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Dick's
Adventures of 2017 - Part 2 |
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Travel Reports |
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2017
Part 1 2017 Part 3
2017
Part 4 2017
Part 5 2017 Part 6
San Joaquin
Gorge Hike
San Joaquin River Trail West
Sycamore
Creek Fire Road
San Joaquin Gorge Camp |
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San
Joaquin Gorge River Access Trail
After
a week of rain the forecast for Saturday, February 11 offered the
promise of probably dry weather, with clouds and wind. That meant it
was time for a hike, so my daughter Teri came over at nine a.m. and
we set off in my Honda.
As we
drove we discussed two possible destinations. Our route could take
us to the Finegold
trailhead or to the San Joaquin Gorge, and we had about ten
miles to go before we had to make a choice. We both leaned toward
the Gorge, which we sometimes forget and call by its old name, Squaw
Leap. Although this "politically incorrect" name has been
removed from signs and the web site, it still applies to the table-top
mountain above the area, so go figure.
We
have had torrential rains, flooding, mud and rock slides, road
washouts and other consequences of the torrential rains that have
hit California in January and February, and we were interested to
see if anything had affected the San
Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area.
We also wanted to see how much water is flowing down the San
Joaquin River, since every tiny foothill creek is up to and over
its banks, and some of the larger creeks have become raging rivers,
especially during the storms.
We
made a short stop where Auberry Road crosses Little Dry Creek, and
observed that it is running even fuller than it was when I drove by January
10. Instead of staying on Auberry Road to Prather, we took
Millerton Road where it goes southeast to join Highway 168. Along
this section the road crosses Little Dry Creek several times, and we
enjoyed the green hills and the views of the
water, making one stop.
Once
on the state highway, we continued to the turnoff for the town of
Auberry, then down Smalley Road to the San Joaquin Gorge. There were
places where mud slides had been cleared away, and at one place
there was a big pile of dirt and rocks and bushes right at the edge
of the road, but there was nothing to cause problems driving.
About
a mile past the parking lot the road ends at the power house, and
there is a short trail down to the river. I hiked it last year, but
it was new to Teri. Although it was quite short, only 0.57 round
trip, it was challenging in spots. It goes down steeply via
switchbacks to the river, and water does the same thing. The heavy
rains of this year had created numerous new
channels, including some right down the middle of the trail. At
one point we had to stop and figure out which
little creek was really the trail.
All
along the trail there were little rivulets of water running down,
and some had carried enough water during the peak runoff to create
small gullies. Near the bottom of the trail there was a small
waterfall from a creek that ran down a short distance from the trail.
Despite
the washouts
we were able to get to the end of the trail, about 50 feet above the
river, which was running very
big and brown with silt. Along the trail we saw a few
wildflowers, a total of five different species. They included
filaree, popcorn flower (a single blossom), fiddlenecks, and the
obligatory "unidentified," all very small and sparse.
We
made our way back up the trail and drove to the group camp, where we
ate lunch at a picnic table. It was overcast all the time we were
there, but we were comfortable while hiking. Sitting at the table
was a different matter, and by the time we finished eating, we were
getting cold. We took a quick walk around the group site, spotting a
small patch of fiddlenecks,
then hurried to the car and started home.
We
again took the Highway 168 route, and made a stop where Big Dry
Creek crosses the road. Here we saw larger fiddlenecks, in greater
numbers. The debris line above the creek indicated it had been much
deeper and maybe 50 feet wide during the recent storm.
On our
way back to my house we stopped at the Upshaw's (Teri's older son)
to confer with them about future camping plans. I had reserved a
cabin on the Kings River above Pine Flat, and was hoping to have
most of our family there in March, but the dirt road is blocked by
slides and washouts, and our reservation was cancelled, so we talked
about what else we could do instead. We came up with a few ideas,
and of course, you know you will be getting a report about wherever
we finally decide to go.
