Gary-Summer: Alta Peak

Showing posts with label Alta Peak. Show all posts

Sunday, May 9, 2021

May 9, 2021 - Starlight Trail

Title: May 9, 2021 - Starlight Trail
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Big Meadows Winter Trailhead

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking
Trail: Starlight Trail, Road 14S14, and Big Meadows Road
Destination: Wander
Distance: 3.66 miles
Start Time: 1:35
End Time: 5:10
Travel Time: 3:35 (1.02 mph)

Moving Time: 2:10 (1.69 mph)
Elevation Rise: 428'
Descent: 428‘
Maximum Elevation: 7,799'

GPS Tracks

Description:

It is Mother’s Day. Rachel has joined us this week. Most mothers when asked, “what would you like to do on Mothers Day?”, they might say have a nice dinner out, spend time with their kids, maybe take in a show or a movie. When Steven and Rachel asked what Sherri wanted to do, she said she wants to go hiking. That is my woman!

Start of our wander

But that does not mean that Sherri has changed into the crack of dawn person. We do not get off until a bit before Noon. The drive up is uneventful, as it should be. The Big Stump parking lot does not have many people in it. That is a sign that not many people made the trek up here for Mother’s Day. We continue on to where we park at Big Meadows to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. The actual road to Big Meadows is open.

Why park here? There is a Winter Trail which I had suggested we try to walk when it is dry. We are able to follow the blue diamonds of the Starlight Trail. We did a little of this last January. As we follow the diamonds, there is not much of a Summer Trail. But when you are on a wander, even if we lose the diamonds, which we do, that is not much of an issue.

Sherri crossing Woodward Creek

Rachel and Sherri approaching hill 7704

We did find evidence of an old dispersed campsite, followed by a dirt road on top of a ridge. When we get home, I will try to figure out what road this is (looks like Road 14S30). It looks pretty easy to drive on the part we can see.

And then we continue on, picking up the blue diamonds for a ways. We get to a creek, which I guess is Woodward Creek-the same one which another Winter Trailhead is named after. After that it gets a bit more interesting. We come across a bog turning into a meadow. We get out of that quickly, our steps can be pretty disruptive on a surface like that. (Looking at a map, the Starlight Trail is a bit to the West of our track and further down the creek.)

We had spotted a clear rock not quite a dome which we have been gradually heading for. After the meadow, we gain the harder surface of the ridge. It is a quick trip to the top.. Turns out this is marked as 7704 on my topo map. A very good view from here.

Buck Rock Lookout

Steven gets out his hammock, stringing it between a couple of trees. The rest of us look around. Montecito-Sequoia Lodge is visible, along with the General’s Highway. Behind that is the ridge which Big Baldy rests on. Looking a bit east of north, I spotted Buck Rock. Then to the south and east of us is Shell Mountain, along with Mt Silliman. Much of the Alta Peak area is visible as well. A really good place to stop.

Evidently none of us felt like traveling further as we either wander around the area, sit down or lie down just to enjoy being here.

Steven and Korra

About 4pm, we decided we had better head back. But rather than going through the bog, we go a bit higher up. Here we hit another dispersed campsite and then a road. We learn this is road 14S14 which is part of the Starlight Trail route. We head northerly, back towards the Big Meadow Road. Along the way, we see evidence of burnt slash piles. Looks like the Forest has been hard at work this Spring.

We hit the Big Meadows Road and start our mile and a half walk down it. Several vehicles pass us by. We see a Forest patrol truck coming up and we recognize it as our friend, Patrol 33. She stops and talks with us for a while. Good to see her. She offers us a ride back to the car-but we do so no. It is not that far, maybe half of a mile from where she stopped. Evidently they just opened up the road today.

Monticeto-Sequoia Lodge

We get back to the car a bit after 5pm. A nice short walk, perfect for a Mother’s Day outing. We get back to Fresno at 6:40. We have been on the phone for our Sunday Zoom call. So we transfer over to video once home. From my perspective, it was an enjoyable Mother’s Day, but then again, I am not a mother.

