Gary-Summer

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

August 8, 2023 - Biledo Meadow II

Title: August 8, 2023 - Biledo Meadow II

Hike Info : Description : Extra Photo's : Animals : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: Long Meadow

Trail: Forest Service Roads 5S22, 5S06, 5S05X, 5S05XA 5S48

Destination: Biledo Meadow

Distance: 7.81 miles

Start Time: 9:58

End Time: 4:18

Travel Time: 6:20 (1.23 mph)

Moving Time: 4.48 (1.63 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,388'

Descent: 1,318‘

Maximum Elevation: 7,240'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I am going to get a second chance to go to

Horse at Long Meadow

Biledo Meadow. Today we will try making it to Long Meadow and start there. But first we need to make it all the way there. Steven, Sherri and Korra will be joining me today.

I get up at 5:30-once again, no lightning to report. I finish getting everything ready and have my breakfast. We are to leave at 7:30, but by the time the car starts rolling it is 8:15. First, we stop at Costco for gas. Then I drive straight through to Fish Camp and Goat Meadow. Once again, I turned onto road 5S06-the same road we took Friday. But instead of continuing on 5S06, we take the road to Long Meadow. The drive on this road is a lot better than last Friday. Fortunately we do not meet anybody on this stretch. There is about a mile of road which hugs the side of a ridge and there is not much place to yield to oncoming traffic. At the top is Long Meadow and the place where we will park our car.

Approaching Rainier Creek

Our road, 5S22 junctions with the road we came in on. We spent a while getting ready, while wondering about the camper parked above us, But we did not see the people occupying the camper, but there is some movement. Where we are parked there is not much shade; wonder how warm it will be when we get back”

Sherri crossing Rainier

At the road junction

We start off. Our road has a gentle incline, running along a branch of Long Meadow. I stop often to examine flowers along the road. Not many in the meadow. It is a peaceful scene. That is until we spot a couple horses. The horses are peacefully munching grass in the meadow. There are a group of dogs at the caretakers camp which discover we are walking the roade. Their barking tells us not to doddle here, not that they are chasing us. We just do not want to find out if they will. We also find out that they are not the only domesticated animals in the area-there are a couple of horses grazing in Long Meadow.

Biledo Meadow

We move on, enjoying the forest around us. When we round a small ridge, the road goes on a small decline to Rainier Creek. I think earlier this season, it would have been a problem crossing it. Even now the creek has rocks and sticks for us to walk on. We manage to cross without getting wet.

Then it is about a half of a mile to the junction with 5S06. This is the road Sherri and I tried to drive last week, but decided to stop and explore Mariposa Grove. Once we started up this road, it became evident that we would not have made it very far past the junction, if we could make it even this far. It is steep and rutted. Glad we are walking rather than driving it.

Steven and Korra

We passed a couple campsites. The one we are impressed by is where we turn onto road 5S05X. This campsite is situated on the side of a small meadow. There are some good sized solar panels gathering the sun’s rays; a tent and many other camp equipment. We are wondering who is there. Looks comfortable.

And now we start a good climb. We see the area where we walked on Friday, high above us. Do we need to climb up that? We continue to climb, resting on occasion. We do hear a noise like a vehicle, but not coming up our road it turns out-it is a puzzle to us.

When we come into sight of Biledo Meadow, we decide to have lunch on a log. The map shows a road here, but it has been awhile since it has been used. While we have lunch, we gaze down. There are some buildings which look a bit old. We wonder what they are.

Cone Flowers and Cabin

After lunch we have the option of returning to the road which circles around the Meadow or just drop down into the meadow? Which one do you think we did? On the way down, a vehicle drives through the meadow- I know there is a road down in the meadow, it just is an optical illusion that it is blazing through the grass.

When we get down to the meadow proper, we are plain old gobsmacked! There is a riot of flowers. Is this Spring? Then the old mining cabins set in this scene makes you think there could be a place for this in paradise.

