Gary-Summer: Eagle Peak

Showing posts with label Eagle Peak. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

November 5, 2025 - Search for the Muir Snag

Title: November 5, 2025 - Search for the Muir Snag

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

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Gate on road 13S50

Trail: SQF Road 13S50 and a segment of 13S31

Destination: Junction with 13S07

Actual Destination: Beyond the junction and onto 13S31

Distance: 3.43 miles

Start Time: 11:37

End Time: 2:48

Travel Time: 3:10 (1.08 mph)

Moving Time: 2:09 (1.59 mph)

Elevation Rise: 516'

Descent: 551‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,277'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sequoia and Gary

I get up at 6:30, not knowing what we will be doing today. We had talked about hiking a couple of days ago, but there was no decision. Also there was nothing about going with dogs or no dogs. When Sherri gets up, that is the question. After talking, we decided to go hiking. With the last minute decision, Rachel cannot go, but Steven can. Korra also agrees to go.

When we pile into the car, we have no idea where we are going, we just want to go. Going north is out because of the rain which is going to occur just north of Fresno. So we head east. Three weeks ago, we wanted to look for the Muir Snag, but were stymied by it being hunters being in season. But today there should be little which stops us.

I start driving at 10. We only stop at Big Stump. Then off to the road to the Muir Snag area. We get there about 11:25 and start walking at 11:45. We will be walking along road 13S50 which is just east of Converse Mtn.

I had not found a definitive location for the Snag, but from the description, I am thinking it is about ¾ of a mile up this road. Even if we do not find it, this is a pleasant day to walk this road. The storm to the north has us with clouds overhead, but not much of a breeze. So while not hot, the day is not cold. Just right for walking.

The road goes up, but for the most part, the grade is not bad. I suspect Sherri and I are just out of shape. There are a few divots to allow water runoff which runs across the road. They are easy to cross on foot, but I am sure our Highlander would scrape bottom on some of them.

Steven and I trade leads, as we look high and low for the large, dead Sequoia which Muir found. We see many young living Sequoias, some stumps, but no snag. I made it to the junction with Forest Service road 13S07-Sherri and I hiked that road a couple of years ago, through the Indian Basin Grove.

I wait there for about 10 minutes.Sherri and Steven do not show up, but Korra comes along to check on me. So I head back. I find Steven looking down into where a dry unnamed creek is. When I get to Steven, I see the object of his interest-his Mom. She is about 50’ below the road. She is exploring, looking for the Snag. Steven goes down to join her and I follow a few minutes later. We searched in the area, but no success.

We wander our way back up, with me about five minutes behind. Once we get to the road, we travel on to the junction. I noted that it looked like if we went around the bend in the road, we might be able to have a better view and that is what we do. While there is a good view, there are some trees which hamper it from being a great view.

We find a log and have our lunch at 1:10. I am thinking if I follow this road a little ways further, I might have a better view of Kings Canyon and across the way to Spanish Mountain.. But the road starts to go more on the south side of the ridge instead of the north. I realize that I am walking on road 13S31 which will eventually bring me back to Highway 180. When the road started to drop sharply, I decided I would turn back. Korra has been racing back and forth. I did notice a place which looked like an old road, but it was pretty dug up with logs having fallen across it. Still no great view.

So I make my way back to where Steven and Sherri are waiting. Sherri has noticed a mound beyond Rodgers Ridge. I think it is part of Patterson Mountain. We started back and I noticed a different peak behind the upper part of the ridge. At first I thought it was Kaiser Peak, but after consulting PeakFinder, it looks like it is Eagle Peak.

We walk back down the road, eyeballing everyplace where Sequoias are, but there is no sign of a massive dead Sequoia. Steven goes down one place, but no joy.Either we are blind or the Muir Snag is someplace else. Still it is a good walk.

A couple of things which we did see. First there was a puffball fungus. These are always interesting. Then there is a little vole right in the middle of the road. A pretty cute little thing.

By 2:45 we got back to the car. Steven takes over the driving responsibility. We all are in agreement that stopping at Bear Mountain Pizza is a good idea. We get home at 4:30.

Trail Lesson: Research out where you think you are going to go. Even prepared there are usually surprises.

Background

After we did this hike, Gary went through some files and found a reference that the Muir Snag is on Road 13S55 road, around 6400' elevation.

