Gary-Summer

Saturday, March 9, 2019

March 9, 2019 - Briceburg to the East

Title: March 9, 2019 - Briceburg to the East
Hike Info : Description Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: Briceburg

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Merced River Gorge

Destination: BLM/Forest Service Boundary

Actual Destination: Very close to our destination

Distance: 8.96 miles ¹

Start Time: 9:24

End Time: 2:00

Travel Time: 4:46

Moving Time: 3:21 (2.4 mph)

Elevation Rise: 360'

Maximum Elevation: 1,265'

¹ GPS went wonkish on this hike-it may be the settings I had on it. I only got a partial track with no elevation. The mileage is double what an edited track shows-from our end point back to the cars. Start, end and travel times are guesses. While the moving time and moving speed is the overall time shown on my GPS. Elevation rise is from a different hike while the maximum elevation is from Google Earth. So the hike info is not a good representation of the actual trip, but more of an accumulation of this trip and other trip’s information.

Description:

Railroad Bed

Sherri and I have done this hike many times. Last year the roads were frozen when we wanted to do it, so we are eager to come back and hike the Merced River Gorge, or as we say, Briceburg, this year. I know, anybody from a place where it gets really cold will already have the words “WIMP” on their lips. The wildflowers we are hoping are out in full array, but it has been cold.

There are twelve of us signed up for this hike-it is a Central Valley Hiking Group hike. But one does not show up. We leave Fresno at 7:00am and get to Burger King in Mariposa around 8:30. There, we pick up a couple more people, making our full allotment of eleven and head off to Briceburg.

Merced River looking East

We get there a little after 9:00am and get ourselves ready. I give the last minute instructions, take our picture and then we are off a few minutes before 9:30. It is a pretty clear day with only a few clouds in the sky. A bit cool on the shadow side of the Merced River. But once we cross the suspension bridge and get into the sunlight, we are warmed up some.

Old Railroad support

On this side of the river the sun is shining and the grasses are green. But there are places which we need to slog through runoff where those nice looking grasses turn marshish. But being an old railroad bed, it is pretty level. That is except for a few places where we dip down to a creek bed. We see signs of the old railroad when we do this, mostly in the form of the stanchions which supported the trellises where the rails passed over our little streamlets.

Seasonal Creek-easy crossing type

One of the draws of walking this trail is the fields of wildflowers. But because of the colder winter, they only appear as individuals, nt the usual fields. But the ones we see do delight the eye.

Gary leading the pack

But today there are a few more hazards which makes the hike of interest. First, with the recent rains, we have more runoff. Which the little streamlets we usually step over become more of a logistics challenge. A few get their feet wet. Then there are a few slides, most old, which we pick our way over. And then there are the downed trees. One of them covered the whole ledge we were walking on. Vic tackled it and was able to clear enough away that we could find a way around it by going down the ledge. But what is life, if not finding our ways through adventures. And then we come to another creek and that is enough for some of the people. They hold back while some of us go about a half of a mile further.

A rock above our trail

The rest of us go on for another half to three-quarters of a mile. While not as far as I had planned, it looks like we are close to the boundary of the BLM land and the Forest Service. That is good enough. Besides, it has taken a little longer than I thought it would take and the sky is starting to look more like the predicted rain. So we have a quick stop for lunch and turn back.

We cross the seasonal creeks to find that those who were left at the creek had started back-I had given instructions for them to do so. Now it is Vic, Sharon, and sometimes Becky and I at the back. Vic is curious about everything-a good quality to have. He looks at rocks, flowers, bushes and trees to figure out what they are. I am a bit more concerned with how long I will keep going. Not that I think I will fail, just might drag a bit more.

Around 2:00pm, we get back to the cars. Most of the rest have left. But Sherri, Eileen, Vic and Sharon are here. We decide we will meet at Happy Burger-Yosemite Bug has closed by this time. Vic and Sharon go on to find a few geocache places while Sherri and I go on to eat. Eileen joins us in a few minutes. While we are eating Vic and Sharon come in. After our meal, Sherri and I stop at Faith Rumm’s studio, the Upstairs Gallery. She is having a showing of Yosemite paintings. We are attracted by one, but undecided if it will fit into our house. We get home around 5:00pm, content with our hike.

