Gary-Summer: Indian Basin

Showing posts with label Indian Basin. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

November 5, 2025 - Search for the Muir Snag

Title: November 5, 2025 - Search for the Muir Snag

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

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Gate on road 13S50

Trail: SQF Road 13S50 and a segment of 13S31

Destination: Junction with 13S07

Actual Destination: Beyond the junction and onto 13S31

Distance: 3.43 miles

Start Time: 11:37

End Time: 2:48

Travel Time: 3:10 (1.08 mph)

Moving Time: 2:09 (1.59 mph)

Elevation Rise: 516'

Descent: 551‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,277'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sequoia and Gary

I get up at 6:30, not knowing what we will be doing today. We had talked about hiking a couple of days ago, but there was no decision. Also there was nothing about going with dogs or no dogs. When Sherri gets up, that is the question. After talking, we decided to go hiking. With the last minute decision, Rachel cannot go, but Steven can. Korra also agrees to go.

When we pile into the car, we have no idea where we are going, we just want to go. Going north is out because of the rain which is going to occur just north of Fresno. So we head east. Three weeks ago, we wanted to look for the Muir Snag, but were stymied by it being hunters being in season. But today there should be little which stops us.

I start driving at 10. We only stop at Big Stump. Then off to the road to the Muir Snag area. We get there about 11:25 and start walking at 11:45. We will be walking along road 13S50 which is just east of Converse Mtn.

I had not found a definitive location for the Snag, but from the description, I am thinking it is about ¾ of a mile up this road. Even if we do not find it, this is a pleasant day to walk this road. The storm to the north has us with clouds overhead, but not much of a breeze. So while not hot, the day is not cold. Just right for walking.

The road goes up, but for the most part, the grade is not bad. I suspect Sherri and I are just out of shape. There are a few divots to allow water runoff which runs across the road. They are easy to cross on foot, but I am sure our Highlander would scrape bottom on some of them.

Steven and I trade leads, as we look high and low for the large, dead Sequoia which Muir found. We see many young living Sequoias, some stumps, but no snag. I made it to the junction with Forest Service road 13S07-Sherri and I hiked that road a couple of years ago, through the Indian Basin Grove.

I wait there for about 10 minutes.Sherri and Steven do not show up, but Korra comes along to check on me. So I head back. I find Steven looking down into where a dry unnamed creek is. When I get to Steven, I see the object of his interest-his Mom. She is about 50’ below the road. She is exploring, looking for the Snag. Steven goes down to join her and I follow a few minutes later. We searched in the area, but no success.

We wander our way back up, with me about five minutes behind. Once we get to the road, we travel on to the junction. I noted that it looked like if we went around the bend in the road, we might be able to have a better view and that is what we do. While there is a good view, there are some trees which hamper it from being a great view.

We find a log and have our lunch at 1:10. I am thinking if I follow this road a little ways further, I might have a better view of Kings Canyon and across the way to Spanish Mountain.. But the road starts to go more on the south side of the ridge instead of the north. I realize that I am walking on road 13S31 which will eventually bring me back to Highway 180. When the road started to drop sharply, I decided I would turn back. Korra has been racing back and forth. I did notice a place which looked like an old road, but it was pretty dug up with logs having fallen across it. Still no great view.

So I make my way back to where Steven and Sherri are waiting. Sherri has noticed a mound beyond Rodgers Ridge. I think it is part of Patterson Mountain. We started back and I noticed a different peak behind the upper part of the ridge. At first I thought it was Kaiser Peak, but after consulting PeakFinder, it looks like it is Eagle Peak.

We walk back down the road, eyeballing everyplace where Sequoias are, but there is no sign of a massive dead Sequoia. Steven goes down one place, but no joy.Either we are blind or the Muir Snag is someplace else. Still it is a good walk.

A couple of things which we did see. First there was a puffball fungus. These are always interesting. Then there is a little vole right in the middle of the road. A pretty cute little thing.

By 2:45 we got back to the car. Steven takes over the driving responsibility. We all are in agreement that stopping at Bear Mountain Pizza is a good idea. We get home at 4:30.

Trail Lesson: Research out where you think you are going to go. Even prepared there are usually surprises.

Background

After we did this hike, Gary went through some files and found a reference that the Muir Snag is on Road 13S55 road, around 6400' elevation.

Extra Photo's

Spanish Mountain

Landslide Prescribed Burn

Steven

Sherri

Landslide Prescribed Burn

Colorful Leaves, Watercolor style

Autumn Leaves

Spanish Mountain

Garlic and Rough Spur

Spur off of Converse Mountain

Burnt trees from the Rough Fire

Steven coming up with Korra and Sherri watching

Steven

Old Sequoia

Animals

Vole

Flowers and Plants

Puffball

Saturday, October 11, 2025

October 11, 2025 - Muir Snag, Not Quite

Title: October 11, 2025 - Muir Snag, Not Quite

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Princess Trailhead

Trail: Princess Interpretive Trail

Destination: Loop

Distance: 1.75 miles

Start Time: 2:45

End Time: 3:58

Travel Time: 1:12 (1.46 mph)

Moving Time: 0:52 (2.02 mph)

Elevation Rise: 297'

Descent: 221‘

Maximum Elevation: 5,994'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today is Sherri’s birthday, an interesting mathematical year, but not a prime number. She never likes me to state those kinds of dates in those terms. That is just how my mind works. She was not forced to marry me.

Start of Trail

When Sherri got up, I fixed her a breakfast of Ranchos Huevos. She appreciated it, even if I made a bit more than she could eat. We did a bit of cleaning up-nothing which was pressing. We had our lunch before we went up to the mountains.

Where are we going? A couple of months ago I saw a reference to Muir Snag. I do not think I had heard of it before. So after doing some research on it, I saw that it was in Sequioia National Forest on road 13S50, which is part of the Indian Basin Grove. This road is on the West side of the grove.

I drove us up to the road. When we found the road, we parked a little ways up the road and saw a white truck a bit further up the road. Being good at mathematics, I put two plus two together and realized that we are still in deer hunting season and that the truck more than likely belonged to a hunter. We did not have an inch of red on us, so we felt the wiser choice was to retreat.

Fortunately, this was close to another trail we like by Princess Campground. Even without the government shutdown, Princess would have been closed already. All which this does is have us walk another ¾ of a mile. We walked from the entrance to the interpretive trail. We have walked this trail a lot. There is a loop which is handicapped accessible and paved with a gentle grade. We take the longer loop, stopping frequently to ooh and ahh.

The impression starts quickly. Across the meadow are groves of aspen, having turned golden. Many pictures are taken of these trees. Then we move on. There is a place where we look down the meadow and across the canyon to some of the mountains beyond. It is a sight which never fails to move me. On the back end of the loop there is more aspen and looking towards Cherry Gap.

We took our walk back at a leisurely pace, getting back to the car about 4. We then drove back down home. Since it is Sherri’s birthday, we go out to eat at DiCicco’s on Nees. A good way to end the day.