Gary-Summer: Rattlesnake Flat

Showing posts with label Rattlesnake Flat. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

January 15, 2025 - Montana de Oro

Title: January 15, 2025 - Montana de Oro

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

Hike Info:

Type: Walking

Trail head: Campsite #16

Trail: Oats Peak, Valencia, Road

Destination: Short Morning Hike ¹

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Campsite #16

Trail: Oats Peak, Valencia, Rattlesnake Flat, Deer, Bluffs Trail

Destination: Loop

Distance: 3.36 mile ²

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Campsite #16

Trail: Oats Peak, Valencia, Rattlesnake Flat, Deer, Bluffs Trail

Destination: Loop

Distance: 3.36 miles 2

Elevation Rise: 516'

Descent: 515‘

Maximum Elevation: 342'

GPS Tracks

¹No GPS on walk. Walk was to keep warm.

²GPS turned off after a third of a mile. Used route plotted on Google Earth

Sunrise

Description:

It turned out that it was a cold night last night. There is a natural downhill slope to the tent and when I wiggled close to the bottom side of the tent, my feet got cold. So I went back up to the top. Then repeated this throughout the night. I should have gotten up when Sherri went to the bathroom. When I got up at 7:30, I really needed to go.

To get myself warmed up, I did a short ¾ mile walk up the Oats Peak trail to the Valencia Peak

View from Environmental Camp #3

trail and then down to the road. I was warmer after that. When I got back, Sherri was just getting up. So I got set up for breakfast-french toast. By this time it is 9:30. While eating breakfast, I noticed that my hand is turning a bright pink. Apparently an insect bit me. It is not bothersome, just a bit concerning.

Steven said he was leaving about 10. We see a school group going up towards Oats Peak. Turns out that they are with the Kern County Schools. We do not get our hike started until 11:15.

Some of the delay in getting started was that Sherri’s pack was soaking wet. When she tried to figure out why, she did not have a resolution. So her pack gets left behind. A bit later as we are walking along, I start to feel something hit on my back. While I wait for Sherri at a junction, I look and see why. The lid on my bladder was loose. When I tighten it up. The water stops spilling out of the bladder, but there is enough water in the pack that I feel it for awhile

Surf from Bluffs Trail

We started off retracing my steps from this morning. The first part of our trek is going up the Oats Peak Trail for a short way until we branch off onto the Valencia Peak Trail. This shortly brings us to the “real” Valencia Peak Trail. Now we have a choice to make. Sherri thinks she is up to the climb, but I reflect on that this is a thousand foot plus climb and can we do that by the time Steven comes?

Grotto Rock

So we take the other way which would lead us down to the road. But we turn off at the junction with the Rattlesnake Flats Trail. This trail roughly parallels the road to the east side of it. Also because it is higher, we get some views of the coast. Sherri hears a fog horn, but does not see where it is coming from. I suspect it is someplace on Point Buchon.

We came to a road to an environmental camp. These camps are campsites where people need to walk in a short ways, carrying all of their stuff, including water. In the case of the campsite we came to, #3, it is a pretty steep uphill. I am glad we do not need to carry our camping equipment up that hill.

Sure footed hawk

But after examining the topo map, I concluded that is where the Rattlesnake Flat trail goes, so up we went. A little beyond the campsite is the trail junction and we continue on our way. The trail continues above for a little ways, until it dips into a ravine and comes to the Deer Flats Trail Junction. Sherri is willing to go on to where our trail picks up the Bluffs Trail, but we are starting to move a bit slow. So we just follow the Deer Flats Trail down to the Bluffs.

Once we get to the Bluffs, it is almost 1 and I said that I need to take a break. So Sherri says lets eat lunch. The place where we stop gives a good view of Grotto Rock and a shelf which periodically gets a wave which gives it a wash. It is a good place to stop.

After I get my rest stop, we head north along the Bluffs Trail. There are a lot more people than the one person we met on the Rattlesnake Flat Trail. It is an accessibility trail, gently graded and very scenic. The ocean in these parts must be close to high tide, so we get to enjoy lots of waves with their white caps.

