October 30, 2019 - Kaweah Oaks

Title: October 30, 2019 - Kaweah Oaks
Hike Info : Description : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Grapevine, Sycamore, Valley Oak, Dry Creek, Red Rose

Destination: Loops

Distance:  4.24 miles 1

Start Time: 8:40

End Time:   11:26  

Travel Time:  2:45 (1.54 mph)

Moving Time:  2:08 (1.99 mph)

Elevation Rise: 180 '

Descent: 190‘

Maximum Elevation: 388'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Sherri is sick today, so she will not be joining us on this Meetup hike. On the other hand, if she was not sick, we might either be in San Francisco or returning from the Bay Area and this blog entry would be different.

I got up at 5:30 and got ready. Left the house a few minutes later than I thought I would, but still got to the parking lot before 7. Today, I am being unsociable and will be returning right after the hike, before going to lunch or visiting the Exeter murals. So I will drive down-no one else is unsociable evidently. We get to the Preserve’s parking lot around 8:30.

Kaweah Oaks is a preserve of lands which resemble how the Valley in the area looked a hundred years ago. In some ways, it is unfair to expect a full blown Sierra hike. On the other hand, you can envision yourself being around where the early pioneers were. As was said, this is with the Meetup group. I have not hiked with them for over two months. Now that my parents' place is almost taken care of, I should be able to do more-probably not for another three weeks though.

Because of the shortness of this jont and how level it is, it is a good event for an out of shape person such as myself. The first loop is the Sycamore Trail, about a ¾ of a mile loop. I suspect the Fall is not a great time for this. The grasses are brown and everything is receding to stand against the Winter siege. But there are things of interest, such as the spindliness of the sycamores which have given up on life against the sky.

When we finish with the loop, we find that a new loop has been creaked called the Dry Creek Exercise Loop. Not sure what the exercise is, but it looks like a road which used to be used by the farm. So we go around that one as well. I walk with John, we do a bit of chit-chat stuff.

After completing that loop, we headed back to the bathrooms and go west, up the road to the Swamp Loop. It has been closed at times when we have gone up here, but today, it is open. So off we go on this 7/8th mile trail. During the Spring or after a rain, this can be a bit soggy. But like all of our walks today, it is dry. The trail meanders around a lot, so sometimes the front people have almost looped back to us back people. There is a reddish-purple plant which Karol identifies as Poke leaf, you know that 60’s song called Poke Salad Anne. The Preserve must be clearing out unwanted debris and plants as there is evidence of burnt stacks. 

 Our next, and last loop, was the Red Rose Loop-sometimes called the Wild Rose or just plain Rose trail. We were going to go on the Grapevine Trail, but it is closed today. This area is the more attractive part of the Preserve. It is lush, lots of green, with vines draping over the oaks and sycamores. At times when I have been here before, the light gets filtered through the towering leafy pillars. Today, I am settling just to be a bit awestruck by the sun streaming through unfiltered. It is a pleasant closing out of the days hike.

We regroup in the parking lot. Most of the rest of them are going to go into Exeter with Rebecca guiding the group through a tour of the town’s murals. It is well worth the small effort to go into town. It is even more special to have a knowledgeable native such as Rebecca to guide you. But today, I am going back after the hike. Having gotten in yesterday after five days away, I need to get a few things in order. So I say goodbye. It has been good seeing the good people who I hike with.

 

 
Flowers and Plants

Tobacco Weed

Poke Leaf

Jimson Weed

March 23, 2019 - Briceburg, the Other Way

Title: March 23, 2019 - Briceburg, the Other Way
Hike Info : Description :  Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Briceburg

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail:  Road to Railroad Flat

Destination:  Railroad Flat

Actual Destination:  A little bit before Railroad Flat

Distance:  8.56 miles

Start Time:  9:13

End Time:   1:06

Travel Time:  3:52 (2.21 mph)

Moving Time:  3:21  (2.56 mph)

Elevation Rise:  336'

Descent: 229‘

Maximum Elevation: 1,174'

GPS Tracks

Description:

We walked for wildflowers and got rain. Life could be a lot worse. Somehow I enjoy walking in the rain-but there are limits to that statement. Drizzles are fun; a light rain-enjoyable; a deluge-not so much. We will see what the day brings.

This is a Meetup hike. When I posted it, looked like the rain would only be in the very early morning and pretty light. Sounds good. Even Friday night, the forecast called for a hundredth of an inch when we started hiking. But when I got up Saturday morning, the forecast called for two hours of an eighth of an inch each. Sounds a bit more serious.

