Gary-Summer: March 24, 2021 - Briceburg to the West

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

March 24, 2021 - Briceburg to the West

Title: March 24, 2021 - Briceburg to the West

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Briceburg

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Incline Road
Destination: Railroad Flat Campground
Actual Destination: Good Gulch, but Sherri, Betty and Rose made past Hall Gulch
Distance: 6.97 miles¹
Start Time: 10:51
End Time: 3:18
Travel Time: 4:27 (1.57 mph)
Moving Time: 3:22 (2.08 mph)
Elevation Rise: 352'
Descent: 302‘
Maximum Elevation: 1,216'

GPS Tracks

¹I turned around about ¾ of a mile before Railroad Flat Campground, while Betty, Rose and Sherri went beyond Railroad Flat down the Merced River Gorge Trail. The mileage and elevation is what I traveled. The ladies traveled around the same mileage on their travels.

Description:

Rose, Betty, and Sherri above the Bridge

Today’s trip is one we have done a couple of times. The first time was with our son when we discovered the beauty of walking down this pretty warm road. The next time was with our Meetup group, in a pouring rain. Still enjoyable. Today we will hike with Betty and Rose. I wonder what this trail will bring?

Merced River

We leave Fresno at 9:00am with Betty. In Madera we pickup Rose-each in a separate car. You know we still are in the middle of a pandemic, even though we all are on our way to getting fully vaccinated. We arrived in Briceburg around 10:40. We pretty quickly started walking after arriving.

We cross over the Briceburg Bridge, being chased across by a car trying to cross after us. Then it is down the Incline Road. That pretty much describes what we will be walking on for the next several hours.

Redbud along our road

Of course the rest of the description is a lot different. We walk along the Merced River. While not the River of cascades and falls and rock of the upper part of the river. Still it is not a tame river, it is a wild and scenic river. But even the Merced is not the main draw. During the Spring time when the sun is shining, the wildflowers are out. There are the Redbuds, Shooting Stars, Blue Dicks, and then there are some California Golden Poppies. Not just some, but as we head down the River Gorge, there fields, and then whole hillsides of poppies. It is truly a glorious sight. The whole scene reminds me of:

California Golden Poppy

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
A hillside of poppies

Apparently the secret of this area is out Today both coming and going, we see several other people walking the road. Not only people, but the road is open to vehicles. Several cars go down to the three campgrounds. In previous trips, the road was closed and we pretty much had the road open to ourselves. We stop for lunch at one of them, McCabe Flat. Pleasant enough place.

Decision Committee

By this time, it is about 1:00pm and we have about an hour more before we need to turn around. I am feeling it is a bit warm-the ladies do not seem to be affected. We start hitting more poppy fields which mesmerizes the eyes and lifts one's heart.

It does not look like we will make it as far as Railroad Flat. But I know that is where the truly amazing poppy fields are, even though these are pretty good. So a plan is forming in my mind. I suggested that I go back and bring back our car, they can continue to walk down the road and hopefully see the poppy fields. After considering it, they accepted.

Merced River from another view

I start back while Rose, Betty and Sherri continue on down the road. While I am going uphill, the rising is really gradual. Something about seeing things in reverse, you pick up things which the eyes in the back of your head missed. While I stop occasionally, not nearly as much as when we came down. There is enough there to have me stop and take some pictures

Halls Gulch

By the time I got back to the car, it was 3:40. The drive down was a bit slow. The only hurry on my part is to be able to be in our regular 6:30 family Zoom. It took me about 25 minutes to drive the dirt road, dodging a few hikers and on-coming cars. The ladies were walking back up the road after having a great walk about a mile or so beyond Halls Gulch.

House along trail below Railroad Flat

By the time we got to Briceburg, it was 4:30. Then the discouraging incident which marred the day. Somebody had tried to break into Betty’s car, really messing up the handle on the passenger side. By the time we leave, it is closing in on 5:00pm. Sherri and I stop at Burger King in Mariposa-an OK place to eat. We arrived back home about 6:40, joining our Zoom meeting a bit late.

Merced River Trail

To fill you in on the ladies part of the trip, Sherri will tell us about that portion of the trip:

Gary graciously said He would go get the car so we can continue on our trek. We continued to enjoy the many flowers also the way as we came to Willow Placer Campground. We were figuring out where each of us would have our campground. Lots of shade at this campground. We continued on another half a mile to the Railroad Flat Campground. Again where do we want to camp? So on to crossing the bridge but first we explored the small waterfalls by the bridge. The poppies become even more expansive. The trail went right through the middle of the field. We came upon a house. It looks like it may have a stop on the railroad line but the house is updated for the current residents. It did have some amazing rock rolls by the house. There was also what looked like it may have been a coal chute. The road finally turned into the Merced River Trail. Our discussion here was what were those very green cedar doing here? They really seemed out of place. We wanted to go further but our turnaround time had come. We need to come back and go further on the trail. But as we turn around the poppies seem to explode with color. What an amazing place to be.