--Dick Estel, February 2017
San
Joaquin Gorge Photos |
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Other
San Joaquin Gorge (Squaw Leap)
Reports |
Four
2012 Squaw Leap Hikes |
2012
Bridge Trail Hike |
2013
San Joaquin River Trail Hike |
2014
San
Joaquin Gorge Campout |
2014
River Trail Hike |
2015
River Trail Hike |
Thanksgiving
at the Gorge |
2016
Bridge Trail Hike |
2016
February Campout |
2016
March Campout |
Rambler
Hike 2015 |
Rambling
in the Rain 2016 |
Squaw
Leap Backpack March 1980 |
Backpacking
1981-82 |
Backpacking
1982-83 |
L/S
Expedition |
Backpacking
1984-93 |
The
Last Backpack Trip |
2016
Buzzard Road Hike |
2016
San Joaquin River Trail |
2017
Off-Trail Hike |
February
2017 Camping |
2017
Bridge and Ridge Trails |
2107 Rambler Hike |
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San
Joaquin River Trail West
Some people
just can't seem to get enough camping and hiking, and apparently I'm
one of them. Although there has been no camping yet, on February 13
I did my seventh hike of 2017, having had a full day off since the
last one.
There are a
number of hiking choices when you go up the San
Joaquin River Trail from the Finegold
Picnic Area near Sky Harbor. The truly ambitious
can go the 12 miles or so all the way to the San Joaquin Gorge,
something that's not in the cards for me. On my first few hikes here
I went only to the top of the saddle about one mile up the trail. I
did a couple of hikes where I went beyond that point, trying to go
farther than ever each time. Another challenging destination is
Pincushion Peak, up a steep, rocky trail to the west of the saddle.
Since I did that last year, I never have to do it again, but you can
see photos and read about it here.
For my
latest hike I chose a destination I had reached at least once
before. About half way to the saddle a trail splits off from the
main route and eventually reaches a knoll between the
saddle and Pincushion. This branch trail starts off a little steeper
than the main trail, then it goes up an even steeper section, then it
really goes UP. It's the kind of trail I normally would not take,
but this was what I call a WISC hike, as in "I want to do this
once more WHILE I STILL CAN." For someone of my capabilities,
all that's needed is an understanding that slow, short steps will
still get you there, and I took a lot of these.
A lot of
other people were heading up that same trail. Although it was a
Monday, there were 25 cars at the parking area, and I saw at least a
dozen hikers going up to or coming down from Pincushion, as well as
many going along the main trail or just to the saddle.
It was a
sunny day, very welcome after a lot of rain and a couple of cool,
cloudy days, and I took off my sweatshirt a short distance up the
trail. The grass was the same brilliant green seen in our last few
hikes, but for the first time there were enough wildflowers to say
that the season has truly started. When I hiked here with daughter
Teri January 29, we saw not one flower. This time, along the closed
road into the parking lot and the first part of the trail I saw
fiddlenecks and miner's lettuce blossoms. Higher up, on the sunny
side of the hills, there were many more fiddlenecks and lots of
popcorn flowers. In limited areas filaree was out in good numbers,
and I saw a few fringed redmaids, one poppy, a lone shooting star,
and an unidentified flower. Of course, the brilliant fields of color
that massive blooms produce are yet to come, but the plentiful water
and the early specimens hold out great promise.
Like most
trails in the foothills, this one had some major areas of
erosion,
most of them new since the 29th. The steep alternate trail I took is
an unofficial route, not maintained and lacking the normal
switchback construction that makes such climbs a little easier.
Where it goes more or less directly up hill there were deep runoff
channels, mostly washed out by this year's heavy rain.
When I got
to the top of the knoll, I enjoyed the view of the lake on two
sides, the snowy Sierra
peaks, and the rocky top of Pincushion not
far above. From this point the path to Pincushion does not look that
bad, but I assure you it really is that bad. Of course, it can be
climbed by anyone in reasonably good condition, but once was enough
for me.
Instead I
walked west down off the knoll to a trail that goes around the south
side of the peak, then out along a ridge. In this location you are
looking across the main lower section of Millerton Lake, with the
dam and Little Table Mountain visible beyond. I went only a short
distance on this route, but it proved to be a good choice, since it
was along this trail that I saw the largest number of wildflowers. I
found a nice, almost flat rock at the trail's edge, and sat there
while I ate lunch, looking down on the main trail where it goes on
past the saddle and around the twists and turns of this narrow
section of the lake.
I have hiked
up the steep trail three times now, but never went back down it,
since it is much more tricky to make your way down a route like
that. Instead I followed another path that goes around the side of
the lower knoll, then down a fairly steep but short way to the
saddle. I stopped there only long enough to stretch, then made my way
back down to the parking area. Driving home, I stopped at one point
to take pictures of the
lake, and at another point to enjoy one more
meal, this one a burger and fries at In-N-Out in Clovis.
