August 10, 2016 - Tuolumne Meadows

Title:August 10, 2016 - Tuolumne Meadows
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons :  Menu : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Upper Sunrise Creek

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail:John Muir Trail

Destination: Tuolumne Meadows
Actual Destination: Cathedral Lakes Trail Head

Distance:  10.71 miles ¹

Start Time: 8:00

End Time:  7:14   

Travel Time:  11:13 (0.95 mph)

Moving Time:  7:38  (1.40 mph)

Elevation Rise: 2,828'

Maximum Elevation: 9,932'

 ¹Usually I figure anything less than a half a mile an hour is GPS error. But because we were going uphill, I lowered that threshold down to two tenths of a mile per hour

Description:

Gary Resting

I have some dread of today. First, there is a natural dread of the next climb. We did not do so well with the first part from Little Yosemite Valley to here. What will today bring? Rose's feet are starting to show some wear and tear; Sherri does not climb steep well; and I am still getting used a heavy pack. But on the later, I do take Rose's tent to lighten a little of the load off of her feet. But the second dread is the distance we must travel today. I suppose we could stay an extra night out-we do have enough food. But it would wreak havoc with rides, lodging and the rest of the JMT trip. But that is a discussion for the end of the day. This is the effect of our little cross-country short cut Monday.

Smog Level

Rose gets off to a comparatively early start with Sherri and I following about 15 minutes later. While we are  climbing pretty well, it is a slow slog. Occasionally we will see something scenic, but most of the time our concentration is putting the next step up the slope with frequent rests to catch our breath. Having been up this slope three times before gives me a combination of thoughts. First, there is the memories of people whom I met-an engineering professor from the Air Force Academy, a man coming down who felt he needed to be guided, my daughter who encouraged me up this hill the first time, my wife who I got to return my daughter's favor. Having been up this before, I know what lies before me and understand the effort it will take.

Mt Starr King

When we move away from Sunrise Creek, or it disappears-I am never sure which, I know we have gone up a ways and that this section of the hike will end. As the trail becomes less vertical-I really hesitate to say it flattens, our spirits rise and we start looking for Rose. When we reach the top of what I call Sunrise Ridge-I do not think this is a real name, Sherri and I stop for a break. It is 9:45, taking us a little less than two hours to climb up the final 1,000' of this ridge.  Also this is a good place to enjoy some eye candy.

But we have many more miles to go so it is off. While these miles are easier than what we have done, they are higher with less air. Sherri and I continue on the trail thinking we might catch Rose now that we are no longer gasping for air from climbing.

Matthes Crest

But like a lot of things on the trail, it is easy to get distracted. How did I? Well a husband and wife was going down to the Valley and I stopped to say hi-Sherri sort of went on. Well this hi, gets into a good conversation. They are doing a yo-yo hike, starting at Horseshoe Meadows below Whitney, going to Happy Isles and then back down. They figure it will take around 40-45 days. But he has type 2 diabetes and is doing the hike to take off 30 pounds and bring down his blood sugars. We compare numbers and he is way higher than me. We both are taking care of elderly parents which leads to how to take care of them and ourselves. This is a tight-rope to walk between sacrificing yourself and being self-absorbed. I do not think there is a formula for this, but maybe a place where we need to create boundaries and balance. Something to ponder for awhile.

Rose in Sunset Meadow

But now I need to play catch-up. I am able to stretch my legs and move pretty quickly down the trail. After about 10 minutes I catch up  with Sherri-she has been waiting for me. Then in about 15 more minutes we are at Sunrise Meadow. We still have not seen Rose, but we ask a few people if they have seen her-no. But then above the meadow Rose calls to us and has us come up to the High Sierra Camp. So we have a great lunch spot, overlooking the meadow-a good place to relax. Rose tells us that she was feeling well enough that she did not stop at the top of the ridge and just came on down for lunch.

After a relaxing hour, we are off again. For a ways, it is level or small climbs. We meet a trail crew who are "relaxing" by going to climb Half Dome. Those folks-and do not think of males only-are really in good shape.  Compared to them. we have a long way to go before being in shape. 

