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Adventures
of 2015 - June to December |
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Adventures
of 2015 - January to May Lewis Creek Trail
Kaiser Pass Hike
Kaiser Pass 2 Taft Point Kings River Bluegrass
Shaver
Lake Logging Road
San Joaquin River Trail (Finegold) Lewis Eaton Trail
(update)
San
Joaquin River Gorge
Thanksgiving at the Gorge |
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Lewis Creek Trail
This was a Father's Day
hike, June 21, 2015, and a very special one - I got to go hiking
with both my daughters, Teri Liddle and Jennifer
Neely. With busy
work schedules, families, and living an hour apart, it's hard to get
everyone together for any purpose, and we haven't camped or hiked
together for several years.
Teri picked me up about 9
a.m. and we went up Highway 41, through Oakhurst, to the Neely
property, five acres in the hills above town. Jennifer was ready to
go, and we went back to 41 and north a few more miles to the Lewis
Creek Trailhead. It was Teri's first
time on this trail; I had hiked the southern section to Corlieu
Falls several times, with
friends and with Jennifer. Neither of them had gone the northern
route. This section goes to Red Rock Falls and on through the small
community of Sugar
Pine, site of a logging operation in the early part of the 20th
century. I had taken this trail with the
Ramblers in May, but had not made it all the way to the falls.
It was
a fairly warm day, but the trail is mostly shaded by pines, firs and
cedars,
and runs near Lewis Creek, so it was a comfortable hike. The huge
blossoms of Indian rhubarb that we saw in May are gone, but the
plants have now gone into their next stage, producing big sprays of huge
leaves. The dogwood blossoms of May were also done, but we saw a
few azaleas in bloom. In addition, we saw a dozen or more species of
wildflowers that come along in the later part of the season.
Considering
the mileage we recorded on the Ramblers' hike and the distance to the
falls, I was pretty sure we had come very close, so Teri, Jennifer
and I kept going past my previous turning-back point. As I
suspected, it was not long before we came to a sign directing us
down a steep trail to the creek. The
falls proved to be notably unspectacular, although at high water
it would surely be more impressive. From where the trail ended, we
were near the top of the falls, and could not really see the entire
drop, but it's a short fall. Above it are some nice pools, as well
as azaleas
in bloom, and we all agreed that the hike was well worth while.
After
a rest and a snack, we started back down the trail, and back to the
Neely's. We changed out of our boots, and went in to Oakhurst for
dinner at El
Cid Restaurant, joined by Jennifer's husband Rod. They brought their own car, so
after eating we said our goodbyes, and Teri and I headed back down
the mountain to Fresno and the valley, hoping to do some more hikes
in the future.
--Dick
Estel, July 2015
Lewis Creek
Photos
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Kaiser
Pass Hike
I was about to say it's
been hot as hell in the San Joaquin Valley recently, but I realized
that would be inappropriate. It's been HOTTER than hell.
When I go out on my
morning walks, it's usually already 80 degrees - and this is getting
out the door by 7:30. By noon it's over 100. With this in mind, I decided to
find a day when I could drive to a
location that would be lots cooler, and do my walking there.
On June 30 I got up at 6:30 a.m., ate breakfast, loaded my
hiking gear and a lunch into my pickup, and was on the road at 7:30,
headed for the White Bark Vista Point.
This is a place one mile
up a dirt road from Kaiser Pass where you
have a panoramic view of a long stretch of the high Sierra.. At just above 9,000 feet, the pass is located about six miles
above Huntington
Lake on the Kaiser Pass
Road. This road continues
on to some of the more remote vehicle-accessible recreation areas in
the Sierra National Forest - Mono Hot
Springs, Lake
Edison, and
Florence Lake.
Huntington Lake is about
70 miles from Fresno on CA 168, at 7,000 feet, and is a beautiful
and popular recreation spot for campers and boaters.
The road up from Huntington
to the pass is mostly a smooth,
two-lane road with lots of curves, but nothing difficult or scary.
The last mile or so is a whole different matter. This stretch is
rough, very winding, and there is room for only one vehicle much of
the way. Meeting and passing another car requires one of them to pull
off to the side into a narrow dirt shoulder (when one is available),
often after backing up a ways first. The road beyond Kaiser Pass is even
worse. The dirt road up from the pass is only slightly better than 4-wheel drive quality,
with rocks and ruts most of the way. Top speed except for a few very
brief stretches is 5 MPH.
I have been to this
location many times, but only hiked out from the vista point once. The trail from the top is
actually a 4-wheel drive route, the Dusy-Ershim trail that runs 33
miles to Courtright Reservoir. It's considered one of the most
challenging 4-wheel drive trails in the nation, a fact underscored
by the fact that normal travel time to complete the 33 miles is two
and a half DAYS. Bring food and water and extra gas. Heed this
warning: "Recommended for advanced drivers. A route requiring a high degree of skill and challenge to travel. Not recommended for full-sized pickups, long wheel base vehicles or for traveling alone."
Throughout the days
leading up to this hike, I was checking the weather, which
consistently called for 20% or more chance of scattered
thunderstorms. The fact that these tend to occur in the afternoon
dictated my early start, but to hedge my bets, I made a quick stop
at Orchard Hardware to get a new poncho.
I had a pleasant drive up
through the foothills and into forested land from around the 4,000
foot level all the way to my destination. I'm not sure of the
altitude at White Bark, but it's mostly uphill from the pass, so it
has to be at least 9,500.
Before starting my hike,
I set up my tripod and took a number of photos, including some panoramic
views, of the Sierra peaks that are visible from this spot. To the
south you can see Mt.
Ritter and the Minarets;
and to the northeast, the0 Silver
Divide. There are other named
mountains visible, but I don't know all the names. Close by are
Kaiser Peak and Mt. Givens. The vista point lies
along a ridge, which drops off sharply to the east, where you can
see Lake
Edison, Portal Forebay, and the canyon of the San Joaquin River in the forested country below the mountain crest.
Weather conditions
resulted in a lot of moisture in the air, so the view was slightly hazy.
However, the
mountains were not blocked by clouds and I managed to get some fairly
decent
shots.
I had parked just past
where the road tops out on the ridge and the mountains come into
view. I knew that it was about a quarter mile to the start of the
trail, and I had driven past this point in the past. I took a look
at the road, and it started off with a steep, rocky section that was beyond my truck's capability (or mine at least). Then I
noticed another route that bypassed the steep spot. I
checked it out, and it looked passable, so I drove up
that way. The last 50 feet or so were fairly steep and slightly
rocky, but I made it up with a little careful maneuvering. I walked
back to take a look at this road and spotted a boulder in the middle
of the road, about two feet by three and a foot high. There
was no room on either side for a vehicle to fit through, so
apparently I had not seen this "obstacle" due to the
limited visibility past the high front of my truck, and had driven
over it. With considerable difficulty I managed to muscle it to the
side of the road, but later discovered a slightly easier route back
down, so I did not have to worry about that stretch when I left.
