Stargazer Rock Camp 2012

 

Photos          More Travel Reports

 

The annual Stargazer Rock campout isn't what it used to be - but this year, at least, it was bigger than the previous few years.

After lots of emailing and checking the calendar we finally determined that the weekend of August 10 through 12 would work for everyone who had an interest in attending.

"Everyone" in this case was I, my daughter Teri, both her sons, Johnny and Mikie, my friend Janell, and her sister Denise and brother-in-law Juan.

My younger daughter, Jennifer, is recovering from knee replacement surgery; Teri's husband Tim, was on call for work, and Johnny's wife, Brittany, is pregnant and not interested in primitive sleeping arrangements. So - it would be a small but enthusiastic group.

The working people had to wait till after work Friday to leave, but I went up Friday morning, August 10, hoping that our spot would not be occupied by a mob of 4-wheel drive enthusiasts. They location is actually called Bald Mountain Base Camp, because 4-wheel drive clubs use it as a staging area for big gatherings, including runs to nearby Bald Mountain. I had already done some research on line, and knew that the local club's big event was scheduled for Labor Day, so I was hopeful that we would not have any company other than maybe one or two small parties.

I drove across town in my car to pick up Mikie, and on the way back stopped and picked up Janell from work, so that she could keep my car to drive up the next day.

After Janell headed back to work, Mikie and I set off in the motor home, going up Auberry Road to Prather, then up Highway 168 to Shaver Lake. Here we turned east on the Dinkey Creek Road, which leads to the Rock Creek Road, which leads to road 9S09, which goes to Stargazer Rock and on out to Highway 168 above Shaver Lake.

This once fairly primitive location has become ever more civilized, so it was a surprise, but not a shock, to see a number of portable toilets in the area. When I came up last year, picnic tables and metal fire rings had been added. During the day, two men with a pickup and trailer came and removed the toilets, which had been set up for a 4-wheel drive event early in the season, so some of the original ambiance was restored.

The temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley have been ranging from 105 to 112, so even at 7,000 feet, it was quite warm, but of course, much nicer than at home, about 85 degrees in the daytime. At night it was cool enough to enjoy the fire, and to snuggle down in the sleeping bag, but not nearly as cold as it usually is.

After we got set up, Mikie and I walked down to Rock Creek, about a quarter mile down hill from our camp site. In normal rain years, this creek has very little water in August, but there's usually a trickle, even though it disappears under the rocks in places. This year there was no water at the point where we arrived at the creek, and pools that normally have water even when there is little visible flow were dry. About 100 yards downstream we finally came to a place where there was a slight seep from a spring on one side, a tiny trickle in the creek, and a few small pools.

We had grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, and collected some firewood. We didn't really have to do much work - there was a small amount of wood there already, and the men gathering toilets gave us quite a few pieces of wood that they did not want, including some oak. During our campout here in 2000, on his 16th birthday, Johnny had split a large pile of wood, so I explained to Mikie that at age 15, that was now his job. He made a good effort, but couldn't get the technique of letting the splitting maul do most of the work.

Teri arrived about 6:30, followed soon after by Johnny. Johnny did some wood splitting, and gave Mikie some pointers, and soon he was doing a great job. Eventually he split some logs that were already small enough just because he could - once you start, it's hard to stop!

We got a fire going, and enjoyed a very pleasant evening. Mikie, Johnny and I walked over to the open area that is the actual Stargazer Rock and lay down to watch for meteors (it was the peak night of the Perseid shower). We saw about a half dozen good meteors, including a couple that left trails of sparks as they crossed the sky.

Teri's pickup and Johnny's Jeep both have room in the back for sleeping, so they soon headed for their vehicles, while Mikie and I went into the motor home. Mikie wanted to watch TV, but I pointed out that our "neighbors" would not appreciate us running the generator when they were trying to sleep. We stayed up only a short time, and got to bed about 10.