With the
promise of another great wildflower year, I'll be returning to this
location again at least once or twice more before spring is over.
--Dick Estel, February 2017
San
Joaquin Trail Photos
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Previous
San Joaquin River Trail
West Hikes |
October
2012 |
March
2014 |
October
2014 |
December
2014 |
Ramblers
2015 |
March
2015 |
November
2015 |
Pincushion
Peak February 2016 |
April
2016 |
November
2016 with Teri |
January
2017 with Teri |
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Sycamore
Creek Fire Road
There are five good
hiking spots along Trimmer Springs Road where it runs above the
north shore of Pine
Flat Lake, and I have now hiked all five of them
in 2017, one of them twice. Coming
in from the Fresno area, the first one is Edison Point, the only one
that's an official trail. It can be a short walk or a long one. The
first part of the trail is a half mile of rough dirt road which goes
gently up hill to Edison
Point, where you have a view of the lake in
three directions. From this point, the trail is a steep, narrow path
that goes down to the lake in a series of long switchbacks, then
back up through several large side canyons and back to the parking
area. I've walked the full trail three times and just the road section three times. Two of the three road walks were this
year, by myself on January
5, and with my friend Janell on February
4. It's about eight
miles to the next spot, what I call the Sycamore Fire Road. This is
a rough dirt track that may have been used to access a wild fire 30
or 40 years ago, but which was probably built for ranching purposes.
It has become virtually impassible to any type of 4-wheel vehicle,
and the hiker must be prepared to bushwhack around fallen trees and
go through wet, mushy spots. I don't know how far you can go on this
route; until my most recent trip I walked in to a place where the
road seemed to disappear, then turned back. I've hiked it solo
at least twice, with my friend Carolyn in
2015, and with the Ramblers plus daughter Teri last
year. It's only a mile
to the next three places, two campgrounds and a picnic area on
National Forest land. All three have been closed for decades, but
access is allowed on foot, and you can walk the old paved roads or
wander off into the grassy, tree-covered area along the way. It's
not mandatory, but most times I have walked one of these three
locations in combination with Sycamore or Edison, or at least walked
more than one of them. On
February 15 I left home about 9 a.m. for my third hike in five days.
I'm not really as ambitious as that sounds - we had a five-day break
between rain storms, and who knows when the next dry spell will
arrive? The forecast as I write this is for a possibility of rain
every day for the next week. However, this day was dry, mostly
sunny, and quite warm. As soon as I made it to the top of the short,
steep section at the start of the trail I realized I did not need my
sweatshirt, and walked back to the car to leave it behind. I
have written about the condition of this trail in my previous
reports, so I'll just cover new stuff. First, there are two
newly fallen trees across the trail. It's not too hard to walk
around them, plus the other four or so that have accumulated since I
started walking here, but it looks like it's become too much of a
challenge for 4-wheel drive vehicles; the new trees do not have any
"tire track" detours. Also there are four creeks
running across the section of the trail that I have covered in the
past, which is definitely new. There may have been a small trickle
in a couple of them in the past, but these are real creeks, tumbling
down the hillside above the trail and running down to Sycamore
Creek. Above the trail, one of them drops about 20 feet in a 30
linear feet. There are
also a lot of places where water seeps across the trail, making for
some squishy walking at times. All this water has a positive affect
- there are now quite a few wildflowers
out, some of them in good quantities, and some in limited numbers. I
counted 15 species, which are listed at the bottom for those keeping
track. In keeping with my
regular plan to go farther each time I walk an "in and
out" trail, I did not turn back at the usual place where the
old road seems to fizzle out. Instead I hiked up the steep last part
of this section, then on over the rounded hilltop, and found that
the road continues on the other side. Before
starting on this "new" section, I found a somewhat
comfortable resting rock and had a snack of walnuts and water. From
this point the trail is fairly level and easy to follow. It
parallels a fifth creek, and has its own set of fallen
trees, including one place where I had to go off the road to get
around. I was able to step over the trunks and branches of the other
trees. Near the place
where the road crosses the creek, a tall, dead bull pine had fallen.