I took some more pictures
from this second parking spot, including some of a dramatic rock
formation topped by a big square boulder that seems to hang out
over the edge. After that I put on my pack and set out on the actual
hike.
It had been over 40 years
since I hiked out on this trail, but I remembered my first impression
from then, and had the same thought this time - how on earth
could anyone drive ANY kind of vehicle over this rock
pile. There
are places where the rocks that must be traversed are 18 inches
high, and having gone on some 4-wheel rides on much less challenging
roads, I can appreciate the skill and equipment it takes to navigate
this route. My photos just don't capture the reality of how rugged
the road is, but they will give you some
idea. (There's a video
showing much of the route; it's a little fuzzy at first, but the
last half is decent quality.)
Fortunately, walking it
was fairly easy. The section I walked was mostly uphill, but not
particularly steep, and getting around the big rocks was simple for
a person on foot. I suspect that a good hiker could travel faster
than a vehicle over many parts of this route.
There is a locked gate
across the start of trail, since it's not open to 4-wheelers until
August 1, so I didn't have to worry about vehicle traffic and had
the road all to myself.
About two hundred feet
from the trailhead Huntington Lake comes into view, and could be
seen from various angles for a quarter mile or so. In this area I
could also see Kaiser Peak, a large mountain to the north and slightly west.
Just like all my other
hikes, I saw a lot of different kinds of wildflowers.
The most notable were the western wall flowers. In
lower elevations they have an orange
tint, but these were bright
yellow. I also kept an eye on the sky, since there were dark
clouds not too far off.
The trail
continues along the ridge, but some distance back from the edge. I
was hoping the route would take me out to the edge where I could get
some different views of the mountains, but it looked to be curving
around the opposite way, and staying below the top of the ridge.
Therefore, when I could
see that it was not far to the top of the ridge, I set off
cross-country. Most of my walk here was through endless fields of
small blue lupines, which formed a ground cover barely an inch tall.
At this high elevation there are few trees and you don't have the
typical forest floor found down lower, with tangled limbs, fallen
logs, and thickets of small trees, so it was fairly easy walking. I soon reached a place where the mountains came into view, and found
a place rest a while.
I started my return trip
staying near the edge, first having to go around a large rock
formation. Most of the way back to the trail I was following what appeared to
be cow trails. I came to another
place where I could get near the edge, and thought maybe I could see
back to the trail head if I walked out next to another large rock
formation. As soon as I could see past the rocks, I spotted my
pickup, looking very small and far
away.
From here, it was not
long before I got back to the real trail and retraced my steps back
to where I was parked. Just as I arrived a few drops of rain fell. I
was ready to eat the lunch I had brought, but wanted to sit outside
and read while I ate. As I got my pack off and in the truck, the
rain seemed to diminish, but there was still a light mist - not
harmful to me, but not good for my reading matter. I decided to
drive down the dirt road to the pass. By the time I got there, I was
out of the rain. I always have a lawn chair in the trunk of my car,
but I didn't think to move one to my truck. I managed to find
a fairly flat rock to sit on. A cushion that I keep in the truck
made it fairly comfortable.
At 1:40, just as I was
getting ready to leave, there was some thunder, and the sky up where
I had been looked very
dark, but I did not have any more rain, there or elsewhere on
the return trip. I made it back down the bad part of the paved road
without incident, although as usual I had to pull over a couple of
times to let oncoming cars pass.
As I went down in
elevation the temperature went up as follows: 69 at Kaiser Pass at
9,000 feet; 80 at Shaver Lake at 5,000 feet, 100 at Prather at about
2,000 feet, and 107 in Clovis at 300 feet. My round trip mileage was
just over 142 miles.
With a lot of clouds, the
next two days were under 100, but now four days later it's back up
to 105. I'm ready to go back to the high country again as soon as
possible.
--Dick Estel, July 2015
Kaiser
Pass Photos
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Kaiser Pass Hike 2
When
I
went hiking above Kaiser Pass on June 30, it had been about 15
years since I was at White Bark Vista, and I vowed I would not wait
so long for the next visit. In fact, I was back there less than a
month later, on July 25 with my daughter Teri Liddle and her friend
Sandra Ward. Teri had not been there since the time I visited 15
years earlier, and it was Sandy's first time ever.
Like my
visit in June, we enjoyed cool weather, but unlike the last time,
the sky was 100% blue except for a tiny, wispy cloud we saw at the
end of our hike. There was a good breeze much of the time, and it
was a bit cool to sit still. But we did not do much sitting still
until lunch time.
We got an
early start from Fresno, again taking my pickup because of the rough
"last mile," the rocky dirt road from Kaiser Pass to White Bark. I believe this
road is in much worse condition than it was years ago, when I drove
it in my Volkswagen, and also part way up it in a motor home (!). We
agreed that none of us would want to take our passenger cars on it.
We parked
where the view first comes
in sight, instead of trying the last few
hundred yards, which are a bit more difficult than I like to drive
on. This gave us a few hundred extra yards of hiking, which is a
good thing. Before we
started our walk, we took pictures of the incredible view - the
Ritter Range and Minarets to the south, high peaks above Lake Edison
to the east, and a bit north of that, the Silver
Divide. With other
photographers present, I was able to get the "Dick on the
Rock" photo that eluded me last time (I can't get from the
camera to the top of a rock in ten seconds anymore).
When we got
to the start of the trail, we saw a pickup with a flat bed trailer,
which we had seen on the main road, hauling a Jeep. The gate to the
33-mile Dusy-Ershim Trail was locked as before, but
tire tracks
showed that a vehicle or two had gone in. We speculated that it was
someone with a key who was doing a maintenance run, removing fallen
trees from the road and checking for storm damage.
Most of the
wildflowers I saw the last day of June were still in evidence, and
of course, the views of Huntington
Lake, the trees and mountains, and a small pond not far below
us, were as amazing as ever. We also
pondered the difficult challenge of driving over this rocky route,
and observed places where the Jeep had left tread on the rocks or
skidded sideways in a particularly difficult spot.
We hiked out
the road about as far as I went last month, then cut over to the east
toward a big rock formation, where
the ridge drops off into the San Joaquin River
drainage. The views
along here are similar to what we see from the parking area, but
from a slightly different angle. In one place, we had a 180 degree
view of mountains, including the Minarets, which could not be seen
very well from the trailhead. This time I remembered to check the
altimeter app on my phone, with these findings: Kaiser Pass 9,100
(there's a sign); White Bark Vista 9,500; the highest point on our
hike, 9,800.
