Got up just a tad before 7. Sun is already coming through and just about has reached our camp. David and Steven got up shortly afterwards. Breakfast is oatmeal, tang, and tea. This will be the standard breakfast throughout the trip. Pretty basic, but warm and filling.
Tents, tarps, and sleeping bags all are wet. There is a lot of moisture in the air and on the ground. But it did not rain last night. Drying takes a couple of hours. Played a game of cribbage. Lost something terrible.
David and Steven put a phase II repair on Steven’s pack. David found part of an aluminum walking pole. He used it as some additional bracing for the frame—more duct tape and string. But even with this additional bracing, we are still reducing his pack weight—I am taking the lunch canister; David the tent.
We set off at 9:45. We see a flock of deer in Turner Meadow, across the trail from where we camped. Shortly after we started out. The trail is mostly downhill.
We see and talk with a family we saw last night walking through. So far the only humans since we left the Ostrander trail.
Lunch break (N37.58608 W119.58651) is around 11:20, after 1 ½ miles. Its peanut butter, nutella, crackers, bagels and more. We are off again at 11:45.
After the trail junction (N37.58451 W119.58468), we start an easy to moderate climb. With the additional weight, I can feel the climb more than yesterday. Later on, we get steep. Scenery while not spectacular is good. Trail is less mushy. Right before we cross, Chilnualna Creek (N37.59151 W119.56695), we cross one of the many rivulets flowing across the trail.
Steven stops and tells me to look left—I had been scanning for a good place to cross the creek. There are two startled bears, golden in color. The first bear immediately senses us and runs away. The other bear still has his head down eating vegetation, then senses that his partner had run off. He starts running, without looking up, directly at me. About twenty feet away, he stops, looks up, and realizes the mistake. He veers to his right and runs up the hill out of site. So that is three bear, eight deer and four people on this trip, already.
After cross the creek, we take a short break. Its 12:45. David had found a small waterfall so we trudge over to it. Then we start our uphill for the next 2 ½ hours. The grade is not bad. Its just the pack is heavy. We get into Lower Chilnualna Lake (N37.59342 W119.54121).
We rest for a little while. Then David and I set off to Upper Chilnualna Lake (N37.59918 W119.53659) to see if it is a better lake (yes) and if the camping sites are better (we did not find any sites). The Upper Lake is a bit bigger and deeper and the backdrop more mountainish. But we did not find any camp sites. So back we came and circled the lower lake. We found a few places with fire rings. One is wide open and on the trail (N37.59437 W119.54162). We see how that is. If a little wind should blow, we are ok. But much more than that, it could be cold and miserable. By the way, the lake is ok right now, but it is shallow. Probably will be dry by August.
Dinner’s concoction was cabbage wraps with beef and noodle filling. Probably a little more would have been good. Finished by about 6:30. Nice fire to take some bite off the cool evening. We played a hand of cribbage—Steven and I won. Yeah! Onward to Mille Bourne—we lost.
Its getting cold and its time for bed. About 8:30.
Showing posts with label bear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bear. Show all posts
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
June 14, 2009 – Ostrander Lake Trailhead to Turner Meadow, (9 miles GPS)
Got up around 6:40, which is pretty good since I did not go to bed until 11:30. We had stayed up to finish packing and to clean up. Caution—Gary’s Gripe coming up: A lot of time we leave a mess when we go out backpacking. Thought that it was a good thing to try to clean up. Lets see if it helps when we come home. Gripe mode off. I was surprised that I woke up when I did.
Sherri’s pack weighs in at 25-28 pounds, while Steven’s David’s and mine are between 40 and 45 pounds. My starting weight is a little above 253 pounds—goal is under 250.
We got all packed and ready by 8:00 and went out to eat the Fresno Breakfast House. I had the meat lovers omelets; Sherri the Double Dipped French Toast; Steven and David had Toriso Orozelo (sic). By the comments, all are satisified. We left there around 9 and the bank at 9:30. Got to Wawona Ranger Station for a backcountry permit at 10:30. The ranger who issued the permit, Patrick Roe, we would eventually met Thursday.
We dropped David’s car at the Mono Meadow Trailhead. This is where we will be exiting, if things go well. Then we go back to the Ostrander Lake Trailhead (N37.66671, W119.60421). We start at 11:45—so much for an early start. This is later than what we wanted, but is still ok. This first day is pretty light.
This section of the trail we are well acquainted with. Ostrander is a hike we love and gone on a lot. This first section is fairly flat. We pass by the first junction (N37.64882, W119.60310), having decided to take the longer, but hopefully easier creek crossing. We get a little rain and some small, pea sized hail. Not enough to get poncho’s on for. It’s the only rain we get today.
