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2016
Ramblers Hikes Page 1 (January
to April) |
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The Ramblers are Carolyn
Amicone, Julie Hornback, Wes Thiessen, and Dick Estel, former
colleagues at the Fresno County Department of Social Services. Every
month or so we get together for a short hike, good conversation, and
lunch.
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Photos
Related Links
More
Travel Reports |
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2015
Hikes Page 1
2015 Hikes Page 2
2016 Hikes Page 2
2016 Hikes Page
3
San
Joaquin River Gorge Stockton
Creek Preserve Edison
Point Trail
Eastman
Lake Sycamore
Creek Fire Road |
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San Joaquin River
Gorge
The Ramblers have
re-scheduled hikes due to weather. Members have missed
hikes due to health or other reasons. But we've never completely
cancelled an outing. Since we got on a monthly schedule late in 2014,
we've hiked every month, and twice one spring month when a single foray
into nature didn't provide enough opportunity to enjoy the profusion of wildflowers. Therefore,
with rain predicted every day of the 10-day forecast in early
January, we were struggling to find a workable date. Of course, it
didn't rain every one of those days, but many days it did. We settled on a
date after the 10-day period, but a few days later rain was again predicted for
the chosen time. Four days
before the big day, we discussed what to do. Finally
Wes suggested, and we all agreed, that we would go to our planned
destination, the San
Joaquin River Gorge, rain or shine. If it
rained, we would enjoy the green foothills and stop at the visitor
center, and maybe get out briefly during breaks in the storm. On
January 19 the rain was supposed to start at 10 a.m., about the time
we would arrive at our destination. Instead it started at 3 a.m.,
and continued almost non-stop for twelve hours. We were undeterred,
and sticking with our
plans, we piled into Wes's Toyota Highlander at
Julie's house around 9:30. Once
we got into the foothills, we were met with delightful and sometimes
spectacular views at every turn. The hills have been green since
early November, but with the rain they seemed to have an extra
bright shine. Every speck of dust had been washed from the granite
outcroppings, presenting clean, white shapes among the grass and
trees. There are two main
routes from the Fresno area to our destination and nearby locations
- State Highway 168 or Auberry Road. Both go through the foothills
and come together at Prather, about 30 miles from Fresno, and a few
miles before Auberry. The
difference in mileage and time is negligible. We went north and east
through the city, getting on Auberry Road where it goes straight
north. Soon it drops down from the flat valley floor to the broad valley of Little Dry Creek, and
we were happy to see this stream
running
strongly.
Nearly every drainage channel had a flow of water being added to the
larger creeks. We realized
we would not be hiking, so we had plenty of time, and took a
slightly out of the way route, leaving Auberry Road and taking
Millerton Road more or less southeast toward Highway 168. Along the
way we crossed the North Fork of Little Dry Creek, looking ever so scenic.
We then crossed the main creek on bridges three times. We
understood that the only way we would have a photographic record of
our journey was for someone to get out in the rain and take
pictures, so I volunteered. We stopped where a bridge went across
the North Fork, and I jumped out, took several
photos, and got back in the car, not very wet. We
came out to Highway 168 and turned left toward the foothill
communities of Prather and Auberry, along the way to
our destination. Once again we crossed Little Dry Creek. I had taken
a picture
at this spot last fall when the creek was dry, so I had to get out
and get one with
water, this time waking a good 100 feet in the rain to get to
the right spot. There was
one more photo opportunity, on Smalley Road a short distance from
the San Joaquin Gorge parking area - a seasonal
waterfall, about 15 feet high, running down a cliff surrounded
by mossy rocks and greenery. This required only a short time
outside, and everyone got a good look since the falls was only a few
feet from the car. Wes
wisely puts towels on the floorboards of his car to protect the
carpet from the mud, dirt and sand particles that get tracked in
during any season. By the time of my third venture into the weather,
the towel beneath my feet was getting pretty wet, and I was thinking
we needed another layer there. We
drove past the the San Joaquin Gorge main parking area to where the
road ends at the new power house. Here there is a short trail down
to the river, which we decided to visit someday, but not this very
wet day. We went back toward the visitor center, but were stopped by
a gate across the road, even though it was during the hours the
center is normally open. Perhaps the BLM staff thought there would
be no visitors this day and decided to enjoy a rain day. We
went to the main parking lot, and Wes and I got out to use the
restroom. We realized that it was not raining, and walked
out into the countryside a few feet, then decided to walk down
the trail a short distance. Carolyn and Julie did not have their
boots on, and feared that by the time they got ready, it would be
raining again, so Wes and I set out on the trail. We went perhaps a
half mile, maybe less, then started back. We were about 100 feet
from the car when it began sprinkling, and by the time we got on the
road, it was raining steadily once more. As
we drove out and said goodbye to the area, nature sent us on our way with a flock
of quail flying low across the road in front of us. Following
our usual practice in this part of the country, we stopped for an
excellent Mexican lunch at Velasco's
Restaurant in Prather, then continued down the road and
home. The rain pretty much stopped as we got back to the city, having
fallen steadily for twelve hours. Later
we were glad our route had not been up state highway 41 toward
Oakhurst and Yosemite, since this road was closed from about the
middle of the day until after dark the next day by a rock
slide.