We made our
way around the big rock
formation, and back out to the edge again.
We spent more time at these areas than I had on my previous hike, because
each person would spot a place that needed to be explored, then the
others would follow to check out the view. As we made our way back
along the ridge we were following cow trails, with no cows visible,
and all agreed that this was easier walking than the 4-wheel drive
trail.
Throughout
this area the ground is covered with low-growing lupines, which form
sort of a ground cover. There were still flowers, but they are
starting to go to seed, and there were not as many as before.
As we
arrived back at the trailhead, we met a man and his dog walking in,
and saw another car, which stopped briefly then left. There were
also two pickups parked at the trailhead, no doubt belonging to
those who had gone through the gate. This was in contrast to last
month when there was no one else there the whole time I was hiking
and looking - the difference between Tuesday and Saturday.
Although it
was clear and sunny, there was a strong breeze, and we decided to
drive down the road a ways to have lunch. At the bottom of the
steepest part of the paved road, maybe a quarter mile from where the
rough one lane road reverts to a smooth two-lane route, there is a
big flat area to one side where people have camped (including my
grandson Johnny and me many years ago). We set up my card table and
folding chairs and made ham and cheese sandwiches. We also enjoyed fruit and other healthy snacks that Teri and
Sandy had brought.
It was still
quite cool at this location, so we moved our chairs into the sun
where we could look out over a small creek that ran below the flat
area. We were also entertained by a group of chipmunks
that were chasing each other up and down the bank between us and the road.
After
eating, we explored the creek. It had a small amount of water, but
it divides into several overflow channels, and there were signs that
these had all had water flowing heavily in them during a big rain that hit the
mountains and foothills earlier in July. There were also some nice
flowers in this area, including an unusual bright orange blossom that
I had seen previously during the Ramblers' Courtright
Hike. I later identified these as Kelley's
Lilly.
Too soon it
was time to head back down the hill, to warmer weather and flatter
territory - but we plan to return to the mountains for another hike
soon.
--Dick
Estel, July 2015
Kaiser
Pass Photos Part 2
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Taft
Point & Glacier Point
This
hike was supposed to be a return to Courtright Reservoir, where I
hiked with the Ramblers in
July. However, the Rough
Fire is sending smoke throughout the Kings and San Joaquin River
drainages, and we decided on Taft
Point as a backup. I hiked there with
the Ramblers earlier in August. Actually it was just two
Ramblers, Wes and I, with my daughter Jennifer. Julie is out till
October, and Carolyn had some bad pain in her arm. Therefore she was
looking forward to being included in this return trip.
Alas,
it was not to be - the universe apparently does not want her to go
to Taft Point, since she came down with pneumonia a few days before
our trip. So it was my other daughter, Teri, her friend Sandy, and
myself, heading north on Highway 41 shortly after 7 a.m. on August
29.
Although
we got to the trailhead fairly early in the day, it was still a
summer Saturday in Yosemite, and we got the last "real"
parking space, one with painted lines on both sides. There was still
room for three other vehicles to squeeze in next to us, and as on
our previous visits, cars were parked along the road in both
directions for a half mile when we returned from our hike.
Walking
this trail for the second time in three weeks I was reminded what a
great hike it is. There is some open area, sunny but not too hot at
7,000 feet; then the trail goes through shady red
fir forests
for two different stretches. Along the way there are some nice rock
formations, a creek crossing (dry this year), a few wildflowers, and
many other species of trees
and shrubs.
Along
the trail we saw many chipmunks, including one which came
up to my feet in the process of moving away from Teri. We also
saw lizards, and one deer.
The
last few hundred feet of the trail is fairly steep and rocky, as it
descends from the more or less level forest to the open, rocky
approach to the rim
of Yosemite Valley. I described this location in my previous
report, so I'll just say that Teri and Sandy were greatly
impressed with their first visit to this amazing and little known
part of our most famous national park. Teri got to see the narrow
ledge where her husband, Tim, and his friend Scott crawled
out many years ago when they were foolish 18-year olds. Looking
at it today,
you would not think anyone would venture out there.
We
spent a little under an hour at the Point, enjoying the thrill of looking
over the edge into the fissures, seeing various classic Yosemite
views from a different angle, and eating a much needed snack. By
wandering around the Fissures and walking to various places "out
on the edge," we made this a 2.5 mile hike instead of the
2.2 the sign says it should be.
It was
still early when we got back to the trailhead, so we decided to
drive to Glacier
Point, another two miles or so up the road. But first we stopped
at Washburn
Point, less than a mile before you reach Glacier Point and a bit
higher in elevation. It offers views similar to those seen at
Glacier Point, but Half Dome is seen almost in
profile instead of the wider
view of the face visible from Glacier, and you are slightly
closer to Vernal and Nevada Falls in the Merced River below.
Glacier
Point offers one of the most spectacular views I have seen anywhere,
and I've heard people who've traveled all over the world say the
same thing. There's a 270 degree panorama of the high
Sierra peaks, plus the famous Yosemite Valley features - Half
Dome, North Dome, Basket Dome, Cloud's Rest, Yosemite Falls, Vernal
Falls and Nevada Falls.
If
Taft Point is virtually unknown, Glacier Point is the exact
opposite. Despite the huge parking lot, it's often hard to find a
space at the peak of summer. We came along just as someone was
pulling out very close to the path to the point, so we didn't get as
much extra walking as we might have, but it's still a good little
hike from the parking area out to the farthest part of the point.
It's an easy, accessible, paved trail.
Just a short distance on
the trail you get your first look at Half Dome, and the way runs
along the rim with views into the Merced canyon and Illilouette
Falls. The trail winds around to the north, bringing you to a
spectacular view of Yosemite Valley, with Camp Curry directly below
and the the famed Ahwahnee
Hotel just across the valley.
At the edge you can lean
over the railing and look almost straight down 3,000 feet, with the
curved, slightly sloping base
of the cliff to the east. Yosemite Fall is
virtually dry (you can detect a little trickle), and Vernal and
Nevada are historically low, but the reduced flow offers an effect
usually seen at Bridalveil Falls in late summer - the falling water
being blown
to one side by the wind.
In the
latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries, various overnight
accommodations were built in the Yosemite Valley area, most notably the
Glacier
Point Hotel, which opened in 1917. Closed by heavy snow damage
in the winter of 1968-69, the building burned to the ground in July
of 1969. After that, temporary buildings housed a snack bar, and
eventually a new building was built, with gift shop and quick meal
options. There are no longer any overnight facilities.
