April 6, 2022 - Topokah Falls

 

Title: April 6, 2022 - Topokah Falls
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking 

Trail head: Lodgepole Campground

Trail: Topokah Falls Trail

Destination: Topokah Falls

Distance:  5.18 miles

Start Time: 10:37

End Time:    2:42

Travel Time: 4:05  (1.27 mph)

Moving Time:  3:24  (1.52 mph)

Elevation Rise: 917 '

Descent: 897‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,335'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Today is a special day for us-notice the us? Sherri will be going on this hike-the first hike after her surgery. It is less than 4 miles and around a 400’ rise. Also I have told her that if she wants or needs to, I will turn back with her. All of this allows her to feel confident about the day.

Sherri, John and Ken at start of hike

We will leave from home and meet up with the CVHG at Lodgepole. We managed to leave a bit later than I thought we would. So I think we are behind the group. We stop at Big Stump for its facilities, before continuing on. This takes us down the General’s Highway. Shortly after turning off of the Wye, we see the devastation of the KNP Complex Fire. This will be with us all the way down to Lodgepole. There is sadness as we observe the charred remains of trees once green and majestic.

Warning sign

We get to Lodgepole and notice two things. First, the way to the trailhead is blocked. Second, we see Betty and only Betty in the parking lot. Evidently we are not dragging up the rear. Betty tells us that Ken and Bobby have gone up the road, but no sign of the rest of the Fresno group. They pull in about half an hour after us. So we had a good time catching up with Betty.

 

 

Marble Fork of the Kaweah

 It looks like we have between three-quarter to a mile more than we thought because of the blocked off road. Fortunately there is not much of a slope. John has us stop at the trailhead to get a picture. Then off we go. I manage to slip towards the back with Sherri and the usual back of the group friends. This gives me a chance occasionally to take a picture.

The trail is dry, at least at the start. But there is snow across the Marble Fork of the Kaweah. my prediction was that we would encounter snow on the trail and maybe some ice. While I feel I was pretty good with my prediction, I am glad that the condition of the trail did not meet my expectation, or fear.

Unnamed rivelet

The trail goes up a little bit more than I was expecting. But we all are doing good. The river is flowing nicely beneath us with a nice sun shining on us. Not too badly, just enough to keep us warm. We crossed several dry ravines. This is not a good sign for later on in the season.

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing a patch of snow

Something about this group is that there are hikers who are pretty strong in their hiking. They have a tendency to soot ahead to the end of the trail pretty fast.Of course, they end up waiting. Me? Lately I have been on the other end. At least today I am not huffing and puffing too badly. 

First sighting of Falls

 There are some of the creeks flowing across the trail as we get close to the falls. I think one of them is called Horse Creek-there are many creeks by that name. Once past the creeks, we start catching glimpses of the falls. Also the trees recede and we are more in the granite. A couple people feel that they are seeing the falls and it is time to turn back. I give Sherri the option, but she wants to get a bit closer, so we charge ahead.

 

 

Jerry has gone ahead to start herding people back down the trail. So we get to greet many people while we make our way up the final section of trail. One of these groups is Jan and Cathy-not the Cathey of John and Cathey. Turned out she had been on our last Wawona hike. She showed appreciation for our organizing it. Always good to hear.

Topokah Falls

And now we approach the end of the trail. The last hundred feet of the trail has snow over it. We decide that is as far as we are going to go. We take a few pictures, look over the falls and turn back. After a while, Betty is waiting for us. We talk together until Sherri and I break for lunch.

And now we are on our way back. There is none of our group behind us, even though there are several other families who have made the trip up. Sherri and I enjoy our saunter back down the trail. There is a sense that this hike is longer than we thought it would be, but we have enough energy to finish it well. Sometimes going back down a trail, you see things at a different angle, or you get to look down a valley instead of up a ridge. These things make a hike back both the same, yet different.

 

 

 

Sherri looking down Topokah Valley

Towards the end of the trail,we catch up with Betty, John, Cathay and Ken. It is good to come onto the trail all together. Most of the rest of the gang is going home via Three Rivers. There is a good, relaxing restaurant/bar on the Kaweah with good food. But Sherri and I are pretty tuckered out and will go straight home. It has been a longer day than Sherri anticipated and she sleeps much of the way back. So glad she did this hike.

