Gary-Summer: Chowchilla

Showing posts with label Chowchilla. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

November 11, 2025 - The Other Wawona Loop

Title: November 11, 2025 - The Other Wawona Loop
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Wawona Visitor Center Parking Lot

Trail: Chowchilla Mountain Road, Four Mile Road, Part of the Bills Hill Trail, Wawona Meadow Loop

Destination: Loop

Distance: 6.45 miles

Start Time: 12:17

End Time: 4:47

Travel Time: 4:30 (1.43 mph)

Moving Time: 3:47 (1.71 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,121'

Descent: 1,102‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,839'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I got up at 5:30. Today we are going to do a hike up at Wawona. Unlike a couple of weeks ago, we will be doing an extended loop around Wawaona Meadows. But first, I have a 9:00am appointment with my dental hygienists. I worked on my book blog-we are having the author of Consummation for my Book Group Thursday and I need to be prepared for it. The hygienist visit went well. I think this was the first time ever that I was told I am doing well with my flossing.

Fall Colors

I get home at 10:10. Rachel comes in shortly afterwards. Steven will not be coming with us. We are able to leave by 10:40 with me driving. It is Veteran’s Day. So I cannot understand this long line of cars heading south on Highway 41. I am just glad we are heading north. We arrived at the Wawona Visitor Center parking area a few minutes before noon. Coming in we had noticed what looks like a prescribed burn a little ways away from Wawona. When we get out of the car, there is a slight smell of smoke. After discussing it, we felt it does not seem to be too bad. So off we will go on our hike.

At 12:15 we started walking up the Chowchilla Mountain Road, but only about ¾ of a mile up. Tthis part of the trip is where we gain most of the elevation. It is huff and puff time for my part. We did not go on the first junction, but the second junction to the Four Mile Road. This second one is a bit overgrown from disuse. Maybe it would have been better to have taken the first junction.

One of the things which I like walking the Four Mile Road happens right at the apex of the triangle between the three roads. There is a tree which stands right in the center of the two roads. In the Autumn, this whole section is covered with leaves, forming a carpet of brown for us to walk on. The trail now does a series of undulations as it climbs its way across Mt Savage-you have to go either cross-country or find a use trail to go to the top.

The Poseiden Tree

As we walk along the Four Mile Road-not the Four Mile Trail, it gives us a chance to talk. The subject of meditation is brought up. Particularly when walking or hiking. We discuss the various aspects of being able to meditate. There seems to be an element of calming your physical body or at least getting in a rhythm where you do not have to think about what the body will do. But there is also an element of letting your mind rest. Silence is part of this. When walking alone, you only get the sounds of nature-the birds, the wind, the crunching of your feet against the ground and sometimes the little trickle of water running down a hillside. These work to calm and help you to focus your mind on the subject of your meditation. In a Christian it is God. In the outdoors, I usually think about God, the Creator and the God who loves me.

Eventually we decide we want to stop and have a bite to eat as it is around 1:40. We spot a nice log about 15 feet above us and we scramble to it. It is a nice log just to set and eat at. I do notice there are some fungi growing under the log.

About ten minutes later, we came to the trail junction down to Wawona Meadow. Something has changed-there is a sign. The first time we walked this, there was a barely noticeable indentation in the mountain misery to guide us where the trail was. Over the years, a bit of flagging was added to a metal pole. Now, the whole world knows where to turn. What fun is that?

Going down Bills Hill Trail

This is a little used trail which I think is part of the Bills Hill Trail. I think it is one of the more enjoyable trails in the Wawona area. We see very few people on it-today the number is less than one. It takes you down from the Four Mile Road to Wawona Meadow. There has been trail work down on it as the downed trees which we used to crawl over have been sawed recently. I have never gone up it, but I think it would tax a person who is in shape, which I am not. But coming down, we see all sorts of trees and brush. Towards the bottom we run into the power lines which come into Wawona. And then there is the service road which goes up to the lower poles. The trail repeatedly crosses this road-you can take the shorter route, but the road is steep.

