November 21, 2023 - Pincushion

 

Title:  November 21, 2023 - Pincushion
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Finegold Area 

Trail:  San Joaquin River Trail, Pincushion Trail

Destination:  Pincushion

Actual Destination: Above a hundred yards from the top and 150 feet below.

Distance:  2.62 miles

Start Time: 11:43

End Time:    2:58

Travel Time: 3:15  (0.81 mph)

Moving Time:  2:21  (1.12 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,045'

Descent: 1033‘

Maximum Elevation: 1.492'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri on path, climbing

What are we going to do today? Confession: I slept past 7 this morning. It was not until Sherri was getting her breakfast ready did we agree upon a hike: Pincushion. Pincushion is a local peak near Millerton Lake.

Sherri and I started from our house a little after 10. Table Mountain Casino has expanded since the last time I was here-I had a bit of trouble finding the right road to go up. So it took me a few tries to find Sky Harbor. Even with the detour, we got to the Finegold area of Millerton State Park by 11:15. The gate was closed-we would not be going in anyway as we have not bought a pass. But we did find a place to park on Sky Harbor.

 

 

 

 

Yes, it was that steep

By the time we started walking it was 11:45. It was less than a quarter mile into the trailhead and outhouse. The trail starts off by going up a pretty good slope. Having been on this trail several times, this is not unexpected. Sherri is keeping up a steady pace; I am doing OK, but I can tell that we are ascending. After traveling ¾ of a mile, Sherri comes across three people who wonder how much further it is to Pincushion? We say they are about a third of the way there, but the majority of the climb is ahead. This suitably discourages them.

50 yards further, the trail to Pincushion splits off of the San Joaquin River Trail. Actually, the real trail is about a quarter mile further, but this is the one commonly used. Now the climb really starts. The trail is badly rutted. It is wide, so it is possible to avoid the worst of the issues. No matter how you work it, this is steep-overall about a thousand feet in just a bit over a mile.

Gary having climbed up rocks

As we work our way up the slope, it just gets steeper. It is not because my legs and lungs are getting a workout that I think this, but just looking up the trail, it is steeper! But taking it one step at a time gets us up the hill.

There is a shelf about 150’ below the top of Pincushion. This is a bit of a rocky area which we climb up. I feel a bit uncertain about going to the top-maybe it is old age, a bit of arthritis, or just the legs feel out of shape. Whatever it is, I am content with stopping on this shelf and looking out over the area. I do not think it took too much to convince Sherri to stay here either.

From the log we are sitting on, we can see Spanish Mountain, Mt Brewer, Mitchell Peak and a whole bunch of other mountains we can see from our lookouts. Always interesting getting a different perspective. We also have lunch here while we enjoy the sight and sun. It has been a perfect day weather-wise. Sherri gets a call from Verizon-Rachel is trying to add a connection to the account and Verizon needs Sherri’s permission, which is given.

Peaks seen from Pincushion from the PeakFinder application

 

 

Sherri descending

And now we start back down. I think that old thing makes me more conscious that if I fall, I will break something and it will take a long while to mend. So I pick my way down carefully-even dragging my rear on occasion. Once we get down so we can walk, it is just a long steep downhill where we pick our route carefully-remember the old remark.

Not much is different on the return trip, except it is a lot easier on the lungs. We made it back to the car by 3:00pm. It has been a good hike, even if it has left me a bit rubber legged. It is one which I need to do to rebuild strength.

One thing I do when we get back home is to look up getting a State Park Pass for Seniors and 2024. Looks like I can apply only after Thanksgiving. Time to put that on the calendar.

Extra Photo's

Millerton

Tree and Sun Glow

Sherri coming down rocky section

Spanish Mountain

Scene from Pincushion

Animals

West Coast Lady

Ant Hole

February 25, 2020 - Pincushion

Title: February 25, 2020 - Pincushion
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Fine Gold Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Pincushion

Destination: Pincushion

Distance:  2.41 miles

Start Time: 10:45

End Time:     1:42

Travel Time:  2:56 (0.82 mph)

Moving Time:  1:52 (1.29 mph)

Elevation Rise:  977'

Descent: 948‘

Maximum Elevation: 1,527'

GPS Tracks

Description:

This is the same hike we did in January, only this time we will try to make it to the top of Pincushion instead of the knoll before it. Also today we should be able to better see instead of the clouds and fog of last month. The other change is that not only Sherri and I are climbing up to Pincushion, but Steven our son is coming as well.