Extra Photo's

Slate Creek Bridge on Highway 41

Side of cliff above the trail

Seasonal Creek

Season Falls way up on the hill

Merced River looking West

Flowers and Plants

Baby Blue Eyes

California Golden Poppy

Unknown

Some sort of growth

Unknown

Sunday, March 3, 2019

March 3, 2019 - China Creek Park

Title: March 3, 2019 - China Creek Park
Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Trail head: China Creek Park, Centerville, CA also called Centerville Park

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail: Chinese Creek Park Nature Trail

Destination: Loop

Distance: 2.03 miles

Start Time: 12:24

End Time: 2:03

Travel Time: 1:39 (1.23 mph)

Moving Time: 1:29 (1.37 mph)

Elevation Rise: 139'

Descent: 59‘

Maximum Elevation: 354'

GPS Tracks

Description:

For this is the secret of successful sauntering. He who sits still in a house all the time may be the greatest vagrant of all; but the saunterer, in the good sense, is no more vagrant than the meandering river, which is all the while sedulously seeking the shortest course to the sea. But I prefer the first, which, indeed, is the most probable derivation. For every walk is a sort of crusade, preached by some Peter the Hermit in us, to go forth and reconquer this Holy Land from the hands of the Infidels. From Walking by Henry David Thoreau

Sometimes you can on a walk to get someplace. Sometimes it is to push yourself. But then sometimes you walk just to wander. That is our time on this episode. It is a trail which lends itself to going nowhere fast and we fastly got nowhere. But it was pleasant. Cool, but no rain. It is good to walk with your family

The talk this morning was to go to Woodward Park and do a walk. I suggested a place I had not been before, close to Centerville called China Creek Park-I got the name wrong, oh well-I thought it was Chinese Creek Park. This is a county park and I happened to come across it while looking for something else-isn’t that how the most interesting things get found.

A Bit Bigger Idea of the Location

Gary, Andrea and Steven by the enterance gate

So we took off around noon to go there, about 25 minutes away. That gets us to Smith Road in Centerville, where we head south for about a third of a mile. We come to a gate, which is the boundary to the park. There is one other car parked-not room for a whole bunch of people. We get out of the car-there is little to prepare-and are off.

View at the start

This area is flat. You start down the rest of Smith Road. There are signs marking various nature areas, after all this is a guided nature trail. In the part of the trail which is paved, there is five markers. Cows are behind a barbed wire fence to the east of us. Grasslands area around us with sprouting of massive oak trees, some older than 200 years.

Silhouette Against Dark Clouds

At the end of the road is a sign saying Long Trail which seems to indicate to us to take a left. The Short Trail just heads back to the car-about a half mile total with six guide markers. We take the left and read the fifth marker, continuing on past it. We pass by a pond and follow a creek a ways east, passing under oaks and sycamore trees. That is until we came to a gate, baring us from going forwards anymore. Oh Oh. Checking the map, Steven decides that the sign saying Long Trail probably was pointing beyond where we turned. So we walk back the same way we came.

Interesting coloring

Andrea and I start talking about the County elections this coming Tuesday. She is upset by my terminology, but interested in my rational about why I am not happy with the lone possible person I may be in sync with. Later on Andrea reads the campaign flyers I got and understands why I am not happy.

The Wow Moment

Now we get to the Long Trail. This starts off by following the South Pond, but then goes to an area interspersed with grasses, shrubs and trees. We pass one sign which points out an elderberry plant. Then come to another talking about sycamore trees. An oak standing majestically against the cloudy skies catches our attention, and our cameras.

North Pond Reflections

We meet up with a little loop called the Woodland loop. There does seem to be more trees on this little quarter mile path. The big bonus is a patch of white blossomed peach trees. Real nicely offset by the natural reds and browns of the rest of the area. The trail loops back to the beginning. This is by North Pond. We go around the pond. There is tall marsh grasses growing on the side of the pond where ducks and frogs are hiding. We also meet up with a large white fungi growing in the middle of our path. (Sort of the fun guy meeting the fungi thing. Andrea said something like this first.) This path ends as we have gone about ⅞ of the way around the pond. So we backtrack to the original trail.