When we come out on the Wawona Meadow Loop, we find the log which we rested on a couple of weeks ago and eat an energy bar. I give Sherri and Rachel a choice: continue on the Bills Hill Trail up to the top of the ridge to the east of the Meadow, or follow the Loop trail around the rest of the meadow. The choice is to do the Loop Trail. That probably is wise.

Walking the Wawona Meadow Loop trail is comparatively faster than going up either of the roads. Still we found plenty of occasions to stop and take pictures while enjoying the company of each other.

Gary

The Meadow has some very historical aspects to it. Such as tucked away in some trees is the site of Galen Clark’s Inn. Or there was once a landing strip in the meadow. Or there were orchards to supply fresh fruit for guests. It is the last item which has a bearing. The Washburns ran a flume from the South Fork of the Merced over to the Meadow. You can still see the flume and where it drained onto the meadow. It has been one of my fascinations to walk the bank of the flume on the over side of Highway 41 around until we are above the hotel. So endeavored to do that. Rachel decides this type of adventuring is not for her and retreats back to the trail. I think Sherri is doing the same thing.

Walking the Flume is Blocked

I try to walk the flume. It has gotten a lot more overgrown since I last walked it before the Pandemic. I detour around part of it. Then bushwack through other parts until I reach a solid wall of young pines. I know when I have been beaten and descend down a steep slope to the trail. I eventually come across Rachel waiting patiently on a log for me. I asked her, “Where is your mother?” “She is following you.” Oh Oh. So we took off looking for her. We were yelling her name and then we heard a response, and then had visual of Sherri. I need to back up a bit. Sherri is coming down the area which I did. When I came through, I noticed a telephone line just about 4½’ off the ground. Since I was lumbering along, I ducked under it. Sherri on the other hand makes a bee line straight for Rachel, not stopping for the line in her path and gets clotheslined, just like in the cartoons. If I was more sensitive, my first response would have been to run over and see if she is OK. But from the way Rachel and I are laughing, you would think this was the funniest thing to have ever happened on earth. After we stoped laughing, we checked on Sherri’s well-being-nothing damaged except for her ego.

Even with this mishap, we are only a short walk back to our car. We get back as the skies are darkening, as this time of year that would be 4:45. Rachel takes up the driving responsibilities. We decided that we wanted to eat before reaching Fresno. I suggested Mexican, to which there were no objections. We decided we wanted to eat at our new restaurant-at least new to us-Los 2 Carnales.

We get home at 7, just in time for watching Jeopardy. Rachel watches it with us. At the end, she goes home and I go to the shower.

Extra Photo's

Wawona Meadow

Four Mile Road

Tree roots by the road side

Four Mile Road covered with pine needles

Autumn Colors

Rachel and Gary on the Four Mile Road

Red Leaf

Sherri and Rachel walking the Bills Hill Trail

Rachel and Sherri walking the Bills Hill Trail

Rachel consulting Mr Garmin

Light and Tree

Christmas tree

Walking the Flume-what was bushwacked through

Flowers and Plants

Phlox

PuffBall

Shelf Fungus

Mushroom

Saturday, October 31, 2020

October 31, 2020 - Wawona

Title: October 31, 2020 - Wawona
Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Wawona Hotel Parking Area

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking
Trail: Chowchilla Mountain Road, Four Mile Road, Bills Hill to Four Mile Road Trail, Wawona Meadow Loop Trail
Destination: Loop
Distance: 5.90 miles
Start Time: 11:13
End Time:    3:03
Travel Time:  3:50 (1.54 mph)
Moving Time:  3:19 (1.78 mph)
Elevation Rise: 1,207'
Descent: 919‘
Maximum Elevation: 4,892'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Steven starting up Chowchilla Mountain Road

Today we will be taking Korra up to Yosemite. There are a few dog friendly places in Yosemite, particularly around Wawona. The Park says that they are relatively unknown and unsigned. But, feeling a bit proud, I know most of them. Even though I had not heard of Four Mile Road before as a name, I have walked it before. Also this is the last day of needing a reservation to enter into Yosemite. So we expect a little solitude while Yosemite will be crowded tomorrow.