Sherri and the Biledo Greeter

We descend to the road and walk towards one of the cabins. The vehicle is parked a little ways from the farthest cabin. The man and woman are with the vehicle and we say hi to them . And then get into a long discussion about Biledo Meadow. Mark and Jeana are very familiar with it-they have a cabin in Wawona. They indicate that this is the best that they had ever seen Biledo. We find out about some of the cabins. Also the trails of the area, such as one which goes to a mine on the other side of the meadow. They also note that there is a back way into the meadow where most vehicles can drive almost all the way in. We found out that the campsite we were admiring is Joe’s and he has been around for awhile. Then they suggest we go on to the cabin to be greeted by the lone remaining resident. By the way, their vehicle is a snowcat,

Meadow Flowers

Sherri goes on ahead of Steven and I lag behind. There is a surprise awaiting Sherri with the resident laying on a bed, semi-seductively, for the right person. Fortunately, none of us are right for her.

Steven and Korra on a hot road

Approaching Rainier Creek

We wander up the road to the 5S48. This looks like the road which even the Highlander could drive on. Unfortunately for us, it means that there is little overhead tree coverage. So the sun beats down on us and we are feeling the heat. But unlike the trail up, this road is pretty smooth with an eventual downhill bent. When we get to the junction with 5S06, we have a decision, not really much. Do we make a bigger loop or go back down 5S06. I think we have had enough of the sun, so down 5S06.

Someplace along this road, my faithful Asolo boots fail me. The sole on my right boot delaminates. I walk with it flapping until we get where 5S06 crosses Rainier Creek. While Steven and Sherri look at the creek, I sit down and use the duct tape which I had wrapped around my hiking pole. My doctoring job seems to be working, but for how long?

We passed by the junction with the trail where we climbed up to Biledo. Also the campsite we were admiring is now occupied. But we continue on, retracing our steps. I am happy to come to our crossing of Rainier Creek. Once again, we cross Rainier without mishap.

And now it is less than a mile back to the car. We passed by Long Meadow and the barking dogs and are happy to see the glint of our Highlander. My boot repair did hold up. Then it is the long drive back to Highway 41. Carl’s Jr in Oakhurst was calling us hungry hikers before we drove back to Fresno.

Extra Photo's

Steven, Sherri and Gary at lunch

Biledo Meadow

Long Meadow

Rainier Creek and Korra

Rainier Creek

Steven and Sherri on road out of Rainier Creek

Biledo Meadow

Gary leaving the hospitality hut

Korra and Steven

Cone Flowers and Cabin

Biledo Meadow looking east

Sherri crossing unnamed creek by Biledo Meadow

Rainier Creek

Gary on road 5S06

Gary approaching Rainier Creek

Sherri recrossing Rainier Creek

Animals

Bee on a cone flower

Lorquin's Admiral

Caterpillar

Deer

Flowers and Plants

Indian Painbrush

Cone Flowers

Sierra Diasey

Other Flowers

California Goldenrod

Yarrow

White Veined Wintergreen

Alpine Lily

Richardson's Geranium

Sierra Stickweed

Western Morning Glory

White flowered Schoenolirion

Wild Rose

Friday, August 4, 2023

August 4, 2023 - Biledo Meadow, oops Upper Mariposa Grove

Title: August 4, 2023 - Biledo Meadow, oops Upper Mariposa Grove

Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's : Flowers and Plants

Hike Info:

Type: Hiking

Trail head: 5S06

Trail: Perimeter/Outer Loop Trail, Mariposa Grove to Biledo Meadow

Destination: Biledo Meadow

Actual Destination: About half of a mile down the Mariposa Grove to Biledo Meadow Trail

Distance: 6.87 miles

Start Time: 9:40

End Time: 4:07

Travel Time: 6:27 (1.07 mph)

Moving Time: 4:40 (1.47 mph)

Elevation Rise: 1,380'

Descent: 1,380‘

Maximum Elevation: 6,917'

GPS Tracks

Description:

I have not been to Biledo Meadows, but I have heard a lot about it. Especially the wildflowers. Even though August is a bit late for medium level flowers, this has been a late season all the way around. So there is a lot of hope that the Meadows will still be alive with flowers.

