February 16, 2022 - Miami Mountain

 

 

Title: February 16, 2022 - Miami Mountain

Hike Info : Description :   Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Miami Mtn Road

Trail: Miami Mtn Road

Destination: Miami Lookout

Distance:  4.22 miles 

Start Time: 9:45

End Time:  1:06

Travel Time:  3:21 (1.26 mph)

Moving Time:   2:08 (1.98 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,078'

Descent: 1,061‘

Maximum Elevation:4,336 '

GPS Tracks

Description:

Start of the road up

The goal today is to hike up to Miami Mountain Lookout with our friends Betty and Rose. Woke up unaided at 6:30, my normal time. The big question is will Sherri feel like going this morning. She was a bit under the weather last night. By 8:00, I pretty much had the answer since she did not get up. 8:30 comes and so does Betty who rings the doorbell. We leave in separate cars. We come to the El Meso and 41 off-ramp and find Rose there. After exchanging greetings, I give directions on getting to the trailhead. This is one of those don’t blink, you will miss it turn offs. But we all make it by 9:40. By 9:55, or boots are starting to kick up dust.

Rose and Betty almost to the top

 

 

This route up Miami Mountain is a dirt road, some of it being through private property which allows access to the Miami Mountain Lookout. I have done this several times and know that it is a pretty good haul up the mountain, but doable. It will test how good of shape I am in, also if my lungs will hold out.

The first small section is by the home of the person with private property. A dog comes out to greet us and perform guard duty. The person I have heard is heavily involved in keeping the lookout open. Sounds like a win-win.

The air is cool, but even so, I take off my long-sleeve shirt and feel comfortable walking in the sun. A lot of times when I have done Miami Mtn, it has been 10-20 degrees warmer and there is cause to sweat heavily.

Signal Lookout

I will not say the walk is boring for two reasons. The first is because when you are walking up this road, you are surrounded by oaks and manzanita (or is there some madrone mixed in?), and other shrubbery. Lots there to keep you going. By the way, we do not see much in the realm of wildlife: a few birds and some tracks. Secondly because when you are walking with friends, there is a lot of goodness to everyday conversation: how was Hawaii? Where are you going to celebrate a birthday? How is the ranch doing? And so on. All part of friendship. So good to walk this way.

As we have been climbing for awhile, Betty makes a comment that we seem to be circling around the mountain. And yes we are. Shortly afterwards, we turn and are on the final leg of approach to the top of the mountain and the lookout. The top of Miami is fairly mild, it is a long slightly rounded top with the two story lookout sitting on its crown. There is new construction going on with the telecommunications system. The top is acquired around 11:20.

 

 

Prescribed Burn

There are several smokes showing towards the east, particularly. These are from fireplaces burning to keep the house warm. We see them all the way over to the foot of Shuteye Peak. Also, we can barely make out the lookout on top of that peak. But Signal Lookout on top of Devil’s Peak is fairly evident to the northwest of us. This is a good place to have lunch.

When we were seeing the various chimney smokes, it looked like there was one out of the ordinary to the north. After lunch, when I glanced over there, the smoke had gotten bigger and did not act as a single column, more like a wildland fire. But was Sierra NF doing a prescribed burn? Looking at Facebook, the Forest had an entry saying that starting Tuesday they would be doing a prescribed burn in the Lewis Creek drainage. . Bingo. That is where the smoke is going from. Also judging from the location I think it is in the Miami OHV area close to 41.

