Title: _
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type:Car

Description:



Trail Lesson:

Background




Extra Photo's

Animals




 
Flowers and Plants

November 27, 2025 - Eureka, Thanksgiving Day

 

Title: November 27, 2025 - Eureka, Thanksgiving Day
Hike Info : Description

Hike Info:

Type: Stay at Home

Description:

I got up an hour earlier than yesterday-at 7:30. I certainly am getting more rest. My breakfast is my usual granola. After breakfast I am thinking I would like to go for a walk. Both Sherri and Rachel would like to go, but after they have had their breakfast. Then Sherri wants to finish making my pumpkin roll-see the picture for November 25th. By this time, we need to go over to pick up the keys from Don for Lawrence and Andrea’s lodging while they are here.

By the time we get everything situated, it is about 11. Steven is also joining us on our walk. David has suggested going over to the McKay Tract-where we have walked before. We take off walking towards Walnut Dr, then south on Walnut, until the sidewalk gives way at Pleasant Dr where we wander around that neighborhood for a few minutes before coming back out on Campton and then back to David’s place. This took about 40 minutes with us walking about a mile and three-quarters. David is surprised by our route-he thought we were driving. I guess McKay will wait for another day.

Close to 2, Andrea and Lawrence come in. A little after 2 our Thanksgiving Day dinner is served. David has deboned the turkey and smoked half of the turkey and fried the other half. Both are good. Of course there is more than that for us: green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, bread and more. Everybody is satisfied. I wash dishes with Rachel and David helping out. The rest of them go for another walk.

Then it is game time with solitaire and jigsaw puzzles. We do a short break for dessert of apple pie, pumpkin roll, and ice cream. Then onward to playing more games. Andrea has us trying to draw a face without lifting a pen and not looking at the person’s face. I think mine could be a passable paper-mache Picasso than a lifelike rendition. Then we place a Star Wars Escape Room game. By the time we finish the So Clover game it is after 9. It is time for Lawrence and Andrea to escape to their abode for tonight. I get to bed about 9:45.

November 26, 2025 - Eureka

Title: November 26, 2025 - Eureka

Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type:Walking


Description:

 

Rachel, the Banana Slug

I do not think I was tired-evidently I was as it was about 8:30 before I got up. This is about an hour and a half more than I usually sleep. I think it was just feeling so comfortable under the blankets and comforter. I got up when Sherri got up for a quick trip before coming back to bed. Rachel and David were already up when I went into the kitchen.

I had granola for breakfast. After Steven and Sherri got up, Rachel went for a run. Seems like we all wanted to go for a walk. David recommended doing laps around the Sequoia Zoo while the rest of us walked around Sequoia Park. David would go and run an errand.

 

This turns out to be a good recommendation for the walkers. We head down to the pond, then up to the far end of the park, exiting onto Glatt Street. It is a nice walk through redwoods and a couple meadows. It is cool, which is nice for walking. I am glad I switched out of my sweatshirt. We meet several people, but only to say Hi or Good Morning. We worked our way back to the Zoo and our car. 

 

Light and Trees

Rachel found that running laps around the Zoo’s perimeter did not work out-too many people.. There is a school across the street which she ran around. She ended up at the playground by the Park. She thinks this would be a great place to do a family photo.

Someplace around 12:30 we returned to David’s house. With my late and large breakfast, I was not interested in lunch, even though later on I did munch on some cinnamon crunch cereal stuff while we played rounds of double fast solitaire. I also found myself prone, resting for about 45 minutes.

By the time 2:30 rolls around, and I am on the short side of several rounds of solitaire, Rachel, David and Sherri take off to pay a visit to a place David has taken lessons from: John Gibbons Glass. They were fascinated by the blown glass work, including a large turtle sculpture. All came back around 4, pretty excited. What did I do while they were gone? I washed dishes and wrote up some notes on Amy Tan’s book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles.

We played some more solitaire and a round of cribbage which Steven won. Then it was time for dinner. David made Jambalaya-much better than when I made it. When 7pm rolled around, we watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Then it is time to retire to bed and our showers. By 9:45, I think we are all tucked into bed. Andrea and Lawrence have made it down to Grants Pass. Tomorrow they will be coming in around noon for Thanksgiving.

 

 

November 25, 2025 - Go to Eureka

 

Title: November 25, 2025 - Go to Eureka
Hike Info : Description 

Hike Info:

Type:Car

Description:

I slept in later than I expected, about 7. I am not sure what time Sherri got to bed, but I know it was late (turns out it was at 1:30, but apprehension had her getting her rest later than that.) I got a few things loaded into the car last night and added more this morning. We will have a really stuffed back end.