The next morning Teri fixed a "birthday breakfast" (a few days after my birthday) of potatoes, bacon, sausage, toast and chocolate milk.

Johnny and Mikie are both fishing fanatics, and a waterless Rock Creek offered nothing for them, so they headed for the Dinkey Creek trailhead, about five miles away, and hiked in to the Dinkey Lakes area, about a mile and a half each way. When they returned they reported that there were many cars parked at the trailhead, lots of people at the lakes (most of them not fishing), and not much luck - Johnny caught one trout that he returned to the lake.

While they were gone Janell arrived with her sister and brother-in-law, so we had a good visit. They and I drove a few miles to a road that goes to Bald Mountain, but is OK for two-wheel drive vehicles the first few miles. I had gone in quite a ways with my pickup in the past, but we soon encountered big holes in the road that seemed to be more of a challenge than I wanted to try with the Honda, so we turned around and headed back. Janell drove and did a great job of navigating around the bumps and potholes.

We just loafed around camp the rest of the afternoon. Janell and her party left in time to get out of the mountain roads before dark, and Johnny left soon after. Teri, Mikie and I enjoyed a dinner of barbecue pork chops, corn on the cob and salad.

We had planned to do some more stargazing, but it was partly cloudy most of the day, and after dark we had just a few stars visible through the clouds. We did not feel like bothering with a fire, but we did all go in the motor home and watched a few videos before going to bed.

Teri and Mikie left early Sunday as planned, but I stayed another night, so I had a quiet day. I spent most of the time reading, with a couple of short walks around the camp area, and a bike ride up the road a ways.

On Monday I got my usual late start, taking time for a good breakfast. On the way up I had hit a snow pole, breaking the passenger side mirror, so I went first to the storage yard to empty the holding tanks, so that I could take the motor home in for repairs the next day. Needless to say, when I first opened the door back in the valley, I was greeted with a blast of hot air and the realization that I should have stayed where it was cool a few more days.

--Dick Estel, August 2012

 

Photos (Click to enlarge; pictures open in new window) 

 

Dick Estel, Teri Liddle, Mikie Liddle, Juan,
Janell Sidney, Denise at Stargazer Rock

Mikie performs inside the motor home

Mikie & Teri, playing Yahtzee
       
Red firs south of camp More red firs Giant sugar pine near camp
 
 
Travel Reports
   
Before 2002     2002     2003     2004     2005     2006     2007     2008     2009     2010     2011     2012

2013     2014     2015     2016     2017     2018    2019     2020     2021     2022     2023     2024     Other

   
Before 2002
Early Trips Later Trips
Camping Trips Backpacking Trips
Early Stargazer Rock Camps 1961 Monterey Jazz Festival
Bluegrass Odyssey
   
Multi-Year Compilations
Fresno Area Canal Walks Clovis Trail Walks
   
2002
Journey of 2002 (Ohio & Back) Logandale & Utah Parks 2002
   
2003
Arizona & Bluegrass on the River 2003 Grand Canyon & Logandale Bluegrass 2003
Parkfield & Huck Finn 2003 Early Frog Camps (2003-2005)
   
2004
Paso Robles & Parkfield 2004 Road Trip 2004 (Ohio & Back)
Bullhead City Bluegrass, Mesa, Superstition Bluegrass 2004 Bluegrass in the Foothills 2004
   
2005
Arizona-Southern California 2005 Huck Finn Bluegrass 2005
Morro Bay 2005 Stargazer Rock Camp 2005
Parkfield Bluegrass 2005    
   
2006
Huck Finn Bluegrass 2006 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2006
Rock Creek Non-Camp Stargazer Rock Camp 2006
Parkfield Bluegrass 2006 Oregon 2006
Bluegrass in the Foothills 2006    
   