It left a big
scar on the creek bank across from the trail, and it looks as if the tree may have
started sliding down in the saturated soil while still standing,
then collapsed into the creek, with the topmost branches falling
across the trail. Once
I spotted this new section of the trail/road, I considered turning
back several times, but then kept going. I hesitated about going
past the first fallen log, then planned to stop at the creek, since
the road went up out of the drainage fairly steeply on the other
side. However, I could see that it reached a ridge top after a very
short climb, so I went up that
far. Next time I'll keep on going beyond this place! I
checked the elevation at the trailhead and at the high point just
above Creek 5. I got some inconsistent readings, but I believe the
hike involved an elevation gain of about 500 feet. With the brief
backtrack to leave my sweatshirt when I started out, and the new section of trail, it
was a walk of 1.91 miles. After
enjoying my new discoveries, I walked back out to the car, and drove
about a mile to the first of the closed
campgrounds. I had previously walked through two of them this
year, so walking this one completed my five Trimmer Springs Road
hikes. This campground had
a few flowers, including a half dozen baby
blue eyes, which I also saw in limited numbers on the other
trail. The area also had two lively creeks running through it, and
plenty of green grass and trees. It has been a long time since the
lake was close to full, and for the first time I realized that some
of the campsites in this location have lake
views. Another reason to curse the Forest Service for closing
them. By the time I got
back to my car I was ready for some food. I did not bring an
official lunch, but had vegetables, mixed nuts, orange slices and M
& M's, so I set up my chair and a TV tray and enjoyed my snack
while reading my current book on my phone's Kindle app. As
I drove back down the road, I started seeing poppies along the way
near Trimmer.
They were in evidence all the way to Winton
Park, where the road first goes close to the river. They
were no doubt there in the morning, but had not yet opened up; by
the time of my return trip the sun had warmed them up enough to show
their faces. This
trip is one of the longer foothill destinations I've driven this
year, a round trip of about 90 miles, so by the time I got back home
it was time for a real lunch and a relaxing evening.
Wildflowers observed: Fiddlenecks,
popcorn flowers, shooting
stars, manzanita, chaparral, baby blue
eyes, miner's lettuce, filaree, buttercup, unidentified tiny white, ten-petal
tiny white, fringed redmaids, poppies, tall yellow unidentified (last 2 by
Trimmer Springs Road).
--Dick Estel, February
2017
Sycamore
Fire Road Photos
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Previous Sycamore Creek
Hikes |
Solo
April 2014 |
With
Carolyn February 2015 |
Solo
February 2016 |
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Ramblers
April 2016 |
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San
Joaquin Gorge Camp
This year's first campout
at the San
Joaquin River Gorge Recreation Area provided all kinds of fun
experiences - hiking, hanging out with family and friends, and
enjoying the antics of my great grandsons.
Leading
up to the event, the weather forecast indicated no rain Friday or
Saturday in the day time, with the likelihood of light rain Saturday
night and Sunday. However, as the day of our outing arrived, all
mention of rain had been removed from the forecast, and indeed we
had dry weather all weekend, although it was quite windy and very
cold at night.
Teri
had to work four hours on Friday, February 24, but we were each taking our
separate motor homes, so I drove up fairly early and got set up in
the group camping area. Teri planned to arrive around 11:30, and had
invited a group of women to join us for hiking that day. I got a
head start with a hike around the Nature
Trail, which starts a
hundred yards or so from our camp, and winds up a creek drainage in
a double loop, with signs along the way identifying various plants
and trees. I did some additional walking, for a total of about a
mile and a half. Just up the road from camp, down the bank out of
sight of someone in a car, I spotted the first redbud of the season.
Teri
arrived and got her vehicle in place, and soon the other five
members of our group arrived in three
cars - Sandy, Sandra, Emile, Tyra and Debbie. Some had hiked in the
area before, but for others it was their first visit. Additionally,
the level of hiking experience was varied, but all proved to be
willing and able.
We got
started about 1 p.m. on the San
Joaquin River Trail, which goes about
12 miles to Sky Harbor on Millerton Lake. Our plan was to hike about
a mile and a half and then return. With the heavy rains of 2017,
everything was nice and
green, with many wet spots on the trail. In
the section we hiked there is one creek that runs a little every
year, but on this hike we crossed at least ten creeks worthy of the
name. With some of them it was necessary to step in water up
over the soles of our boots to cross, and there were wet and muddy spots in
places even with no creek. One creek sent about a third of it's
water down the trail.
We walked to the place
where you first see the river, as we are used to thinking of it. It
is actually the upper part of the lake, which has not been this full
during any of my hikes on this route, which began in 2013. After
admiring the view here, we went back a short distance to a place
where there was a somewhat level spot with a bunch of rocks to sit
on, and had our snack.