Almost at Long Meadow

After climbing up to the next level, we reach Long Meadow. This is the start of our last climb of the day. This climb is not bad, except for the legs and lungs are not completely functional from our previous efforts. But we persevere.

Cathedral Pass

Do you remember Susan and Sarah from yesterday? They pass us up this afternoon again, up towards the top of Cathedral Pass.  They both are nursing tender feet.  Maybe before I go on I should say that Cathedral Pass is really a non-pass in my mind. On the trail we are actually heading down into the pass and I have never been able to figure out exactly where the pass is. It is not where it looks like a pass should be-it is someplace along the side of a slope.

Anyway, back to Susan and Sarah. They stop at a scenic rock outcropping to rest. So do we because from here, it is downhill. We find out several things. First, they met Kate and Sonya and told us they are doing good. Next Sarah's Achilles Heel is starting to swell up.  This can be serious. We are concerned and I give them our card and ask that they let us know how things are doing. And then we move on as we have our own concerns as well. Rose's toes are getting blisters and she is starting to hobble. The trail is taking its toll on all of us.

Cathedral Meadow

We stop at the Upper Cathedral Lake for a few minutes-those packs are heavy and we wanted to feel better. But on they come again. If things had gone great, we would have meet our meetup group at Lower Cathedral Lake. But it is getting pretty late and they should be all gone. We need to get down while it is still light. We stop at my favorite spring along the trail and I take a sip and cool myself off.

Sarah and Susan catch up to us again at the spring. This time Sarah is really hurting and they are moving slow. Sherri and Rose go on. Susan has taken Sarah's pack and tries to walk with it in front of her. Because she is now blind, I help guide her. But after a mile, this is not going to be workable.  So I lash her pack onto the top of my pack. These Kelty's are made strong. I think they will now carry more than I can. But with both packs I think I am someplace in the 70-80 pound range. Fortunately, it is downhill.

Susan and I take off. Not sure what we will be doing, but at least we will have the packs down at the trail head. We talk about things on the way down. Even though Susan is not religious, we say a short walking prayer. Surprisingly, I feel pretty good carrying this weight, so we make it down to the trail head where Sherri is waiting for us. She stays with Susan and I find the bear lockers and stash Sarah's pack. Interestingly, a ranger is there to bring down another person with a banged up knee. I explain the situation to him, but as a third party, I really cannot do much. But he agrees to talk with Sarah on the way to his other rescue. It turns out that Sherri and I had met Ranger Cliff A three years ago when we did the JMT.  Susan is going back up the trail to be at least with Sarah-we also stash her pack as well.

It is after 7 and Rose has found Jeff, her husband and our ride down to Lee Vining. So you would think that is the end of the drama for the evening, wouldn't you? After going to our hotel-Murphy's Inn-and getting showered-that feels so good, Sherri and I met Jeff and Rose for dinner. We hobbled down to Bodie Mike's to satisfy our inner cravings. First Rose told us that Sonya will be coming off the trail because of a family emergency. Then as we were eating you could see that Rose was contemplating the status of her feet. By the end of the meal, she was convinced that it was time for her to come off the trail as well.Kate and Kim will be going on.

This leaves the question of, "What will Sherri and Gary do?" Somehow when Rose said that her feet was in too poor of shape to continue, it was seemed like it was the thing for us to also leave the Trail. Why? I am still not sure.

The next day, we had breakfast at the Latte Da Coffe Cafe. Enjoyable and relaxing. Last night's decision seemed like the right choice.  So when Jeff, Rose, and Sonya loaded up, so did we. Kim and Kate hit the trail around 11 that day and we headed off our separate ways.

From Sunrise Ridge

Trail Lesson:      Why do you hike? Figure that out and your will be happier.