2007
Bullhead City, Bakersfield, Joshua Tree 2007 Frog Camp 2007
Eastern Sierra Journey 2007 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2007
Stargazer Rock Camp 2007 Roundup #1
(Mother Lode; Kings Canyon, Yosemite)
Bluegrass in the Foothills 2007    
   
2008
Nevada-Arizona Hockey & Bluegrass 2008 Parkfield Bluegrass 2008
Frog Camp 2008 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2008
Stargazer Rock Camp 2008 Bluegrass in the Foothills 2008
Hobbs Grove Festival 2008     
   
2009
Roundup 2009
Las Vegas, Mariposa, Table Mountain, Orange County
Frog Camp 2009 Southern Journey 2009
Parkfield Bluegrass 2009 Stargazer Rock Camp 2009
Bluegrass Tour 2009
Brown Barn, Plymouth, Hobbs Grove
Hensley Lake Camp
   
2010
Mojave National Preserve & Havasu Bluegrass Roundup 2010
Hensley Reservoir, Mojave Preserve 2 & 3
Parkfield Bluegrass 2010 Lake Almanor & Mt. Lassen 2010
Las Vegas Expo Summergrass
   Brown Barn, Watsonville & Hobbs Grove
   
2011
Roundup 2011
Mariposa, Hensley, Table Mountain
Frog Camp 2011
Parkfield Bluegrass 2011 Frank, Pat, Dick & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Northern Coast Journey 2011 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2011
Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival Chilkoot & Stargazer Rock Camp
Kings River & Brown Barn Bluegrass Festivals Hensley Camp 2011
    
2012 
Parkfield Bluegrass 2012 Four Squaw Leap Hikes
Northern Coast Journey 2012 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2012
Stargazer Rock Camp 2012 Bluegrass in the Foothills 2012
A 3-Event Weekend
Farmer's Market, Kings River Bluegrass, Antique Fair
2012 Las Vegas CAN AM Hockey Challenge
Fall Hikes
Finegold Trail; Bower Cave
Into Los Gatos Canyon
  
2013
Silver Stick Tournament - Canada Sierra Foothills - Winter 2013
Finegold Trailhead, Hensley Lake, San Joaquin Gorge
Death Valley - Alabama Hills - Whitney Portal Sierra Foothills - Spring 2013
San Joaquin Gorge Hike, Big Creek Drive
Parkfield Bluegrass 2013 Shaver Crossing Station & Big Creek
Lake Almanor & Caribou Crossroads Mono Hot Springs
Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival A Wedding in Duluth
Sequoia Park Hiking Roundup 2013
Kings River Bluegrass, Buena Vista Peak Hike, Hensley Lake Camp, North Fork Mono Museum, White Rock Road, Hockey in Denver
     
2014
2014 Winter Hikes
Millerton South Bay Trail, Clovis Trail, Hite's Cove Trail
San Joaquin Gorge Campout
Colorado Springs Hockey Tournament Lake Havasu Bluegrass
2014 Spring Hikes
Stockton Creek Preserve, San Joaquin River Trail, San Joaquin Gorge, Millerton Lake, Sycamore Creek, Buena Vista Peak Again
NORCAL Hockey Playoffs and Santa Cruz Visit
Greeley Hill Road Trip Parkfield Bluegrass 2014
Journey of 2014 Journey of 2014 Photos
Nelder Grove Hikes 2014 Sentinel Dome Hike
2014 Fall & Winter Hikes
San Joaquin River Trail South & North, Red Rock Canyon Nevada, San Joaquin South Again
California Flat Campout
Snow Day with the  Upshaw's   
 
2015
Rambler Hikes 2015 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2015 Part 2
Adventures of 2015 - February to May
(Goofy Smith Flat, Coast Redwoods & Big Sur, Pine Flat, Finegold Trail, Edison Point Trail, Nelder Grove)
Adventures of 2015 - June to December
(Lewis Creek Trail, Kaiser Pass, Kaiser Pass Again, Taft Point, Kings River Bluegrass, Shaver Logging Road, San Joaquin River Trail, Lewis S Eaton Trail, San Joaquin River Gorge, Thanksgiving at the Gorge)
Lake Tahoe & Virginia City Parkfield Bluegrass 2015
Colorado Springs Cousin Convention 2015 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2015
Stargazer Rock Camp 2015 Grand Canyon & Arches National Parks
  