 

 

On the Way Down

Our trip down the mountain is much like the trip up it. Low mountain vegetation, views of snow in the high mountains and good conversation. That would be also without the huffing and puffing I experienced on the way up. We arrived back at the car by 1pm without incident and by 1:20, our cars touched pavement. The drive home was relaxed, as was I. It did feel good to park the car in our garage. I touched base with Sherri-she is feeling better. Then laid down for a little while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Extra Photo's

Merced Peak, Triple Divide Peak and Mount Raymond

Looking West

Panorama looking east

Little Shuteye and Shuteye

February 13, 2022-Hawaii: Back to Fresno

Title: February 13, 2022-Hawaii: Back to Fresno

Hike Info : Description

Hike Info:

Type:Car

Description:

It will take a bit of time to get readjusted to being in California. One thing is sleep. I woke up around 5 and spent some time trying to get back to sleep. But I slept until 8-6am Hawaii time. The shower felt good. Then we then went down for breakfast. Pretty filling with oatmeal, an egg omelet and pastry. I even indulged in having a box of chocolate milk-it was very light on the chocolate.

We will be checking out before 11, then go to the Dalma house to see how it has changed before heading down to Gilroy so I can pick up some shoes. Success! Now my family will not quiz me about when will I get new shoes. It just was bit more than I have ever paid for a tennis shoe.

We head over Pacheco Pass and into Los Banos. The pizza place and yogurt frozen desert shops are gone. So we contented ourselves with a Habit burger. By the time we get back to Fresno it is about 4:30.

Packing light, it does not take very long to unpack. Then in a ritual we picked up in Hawaii, there is the catching of the evening sky as the sun goes down-Hawaii’s seem to be more spectacular. But this is our home sky and it seems good just the same.

February 12, 2022-Hawaii: Flight to San Jose

 

Title: February 12, 2022-Hawaii: Flight to San Jose
Hike Info : Description :

Hike Info:

Type:Airplane

Description:

I think both Sherri and I were a bit excited about today. Neither of us slept really well, but got enough hours to give us rest. We got up around 6:30 and put the finishing touches on getting ready. Kevin makes it looks like we were never there-stripping the sheets and arranging the room we slept in for the guests after he leaves. He is pretty efficient that way.

At 8am, we are being chauffeured by Kevin and David to the Kona airport. We arrive without incident or seeing a final whale. It has been a good time in Hawaii. We quickly pass through the TSA line-they have a new scanner which makes it so you do not have to take anything out of our backpacks. Makes it so much easier. We wait around for about 45 minutes before boarding our flight.

At exactly 10:10, our SouthWest flight leaves the gate and we are on our way back to California. The flight to Honolulu is only about 50 minutes, leaving us about two hours to lounge around. We devour one of our peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches while we are waiting. There is a whole long line of people coming into Hawaii having their COVID status checked.

About 12:30, our group starts boarding and a little after 1pm we begin a long taxi before taking off. I do a lot of reading during the flight, finishing up James Lapine’s Putting It Together and consuming Michael Lewis’ The Fifth Risk. After awhile, I switched to looking and describing the pictures we have taken over the past ten days. Between David, Sherri and myself, we took over 350 pictures-a lot less than our Death Valley trip. Still a substantial number to go through.

The plane lands about half an hour early. That is good. Also when we call up the parking shuttle, the driver is already at the airport picking up people. So we get right in and over to our car by 9pm. We take a round about way to get to the hotel.

We are back at the Holiday Inn Express where we stayed before going to Hawaii. Before we left, David had confirmed that we were getting a king size bed and that my name would be on it. This did not happen. The person who checked us in-David had already checked us in. But the hotel did not have our name. So they called David who authorized us to stay. We got a room, but instead of a king, there is two queens-not the end of the earth, just not expected. The darkening curtain would not lower all the way. Rereading this paragraph, I am being too hard on the hotel. It is a comfortable room, one which we will sleep well in. It just was not what we expected after the excellent night we had before going to Hawaii.

It is 9pm in Hawaii or 11 in San Jose. So it is time to go to bed.

February 11, 2022-Hawaii: Two Step

 

Title: February 11, 2022-Hawaii: Two Step
Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type:Snorkeling

Description:

Two Step area

I got up at 6:30 and ate breakfast. David made Sherri a croissant and egg sandwich which she devoured-I being the stick in the mud have my granola. We left the condo at 7:30. In Kona, we stop by the Kona Beach Hostel. David’s friend Paul and his girlfriend Kim is staying there. Kevin, Sherri and I talked about the varied COVID responses. Some seem to be more effective, others less so, depending on ones philosophy, and then there are the ones which are hypocritical. David has gone with Paul, so he missed out on this discussion.