--Dick Estel,
January 2016
San Joaquin
River Gorge Photos |
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Stockton
Creek Preserve
In March
of 2014 I was in Mariposa with my daughter Jennifer, doing some
work on my parents' gravestones. When we
finished our task, we decided to walk on a dirt road that goes
from Highway 140 north of town to the Mariposa Reservoir on
Stockton Creek. We had walked in there a number of years earlier,
and it was a short, pleasant hike.
About
200 yards down the road we discovered a trail going west and up
the ridge that lies between the town and the creek. We walked it a
short distance, then left for home. It proved to be a newly
developed trail, in an area that had recently been designated the Stockton
Creek Preserve.
At
just above 2,000 feet in elevation, it seemed like a good place for
a cool weather hike, so on February 16 I returned there with the
Ramblers for our second outing of the year and our first real
hike. (Our first
trip turned out to be a drive in the rain.)
As
soon as we settled on the date, I got in touch with my
friend Susan Merrill Crandall and invited her to join us. Our family
friendship goes back to when our grandfathers were friends as young
boys in Ohio in about 1902. She lives on the family property that
the Merrill's first moved to around 1940.
Susan
had a meeting, but could leave any time, so I arranged to
call her when we got close to the departure point. Our expected
arrival time was 10:30. Susan's meeting ended early and she got to the
trailhead by that time, but we were over 30 minutes late. She had
returned to town to run some errands, but drove up about a minute
after we arrived.
After
introductions, we started down the trail, which at first is a wide
dirt road, with a locked gate preventing unauthorized vehicle
access. In my high school days, this was part of the route for our
annual "cross
country" run. A road behind the school went up to where the
water treatment plant is now located, then followed the contour of
the mountain, being level all the way to the dam. This road goes
back many decades, pre-dating the construction of the dam in the
1950s.
At the
dam, runners scrambled up a rough trail to the side, then got on a
dirt road that went up a fairly gentle slope to Highway 140. Just
south of this location, the old highway route, still in use and
paved, goes down toward the school. The complete circuit was a
little over four miles.
Today's
trail route follows the road for only a short distance, then turns
west up the hill. It's not very well marked, but there is a small
metal sign, about two feet high, that reads "trail." On
the opposite side of the road, the other end of this long loop trail
zig zags down the hill to the road.
The
trail is divided into two parts, referred to as the upper and lower
trails, and on the other end they meet near the water treatment plant, giving road
access to both ends.
This
was the other Ramblers first visit to this area, and neither Susan
nor I had walked the entire length of either trail, so we were not
sure what to expect. There had been a fire in the area a number of
years ago, so the first part of the trail is through very open
country, unusual in that part of the Sierra foothills. There are
many dead, burned trees. In developing the area for the trail, a lot
of brush removal had been done, but there are still many small
bushes on the hillside.
We
came to a place where the trail went down a fairly steep hill, which
I recognized as the place where Jennifer and I turned back. This was
partly because of not wanting to go down then back up, but
mostly because her husband was fixing dinner for us at her house.
The
Ramblers and Susan were undaunted by the hill and continued on into what was now
unknown territory for me. It was quite warm, and everyone was
wishing there was some shade, and soon that wish was granted. The
trail entered an area the fire had not reached, and there were large
oak trees, pines, and buckeyes. All along this part of the trail, we
were also treated to views of the
reservoir, surrounded by green
grass and trees.
