February 14, 2015 - Dinosaur Lake and Pig Pond

Title: February 14, 2015 - Dinosaur Lake and Pig Pond

Trail head: Pacheco State Park Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: Spikes Peak Road, Pig Pond, and Dinosaur Lake

Destination: Loop with Dinosaur Lake and Pig Pond

Distance: 5.89 miles ¹

Start Time:  9:36

End Time:   1:35

Travel Time: 3:59 (1.43 mph)

Moving Time: 2:24 (2.42 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,193'

Maximum Elevation: 1,499'

 ¹I did not turn on my GPS until about 10 minutes into the hike. So the distance traveled, time walked and elevation rise are all approximations based upon the GPS readings of this and other hikes in the area.

Description:

Got up and found that I was missing half of my front tooth. What a way to start the day! But it is not hurting so that is a good thing. We leave the house by 6:30 and get to the Kohl's parking lot soon after.  We have about 20 people coming with us today, meeting some at Pacheco and others in Los Banos. It is clear in Fresno, with a little bit of haze. But when we cross the San Joaquin along 152, we get hit by fog for about 10 miles. All arrive safe at Pacheco State Park around 9:15.

Oak Tree Silhouette

By 9:35 we are on the trail today. We are doing three trails I have walked a couple of times before. This is the first time I am walking it so early in the year. We are doing the Spikes Peak Road, Pig Pond, and Dinosaur Lake trails counter-clockwise. So the very first part of the trail is one of my favorites. As you climb the first hill, you get to look out over Pacheco Pass, the traffic going over 152, the wide spot before the highway descends steeply on both sides of the pass. It just feels like you can watch the whole world pass you by in the tranquility of the hill.

Road to Pig Pond

Pig Pond in the distance

But I have 21 people waiting for me so I must not lose myself in thought. After going through a cattle control gate, we come to the first of many trail junctions. We take the Pig Pond trail and after a third of a mile, we see the pond coming into view. No pigs in sight and the pond is pretty full compared to the last several times we have seen it. After the hike, Sherri tells me that she talked to a couple teenagers. They said they went down into the oaks on the north end of the lake and saw a mountain lion (Sherri says they said a bobcat).  What I saw of them, they were scurrying away pretty quickly.

Pig Pond

Speaking of Sherri, I have her doing sweep, making sure she keeps tab on the back of the group. I am trying to keep towards the front. there is a lot of trail junctions-not all of them are marked. I am fortunate as I have several other organizers on this trip: Lee, Donna, John, Jerry J and Jerry K, plus several other capable people. So I feel pretty confident I will not be losing anybody going off in the wrong direction.

After passing by Pig Pond, we climb up a little hill to a picnic bench. The first place were everybody waits. But we get a good view of the Coastal Range peaks to the south and west of us. Peaks like Fremont and Spikes.

View upon descent

Coming Up To Ridge

But now that all have caught up, it is time to do a good descent into Salt Creek. There is nothing great about Salt Creek, except that is the last of a 300' descent-our longest of the day.Of course, as we are going down, we get to enjoy the greenness of the spring grass around us, along with a few early wildflowers-I do not know their names, except for mustard and the California Golden Poppy. I guess I am a poor visitor not to at least learn our hosts names.

Windmills on ridge

After a break at Salt Creek, we start our way up. Now this is where my confusion starts. I remember the trail here going up the side of a road, with a steeper access road, which is true. But my memory says that the two do not combine, but there it does just a little ways up. The climb is a bit steep, but not far. It is not steep enough that we stop talking. But after a ways, the windmills come into view. And there is the road which leads up to them. What happened to Dinosaur Lake? Wasn't that to come before? Jerry K tries to reassure me that it comes later. But I am wondering, did I miss a turn off? Oh well, as long as we are here, we might as well go on up to the windmills. We take a lunch break here and enjoy the view of Mammoth Lake in front of us, the blades slowly spinning above us and the warm sunshine on our backs.

Meetup on windmills

Sherri and gang

I am still wondering where Dinosaur Lake went to. But hiking the hill tops is still so good that I stop that wondering. Evidently the rest of meetup group is in the same frame of mind because there is the relaxed pace of enjoyment pervading our group. The air is clear and we can see the snow tops of the Sierras. The grasses at our feet gently waving in a light breeze, so good of a day-and this is February!

Dinosaur Lake

Then we start descending again, and we see it: Dinosaur Lake. I am thankful that Jerry K is right! I talk a bit about was there really Dinosaurs or not? Do you want to romantic view or those of the more practical? I side on the romantic. A few years ago, some kids from Los Banos did a paper which sort of sides with that the formations were not right for dinosaurs in these parts. Still, it is not conclusive, so I can enjoy the pleasure of seeing a giant dinosaur print where this lake is. Of course, there is the dam which forms the lake, which helps with the dinosaur paw.

