September 6, 2026 - Delilah

 

Title: September 6, 2026 - Delilah

Hike Info : Description : Animals 

Hike Info:

Type:Lookout

Description:

I slept well last night and woke up a few minutes before 0600. I tried to see if there was any lightning to report, but the Wildfire Enterprise Geospatial Portal (EGP) seems to be having an issue and I could not sign in and interrogate their lightning database.

While there was still darkness, I saw a couple of vehicles’ lights on Davis Road. One just about going over Goat Saddle; the other getting close to the Delilah Road. I do not think I would want to travel that road in the dark. But then again, at least I would know someone is coming up the road.

I dilly-dallyed around. Then I had my granola breakfast. By this time it is 0800 and I still have not made it down to the ground. So down I go. I only walked to the saddle to the south of Delilah and back. By the time I made it to the cab, it is 0850. Time to start getting ready for the new day.

Up goes the flag. There! I am official now. By 0915 I have taken our weather-the RH is 47% and the temperature is 65. A lot warmer than yesterday. I go into service at 0929 with both Porterville and Sierra. Both Buck Rock and Park Ridge beat me. Then it is the normal stuff-do a scan, listen to the radio-at 1001 Porterville did their weather and staffing.

Hunters Practicing

Between 0900 and 1000 I also listened on YouTube to my church’s worship service-First Presbyterian Church of Fresno. The pastor is going through Revelation. I will admit, I probably did not get the full impact as I was also listening to the radio, going in service and doing my scans. But what I heard was good as Jeremy talked about how Jesus rose up to bring restoration while evil can only corrupt and brings destruction.

As I was about to do one of my scans, a head came up the ladder-and I guess the rest of his body came up as well. Anyway, it was a bit of a surprise, but he was pretty personable and said he is from Squaw Valley, or Yokut Valley depending on whom you talk with. He has done work with the Forest Service and is interested in being a volunteer in a lookout as well. We talked for over a half an hour. He was interested in various places to hike, where the Sequoia groves were and if there are any archeological places of interest. One the first two, I was able to let him know where some of these places are. On the later, I directed him to the District’s archeologist.

During my conversation with my long visitor, Sierra did their 1100 lookout checkin. I did respond in a timely manner. After he left, I had my lunch, around 1230. I had started cleaning windows when my visitor came up and continued that after lunch. It is a very broken up after lunch rest period for me.

Reflections of buildings at Prather

On one of my afternoon scans, I heard gun shots. I was able to find the source being from around a vehicle parked on Davis Road just north of Goat Saddle. After about ten minutes they moved on, but then I heard another group of shots about 15 minutes later. It probably came from the same people, but a couple of miles further north on Davis.

While the shots are a bit unnerving, on the other side of the lookout, I followed a hawk in flight for about five minutes. So graceful, so majestic, such a wonderful creature. Unfortunately I am not very good at catching birds in flight with my phone camera-not sure the phone part made any difference.

Ar 1600, Sierra did their afternoon lookout check in, which all the lookouts did respond-that is always a good sign. Then it was back to the normal routine until about 1730 when I got my dinner ready. My dinner is lasagna and bread-pretty plain. While I am eating, I hear both Buck Rock and Park Ridge going out of service. They are returning home so they are leaving at the normal time. Otherwise because it is Labor Day weekend, I will be going out of service at 1930 when the shadows make it hard to see. Wendy text’s me and notes I am carrying the entire Forest’ burden on my shoulders, or something like that.

Delilah's Night Sky

At 1830, we have a family Zoom which I tuned in for. About every 15 minutes I cut away and do my scans. I listen to the radio as well, but there is nothing which concerns me.

At 1920, I went out of service, saying I was staying overnight. But we are still on Zoom for another half an hour. Then I go down to close up and get a few things for tomorrow. That seems strange since I will start bringing stuff down tomorrow morning. But I figure I should have a gallon of water up in the cab.