Despite
the smoke elsewhere in the Sierra, our views
in Yosemite, especially at Glacier Point, were as clear and free
of haze as I have seen it in many visits the last few years. But one of the best parts of being there was that
Sandy had never been to this location, and of course, she was duly
impressed. Teri and I have been here many times, and we are also
always duly impressed.
Driving
back down the 16 mile road from Glacier to the main highway, we
stopped at one overlook where we had a view down the Merced River
canyon below the valley into El
Portal, just outside the park boundary. This was once the
terminus of the Yosemite
Valley Railroad; now it serves primarily as a location for park
and concession employee housing.
Our
long outing in the mountain air gave us a good appetite, which we
appeased at Pete's Place, an excellent restaurant in Oakhurst.
--Dick Estel, September 2015
Taft Point & Glacier Point
Photos
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Kings
River Bluegrass Festival
This will be a short
report on a short bluegrass festival. Rising from the ashes of the
long-running Kings River Bluegrass Festival, a three-day event that
was last held in 2013, is the one-day 2015 version of the event.
This was a low-key production, with eight
groups, all from the central valley, mostly from the Fresno
area. It was at the usual location, The
Grove (formerly Hobbs Grove) near Sanger, 20 miles from my home.
Five of these groups
appeared in the free Bluegrass in the Park program in Clovis during
the summer, and I had seen two of the others previously, so it
was not a festival where I expected to be amazed by a group that was
unknown to me.
Fortunately, there was in
fact that band that makes it all worthwhile - the Poor Valley Band,
based in Merced. It's built around a father and daughter, plus two
other musicians. The girl, who is a young adult, does most of the
singing, and does not play an instrument, but her voice was amazing.
I saw them here in 2013, and hope to see them again soon.
Two for the Road was
another group that surprised me. When I saw them on stage, just two
people, one playing an electric keyboard, I expected the worst.
While their music is certainly not bluegrass, it's very good - a mix
of pop and country, done well and entertainingly.
At the next to last
Bluegrass in the Park performance September 3 I had seen the Narrow
Gauge Ramblers. This group rose from the ashes of Smiley Mountain, a
group mostly from the foothills north of Fresno (North Fork,
Oakhurst, etc.) They had a bass player who had a style that was
different from the usual "BOOM-boom, BOOM-boom" approach,
and the group overall was quite good. At the Kings River festival
they had a substitute bass player who was very average, but they
added a guest dobro artist, and I enjoyed their performance once
again.
Grassfire has been around
for several years, appearing in the park and at this festival. Their
usual banjo player, Tom Naiman, could not make it, but they had a
substitute lined up. At the next to last minute, he was called away
to a fire in Oakhurst, so Jack Kinney was pressed into service at
the very last minute. He's a young man who we've seen develop into a
highly skilled musician, expert on fiddle, mandolin and banjo, and
capable of holding his own in any setting.
Several musicians
appeared more than once, either as substitutes, or because they
belong to more than one group. The ubiquitous Mike McDonald played
bass for the first three acts, and later with one or two more, and
is a member of all but one of the groups he appeared with.
Like all festivals, there
were representatives of other festivals and organizations there,
selling raffle tickets, giving out information, etc. A lady who
makes jams and jellies and sells at all Fresno
Folklore Society events was there, and I was able to augment my
supply of homemade apple butter. Mona A., whom I've known since the
first Parkfield festival early in the century, collected raffle
prizes and sold tickets to benefit the Kings River event.
There was only one food
booth, which was enough for a single day. It was the Forestry
Club from Reedley
College, selling drinks, hot dogs, hamburgers and ice cream.
Although I brought food that would have got me through the day, I
could not resist patronizing this group, since my younger daughter
and her husband earned AS degrees in forestry at Reedley about 20
years ago.
The weather was warm and
slightly humid, but the audience area is mostly shaded by trees that
were spindly saplings when I first attended this event, and are now
big enough to allow everyone to sit in the shade. There was no
evidence of smoke from the big fire burning in the mountains to the
east, since the wind had shifted to carry it away from the valley.
With only 20 miles to
travel, I left home about 9 a.m., arriving at 9:30, plenty of time
to get set up for the 10 a.m. start. I visited with several people I
know from other festivals and musical activities. There was no
break, with a new group every hour, ending at six p.m. as Red Dog
Ash, a highly popular group from the Turlock area, sent us home with
two encores.
Not all the entertainment
was from the music. When I arrived there were two dogs sleeping in
the shade of the old barn, as relaxed as it's possible to be without
being dead. I went out to my car for water and snacks several times
during the day, and at noon the large
dog appeared to have not moved a muscle since I arrived two and
a half hours earlier. Later he was gone, but the small dog was
making his way back to the shady spot, moving as slowly as possible.
When I left for home about 6:15, the big dog was back in his same
spot, looking as if he had not moved the entire day.
With a decent attendance,
generous sponsorships, discount fees charged by some bands, and
raffle ticket sales, the event was declared a success, and planning
began before it was over to bring it back again next year.
When this event was first
announced, I was skeptical about the one-day limit, but I arrived
home refreshed and with the feeling that it was just the right
amount of time to sit outside enjoying bluegrass on a summer's day.
--Dick Estel, September
2015
Kings
River Bluegrass Photos
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Shaver
Lake Logging Road
It was
November 1, the weather was nice, but storms were predicted for
November 2 - several inches of snow possible, down to 6,000 feet or
lower. It seemed like the perfect time for a "last chance"
trip into the Sierra.
I got
an early start, planning to drive a few miles beyond Shaver Lake and walk around some of the dirt roads or other suitable
places in that area. Heading up Highway 168, I made a couple of stops in the
foothills at Big and Little Dry Creeks. Big
Dry Creek runs through Clovis and Fresno as a channeled and
sometimes concrete lined canal, so it was interesting to see it where
it is an actual
creek, even though it was in fact dry.
Farther
up the highway I decided to explore a road that has
always intrigued me. The San
Joaquin & Eastern Railroad was a line that ran from east of
Fresno into the mountains to carry materials for building Southern
California Edison's Big
Creek Hydro Project, and much of the road is still passable. Off CA 168 a
short distance past the road to Auberry is SJ&E Road. I did not
know (and still don't) if this is actually part of the railroad
line, but I decided to see what was there.
It's a
good paved road that goes gradually up hill from the highway for
several miles, with lots of houses. At one point it seemed to be
arriving at a town of some kind, and I was not particularly
surprised to realize that I was in Auberry.
