This heaviness may also be due to it being noticeably cooler now than an hour ago, not to mention the cloud cover is darkening.

Gary approaching the lookout

We made it to the saddle without any drops falling on us. As we descend the Azalea Trail, our legs lighten up and so does the cloud cover. We made good time without too many issues. This gets us down to the car by 3:00pm. The gate is still open-I wonder if they are still burning.

Sherri an d the Christmas Tree

We decided to visit the Visitor Center at Grant Grove. I talk with the rangers there while Sherri wanders through the gift shop. They seem bored, like I may have been the only visitor to talk with them in the last hour. So I ask some questions about accessibility of various spots. They indicate the accessibility of both Cedar Grove and Redwood Canyon may or may not be open next season.

Clouds Rolling in at the Lookout

We head on back to Fresno, stopping at Bear Mountain Pizza for, what else, pizza! Tasted good. Not sure if it was hunger or edibility, but I will take either. We get back home around 5:45.

Background

*Mama’s and the Papa’s,California Dreaming

Extra Photo's

Sherri coming down the trail

Almost to the lookout

On the way up

Snow from two weeks ago

Gary at our lunch stop

Flowers and Plants

Sugar Pine

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

November 21, 2023 - Pincushion

Title: November 21, 2023 - Pincushion
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Finegold Area

Trail: San Joaquin River Trail, Pincushion Trail

Destination: Pincushion

Actual Destination: Above a hundred yards from the top and 150 feet below.

Distance: 2.62 miles

Start Time: 11:43

End Time: 2:58

Travel Time: 3:15 (0.81 mph)

Moving Time: 2:21 (1.12 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,045'

Descent: 1033‘

Maximum Elevation: 1.492'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri on path, climbing

What are we going to do today? Confession: I slept past 7 this morning. It was not until Sherri was getting her breakfast ready did we agree upon a hike: Pincushion. Pincushion is a local peak near Millerton Lake.

Sherri and I started from our house a little after 10. Table Mountain Casino has expanded since the last time I was here-I had a bit of trouble finding the right road to go up. So it took me a few tries to find Sky Harbor. Even with the detour, we got to the Finegold area of Millerton State Park by 11:15. The gate was closed-we would not be going in anyway as we have not bought a pass. But we did find a place to park on Sky Harbor.

Yes, it was that steep

By the time we started walking it was 11:45. It was less than a quarter mile into the trailhead and outhouse. The trail starts off by going up a pretty good slope. Having been on this trail several times, this is not unexpected. Sherri is keeping up a steady pace; I am doing OK, but I can tell that we are ascending. After traveling ¾ of a mile, Sherri comes across three people who wonder how much further it is to Pincushion? We say they are about a third of the way there, but the majority of the climb is ahead. This suitably discourages them.

50 yards further, the trail to Pincushion splits off of the San Joaquin River Trail. Actually, the real trail is about a quarter mile further, but this is the one commonly used. Now the climb really starts. The trail is badly rutted. It is wide, so it is possible to avoid the worst of the issues. No matter how you work it, this is steep-overall about a thousand feet in just a bit over a mile.

Gary having climbed up rocks

As we work our way up the slope, it just gets steeper. It is not because my legs and lungs are getting a workout that I think this, but just looking up the trail, it is steeper! But taking it one step at a time gets us up the hill.

There is a shelf about 150’ below the top of Pincushion. This is a bit of a rocky area which we climb up. I feel a bit uncertain about going to the top-maybe it is old age, a bit of arthritis, or just the legs feel out of shape. Whatever it is, I am content with stopping on this shelf and looking out over the area. I do not think it took too much to convince Sherri to stay here either.

From the log we are sitting on, we can see Spanish Mountain, Mt Brewer, Mitchell Peak and a whole bunch of other mountains we can see from our lookouts. Always interesting getting a different perspective. We also have lunch here while we enjoy the sight and sun. It has been a perfect day weather-wise. Sherri gets a call from Verizon-Rachel is trying to add a connection to the account and Verizon needs Sherri’s permission, which is given.

Peaks seen from Pincushion from the PeakFinder application

Sherri descending

And now we start back down. I think that old thing makes me more conscious that if I fall, I will break something and it will take a long while to mend. So I pick my way down carefully-even dragging my rear on occasion. Once we get down so we can walk, it is just a long steep downhill where we pick our route carefully-remember the old remark.

Not much is different on the return trip, except it is a lot easier on the lungs. We made it back to the car by 3:00pm. It has been a good hike, even if it has left me a bit rubber legged. It is one which I need to do to rebuild strength.

One thing I do when we get back home is to look up getting a State Park Pass for Seniors and 2024. Looks like I can apply only after Thanksgiving. Time to put that on the calendar.