The trail leads us on the south side of North Pond and eventually gets us back to the car. A lot more cars have lined up behind us. We hop into the car and return back to our house. Not a bad little stroll on a Winter’s day. In a Summer afternoon, it would feel different.

Extra Photo's

Gary walking the path

Gary enjoying himself

Andrea and Steven at the end of the line

Sky in turmoil

Downed Tree

Valley Oak

Animals

Flowers and Plants

Friday, March 1, 2019

March 1, 2019 - Burton Road

Title: March 1, 2019 - Burton Road
Hike Info : Description : Trail Lessons : Extra Photo's

Trail head: Quail Flat

Hike Info:

Type: Snowshoeing

Trail: Burton Road

Destination: None

Actual Destination: Just short of Weston Meadow

Distance: 2.89 miles

Start Time: 12:16

End Time: 2:24

Travel Time: 2:07 (1.37 mph)

Moving Time: 1:30 (1.93 mph)

Elevation Rise: 296'

Descent: 219‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,903'

GPS Tracks

Description:

It’s the first snowshoe of the season for us. Sort of pitiful when I am saying this in March. So it will be short trip. Just not sure where to go. But it will be towards Grant's Grove.

Sherri on snowshoes

But first, I need to run an errand to the tax accountant. Then Sherri finished balancing her credit card. Then Steven filled up the car with gas. Oh rats, forgot somethings so a trip back to house. By the time we leave it is 10:30

Steven is driving so I am relaxing. We get to the park entrance and flash our Golden Age card-I love that part of getting old. We decide to go to Quail Flat and down Burton Road.

Burton Road

We “discovered” Burton Road a few years ago. We went down to the Little Boulder Creek Grove-a fun hike. Then last Winter did this same snowshoe, except starting earlier and going farther. Last Summer the back end was closed due to falling trees, the aftermath of the Rough Fire.

Steven and Gary admiring a view

There are several good things about snowshoeing this road and one annoying thing. The annoying item is that you start by walking down a gentle incline. What’s so bad about that? You are coming back UP the incline. But it is a gentle road to snowshoe, just right for the first of the season. The next item is that not very many people go down it. Next, you catch glimpses of the mountains across the Kings River. Today even saw Mt Goddard-sort of my standard of a good view. Lastly, we saw Buck Rock Lookout.

Mt McGee, Mt Goddard and Clouds

On the later, is a reminder one should look around and enjoy your walk. Going down, we did not catch sight of the Lookout until we had almost reached Weston Meadow. Coming back up, it seemed like Buck Rock was always just a couple glimpses away from viewing. Maybe because I was pausing more coming up?

Buck Rock Lookout in the distance

I had set a 1:00pm stopping time, but in reality it was 1:20 before we did. Sort of what happens with a later start. The concern is that there is a storm coming in later on this afternoon. So I want to get back to the car and heading down the hill before this happens. We can see the ravine where Weston Meadows is, but rather than go down into the ravine, we stop at the top of a small rise. I spy Buck Rock Lookout for the first time on this trip. Maybe it was covered in clouds before? Or I did not stop and notice.

Buck Rock Lookout

The way back is mostly uphill, but not steep. Either I am getting more in shape or this is not that hard-my money is on the later.As alluded to earlier, I was seeing more sights, while definitely breathing more than coming in. Steven must have been feeling more energetic as pretty soon we lost sight of him. The clouds seem like they are hanging a bit lower. We cannot see across the Kings anymore, but Buck Rock is more in view.

Same view as before, but obscured by clouds

About 2:20, we make it back to the car-no storm yet. The last little ways, we sort of had a spurt of energy. Maybe to impress-only ourselves I suspect. As we are taking off the snow shoes, a car pulls up and a guy asks about the snow conditions and road and destinations. Then he leaves.

Steven drives us home. We are all hungry, but decide that going to Fresno to eat sounded more appealing than pizza. So we stop at DiCicco’s in Clovis. I have a meat calzone. Tasted really good after a good first day out.