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola. Tang.	Ritz Crackers, Tortillas, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Hamburgers at Bodie Mike's.	Clif Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scrytch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

 

Mt Starr King

 

Unknown Peak South of the JMT

Matthes Crest

Cathedral Peak

South from Sunrise Meadow

Long Meadow looking North

 

Cathedral Meadow

Animals

Fritillary

 
Flowers and Plants

 

Wild Onion

August 9, 2016 - Upper Sunrise Creek

Title: August 9, 2016 - Upper Sunrise Creek
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background : Menu : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

 Trail head: Little Yosemite Valley

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail: John Muir Trail

Destination: Upper Sunrise Creek
Actual Destination: Sunrise High Sierra Camp

Distance:  6.12 miles ¹

Start Time: 8:20

End Time:  3:55  

Travel Time: 7:35 (0.81 mph)

Moving Time: 4:51 (1.26 mph)

Elevation Rise: 2,739'

Maximum Elevation: 8,555'

 ¹Usually I figure anything less than a half a mile an hour is GPS error. But because we were going uphill, I lowered that threshold down to two tenths of a mile per hour

Description:

Half Dome with its early morning line

I got around 6:15. We had our breakfast of oatmeal. I pack up and get ready to go while Sherri tends to her feet. Sherri leaves at 8:15 while Rose and I got off at 8:30. Sonya and Kate were early birds and they left maybe about 7:30 some 45 minutes before us.

Rose with Mt Starr King

The first mile and three quarters is just straight up: we rise up 1000 feet.  I can really feel the weight on my shoulders, but it is a little bit lighter than yesterday. What is surprising to me is I'm hearing Sunrise Creek as we are climbing the Half Dome Trail-not that we are doing Half Dome. I have never heard Sunrise along this trail. So when  we came to a rest stop, I celebrate this sound by dumping about a liter of water. I will not be needing it on the way until we pass Upper Sunrise Creek.

At another stop, a couple of hikes-Susan and Sarah-stop to help get my water bladder straight on my pack. We will be seeing them again.

When we got up to the Half Dome junction Sherri was waiting for us. This is the first milestone on our hike today. Two more to go. We stopped, snacked, moaned and groaned and  felt a need rest for a while. Sherri got ahead of us again, but not for long.

Next stop is less than a mile away at the Clouds Rest Junction. Sherri has already arrived and is  resting by a trickle of cool water-she put in her cool scarf and is enjoying the sensation on her neck. The water is  flowing pretty good and we were pleased to be refreshed by this.

Bunnel Point and start of burnt forest

Now it is time to continue along our trail. Our climb follows Sunrise Creek up for a ways. When we start going up the creek, we encounter a burnt out forest. It may have been in connection with the Meadows Fire ² a couple years ago. We travel through this burnt out section for the next 4 miles.

Looking East

When we get to the top of Sunrise Creek at least as far as the trail goes, we take a break for lunch. We are getting pretty much drained after this morning's climb. Lunch is Sherri's and mine  normal peanut butter, Nutttela and Ritz cracker fare. Having gotten ourselves somewhat rejuvenated-that is hard since we are still in the burn area and its ghost nature leaves very little shade. But we do manage to continue along the trail. There is a place which Andrea and I have camped before along an unnamed creek. The creek is still there, but the comfortable, secluded spot is no longer recognizable.  On the other hand there is a lot of different places where water is draining from the soil. This has been observed in other places were springs have gotten unstopped after a fire³.

Shovels and Rake Remains

We come to the junction where the JMT the parts from the trail going up to Sunrise Lakes, not to be confused with the Sunrise Meadow Trail which is where the JMT goes. We take a break there. As we observe across from us, there is remnants of shovels and rakes, which I assume is from when the Meadow Fire.

Liberty Cap

We continue on and the climb isn't as bad but we are climb up over 600 feet in the next mile and a half or so. Being tired from yesterday's push and today's climb, we are drained.  So far we have not are not advanced as far as what I was hoping to. But you can only do as much as what your body is going to let you do. So when we get to Upper Sunrise Creek we stopped and decide what we want to do. At this point, it is a unanimous decision that it's probably wiser to stay where we are now since it is around 5 o'clock. Also Sunrise Creek is still with us as a water source. I know that for the next two miles of up there really is not a good place for three people to camp-I am not sure there is a place for one person to camp.