The
trail started back up hill, and we made a fairly steep climb for
quite a while. A level trail went off to our left, but it seemed
clear that the real trail was the steeper choice. Wes took the
alternate route to see what would happen, and soon found himself
going straight up the hill to rejoin us on the main route.
At
this point it became decision time. A sign at the start had said
that the upper trail was 1.6 miles in length, and we had gone about
half that. Wes went a little further up the trail to where it looked
like it leveled out or maybe started down, but it just went up some
more. We did not think we wanted to walk the rest of the trail, and
then have to retrace our steps. On the other hand, turning back here
meant going back down a rather steep section.
Susan
volunteered to go back to the trailhead and drive her car around to
the other end of the trail, then take us back, so we could continue
the full trail. We appreciated this, especially since it meant Susan
ended up hiking alone, and also would end up spending more time
waiting for us. It also meant that no matter what, we had to
continue on to the end of the trail. As Wes put it, without Susan's
help, "we would have been easy pickings for the vultures."
We
continued on up, finally reaching
a ridge where we could see that we had quite
a bit of trail yet to walk, although it was mostly level. At
least it looked that way from where we stood, although in reality
there were a number of fairly steep sections. These were not very
long, and we walked carefully, making use of our poles. We also
enjoyed more fantastic scenery, including some interesting rock
formations across the canyon of Stockton Creek. We had hoped to see
wildflowers, but it was a little too early at this elevation, and we
saw only about a dozen individual
plants in bloom.
We
eventually spotted the waterworks equipment and the million gallon storage
tank, which meant we had to walk just a short downhill section
to reach our destination. Where the trail came down to the old road
that goes back to the dam we found a sign that read "Trail
- Difficult." Of course, it was difficult no matter where
you started, but no one had thought it necessary to post that
warning at the end where we began. It also proved to be 1.8 miles
according to my walking app.
A town
road goes up through a fence to the waterworks, but the gate was
always locked in the past. The last house on the road is where my
parents lived from the mid-1960s, and we had agreed to meet Susan
there. I assumed we would have to walk down the very steep road and
squeeze through the small opening beside the gate, but it was not
locked, and we were very happy to see Susan driving as far in as she
could, just below the end of the trail.
She
had to get back home and take care of various business and projects,
so was not able to join us for lunch. She took us back to Wes's car,
where we said our goodbyes and our heartfelt thanks for the
"rescue."
We
drove downtown and enjoyed lunch at Castillo's.
a great Mexican restaurant that has been keeping Mariposa residents
and tourists happy for 25 years, then headed back down from the
hills to the valley and home.
--Dick Estel, February 2016
Stockton
Creek Preserve Photos |
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Edison
Point Trail
The Ramblers hiked part
of this trail last
year, and I hiked the entire
route about three weeks later. The full trail was so much more
interesting, scenic and flower-filled than the partial segment that I knew the Ramblers would
enjoy it, despite some challenging spots. So we gathered everyone
together on February 29, and made the 35 mile drive to the trailhead,
off the road that runs along the north side of Pine
Flat Reservoir.
After a regular series of
storms from October through the end of January, we had just one
small rainfall in February, and everyone has been worried that the
El Nino rains have ended. This has contributed to the warm weather
we experienced for this hike, but also to a few areas that seemed to
be drying out.
Nevertheless, the hills
are green everywhere and the flowers are thick. Even before we
reached the lake, we stopped at an area below Piedra, where the flat
bottom land on both sides of the river is covered with bush lupines
in full bloom, and got a number of nice photos.
As we
reached the lake, we were also happy to
see that the poppies look good on the surrounding hills above the lake.
There are also lots of fiddlenecks, popcorn
flowers, blue
dicks, ground lupines, and assorted other
flowers, all of which have names, few of which we know.
The first part of the
hike is just an easy walk on a dirt road that slopes gently up hill.
It is actually a service road for maintenance of the electrical
towers that run along the lake shore in that area. It ends at a
knoll which we assume is Edison Point, and then becomes a narrow
path. This was as far as we went last year. From here the trail winds around the hill, more or less level, but then
it suddenly goes directly down the slope. It's a bit too steep for
comfort, but we all made it, and the worst part is only about 100
feet or less.