Returning from snorkeling

We get to Two Step around 8:45. This is the first time Paul and Kim have gone snorkeling, so they get instruction, along with gear from Kevin’s place. Shortly afterwards we go into the water. Today, instead of being the clear water like it was Monday and Wednesday, there is somewhat limited visibility under the surface-not as bad as it could be. We can still see lots of fish. We even come across some butter fish.

I turn around and realize that Kevin, Paul and friend have started in. When David surfaces, I point to where they are going, so we go on in. It does not seem like anything is terribly wrong, just the supplied equipment seems to be not quite right. Paul is willing to go back in, so the four of us go in. We head back out towards the reed, but on the bay side. Kevin and David spots an eel and shows Paul and I. There is always interesting stuff we see under water’s surface.

 

 

Kevin goes on in, and shortly afterwards, so do the three of us. We shed our equipment and talk for awhile at the bench. Paul and Kim are going to go on to explore the island. We will head back up the highway. We stop at Costco. But there is a long, long line to get into the building. We are not sure why people are not being allowed in. But we decide that we do not need to go in. And continue on our way to the condo.

The afternoon is spent packing for tomorrow’s trip. Also David and I exchange pictures. And of course, we are becoming experts on the Olympic sport of Curling. Also started reading another Michael Lewis book, The Fifth Risk. I figured I needed something on the plane.

I think David and Kevin want to send us off right. They have made another supremely wonderful meal-BBQ chicken, veggies, and baked potato. Can it get any better? Actually yes. Not only that, we packed it all to the beach by Mauna Lani,resort called the Puako Petroglphs Park. Yes there are petroglyphs. While waiting for the sunset, we eat in a little awooded lcove. A mongoose came and tries to join us, but David drove him off. Wonderful time. Then we got a splendid sunset to end our last day on the Big Island.

We came back to the condo, which is feeling like home these days. We watched a bit more Olympics, ate some more of David’s birthday cheese cake. Then went to bed by 8pm. Tomorrow we leave around 8am.

 
Extra Photo's

Title: February 10, 2022-Hawaii: Scratch on Snorkeling, But Go to Wai’po and a Book Group

 

Title: Title: February 10, 2022-Hawaii: Scratch on Snorkeling, But Go to Wai’po and a Book Group
Hike Info : Description   Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type:Car

Description:

I think I may be a bit apprehensive about going to Puako again-David and Kevin may be a bit as well

First beach entrance at Puako

. Last night’s sleep was a bit interrupted. But I still got about 8 hours of sleep and an hour more of laying in bed. Also before going to Puako, I felt a bit jittery. Taking my blood sugar reading it is low. So I start scarfing up a mochi, then some macadamia nut cookies and a glass of milk.

By the time we get to Puako, I am OK blood sugar wise-we will see how my mind works when my toes touch the water. But when we get to the first beach access, there seems to be some pretty rough water out there. Everybody is more cautious after last time, so we do not go into the water here. But we continue on down to an access spot close to the Catholic Church. At first, the waters seem to be acceptable, but then on a closer look, there was rough water with even bigger waves. So snorkeling today is a scratch.

David and the malasadas

We head back to the condo, where we have breakfast. Then we pack up to head over to the eastern side of the island. We go through Waimea again-we got our ice cream here earlier. Then on to Tex Drive-In. This was on our list of places to go. Why you might ask? For the malasadas, of course! Not only that, Kevin notes that we on a select items, if you buy a lunch, you will get a second one free. So we get a hamburger Loco-Moco (after reading the background, I might not have ordered :-) (Kevin gets two beef curry stew rice bowls.) The Loco-Moco is OK, nothing compared to the malasada.