Extra Photo's

Millerton

Tree and Sun Glow

Sherri coming down rocky section

Spanish Mountain

Scene from Pincushion

Animals

West Coast Lady

Ant Hole

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

November 14, 2023 - Lewis Creek

Title: November 14, 2023 - Lewis Creek
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Cedar Valley

Trail: Lewis Creek

Destination: Red Rock Falls

Distance: 6.59 miles ¹

Start Time: 9:50

End Time: 3:30

Travel Time: 5:40 (1.16 mph)

Moving Time: 4:33 (1.45 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,537'

Descent: 1,544‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,321'

GPS Tracks

¹The GPS shut off before the end of the trail. There is about a half mile missing from the original. On the attached GPX file, I have filled in the remaining portion of the trail from another GPX file.

Description:

Lewis Creek

I woke up at 6:30-maybe a bit earlier than I meant to, but not unreasonable. About the time I finished my granola breakfast, Sherri and Steven got up. I washed dishes and finished getting ready. We managed to leave by 8:30-mostly because they were waiting on me. On our way out, we met Don-talked for about ten minutes before we headed out.

Steven on the trail

Of course, we do need to know where we are going. We know the general direction: north along 41. We are leaning towards either Lewis Creek or Wawona. But there are also other options such as a Forest Service Road out of Yosemite West, Miami Mountain or even Briceberg. When we roll through Oakhurst Sherri is asleep and Steven is involved in something on his tablet. So it is up to me.

When I see the sign for Cedar Valley, the start of the Lewis Creek Trail, so I take the road down. We take the usual 15-20 minutes to get ready to get ready to hit the trail. While getting ready, a white car drives up with a couple females. As we are leaving, they ask a couple of questions about the trail. Sherri and Steven leave-they know how I can take a simple question and stretch that into an elaborate answer. And I do just that.

Corileu Falls

I take off with the ladies. We talk about various things-both how easy it is to take your own home turf for granted, and how you need to look beyond the obvious at the common. About the time we caught up with Sherri and Steven, I introduced us and asked their names: Bonnie and Sherri. Notice the name-same spelling as my Sherri! They are from San Luis Obispo. We would catch up to them at both the bottom and top of Corileu Falls.

On other trips I have described the trail. While the route is about the same and so is the climb to Corileu Falls, the condition of the trail is different. Last Winter’s storms have done a number on the trail. It will get worse as we climb up the slope which Corileu comes down. But before we ascend, we gawk at Corileu. Corileu is always something to look at, even this late in the season.

Crossing a washed out section of trail

Bonnie and Sherri asked if it was worthwhile going to the top. Yep! is the answer, even though down here is more attractive. So they leave while we finish gawking. We climb up-Sherri and Steven go up the shorter, but harder way, while I take a more leisurely track. We meet Bonnie and Sherri for the last time when we reach the top-they are about to go on down.

We rest for a few minutes, complete with Jelly Bellies. Then off we go. This section is only a gradual climb. The junction with the trail from Highway 41, there are signs warning that the bridge is out. We knew this already. Yesterday the Sierra Seniors hiking group had done this same trail. Judy’s comment was that the group had developed a new game-inching along the logs. We follow suit. The only one of us who got wet was Korra who enjoyed her splashing.

Gary crossing Lewis Creek sans bridge

For some reason after crossing Lewis Creek, I started feeling tired. Not sure why, but I could tell as I have lost the spring in my step, particularly going uphill. Still the trail gives me enough reason to stop and look. Autumn has hit these trees big time. Mostly in the form of yellowing leaves, interspersed with flaming red. The trail goes up, but more in a rolling manner. Eventually we came to Red Rock Falls.

Steven on the trail

Steven and Korra are waiting for us. There we have lunch and rest. And I rest some more. I do not take the opportunity to go down to the bottom of the falls-and neither does anybody else. After sitting around for a half an hour, we started off. Steven and Korra take off, while Sherri and I take a more leisurely pace. But we are mostly going downhill, so my lack of energy is not a factor.

Top of Red Rock Falls

One thing I noticed since the last time I was up here was how much graffiti there is. Rocks have been tagged; the ends of fallen trees are tagged. Do these people think that their “art” improves on nature? Or are we just showing our falleness? Also there is a lot of litter. Unfortunately I do not have any garbage bags in my pack, so I am not on litter patrol today.

Sherri traversing a fallen log

Steven is waiting for us at the Lewis Creek crossing. We know what we are doing crossing the creek, so not nearly as exciting crossing it the second time. Since Steven and Korra are moving faster, Sherri gives them the car keys and they take off. Going down the slope is a bit more challenging than going up, for some reason. Looking down rocks with scree on them is never a calming look in my book.

But we make it down without mishap and pause at Corileu Falls. For some reason, in the subdued light the Falls look better than we saw them in the morning. So what can we do, but stop and look for a while. We then continue our return trip back to the car around 3:30-Steven and Korra are patiently waiting for us.

So the only question remaining is what do we want to do for nourishment? That gives us about 15 minutes from leaving the trailhead at 3:45 to make a decision. Since Steven brought along a flask from Southgate, that is our destination. We must have hit the sweet spot as Southgate is usually crowded-today, we got right in and are served. One thing you do not have to worry about Southgate is if their food will be any good-it is. The only decision is what to choose. I had a chicken Philly sandwich. It was soooo good. We made it back to Fresno before 6pm. In time to take a shower before Jeopardy. Another good day.