Extra Photo's

Spanish Mountain

Landslide Prescribed Burn

Steven

Sherri

Landslide Prescribed Burn

Colorful Leaves, Watercolor style

Autumn Leaves

Spanish Mountain

Garlic and Rough Spur

Spur off of Converse Mountain

Burnt trees from the Rough Fire

Steven coming up with Korra and Sherri watching

Steven

Old Sequoia

Animals

Vole

Flowers and Plants

Puffball

Friday, December 20, 2019

December 20, 2019 – Boole Tree Road

Title: December 20, 2019 – Boole Tree Road

Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's

Trail head: Hwy 180 & 13S55

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing

Trail: 13S55 and 13S99

Destination: As far as we want to go

Actual Destination: about ¾ of a mile on 13S99

Distance: 2.12 miles

Start Time: 1:16

End Time: 3:18

Travel Time: 2:01 (1.05 mph)

Moving Time: 1:20 (1.49 mph)

Elevation Rise: 388 ' ¹

Descent: 359‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,530'

GPS Tracks

¹GPS did not measure the elevation. Elevation came from Google Earth. Also, Google Earth has the track going 1.96 miles.

Description:

This is the first time snowshoeing this year. With my current state of fitness, today should be pretty short and easy. Consequently, we are not in much of a rush to be off. We thought of leaving by 9:00am, but we sort of dilly-dallied until I realized I needed to go on the garage roof and patch a leak. By the time we leave the garage, it is about 10:45.

Gary and Sherri at start

Except for stopping in Dunlap for coffee-Sherri, not me-the drive is uneventful. We stop at the Grant Grove visitor center. There we met some new friends. The volunteer at the visitor center and Skylar, a park ranger. We asked about snow conditions on Forest Service land. But no information. We do talk about various backpacking routes. Also buy a book, Muir's Temples: A Natural History of Sequoia Grove Plants by Michael Kunz.

Our ridgeline and beyond

We head north. Our usual place to ski or snowshoe is pretty thin and rutted. So we go on, wandering on down Highway 180. I am wondering if the road into the Boole Tree might be more sheltered. When we get there, we see the road is pretty much covered, but looking closer, it looks about 6-12” of snow-not deep, still it is enough to do. So we decide to try it.

Looking into the South Fork of the Kings

We park at a turnout about 100’ south of the 13S55 road. So we get ready by the car, cross the road and put on our snowshoes. After we go around the gate, we start walking the road. The road goes up, but not much. The snow is packed, so I suspect that even without the snowshoes we would not have sunk. After a quarter mile we come to a junction. The road to the Boole Tree goes down, the two other ones go up. I am dis-inclined to go up on a return trip, so up we go on the south road. The most obvious road is road 13S99.

Road 13S99

Not a steep road, but then we hit a clearing and we can see all the way to the spine of the Sierra to the east. I normally try to play a game of what peak am I seeing? I can name the drainages, but with the peaks covered with snow and a different perspective, I am not sure I am naming them properly. But then why do I need to name them? Just accept them in all of their faboulousness. Gaze upon them and praise God. Sometimes I wonder if these mountains have such beauty, what is it’s creator like?

We look around for a good 15-20 minutes. This is both from the perspective of just enjoying the sight as well as giving my body a few minutes to recuperate. Once I get my breath back, we continue to top the ridge the road is on. It looks like it will go down gently. But we decide to go to the top of the rise above the road-only about 20’ above us. From there we are able to see more North and Northwest.

Gary enjoying the view to the north

Interesting being able to see places we see from Delilah. Such as Patterson Mountain, Mt Nelson and Eagle Peak. Black Rock really does look black from this angle as well. We are given a nice view of Converse Mountain as well.

When we go down, we practice a bit descending and ascending in snowshoes. Nothing death-defying, just how to walk with them. I go down a little ways further down the road, but it looks like it will be going down more than I want to now. So I return. In the meantime, Sherri has found some interesting shadows and is trying her hand at capturing them with her iPhone.

Shadow Figures

Gary and the Borrow Pit

When we return, I look again out from our rise to the east. But what captures our attention is a place on the map called Borrow Pit. I am expecting a mining pit or something like that. But it looks like it is a place the Forest Service has dumped its wood it needed to take care of. Sort of eerie. Going back is a lot easier and we make good time.

At the car, it is time to get our snowshoes off and back into normal gear. On our way back, we stop at the Visitor Center to give a trail condition report to our new friends. Now where do we want to eat? DNC? Bear Mountain? No we decide to go back to Fresno and eat with our son at Bobbie Salazar. A good way to end the day.

Borrow Pit

Background

Borrow Pit. According to Wikipedia, a Borrow Pit is not so much named after a person, but more as the action being taken. The contents of a pit is to be used elsewhere, such as on a road bed. It is a term used in construction or civil engineering. The hole left may be used for some other purpose.

Extra Photo's