Sherri spots some sort of raptor on a trail sign and we pause to take pictures of it. Then onward we go. We meet up with more of the Kern County kids, which are a good combination of exuberance and courtesy.

Cormorants

on rock

A short time later we came to our campsite. Korra and Steven are already there and Steven is putting the finishing touches on his portable hammock stand. The discussion is now what to do this afternoon? Sherri raises up the possibility of climbing Bishop Peak. I shot that down as during the last hour we have been traveling slowly on level ground. Also I need to rest for half an hour before we do anything. I fell asleep while Sherri and Steven discussed this.

When I woke up, it was because of a noise. One of the stakes holding Steven’s hammock had come out, collapsing the hammock. While he had the stake deep in the ground, the ground, as we discovered last night, is very uneven. Part of that is because some of the ground is solid and other parts are pretty loose. Evidently below the surface, the stake was in loose ground. Nobody was hurt.

The half an hour which it took to break down the hammock and mount his old, stable one decided what we were going to do. After everything was settled, Steven drove us to Avila Beach where there is a dog friendly beach. There, Korra can run around without a leash to her heart's content, and she does. It is nice there for about 30-45 minutes until the sun goes down and a chill enters the air.

Moon about to rise

When we leave, we go to one of the highlights of the trip-Sylvester's. When we come to this area, we try to make it here. The hamburgers are really good. I have the Desperado; Sherri has a California burger and Steven a Hanna-sort of a Hawaiian style burger. I do not hear any complaints and I for one is very filled and satisfied. Hint: The basic burger is a third of a pound and moves on up from there.

By this time, it is dark when we get to camp. We do a few things to get set up for the time when we eventually go to bed. We then reenter the car. I was the last because I tried to get a shot of the three planets lined up before the moon rose And then looking over, I saw Orion and his belt. At the lower end of the constellation, there looks like a dirty smudge-not on my glasses, but under the constellation. When I consulted my star app, it says this is the Orion Nebula. It is good seeing that.

By the way, the insect bite I talked about earlier did not get any worse.

Then into the car I go to do some reading and writing. It is much warmer tonight in the car with four bodies-I will take it. By about 9:30, I was ready for bed. I did go on a short walk around the campground loop before turning in. Sherri finished up her movie she had downloaded and came to bed about the time I was nodding off

Background

Sylvester's. When we go to the Los Osos area, we always try to hit Sylvester's. Why? Their burgers are just sooo good. To start with, their basic burger is a third of a pound. Size goes up to a pound. Then there are the types of burgers. My wife has a California-needs no explanation; my son has a Hana-Hawaiian type of toppings; and I have a Desperado. This is similar to a Western Bacon Cheeseburger, only more subtle in taste and much better cooked than most. If you are looking for a local place, this is it. In Los Osos, it can be hard to find, but well worth the search.

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
French Toast	Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwich	Burgers at Sylvester's	Energy bars, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

Panorama View from Rattlesnake Flat Trail

Shadows at rest

View from the Environmental Camp #3

Ocean and Land Meet

Avila Beach, Korra and the setting sun

View of Morro Rock in the morning

Valencia Peak

Cormorants

Morro Bay in the afternoon

Planets lined up: Jupiter, Mars, and Venus?

Moon rise

Animals

California Scrub Jay

California Quail

Cormorants

Red-Tailed Hawk

Flowers and Plants

Climbing Penstomen

California Golden Poppy

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

April 12, 2017 - Bluffs Trail, Montana de Oro

Title: April 12, 2017 - Bluffs Trail, Montana de Oro
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Montana de Oro Parking area

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Bluffs Trail

Destination: Rattlesnake Creek Trailhead

Distance: 4.31 miles

Start Time: 10:43

End Time: 1:15

Travel Time: 2:32 (1.70 mph)

Moving Time: 1:34 (2.75 mph)

Elevation Rise: 361'

Maximum Elevation: 160'

GPS Tracks

Description:

We wake up to some noise around 7:00am. Next door it looks like there is construction being done for a new hotel. Then at 8 overhead is the sound of scrapping. This gets both of us up and about. The hotel has a continental breakfast which we opt to skip. Instead we wander down the street to the Apple Farm for a full breakfast. I order a full stack of seven grain pancakes. Afterwards, I feel stuffed in a good ways-probably should have had one less pancake. We checked out of the hotel room a little before 10 and make our way to Montana de Oro.