Gary on the trail

Tomorrow we will need to get an early start since you have to do about ten miles and 2200 feet of elevation gain before we reach Tuolumne Meadows. Yesterday's short cut continues to have ramifications. Sort of like life. You screw up at a point in time and there is a ripple effect which reaches out for a long time.

We have an early dinner ours freeze dried chicken and something or another.  I was informed that is it  Chicken Teriyaki from Mountain House.  It was a good meal. But even better was topping it off with two cookies each. I make myself busy around camp and by 7 o'clock we have all turned in even though there is still sunlight out.

Trail Lesson:
You can only do as much as what your body is going to let you do

Background

Our trail through the ghost forest

²The Meadow Fire happened in the late Summer of 2014. We happened to be there on two occasions. The first on Sept 2nd when there were two fires and there were only 4 acres. A week later it had exploded into a 4,000 acre burn, closing down the JMT and Half Dome trails. This was a lightening caused fire which the Park Service had allowed to burn. It illustrates the hazards of letting a fire burn. As a note, most of the lightening caused fires are a good thing to continue to let burn. It helps keep down large fires and removes a lot of burnable material. But caution needs to be had.

• Wikipedia
• NPS Fire map

³A lot of times after a fire, old brush has been burnt away which allows for two things to happen with springs. The first is that the spring is visible. The second is the root systems of these plants no longer suck up all the water, allowing the water to flow. There may be other factors, but these are the ones which I know about.


Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola. Tang.	Ritz Crackers, Tortillas, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Mountain House Chicken Teriyaki	Clif Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scrytch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

Back side of Half Dome

Bunnell Point

Mt Starr King

Rose in the burnt area

Looking east through burnt trees

Animals

Doe at our campsite

 
Flowers and Plants

Fireweed

Is this part of a sword fern?

August 8, 2016 - Little Yosemite Valley

Title: August 8, 2016 - Little Yosemite Valley
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Background : Menu : Extra Photo's : Animals 

Trail head: Illilouette Creek

Hike Info:

Type:  Backpacking

Trail:John Muir Trail

Destination: Little Yosemite valley
Actual Destination: Sunrise Creek

Distance:  5.61 miles ¹

Start Time: 9:22

End Time:  4:35  

Travel Time:  7:13 (0.74 mph)

Moving Time:  4:19 (1.30 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,179'

Maximum Elevation: 6,844' 

 ¹Usually I figure anything less than a half a mile an hour is GPS error. But because we were going through brush, I lowered that threshold down to a tenth of a mile per hour.

Description:
Today's start is a quote from Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings:  "Short cuts makes long delays." ² This is where Frodo tried to elude the Black Rider and take off across a bog. Our route did not include a bog, but a good amount of brush. On the other hand, it could also be a title of a book which I will never write: My Life in Buck Brush. As if this walk today does not have enough titles, I could christen it "The Cranberry Girls".

Rose breaking camp

Got up at 6:30. It is was between 30 to and 35 degrees. It was a cold last night. I kept warm enough until I would roll over. Then I would need to warm up the spot which had been on underneath me. But Sherri had difficulty sleeping last night so I suspect tonight we will have a tent. Apparently we were not the only ones who felt a bit cool as when I grab my clothes, a lizard bolted out from there, wondering why in the world are we waking up when it so cold.

As it turns out today will be a turning point in our JMT adventure. If we can make it at least to Sunrise Creek, near the Clouds Rest trail junction, then we should be in good shape to reach Sunrise Meadows tomorrow. I am hoping to make it beyond that, maybe to the upper part of Sunrise Creek.

We did not get started until 9:20. Since the trail is only about a third of a mile above us with a climbable slope-maybe 300' to go up. The trail would take us about a mile with 500' of climbing. Sounded like a good bet even though there was brush, we could find a path through it. And for awhile this was a good strategy. But with about 50 yards of brush in front of us, we could no longer find a way around and had to go through. The manzanita was not too bad, but the buckbrush came up to about my chest. Poor Rose had it at head level. At one point looking back, I see a sea of green manzanita with Sherri and Rose just floating in it looking like the guys in the Ocean Spray cranberry commercials of a few years ago.