Along this sector of the
trail, you are walking below and around the table top mountain known
as Squaw
Leap, so you get a view of different angles of the rock
cliffs. Of course the same is true for the huge table top across the
river, Kennedy
Table.
The ladies all enjoyed
the trail and its many interesting
trees, big boulders, endless water, and views of the brilliant
green surroundings. When we returned to the
parking lot, we had hiked 3.61 miles, which gave me a total of just
over five for the day. The group chatted for a while, then the day
hikers departed, leaving Teri and me to enjoy the quiet.
Teri had a container of
soup which had been in the freezer at home, so she transferred it to
the motor home refrigerator. When she took it out to fix for supper
it was still solid, so we moved over to my motor home and ate the
leftover pizza I had brought "just in case."
Teri leaves for work very
early so she is used to going to bed by 7:30 or so. This day, tired
from work
and the hike, she turned in closer to 6:30. I read for a while, and
got to bed at 8:30, an hour earlier than usual. Adequate rest was
essential, since Colton and Jack, age 4 and 2, would be arriving the
next morning.
When I'm camping, I
usually set a thermometer outside, and check the temperature from
time to time, including when I get up during the night. Saturday
morning it was down to 29 at 3 a.m., and 26 degrees at 6:30.
Saturday Teri and I each
took care of our own breakfast in our own little traveling house,
then got ready for the arrival of her son Johnny and the
boys. They
drove in around 9:30, and Colton and Jack immediately started riding
their bikes around the big paved parking lot. Johnny planned to stay
a short while and go walking with us, but had to keep to a schedule
since he and Brittany were attending a wedding in the evening.
On Friday one of the
rangers had stopped by and told us of a new interactive exhibit at
the visitor center that kids would like, so we made that our
destination. But of course, we could not just walk down the road.
Colton quickly turned off on a path that cuts across through a creek
to the
Equestrian Camp, and we went through that area to a old dirt road
that approaches a Learning Center near park headquarters from opposite the road.
Along the way, Johnny
turned over rocks in hopes of finding some of the thousands of
millipedes we saw last year, and which seemed to be mostly absent
this year. With the first rock, we discovered a
scorpion, and on the
second try, two millipedes. These were the only live ones we would see
the rest of the trip. We also made a short stop at a large rock by
the road where there about a dozen bedrock mortars (Indian grinding
holes). Since they were full of water from the recent rains, the
boys found rocks to drop in them.
The visitor center was locked
when we got there, but there were some cut up log rounds placed in
two rows nearby, and both boys immediately headed there and started
running and jumping from one to another. We also walked down a short
path that led to what seemed to be an outdoor classroom, and by
this time the ranger arrived and we went inside.
The new exhibit is hard
to explain. It consists of a box of sand on a table, with a
projector overhead that projects color on to the sand, forming
contour lines for the different heights of sand mounds. Kids (and
adults too) can rearrange the sand by hand or with small shovels.
When you hold your hand over the top and slowly open it, blue
"rain" falls on the top and runs down the little hill.
Both
boys enjoyed it, but they enjoy playing in plain old sand too.
After our time in the visitor
center we walked the road back to camp, and Johnny left. We were just
hanging around camp when a car drove in - Johnny again. Teri has one
car seat, and we had forgotten to get the second one from Johnny's
Jeep.
After again saying
goodbye, it was time for naps. I'm not sure about Teri, but the boys
took a good nap in her motor home, and I went to mine and also
managed to sleep for 15 minutes or so. This gave us energy for
another walk, a short one to a old
dam across from the camp area. It
has no water other than a little puddle, and it's hard to see where
water came from; it's not on an obvious drainage these days.
The walking was
challenging because of the tall grass and soft soil, but everyone
made it there and back without incident. Colton had brought their
bug net, and spent much of his walk pulling up grass and filing the
net to overflowing. The purpose was somewhat vague, possibly to feed
the cows.
Earlier we had noticed a
big pine tree down on the opposite side of the road from us, and
thought it might be a good place to gather branches for kindling. I
went over after my nap, and found that the pine was not as dead as
we thought. However, there was a live oak next to it with a broken,
dead limb, so I broke off pieces from that and carried a few
armloads to the fire ring. Later Teri and the boys went over with me
and everyone helped carry back at least a stick.