From here I could have gone back to 168 and up the 4-lane section
that climbs from 2,000 feet to 4,000, but instead I turned right on
Auberry Road. Just past the town this road forks, with Power House
Road going north to cross the San Joaquin River and up to the town
of North Fork. This is the road we take to get to Smally Road, which
leads to the San Joaquin
River Gorge (formerly Squaw Leap).
I took
the right fork, continuing on Auberry Road, which winds steeply up the
opposite side of the mountain from the 4-lane.
Eventually it joins 168, but along the way there are a couple of
points of interest and many nice views. Side roads lead into an
Indian Rancheria and the Mono Wind Casino, located in a long, narrow
valley known as Jose
Basin.
There
is a place where the road goes past a gap, and from here you can
look down on the highway a few hundred feet lower. Beyond this there
are some nice views of high
mountains, and the trees change from
foothill scrub and oak to ponderosa forest. Near the end of the
road are two small communities, Meadow Lakes and Alder Springs, both
above the 4,000 foot level. Auberry Road then drops down briefly to
connect with 168 at Cressman's, a store and gas station at Pine
Ridge, about five miles from Shaver Lake. Needing some chewing gum,
I made my first ever visit to the store, spending the huge total of 35
cents.
At
Shaver Lake I took the Dinkey Creek Road and drove a few miles to
the Dorabelle
Campground. This is closed for the season, but I
parked at the entrance, and walked across the road to a parking area
where there used to be a restroom. A short walk past this area there
is a good view down into Blue
Canyon, which is drained by a creek
that runs into Pine Flat Lake. A road that leaves Highway 168 below
Cressman's goes all the way down the canyon to Trimmer Springs Road
around the lake.
I
recalled that I had once walked a short distance on an old logging
road near this area, so I went to the west end of the parking lot,
looking for it. Although the road did not connect with the parking
lot, I was able to work my way down to a rough dirt track that
connected with the road I was looking for. This road is not
accessible to large vehicles, and would not be passable anyway. This
road was lined with ponderosa and sugar
pine, fir, cedar, and black
oaks, changing to their winter
colors. I
followed it as far as it went, probably a quarter mile or so. It ended, as so many such roads do, in a pile of brush that had been
bulldozed into place after logging operations were done.
I returned to the car,
set up my lawn chair, and had a snack while doing a bit of reading
in my current book, The
Cat Who Came to Breakfast, part of a series of about 30 or
so volumes featuring a pair of Siamese who help solve crimes.
Then I went around the
locked gate and walked through the campground. I had stayed here a
time or two at least 30 years ago, but it's not an area I would
choose for camping now. There are 20 or so campsites, and a large
meadow runs along the west side and beyond the far end of the
campground. I walked to the end and into the meadow a slight
distance, getting a few photos of brown grass against bright
evergreens.
Back at the car, I
explored a small area east of the parking lot, then went down to the
Blue Canyon vista, set my camera on a large piece of ponderosa bark,
and took the obligatory "Dick on the rock" photo.
With my walks on the road
and in the campground, and random wandering about, I managed a little under two miles of hiking for
the day, so I returned to my car and headed back down the road, arriving home about 1:30.
As expected, the storm arrived early the next morning, bringing about
three quarters of an inch of rain to Fresno and snow down to the area that had been
such a warm, sunny place for walking less than 24 hours earlier.
--Dick Estel, November
2015
Shaver
Logging Road Photos
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San
Joaquin River Trail (Finegold)
I've
made this hike a number of times, and written about it here,
here, here,
here, here
and here,
so I'll keep this short and just cover what's new or different. The
location is a trail that runs from the Finegold
picnic area by Millerton
Lake, at the end of Sky Harbor Road, to the San Joaquin River Gorge
management area, previously known as Squaw Leap. It's a
low elevation area, so I never go there in the summer, and even the
hikes I've done in October have been a little warm at times.
My
friend Carolyn and I were going to do this hike on Monday, November
9, but the weather forecast was for rain and thunderstorms, so I
decided to go by myself on Sunday. Most of my hikes are on weekdays,
and usually there are only two or three cars in the parking area,
but this time there were at least 20, the most I've ever seen. While
I saw a lot of people on the trail, they were spread out and there
were never very many near me at any one time.
The
overnight low was 45 degrees, and it was still quite cool when I got
on the trail a little after nine. I wore two layers, thinking I
probably should just brave the cold and wear only one. About half
way up the trail I had to remove the outer shirt, and stuffed it in
my field bag. Nearly everyone I met had jackets tied around their
waists, so everyone else had made the same mistake.
We've
had several rain storms since mid-October, so I was hoping to see
some green grass. On the road, the hills looked as brown as ever,
but with a close up view on the trail, I could see that the new crop
of green is off to a good start - it's just that the old dry grass
is still there, trying to hide the next generation from view.
As I
went up the trail, many of the people I met were runners, and
presumably most had run uphill as well. I also met one bicycle and a
few walkers. The trail was as steep as ever, and I was older than
ever before, but I just kept up the slow steady pace that always
works, and made it to the top of the ridge with no problems. Along
the way I was glad to see that the lake is slightly higher than
on any
of my past few hikes.
It was
also a sparkling clear day, very cool at the start, and quite warm
by the time I got to the top. I went up the path to the east that
crosses the main trail and sat on a rock while I enjoyed my snack of
apple and orange slices. I had once done this hike without eating
anything at home and bringing nothing with me, and suffered
somewhat, so now I take snacks on all but the shortest hikes.
Where
I stopped the trail crosses a saddle, and continues on around the
hills parallel to the lake. I would like to go a mile or so farther
this way, but the climb to the ridge leaves me without the energy to
go farther. To the east up from the saddle, you can look down on a
narrow passage where the lake starts a double hairpin turn. The lake
upstream from this always seems to be sparkling, possibly due to a
"wind tunnel" effect through the narrow channel.
I
spent about 30 minutes at the top, then started back down. Even
though I thought I got a later start than everyone else, I met one
bicyclist and at least four hiking parties on their way up.
Even
having eaten an apple and an orange, I was very hungry by the time I
got back down to the car. I returned home briefly, then went to Hacienda
Tequila, a fairly new Mexican restaurant that I had not visited
before. The food was about average, with the salsa and beans less
so, and there are other places I like better. Normally I would be
carrying a to go box if I ordered a two-item combo with rice and
beans, but I was hungry enough to eat everything. Reviews of the
place are mixed, but the decor is unique and interesting.
Despite
the cool nights, it was fairly warm by the time I finished the hike,
which officially started my winter hiking season. I'm looking
forward to exploring more low elevation places as the weather cools
off.