2016
Adventures of 2016 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2016 Page 1
Adventures of 2016 Part 2 Rambler Hikes 2016 Page 2
Adventures of 2016 Part 3 Rambler Hikes 2016 Page 3
Adventures of 2016 Part 4 A Pennsylvania Adventure
Adventures of 2016 Part 5 Parkfield Bluegrass 2016
Adventures of 2016 Part 6 Las Vegas Commodore Expo 2016
Adventures of 2016 Part 7 Stargazer Rock Camp 2016
     
2017
Adventures of 2017 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2017 Page 1
Adventures of 2017 Part 2 Rambler Hikes 2017 Page 2
Adventures of 2017 Part 3 Rambler Hikes 2017 Page 3
Adventures of 2017 Part 4 Hiking and Hockey
Adventures of 2017 Part 5 Lake Almanor
Adventures of 2017 Part 6 Northern California Redwood Hike
Parkfield Bluegrass 2017 Stargazer Rock Camp 2017
Travel Blog 2017 (an experiment) Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks
  
2018
Adventures of 2018 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2018 Page 1
Adventures of 2018 Part 2 Rambler Hikes 2018 Page 2
Adventures of 2018 Part 3 Rambler Hikes 2018 Page 3
Adventures of 2018 Part 4 Parkfield Bluegrass 2018
Adventures of 2018 Part 5 Northern California Journey 2018
Adventures of 2018 Part 6
  
2019
Adventures of 2019 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2019 Page 1
Adventures of 2019 Part 2 Rambler Hikes 2019 Page 2
Utah National Parks Rambler Hikes 2019 Page 3
Adventures of 2019 Part 3 Parkfield Bluegrass 2019
Adventures of 2019 Part 4 Adventures of 2019 Part 5
   
2020
Adventures of 2020 Part 1 Adventures of 2020 Part 5
Adventures of 2020 Part 2 Adventures of 2020 Part 6
Adventures of 2020 Part 3 Adventures of 2020 Part 7
Adventures of 2020 Part 4 Rambler Hikes 2020 Page 1
  
2021
Adventures of 2021 Part 1 Adventures of 2021 Part 5
Adventures of 2021 Part 2
Adventures of 2021 Part 3 Rambler Hikes 2021 Page 1
Adventures of 2021 Part 4 Rambler Hikes 2021 Page 2
 
2022
Adventures of 2022 Part 1 Rambler Hikes 2022 Page 1
Adventures of 2022 Part 2 Rambler Hikes 2022 Page 2
Adventures of 2022 Part 3 Rambler Hikes 2022 Page 3
Adventures of 2022 Part 4 Utah Parks
  
2023
Adventures of 2023 Page 1 Rambler Hikes 2023 Page 1
Adventures of 2023 Page 2 Rambler Hikes 2023 Page 2
Dinosaur National Monument Rambler Hikes 2023 Page 3
Adventures of 2023 Page 3 Rambler Hikes 2023 Page 4
  
2024
Adventures of 2024 Page 1 Rambler Hikes 2024 Page 1
Adventures of 2024 Page 2 Rambler Hikes 2024 Page 2
Mendocino Coast Rambler Hikes 2024 Page 3
  
Other
Fresno Area Canal Walks Clovis Trail Walks
Butch's Blog Walker Family Trips
Parkfield Earthquake Kim & Morgan Brown Trips & Photos
Travel Report Menu Estel Home Page
Photo Albums Slide Shows
Laurie Lewis' High Sierra Hikes Email
     
 

Updated October 1, 2020