Gary-Summer: November 1, 2017

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

November 1, 2017 - Hart Tree

Title: November 1, 2017 - Hart Tree
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Redwood Mountain

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking :

Trail: Hart Tree, Redwood Canyon Trails

Destination: Hart Tree

Distance: 8.01 miles

Start Time: 9:14

End Time: 3:34

Travel Time: 6:19 (1.27 mph)

Moving Time: 5:54 (1.36 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,612'

Maximum Elevation: 6,447'

GPS Tracks

Looking up a Sequoia

Description:

This is a meetup hike, so we gather at 7 at the Sportsman store. Jeff is driving. We will stop at Grant Grove for bathroom break before heading to the trailhead at Redwood Mountain.

Unnamed Falls on Redwood Creek

We get to the trailhead a little after 9. Our boots start gathering trail dust at 9:15. There is about 20 of us, most of whom I have hiked with before. Looking forward to hiking with all of them today. John is having Korina take the lead. Meetup has potential event organizers accompany an experienced organize twice before going solo.

Autumn Leaves

We quickly separate into speed groups, or in my case, lack there of. I am walking with John, Jeff, Bruce and a few others. The first part of the trail is a good downhill, ending at a large Sequoia tree. Here is the junction of our returning trail. We will pass this spot in seven hours or so. But now the group is waiting for us. Off we go to the left, or if you will, the south.

Burnt Tree and Redwood Mtn

It is a normal trail, with the beauty of walking through Sequoia trees. These are not the old trees of Giant Forest or Grant Grove. But are younger or at most middle age. A certain freshness fills the air, even with the dogwoods showing their red aging leaves of Autumn. Sequoia’s do more than stand for centuries; they refresh the soul, making us humans realize we are so transient.

Good Hiking Form

There is a place along this trail where you can look out over Redwood Canyon and Mountain. While it will never make a top ten viewpoint, it is a pleasant place to stop and look. We move one, going past Buena Vista Meadow with a glimpse of Buena Vista Peak. Once again the Sequoias crowd around us. These are young and slender trees, but still taller than any other tree in the area. We see a pair of backpackers from Louisiana. So we stop and talk with them, exchanging places we have been with places they have been. This really puts us behind the rest of the group. But it is something which backpackers do.

Overlook to Redwood Canyon and Mountain with Dennis

After many stops to picture take, we come to the Hart Tree. The center attraction of our walk. Strangely enough, we do not take a picture of this tree. But we stop for a snack-in our case the usual peanut butter and Nutella sandwich. Korina gets instructions from John about when it is time to move on: when people are talking and not looking tired. So after 10-15 minutes, that is what we do.

East For Falls

We start moving as Korina and John chases us away from a comfortable log to sit on. A short ways after the Hart Tree, we come to the East Fork of Redwood Creek. Here a nice little waterfall greets us. Another Kodak moment which puts us a ways behind everybody else. But it is well worth the enjoyment of this fall, tucked away after the main attraction. So many people come for the big names. But it is the unnamed which may be the bigger hits in my book.

Now it is time to descend into the Canyon proper. Maybe about 400’ drop. This walking is not bad. By this time Sherri and I have dropped back with John as our protector. We meet a lone hiker coming up the slope-going up it faster than we are going down. Of course, he is sweating, we are not. Then we come to Redwood Creek and the log crossing for it. Cathey is inching across, but doing well. John follows her. I am next, followed by Sherri. Thoughts run through my mind, like, I wonder how hard those rocks are and how much they will hurt if I hit them? How deep is that water? But across we go all safe.

Autumn Along Redwood Creek

Time to go up the canyon. The rest of our group are also ready going up the canyon. Some of the faster hikers are all the way up, I am sure. Others are chugging up the 600’ climb. Now, normally a 600’ climb just falls into the category of moaning and complaining but nothing to really be concerned over. Today, I am concerned just because of the past history of the last couple of months-no need to go into my lament. You can read my previous blogs if you really want to know. So I am relieved to be going with a slower group. I find I am going up pretty well. My breath is doing good and the legs are strong enough. I even get to stop and take a couple of pictures along the way. Being slower gives one the opportunity to admire your surroundings. With good companions, we make it up the slope, about 2¼ miles and 600’ in two hours. Not Olympic times, still not bad-we made it.

By the time we reach the top, only nine of us are left. So we go over to Grant Grove for a bite to eat at the DNC restaurant. But it does not open until 5:00pm. So two of the cars decide to go to Bear Mountain Pizza. We decide we want a slightly elevated fare and head back to Fresno. Here we find a Habit burger which fits everybody’s desires. A good way to end the day to have dinner with Rose and Jeff. Now to home for a well-deserved shower.