Description:
Another In
Search Of…
adventure. Last time we were at Delilah
Lookout,
we found out that Balch
Camp has
a Heliport. We spent some time looking for it and maybe saw a spot of
a road going into it. So Balch Camp has been put onto our list of
places to go to. Not that we are expecting anything real scenic, but
more so we can have an understanding of what we are seeing from
Delilah.
Note: usually I write my blog
as a diary form. On this one, it is more of a series of incidences.
Each Incidence is preceded by a number which corresponds to the
number on the map.
We left our house in Fresno
around 10am with Sherri driving. She drove around about two-thirds
of Pine Flat Reservoir and then turned over the driving to me.
Trash.
On
July 4th,
we were listening to the radio at Delilah. A patrol passed over the
first bridge after Pine
Flat.
He saw two parties which had an illegal fire and had trashed the
place. We passed by the area and now had a better understanding of
what the patrol saw.
Balch Camp Heliport.
A couple of things, Delilah looks right down onto Balch Camp. So we
were interested in seeing it. From Delilah, I could not make out
what the buildings looked like-it is 7 miles away. But the housing
looks pretty modern, maybe nothing fabulous, but definitely not slum
housing. One of the things we do in the tower is make sure we know
our territory. In going through my list of places on July
5th, I
came across Balch Camp Heliport. I had not seen a Heliport down
there before so we started looking closer, even using Celeste to
assist us. Nothing definite. So we visited the Heliport. It is
across Dinkey Creek and up a ways. It definitely looks like a place
for a helicopter to land. I think it is mostly a place PG&E uses
as there were some insulators laying on some pallets. Could we see
Delilah? A big maybe.
Penstocks.
These pipes seemed to be a favorite of Brent’s when he was
training us at Delilah. One of the orientation points we verify our
firefinder with are a set of penstocks on Patterson
Bluffs.
To get here, we recross Dinkey
Creek
and travel up Black
Rock Road
(Road 11S12). Let me just say, I am glad I do not travel this every
day. It is paved, with potholes. But they are not bad. I am just
glad we did not meet another vehicle coming down. The road is that
narrow. One side is granite, the other side is a drop off of several
hundred feet. Not many alternatives. Now the penstocks themselves
are impressive. There are two of them, about five feet in diameter.
They run from the top of Patterson Bluffs to the North
Fork of the Kings,
at least a 4,000’ drop. It is about 95o
F where we are at. But touching the penstock, they are cool from the
water rushing through them.
Bicyclist.
Another impressive thing is while we are going up this narrow road,
we meet a bicyclist. He is sweating like crazy. Did I say it is hot?
He admits his craziness in doing this. He is heading towards Black
Rock Reservoir. We ask if he needs anything? He wonders if we have
some spare water? Yes, we have a litter bottle of water and give it
to him. We then continue on our way.
PG&E
We meet our only vehicles within a couple of miles of the bicyclist.
We tell them that there is a bicyclist up ahead. They look at us
like we are crazy.
|
Black Rock Reservoir |
Black Rock Reservoir.
We came up this road because of being interested in seeing Black
Rock Reservoir. Now the question is, do we want to go down the two
miles to get to it? We hemmed and hawed about this decision. The
decision is that we would continue to go on up the road, 11S18 and
see how far we get on that dirt road.
|
Black Rock Reservoir |
Haas Penstock.
These are the penstocks we learned about last year when the sun hit
them just right. This penstock is maybe 4’ in diameter and only
goes down about 3,000’-only 3,000’-into Black Rock Reservoir.
Not as photogenic as the Patterson penstocks, still impressive
enough.
|
Rancheria Creek Falls |
Rancheria
Creek Falls.
This dirt road is not too bad. Not very many ruts or potholes. It
does climb pretty good to get up to the level of Wishon Reservoir-we
do not go that way. We come to a place which has a lot of flat rock
and a small ridge. Sounds like a good place to stop and look out
over the canyon we climbed up. When I looked across the canyon,
there was a waterfall which Iam surprised at. I was not expecting
anything like it. Really a good fall.
|
Flat Place |
Patrol 43.
After leaving our falls, we drive for another couple of miles. We
see a Sierra National Forest patrol parked by the side of the road.
I think he was surprised anybody would come up that way. We
introduce ourselves saying we sometimes hear him on the radio when
we are at Delilah Lookout. Sherri and him talk for a few minutes and
then we are on our way.
|
Sequoia at McKinley Grove |
McKinley
Grove.
This is by Dinkey Creek. We get out and enjoy the Sequoias. A few
other people are there. We take a stroll on the paved path around
the grove, just soaking in the tree’s beauty. Sherri thinks we
have been here before, I am not so sure. She is probably right-I
just do not remember.
Hungry
Hut. I
am hungry. We have not had lunch, so an early dinner is in order.
There is no indoor seating. But about half the people have masks and
the other half do not. Sherri goes and orders our meal. Mine is a
classic cheeseburger, Sherri’s is a tri-tip sandwich. We go over
to the Shaver Lake Library and park in the shade and enjoy our
dinner.
Buckeye Heliport. You
would think we would be tired of heliports by now. On July
3rd we
heard a report of a smoke at a Buckeye Heliport. Where in the world
is this? After hearing a bit more, we found out it is most of the
way up the four-lane going to Shaver Lake. We did not see smoke and
they did not find anything either. But we at least figured out where
it was and what it looks like now.
We continued on home. It was
decided that stopping at Costco for gas could wait another day since
it was Friday and 5:15 already. We made it home by 5:30, tired, but
glad we did this.
Background
Penstock
From Wikipedia:
a sluice or gate or
intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that
delivers water to hydro turbines and sewerage systems. The term is
inherited from the earlier technology of mill ponds and watermills
Haas Penstock.
This penstock is part of PG&E’s system on the North Fork of the
Kings River. This includes Courtwright and Wishon dams, whih is where
the water which feeds this penstock and others comes from.
(Wikipedia)
In the May
2011 Currents
magazine, which is PG&E’s rag, it has a picture of the Haas
Powerhouse.
|
Penstock at the Balch Camp Heliport-Delilah is around the right of the ridge, probably above the windsock |
|
Penstock going through Balch Camp |
|
North Fork of the Kings |
|
Patterson Bluffs and the North Fork of the Kings |
|
Patterson Bluffs |
|
Powerhouse on the North Fork of the Kings |
|
Patterson Bluffs, penstock and the North Fork of the Kings |
|
Looking down towards the Kings |
|
Looking down both penstocks |
|
Looking up the penstocks to Patterson Bluffs |
|
Patterson Creek Falls |
|
Pan of Rogers Ridge |
|
Patterson Bluffs |
|
Haas Penstock descending into Black Rock Reservoir |
|
Holding up the Haas Penstock |
|
Rancheria Creek Falls |
|
Rancheria Creek Falls |
|
Tree Close to where we parked |
|
Sequoias and Sun |
Flowers and Plants
|
Buckwheat |
|
A pea of some sort |
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