North up the coast

On the way to Montana de Oro, it starts to rain. Will this be the end of our walking for today? We decide to go on the Bluffs Trail. Neither of us are energetic and those pancakes are really starting to make me feel sluggish. We have not been on the Bluffs Trail in a little while. The last time we were there, they were renovating the trail for handicap access. So this should be a good one to go on.

Interesting erosion

The path has gradual grades and flat, as well as wide. We start along, taking pictures here and there, but mostly just admiring the seascape. There are birds, seagulls, which pose for us. Also some black cormorants perched on an island. That rain we were concerned about-did not show. But there was some wind, but not bothersome. Several plants have us wondering what the names of them are. Some morning glories and poppies and other fine looking plants.

There are plenty of benches to sit down on and today, I need them. Not sure why. That sluggishness I said earlier, it has broken out into a full fledged, flat out being tired. This is not a tiring trail either. Only 400’ of rise over 4 miles. I should be able to do this as a morning walk. But not today. Legs are tired, breathing hard and body just non-responsive. This is being a long walk for such a short and easy hike.

Moro Bay State Park

Tired Old Man at end of Bluffs Trail

When we reach the Rattlesnake Creek Trailhead, we hit the outhouses there and then decide which way to go. We could go to the east of the road, up in the hills with some ups and downs, or just go back the way we came. Sherri is leaving the decision to me. Usually this means going on the more challenging trail. But today, I say let’s go back the way we came. Sherri looks at me with a bit of concern. Am I sick? Is something a matter? I do not know, I just know my legs feel full of lead and I am sweating a lot.

Shoreline and Moro Rock from Bluffs Trail

But it is a good walk back. I stop several times to take pictures, at least that is what I say. I do take pictures, but maybe a bit more than warranted. On the way in, Sherri talked about a talk we hear from Peter Kreeft on The Spirituality of the Sea. I do not go as far as Kreeft does on how comes the Sea gives us relaxation and peace. But there is something to what he says and this is something to stop and ponder when I look out at the ocean.

Hills of Moro Bay State Park

By the time we get back to the car, it is after 1pm. But neither of us feel too hungry, at least not hungry enough for a Sylvester’s Hamburger. Something about a hearty breakfast keeps with you for a while. What to do? So we decide to head over to the pygmy pine forest. It would help to find it if I got the name right-it is really called the Elfin Oak Forest in Los Osos. It would be even better if I remembered which streets to turn on to get there. But eventually we make it there.The entrance we use is on 16th St. We go a couple hundred yards in sand before hitting the boardwalk loop. The loop is pleasant and only about a mile. I still am lethargic, so I am glad for an easy walk. When I am alert, it is a fascinating walk. There is a variety of vegetation to look at. We complete our walk in an hour or so. The Elfin Forest is only a mile or so on boardwalk.

Moro Rock from the Elfin Forest

Moro Bay State Park from Elfin Forest

Now it is time for Sylvester’s I have a Texas Burger, which in reality is an open face burger with chili over it. It is ok, but knowing what some of the other burgers are like, I am a bit disappointed. But one good thing is that lethargicness is disappearing. So this did the trick.

Now it is time to head back to Fresno. But instead of going straight back to Fresno, we go up the coast past Morro Bay and past San Simeon to Piedras Blancas and the elephant lions. There is something about a mammal who can snort, fart and wallow. Even though it was cold and windy, we stayed out watching them and fascinated. As we looked around, we saw a couple interpretive signs. Looking at them, we realize that the signs were created by a friend of our, Faith Rumm.

After leaving Piedras Blancas, we travel up Highway 46 past Paso Robles and on the way home. Except, that we have another thought. Maybe a perfect ending is to swing around Hanford for some ice cream. Like a sundae with chocolate chip ice cream and fudge topping. That is a perfect way. We roll into Fresno around 9pm, content with our couple of days.