Its 1:30 and we have made the Ostrander Lake junction (N37.63842, W119.58689). Stopped for a rest and some lunch. The rain stopped when we hit the trail junction. There is a nice breeze. So far we are doing ok, about a 2 mph average speed.
We leave the known trail and head westward for a bit. We cross Bridalveil Creek (N37.63915 W119.59215) on logs. But we all do ok. The second leg of the trail’s triangle is definitely a trail less traveled. But that is what makes it nice. We are probably the first ones on this small section of the trial this season. Even coming up this the trail is wet.
As we leave the trail junction (N37.63802 W119.60066) coming up from Bridalveil campground, Sherri sees a bear. A medium sized black bear. It is heading in the same direction as us, in its trudging, or as Sherri says, it is sauntering, along the trail. We let it get a head start, but catch up in five minutes. The moment it hears us, it runs off the trail and up the mountain side.
For the next several miles, the trail follows the creek as it gently climbs towards the end of the valley. We start over the moderate rise. I do a fair amount of huffing and puffing. But it is not long. From the top, we see the Chiluaniha valley area and its drainage, but not actually into Wawona. It is hidden behind the edges of the valley.
We meet a couple trails. At the last junction (N37.60882 W119.60657), we take a break. Steven’s pack falls apart. It’s the part which holds the frame to his waist. When it gets put on, it gouges Steven. He decides he can make it to the campsite about half a mile away (in reality, it was about a mile).
We stay at a ridge to the west of Turner Meadow. The campsite (N37.60135 W119.60174)is nice. Of course, the next morning, David in his wanderings will find a class A campsite about 50 yards away. Dinner is Szechuan Veggie Noodle with Chicken. Its OK tasting-Steven likes this meal the best. We build a fire and get warm and rested by it. Bed time is when sunsets.
Sherri’s pack weighs in at 25-28 pounds, while Steven’s David’s and mine are between 40 and 45 pounds. My starting weight is a little above 253 pounds—goal is under 250.
We got all packed and ready by 8:00 and went out to eat the Fresno Breakfast House. I had the meat lovers omelets; Sherri the Double Dipped French Toast; Steven and David had Toriso Orozelo (sic). By the comments, all are satisified. We left there around 9 and the bank at 9:30. Got to Wawona Ranger Station for a backcountry permit at 10:30. The ranger who issued the permit, Patrick Roe, we would eventually met Thursday.
We dropped David’s car at the Mono Meadow Trailhead. This is where we will be exiting, if things go well. Then we go back to the Ostrander Lake Trailhead (N37.66671, W119.60421). We start at 11:45—so much for an early start. This is later than what we wanted, but is still ok. This first day is pretty light.
This section of the trail we are well acquainted with. Ostrander is a hike we love and gone on a lot. This first section is fairly flat. We pass by the first junction (N37.64882, W119.60310), having decided to take the longer, but hopefully easier creek crossing. We get a little rain and some small, pea sized hail. Not enough to get poncho’s on for. It’s the only rain we get today.
Its 1:30 and we have made the Ostrander Lake junction (N37.63842, W119.58689). Stopped for a rest and some lunch. The rain stopped when we hit the trail junction. There is a nice breeze. So far we are doing ok, about a 2 mph average speed.
We leave the known trail and head westward for a bit. We cross Bridalveil Creek (N37.63915 W119.59215) on logs. But we all do ok. The second leg of the trail’s triangle is definitely a trail less traveled. But that is what makes it nice. We are probably the first ones on this small section of the trial this season. Even coming up this the trail is wet.
As we leave the trail junction (N37.63802 W119.60066) coming up from Bridalveil campground, Sherri sees a bear. A medium sized black bear. It is heading in the same direction as us, in its trudging, or as Sherri says, it is sauntering, along the trail. We let it get a head start, but catch up in five minutes. The moment it hears us, it runs off the trail and up the mountain side.
For the next several miles, the trail follows the creek as it gently climbs towards the end of the valley. We start over the moderate rise. I do a fair amount of huffing and puffing. But it is not long. From the top, we see the Chiluaniha valley area and its drainage, but not actually into Wawona. It is hidden behind the edges of the valley.
We meet a couple trails. At the last junction (N37.60882 W119.60657), we take a break. Steven’s pack falls apart. It’s the part which holds the frame to his waist. When it gets put on, it gouges Steven. He decides he can make it to the campsite about half a mile away (in reality, it was about a mile).
We stay at a ridge to the west of Turner Meadow. The campsite (N37.60135 W119.60174)is nice. Of course, the next morning, David in his wanderings will find a class A campsite about 50 yards away. Dinner is Szechuan Veggie Noodle with Chicken. Its OK tasting-Steven likes this meal the best. We build a fire and get warm and rested by it. Bed time is when sunsets.
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