The trail then becomes a
series of swtichbacks, that go a long way in one direction, then a
long way in the other, repeating this pattern at least twice before
reaching a level spot where there is a bench just above the high
water level. You can see the bench from above, and it seems that you
are going far away from it before the trail switches back in the
"right" direction. However, the hills are covered with
tall grass and flowers and there is always something new to see
around each bend.
The one thing that is
hard to see sometimes is the trail, because the grass ranges from
waist high and up, and the path is very narrow, usually about a foot
wide. You can nearly always see a sort of slot through the grass and
we never had any real trouble following the trail.
When we reached
the bench, we enjoyed a well-earned rest and a snack. If the lake were
full, you could take just a few steps down from the bench and touch
the water. After a number of dry years, the lake level is quite a
ways from full, although it is noticeably higher than it was last
year.
When we got back on the
trail it was more of the same, in reverse - long stretches in one
direction that climb up gently, then a switch back the opposite way
for another long walk. Again we were walking through poppies,
lupines and other flowers. At one place we saw an unusual dark
red flower that we did not recall ever spotting before. There
were dozens of them above and below the trail for about 100
feet; we never saw them any other place. (Through pure serendipity,
we learned that this may be a California
Jewel Flower, or at least some closely related species.)
I recalled that last year there was a place
where I could look down on a section of the trail I had just walked
that seemed to be only about 20 feet below me. I contemplated the
possibility of a shortcut, even though that would make the walk a
little shorter, which is not usually a goal on these hikes.
As we were making our way
in the general direction of the trailhead, I saw a rough path going
up very steeply, and reasoned that it must connect to another
section of the trail above. I split off from the group, although of
course I could see and talk with them the entire length of my
exploration. This shortcut came out at the other bench, a place I recognized from last year. Just north of the bench, the trail came
in from below, then made a switchback to the opposite direction.
Carolyn decided to take
her own
shortcut, climbing pretty much straight up from the trail
she was on to the area where I was. She found this much more
challenging than the official trail, and stopped to rest a couple of
times, then ended up sitting by the trail in the shade (the bench
was comfortable but in the sun).
I was certain that we
would soon see Wes and Julie coming toward us, and that we would all
then continue the hike to the north together. However, a fair amount
of time passed, and we decided they must have found their own
shortcut, so we started off on the upper section past the
switchback.
We soon heard and then
saw Julie ahead of us, and caught up with them. They claimed that
they had not cut across, but had followed the trail. I know that I
followed the zig zag section of the trail to the bench last year, so
I don't know what route they found, but I was not about to retrace
their steps to figure it out.
As it was, we now faced a
couple of difficult challenges. Large trees had fallen across the
trail in two different places in this area, and it was necessary to
go down the steep hillside, and step over branches of the downed
bull pines to get through these spots.
As it happened, both of
the tree "detours" were in the drainages where the trail
goes east, then back west on the other side of these little
"canyons." These are the cool, shady spots where
conditions allow different species of flowers and plants to grow,
those that do not like the open, sunny areas that comprise most of
the trail. Here is where I saw thick stands of purple
brodiaea last year. We were too early for that flower, although
we saw one single blossom.
Before long we could see
that the trail was approaching the road, above and to the east of
us, which meant that we were going to make it back to the trailhead.
There was still some walking and switchbacks to deal with, but
before long we were looking up at the bank of the parking lot. Here
people have taken various shortcuts, so it's somewhat hard to see
the actual trail, since it hasn't had the foot traffic to keep it
open. Despite the temptation of the short, steep shortcuts, I
followed the actual trail all the way back, since I knew it would be
more gradual, and at this point a slightly longer walk took less
energy, something that was in short supply. Julie and Carolyn
followed my example, while Wes took one of the shorter shortcuts,
but soon we were all back at our starting point, ready to take off
our packs, change out of our boots, and just sit down for a while.