When I get back up, it is past 2030 and I let Sherri know that I am available to talk. Which is also strange since we also talked just an hour ago on Zoom. But there are things which a husband and wife should share, times between themselves. Which we do for over an hour. It is closing in on 2200 before we hang up. I read some and then go to sleep.

Animals

December 30, 2025 - Snowshoeing along Road 13S77

 

Title:  December 30, 2025 - Snowshoeing along Road 13S77
Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing

Trail head: Cherry Gap

Trail: Road 13S77

Destination: About an hour in

Actual Destination: actual, about a quarter mile before the top of Hoist Ridge

Distance:  1.98  miles

Start Time: 12:50

End Time:     2:44

Travel Time: 1:53  (1.05 mph)

Moving Time:  1:32  (1.29 mph)

Elevation Rise:  300' ¹

Descent: 261‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,983'

GPS Tracks

 ¹There is several different readings on the elevation rise. The 651’ from the GPS is certainly wrong as is the Google Earth calculated rise of 503’. The descent of 261’ is much closer to the truth. The elevation rise from a February 24, 2024 snowshoe to the top of the ridge was 541’. Steven’s watch said in the upper 200’s. The net rise from where we began to where we ended was about 160’. So I think the upper 200’s is the correct figure.

 

Rachel and Sherri at start

 

Description:

Today will be the first snowshoe this season. I do not think we went last season-a combination of being busy, the storms coming through when we were available and it not being too good of a snow year. Rachel is coming with us, but will be coming over after her 9am yoga class which ends at 10.

She gets in about 10:15-I am ready, but Steven and Sherri are still getting things together. We are all in the car with me driving by 10:45-that all includes Korra. Earlier there was some ground fog, but that has dispersed. The drive up is uneventful, except for stopping in Yokut/Squaw Valley for some gas.. We pass the 5000’ elevation sign without signs of snow-this does not look too good.

By the time we get to the Grant Grove entrance station, there is snow. We asked if there was chain control-No.Does he know if there is snow at Princess campground -he thinks so, but has not been there lately. When we pass by McGee Overlook, there is a layer of low overcast above the Central Valley, making it look like an ocean.

 

At 12:15 we get to Princess Campground. The ground looks pretty patchy for snow and whatever snow is on the ground is thin. We quickly decided that around Cherry Gap there was better snow. We retreat back up 180. We will go up Road 13S77-not the Converse Basin Road-that has a lot of exposure to the sun so there is bare ground there. We parked the car a little before 12:30.

Magic Elf on a tree

The first thing we do is get all of our gear together. Years ago my brother gave me some Sorel snow boots. They seemed a bit stiff, so I could not get them on. I am substituting my hiking boots for the snow boots. After having a bit of lunch-peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, if you must know-we start on our trip. This would be 12:50 start time. Steven is on his cross-country skis, while the rest of the humans have snowshoes on. Korra, of course, is on four leg drive and does not need any assistance on snow. Then again, the snow is deep enough and hard enough that we can easily snowshoe or ski on top of it without fear of hitting ground, probably averaging a foot or maybe a generous two feet.

At 12:51, the first fall of the season takes place. I manage to have my right foot step on the back of the left snowshoe. I had two choices: try to right myself and risk a face plant or try to fall gracefully. I chose the latter. Nothing hurt, except my pride. Wonder if that will be how this day goes.

There are a few spots along this road where you can look across the Kings and enjoy the view. The first viewpoint is OK, but does not make for a good picture since there are a lot of branches obstructing the view. I turn away, walk a few steps and realize something did not feel right. I looked down and saw one snowshoe. Turning around, I see the missing shoe. It quickly gets put on. It will be that kind of day.

The road is a gradual rise. Not many people have been up the road since the last storm. After a hundred feet we see that those who came without being prepared for snow travel have turned back, leaving the only tracks we see being a few snowshoe marks, two cross country ski tracks-Steven’s is one of them, and Korra’s claw and paw marks.

Snow Dog Korra

I keep looking at the views. Spanish Mountain is the dominant view, with some views up the Middle Fork of the Kings, then looking west we can see Rodgers Ridge, where the Garnet Fire started. It is good to be going along this road, even if we have gone up it many times before.

