October 6, 2018 - Delilah Lookout

Title: October 6, 2018 - Delilah Lookout
Hike Info : Description  : Animals

Trail head:  Delilah Lookout

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

In Deuteronomy, there is a verse which as a fire lookout you really hope to never see:

the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

Oat Mountain and Beyond

I woke up early, around 0500 having gotten at least 8 hours of sleep. But the sky was still dark, so eventually went back to sleep. At 0645 I heard Sherri rustling about, so I decided to get up. Clouds are all overhead blocking the sunlight. But not as cool as I thought it would be-48 degrees outside. I slept warm in my cocoon. We clean up a bit, read some, and then fix our oatmeal breakfast. I make a trip down the stairs to open up and take care of business.

Whose copter is this?

While down there a jeep makes a lap around Delilah Loop and then exits. Then on the way back up the stairs, I hear helicopter noise coming from the Davis/Sampson Flat area. As I climb the stairs I look for it and finally find the helicopter as it exits out of our bowl over Sontag Point. But a few minutes later, it reappears coming in to the west of us, going down into the Kings, making a left towards Trimmer, where we lose him.Then before we have a chance to settle in, we notice a black truck down at a road junction, about a third of a mile from us. He just sits there.

But that is not the end of our pre-check in. E32 and Scorpion 6 are having a discussion about lighting some stacks, we think near the Marvin Pass trailhead. P33 asks Buck Rock about weather and wind. But we also have had a peek at the weather. So after they are done, we call in to P33 to tell her what we saw. But P33 is delayed at Quail Flat because of cattle going to Big Meadow and she gets to herd cars as the cattle cross.

We go in service both to Sierra and Porterville now that we can catch a few moments. We do scans of the area while we have visibility. All of those lighting strikes I recorded on the fire finder yesterday, I visit and make sure that there is no smokes from there. Well, at least those not lost in the clouds.

Around 1100, Sierra does their lookout check in. But we are not included, so I radio in and verify that they have us in service-they do. Now we are surrounded in clouds, so our visibility is zero, or rather we go in and out of visibility. Some of these are scenes are really nice for the beauty of it, but really rotten for seeing if there is anything which we should be aware of. But the clouds keeps us playing hide-and-seek with the land. So we take whatever opportunities we can to view our area. Because we can occasionally see areas of our territory, we do not report our lack of visibility.

Getting close to zero visibility

Others in our area are not so fortunate. Buck Rock later on in the day says that they have thunder and lightning with no visibility. Later on we hear a single sound of thunder. We find out that it was someplace around Patterson Mountain. But that is about as close as we get to interesting weather. Even though we were experiencing winds over 20mph. Our tower shakes a bit, just enough to makes us a bit apprehensive, but not really concerned. Late in the afternoon, we see verga (rain) coming down over Verplank Ridge. The clouds up towards Kings Canyon look very black-I would hate to be up there. Across the Kings also has its share of darkness.

Around 1400, we hear P33 going to return to quarters. But shortly afterwards, we hear P33 and Buck Rock talking about a dead doe in the middle of Burton Pass Road near Heart Meadow. P33 also sees a fawn waiting for its mother. Then P33 and Buck Rock loses communications so we act as a relay between the two. A relay is exactly what it sounds like Since the two cannot talk, a middle person takes the message and gives it to the other person. Felt good that we were able to do this successfully.

We have a successful lookout check in at 1600 and then go out of service at 1700. The wind makes it so we do not want to spend a lot of time outside. But then inside we get reflections from the clouds behind us. Those reflects makes it looks like there is a smoke where we are looking. We did not call in anything, but it did make our hearts jump a bit when we saw them.

Rainbow closes out our day

Towards the end of our shift, the west and south opens up. We can see things we normally do not see. Such as to the west, we were seeing Table Mountain, close to Millerton Lake. Also the four line highway 168 to Shaver was very evident. To the south, we could see Case Mountain and Homer’s Nose. Some of the reasons why we are lookouts.

After we go out of service, we have dinner-spinach and cheese ravioli. Hits the spot. We then have some quiet reading time before going down and getting ready for the night. On the way down, we see some hunters roaming the area, but they don't come to Delilah, just to the base of the loop before retreating. We also see a rainbow. Looks glorious with the setting sun casting gold onto the clouds. On our way back up into the tower, we hear the sound of thunder-maybe from the Converse Mtn area. Then it starts to rain. More strikes, could be in the Eshom Valley-we think, but cannot tell where they are striking. The rain comes down hard for about half an hour and then stops. It will be a good night sleep. Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Animals

Yellow-faced Bumblebee

One of the few hummers left around us

March 19, 2014 - Salt Creek BLM Trail

 Title: March 19, 2014 - Salt Creek BLM Trail

Trail head: Skyline Road, Three Rivers

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail:  Salt Creek BLM Trail

Destination:  Table #3

Distance: 6.99 miles

Start Time:  8:56am

End Time:   2:55pm

Travel Time: 5:58 (1.17 mph)

Moving Time: 3:30 (2.00 mph)

Elevation Rise:  2,068'

Maximum Elevation: 2,733'

 

Start of hike

Description:
One of the fun things hiking with the Mid-Week Meetup group is the different people whom you meet. Such as Lisa and her climbing Colorado 14er's-I am in awe of that; or KO from Three Rivers who I had a good conversation with while she patiently hiked with an old man; or Theresa, Ric's wife, or for that matter Ric whom I had hiked with before but not really talked with. Of course, there is the regulars such as Jerry, John and Cathey, Betty, Rose, Jeffery, Manjeet, Bill, Kate-the list could go on for a ways. But you get the idea. One my major tenants of hiking is that it is as much about the social aspect as the miles and the beauty.

