Gary-Summer: April 10, 2018 - Del Valle to Stewart Camp

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

April 10, 2018 - Del Valle to Stewart Camp

Title: April 10, 2018 - Del Valle to Stewart Camp
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Lichen Bark, Del Valle Regional Park

Hike Info:

Type: Backpacking

Trail:Ohlone Wilderness Trail, Sailor Camp Trail, Rowell Ridge, Greenside Road

Destination:Stewart Camp

Distance: 6.68 miles

Start Time: 11:55

End Time: 7:11

Travel Time: 7:15 (0.92 mph)

Moving Time: 5:57 (1.12 mph)

Elevation Rise: 3,472'
Descent: 1,256'

Maximum Elevation: 3,361'
Max Grade Incline: 40.8%

GPS Tracks

Description:

Lunch Time

I got up 6:50 and Sherri was up shortly afterwards. She had been coughing much of the night. So she was not sure if she should go. But we worked out a plan, including raiding some of David’s cough drops. The plan is to meet Andrea at the Mission Peaks parking lot at 10. So we leave at 9:00am, stopping at Walgreens for a few supplies, including a PayDay bar. We get to the parking lot at 9:40, with it being full. Andrea gets in at 10:10, but she finds a place. We decide to leave the RAV4 at Mission Peak and drive Andrea’s car to Del Valle.

We were to pick up our hiking permits from Del Valle-we already had the camp spots reserved. But when we got to the entry station-nobody was there. Nor at the visitor’s center. We spotted a groundskeeper and asked him. He was able to get us the map and a blank permit.

Sign post

So after having a quick lunch-more snacks than anything else, we took off. I left first, being the slowest uphill, around 11:50. The beginning is pretty steep. We go up and up and up. But I think I am doing pretty well. I get to a place where I can look over the Del Valle Reservoir and take a few pictures while Sherri and Andrea catch up with me.

But from this point on, Sherri and Andrea out pace me. We continue to go up steeply. I am thinking that this is one the harder hikes I have been on. But we should see as we continued on the with the day. We get to a rest stop and Andrea takes the bear canister from me. Well, I should not say she takes it but she does carry the bear canister from now on, throughout the whole trip. This is a good thing as I was having a hard time doing these climbs anyway. I am not sure that it's the weight, but the lighter load really does help some.

Del Valle Reservoir

Gary, Andrea, Sherri

A couple of points doing this stretch. When we come to the intersection of the Sailor Trail and the Vallecitos Trail, we come to a trail registry. We do sign in to the trail registry. Well sort of. The pen is not in a writing mode and we do not have any extra writing implement. So I leave an impression in the paper. Then we go up a little more than a mile-well the elevation gain seemed like a mile, but it was the distance. Here we get to Boyd Camp. Since I am the weakest link by now, I do not stop to use the facilities here, and keep going.

Road we have travelled already

Gary staring down a cow

I think we picked the right time to do this trail. Even though I'm sweating and moving slowly going up this trail, there is a lot of beauty in the green. The hills we see, then the oak and pine trees, and the flowers are just starting to come out in bloom-all are refreshing to the spirit, if not maybe the body. The only animals seen are a few birds but that is OK. These hills we are going over are rolling ridges. These are well defined by the growth of the trees towards the top, or close to the creeks.Between the two, the grass stand out their viridity.

Guardian Cows

WIlliams Gulch

Today we met five people. The first three were backpackers, who started out at Mission Peak-where we will end. They are on the easy part of their hike, even though going down this trail would be the hardship on the knees. Then there was another person who I met. After talking with him for a few minutes, I found out that he was using this as a training hike because he is on a trail crew. As it turns out, he works around Big Meadow and the San Joaquin River, my neck of the woods. He also looks like he's maybe around 50-55 years old. The last one just looks like he's working out-walking around and does not seem to be having any problems with going up the slopes which I'm having troubles with.

Sherri and Gray taking a rest

Much of the OWT alongside a series of water district properties, or even through them. So there is all of these off-shoot trails which just goes a short ways and stops, usually with a sign saying No Trespassing. So with the signage, it is not too hard to follow the trail. Most of time it is a road, probably a fire road or an access road. But there are times it turns into a one track trail.

Andrea, our flower child

One of these times is when we dropped into Williams Gulch. And by drop, I do mean drop is it a pretty long decline. Maybe 500’ down. Then we follow the creek a ways.I will say this creek is pretty and I can see why you might want to see it. Lots of shades of green color it. Once we cross the creek, it is back to climbing up the the slope on the other side. Seems unfair why couldn't they just go across the top of the. Of course we would have missed Williams Gulch but that would be a price I am willing to pay at the moment. So we continue on up and climbing out of the Gulch.

As we climb out of the Gulch, we go through an area called The Big Burn. But I must be fading as I do not see any signs of a burn. When we got to the top of the ridge, there is another dip, but nothing like the last. Then we climb up to Schlieper Rock. I should phrase that differently-we climb to the base of the rock and rest there for a few minutes. But not too long as we are now in the middle of a cloud. (From pictures I have seen on the net, if we had a clear day and the energy, the view would have been fantastic.

Sky and foothills

Altamont Pass Windmills

Then it back to the trail with more going up and up and up. That is until we hit the trail to Murietta Falls. Looking at the map we are getting pretty close to Stewart Camp where we are stopping for tonight. We can go on by the OWT which is a total of 1.8 miles or we can go down the Murietta Falls Trail and and get to the camp that way, about 1.35 miles. Seems like a no brainer to me, plus not as much climbing. Plus it goes right by Murietta Falls which I would like to see. Like I said, no brainer.

By this time, some clouds have enveloped us and so we are no longer able to see too far.At one point Sherri comes out of the mist like a Jedi figure. The trail down to Murietta Falls is pretty gentle and a lot easier than anything else we've been on today. We get to the creek which flows out of the Falls. First, it is barely a trickle, even with the rains we had last week. And then the cloud which we are in is hiding any trace of a fall. After a short discussion, we decide we are too tired and cold to chase down falls which may or may not be there.

Murietta Falls in fog

Stewart Camp

So we are left with walking back up a slope to Stewart Camp. The redeeming thing about Stewart Camp is that there's water and an outhouse, all the luxury is of home. The water we need to filter and the outhouse is an outhouse with no toilet paper. Good thing we brought the toilet paper with us. But when we get to the camp spot, for a few minutes, we are slow setting up. But it is getting dark and colder by the minute. So Sherri cooks while Andrea and I work on pitching our tents. All which we could find had a pretty good slope to it. So we pick the lesser of evils. Then there is a light sprinkle which gets us covering things up quick. But we had eaten already. It does hurry us into the warmth of our bags around 9pm.

Trail Lesson:

I just need to be in better shape!

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Breakfast in Mountain View	Ritz Crackers, Tortillas, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Mountain House-Beef Strogonoff	Clif Bar, GORP, Scratch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly, Girl Scout Cookies