Title: March 19, 2014 - Salt Creek BLM Trail
Trail head: Skyline Road, Three Rivers
Hike Info:
Type: Hiking
Trail: Salt Creek BLM Trail
Destination: Table #3
Distance: 6.99 miles
Start Time: 8:56am
End Time: 2:55pm
Travel Time: 5:58 (1.17 mph)
Moving Time: 3:30 (2.00 mph)
Elevation Rise: 2,068'
Maximum Elevation: 2,733'
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| Start of hike |
Description:
One of the fun things hiking with the Mid-Week Meetup group is the different people whom you meet. Such as Lisa and her climbing Colorado 14er's-I am in awe of that; or KO from Three Rivers who I had a good conversation with while she patiently hiked with an old man; or Theresa, Ric's wife, or for that matter Ric whom I had hiked with before but not really talked with. Of course, there is the regulars such as Jerry, John and Cathey, Betty, Rose, Jeffery, Manjeet, Bill, Kate-the list could go on for a ways. But you get the idea. One my major tenants of hiking is that it is as much about the social aspect as the miles and the beauty.
But on to the hike. We met in Fresno for our caravan down to Visalia and Three Rivers. Got to Three Rivers where we picked up several of the south valley group and then car pooled up Skyline Road to the trail head. Parking is a bit tight there so it is fortunate to have a guide like KO to plan for that kind of thing. But we all got there and the cars get parked legally. The hike commences a few minutes before 9.
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| The zig-zag up the hill |
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| The Shelf |
It is going to be a hot day. But the group is in good cheer and starts out pretty exuberant. We meander around, doing a little up and a little down. After about a mile, we cross Salt Creek, going to the north side, going clockwise on this loop. The trail then starts rising. I walk with KO and her dog for over a mile. The talk is on the various backpacking trips we will be going on this summer. She is looking at exploring the Kern-Kaweah basin area and is looking for people to explore with her. I am interested, but I think I would be an anchor on a speed boat. With the road rising rapidly, I am needing a bit more breath to talk, or at least a little slower pace. KO goes on and I fall into step with Lee. KO had been accommodating to my pace, but I feel more comfortable at Lee's speed.
The road zig-zags up the side of a hill, rising about a 1,000' in this are. Good thing this is the morning because the sun shines directly on us. In a wet year, or at least a normal one, this place would be just spectacular. Even now there are a variety of yellows, whites and purples. But the density of the flowers is rather lite. There is a rock shelf which we are climbing above.
Salt Creek comes over this shelf. This creek and a tributary only leave a wet stain on this shelf. But you can tell there would be a nice set of falls in at least a couple of places if the water was flowing. Guess this means we will need to come back up here another time.
Lee and I stop in the shade of a tree, unzipping our pants legs. Theresa and Harold comes up the road and joins us. When we leave, I leave our bag of
jelly bellies for Sherri to pick up. The sun is starting to get to me-at least I feel my energy sinking. Lee has it right-this road is becoming a trudge. I am sucking water from my bladder like crazy. Fortunately, we round a curve and the rest of the group is waiting at the top of a knoll, around table #3-see the
BLM table map. I wait around for Sherri to come up. But she is further back than what I thought she was. The good thing is I think I was walking better than I thought I was.
Sherri and gang comes up eventually. But there are no jelly bellies in hand. But Jeffery had picked them up. Best laid schemes of mice and men-bet you never thought the Robert Burns would be writing about jelly bellies, did you? Enjoyable time just to relax. Dana introduces Lisa to me and she is interested in GPS'. I tell her what I know, but Ric is Mr. GPS and is able to tell her a lot more about what he these things. In talking with Lisa, she and her husband are in the process of doing all 58 14er's in Colorado which will require many times going off trail, hence the need for a good GPS.
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| Hikers |
We now start out and I walk with John, at the end of the pack. Speaking of packs, I am wearing my Gregory and it is feeling more and more comfortable. The trail starts its descent. Instead of a road like we have been going up, it is slowly turning into a single track, which is fine with me. It is enjoyable walking through the hillside grasses up, and mostly, down the rolling ridges. Eventually we cross Salt Creek, more of a wide area of water, with a slow little trickle dropping into a ravine. KO has taken a group above where we are. We can hear the voices, but not see them. They are going above the falls, or there would be. KO talks about how the whole area above these falls were covered by moss, but through increased use, about a third of the moss has been removed. We as hikers and people who enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoor need to be on alert to our own impact as we travel through an area.
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| Newts |
John's group comes to another place where there should be falls and they head off other to it-this is at table #6. I wait around and Sherri comes back from looking at the other falls. There is a small creek nearby and she spots a ball of newts in the creek. It should be noted that this newt ball, is really a lascivious event of males swarming over a female-haven't they ever heard of Match.com? Interesting seeing them like this.
Now it is off time to tackle going down a ridge which will cause us to descend until we reach the road we originally come in on. This is going down 1,000', pretty steeply in places. There is a bike track which goes straight down the ridge. Most of our group uses this route. But I notice another patch which forms a sine wave on its side going down the hill. I take that. With the added distance, I can stretch out my legs and not feel like I am pounding my knees and feet with the straighter and shorter way. To the others I think I must look like a fool on a mission. But I get to enjoy the sides of the ridge rather than concentrate on looking only at the trail.
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| Fry's Point |
My Boy Scout training kicks in to provide assistance down some of the more interesting drops. Makes me feel good about myself, more than anything else. But we all make it down and gain the road. Somehow the road seems a lot longer going back than when we started. We get back to the cars a few minutes before 2, hot and sweaty at least I am. Lunch was then pizza in Three Rivers, where many of us are talking about going on a backpacking trip. Then it is on to Fresno, getting home around 6.
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