Although there were
plenty of flowers, the overwhelming impression this hike leaves is
of a journey through tall
grassland, grass tall enough to hide lions
and hyenas. However, the largest animals we saw were squirrels and
vultures, and we kept moving enough that the latter had no interest
in us. In fact, much of this territory is what is known as oak
savanna, a word that also conjures images of Africa. In this case it
refers to open, grassy terrain with scattered oak trees, although
most example photos show relatively flat, rolling terrain, and do
not show the savanna clinging to the side of what is in fact a steep
river canyon.
When we were on the first
part of the trail we could see poppy-covered hills farther upstream,
so we knew we had to drive up that way a short distance after our
hike, just as we did last year. In 2015 we issued the Poppy
Challenge between the Kings River and the Merced,
with the Kings winning easily. This year it was between the Kings
and the Kaweah River drainage, represented by Dry Creek in Tulare
County, which Wes and I had visited on a road trip the day
before.
Both areas were
spectacular, with no clear cut winner, although as an unbiased
observer I would say that the Kings offered the most intense
color,
while Dry Creek had an interesting combination of poppies, lupines,,
and popcorn flowers.
We stopped where the road
and the lake go back up a small tributary creek with a deep, wide
canyon, and where we had views of poppies all over the hills above
us. After taking photos here, we turned the car around and headed
for home. Although we only walked a little over two miles, our
hike took about four hours, so we did not make our usual lunch
stop, but instead headed for our individual homes to clean up and
rest.
By the end of the day
after each hike, Wes always emails us a few of his pictures, plus a
commentary on the day's events. Here's what he said about this one:
"What an
incredible day! Within the two miles we hiked, we saw beauty
without limit! Yes, we were exhausted climbing down to the
shoreline of Pine Flat reservoir and back up again. In the
end, it was well worth it. My camera wouldn't stop clicking. I was like the 'Mad Max' of photography.
I
almost left poor Julie stranded on a hillside for the sake of
getting one more shot. Finally I came to my senses and was a
helpful friend once again."
Finally,
on a website that
Wes and I learned about on our
excursion to Tulare County the previous day, I found a John Muir
quote that should be the Ramblers creed:
"I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out 'til sundown; for going out, I found, was really going in."
--Dick Estel, March 2016
PS:
Fortunately, March began with a series of storms, bringing lots of
rain to the valley and foothills, and more snow to the Sierra.
Edison
Point Photos
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Eastman
Lake: We had a guest hiker signed up, bringing our number to
five for the March 24th Ramblers hike. Then, like a sports team
bitten by the injury bug, Ramblers started falling by the wayside.
Julie had to get an injection for a previous knee injury, and was
forbidden to do any serious walking. One down.
Then
Carolyn's parents had health issues and needed her help, and at the
same time, she came down with a severe cold. Two down. At the last
minute, our guest hiker, Sue Wirt, had to cancel. Three down,
leaving just the Old Boys Club, Wes and Dick to make the 50 mile
drive to our destination.
This
was the Lakeview Trail, at Eastman
Lake on the Chowchilla
River. This is an Army Corps of Engineers project, built at the
same time as Hensley Lake on the Fresno River, about ten miles
south. Both are relatively small lakes, both just up in the
foothills enough to offer nice cool weather hiking, with flowers,
oaks, pines and lots of green grass.
In fact, we went right by
Hensley on our way, and made a brief pit stop there, where we
took a few photos, most notably of a flock of geese flying over.
About seven miles further is the little village of Raymond.
This is now a small, sleepy town with only two or three retail
businesses, but at one time it was a stop on the old stage route to
Yosemite, and President Theodore Roosevelt passed through here on
his famous
visit to Yosemite and John Muir.
Just before reaching the
town, we took a short side trip down Raymond-Knowles Road, to take a look at
St. Anne's Catholic Chapel, built in 1922 of native
granite, and still in use. We then continued through the town
and followed the Raymond Road to where it crosses the river. I have
driven this route many times, since it's one of the most scenic
routes to Mariposa, where I grew up and where my parents lived till
the end of their lives. It's a road best taken in spring time, and
we were rewarded with the expected green
vistas.
Wes had hiked on this
trail about 20 years ago, but had started from the downstream end,
near Buchanan Dam. I had driven past the trailhead on many of my trips
to Mariposa, but this was my first time ever on the
trail. However, it was far from my first walk along the Chowchilla
River. The west fork of this stream crosses what is now State Route
49 about a mile from where I grew up in Bootjack (Mariposa County),
and with various friends I swam in and explored the two or three
mile stretch of the river that was within easy walking
distance.