San Luis Reservoir

After this bit of excitement, we hid up to the top of the ridge above Dinosaur Lake and follow it northward. After two-thirds of a mile, we hit Windmill Road and some people wander up the road to see a good view of San Luis Reservoir. Ah, but if they just waited a little bit, they would have seen even a better view. This one with wildflowers in the fore-front. The picture on the right is sans flowers-see below for an example. This is the begining of the end to our hike.

We turn back around the ridge and hit Windmill Road and walk it for a ways. There are some offshoots to this road, so I keep the group relatively close together until we hit the trail branching off to the left. I believe it is the old Dinosaur Point Road, but whatever it is, we follow it up the last tiny ridge and into the meadow/pasture we started off in.

When we get back to the car, we see two of our vehicles-not mine-have parking violations on them. One just flat out did not see the iron ranger. The other did deposit money, but forgot to tear off the tag. Hope they can work with the State Park on it. Some of us finish off our hike by going to Black Bear Dinner in Los Banos. For the most part the food was good, but there was exceptions. This was our waitress' first day on the job and there was some confusion. Also one of our members had a vastly undercooked hamburger. We make it back to Fresno by 4:30 or 5:00, pretty content with the hike.

San Luis Reservior

Trail Lesson: Make sure I know where I am going and where I am at.

Pig Pond from ridge

Dinosaur Lake

March 21, 2014 - Pig Pond/Tunnel Monement Loop

Title: March 21, 2014 - Pig Pond/Tunnel Monument Loop

Trail head: Parking Lot at Pacheco State Park

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: Pig Pond/Tunnel Monument/Spikes Peak

Destination:  Tunnel Monument

Distance:  3.67 miles

Start Time:   11:41

End Time:      1:27

Travel Time: 1:45 (2.10 mph)

Moving Time: 1.29 (2.47 mph)

Elevation Rise:  966'

Maximum Elevation:   1,823

Start of Trail to Pig Pond

Description:
Once again we are on our way over to my parents in Mountain View. Pacheco State Park is turning out to be a great place to go for a mid-trip hike. We get to Pacheco around 11:30 and take off to Pig Pond. Previous hikers had not closed gates, but we leave them closed.

Climbing out of Pig Pond

Pig Pond is a familiar route-we have done this several times. While Pig Pond will never be a destination spot, it is a close one mile walk from the car. We travel beyond this, up the hill to a picnic table. This would be a great place to eat, with shade and views of Salt Creek, windmills and even Fremont Peak.

Fremont Peak

But we do not have lunch with us, so on we go, but just a little ways to the Tunnel Monument trail junction. We make a right turn onto the Tunnel Monument Trail and start a training hike up. This is really a steep climb. Glad it is not hot, but it is windy, which cools us a bit. The climb seems to be never ending, but in reality, it is only 500' up! Just straight up.

Tunnel Monument

But at the top you see back towards San Luis Reservoir, then down the west side of Pacheco. Nice, as long as the wind does not blow my hat off too many times. We hunt around for the Tunnel Monument, but do not find it. But we go down the trail thirty yards, and there it is. The monument is only a benchmark which says there is a tunnel below us from San Luis Reservoir to the creek on the west side of Pacheco. But you do enjoy thinking about all the engineering of those who bore through the Coastal Range to make this happen.

Spikes Road Trail

We continue our walk, starting on the return trip. As steep as it was coming up, it us at least as steep going down Spikes  Road. But we rejoin the Pig Pond trail, where it flattens out. From there it is a short walk back to the car. Then off to Gilroy and Subway for lunch-a Chicken Enchilada Melt if you must know.

Trail Lesson:

Say,     do you have any grey pig pond?  (Probably one of those things where you had to be there, but try saying it slightly slurred)

March 4, 2014 - Dinasour Lake and Pig Pond Trails

Title: March 4, 2014 - Dinosaur Lake and Pig Pond Trails

Trail head: Pacheco State Park Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type:  Hiking

Trail: Dinosaur Lake and Pig Pond Trails

Destination: Salt Creek

Distance: 5.70 miles

Start Time: 11:47

End Time:    2:41

Travel Time: 2.53 (1.98 mph)

Moving Time: 2.25 (2.36  mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,140'

Maximum Elevation: 1,541'

Description:
We are on our way to our parents in the Bay Area. So we stop at Pacheco State Park on the way. I had hiked this trail last week and it was a very pleasant after the rain. So Sherri wanted to do it as well. We will go in the opposite direction of the hike I did last week.

Green Hills, east ward

San Luis Reservoir

We start with the Dinosaur Lake Trail. The first little bit is not promising-we walk about a quarter mile across a cow pasture, till we get to the gate. Then we walk the old road which used to go down to San Luis Reservoir. The asphalt still shows up, making for easy walking, but there is an annoying click of our hiking poles. There are numbered posts along this way, but I have not been able to find out what these numbers refer to.  