But there are some things which are new. When we come to a little creek, I look at a tree and see what looks like a couple elves with a snow cap on them. In reality, it is a couple of fungi with the recent snow still covering them. From there, the road goes on its final climb up Hoist Ridge. Rachel says that I was charging right up the slope. That is until I looked back and waited for Rachel and Sherri.

When they caught up to me, I saw Korra coming down the slope towards us. Then there is speck way up at the top of the bend. That speck came barrelling down-the speck is commonly called Steven. He stops before he completely passes us by.

I had set a 1:45 turn around time and that is what time it is. We start back. Steven on his skis is quickly out of sight. For us on snowshoes, going down is a lot easier. We made good time going back down the road. There are some different views across the Kings than when we came up. It gives us a few natural breathing places.

We got back to the car at 2:45. Rachel gets a man to take our picture. Then it is time to go back home. Rachel drives us down. We do stop at the McGee Overview to look at the overcast clouds down in the Valley. I spotted Delilah and tried to take a picture.

 

 

 

 

 

We get home at 4:15 and unload the car. We are having the car serviced tomorrow. We have gotten back in time to take the car in. Then it is time to relax, take a shower and partake of leftovers.

July 24, 2024 - Park Ridge Lookout

Title:  July 24, 2024 - Park Ridge Lookout
Hike Info : Description : Animals 

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

I got up a little after 0600 and got ready to go to Park Ridge Lookout. I already did the lightning report last night and today might be exciting in our area with all of the strikes. I get off a little before 0700. As I passed by Centerville, I realized that I forgot the string cheese-only a minor inconvenience. At Yokut/Squaw Valley, there is construction going on-a known quantity-and so I am delayed another 15 minutes. I zoomed through the Park’s entrance station-after all I am sort of like a Park person, not quite, but close enough. Then up the Panoramic Point Road to the Park Ridge Service Road. Then another 20 minutes and I am at the lookout. Not a lot to unload after all I am here for only a day. There is even less than anticipated-I forgot my lunch and snack food. In my day pack there are a couple energy bars and some Life Savers to keep me from dying from hunger, as if my body fat would let me down.

The cab is hot, but starts cooling down once I open the windows and the door. I suppose that is the reason why we do not live in glass houses with a tin roof. I take the weather and go in-service by 0930. I talked with Buck Rock about yesterday and also about the status of radios-we still are under channel restrictions. Then it is the start of a normal day. Still no weather or staffing at 1000. I go about my lookout business, scanning the area and listening to the radio and making sure I remember where things are in the 1,000 square miles of area which I scan.

A couple from Seattle admires the view from the lookout. We talk for a while about prescribed burns and life as a lookout. They are now going to try to find a lookout to rent as a vacation spot for them.

While scans can be routine and a bit mind numbing, if you let yourself be open to what you are seeing, there can be times of wonder and amazement. On one of my scans, I see this magnificent bird approaching. Probably a hawk, probably a red-tail since they are in the area, but the markings looked like a Cooper, not that I am an expert or anything, and it came right towards me proudly showing its breast feathers. This is one of those times in which it is better to stand in awe than try to get a picture.

Around 1045 Patrol 33 calls me. She is wondering about the lightning report and what was reported around Buck Rock. Yesterday when she was in Kings Canyon, she was looking up the south walls and thought she saw some smoke. But nobody else seemed to see it. We talked about where the lightning was. I told her about a strike about a mile north of Buck Rock and gave her the legal location for it. Then talked about importing the report into Avenza. But she had some technical difficulties, so we could not work through it.

But both of these lead up to how the rest of the afternoon is. Patrol 33 goes to the Kings Canyon Overlook. Even though the Overlook is less than three miles away, it has a totally different view than what I see. She spots a great deal of smoke beyond Buck Rock, someplace around Tornado Meadow. That is an area which is blind to Buck Rock. So Patrol 33 starts to make her way towards the area.

There is a hang glider off to the west, I am assuming it launched from Sontag.