--Dick
Estel, November 2015
San Joaquin River Trail Photos
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Lewis
Eaton Trail (update here)
The Lewis
S. Eaton Trail is part of a planned 22-mile San
Joaquin River Parkway. It starts at Woodward
Park, which is north of Fresno and adjacent to State Highway 41.
The trail follows the San Joaquin River eastward along the bluffs on
the south side, descending to the river bottom outside the park, and
ending at the Coke
Hallowell Center for River Studies.
I walked parts of the
trail from Woodward Park a few times more than ten years ago with my
daughter Teri, but had not been there since that time. On November
11, wanting a change from the Clovis trail system, but not wanting
to drive very far, I went north from Clovis on Willow Avenue and
turned west on Friant Road. Where Old Friant Road goes down to the
river bottom to a sand
and gravel operation there is access to the trail, which crosses
Old Friant on an attractive
bridge.
It was a bright, sunny
day; the temperature was comfortable, and there are views of the
snow-covered Sierra
Nevada mountains in the distance. Much of the trail is level,
but at one point it winds
down to the river bottom, providing a nice change of pace. It's
a gentle slope, not steep. The entire trail is paved (not necessary
a good thing) with a white line in the middle. It's a popular place
for bike riding, and I probably saw an equal number of walkers
and bicyclists.
There are views of ponds
beside the river, some of which are part of the mining operation,
and there were trucks going
in and out from the facility on a regular basis. They have to go
slowly in that area, and the trail is away from the road enough that
the noise of the vehicles is not particularly noticeable.
After
about 3/4 mile, the
trail crosses Old Friant Road and enters the Hallowell
Center, which is best explained by this quote from the River
Parkway website:
There is something for everyone at the River Center. Programs like storytelling, river-inspired art workshops, readings by local authors, gardening classes and kids' crafts keep the place bustling with activity year-round. The River Center has a restored 1890's ranch house, rose garden, orchard, vineyard and picnic area. The grounds and historic ranch house are available to rent for business meetings.
I went a short distance
on the road after the trail ended, and noticed some
benches inside the Hallowell Center grounds. There was a locked
gate, but no signs saying keep out, so I went through the fence, as
did another party while I was there. I've never visited the center,
and it has limited hours, but I hope to check it out someday.
My total distance on this
walk was 2.3 miles, but the trail from Woodward is more like five
miles, so there are plenty of opportunities for those who want some
more distance, or who are biking.
--Dick
Estel, November 2015
Update 12/9/15: I returned to the Eaton Trail today, this
time with fellow Rambler Carolyn Amicone. Up to a point it was a
repeat of my walk on November 11. However, where the trail crosses
Old Friant Road, the gate into the Coke
Hallowell Center for River Studies was open, so we
continued on the trail to the center.
Along the way you can
take a dirt path that goes all the way around a large pond there,
but we followed the paved trail. A group of kids were touring the
area, so we listened in a bit on what the guide was telling them. It
did not appear that any of the buildings were open, but we walked
around the grounds, which include various
trees and plants, as well as a beautiful two-story
house that was apparently part of a ranch. There's also a large
old barn, and of course, informational signs.
Heading back, we took the
dirt path on the south side of the pond, spotting a blue heron as it
took flight. We also saw many ducks and egrets, both white and brown,
as well as a cottontail
rabbit that was napping just off the trail until we interrupted
him.
The entire walk added up
to about three miles, a good outing, mostly on level ground, but
with a section that winds up (or down if you're going upstream) from
the river bottom to the top of the bluffs that line the San Joaquin
for many miles.
Returning to the city, we
went to In-N-Out Burger
for lunch. A word in praise of this chain - although it was very
busy, we got waited on and served fairly quickly, and the cost for
two was about equal to what you pay for one lunch at many such
establishments.
Eaton
Trail Photos New photos added here
December 10, 2015 |
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San
Joaquin River Gorge
Having walked a short
distance on the down river end of the San Joaquin River Trail on November
8, (see
above) nine days later I decided to drive to the San Joaquin
River Gorge area and walk part of the upper end of the trail.
On the
way I stopped at the
US Forest Service
ranger station in Prather to see the son of an old friend, now
deceased, that I had known since our childhood, starting in 1945.
Jim Ballard was one of my closest friends, and I kept in touch with
him whenever I was in Mariposa. His father and mine worked together,
and later had separate businesses in the same building. Our families
went on many outings together.
I knew
that Jim had three sons, but I had only seen the oldest long ago
when he was four. I knew that the middle son, Keith worked at
Prather, so I went in and asked for him. He invited me back to a
conference room where we had a very nice visit. In addition to
knowing his father and paternal grandparents, I knew his mother and
her parents, and had worked for them in a restaurant in Mariposa. I
also knew his uncles who were all in high school at the same time I
was, and his aunt, Jim's sister, who I visited in Santa Cruz in March,
2014.
It was
a unique experience to meet and talk with a person who was in effect
a total stranger, but with whom I had a lot of background in common
and knew many of the same people. He did not know me of course, but
when I mentioned my dad's business, it fell into place for him.
After
our visit, I continued on up the road through Auberry and down
Smalley Road to the San Joaquin Gorge
trailhead. There are two directions you can go from here, and my
original plan was to go down the one mile trail to the river, cross the foot
bridge, and explore a bit farther on the north side of the river.
However,
I had got a later start than I planned, and spent at least a half
hour at the ranger station. The river trail walk would take more
time than I wanted to spend, and I would be getting home late in the
afternoon. Therefore I took the easier
trail that runs along the base of the hills south of the parking
area, officially known as the San Joaquin River Trail. The entire
trial goes 11 miles down to the Finegold Picnic Area, and I've hiked
in from that end a number of times. Needless to say, 11-mile hikes
are not on my agenda.
Instead
I did what I've done a number of times on this trail, walked till I
felt I had gone half the distance I wanted to walk, and turned back.
This ended up being a total distance of just over two miles. On the
road and on the trail I was delighted to see that the series of
rainstorms we've had have brought forth a nice carpet
of green. There are no wildflowers at this time, but the weather
conditions hold great promise for the future. Although it was quite
cool at the start of my hike, I was down to one layer by the middle
of my walk.
A
little over a half mile in there is a blue oak near the trail which
has what may be the biggest burl
I've ever seen. While most such growths form a bulge on one side of
a tree, this one goes all around the tree, a blue oak of modest
stature, perhaps 16 inches in diameter. The burl is over three feet
in diameter and about five feet high, and of course, I have to photograph
it every time I walk on this trail. (Ten days later I was back
again with my daughter and grandson, and got this
photo.)
After
resting and taking pictures here I continued on another quarter mile
or so. I came to a place where there is a rounded hill between the
trail and the basalt cliffs of Squaw
Leap above. It looked as if I could make my way up on the hill, get a
good view, then go through a drainage on the other side
and back to the trail.