Just up the slope from
the start of the Lakeview Trail, and all around us during our hike, we saw
large fields of a flower we later identified as Birds Eye Gillia,
also known as Tricolor
Gillia.
They are fairly common throughout the foothills, but I had never
seen them in this mass quantity before. The flowers range from
barely over a quarter inch to an inch in diameter, and have a dark
blue center, with pale pink petals turning to a darker pink at the
edges.
There were also a fair
number of fiddlenecks and popcorn
flowers, species which had been at
their peak a month earlier. Probably the most common flower was
filaree. These are found all over the foothills, in vacant city
lots, and often in your lawn. The plants range in size from two
inches to close to two feet high, and have small pink flowers,
around a quarter inch across. The size variation seems to be mainly
a function of soil quality and moisture.
Although there were only
scattered poppies along our drive and the trail, we did find one
area where they are thick, being the dominant flower in an area of
about two acres on a rocky slope above the river. We could also see
fairly large patches of them on the hills across the river.
It was
this area that we
decided was our half-way point, so after resting and taking lots of
photos, we started back, logging a total of 1.85 miles. As usually,
when we reversed our direction on the trail, we noticed things we
had missed heading in, or saw them in a different
light. The trail
had a lot of up and down, none of it strenuous, but more than I had
expected.
Nearing the trailhead we
met and spoke briefly with a ranger. He said that his job keeps him
in the office at Hensley Lake most of the time, but he manages to
get out now and then to enjoy his surroundings.
Wes and I enjoyed every
step and every minute of our outing. As always, Wes issued a short
summary to the group shortly after he got home:
"This may have been the
last foothill hike for the Ramblers this season. Unfortunately there
are no rain clouds in the skies and the temperature is rising. Soon there will be snakes sunning themselves along the narrow
pathways and the air will be full of the scent of ripe poison oak
plants. And the Ramblers will retreat to high ground in the Sierra
Nevada. But for one last moment, Dick and I walked in the Garden of
Eden along the Chowchilla River feeding Eastman Reservoir. We found
ourselves in the midst of so many wildflowers we couldn't even
identify them all. As we celebrate Easter, we find Springtime alive with
new life. And Dick and I saw it all."
--Dick Estel, March 2016
Eastman
Lake Photos |
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Sycamore
Creek Fire Road: The Ramblers were finally back to full strength for
our hike on April 18, with an added reinforcement, my daughter
Teri.
For this outing we planned two fairly short hikes, although the
first one offered a few challenges.
With
five people we decided to take two vehicles, so Wes picked up Julie,
while my daughter came to my house and we then picked up Carolyn.
Rather than try to caravan through the city, we met where Pine Flat
Lake first comes into view on Trimmer Springs Road. Teri had hiked
with Wes before, but it was her first time meeting the two lady
ramblers.
From
our meeting place, it was a few miles to the bridge across Sycamore
Creek, one of two large tributaries that enter the lake on the north
side. Just past the bridge at a cattle guard there is an old dirt
road. It has no name on the map, but I believe it was used when
there was a fire in the area 25 years ago, so I have named it
Sycamore Creek Fire Road. Although
it's closed to motor traffic, It has been continually used by
4-wheel drive vehicles, even after the barrier was put up (one
reason you have 4-wheel drive is to ignore barriers, right?)
At the beginning the road
goes up steeply for 100 feet, then dips up and
down through the hills a few hundred yards above the creek. The
challenges consist of trees that have fallen across the road over
the years. In every case, foot traffic has created a bypass,
sometimes narrow and brushy, and sometimes requiring a scramble over
logs. Drivers have created their own bypasses, usually separate from
the foot route, because they have to go farther up or down the hill
to get around the entire log.
It
should also be noted that this route doesn't really resemble a road
much of the way. The "road" is so overgrown with
vegetation as to be no more than a double, and often single, tire
track, with many rough, uneven
places.
The Ramblers
were up to the challenges as always, and we enjoyed the weather and
the countryside. The grass is starting to dry out in spots, but is
still mostly green. Some of the early flower species were still
hanging on with a few token plants, but the late season varieties
such as clover,
brodiaea and lupines were much in evidence. Filaree
was one of the most common, just as it has been since February. The
weather was quite warm, with an occasional slight breeze.