The whole State Park is littered with chris-crossing trails, so it is easy to get confused between the trails and the service roads. Fortunately there is trail markers at almost each intersection, or where we walk the dirt service roads.

Walking the ridge

Fremont Peak

After following a few dirt roads, we come to a path. It climbs us to the top of a ridge where we can see east towards San Luis Reservoir and south to what I think is Fremont Peak. Since it rained this weekend, the hills are alive with greenery. The California Golden Poppy's are starting to bloom, sprinkling in the emerald grass with spots of gold. Small yellow and purple flowers pop up beside our trail. So much more refreshing today than when we have hiked this in the Summer or Fall.

Dinosaur Lake

The path drops down after a mile and three-quarters into a pond. This is Dinosaur Lake, from a height, the shape of the pond looks like a dinosaur paw-I think this is the reason for the name of the lake. Rushes surround the lake on many sides. A blackbird with a bright splotch of red on his wings tests the strength of the rush before he fly's off, only to try another rush. The pond mallards enjoy these waters with an occasional attempt at flight, only to land a hundred feet away.

The trail rises to the top of a different ridge and we see the windmills  silhouetting the skyline are no longer just distant figures, but are looming close by. As we approach them, the trail turns away from them, but there is a service road which leads up to them.  I do not see a sign restricting access, so I go on up to the closest one of them. While we know they are large, you see how they tower over you. One of them doing a slow turn, the others silently standing still. I stay only a few moments as Sherri is continuing on the way.

Windmills

From here, it is a steep downhill to Salt Creek. Partly on a dirt road, but then down a steeper path, zig-zagging across the hill side until we get to Salt Creek-which is dry. Here there is an intersection and we start our return trip via the Pig Pond Trail. We take a break here. As steep as the descent was, the ascent has us going up at about the same rate. I am  feeling the climb.  But there is enough eye-candy with the greenness of the hills and the oaks silhouetting the sky that we can fain a break to enjoy our surroundings, rather than a rest break.

Trail back

At the top before descending into Pig Pond, we are at the high point of our hike. We debate about going over to Tunnel Monument, but decide to save it for another day-the Monument is only a marker saying the e tunnel out of San Luis Reservoir lies beneath you. A picnic table is at the top, but we do not stop, even for a look at Pig Pond-mostly empty. The final gap in the hills yields one of my favorite sights of the whole loop. The sight is good not only to see the car, but the expanse of green before us, eventually spreading to highway 152.

From here it is a short mile walk back to the parking lot and our car. A pretty nice day for this walk.

October 28, 2013 - Pig Pond

Title: October 28, 2013 - Pig Pond

Trail head: Pacheco State Park

Hike Info:

Trail: Pig Pond

Destination:Pig Pond

Distance:  2.0 miles

Travel Time: 1:00 (2.00 mph)

Moving Time: 0:40 (3.00 mph)

Elevation Rise: 200'

Maximum Elevation:

Description:

We hiked this trail last year and enjoyed it. So this evening as we are coming home from visiting my parents, we stop at Pacheco Pass State Park and go for a short hike over to Pig Pond. We start from the parking lot-this is a fee area, but we have our State Park Pass for free admission.

After going through a gate—all gates should be left as you found them-we start to cross a field in what looks like a lightly used tractor track.. The trail then rises up a hill. With the sun low in the sky, the dried fields really do look golden. On top of the hill, we look back, in the distance you can see the traffic of 152 rushing over Pacheco Pass. Looking southward, the windmill blades slow turn. We head down after passing through another gate. We intersect the Cut Off Trail—which goes over to the Tunnel Monument. But we continue straight.

Another hill is climbed and we drop down the last third of a mile into the Pig Pond. On the way down, we scare up three deer which lope away. In previous visits, the pond is fuller with birds scampering along its shores. But tow]day, the pond is really no bigger than a mud puddle. Maybe because of the wind, there is no life to be seen. Since the sun is about to go down, we return the way we came without exploring around a bit. But we do get to admire the oaks against the darkening sky. Not a bad leg stretcher for those who have been stuck up in a car for awhile.

May 24, 2012 - Tunnel Monument

Trail head: Pacheco State Park Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Trail: Pig Pond to Tunnel Monument back to Parking Lot

Destination: Tunnel Monument

Distance: 4.0 miles

Travel Time: 1:38

Moving Time: 1:21

Speed: 2.9 mph

Elevation Rise: 771'

Maximum Elevation: 1,1918'

Description:
Sometimes when you go past a place all your life, you realize that you do not know the area. For me, this is true of Pacheco Pass. Even before moving to Fresno, I had gone over this pass as a little boy, being driven by my parents from the Bay Area to the Sierra's. And when we moved to Fresno, we would drive this 152 at least once a month, and a lot of times more often. So last year when we were looking for hikes which we could do for Capture California, We noticed this little state park right on Pacheco Pass, Pacheco State Park. Unfortunately, we had not stopped here until today. This is definitely will change. While not a place to hike during a summer afternoon, it can be picturesque with oak trees, rolling hills, wind turbines and San Luis Reservoir filling the views.