It
turned out that my planned route was blocked by brush, but I enjoyed
the extra climb and the sight of sunlight glistening on the power
lines, then went back down a slightly different way near where I
went up. When I got back to the trail I realized I had reached that
"halfway point," and returned to the parking area.
The
extent of the rains in the foothills was emphasized by several
places where water flowing down the trail had carried soil into
little runoff channels, forming tiny sand bars, or perhaps more
properly, mini-deltas.
Walking
back out, I saw everything from the opposite direction, which often
reveals interesting scenes that were not noticeable going the other
way, such as this view of a line of power
poles marching off into the distance.
As I
often do, I finished up my 73 mile round trip with a stop at the
Colorado Grill for an excellent chicken sandwich with fries.
--Dick
Estel, November 2015
San
Joaquin River Gorge Photos |
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Thanksgiving at the
Gorge
Every
once in a while someone comes up with a crazy idea that turns into
something wonderful. I had some doubts when my grandson Johnny
suggested we have our family Thanksgiving gathering in the form of a
potluck at Nelder Grove. However, it's one of my favorite places,
and there would be a campfire and some hiking, and in the end we
decided it would be a great idea - "we" being myself and
my older daughter, Johnny's mother. As
it turned out, Nelder Grove was not in the cards. It's located at
5,000 feet, and the regularity of storms this fall made it
questionable from the beginning. When there was three inches of snow
the day before Thanksgiving at my younger daughter Jennifer's place above Oakhurst, at 3,200
feet, we all knew that we would have to go to our backup choice, the
San Joaquin River Gorge, which we still call Squaw Leap. So
on November 27, we met at the group campground - the Upshaw's,
Johnny, Brittany and sons Colton and Jack; the Liddle's, Teri, Tim
and Mikie, and myself. Rod and Jennifer had spent most of the week
at Tahoe (delaying their return by a day due to snow), and were not
able to join us. Both
the little boys were sleeping when they arrived, but 13-month old
Jack woke up almost immediately, and enjoyed the attention of
grandparents and an uncle, having them all to himself for close to
an hour. Eventually Colton arrived on the scene, a bit sleepy at
first, but soon waking up and becoming the normal, very active
almost 3-year old we know and love. Not
far from the group area is an equestrian campground with corrals.
There's a short path in between that goes down into a drainage and back
up through a gate to this area, and Colton made the walk over there
many times, with everyone going with him at least once. There he had
fun swinging on the corral gates, and throwing rocks from the
parking area. Jack went there with his dad at least once. We
had all brought firewood, and soon had a fire going. There was no
concern about snow at this 1,500 foot location, but the high was
expected to be about 48, so we were all prepared with warm clothing, and greatly
enjoyed the fire. We
had various snack items, vegetables and such, and some excellent
white chicken chili, a dish I had not encountered previously. After
eating it was time for a hike on the San Joaquin River
Trail, the
one I walked on ten days earlier.
Although everyone was invited, and Colton usually likes to hike, it
ended up being just Teri, Mikie and myself on the hike. Mikie had
not been to the area since he was about four, and I think that was also
the last time Teri was there. All the adults had hiked
down to the river in years past, but the trail we walked was new
to both Teri and Mikie. We
walked as far as the big burl that I mentioned above,
and Teri and MIkie were duly impressed. Of course, we took a bunch
of photos. After enjoying this natural phenomenon and resting on
a nice log that fell in just the right place, we started back. Walking from
the group camp area, our round trip journey was 1.6 miles. When
we got back it was dessert time. Years ago (decades in fact) I sometimes made cheesecake from scratch, using a recipe in the Fanny
Farmer Cookbook. I decided it was time to revive this excellent
dessert, which Mikie had never had, since he's only 18. I could not
find the book, but the recipe was available on
line. Everyone agreed that the end results were worth the
20-year wait. Of course, most of them didn't even know they were
waiting, but the finished product was such that I vowed to
make it again well before the next decade passes. After
some more walking around the area, we realized that the sun was
getting very low, and the temperature even lower. Just before the
sun went behind the hills, it was very obvious that it was getting
colder fast. We loaded up our stuff, took some group
photos, and
headed back to the flat land, with everyone agreeing that this was
an excellent idea that we should try to repeat next year. On
the way home we were treated to a this fantastic
sunset view. --Dick
Estel, November 2015
San Joaquin Gorge Thanksgiving
Photos
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Photos
(Click to enlarge; pictures open in new window) |
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Lewis Creek
Trail Kaiser
Pass Hike Kaiser Pass Part 2
Taft Point & Glacier Point
Kings
River Bluegrass
Shaver
Logging Road
San Joaquin River Trail
Eaton Trail Photos
San
Joaquin River Gorge Photos
San
Joaquin Gorge Thanksgiving |
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Lewis Creek Trail |
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This flower surely
has "bell" in its name
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Huge leaves of
Indian rhubarb
surround a bell-like flower |
The trail is lined
with many old cedar trees |
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Base of a large
cedar |
Red Rock Falls from
the top |
Azalea by the falls |
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Teri & Jennifer |
Teri & Dick |
Jennifer & Dick |
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Kaiser Pass Hike |
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My
truck on the narrow Kaiser Pass Road |
Turn here for a
steep, rough ride |
The view when you
get to the top |
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Dick by the rock |
Mt. Ritter |
I
think my truck straddled this boulder |
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Balanced rock at White
Bark Vista |
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The start of the
nation's most
challenging 4-wheel drive trail |
Nature's landscaping |
Huntington Lake |
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Believe it or not, these
are all views of the Dusy-Ershim 4-wheel drive trail |
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Lake Edison |
Signs help
distinguish just
plain rock piles from the road |
Big western white pine |
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The Silver Divide |
Dark
skies threatened
throughout my hike |
Can
you spot my truck in this photo? |
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Silver Divide panorama |
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Two lodgepole pines,
one vertical |
When the sky looked
like this,
I was on my way home |
Western wall flower |
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Pink flowers |
Low-growing lupine
forms a ground cover |
Scarlet Gilia |
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Kaiser Pass Photos 2 |
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Sandy and Teri out on the edge |
Posing in front of the High Sierra |
Teri and Dick ready to hike |
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A wonderful rock pile |
Edison Lake and the High Sierra
make a
nice backdrop for the trio |
I considered trying to get up by that
top boulder |
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The minarets and Mt.
