April 7, 2025 - Stevenson Falls

Title: April 7, 2025 - Stevenson Falls
Hike Info : Description : Background :  Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Italian Bar Road

Trail: Million Dollar Mile (SCE)

Destination: Stevenson Falls

Actual Destination: 

Distance:  6.98 miles ¹

Start Time: 10:20

End Time:    2:25

Travel Time:  4:05 (1.71 mph)

Moving Time: 3:16   (2.14 mph)

Elevation Rise: 828'

Descent: 837‘

Maximum Elevation: 2,345'

GPS Tracks

 ¹My GPS stopped on the return trip about 1.4 miles from the Falls. The rest of the trip is stitched together from the trip out. The Start and End times is what I noted down. For a more complete view, see my blog entry for January 3, 2025.

Description:

Yesterday during our Fresno family meeting, we said we would go on a hike today. Even though we went to Stevenson Falls in January, since it is Spring, we might get to see some flowers in bloom. Let us hope so.

Jose Creek

I got up at 6:30 and got myself ready for an 8am departure. We actually left at 8:20 with Sherri driving. Our first stop is Costco to fill up with gas. We probably could have easily made it. But I really would rather not get stuck down there without cell service. Sherri is trying a new thing, paying with her phone’s wallet. We still need to work on it. I think it is a matter of getting things right with the membership.

Sherri actually drives all the way. The first part of the route is an ordinary road. But when we leave Auberry, the road starts to get a bit more “interesting”. Particularly when we turn off onto Jose Basin Road. But Sherri keeps on going. When we turn onto Italian Bar Road, the road gets more curvy, more narrow and steeper. And Sherri drives us all the way to the parking area for the Million Dollar Mile. We arrive a few minutes after 10.

But before we hit the road, Sherri cannot find her day pack. Did she bring it? Where was it left? What is crucial in there? Sherri is able to get a bottle of water, but she is missing her sunscreen. I have some energy bars and more water if needed. So we start our walk about 10:20

 

 

There is more exposure to the sun than there is earlier in the year. So Sherri is bundled up since she lacks her sunscreen. On the other hand there are flowers. I misquote Jesus to her, telling Sherri to that our heavenly Father looks after the flowers, so she should let her earthly husband and son look after her. Not that she really took us up on this.

Looking east

California Golden poppies

You may think the previous statement was facetious, but it isn’t. There are flowers everywhere. I go from the edge of the road to the edge of the road to gawk at the flowers. There is lupine and redbud, of course, which provides the purples and a reddish-lavender. But then there are the delicate little white flowers, some blue dicks, fireweed, and the orange is provided by California Golden Poppy. This is not just a patch here and then a small patch there. But there were flowers throughout our walk. Even the rocks have water dripping from them and the greenness of plants hanging on.

Throughout this walk, I stop and look, then catch up only to stop and look some more. Not so much looking over the San Joaquin River or the mountains around. Today’s walk is more about the flora.

But Stevenson Falls almost always catches your attention. Today is no different. The Falls are not at its fullest, but pretty full. When you stand right, the sun filters through the dropping water, sometimes providing a glow and other times a glistening.

Rivulet off a rock

Redbud

We drop down in the shade, close to the rock wall. Direct sunlight is a bit warm. This is a pleasant place to have lunch. Right beside where I am sitting are several flowers. Always nice to have a bouquet of flowers to be at your side while you munch on your peanut butter and Nutella sandwich. Heaven must be something like that.

Sherri left about ten minutes before Steven and myself. By the time I got off the ground-it takes a bit more to get off the ground these days-it is 12:40. I am even more delayed as I cross the Stevenson Creek bridge. A couple of women were taking selfies. I took their pictures, which they were appreciative of.