Today, I was coming back from my parents in the Bay Area and hit the pass in the early afternoon. The day was warm, but not hot. So I decided, today is the day to see this area. Turned off of 152 close to the top of the pass and headed down Dinosaur Point Road. Yes there really was a dinosaur remains found in the area, well maybe. I was looking for a trail head off this road, but I did not pay enough attention to my map which said to take a right on Whisky Flat Road—that is the correct spelling of Whisky. So I went all the way down to the boat launch at Dinosaur Point. This was where I was in for a treat.



I was greeted by the boat inspector—for tag-along mussels. After receiving confirmation that I should have turned a ways back, we chatted for awhile, that would be over an hour. Evidently Manny is visited by a number of people who think this area is a great for partying and getting drunk. But he is out there because he enjoys viewing the wildlife-Tule Elk, mountain lion, mule deer, fox, and coyotes. We talked about the trails and the heat. He gave me some park brochures, which looking at them later, I realized I had most of it already. A woman and her mother stopped to ask some questions—looked like a husband in the car as well. They had traveled from Spain to see California. So after talking for a little while, they left. Manny and I talked a bit longer. He has written some books on poetry—The Bridge is Gone and The Elder, not famous yet. Yet it is exciting who you meet in places like this and then find out who they are. By this time, I was on my way to find the trail head—a few minutes before three.



Found the trail head, right next to a pen full of cattle. The Pacheco Family, through Paula Fatijo's bequeath in 1992, gave the State of California the property around Pacheco Pass for a state park. This was to preserve the area for its natural and human history. Consequently, they still do ranching operations, renting out part of the park. Also various wind farm operators also rent out part of the land.

Onward to the actual hike. The trail leaves the parking lot/corral area. Going toward the south. It is a gradually rising semi-jeep track—hardly used by jeeps, but used by hikers. Tall, dry, grasses abound, along with little critters. After a half of a mile, you come to a hundred foot ridge, cross it and find an intersection. I aim to come back to the intersection via the trail to the west, but for now, it is the easier trail to the south. We go up another small ridge and then drop down into a dried creek bed, which feeds into Pig Pond. And then the start of a more steep climb to the Tunnel Monument Trail Jct.

I take the Tunnel Monument Trail as that will give me a 3.5+ mile loop back to the car. My little talk with Manny cut short the hiking. But both the talking and the hiking are wonderful. This trail climbs up steeply over the next ¾ of a mile to the top of the ridge. As I reach the top, the wind whip's through rather fiercely, causing me to chase my hat. But the view is good. You see both sides of the coastal range. Westward there is the greener hills, which get the moisture from ocean breezes. Towards the east is San Luis Reservoir. And the windmills, furiously turning, trying to keep up with the wind. Such a far reaching sight.

When Manny and I were talking, we guessed what the Valley was like before modern man came along. The wildlife, the plants we would have seen. John Muir in Yosemite indicated the first time he came over Pacheco Pass he saw a carpet of bright orange flowers stretching from his feet to the feet of the Sierra's. Today, I cannot see Los Banos, let alone Yosemite. Things have changed.

But now it is time to find this Tunnel Monument. I go 50 steps back towards the car and there is a sign saying Tunnel Monument. But where is this monument? Where is this tunnel? Silly. I am standing on top of the tunnel—it is sunk several hundred feet below my toes. And the monument? Well it is a benchmark. This tunnel is the tunnel bore through the coastal range to drive more electric generators from the water coming from San Luis Reservoir. Nothing to see; just things to think about. How we can bore holes through mountains to move water, but not clean up the air we breath?




I start down the trail back to the car. The downward trail is steeper than I came up on. I come to a junction—but a different one than I saw before. But I take it anyway. It goes through part of the Pacheco Ranch and meets a private road. I go another quarter of a mile down the road and find my car. A most satisfying afternoon spent.

Place: CA-Pig Pond

Pig Pond (Pacheco Pass)
(Long, Lat)

Description:


Trips:

• March 14, 2014 - Return trip from Salt Creek and Dinosaur Lake
• March 21, 2014 - Pig Pond and Tunnel Monument
• May 24, 2012 - Pig Pond and Tunnel Monument
• October 28, 2013 - Short trip to Pig Pond and Back
• February 14, 2015 - Meetup Hike to Pig Pond, Windmills and Dinosour lake
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References:

•  State Park site
• Adventure DRO
• Wild Recovery
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Pictures:

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