The road sort of fizzles
out as it goes up a steep slope after about a half mile, so we took
a rest there. I guided Julie and Carolyn to the perfect sitting rock
I had discovered on my previous visit in
February, and they each took a
turn enjoying the soft moss on its flat surface.
Wes and Teri went farther
up the hill, where Wes heard the sound of a creek. As Teri returned
to the rock, Wes made his way down the hill to see what it was like.
We re-grouped and started
back out, with plans for another short hike to complete our day. A
short distance past the old fire road there are two campgrounds and
a picnic ground on the west side of the road, all of which have been
closed for decades. The paved campground roads are still in decent condition,
and going through one of these facilities makes a pleasant spring
stroll.
We had hiked in the first
one last year, so we went to the second this time. The road here is
a bit longer than the other one, and heads down a gentle hill then
curves back and up to the start. The road is lined with flowers,
grass and various trees, with bright green new leaves on the blue
oaks.
In all three of these
campgrounds the pavement is mostly intact and plants have grown
up
through cracks. There were always tree branches that had fallen
in the road - nothing so bad that we had to go off the road to get
past, but still, another obstacle to be aware of. As soon as we
started on the old road this time, we started seeing scrape marks in
the pavement and in the dirt to the side. We soon realized that
equipment had been used to scrape up the branches and push them to
the side.
Eventually we came to a
place where large branches had been piled up in the road, making
further progress impossible. At this point we were strung out over
100 yards or so of the route. Wes had stopped to take photos and was
far back; Julie and Carolyn were in between, and Teri and I were at
the big pile. She and I decided to go through the grass and get
around the pile, while the others turned back to return to our
starting point.
As soon as
Teri and I got past
the branches, we saw that we had come to the end of the loop, where
the road we were on joined the main camp road close to the gate. We
walked away from the gate to meet the others, always looking to add
a few more feet to our hikes. We met them very quickly, and all
headed back toward the cars. Teri got to the gate ahead of the rest
of us, and was rewarded by seeing a king snake. Some members of our
group were happy not to see the creature, but others were
disappointed that we had missed it.
Now it
was time to head back down to the valley and lunch. Along the road by the
lake we saw large numbers of Farewell to Spring and Mariposa Lilies,
two flowers that did not appear along our hiking route.
Because we had
anticipated a warm day, we had left home at 8 a.m. This made it possible
for us to try a restaurant we had driven by several times, without
having had a chance to eat there. The Blossom
Trail Cafe at the corner of
Belmont and Academy closes at 2:30 p.m., and we had always driven
by it too late for lunch on previous trips. This time we arrived a
little after 1 and enjoyed a nice lunch. Leaving the restaurant, the
different parties said our goodbyes, and headed back home, looking
forward to our May outing at a slightly higher altitude.
--Dick Estel, April 2016
Sycamore Fire Road
Photos |
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Photos
(Click to enlarge; pictures open in new window)
(Photos by Wes Thiessen and Dick Estel) |
San Joaquin
River Gorge
Stockton
Creek Preserve Photos
Edison
Point Hike Eastman
Lake Sycamore Fire Road |
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San Joaquin River Gorge |
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Little Dry Creek by
Millerton Road |
Another view of the
creek |
Even with horsehide
coats,
this rain is a bit too much! |
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Little Dry Creek by
the Highway168 bridge |
Seasonal waterfall
by Smalley
Road near San Joaquin Gorge |
Blue oaks, green
grass,
and mist against the hills
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No
rock this time, so
it's Wes on the Table |
The trail was damp
but not muddy |
Wes
can enjoy hiking in any weather |
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Stockton
Creek Preserve |
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Fire left dead trees and a
re-growth of brush |
Wes heading up the trail |
Susan, Dick, Carolyn and
Julie |
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Mariposa Reservoir on
Stockton Creek |
Entering a shady area |
These signs were needed
where old trails forked off |
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Dick, looking determined |
Julie, enjoying a great day |
The Ramblers at the
highest point on the trail |
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Carolyn and Dick far down
the trail,
Julie easing her way down |
A long stretch of trail left
to walk |
Carolyn on a steep,
narrow
section of the trail |
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Brand new growth on a
buckeye |
Not sure what this flower is |
NOW they tell us! |