 

 

 

 

Coming out of Stevenson Falls, the Million Dollar Mile Road goes on a long uphill. I am wondering how I will be doing on this. Actually, I do well. I kept a steady pace going up it, stopping only at the top for 30 seconds at the top. But I have not caught up with either Sherri or Steven. As we get to the adit a bit more than halfway to the car, I do catch up. I give Steven my car fob and he goes on ahead.

I walk with Sherri the rest of the way. Nothing exciting, just walking. Well, there is an SCE helicopter flying the lines. It is warm, but we have plenty of water. We got back to the car about 2:30. Steven drives us back. I guess I no longer need to drive-I can be chauffeured everywhere. Of course, after a hike, there is always the pressing question: Where do we want to eat? The answer after much shoulder shrugging is Pieology up in northern Fresno. By the time we get home it is closing in on 5.

 

 

Background

I met a new fellow lookout afterwards. He used to work for SCE and travelled this area. We swapped stories. I did ask him if there was any truth to a SCE truck being crushed on the bridge by the Falls. He had not hear of it, but he had heard of windows being blown out.

Extra Photo's

View from our lunch spot

Sherri and Gary at lunch

Steven, Korra and Gary at lunch

Stevenson Falls

Top of Stevenson Falls

Sherri crossing Stevenson Creek Bridge

Gary and Steven going down the road

Animals

 
Flowers and Plants

Sunflowers

Sun Cup

Whisker Plant

Sunflower

California Golden Poppy

Lupine

Lupine Bush

Lupine

Indian paintbush

Sucessllia?

Elderberry

Redbud

2025-Atlanta Georgia

Atlanta Georgia
From March 19, 2025 through April 1, 2025 

The Time : Our People :Trail Lessons : Trail Log : References : Abbreviations

The Time:
 We have a companion fare through Alaska Airlines. Each year we choose a city or area to wander around in. Most of the time, it is using public transportation.

Our People:
It was a trip which only Sherri and Gary took.



Trail Lessons:

• After all, you do not live in pictures, you live in life
• Leave room for error.
•  Different places have different things and people. Different may not mean wrong or bad. 
• A map only gives you direction if you have a destination. 

 
Trail Log:

Our journal is given by each day.
 

Date	Title	Miles Walked	Dining	Activities
March 19, 2025	Go to Atlanta		At AirBnB	Settle into our accommodations
March 20, 2025	Atlanta Botanical Gardens		Maggioni Little Italy	A somewhat relaxing day as we figure out how to navigate around Atlanta
March 21, 2025	MidTown Walk	2.34	LeftOvers	Saw Margaret Mitchell House and returned for Jazz at the High
March 22, 2025	Krog Street	3.6	Krog Street Market	Murals in Cabbagetown, Beltline, Krog Street tunnel and Krog Street
March 23, 2025	Lenox Park	3.94	Peanut Butter	Sherri came down with something. Tried getting a CLEAR pass
March 24, 2025	Brookhaven North	4.51	Soup and Lasagna	Sherri is not feeling well. I walked the neighborhood
March 25, 2025	Oakland Cemetery		BBQ	Margaret Mitchell grave and Atlanta library
March 26, 2025	Martin Lther King, Jr NHP		Grindhouse Burgers
March 27, 2025	Atlanta History Center		Taverena	Cylcorama,
March 28, 2025	Carter Presidential Library		MaryMac
March 29, 2025	Atlanta, Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival		Food trucks and left overs	Flowers, music, vendors
March 30, 2025	Georgia Aquarium		Lasagna	Sharks, whales, octopus
March 31, 2025	Brookhaven South	3.64	lasagna and salad.	Lenox Park, thunderstorm
April 1, 2025	Return to Fresno		Fast food and sandwiches	Got back at 11

References:
For those of you who might be interested in hiking this hike, here are some references which you can consult:

• Georgia Battle Fields
•  GPS My City-Atlanta

Abbreviations:

• NPS - National Park Service
• ATL-Atlanta
  

Hawk at the Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens

A friend of Gary's at the Botanical Gardens

Parabolic mirror at the High

Margaret Mitchell House

Krog Street Tunnel

Reynold's Town

The Carter Center

Brookhaven

Oakland Cemetery

Old Ebenezer Baptist Church

Walking to Freedom

Atlanta History Center Cyclorama

Lenox Park

Brookhaven Station, Gold Trail

April 1, 2025 - Leaving Atlanta

 

Title: April 1, 2025 - Leaving Atlanta

Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type: Touring, Flying 

Description:

Living room of AirBnB

Not sure why I did not sleep well last night. I was not nervous nor was the mind focused on anything. Maybe I did not work hard enough? Unknown. I did get up a little after 7 and just moseyed about until Sherri got up about 8. She also did not sleep well.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and toast. It was a relaxed time as we were mostly packed. Only a few last minute things need to be put in. We work on cleaning up, such as tossing garbage, washing the AirBnB towels and sheets, and getting dishes washed. By 10, we are all ready and we sit down and relax until 11.

Gold Train

A couple of minutes before 11, we leave the AirBnB. It has served us well. A few things could have been a bit better, such as a few more pieces of silverware, or the bed on my side not being broken down. But everything functioned and we could relax when we were there. It was a good placement to a MARTA station-15 minute walk if we walked at a good pace. Also it was quiet.

We walked to the Brookhaven MARTA station with our packs on. This should get us ready for backpacking, well sort of. We caught the Gold train for the last time on this trip. We had debated on stopping at The Varsity around North Station. The Varsity is a large hamburger place. Its web site said there is a seating capacity of 800 people. I guess this is not your ordinary McDonalds. Also Ashley said we must go. But as we thought about navigating through 800 people with our backpacks, we decided to opt for the ordinary-airport food. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We get off at Airport Station and make our way into their terminal. Now the question we have is whether we are in the South, North or the main. But we have four hours to figure this out. So we sat and looked around the courtyard. Sherri figures out we are to be in the North wing, on Concourse E. We now we make our way through the TSA without incident.

Airport from Gold Train

Sherri and John Lewis

By now it is 2pm. We get on the “Plane Train”-cute title isn’t it? We take it to Concourse E and come out in a food court. Sherri goes to a Panda Express and I, the Arby’s. We come all the way to Atlanta for real Georgian food, right? I guess that was MaryMacs a couple of nights ago.

It is now time to find our gate, which is at the very end of the concourse. I guess I will get in many steps today. We wait around to almost 4 when our plane, Alaska Airlines 474, begins loading. We are in the first third of the folks, so we have no problems finding places for our luggage. We take off close to being on time.

Coming into Atlanta, the landing felt like we were going all over the runway. Leaving, it is the same. I do not know if it is turbulence, the runway or if we have the same pilot. Once we get up, things level off. It was just a long flight with the usual discomforts of being on a plane. There were a couple of times where we faced turbulence, but nothing which felt tremendously threatening. Even though I made a comment to Sherri that I felt about the same about plane flights and landings as I do about roller coasters.

Then coming into San Diego, there is more bouncing around. But the landing at least got us down safely, even if it felt like the pilot was not sure if he should brake and how much.

Our arrival was pretty much on time, about 6:20. Now we have about two hours and 40 minutes to wait for our trip back to Fresno. We eat our sandwiches. Then spend our time reading. I decided to go for a walk. When I pass a board with departures, I see our flight has been delayed by half an hour. Then they announce our arrival time has been moved to almost 11. It is a long day.

TSA Dog

The problem is the arriving plane was delayed. As soon as it came in, we got loaded into the plane and left. Even though the pilots said that there would be turbulence all the way, it was mostly at the start. Our landing was smooth.

It is cold when we get off the plane, in the upper 40’s. Also it has rained pretty good before we arrived. Steven is picking us up. He comes by a few minutes after we arrive at the pick up area. It is good to be back home after two weeks. We finally get to bed around midnight, which would be 3am Atlanta time.