But on to the hike. We met in Fresno for our caravan down to Visalia and Three Rivers. Got to Three Rivers where we picked up several of the south valley group and then car pooled up Skyline Road to the trail head. Parking is a bit tight there so it is fortunate to have a guide like KO to plan for that kind of thing. But we all got there and the cars get  parked legally. The hike commences a few minutes before 9.

The zig-zag up the hill

The Shelf

It is going to be a hot day. But the group is in good cheer and starts out pretty exuberant.  We meander around, doing a little up and a little down. After about a mile, we cross Salt Creek, going to the north side, going clockwise on this loop. The trail then starts rising. I walk with KO and her dog for over a mile. The talk is on the various backpacking trips we will be going on this summer. She is looking at exploring the Kern-Kaweah basin area and is looking for people to explore with her. I am interested, but I think I would be an anchor on a speed boat. With the road rising rapidly, I am needing a bit more breath to talk, or at least a little slower pace. KO goes on and I fall into step with Lee. KO had been accommodating to my pace, but I feel more comfortable at Lee's speed.

Case Mountain

The road zig-zags up the side of a hill, rising about a 1,000' in this are. Good thing this is the morning because the sun shines directly on us. In a wet year, or at least a normal one, this place would be just spectacular. Even now there are a variety of yellows, whites and purples. But the density of the flowers is rather lite. There is a rock shelf which we are climbing above. Salt Creek comes over this shelf. This creek and a tributary only leave a wet stain on this shelf. But you can tell there would be a nice set of falls in at least a couple of places if the water was flowing. Guess this means we will need to come back up here another time.

Flowers and Fry's Point

Lee and I stop in the shade of a tree, unzipping our pants legs. Theresa and Harold comes up the road and joins us. When we leave, I leave our bag of jelly bellies for Sherri to pick up.  The sun is starting to get to me-at least I feel my energy sinking. Lee has it right-this road is becoming a trudge. I am sucking water from my bladder like crazy. Fortunately, we round a curve and the rest of the group is waiting at the top of a knoll, around table #3-see the BLM table map. I wait around for Sherri to come up. But she is further back than what I thought she was. The good thing is I think I was walking better than I thought I was.

Comb Peak

Sherri and gang comes up eventually. But there are no jelly bellies in hand. But Jeffery had picked them up. Best laid schemes of mice and men-bet you never thought the Robert Burns would be writing about jelly bellies, did you? Enjoyable time just to relax. Dana introduces Lisa to me and she is interested in GPS'. I tell her what I know, but Ric is Mr. GPS and is able to tell her a lot more about what he these things. In talking with Lisa, she and her husband are in the process of doing all 58 14er's in Colorado which will require many times going off trail, hence the need for a good GPS.

Hikers

We now start out and I walk with John, at the end of the pack. Speaking of packs, I am wearing my Gregory and it is feeling more and more comfortable. The trail starts its descent. Instead of a road like we have been going up, it is slowly turning into a single track, which is fine with me. It is enjoyable walking through the hillside grasses  up, and mostly, down the rolling ridges. Eventually we cross Salt Creek, more of a wide area of water, with a slow little trickle dropping into a ravine. KO has taken a group above where we are. We can hear the voices, but not see them. They are going above the falls, or there would be. KO talks about how the whole area above these falls were covered by moss, but through increased use, about a third of the moss has been removed. We as hikers and people who enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoor need to be on alert to our own impact as we travel through an area.

Newts

John's group comes to another place where there should be falls and they head off other to it-this is at table #6. I wait around and Sherri comes back from looking at the other falls. There is a small creek nearby and she spots a ball of newts in the creek. It should be noted that this newt ball, is really a lascivious event of males swarming over a female-haven't they ever heard of Match.com? Interesting seeing them like this.

Now it is off time to tackle going down a ridge which will cause us to descend until we reach the road we originally come in on. This is going down 1,000', pretty steeply in places. There is a bike track which goes straight down the ridge. Most of our group uses this route. But I notice another patch which forms a sine wave on its side going down the hill. I take that. With the added distance, I can stretch out my legs and not feel like I am pounding my knees and feet with the straighter and shorter way. To the others I think I must look like a fool on a mission. But I get to enjoy the sides of the ridge rather than concentrate on looking only at the trail.

Fry's Point

My Boy Scout training kicks in to provide assistance down some of the more interesting drops. Makes me feel good about myself, more than anything else. But we all make it down and gain the road. Somehow the road seems a lot longer going back than when we started. We get back to the cars a few minutes before 2, hot and sweaty at least I am. Lunch was then pizza in Three Rivers, where many of us are talking about going on a backpacking trip. Then it is on to Fresno, getting home around 6.

A horse, of course, and Shepherd Peak

Place: CA-Case Mountain

Case Mountain (Case Mountain)
(Long, Lat)

Description:
Bill Case had a cabin at the head of Salt Creek, and used to run a team on this mountain for sledding shakes. His team was famous for its mixture of four different animals: a horse, a mule, a burro, and a steer. (Guy Hopping, Walter Fry.)  From Place Names of the High Sierra (1926) by Francis P. Farquhar

Trips:

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References:

•  All Trails-One guys thoughts on doing an overnight trip to Case Mountain
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Pictures:

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