We leave our house a bit before 10. I have been dragging this morning. For the past several days, the back has been bothering me. But as I move, as in hiking, I usually feel better. It is about a 50-60 minutes drive, mostly the time, but not the miles are going down Sky Harbor Road. We get to the Fine Gold parking lot, within Millerton State Park. I love that we have an old-age pass which gets us in free to California state parks at certain times of the year.

Sherri on the trail

We start walking a little before 11. We already know this trail is nothing but up and up and up. Steven gets a little ahead of us and finds a cow and her calf blocking the way. So what do you do? You call in the person whose trail name is cow shouter to shoo away the bovine. As usual, she does a wonderful job.

Steven confronting a cow

Steven zooms ahead of us-it turns out he reaches the top about a half an hour in front of us. This leaves the old people to be huffing and puffing up the trail. A trio of females from Madera pass us. But we sort of go back and forth with them. We all stop and admire the surroundings from the hill we climbed before. Also see the last 180’ up to Pincushion.

Steven on top of Pincushion

This last 180’ is a bit more rugged going up, with many places to do a bit of minor rock holding. And yes our Madera friends pass us again. But we all gather in at the top. We have a 360^o view from up here. A bit of a hazy day, but enough clarity we can see the snow up at the 8,000’ level. We rest and devour an energy bar before heading back down.

Sherri Coming Down An Interesting Place

And now we go back. Sherri and I take our time going down. We take our time, making sure we have good footing. One time my foot slips, not badly, but enough to let me know that my back is still there.

Steven and Sherri going back the way we came up

When we get to the bottom of the hill, before the knoll, we decide to go around on a trail-it saves is from going up the 50’ and then back down. The other thing is that I see that this is not just a work around the knoll, but across from the path-road? which we came up. This is the path which we used to come up some years ago. I decide I will go down this way, while Sherri and Steven decide to go down the other. Mine is a single track, without signs of erosion. The other way can accommodate at least three across if not four, if that part of the path is not eroded. Also in most places it does not seem as steep, but that may be an illusion.

My path goes down and meets the San Joaquin River trail at a saddle. Then I go about a quarter mile before meeting up with Sherri and Steven. So it is longer, which in this case is a good thing. The longer the trail, the less of a grade, for the most part. We make it back to the car around 3. Then take off for pizza at Pieology. After eating, my back decides to act up and it takes me awhile to get up from my seat and get to the car. But we make it home OK. Now for a shower, some heat on the back and hopefully the pain will go away.

Extra Photo's

Our trail up

House across the lake

Upper end of Millerton Lake

A bend in the lake

Steven going down the trail

Looking west from Pincushion-Millerton Lake

A little snow on the Sierra

Fine Gold area

My alternative trail

Animals

A Woodpecker, maybe a Downey

Crows in flight

More crows in flight

 
Flowers and Plants

January 8, 2020 - Pincushion

Title: January 8, 2020 - Pincushion
Hike Info : Description

Trail head: Finegold Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Pincushion Trail

Destination: Pincushion Peak

Actual Destination: Nearby Noll to Pincushion

Distance:  2.22 miles

Start Time: 2:33

End Time:    4:45

Travel Time:  2:12 (1.01 mph)

Moving Time:  1:47 (1.24 mph)

Elevation Rise: 969 '

Descent: 875‘

Maximum Elevation: 1,382'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I start out the day thinking that I would be going snowshoeing with Sherri and Steven. The big question is where? Maybe up at Grant Grove or Big Meadow. But will have to see where the snow is. But this day will not turn out as we think it will be.

After Sherri gets up, I clean up the kitchen. But Steven has not gotten up yet. So we take care of some business at the bank. Still no Steven. A little bit later Steven gets up and we find out that he had not said he would be going with us today. Classic failure to communicate ala Paul Newman (actually said by the prison warden). Oh well, now to rethink where to go. But first lunch.

In the meantime, the high overcast has dropped and while it does not seem like rain, the car does have puddles on it and the windshield wipers are getting a workout. We decide to go up towards Millerton, maybe Pincushion. This will give us the opportunity to pick up an old person’s State Park Limited Use Pass. A great buy for $20, getting us into most State parks for free during the off-season.

Start of Trail

When we pull in Millerton State Park, we find one obstacle to getting our pass-we have nothing to prove we are married, which we are. But they would like a piece of paper saying so. So we can get a single person pass or wait. We decided to wait. But we still want to go on a hike, so Pincushion it is.

 Pincushion is behind Table Mountain Casino on Sky Harbor Road. The drive up Sky Harbor is scenic, but slow drive. We decide with how wet it is to not go in at the cow chute like we have with Shawn several years ago, but follow the trail through the Finegold area of Millerton State Park. So we join the line of cars parked on the outside and get ourselves together.

