Gary-Summer: Henness

Showing posts with label Henness. Show all posts

Monday, June 29, 2026

June 29, 2026 - Delilah

Title: June 29, 2026 - Delilah
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Lookout

Description:

I got up a few minutes before 0500 this morning-I will be tired this evening. But I wanted to get an early start to Delilah for several reasons. First, I was not there all of last season. The last time I was there was November 2024. There is a bit of anxiety over will I remember what is in Delilah? What has changed since my absence? Second, the last two weeks I did some hiking in Minnesota. My left knee had some ache in it. With coming up the 72’, 80 stairs of Delilah, will my knee bother me? Third, how tired will I be climbing those stairs? Also how will I feel after three days?

I leave a few minutes after 0600, even for me, this is a bit early. I stopped at Costco for gas and discovered that I did not have my Costco card. If I had thought for a few seconds, I would have realized that I had my Costco app which had my Costco card on it. Instead I started to look for an attendant. But right beside me was Richard who would be going to Delilah to pick up supplies for storage. He swiped his card for me. The rest of the drive to Delilah did not have a problem, except for constant glare from a dirty windshield and the sun.

I get to Delilah around 0800. The road is just as “interesting” as it was two years ago. I load up the basket, which is one a pulley system, with things and take my backpack up to the cab. The knee did not act up and I took my time, stopping at each level for a breath. Not too bad. I made a second trip to pick the remaining food and water and my sleeping bag. I think I am good for the day now. Fears two and three down.

Now to familiarize myself with Delilah. In truth, not much has changed. There are a few small differences: a radio to listen to CalFire; new kitchen utensils, a few things moved. I think I will do OK.

I do my first scan. While I was doing that, Richard and Jan drive up. After while Richard comes up and we talk awhile. He had posted on FaceBook a couple of days about going up to Mitchell Peak and realizing there was a lookout there at one time. This got us into a discussion of lookouts which are no longer there and where they are. He talked about a fire in Arizona called the Pocket Fire which is burning close to Sedona. There are several things I told him I would send him:

List of California lookouts, current and past-from PeakBagger. PeakBagger seems to have the most comprehensive list, but there are other sites which have lists and sometimes more detail:
- Fire Lookouts
- National Historic Lookout Registry
- Forest Lookouts - some of the lookouts, have interesting news articles
Blog entry for Henness Ridge lookout
Blog Entry for Crane Flat lookout
Blog entry for the book Call of the Canyon, a novel by Zane Grey about East Oak Canyon near Sedona.

And now it is time to act like a lookout. I take the weather-it is a really clear day, with only a few far away clouds. Then I go into service at 0929. Then start doing my scans about every 15-20 minutes. At 1000, we get the weather and staffing. Fortunately I record this as I can never get the staffing.The weather I get from a website. At 1059, Sierra does a roll call of lookouts. There are only three of us: Buck Rock, Delilah and Signal.

The morning has gone by pretty fast. I pretty much have been doing regular scans and listening to the radio. Something which I do at the start of each season at the lookouts is to go through the eight orientation points for the firefinder. The purpose is to validate that the firefinder does not need adjustment. What it does do for me is to identify landmarks in each direction.

By 1230, it is time for lunch. The usual, a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with chips. Then I do another scan and take the afternoon weather. Not too much change from this morning. After doing another scan, I do a couple rest periods. During the rest period, I set a timer for 15 minutes, turn the radio up and lay down. If something happens on the radio I would respond appropriately. At the end of 15 minutes, time to do another scan.

That is pretty much my afternoon and evening-not resting, but doing things in 15 minute increments. Scanning, then refreshing myself on locations close to Delilah. On my list of sites, I get to about 6 miles out, which is about 65 locations. It is not that I memorize them. Most of them I have a good idea where they are. If I do not, then I have my spreadsheet. Every other 15 minute segment, I do something personal-answer emails, read, write this blog. There is a small thing of keeping the hummers happy. So I refill their sugar water.

At 1600 the mundane is broken. I need to respond to Sierra’s status check-they do that to make sure we all are still alive. Sometimes we get distracted and do not respond quickly and have to sheepishly say we are really here afterwards. At 1800 I went out of service with Porterville and Sierra. And that is the end of my work day.

Strawberry Full Moon with a little bit of a cloud

After going out of service, I rested for about half an hour. Then I fixed myself dinner of Sherri’s enchiladas and Stagg Chili. Maybe not high class cuisine, but it is filling and I eat it all. After that, I go down and do a 25 minute walk down to the saddle, taking pictures of a few things.

I will make sure that I am back in the tower by 2010. Why you ask? I want to get paid, as I get paid in sunsets. The setting sun should be around 2020. Sunsets are a yin and yang thing. If there is a spectacular sunset, that usually says that there is a lot of pollution in the air. Today, the sunset was not spectacular, which means there is not a lot of smog. But there is enough that I took many pictures.

Occasionally I make it into a lookout on the night of a full moon. That is tonight. There are a lot of clouds and I wonder if the moon will come out while I am awake. It finally comes out and I am able to get some nice shots. Enough to get some ooh’s and aahs.