 

 
Extra Photo's

Topokah Falls

Snow Field off of the Watchtower

Watchtower

Interesting little unnamed falls

Gary

Marble Fork of the Kaweah

Watchtower

Sherri, Gary and Topokah Falls

May 30, 2018 - SEKI Hikes

Title: May 30, 2018 - SEKI Hikes
Hospital Rock: Hike Info : Description 
Moro Rock: Hike Info : Description
Eagle View:Hike Info : Description 
Tokopah Falls: Hike Info : Description 
Big Stump: Hike Info : Description
 Trail Lessons : Background : Flowers and Plants

This was a series of five events-some are too short to really be called a hike-organized by John and Cathey of the meetup group, Central Valley Hiking Group. The idea was to give a sampler along the General’s Highway corridor in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.We started down by Ash Mountain in the southern part of Sequoia, near Three Rivers and ended up at Bear Mountain Pizza in Squaw Valley for dinner. A very full day.

Grinding Holes

Trail head: Hospital Rock Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Walked

Destination: Petroglyphs

Distance: 50 yards-No GPS




 

 

Description:

Pictrographs

We got out of the car at the Hospital Rock parking lot and went across the highway. There are a couple of grinding holes close by. Then the pictographs are behind some boulders. My thinking is there must have been some tall Native Americans back in those days. The pictographs are a smeared, but you can make out some of them. The yucca plants and buckeye are in bloom. We followed a social trail up a little ways where we came out onto the highway again with a view of Moro Rock. Back to the cars and off we go. 

View of Moro Rock from Hospital Rock

Unknown to us, there were more pictographs than what we saw.

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Looking east to the Kern-Kaweah Divide

Trail head: Moro Rock parking area

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Moro Rock

Destination: Moro Rock

Actual Destination:

Distance:  0.6 miles No GPS

Sherri climbing up Moro Rock

Description:

The walk itself is not for those who are concerned with heights. The trail immediately rises up the side of Moro Rock, ascending through a series of pathways, stairs, and cracks in the rock as you interweave between the east and west sides of the rock. I take plenty of breaks to gather in the sights, as well a bit of oxygen. On this trail, it is worth doing that since you rise up about a hundred feet per tenth of a mile to a total of 300’. Please admiring the different views of both the Kern-Kaweah Divide and the Central Valley are some of the enjoyable parts of doing this walk.

More of the Kern-Kaweah Divide

From the top, the view is incredible!. It is a mostly clear day-at least the haze has not set in with full force. There are clouds over the Kern-Kaweah, but they just add to the beauty. This is a 360 degree view, from Little Baldy and Mt Sillman in the north to Sawtooth and Castle Rocks in the south; from Alta Peak and the whole slew of Kaweah peaks in the east to Lake Kaweah in the west. Just a good view. Not as crowded as it could be. But it is time to get off the Rock and on to the next hike.

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Trail head: Crescent Meadows

Hike Info:

Type: HikingTrail:

Destination: Eagle’s View

Actual Destination: Eagle’s View and Tharp’s Log

Distance:  2.64 miles  ¹

Elevation Rise:  660'

Descent: 660‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,913'

GPS Tracks-From Google Earth rather than GPS

Group at Eagle's View

 ¹From Google Earth-did not turn on GPS.

Description:

I should have thought and turned on my GPS, knowing this would be a two mile round trip. Since I have taken people here before, John has asked me to lead the way. Not a problem. We circle around the south end of Crescent Meadow after admiring the High Sierra Trail sign and wondering how far should we hike today? 60 miles gets us to Mt Whitney and another 11 miles gets us down to Whitney Portal. Nobody, particularly me, are up to it. So off we go to Eagle View.

Returning from eagle's View

Eagle View is an easy walk along the High Sierra Trail, about half an hour. We climb a ridge. But before we get all the way up, we come across a family whose child has skinned a knee. Being the good former Boy Scout, I offer a band-aid. I dig to get to me First-Aid kit and find that unlike a good Boy Scout, I do not have any band-aids. But Sherri discovers a butterfly band-aid and that satisfies the wounded boy. And off we go.

We go up to the top of the ridge where John asks about where the other trails go to-Trail of the Sequoia’s and Tharp’s Log. And then we are off to Eagle’s View. This view gives an expanded view of the Kern-Kaweah Divide without the crowds Moro Rock provides. Our group enjoys it enough to have another group picture. Then John says lets go over to Tharp’s Log instead of returning back how we came.

Tharp's Log

Log Meadow

So off we go again, back to the junction and we head towards Log Meadow, only a tenth or two of a mile away. Then around the meadow we go. I should say here, as I have often said, we become inured to the beauty around us by the familiarity of seeing something so often. So it can be a real joy to having a person along who is experiencing a mountain trail, a Sequoia Gigantea, a mountain meadow, and a granite dome for the first time. So wonderful to have Patty’s fresh eyes on scenes which I have become accustomed to!