By this time the sun was
dropping out of sight, the thermometer was dropping into the 40s,
and it was time to start the fire. I used to enjoy hunting firewood
around camp, but the dead wood in this area is not good for a
campfire, and I am less ambitious anyway, so I just buy cartons of
wood at the supermarket. Some of the pieces are a little too big to
catch fire easily, so I did get some exercise splitting four or five
of the larger pieces.
While the fire was
getting started Jack and Colton both picked up kindling sticks in
each hand and treated us to a drum concert, using the wood benches
that are placed around the fire ring.
We were expecting Mikie
and Lizzie around 5:30, but they arrived a bit later, around 6:15.
This was good for them - the fire was nice and warm, and they didn't
have to help collect kindling. However, they did have a job to do -
take the boys to the frog pond. Of course, it was dark by this time,
and Jack was hesitant about going. He finally decided it was OK, and
walked down the road with us. When Mikie and Lizzie started through
the grass to the pond, Colton joined them, Jack stayed on the road
with Teri, and I walked about half way down. To Colton's great
delight, they saw a half dozen frogs and several salamanders, plus
assorted water insects, and a couple of millipedes, serving as food
for the frogs.
Along with gathering
kindling, we had gathered marshmallow roasting sticks, so when we
got back from the pond, Teri brought out ingredients for S'mores. The
boys did a pretty good job roasting their marshmallows, especially
Colton. They did an even better job eating the yummy snacks.
Eventually we put the
last piece of wood on the fire, and as it burned down, we moved into
the motor homes and prepared for bed. When we camped here last year,
Mikie and Lizzie slept in a tent, and were very cold. With six
people spending the night this year, both motor homes were needed
for comfort. This proved to be a good decision. The low last year
was 41; this year it was a frosty 26, and Mikie and Lizzie would
have been turned to popsicles. Knowing that their sleeping bags were
not intended for extreme cold, I gave them blankets, since the
inside of the motor home tends to be only 10 to 20 degrees warmer
than the outside. I have a sleeping bag designed for low
temperatures, and for the first time ever, I was a little cold in it
and put on an extra sweatshirt during the night.
The next morning, our
final day, there was a layer of frost on our chairs, which we had
left by the campfire. There was less than I expected, because it was
fairly dry, and there was not as much dew as we usually get. As I
brought the chairs over to dry out in the sun near the motor homes,
Teri was fixing what she called "First
Breakfast" for Colton and Jack, bowls of Cheerios. When we
were planning out trip Colton had announced that he liked bacon, and
"Jack likes sausage." Johnny assured us that they
would both eat both items, so I brought some of each. The menu also
was to include eggs and toast. Mikie and Lizzie were sleeping in,
and the little ones could not wait to get some fuel for their daily
activities, hence the Cheerios.
After they ate, I took
them for a short walk, up the road that runs by the camp, then up
the main road to the cattle guard. We crossed it with care, and
walked a little farther; in fact, Colton was ready to just keep
going. However, I steered him back across the bars of the cattle
guard, and he then took a cross country path through the wet grass
back to camp.
We finally had our big
breakfast, greatly enjoyed by everyone. Due to a failure to
communicate we were making toast in both motor homes, and ended up
with a slight surplus, although in the end I think only one slice
went to waste. The bacon suffered no such fate, as Colton and I ate
the last two pieces on top of our already very full stomachs.
We had time for one short
walk, and Colton wanted to go back to the pond, then the visitor
center. Teri stayed behind to get things ready to go, and the rest
of us went down to the
pond. Jack had no problem with it in the daylight, and was
rewarded by seeing a
salamander shortly after we arrived at the water. We walked most
of the way around the pond, finally seeing five or six frogs.
We then went to the old dirt road that runs between the Equestrian
Camp and the Learning Center. Mikie,
Lizzie and Jack went down into the small creek that runs across
the road there, while Colton and I spent our time on
the old bridge. He threw rocks and handfuls of mud into the
creek, always a favorite pastime for kids when water is near. The
others joined us and Jack threw his share of rocks also.
We did not have time to
go to the visitor center, so we returned to camp, got our stuff
gathered up, and soon we were all on our way back home in our three
separate vehicles.
A week later
I was back
at the Gorge - but you'll have to wait for page
three of the Adventures of 2017 to read about that.