After that, I talked with Sherri for about half an hour. It is after 10 before I snuggle inside of my sleeping bag.

Extra Photo's

Full Moon covered by a cloud

Pine Flat and Setting Sun

Looking towards Finger Rock in the evening

Content Hummer

Yokut/Squaw Valley

View from the Outhouse

Afternoon cloud buildup beyond Spanish Mountain

Flowers and Plants

Dandelion in the evening sun

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

May 7, 2019 - Henness Ridge Road

Title: May 7, 2019 - Henness Ridge Road
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Yosemite West, Henness Ridge Road

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Henness Ridge Road

Destination: No set destination

Distance: 5.05 miles

Start Time: 2:05

End Time: 4:54

Travel Time: 2:48 (1.80 mph)

Moving Time: 2:16 (2.23 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,752' ¹

Descent: 1,567‘

Maximum Elevation: 5,824'

GPS Tracks

¹GPS once again not recording right. This time, the tracks seems to be good, but the elevation was not recorded. Using Google Earth information for elevation. The elevation gain/loss does not seem to be correct.

Description:

Start of our walk

I spent the morning on the phone, dealing with an identity theft issue. So we left Fresno around 11:00. Sherri is driving and she goes all the way to Wawona. After a brief personal necessity break, I drive to Yosemite West, arriving at 1:00pm, just in time for a lunch break. Here we will go on a route I have not been on before: Henness Ridge Road. This is a different route, same ridge, as the lookout, but we will be well below the top.

Henness Ridge Road

We start walking around 1:30. While the Yosemite West write up talks about a hiking trail, in reality it is a Forest Service Road. On this Tuesday, not many cars. We see two cars parked on this road and two drive by us-not a busy road. Private property line the road for a lot of the way, with a few "cabins" on some of the lots.

There are two points of fascination on this route. The second is the result of the first. All of our route is within the footprint of the Ferguson Fire. Blackened trees are the rule with a living one an exception. Even amongst the starkness of the black, a reminder of the huge destructiveness of this fire, there is a sense of life. not all is lost. The top of a tree being green, the springing of blossoms

View from road

from a manzanita gives reminders that there is more here than death.

Tamarack and Cascade Creeks

Green and Burnt

The fire also leads to the second thing. As we peer through these black remains, we see across the way. the cataracts of Tamarack and Cascade Creeks. The spray which creates a cloud when they reach the Merced. Then there is Foresta across from us, which has been repeatedly ravaged by fires still shows greeness. All of these sights would not be seen when the forest has a full covering of needles.

Tamarack and Cascade Creeks

I was hoping to make it to a point about four miles in, but that will needs to be saved for another day. At 3:10, we turn around and start back. I will admit that it seems like more of the same. But now we are seeing things from a different angle. Also the day is a bit darker. So there is a different light. Also the way back is almost all uphill. Not a bad climb, but it is going up.

We get back to the car about 5:00pm. This is something which we can do again and maybe get a bit farther. It is interesting seeing parts of the world we have not gone to yet. We are off and get to Oakhurst and decide that we are ready for Italian food. So DiCicco’s it is. Service is a lot better than when Rachel and I came in a couple of years ago.

Extra Photo's

Cascade Creek

Unnamed Creek

Spray from Cascade Creek as it reached the Merced River

Tamarack and Cascade Creeks

Azaleas

Bend in the road

Burnt Manzanita

Remnants of the Ferguson Fire

Charred wood

Flowers and Plants

Dogwood

Manzanita

Saturday, October 14, 2017

October 14, 2017 - Crane Flat Lookout and Tuolumne Grove

Title: October 14, 2017 - Crane Flat Lookout and Tuolumne Grove
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Tuolumne Grove Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Crane Flat Lookout, Tuolumne Grove

Destination: Crane Flat Lookout, Tuolumne Grove

Distance: 5.56 miles

Start Time: 11:46

End Time: 4:34

Travel Time: 4:48 (1.16 mph)

Moving Time: 4:41 (1.19 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,343'

Maximum Elevation: 6,658'

GPS Tracks

Description:

This started out with as a trip with Rose and Sonya. But as the date got closer, one by one they acquired other obligations. In the meantime, we had invited our friend Carol to walk with us as well. So today, it is Carol, Sherri and I in Yosemite. Carol comes by at 7:30 and we get off by 7:45. This is my first time up in Yosemite since June. Exciting.

El Cap Rockfall

It got even more exciting as we got closer to the Valley. As we come through Tunnel View, we should be seeing the grandeur of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome standing at the far end with El Capitan guarding the gate. But what do we see and taste? Smoke. Cannot see Half Dome and Bridalveil and El Cap is barely viewable. We decide to drive through the Valley and see what we can see. If things improve great, otherwise, we will stop and see the recent rockfall from El Capitan. Then go on up to Tuolumne Grove. Hopefully there is less smoke there.