Burnt logs from the Washburn Fire

Dried Flower

I got up at 6:15 and saw that there was still no lightning-a good thing. I had my quiet time and then breakfast. Sherri got up and we were in the car and moving by 8:10. It is a smooth drive. Even the usual Summer line to get into Yosemite is not backed up-at least not as far as we were when we turned off. That is we turned off at Goat Meadow, where we snowshoed last January. We then turned off on Road 5S06 We went up the road to Buffin Meadows, where we turned around on snowshoes.

New Sequoia on top of old

But we continue on. There is a sign saying go right for Long Meadows, but I want to progress to Biledo, so we go left, continuing on 5S06. This does not look good-water is running down the middle of the road, which has created a deep ravine. Not hard to avoid. And then the road gets bumpy. And this is to be the good part of the road. When we got to the little road going into Mariposa Grove, we decided to stop here.

Ours is the only car parked here. It is 9:30 and we take 20 minutes getting ready to go. We walk around the gate and are in the Park. It is about a third of a mile walking down a service road. The riot of flowers already has begun. We also see remnants of last year’s Washburn Fire.

After crossing an unnamed creek, we get to the Outer Loop Trail-which has been renamed the Perimeter Trail. This trail has been used, but not heavily. It is well defined; it even has old pavement on it for a short way. And the flowers keep coming.

Our new New York friends

The trail does start climbing a little ways into our walk along it. Lupine pops up and the trail meanders through it. Most of the trail has trees covering us, but when we see the sky clearing overhead, we can feel the heat which this day will bring.

By the time we get to the Upper Grove area, it is closing in on noon. Fortunately there is a good log in the shade for us to sit on. And about 50 yards beyond that is a restroom-awe the comforts of home with flush toilets. The cabin/museum looks closed, so we do not go there.

We are still feeling like going on, so we continue along the Perimeter Trail. Soon we get to the Telescope Tree. This is a living tree which has been hollowed out. I had been noticing a couple coming up another trail and when they got to me, they asked, “Where is the Telescope Tree?” I point to the tree which I am standing by, but they think I meant up the trail. By this time, Sherri has caught up to me and we stop them. We take pictures and when they ask questions about where else in California would be good to go.We rattle off places like Lassen and Redwood. They are tell us about Letchworth State Park in New York. Trading suggestions is good.

We go on. This end of the Upper Grove got scorched by the Washburn FIre. The Galen Clark tree did not get spared, but survived. The lower part of the tree is burnt pretty badly, but the top is still green and looks like it is thriving. Other trees were not as fortunate as they were pretty dead looking. Even the path is gray with old ash.

Galen Clark Tree

We head back along the Perimeter Trail and come across the trail to Biledo. We have about twenty more minutes which we can walk before we head back. After resting up for a few minutes, we headed along the trail. We do not expect to make it all the way, just enough to get a feel for the trail. After the initial rise, it levels off and we can easily walk.

But like many things, this walk comes to an end and we head back. We quickly found the Perimeter Trail. As we go on this, I look over and see a top of a mountain with some antennas. I think it is Miami Mountain. When I get home I figure out it probably is Speckerman Mountain. We get back to the Upper Grover area. We avail ourselves of the bathroom and then take a short rest.

Sherri on path

Then it is down the Perimeter Trail. While we are going down, it is much warmer. Still we make pretty good time-maybe it is because I am not stopping as much to take pictures. We get to the service road back to the car. Unlike this morning, there are groups of people who pass us up. I guess when you are approaching 70, this is to be expected. But we do make it back in a reasonable time, tired, but not exhausted.

After we load up, we make our way back to Fresno, Steven has bar-b-que chicken waiting for our hungry stomachs. This is a good way to end the day.

Background

From Wikipedia:

The Telescope tree: A giant sequoia tree that has become completely hollow from repeated fires through the decades. Despite that, the tree is still living, as giant sequoias do not require a whole trunk to survive. It is possible to walk inside the tree and, from there, see the sky. This condition leaves the tree weakened and makes it more difficult for it to withstand strong winds. This tree (and the Clothespin Tree) could topple at any time.
The Galen Clark tree: Of historical importance, as it is said to be the first tree seen by Galen Clark when he entered the grove, and inspired his love for the giant sequoias and struggle for setting aside the land for preservation, a new concept in the mid-19th century.