After we reach the end of Log Meadow, we come to Tharp’s Log. Pretty much like we have seen it before. We all are getting a bit hungry, so we do not stop very long here. From this point back to the parking lot, the path is paved. When we get back to the cars, we take off to Lodgepole for a bite to eat.

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Trail head: Lodgepole Campground

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Tokopah Falls Trail

Destination: Tokopah Falls

Distance:  4.27 miles

Start Time: 2:43

End Time:  5:12

Travel Time: 2:29  (1.72 mph)

Moving Time: 2:04  (2.07 mph)

Elevation Rise:  726'

Descent: 562‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,319'

GPS Tracks

Description:

After eating at Lodgepole, we pack into the cars for a short drive into the campground. This getting in and out of the cars has been a bit wearing. Sherri and Lee decide to stay with the vehicles and take a nap for this hike.The rest of us take off for the 2+ miles to Tokopah Falls.

Tokopah Falls

The trail starts inside of the Lodgepole Campground, just across the bridge over the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River. It is flowing pretty good. The trail goes up the north side of the River and climbs pretty steadily. It is a busy trail, but not as busy as it will be later on in the summer. We go through a lodgepole pine forest where a combination of grasses, berries and trees grow among the granite. I am towards the last. Not really tired-the legs, not the lungs for a change, are the most affected. Still I am hiking well. Patty and Catherine are before me. We catch glimpses of John, Cathey and Oz in front of us.

Tokopah Falls

At one point I stop and talk with a couple which I found out are naturalists for the Sequoia Conservancy. They are on their day off exploring. We trade information for about five minutes and then are off. By now the rest of the group is waiting for me.

Tokopah Falls

So off we go again and in about ¾ of a mile we get to Tokopah Falls. I think it is running fuller than I have seen it before. This can be a really beautiful set of falls going from the top to the bottom. All of us want our pictures taken here.

Time to go back and I draw the rear guard station-or more diplomatically called the Sweep. Coming in last means that I get to take lots of pictures of what every comes into my eyesight. Which very often I do not do justice to them.

I catch up to John eventually and we talk on the way down. John is thinking we need to hurry before it gets dark. But I say that we still have a couple of hours until it gets dark. So we continue to wander down the path in an unhurried fashion.

Marble Fork of the Kaweah River

When we get back to the cars, John announces we will stop for our final stop at the Big Stump Parking Lot. Ahhh, do we haft to? We are tired! Whine, whine, whine.

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Trail head: Big Stump Parking Lot

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Big Stump Meadow

Destination: Mark Twain Stump

Distance:  1.23 miles

Start Time: 6:02

End Time:   6:48 

Travel Time:  0:45 (164 mph)

Moving Time: 0:39  (1.89 mph)

Elevation Rise:  326'

Descent: 290‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,436'

GPS Tracks

Description:

Big Stump Meadow

It is around 6pm, a bit late for a hike, but it is short and John is truly excited to show us the Mark Twain Stump. But we are told it is only a short ways. So all of us take off down the trail. The operative word is done. Not a lot, but this is the end of the day and we have been in and out of cars a lot. So we get down to the Meadow, we cross the Fallen Giant. log-a huge log which splintered upon impact. Then it rounds around several stumps. As we walk this area, I think of snowshoeing this a  year and a half ago with Betty and Rose. What a difference a layer of snow makes in appearance.

I call this a castle stump

Then we get to the Mark Twain Stump. It is a huge stump and we all climb up the stairs and get on top of the stump with ample room to spare. You can tell from the excitement on John’s face that he really wanted to share the history of this stump, so I am glad we did it. It is a day of sharing wonders and excitement from those younger than I to those older. What at great world we live in where there is so much to share and enjoy.

After the mandatory photo-op, we have our return trip back to the cars. Nothing fancy, just a short mile and a quarter walk. On the way back to Fresno, we order pizza’s from Bear Mountain Pizza. Then back home by 8:30pm.

Trail Lesson:

Just because I am tired does not mean that we should not walk a trail to share someone else’s excitement.

Background

Pictographs vs petroglyphs: pictographs are painted on the rock, whereas petroglyphs are carved into the rock. From the Last Adventurer blog

Hospital Rock. Evidently there is many more pictographs in the area than what we saw. Michael Fuller has a web page which shows these pictographs in more detail.

Mark Twain Stump. This was a 1,350 year old tree which was felled in 1891. It took two mean thirteen days to fall the tree. The purpose? To display its slabs from its 16’ diameter trunk at New York and London museum. From the PBS site on National Parks

 
Flowers and Plants

Buckeye

Yucca Plant

Sequoia Gigantea

Snow Plant

Dogwood