Empire Fire

The gash left by the rockfall in El Capitan is impressive. Just huge. Anyplace else, it would be an attraction itself. But with El Capitan, it is somewhat like losing a couple hairs off of one's head. Once the new rock exposed ages a winter, it will be hard to see where the rockfall was.

Carol and Tree

One up to Tuolumne Grove. Sherri spots smoke from the Empire Fire. So we stopped to look and take pictures. When we get to Tuolumne Grove, the parking lot is pretty close to full-but we find a place. Wonder what it looks like on a Summer’s Saturday.

Our first stop, that is after the bathrooms, is Crane Flat Lookout. We head off in the opposite direction as everybody else-westward. There is an old road which we follow until the trail veers off and goes up a hill. No amazing views or anything, just good Sierra dirt underfoot.

Black Bear

About halfway up you hit the paved road to the Crane Flat Heliport. A few steps up up, Carol whispers”Bear”. Sure enough, there is a black blob maybe about 30 yards away. Not too close, but close enough. The bear is just peacefully rummaging around at the base of a tree for some food-bugs and stuff. We take our pictures, trying not to disturb. I then cross the road opposite of the bear and this perks its attention, but does not move. I continue around on the far side of the road, hoping to catch him at a different angle. This spooks the bear and it runs off, not to be seen again, as much as I am on the lookout for it.

Sugar Pine Cone

So off we go. The rest of the way is paved, but with little traffic as the only destination is the heliport and the lookout. We meet nobody. The road is uphill, but not steep. You only get tired of walking on the pavement for the mile and half or so. But there are some splendid sugar pines along the way.

Osborne Fire Finder

Once we reach the helipad, we walk across the parking area to the continuation of the trail. (I think that NPS would prefer you not going straight over because sometimes there are vehicles can come through pretty fast in emergency situations. Last time we were here, we were talking with a pilot and we just followed her and her co-pilot over to the lookout.) So we go around the parking area and hit the lookout from the far side.

Empire Fire

The lookout is of the “rustic” Park Service style. Henness Ridge also is this style. We go up into the tower-it is only two stories and look around. They have an Osborne Firefinder, but it is off of true by about 17 degrees. Maybe it was trued with a compass, rather than true north. We look around and there is a few remnants of its glory in the cab. We also see the Empire Fire continuing to smoke, with a smaller column to the west.Due west of us is Pilot Lookout. After spending about half an hour up here, we go down for lunch at a picnic table at the lookout’s base. After hearing a noise going on and off, we realize it is the fan on a shipping container holding communication equipment.

Pilot Lookout

Mountains to East of Lookout

Carol and Gary

Now it is time to go back down to the car. we scaddle on down the trail and then the road the way we came up. More stopping to admire the sugar pine cones. It is a lot easier going down to the car than going UP to the lookout. Maybe it is because I am still having some minor effects from this summer. Whatever it is, we make it down to the car pretty well. Well enough that Sherri asks Carol about visiting Tuolumne Grove-she does not ask me.

Carol and Sherri

Since the answer was yes, off we go. The thing which I do not like about this trail is that it is downhill. You might be asking, what is wrong with that? Like Isaac Newton would have said if he was a hiker: whatever goes down, must come back up. But down we go.

Dogwood Berry

There are some subtle differences in the environment from Crane Flat, even though it is the same starting place. The most prominent is that the dogwood are bursting out with a new wardrobe. Instead of green and white, it is red and yellow with some orangish ornaments called berries. We stop every once in awhile to examine a tree or berries. This is definitely not a hike for the record books, but for the eye candy.

Carol peeking around a dogwood

The trail is an old paved road-I sort of remember going down this in a car once when my family came to Yosemite. It gets a bit steep. Also there is a bit of a culture shock from going to Crane Flat-lots more people with the accompanying noise and distractions of rowdiness. Don’t get me wrong, for the most part, people were orderly and following the procedures. But most is the operative word here.

Still the area is pleasant enough. We go on a loop into the Grove, enjoying the scenery. Sort of like a Japanese garden in flavor, but not stature-these are Sequoias after all. A brook goes through the middle of the loop, giving even more of that oriental flavor. Lots of pictures of the dogwoods and their berries. We went through a tunnel tree, but did not get any pictures of us-too many people.

My rest deer

Back to the start of the loop and working our way up. Seemed like a pretty good descent going in. Even more so going out. First really good climb since the summer stuff. A deer is off the side of the road, so it is worthwhile stopping to enjoy her. But we make it up, going one step in front of the other. Finally making it up to the car by 4:30. Tired but good.

Yosemite Valley

We stopped at Tunnel View-I wanted a picture of the smokey Valley. But was disappointed-it had cleared up magnificently with just enough smoke to catch the evening rays, turning everything a rosy color. When we passed through Oakhurst, stopped at Sugar Pine Pizza-actually called from Wawona. They had the pizza all ready for us, piping hot. After filling ourselves, we go on down to Fresno. We say by to Carol and then jump in the showers. A good day. Not lots of miles, but still an enjoyable one.