January 22, 2019 - East Entrance to Henry Coe State Park

Title: January 22, 2019 - East Entrance to Henry Coe State Park
Hike Info : Description :  Background

Trail head: Dowdy Gate

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Destination: None-walk for an hour or so

Distance:  2.3 miles

Start Time: 11:25

End Time:   12:45

Travel Time:  1:20 (1.72 mph)

Moving Time:  1:11 (1.94 mph)

Elevation Rise:  926'

Descent: 527‘

Maximum Elevation: 947'

GPS Tracks

Description:

We are on our way to Mountain View. But first we stopped off at San Luis State Park to pick up a Senior State Pass-I sort of enjoy this getting old thing. Being able to get into parks-national and state for free is great. Then we go over Pacheco Pass and go off of highway 156 at the Bell Station turn off. This leads us up to a picnic area/outhouse and parking area. The gate is closed after this so we park here.

We have a minor debate about the closed gate, but decide there is no sign so we climb over the gate and are on our way. Our route is a road which is used by various ranches to access their land. We are about seven miles away from the Dowdy Ranch Visitor Center-no way are we making it that far. The first eighth of a mile has a slight slope. Picturesque trees line the road and we do pretty good.

Oak and Sky

 
But then we see a sign saying Speed Limit: 25mph. But then the other sign says Hill. Wondering how much of a hill can this be? We quickly find out. It is about at 20-25% grade and goes on for about ¾ of a mile. We rise up over 500’ during this time and can tell it. A lot of time I have my head down just concentrating on the climb.

Pond on the way down

We are past by a young woman in a pickup truck-she waves and goes on. I guess we are OK, at least we did not look menacing.

After about 40 minutes of walking we need to turn around as we have an appointment this afternoon in Mountain View. Coming back downhill, I see things which I missed going up. 


There was as small pond framed by some oaks. Then there was a cow high up on a ridge. And a marshmello growing in a muddy pot along the side of the road.

We go down a bit slowly. There is scree on the road and with its steepness, we are being a bit cautious. But then we get to the flatter spot close to the gate and our hike ends with us reclimbing the gate.

While we walked slowly than when we are in shape, it is good just to be out walking like this. With the climb, we can start get into shape.

Background

Dowdy. There is several ranches around Henry Coe State Park. One of them is the Dowdy Ranch. Around the visitor center, which is inside the park and is only open during weekends during the summer, the area is similar to how it was when the Spanish explored it. Also the area around it is considered an ecological sensitive area. There are also roads in the area used by private ranches to access their land.

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.

February 2, 2014 - San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

Tufted Duck

Title: February 2, 2014 - San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

Another meetup group hike, or walks and drive as you may call it. Karol saw Sherri's Facebook post a couple of weeks ago on our brief visit to the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge (SLNWR) just above Los Banos. So she scheduled a meetup hike there. There are several units to SLNWR. We will visit to two of them: San Luis Unit and the West Bear Creek Unit. But others include Kesterson, Freitas and Merced areas. SLNWR was a joint development between the National Wildlife Refuge system and several duck hunting clubs. Its mission is to bring back the marshlands which permeated the Valley. Consequently, duck hunting is allowed, in season and today is the last day of duck hunting. SNLWR is not really hiking friendly. There are several auto tour loops in the refuge. But the hiking trails are usually pretty short-about 1-2 miles and very level.

We left Fresno around 7:40 in the morning and got to SLNWR around 9:30. We had stopped at Starbucks on the way.  We paid a visit to the Visitor Center, where we were properly impressed with the exhibits. Then we went for our first walk.

Trail head:  Visitor Center

Hike Info:

Trail:  Upland/Riparian Loop Trail

Distance:  0.91

Travel Time: 0:29 (1.88 mph)

Moving Time: 0:23 (2.37 mph)

Elevation Rise:  43'

Maximum Elevation:  65'

Great Blue Heron

Description:
This first hike, which in reality is more like a nice walk. The sky is cloudy, threatening rain. A nice breeze is blowing, providing a winter coolness to our faces and hands. Right from the get go, we see a blue heron standing across a pond of water. Of course there are ducks paddling along. The trail is very level, stretching in a loop around several ponds. We just enjoy walk and the people. The path is wide, so we get to talk as we walk. A few egrets are on the back side.

Male Tule Elk

Marsh Land

Golden Eagle

When we get back around the loop, we decide to take one of the car tours on this particular part of the complex. The first loop we did is the Wetlands and Waterfowl Route, about 8.5 miles. This was so much better than I thought it would be. First, we see some magnificent male tule elk looking so majestic. After about a mile, we were treated to a golden eagle in the distant.  Swinging east we see all sorts of waterfowl, which is good because it starts to rain. Geese in the distance, snowy egrets along the side of the road, and great blue herons hiding in the rushes, maybe even a few ibis'. Our car was slow, but we enjoyed seeing so many things along the way.

Snowy Egret

 









We ate lunch--pot luck feast style close to the visitor center, under the cover of an information kiosk-love those things.

Then it was back into the cars for the Tule Elk Tour. The route goes the same mile as before, but then swings westward. There is a 10' high barricade, we think to keep the elk in surrounding this tour. Of course, it may be to keep predator's out, such as coyotes, mountain lions and people away. In our car, much of the tour is spent interpreting signs in ways which the creator of them never intended. Lot less birds here and the elk are on the far side of the fields.

After the tour, we traveled up to the West Bear Creek Unit to go on two more hikes.

Trail head:  West Bear Creek

Hike Info:

Trail:  Woody Pond Loop

Destination:

Actual Destination:

Distance:  2.02 miles

Travel Time:  0:43. (2.82 mph)

Moving Time: 0:40  (3.03 mph)

Elevation Rise:   64'

Maximum Elevation:  125'

Description:
 West Bear Creek is several miles up Highway 165 from the San Luis Unit, at least by car. About the time we despaired of finding it, the sign popped up, in fine print West Bear Creek. There is a long drive in to the trail-head, which is at the northeast corner of the auto loop. Thankfully, there is a cinder-block restroom by the trail-head. There are two loops which start here. The first we go on is the Woody Pond Loop, the longer one. The trail is level. While there is not much relief except for the distant coastal range with the clouds and sunshine playing hide-and-seek, there are the birds. Seems like there is more water fowl in this unit than in the San Luis one. but it may be the time of year. We enjoy the conversations around us. Sherri talks a lot with Dennis and some others. I talk with Lee and Caroline, a new meetup group member. Turns out Caroline and Karol understand the nuances of scat. We came across some coyote scat and there was a discussion of the scat. I brought out my scat handkerchief which my brother got me.
 

Trail head:   West Bear Creek

Hike Info:

Trail:  Racoon Loop Trail

Distance: 1.28 miles

Travel Time: 0:29 (2.65 mph)

Moving Time: 0:26 (2.96 mph)

Elevation Rise:  66'

Maximum Elevation:  75'

Description:
Raccoon Loop is the shorter of the two trails. We have lost some of the people who needed to get back to Fresno. But we still have a good group. Enjoyable walk, even got to say farewell to a red-tailed hawk on the way out of the loop.

After our walk, we head back to Los Banos and regroup at Starbucks. Everybody is in awe of what we saw. I suspect this will appear on a few more non-summer time hikes. We make it back to Fresno around 6. One of the people invites the group over for soup. Tasted good and was nice and warming.

For more on the  Woody Pond and Racoon hikes, see Tracy Salcedo-Chourre's book, Best Easy Day Hikes-Fresno. They are hike 17 in the book.