Merced River

We all arrive at the parking lot at 7:00am and are ready to go. We are to pick up a person at Four Corners and then meet another at Burger King in Mariposa. In Fresno it is not raining, so that is hopeful. Apparently we missed the person at Four Corners-turns out she arrived about 5 minutes after we left-so close, so far. We take a break in Mariposa. It is raining and raining pretty decently now. I gave our hikers-there are seven of us some modification. But all were interested in hiking the full two hours in and two hours out. What a group!

When we get to Briceburg, any hope of having a dry hike gets dampened. There is a steady beat of water descending on us. Most of us hurry to get ready. I give the group a last chance to shorten the hike, but they are all ready for the full experience. Sherri is having troubles getting her pack cover on her pack; the group takes off and waits on the other side of the bridge; and Pam with her two dogs is off to the races. There is a group picture before we start our hike.

Across the Merced

We head west from the Briceburg Bridge. This is a road to three campground, but is closed right now due to rockslides. Because it follows the Merced River, it is only a gentle decline. Pam and Robert have shot ahead at a good clip. The rest of us are walking pretty nicely, stopping often for pictures. Not many of wildflowers, but many little places where water is running down. Also the wetness is making the greens just glisten. There are reasons to hike in the rain.

Boulders blocking Road

 And the rain, it still is raining and pretty good. Some of us have umbrella’s. Others rain outfits. I do not see any poncho’s-wise people. Both Sherri and I have rain pants and jackets. So we stay comparatively dry. After the hike I see that my pants are damp, but not wet. While my shirt around my stomach is soaked but the top is dry-go figure. Oh yea, for some reason the pocket in my jacket where I kept my camera has a small pool of water. I do not see how that happened. Camera still works. Thankful for that, but I switched over to my phone to take pictures on the way back.

Raingear Not Optional

Our pace has been slow as we have wanted to take pictures of so much. But when I see Pam and Robert coming back up the road, I am thinking it is time to turn around anyway-technically we had another 15 minutes to walk before the two hours going in was up. But with the rain and we all getting drenched, it is a good time to turn back.

The trip back is uneventful. The rain seems to be lighting up. My legs and lungs still feel good. This is a blessing as for the last year and a half, I have been pretty lethargic. Still not up to what I consider my top form for a 65 year old. But better than I was two months ago. Now the question is, will I be ready to walk a half marathon in two weeks? Maybe? Will I make it in under four hours? Probably not. While I used to have a co-worker whose motto was there is no try, only do, to me to try is the main thing, to do is good, but to fail after trying is not a sign of disgrace. Shows the heart is willing but the flesh is weak.

Newts in Love

We get back to the car around 1:00pm, pretty much soaked-but only the outer garments. The bottom of the shirt is wet, the pants damp and I am happy. Several of us go to Mariposa and stop at the old standby for lunch, Happy Burger. Sherri and I stop by Faith’s place, but she is closed. A good day of walking. But now the final words are below

.

People enjoy hiking on a clear sunshiny day. But say it is going to rain? That discourages a lot of people. It takes a special type of crazy to go out in the rain on a hike and enjoy it. Glad I was with this bunch of crazies.

Extra Photo's

Merced River

From the Briceburg Bridge

Clouds to the East

Rock Garden

Waterfall during Rain

Mud Puddle and Rain

Grasses Glistening Green

Merced River

Animals

Newts

 
Flowers and Plants

Raindrop and Redbud

Redbud

Redbud

Redbud

May 9, 2018 - Ladybug Trail to Whiskey Log Camp

Title:  May 9, 2018 - Ladybug Trail to Whiskey Log Camp
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background :  Flowers and Plants

Trail head: South Fork Campground

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Ladybug and Whiskey Log

Destination: Whiskey Log

Actual Destination: midway between the two

Distance:  5.99 miles  ¹

Start Time: 10:14

End Time:     4:30

Travel Time:  6:16 (0.96 mph)

Moving Time:  3:48 (1.58 mph)

Elevation Rise:  1,692'

Descent: 1,482‘

Maximum Elevation: 5,033'

GPS Tracks

 ¹I stopped about a mile short of Whiskey Log.

Description:

When I read the hike description on Meetup, I was thinking that this will be a bit tough. Based upon the last several outings I am not sure about the 8 miles and 1,500’. Will see.