Sherri's Treat For Gary

It has been foggy the past couple of days, so we are not planning on leaving early. Rachel comes over a little before 10 and I can now do the final packing. Our vehicle’s back-end is a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle-that may be appropriate for this trip.. But I managed to get everything in and still have a little space to see through the back window.

We hit the road at 10:26 with Rachel driving. She takes us out via 41 and Herndon, vs my old fuddy-duddy way of going over to 180 to 99. Not sure which way is faster. The traffic is heavy. We stopped once at the Turlock rest stop. Then have lunch at Leatherby’s in Elk Grove.

Since this was Tuesday, we did Leatherby's Two for Tuesday special-At least Sherri and I did. Steven and I had tri-tip sandwiches with fries. Sherri had a California sandwich, while Rachel had a tuna and cheese sandwich. The special includes a medium sundae. Sherri was smart and got a small. Afterwards we both should have gotten a petite sundae. My ice cream was mint oreo-I will need to order that again; Sherri was a peanut butter oreo ice cream.

I drove from there with a stop at the Elk Grove Costco. then up 5 till we got to Williams, where we took 20 over to Clear Lake. We stopped in Nice at a park to switch drivers as well to use the public facilities. There actually are two bathrooms in Lucerne right before Nice. We hit one of them last time though-that one was a bit yukie.

Rachel and the Gyro Spinner

Steven took over driving in Nice. he came out onto 101. By this time, it is approaching 5. The vote is to stop in Willets at the Taco Bell there. I am still content from my Leatherby’s lunch, but the other three ordered a dinner while I walked around. I managed to get in a few steps. Then off we go up 101 to David’s.

Steven is still driving and I am in the back seat, doing a little bit of browsing when we have a connection. Otherwise either listening to conversations or adding a bit to my blog write-ups. Steven gets us to David’s house about 10 minutes before I expected us to be there, about 8:20. David has not gone to bed yet. We unpack the car, then move things into more appropriate rooms.

Once done, we start to relax, sort of. Rachel has picked up one of David’s spyro spinners and is trying to make it go. David shows her how and then gets Steven and Sherri also involved. It looks like it will be that kind of stay while we are up here-playing with David’s toys. We all drift off to bed by 9:30, not saying we go to sleep, just off to our own rooms.

November 11, 2025 - The Other Wawona Loop

  

Title: November 11, 2025 - The Other Wawona Loop
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Wawona Visitor Center Parking Lot

Trail:  Chowchilla Mountain Road, Four Mile Road, Part of the Bills Hill Trail, Wawona Meadow Loop

Destination: Loop

Distance:  6.45 miles

Start Time: 12:17

End Time:     4:47

Travel Time: 4:30  (1.43 mph)

Moving Time: 3:47   (1.71 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,121'

Descent: 1,102‘

Maximum Elevation: 4,839'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I got up at 5:30. Today we are going to do a hike up at Wawona. Unlike a couple of weeks ago, we will be doing an extended loop around Wawaona Meadows. But first, I have a 9:00am appointment with my dental hygienists. I worked on my book blog-we are having the author of Consummation for my Book Group Thursday and I need to be prepared for it. The hygienist visit went well. I think this was the first time ever that I was told I am doing well with my flossing.

Fall Colors

I get home at 10:10. Rachel comes in shortly afterwards. Steven will not be coming with us. We are able to leave by 10:40 with me driving. It is Veteran’s Day. So I cannot understand this long line of cars heading south on Highway 41. I am just glad we are heading north. We arrived at the Wawona Visitor Center parking area a few minutes before noon. Coming in we had noticed what looks like a prescribed burn a little ways away from Wawona. When we get out of the car, there is a slight smell of smoke. After discussing it, we felt it does not seem to be too bad. So off we will go on our hike.

At 12:15 we started walking up the Chowchilla Mountain Road, but only about ¾ of a mile up. Tthis part of the trip is where we gain most of the elevation. It is huff and puff time for my part. We did not go on the first junction, but the second junction to the Four Mile Road. This second one is a bit overgrown from disuse. Maybe it would have been better to have taken the first junction.

One of the things which I like walking the Four Mile Road happens right at the apex of the triangle between the three roads. There is a tree which stands right in the center of the two roads. In the Autumn, this whole section is covered with leaves, forming a carpet of brown for us to walk on. The trail now does a series of undulations as it climbs its way across Mt Savage-you have to go either cross-country or find a use trail to go to the top.