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Rocky slope across the
canyon from the trail |
Storage tank at waterworks |
Oaks on the slope near the
waterworks trailhead |
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Edison
Point Hike |
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Fiddlenecks along
Trimmer Springs Road |
Popcorn flowers on the other
side of the road |
Where we stopped to
photograph lupines |
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Bush
lupine panorama next to the Kings River |
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Lupines and fiddlenecks
between the road and the river |
Blue dicks were among
the
most common flowers |
Of course, poppies held
first place |
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Dick declared himself
"King of the Trail" |
Julie makes her way down the
hill |
The hill top is Edison
Point, but it seemed
like a long walk from there to this spot |
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Not hiding in the grass, but
actually standing on the trail |
Typical section of the
return portion of the trail |
Yes, still on the trail |
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A well-earned rest |
Acres and acres of tall
grass |
The grass here is as tall as
Wes - over six feet |
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Filaree blossoms and seed
pods |
Pine Flat Lake,
shimmering in the breeze |
Is Carolyn calling for help,
or just waving hello? |
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This
appears to be a
California
Jewel Flower |
A bull pine with more
than enough cones |
Dick and his shortcut |
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If you can spot the trail,
you
can hike with the Ramblers |
California gold |
This leafless tree made
perfect
contrast for the orange hill |
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A perfectly designed scene
at Edison Point |
New leaves on the blue oak |
The rambling route of our
hike |
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Lakeview
Trail - Eastman Lake |
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Geese over Hensley Lake |
Lupines near the entrance
to
Hensley campground |
Wes takes a break at St.
Anne's Chapel in Raymond |
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The trailhead, where the
Raymond
Road crosses the Chowchilla |
The view just above
the
beginning of the trail |
There are flowers every
step of the way |
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Fresh new leaves on a blue
oak |
The debris line in the
foreground
is the high water mark |
Popcorn flowers were thick
in some places |
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Chaparral is usually
white,
but also comes in blue |
Everything is green |
The tall lupines were just
getting a good start |
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A grassy glade |
The most common flower
was
the Bird's Eye Gillia |
We learned just
recently that this is phacelia |
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Pink Filaree are still thick
throughout the foothills |
Granite outcropping makes a
perfect background for poppies |
Half the Ramblers in the
middle
of nature's magnificence |
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Another nice foothill scene |
The Chowchilla River |
Best stand of baby blue eyes
anywhere this year |
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There were huge fields
of Bird's Eye Gillia |
More Gillia |
At the bend of the trail |
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Massive blue oak
touches the ground |
Dick in the fiddlenecks,
down by the river |
More Gillia near the river |
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Sycamore
Creek Fire Road
Photos |
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Father
and Daughter hike |
Julie
enjoys the mossy rock |
So does
Carolyn |
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An
excellent rock above the
road for Wes's traditional pose |
Clover
and filaree |
Milkweed
in bloom |
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This rare
and delightful flower
is known as Globe Lily |
A
close-up view |
Purple
brodiaea are still brightening the hills |
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A very
fine wild cucumber
(don't eat it!) |
A very
trail-like section of the "road" |
A
determined blue oak |
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The
Ramblers plus Teri |
View
through the campground |
Where we
were |
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Related Links |
|
San
Joaquin River Gorge Special
Recreation Management Area |
San
Joaquin Gorge Photo Album |
Background
& History of
San Joaquin Gorge Area |
San
Joaquin Gorge Slide Show |
Velasco's
Restaurant |
Highway
41 Rock Slide |
Dick's
San Joaquin Gorge
hike |
Stockton
Creek Preserve |
The
Preserve on Facebook |
Merrill's
Sawmill |
Edison
Point
Trail Description |
Pine
Flat Lake |
Ramblers
Edison Point 2015 |
Dick's
Edison Point 2015 |
Oak
Savanna |
Raymond |
Roosevelt
in Yosemite |
Raymond
Granite Quarry |
Eastman
Lake |
Chowchilla
River |
Gillia
Tricolor (AKA Birds Eye) |
Kings
River |
|
Blossom
Trail Cafe |
|
|
|