Division 3 is concerned about the smoke and starts maneuvering units to vantage points to try to come up with an exact location. Only one unit was able to identify a source, but was having difficulties saying where it was. When a smoke is behind a ridge there is no accuracy in placing the fire. This went on for several hours without success. A helicopter from Trimmer was brought in to see if they could figure something out. They were not successful.

Meanwhile the Park has told Porterville about a fire on top of Poop Out Pass. It is called the Pass Fire. A couple years ago there was a fire on that pass which originally was called the Poop Fire, at least for overnight. I noticed on that one, the name got changed. So calling it the Pass Fire does not surprise me. While the helicopter is in the air, Division 3 has them fly over to the Pass Fire and take pictures and do a size up for him. It is a single tree with little or no vegetation around it. So it is not going anywhere. I could not see the smoke as it was behind a ridge from Shell Mtn.

 

 

Now that these areas are not being as much of an issue, I try to put more effort into cab life. To be clear, even while all of this is going on, I have been scanning and doing my lookout stuff, but there is a certain amount of focus on something active like this. But since it is after 1700 and I intended to go home at 1800, I do clean up chores to end the day.

Finally at 1750, I am doing my last scan and as I walk around the catwalk, at the very end of the scan, I see some discoloration looking towards Loggers Poin

First signs of a smoke

t. I stare at it for a while and decide it is smoke. It looks like it is about 2.5 miles from the lookout, just to the south of a direction line to Loggers. I call Division 3 on this as it looks like it may have been part of the Big Stump Rx-turns out it was not. Division 3 wants a bit more info on location. When I looked again, the smoke looked like it moved ¾ of a mile closer. So I revised my location. Division 3 thinks this may be a new wildland fire. Was there lightning in the area? No, not yesterday. Another unit wonders if this is drift smoke from the Park Ridge RX. It does not look like it. But then I look over where I saw the smoke ten days ago. There is the same patch of white through the trees. It is drift smoke, which is a good thing because it is a known quantity. . I have my own “sneaky” smoke.

Smoke is a bit closer

At 1755 I had gone out of service with the Park. Now that my smoke is resolved, I go out of service at 1812. By 1820, I was in the car ready to go down the mountain. The battery on my phone has died, so I finally get enough charge by the time I get to Grant Grove that I send out texts to various people. I got home about 2020, tired. But there is no rest for the wicked as I need to pack for a trip to my daughter's tomorrow. I still manage to take a shower and am in bed by 2200.

 

 

 

Animals


 

Hawk of some type

Same Hawk

Unknown

February 18, 2023 - Ten Mile Road - Snowshoeing

 

Title: February 18, 2023 - Ten Mile Road - Snowshoeing

Hike Info : Description :  Background :  Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing 

Trail head: Quail Flat

Trail: Ten Mile Road, Road 13S45

Destination:  None-turn around at 2:30

Actual Destination:  End of improved section of 13S45

Distance:  3.28 miles

Start Time:  1:06

End Time:   3:44

Travel Time: 2:37  (1.35 mph)

Moving Time:  1:59  (1.65 mph)

Elevation Rise:  516'

Descent: 499‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,024'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri

Several days ago we discussed going snowshoeing. It was too cold last Wednesday for us valley dwellers and Steven wanted to go up. Saturday looked like a good day. But what had changed in the four days or so since we made this plan? I am not sure that is still the plan. Either way, I walk over to a friend's house to retrieve my wheelbarrow. When I return, we decide it is a “go” to go up to the mountains today. It does not take us long to get ready.

Ten Mile Road

By 11:30, we are on the road. The fiddlenecks and a smattering of poppies are coming out as we approach Yokut (Squaw) Valley. Spring is getting closer. When we reach Big Stump, the parking lot is filled. So we do not even get the opportunity to use the restrooms. Onward to Quail Flat. The road past Quail Flat has not been completely plowed yet. So the parking area instead of being its usual occasional car is packed. Do we go up to Princess I think or go someplace else? Fortunately we do not need to make that decision as we spot a place to park. 