So it is time to go on another mid-week meetup hike. We gather in Fresno at 7am and get off at 7:25. I am riding in Leslie truck-this is the second week in a row which I am riding with someone. When has this happened? Maybe never. We stop in Farmersville for a break and to pick up up a couple more people. I take over driving duties and on we go. The trailhead is at the South Fork Campground, just inside Sequoia National Park, a bit after Three Rivers. The road to get in is slow and bumpy-I guess that cuts down on the traffic.

A reader noted this is Salt Creek Ridge

We get on the trail about 10:30, 16 strong. Once again, John has me start out. For the first eighth of a mile, I am the strong person in front. But I know this will not last long. After crossing the Clough Cave Bridge, the trail rises up and I slow down. So I start dropping back some.

The trail is warm and the grass is green. Flowers look like they are enjoying themselves. The sounds of the Kaweah bring cheer to my ears and a bit more lightness to my footsteps-still not enough lightness to push me faster though. 


 

Dennison Ridge to the South

I do not remember this trail being so steep when I last did it three years ago, maybe four years ago. Of course there has been many miles and memories since then. So I am huffing and puffing some more, and fall back a bit more. Still it is good to be out with friends.

Not Homer's Nose

 When we round a corner, I see a dome like rock sticking out of the ridge in the distance. I say something like, this is Moro Rock. I am feeling a bit smug being able to identify this, particularly since I think I see railing on the top of it. But, Mike comes along and says it is not Moro as Moro is a couple of drainages away. I ponder this for awhile and tend to agree with him after due consideration. He thinks it is Homer’s Nose. But I think Homer is someplace to the east of us on one of the juts of rock on another ridge. Strike two for me; strike one for Mike. When I get home, I study a topo map to see what I can see. This dome has the majestic name of 8,940’-someplace called it Homer’s Brow. So where is Homer’s Nose? Just to the west of the dome by about an eighth of a mile.

Path close to Cedar Creek

While the above conversations took maybe a matter of 2 minutes, it filled my mind for awhile about what do I really know. So before I knew it, we were at the Ladybug Camp site, close to the river. Here we stop for a snack, or in my case, most of my sandwich, and to take a gander at the falls. Pretty nice.

When we take off again, there is a sign saying 2.3 miles to Whiskey Log, which puts the one-way distance about 4.2 miles. This is also the start of a good climb with one of the few switchbacks on the trail. By the time which we get to the top of this rise, I know that I probably will not be making it all the way to Whiskey Log. The question is how long? It is not so much that the legs are fading, but that the lungs are not getting enough oxygen into the system.

As we continue up, we hear the sounds of Cedar Creek. But a couple of us have slowed down enough that we think this is a good place to stop for the day, at the three mile mark, just before the creek. We convince John that it is OK for him to continue on and we will rest here and wait. We talk about family and the wild and why we are so tired after three miles and 1,500’ of elevation rise.

When another person comes back, I suggest that they start going on down the trail and that I would wait for John and tell him the status of everyone. This is agreeable. From experience, going down or on the flat is not a problem-just a month ago, I averaged 3.5mph over 13 miles. So I should not have an issue going back. After waiting around an hour, the whole group of people come by. I have snoozed a bit, read and wrote in my blog during this time.

Field of Common Madia

John comes up as the sweep for the group, making sure everybody is in front of him. After telling him what the situations I saw in front of him, we take off. Just as I suspected, I am feeling pretty good-may also have to do with having taken an hour and a half rest. We retreat down the trail. This time I have opportunities to take some pictures of flowers.We walk pretty steadily for and hour and a half, getting back to the vehicles around 4:30. I feel better now than when I did two hours ago.

South Fork of the Kaweah from Clough Cave Bridge

After conversing for awhile, we take off to Three Rivers and eat at the River View Restaurant and Lounge. I had their special, the Mountain Western Chicken. One note of warning-when they include jalapeno peppers in the menu, they do not skimp. Then it is off to Fresno, with me driving. In the front seat, we talk a lot of backpacking and I unload what I think would be useful to a person who has not backpacked before, but who is an excellent hiker. Sort of go over a short list of my backpacking stuff. This makes the time go by fast. I get home around 8:30, ready for a shower and on to tackle tomorrow night’s book group.

Trail Lesson: Be sure to know what you are talking about before you open your mouth.

Background

Homer’s Nose. There was a discussion about do Sequoias grow around here. Turns out that there are two Sequoia groves which flank Homer’s Nose: Homer’s Nose Grove and Eden Creek Grove on the north side of Homer’s Nose and down the slope a couple thousand feet.

 
Flowers and Plants

Giant Larkspur

Common Madia