 

 

 

 

Waipo'o Overlook

 

 

 

We then take off to the Waipi’o Overlook. It is only about a twenty minute drive. The view, as we have been here before, is really awesome. You look up the coast-this is where they filmed parts of Waterworld. Then looking up the Waipi’o Valley is good, with its lushness. We spend about 25 minutes just gazing on this.

 

 

 

 

 

Brothers: David and Gary

And then we return back to the condo by 12:30. While I do not think I have done much today, I am tired, so I go upstairs to take a nap. Then I work on getting my questions organized for tonight’s book group. I come down around 3 and putter around for awhile-watch a bit of the Olympics. Sherri has gone out for a swim in the pool. Around 4pm, Sherri and I have the second Loco-Moco bowl. The bowl is a bit degraded, but still edible.

And then 5pm comes around; 7pm PST. Our book group gets started and we talk about Michael Lewis’ book, The Premonition. Sherri and I are on Zoom, most of the rest of the group is in person. It works out fairly decently-just a bit hard to guide the discussion remotely. Kevin and David take off to give us some space-there is not too much private which is said in book group. We end up at 7pm after a good and vibrant discussion.

David and Kevin come back a bit later. I think we are all ready for bed. Tomorrow is our last full day on the Big Island. I suspect my body is ready for a return to my ordinary life. Still it is a place I enjoy and I hope to enjoy this last day as well.

 

 

 
Extra Photo's

Beach at Waipi'o

A plantation in the Waipi'o Valley

We were fascinated with this "Waipi'o spider"

The Waipi'o Overlook

Sherri and our LocoMoco

Animals

 
Flowers and Plants

February 9, 2022-Hawaii: David’s Birthday, Two Step

 

 

Title: February 9, 2022-Hawaii: David’s Birthday, Two Step
Hike Info : Description :   Extra Photo's 

Hike Info:

Type: Snorkeling

Description:

Today is David's birthday. it is good to have him as a brother, not only for having us on this trip and for taking care of me yesterday. but for all of the times before where we have bonded. It is not just because of being family, but we do enjoy each other. This really started when he was in college and has continued on through his time in Colorado, moving back to Mountain View as our Mom declined and now with his current iteration in Eureka. So good to have him.

Today we left the condo at 8am and headed south back to Two Step. I wanted to get back in the water after yesterday and figured that Two Step is a safe to go. Even though the water gets immediately deep, you have to be either near shore or the reef to hit ground. Not only that it is a wonder to look down into.

 

Kevin, David and I take off into the middle of the bay, looking at all sorts of rocks and crevices for life. The coral looks like it is making a comeback. While the fish do not seem as plentiful as they were Monday, they are still good to look at.

We head over beyond the reef, into the open ocean. I think I was still concerned after yesterday. The waves were awesome breaking onto the reef. David and Kevin got close, I stayed away. But the fish life was not as interesting as Monday out here. So we looked around for about 15 minutes and then headed back into the bay.

About this time, Kevin was ready to go back in. David and I just zig zag around looking at interesting life for about another 20 minutes before we went headed in. David found an eel hiding just a little ways from the entry point. We then climbed onto the rocks out of the water.

Costco Cheesecake

On the way back to the condo, Kevin phoned Don-another Eureka buddy. He and his wife were glad to hear from us, wishing David a happy birthday. Also they praised God that yesterday David and Kevin had been there to pull me past the rip tide. We stopped at Costco for some more groceries=Sherri and I stayed in the car. Then off to the condo.

Turf and Surf

We had David’s dinner at lunch time. David got to fix his own dinner of steak and shrimp. Good stuff. Then it was rest time-I took a nap for awhile. Then came down and watched the Olympics with David-he had gone for a walk while I was napping. 

 

 

 

 

At 5, we went on our family Zoom time. It was good to hear from all three kids. In the middle, we ate a slice of birthday Costco cheesecake. Then went to watch the sunset. Beautiful place by the Lava Lava club. Then back to the condo for more Olympics and hitting the bed by 8:30.

 

 

 
Extra Photo's