Autumn Leaves

Steven needs to be home by 6, so we are aiming at being home by 5pm. I figure about 2 hours to Yosemite and an hour and half back-always harder getting in. To do the route should be a little less than 4 hours. 9:30 is the cut off time for leaving, but we would like to be in earlier.

I get up at 6:15-I just wake up naturally around 6:30. But the others do not get moving until 8. We take off at 9:20. The ride up is relatively uneventful, with one stop. Korra gets car sick in our Highlander. So we get to the entry station. They see our pass and wave us through. So we reached Wawona around 11.

After taking care of business, we get on the trail close to 11:15. The first part of the hike is across the golf course and then up the Chowchilla Mountain Road. After the golf course, the road is gated, I suspect for winter, or because Sierra NF is still under restrictions. It is a moderate climb, but we start getting the flavor of the day-Autumn. There is a variety of trees which are showing a change of color-yellows and reds mostly. This is going to be a really nice walk.

Gary walking the 4 Mile Road

After going up the road almost a mile, we come to the junction. The next road-the Four Mile Road-is gated. We think it is used only as a fire road, but it does get maintained and we see tire tracks along it. About .2 miles later, we come to the junction with the rest of the Four Mile Road. I have always been mesmerized by a tree in the middle of this. It seems like it is there to remind us we have ways to turn in our life. One side of the three ways to go, goes back to the Chowchilla Mountain Road. But that has trees across it and does not look like it is maintained at all.

Now we are into a 500’ rise over a mile and a half walk. We take it slowly-the we are Sherri and I. Steven does not look phased by it at all. We enjoy the colors, stopping often to admire. The rise is not bad, just wearing.The four of us do enjoy the walk. The only real wildlife seen are birds, predominantly Yosemite’s massive crows. We are still surrounded by the beauty of the changing seasons.

There is a cross-over trail, which I have seen referenced as Bills Hill to Four-Mile Road. We stop and have lunch, enjoying the rest. Nothing really special about lunch, except it gives a chance to enjoy a recognized break, rather than our ad hoc, admire or take a picture break. Or the “I am huffing and puffing” breaks.

After lunch, we go down the cross-over trail. I am thinking this is one of my favorite parts of Wawona, particularly going downhill. I might feel differently going back uphill. This is a long downhill, about 2 miles worth. The trail is narrow, going through mountain misery, but filled with trees having turned colors. Several times I lag behind to take pictures or better yet, just to take in the color-both are good.

More Autumn Leaves

At the end, the trail intertwines with a service road. The service road is steep, the trail is a gradual grade. So do not mistake one for the other. By this time, you are sort of wishing for something level or a slight up to rest from the constant down. The last 100’ of the trail is the service road, leading to the far point of the Wawona Meadow Loop.

And now for the final stretch-finishing the loop around Wawona Meadow. This is a dirt road, closed off to most vehicular travel. We end up at the southern end of the meadow, crossing a dried creek or two. We met another couple with a dog-first people, and the last, we have seen today in our walk. We have walked this many times.

Wawona Meadow

The only thing is that after my last walk with the meetup group, I am interested in figuring out where the end of the flume is. So I lag behind, looking. I finally find it ending in a ravine, The ravine must have taken the water down the last 50 yards to the meadow.

We get into the car and start back. Even though it is about 4pm when we enter Oakhurst, we are hungry. Carl’s Jr it is. We eat outside of what looks like the closed Republican headquarters in Oakhurst. We finally make it back home, a little later than I had planned-5:01 pm instead of 5:00-so he writes smuggly.

Background

Bills Hill. I have found only one reference to Bills Hill. But from this one reference it seems like it is the the turn out about a mile and a half south of Wawona where the trail crosses Highway 41.

Extra Photo's