The Poseiden Tree

As we walk along the Four Mile Road-not the Four Mile Trail, it gives us a chance to talk. The subject of meditation is brought up. Particularly when walking or hiking. We discuss the various aspects of being able to meditate. There seems to be an element of calming your physical body or at least getting in a rhythm where you do not have to think about what the body will do. But there is also an element of letting your mind rest. Silence is part of this. When walking alone, you only get the sounds of nature-the birds, the wind, the crunching of your feet against the ground and sometimes the little trickle of water running down a hillside. These work to calm and help you to focus your mind on the subject of your meditation. In a Christian it is God. In the outdoors, I usually think about God, the Creator and the God who loves me.

Eventually we decide we want to stop and have a bite to eat as it is around 1:40. We spot a nice log about 15 feet above us and we scramble to it. It is a nice log just to set and eat at. I do notice there are some fungi growing under the log.

 

 

 About ten minutes later, we came to the trail junction down to Wawona Meadow. Something has changed-there is a sign. The first time we walked this, there was a barely noticeable indentation in the mountain misery to guide us where the trail was. Over the years, a bit of flagging was added to a metal pole. Now, the whole world knows where to turn. What fun is that?

Going down Bills Hill Trail

This is a little used trail which I think is part of the Bills Hill Trail. I think it is one of the more enjoyable trails in the Wawona area. We see very few people on it-today the number is less than one. It takes you down from the Four Mile Road to Wawona Meadow. There has been trail work down on it as the downed trees which we used to crawl over have been sawed recently. I have never gone up it, but I think it would tax a person who is in shape, which I am not. But coming down, we see all sorts of trees and brush. Towards the bottom we run into the power lines which come into Wawona. And then there is the service road which goes up to the lower poles. The trail repeatedly crosses this road-you can take the shorter route, but the road is steep.

When we come out on the Wawona Meadow Loop, we find the log which we rested on a couple of weeks ago and eat an energy bar. I give Sherri and Rachel a choice: continue on the Bills Hill Trail up to the top of the ridge to the east of the Meadow, or follow the Loop trail around the rest of the meadow. The choice is to do the Loop Trail. That probably is wise.

Walking the Wawona Meadow Loop trail is comparatively faster than going up either of the roads. Still we found plenty of occasions to stop and take pictures while enjoying the company of each other.

Gary

The Meadow has some very historical aspects to it. Such as tucked away in some trees is the site of Galen Clark’s Inn. Or there was once a landing strip in the meadow. Or there were orchards to supply fresh fruit for guests. It is the last item which has a bearing. The Washburns ran a flume from the South Fork of the Merced over to the Meadow. You can still see the flume and where it drained onto the meadow. It has been one of my fascinations to walk the bank of the flume on the over side of Highway 41 around until we are above the hotel. So endeavored to do that. Rachel decides this type of adventuring is not for her and retreats back to the trail. I think Sherri is doing the same thing.  

 

 

 

 

 

Walking the Flume is Blocked

I try to walk the flume. It has gotten a lot more overgrown since I last walked it before the Pandemic. I detour around part of it. Then bushwack through other parts until I reach a solid wall of young pines. I know when I have been beaten and descend down a steep slope to the trail. I eventually come across Rachel waiting patiently on a log for me. I asked her, “Where is your mother?” “She is following you.” Oh Oh. So we took off looking for her. We were yelling her name and then we heard a response, and then had visual of Sherri. I need to back up a bit. Sherri is coming down the area which I did. When I came through, I noticed a telephone line just about 4½’ off the ground. Since I was lumbering along, I ducked under it. Sherri on the other hand makes a bee line straight for Rachel, not stopping for the line in her path and gets clotheslined, just like in the cartoons. If I was more sensitive, my first response would have been to run over and see if she is OK. But from the way Rachel and I are laughing, you would think this was the funniest thing to have ever happened on earth. After we stoped laughing, we checked on Sherri’s well-being-nothing damaged except for her ego.

Even with this mishap, we are only a short walk back to our car. We get back as the skies are darkening, as this time of year that would be 4:45. Rachel takes up the driving responsibilities. We decided that we wanted to eat before reaching Fresno. I suggested Mexican, to which there were no objections. We decided we wanted to eat at our new restaurant-at least new to us-Los 2 Carnales.

We get home at 7, just in time for watching Jeopardy. Rachel watches it with us. At the end, she goes home and I go to the shower.