Extra Photo's

Gary and Rachel

Duck on top of 7704

Big Baldy Ridge

Hammock

On Top of 7704

Cloud-Cumulus Humilis

Mt Silliman

Mt SIlliman

Well Shaped Tree

Family: Gary, Sherri, Kora, Steven and Rachel

Strocumulous over Shell Mountain

Flowers and Plants

Possibly an emerging Corn Lily

Phlox

Thursday, December 24, 2020

December 24, 2020 - Big Meadows Snow Hike

Title: December 24, 2020 - Big Meadows Snow Hike
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals

Trail head: Big Meadows Trailhead

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking
Trail: Starlight Trail and Big Meadow Road
Destination: None
Distance: 2.09 miles
Start Time: 11:50
End Time: 2:08
Travel Time: 2:17 (0.91 mph)

Moving Time: 1:34 (1.33 mph)
Elevation Rise: 461'
Descent: 216‘
Maximum Elevation: 7,788'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today is not going to be a big day. Just a time to get out into the mountains and enjoy a little snow. Steven has the day off, so he and Korra will join us. This will be Korra’s first day in the snow. We also have a family Zoom call at 6:30. So not sure how long we will have up there.

Gary, Korra and Steven at start

The idea is to leave by 10:00am. We leave a little afterwards. As it turns out, this leaves us ample time to wander around. We head towards Big Meadows. Korra has had a history of getting car sick in the Highlander and today is no exception. But it seems to be getting better. We arrive at Big Meadows around 11:30 and are off within 20 minutes or so.

Korra takes to the snow, as if she was born for it. And being a husky, she probably is. She sniffs everywhere and eats a bit of the white stuff. She clearly enjoys it.

Korra, the Snow Dog

I am interested in walking a trail which comes out of the parking lot, not the road. This is the Starlight Trail. It looks interesting. There is not much snow on the trail, so I opt to wear boots, rather than snowshoes. The snow is packed and has been walked on. Judging by the width of the path, snowshoes have been through here before. It is relatively easy to follow besides the walked on area. There are blue markers on the trees, helping us to navigate.

I think this trip is more to get out and enjoy the snow than to look for spectacular scenery. Still there are the times of just enjoying the wintery scenery around us. The whiteness against the green, the sound of snow crunching underfoot, and the sense of being alone in the white. On the last part, the only folks we see on this day is a couple clearly just going up for a little ways to see how things are. And another couple who knew what they were doing after 50 years of skiing the area-we will meet them later on.

A little before 1:00 we stop for lunch at some boulders which are clear of snow. Enjoyed just lounging around. I can feel that I have not been doing this much for a while. It has been a month since Andrea and I went out to the Pinnacles. Other than my morning walks there has not been a lot of activity. There is another factor in our lounging. It just feels so refreshing sitting here alone, with each other.

Tracks, but whose

On the way up, I did see some tracks. I am thinking they may be mountain lion or a bunny rabbit. The rabbit is more probable, but it does not quite look like it is. They seemed a bit older than fresh. Sort of thrilling that we are walking the same area as it did and comforting knowing that it has been awhile since the cat has been here.

Steven, Gary, Korra, and Sherri

We are ready to go on. Rather than go down to the trail, we contour around a small ridge. Then cut over to where I think the Big Meadow Road is. And we do hit it!. As we are pondering if we want to do a little more, a couple of skiers go by. I think the one guy looks familiar. We talk and there is not really a connection. But a pleasant conversation.

We decide to go on up the road for another 15 minutes. There is a nice area where we can look out to the south and see Shell Mountain and the area where Alta Peak is. Really nice view there.. We catch up with the skiers and talk a little more. Also we spend a few minutes just taking in a view of white, rock and tree.

Southern View

And now it is time to go back. We take the Big Meadow Road back. It is a bit longer, but not as steep. There were a few places where I was leary about going down unaided, at least without poles the way we came.

There are gradual slopes to the road. I would say for the most part, uninteresting. If we had enough time and energy, we could do a loop around the Rabbit Meadow loop. But none of us feel up to it right now. There are some interesting clouds around us as well. Nothing looking threatening.

Towards the Central Valley

We get back to the car around 2:10. It takes a few minutes to get packed up and then we are off. I was wondering what the Woodward Creek Trailhead looked like, so we went a few minutes further south and took a look. I think I have been here before, many years ago. Now it is back home. The big question is where do we eat. Or in these COVID days, more, where do we eat out. It is decided to do Chinese food in Fresno, Shanghai restaurant. We get back home a few minutes before 4:00. Plenty of time before our family Zoom call tonight.