After a brief pit stop, we are on the trail. That is the San Joaquin River Trail-not the beginning nor the end, someplace in the middle. It is up with a moderate pitch. But the green hillsides with the lake below us is nice to gaze at. I have adopted a one step after another pace, definitely not fast, but neither am I stopping. It is your typical foothill scenery. After about ⅔ of a mile I am wondering to myself when the junction for Pincushion will come up. 

 

Looking down to Millerton Lake

Shortly after those thoughts, I get the be careful what you wish for granted. A wider place starts to head off up the ridge. That is our trail. At first it is just an “enhanced” version of the up slope we have been going on. And then it starts climbing. From my GPS track, it looks like a consistent 30% grade with some 40% thrown in for good measure. One segment says 60%, but I think that is an anomaly-my body begs to differ with that assessment.

Towards the top, but definitely not

We pass a sign saying beware of rattlesnakes. I wish them good-luck. With the overcast and higher density moisture in the air-not rain or even mist, it is cool. When we get back to the car, the gauge says upper 40’s. But that is just as well as the brim of my hat is already filled with sweat.

We finally get to the top. Two things attract our attention. The first, is there is a lone bovine who is udderly oblivious to us. The second thing is that this is not Pincushion. It seems like this is just a knoll on the ridge containing Pincushion. You know that trail lesson learned so long ago-when you think you are at the top, you’re not. But this is enough for right now. I am beat. I sense that Sherri is game to go on if I want to, but this is enough for me.

Looking east and south

We gaze around and have an energy bar. When I say gaze around, the overcast blocks most of the view. Then we start heading down. Like I was huffing and puffing coming up, Sherri is a bit more tentative going down. But we make it back to the San Joaquin River Trail a lot faster than we did going up. And now it is another 15-20 minutes back to the car.

Looking west and north

After changing back to street shoes, we headed back to Fresno. But not before a stop at Costco for gas and supplies. By the time we eat, it's about 6:30 and I am famished. Sherri is content to lay on the couch, while I move slowly around my den, not really moving much. Still a good day to show how much more I need to improve.

March 10, 2014 - Pincushion Peak

Title: March 10, 2014 - Pincushion Peak

Trail head: South Finegold Parking Lot at Millerton State Park

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: San Joaquin River Trail and Pincushion Peak

Destination: Pincushion Peak

Distance:  3.25 miles

Start Time: 7:48

End Time:  10:51

Travel Time: 3:03 (1.07 mph)

Moving Time: 1:42 (1.91 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,188'

Maximum Elevation: 1,601'

Start of Trail

Description:
Another meetup hike with Jerry J-we seem to be going on a few of these these days. We meet at Starbucks in Fresno around 7 and are on the road-There are seven of us-Jerry J, Kate, Brian, Liz, Sherri, John and myself. It is a bi of an overcast day and with the time change, we are treated to a nice sun rice where the clouds turn purple before golden.

Finegold Bay

We drive to the Finegold parking lot at Millerton State Park and start our walk from there. The first mile or so follows the San Joaquin River Trail. Grass is green with the standard oaks for this low elevation level hike-we start around 600' and climb up to 1600'. Tiny wildflowers start to appear, along with poison oak-a bit of the serpent in paradise effect. The rise up gets the heart pounding, but at least there is oxygen to breath. So we take it at a nice easy pace and enjoy the climb.

San Joaquin River

Up the hill

One of the good things is I get an excuse to stop and breath every few minutes by taking pictures and enjoying the sights. To the north of us is Finegold Bay. The San Joaquin curls around so you see it as a serpent. When we get to a saddle, about elevation 1200'. we part ways with the San Joaquin River Trail and continue our way up to the peak. The track narrows a bit and we follow a ridge. There are several "trails" in this area, evidently most going to the same place. A small rock scamper and a climb up a knoll gets us to looking at the final ascent of Pincushion. Probably ascent is a bit melodramatic as at this point we are 150' below the top. 

On Top

We get to the top and spend half an hour or more socializing there. Scenery is nice with the River lazily meander around. Which leads to our conversation going to the hikers favorite topic-food. By the way, I have an answer to one of my favorite questions: Do we eat to hike or hike to eat?  My answer is if it is breakfast, we eat to hike; after hike meal-we have hiked to eat.

The Way Down

We head west off of the peak on our return trip-a different way down. It is through some rock outcropping, where we pick our way through, a bit gingerly. Our descent cuts back across the face of Pincushion, giving a little bit of a Sound of Music effect. As we meet up with a dirt service road, we hear the beef bellowing at us as we invade their boundaries.  The rest of way way back to the cars is just a retreating along the same trail we came up on. An enjoyable morning hike-quick, stimulating and pleasant.