Ritter |
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Huntington Lake and small
pond above it |
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Dick on the Rock |
Teri on the Rock |
Rugged scenery, white granite,
flowers
- a perfect day |
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The Silver Divide |
Cones from Western White Pine |
I can't stop taking
pictures of this rock
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The Jeep skidded sideways
about two feet
in this spot |
The Jeep went up over
the rock to the right of Teri
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Boys being boys |
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Eventually
we identified this flower as Kelley's lily |
Lots of identified
flowers
look similar, none exact |
These chipmunks entertained
us as we
ate lunch |
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Taft
Point Photos
Glacier Point Photos |
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Ready to
hike |
This guy
greeted us on the trail |
Other
places you can go |
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Western
white pine |
Red firs |
Cones
are thick at the
top of the red firs |
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The big
fissure |
Rock
caught in fissure |
The high
spot at Taft Point |
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Peering
into the abyss |
Taft
Point from the west side |
A
very scenic ridge east of the point |
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Dick at
Taft Point |
Taft
Point, with Yosemite Valley
and El Capitan beyond |
Base of
El Capitan, with
cloud shadow approaching |
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Cathedral
Rocks |
Spires
and crags on the east side of Cathedral Rocks |
Large quartz
outcropping near the start of the trail |
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Teri and
Sandy in the rocks |
The only
clouds we saw all day |
Wind-blown
Vernal Falls |
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Half
Dome from Washburn Point |
And from
Glacier Point |
North
Dome and Basket Dome
rise above Tenaya Canyon |
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Mt.
Clark on the left, Starr-King on the right |
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The base
of Glacier Point |
Overhanging rock at Glacier
Point |
Mt.
Clark |
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High
Sierra panorama |
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Sandy, Teri and Dick at
Glacier Point |
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Kings River
Bluegrass Festival |
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Kings River Gospelaires |
Uncle Ephus |
Narrow Gauge Ramblers |
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Poor Valley Band |
Two for the Road |
Lonesome Moon |
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The Grasskickers |
Red Dog Ash |
"Old Blue, you good
dog you" |
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More active than the dog |
Program cover |
Lunch stop |
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Shaver
Logging Road (& other places) |
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Jose
Basin from Auberry Road |
Mono
Wind Casino |
Highway
168 from Auberry Road |
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High
Sierra peaks from Auberry Road |
Twisted
pine |
Blue
Canyon from near
Dinkey Creek Road |
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Old
logging road |
A sugar
pine that didn't get cut |
And one
that did |
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Fall
color in black oak leaves |
A
rugged cedar near
Dorabelle Campground |
A
dead plant creates sparkling stars |
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Meadow
near Dorabell Campground |
Fern,
starting to change to fall color |
Dick on
the rock with Blue
Canyon in the background |
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Panoramic view of the meadow |
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San
Joaquin River Trail (Finegold) |
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A choice of destinations |
The new grass amid the old |
More green - ferns and moss |
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I'm searching for the
definitive
fallen log - this is a candidate |
Woodpeckers have been at
work in this bull pine tree |
A monumental rock by the
trail |
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Typical section of the
trail |
Squirrel on the rock |
Horseshoe Bend section
of the lake |
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A welcome sight -
snow
early in the season |
Water level up Finegold
Creek is higher than last year |
Hikers continuing on
past my stopping place |
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Lewis S.
Eaton Trail |
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Foot bridge over Old Friant
Road |
Honoring those who made
the
trail possible
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It's nice to look at snow
on a sunny day
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Sand and gravel operation |
Trucks were coming and
going nearly all the time |
Planting trees with a
purpose |
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These plants are seen along
roads all over the foothills |
This guy was wisely rushing
across the road |
Some of my fellow trail
users |
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A colorful trio |
The Hallowell Center
for River Studies
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Taking a well-earned rest
after walking over a mile |
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Pond on the Hallowell
Center property
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This rider went up and down
this
steep hillside time after time |
A gentle slope takes the
trail
down to river bottom level
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Sign at
the River Center |
Headquarters
and former ranch house |
Old barn
from ranching days |
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Eaton Trail map |
Birds
congregate on a sand
bar in one of the many ponds |
Carolyn
is dwarfed and hidden
in the shade of this huge tree |
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Grey
egret waits for lunch |
A closer look |
The rabbit whose nap we
interrupted
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San Joaquin
River Gorge |
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It
means "place where
there are blue oaks" |
Green
grass and blue oaks |
Recent
rains have washed soil
from the trail into the grass |
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A
promising sign - green
grass in November |
A very
small bridge |
Dead
pine log lies in state
in front of a descendant
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Maybe
the biggest blue
oak burl in the west |
Ten days later I was back
with
daughter Teri & grandson Mikie |
Lichen
adds a nice contrasting
color amid the green |
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The
greenest green belongs to the moss |
Squaw
Leap |
There's
a bumper crop of pine cones this year |
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Sun
sparkles on the wires |
Power poles marching
into the distance |
The work of worms |
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San
Joaquin Gorge Thanksgiving |
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Jack on
the road |
Brittany
and Jack explore the area |
Johnny
and Jack |
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Jack
Snack |
All the
Upshaw's |
Lunch
time for Colton |
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Jack
with Grandma Teri |
Teri and
Mikie and the big burl |
Dick and
Teri hamming it up |
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Mikie on
the trail |
Rough
winter for this blue oak |
Sensational
sunset |
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Four generations:
Johnny Upshaw holding Colton; Brittany holding Jack; Mikie,
Teri and Tim Liddle; Dick Estel |
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Related Links |
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Lewis
Creek Trail |
Lewis
Creek Trail Map |
El
Cid Restaurant |
Dusy-Ershim
Trail |
Dusy
Trail Video |
Dusy
Trail Photos |
Mt.
Ritter |
Huntington
Lake |
Lake
Edison |
Sierra
National Forest |
Florence Lake |
Kaiser Pass
Road |
Yosemite
National Park |
Glacier
Point |
Glacier
Point Road Hikes |
Washburn
Point |
Taft
Point |
Red
Fir |
Yosemite
Valley Railroad |
Illilouette
Falls |
Glacier
Point Hotel |
Poor
Valley Band |
Uncle Ephus |
Narrow
Gauge Ramblers |
Lonesome
Moon |
Grasskickers |
Red Dog Ash |
Reedley
College |
Fresno
Folklore Society |
The
Grove |
Big
Creek Hydro Project |
San
Joaquin & Eastern Railroad |
Shaver Lake |
San Joaquin River Gorge |
Millerton
Lake |
Lewis
S. Eaton Trail |
San
Joaquin River Parkway |
Coke
Hallowell Center for River Studies |
Dick's San
Joaquin River Gorge Photo Album |
San
Joaquin River Trail |
Pete's
Place |
Sierra
National Forest |
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