--Dick Estel, March 2017
Previous San Joaquin
Gorge Travel Reports
San
Joaquin Gorge Camp Photos |
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Photos
(Click to enlarge; pictures open in new window) |
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San
Joaquin Gorge River Access Trail
San Joaquin River Trail West
Sycamore Fire Road
San Joaquin Gorge Camp |
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San Joaquin
Gorge River Access Trail |
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Torrential rain created
this new runoff channel |
A delightful waterfall near
the bottom of the trail |
One of these little
creeks is the trail |
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The San Joaquin is a
rushing white water river this year |
The view upstream |
Fiddlenecks, barely getting
started |
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A large washout at the
start of the trail |
Water drips and runs down
everywhere |
Cattle guard at the
approach to the parking lot |
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San Joaquin
River Trail West |
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Little Dry Creek, one of
the scenic views along the road |
Pincushion Peak from
Millerton and Auberry Roads |
A nearly full lake, after
too many dry years |
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No one's a winner in this
fierce battle between oaks and pines |
Despite warm rains, there's
still a good snow pack |
The Finegold Creek branch
of the lake (compare
2104 view) |
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It's steeper than it looks! |
Step carefully here; it
would be easy to twist an ankle |
The main trail crosses this
saddle from left to right |
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The path to Pincushion
from First Knoll |
This is more a "tree
lupine" than a bush lupine |
Hikers on the main trail |
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Popcorn flowers |
Fringed redmaids |
Fiddlenecks |
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The colorful back side of
Pincushion Peak |
A perfect spot to sit
and have lunch |
Part of the view from my
lunch spot |
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Looking back at First Knoll
from the saddle |
Millerton Lake from Sky
Harbor Road |
Cows enjoy fresh grass,
with plenty of water to drink |
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Sycamore
Creek Fire Road |
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Pine
Flat on Feb. 15, 2017, with the water level a little higher than on
the 4th |
Snow on
the Sierra promises even more water for the lake |
Manzanita
blossoms along Trimmer Springs Road |
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The
start of Sycamore Fire Road hiking route |
This
flat rock looks right down on the paved road |
The
first of two newly fallen trees across the trail |
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One of
five creeks that flow across the trail |
Popcorn
flowers are out in good numbers |
Manzanita
blossoms close-up |
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Every
year brings sights like this |
Logs
create a barrier on the "new" part of the trail |
This
tree made its mark when it fell |
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Shooting
stars |
These
tiny flowers, barely a quarter inch across, have ten petals |
A nice
stand of blue oaks at the end of my hike |
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In the
closed campground |
The
pavement is still in fair shape after 40 years |
Baby
blue eyes appear in good numbers in the campground |
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Poppies
across from Winton
Park |
A little
creek on the north side of the river by the park |
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San Joaquin
Gorge Camp |
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Our camp from the main road |
The frog pond |
The creek that runs into
the Nature Trail area |
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Slide area on the road |
The hiking crew: Sandy,
Sandra, Emile, Teri, Debbie, Tyra, Dick |
One of the many creeks that
ran across our trail |
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The ladies were duly
impressed by the Big Burl |
Stepping over a log that
fell across the trail |
View of Squaw Leap table top
mountain from the trail |
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The next group: Jack,
Teri, Colton, Johnny, Dick |
Bike riding fun |
How thoughtful of PG&E
to provide a climbing tower |
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Stump jumping |
Acrobatics |
Jack explores the deck at
the visitor center |
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The Magic Sand Box |
After viewing this creature,
we replaced his bark roof |
Teri and Jack in the
spillway of the old dam |
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Colton gathering grass for
unknown purposes |
Boys and trucks always go
together |
Upshaw
Brothers "on stage" in Great Grandpa Dick's motor home
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Teri & Colton talk; Jack
is focused on the business at hand
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Lizzie, Jack, Mikie and
Colton on a daylight visit to the pond
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One of several frogs we saw |
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Salamander, under water |
Colton throwing dirt and
rocks into the creek |
Jack would like very much
to step into the water |
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Mikie and Jack on the bridge |
Lizzie and Colton on the
fence |
A final group photo: Teri
holding Colton, Mikie, Lizzie holding Jack, Dick |
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Related
Links |
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Other
San Joaquin Gorge Reports |
San
Joaquin Gorge Slide Show |
San
Joaquin Gorge Photo Album |
San
Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area |
San
Joaquin River |
Massive
flows after years of drought |
San
Joaquin River Trail |
Finegold
Picnic Area |
Sycamore
Creek |
Trimmer |
Pine
Flat Lake |
Pine
Flat Map |
More
About the Gorge |
Previous San Joaquin
Gorge Travel Reports |
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