The Cranberry Girls

So the "short cut" cost us about an hour and a half and took a lot of our energy. By the time we break through the brush, it is past 11 and we are only a third of a mile from our camp. In retrospect, this may have been the central event of our trip.

Once we are on the trail, I take my rear position and following both Sherri and Rose. We walk pretty good. But it is hot and we are on an exposed part of the trail. By the time we reach the top of the rise, 600' above our campsite and about 2 1/2 miles travel, we are ready for lunch, even though there is no water, we make due.

Rose with Clouds Rest before her

Sherri and Half Dome

There is something refreshing about trail junctions. Maybe it is because of the signs telling us where we have been or where we are going. More than likely it is also  means a marking of a passage. In this case, we meet the horse trail coming in from the upper part of Illilouette Creek, which is nothing really big. But a little ways further we hit the Panorama Trail. Here we wonder, has Kate and Sonya already been by here? Have we been that long in getting here? On the one hand, with the heat and exposure, we really want them to be past the real hot part. On the other hand, it would be somewhat deflating to know that they just started out this morning and have already passed us. See what I mean about trail junctions marking passages?

Grizzly Peak

Liberty Cap

The good part is because of the openness, we are able to have some really good views. Half Dome does loom in front of us, along with its little sibling, Liberty Cap. Clouds Rest soars majestically along a far ridge and Mt Starr King is at our side. Below us towards Yosemite Valley is Grizzle Peak. I love views like this.

And now that we have lost all of the elevation we climbed up this morning and more, we get to Nevada Falls.  It is time for a pee (not over the Falls) and water break, along with shade from the hot sun. I rest in the shade on the south side of the river while Sherri and Rose go off for their business. Earlier Sherri had talked with some musicians who travel the parks playing their music. I talk a bit more with them-never learn what their names are or where they are from-just enjoying the chit-chat as I sit against my rock.

But the afternoon is progressing and we are not. So off we go. The stretch from Nevada Falls to Little Yosemite Valley starts with a bit of a climb, about 250' as it goes over a shoulder of Liberty Cap. What makes this a particularly wicked trudge is the heat, openness and what you have done just to get to this point. When we come down, I sense that this has just about done us in. So I take off, hoping to get a resting place in Little Yosemite Valley, find Kate and Sonya, and be able to come back and grab a pack. I only succeed on the first task. After wandering around the camp area, I drop my pack and start to go back when Rose and Sherri come up the trail.

We set up camp and I go down to the Merced to draw water. And there I see a couple of blondes-Sonya and Kate. They are flabbergasted to see me and wonder what is going on. I just say that Rose and Sherri are close to their camp and I am drawing water. While we are starting to put together our camp, we discover we are squatters on someone's camp and start to move when they come back. No problem-this is sort of a everybody-loves-everybody-else camp. We end up staying with Kate and Sonya.

As you might have guessed, we are staying the night here rather than trying to make Sunrise Creek, about 1,300' above us. We are beat. After eating and talking for a little while, it is time for bed, or should I say for the bag. And yes Sherri did put up a tent.

Before I end this post, one thing which I have been contemplating is that experience itself does not make you better, but learning from experience does.  So the big question is, what did I learn today?

• First, just because a map shows a direct route does not mean that it is.
• Second, scout out your route. Maybe I could have gone around the area if I had been more alert.
• Third, remember the rule of thumb: a mile of cross country is about the same as three miles of trail.

Trail Lesson:

• Short cuts may not be the shortest or quickest ways-either on the trail or in life.
• Experience itself does not make you better, but learning from experience does

Background
 ²From Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, Chp 4, A Short Cut to Mushrooms

Menu

Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks
Oatmeal and add-ins, such as dried peaches, strawberries, nuts, granola. Tang.	Ritz Crackers, Tortillas, Peanut Butter, Nutella	Mountain House Lasagna	Clif Bar, GORP, Propel, CytoMax, Scrytch, Coffee Candy, Jelly Belly

Extra Photo's

Gary with his full pack

Half Dome

Half Dome

Animals

Mangy coyote

Same coyote, different view