 

 

 

We have lunch and then get our gear on. Usually we go down Burton Road, but today Steven and Sherri head down Ten Mile Road. I am wondering is this a mistake? But the indication is they want to do something different. Steven is on skis and Korra takes off with him. That is the last we see of them for a couple of hours. I convey that I am looking at a 2:30 turnaround time. I do not have a destination objective, but even if I did, a turnaround time is good because we do not always make an objective at a reasonable time.

Gary

We watch Steven and Korra go off down the road, even though Korra keeps returning to check on us slow ones until Steven gets too far ahead. There are a couple large ruts going down Ten Mile Road. They do not look like snowmobile tracks, but I do not know what else it is. It does make snowshoeing more interesting picking our way in and out of these ruts.

We get about a half mile down and see a road going up the ridge. Steven has continued down Ten Mile Road. My thinking is going up this road is preferable, as I like going down coming back rather than slogging up a grade. Sherri and I go up, but first I leave a message in the snow for Steven in case he comes back up before we get back.

The road is Forest Service 13S45. Later on I look at a topo map and see that this is also designated as a Nordic Skiing route. The ruts not only go down Ten Mile Road, but start up 13S45.But then there is another puzzle: the tracks stop just a hundred feet in and from there on is virgin snow. Looks wonderful.

Spanish Mountain

Both from Ten Mile Road and from 13S45 we see across the Kings as well as Buck Rock. But the views for the most part have trees framing the scene or intertwined in it. Still, there is something which is appealing looking out over this section of the Sierra (actually there are very few sections of the Sierra which I feel are not worth looking at.)

We go up about a half mile up 13S45. It has good solid snow, which has been settling for a couple weeks. So walking on it is a pleasure. Even I am able to feel good going up the slope. One drawback: there are no dramatic views. “Only” trees and snow are what can be viewed.

It is getting close to our turnaround time. Sherri is ready to go back, but I would like to go on up a short way to a horseshoe turn. So I leave Sherri and continue on up. I get there in a couple minutes. The road starts to level out and since I have about seven minutes to turnaround, I continue on. I quickly came to the top of the ridge. And lo and behold, there is my view! I can see across the Kings to Spanish Mountain and the Obelisk. Looking more westward, there is the Patterson area. Then closer to me, there is he basin where Hume Lake is. And by Hume is a smoke cloud. Wait Smoke! I remember that the Forest Service was doing some burning in the area. This must be it.

Indian Basin Smoke

After taking a few pictures, I head back down. I got to the place where I left Sherri. I see her tracks heading back. I just follow these tracks down. And about a quarter mile later I caught up with Sherri. Down we go. Sherri and I both think this is a trail we will be doing again.

We get to the junction with Ten Mile Road. I check the ski tracks to see if Steven has been by. I only see his tracks going down. So I erased my message. Sherri goes on ahead while I lag behind to see if Steven will come around the bend. By my calculations he is anywhere between right behind us to 45 minutes.

There is a reason why I wanted to go UP 13S45 rather than further down Ten Mile Road. From the junction we back up to the car. I stop every so often to look behind, but no Steven=it also gives me a chance just to take a small break. After a while I hear a mechanical sound. A minute later, a Toyota ForeRunner comes into view. This is an ah ha moment. Now I understand the mystery of the tracks. They are vehicle tracks, not snowmobiles. They pass by and I go on. Shortly before the parking lot, I caught up with Sherri.

We get to the car around 3:45 and start putting away our equipment. Steven gets in as we put stuff away. And then it is off to go back to Fresno. It is a pretty easy drive back and we get back home at 5:20. Another good day.

Background

Smoke. The smoke was from a pile burn in the Indian Basin area which Sequoia National Forest had set. This was part of an effort to clear fuels from around Sequoia groves throughout all forest lands. Indian Basin close to Princess Campground. We would have been right in the middle of the smoke if we had gone there.

Extra Photo's

Snow and Pine Cones

Patterson and Spanish Mountains

Stack of rocks by Ten Mile Road

Buck Rock and its lookout

Looking to the northeast