Extra Photo's

Wawona Meadow

Four Mile Road

Tree roots by the road side

Four Mile Road covered with pine needles

Autumn Colors

Rachel and Gary on the Four Mile Road

Red Leaf

Sherri and Rachel walking the Bills Hill Trail

Rachel and Sherri  walking the Bills Hill Trail

Rachel consulting Mr Garmin

Light and Tree

Christmas tree

Walking the Flume-what was bushwacked through

 
Flowers and Plants

Phlox

PuffBall

PuffBall

Shelf Fungus

Mushroom

November 8, 2025 - Giant Forest

 

Title: November 8, 2025 - Giant Forest
Hike Info : Description :   Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Giant Forest Parking Lot

Trail:  Moro Rock, Soldier, Alta Trails

Destination: Loop

Distance:  3.63 miles

Start Time: 11:53

End Time:     3:21 

Travel Time: 3:27  (1.05 mph)

Moving Time: 2:35   (1.41 mph)

Elevation Rise:  767'

Descent: 740‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,774'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today it is just Sherri and I who will be hiking.While I do enjoy hiking with my children, there is something which is good to hike with my wife. As often as I have done that, it does not get old doing that-it is something special to have a wife who is not only willing to hike, but enjoys it.

 

Sherri on Moro Rock Trail

We leave the house at 9:30 with Sherri driving. As we go down Highway 180, I casually ask Sherri how much gas is left-less than half a tank. This calls for a gas stop at the Valero at the corner of Academy and Kings Canyon. I put in five gallons, even to give us a comfort level today. Turns out gas is a little bit cheaper up the road in the foothills.

We stopped at Big Stump for a pit stop. I take over driving down the General’s Highway. We get to Giant Forest at 11:40. Our boots hit the ground a few minutes before noon on the Moro Rock Trail.

Just a note, we have done this route several times before. I noticed that the Moro Rock Trail at times I have called it the RimRock Trail. Later today day, I noticed a sign with RimRock on a different trail. There seems to be more people on this trail than what I have seen before. Still, it is not a congo line of people, so the walk is still enjoyable. 

At the start, we get a view of Deer Ridge which seems like it should have more of a name since it is so prominent. This area got burnt in 2021 with the KNP Complex Fire. so the trees are sparse. We quickly get into the land of the Sequoias. Also there are several broadleaf trees which are in various stages of being deleafed. What leaves remain show color.

We get to where the trail turns towards Moro Rock, but that is not our route today. There is a large Sequoia where the various roads come together. About 1, we eat our lunch by this tree. Several groups go by us, looking us over-I do not think they were jealous of our peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches.

We temporarily leave our trail and walk about a third of a mile along the road to Crescent Meadows. At the Buttress root system, I play photographer and take pictures for a couple of groups before we move on. Before the Tunnel Log, we turn off of the road and onto the Soldier Trail. There we stop for a few minutes. Sherri’s phone will do satellite messaging. She wants to make sure she can use it, so I find a log while she plays with her phone.

Usually the Soldier Trail has maybe two or three people on it. While I am sitting there, at least two groups go by. When a third couple -a father and daughter I think-goes by, I make a comment about my private trail. They stop and we have a friendly talk. By this time, Sherri had joined me. I found out that they are from Minnesota where Sherri and I are going in June. Naturally we asked about what they think we should see. Turns out that Alice works at the aquarium in Duluth where Rachel will run her half-marathon on. Alice gives us some places to go:

• Devil's Kettle
•  Generally, the North Shore of Lake Superior
• Grand Marias

Alta Trail

They take off and we take off shortly after them-we will not be catching up-they look like they can travel. When we traveled the Soldier trail in November, it has been a week earlier. There usually is a brightness of red and yellow leaves, offsetting the red bark of Sequoia Gigantia. Today the deciduous shrubs and trees are mostly bare. Still, walking this area is usually peaceful. Today, there are more people than we usually see. It still has a sense of peace about it. I guess this is what Randy White, in his book Consummation! calls a vigorous peace.

We stop for a few minutes at the top of a 6800’ ridge to eat an energy bar. The rest of our trip will be downhill. The part off of the ridge is a step 200’ When we descend this slope, we come to a trail junction. It is starting to get dark, so we elect to go down the Alta Trail rather than head over our traditional route to Bear Hill. The Alta Trail takes us down another 200’, but a bit less steep. We stop occasionally to see light streaming through the trees and the few remaining Fall leaves.

The trail wraps around to the Giant Forest Museum. There we crossed the highway to the parking lot and our car. We could have probably made it to Bear Hill as it is 3:30 when we got back to the car. We are content with what we did today.

By the time we get back to Fresno it is dark and we are hungry. DiCicco’s on Kings Canyon sounds like it is a good place to fill our stomachs. Steven joins us about ten minutes after we get seated. We are content.

 

 

Flowers and Plants