Story Aunt Gus & Little Bear's Great Adventure Book 1 (Complete)
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
Aug 25 – 26: Redwood National and State Parks, California
Driving Route:
August 25th
Three hours to go a hundred and fifty miles. Glad we were out of the park by 5:30 am. Wasn’t what I would call easy driving but mostly it was because I got stuck in a clump of cars that seemed to be scared to use the gas pedal. I think they were caravanning together. I was thankful when they all finally pulled over because it didn’t matter how many times Benny and I pulled into an overlook or viewpoint to take a picture, we always caught up with them and could never seem to get out ahead of them.
Some of the places we stopped along the route was Natural Bridge, Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, we drove through the Jedidiah Stewart State Rec Area, we got gas and cold drinks in the town of Shady Cove, I stopped to check a tire outside of Dodge Bridge County Park, stopped to check the same tire outside of Valley of the Rogue State Park, then really got into the curvy road when it went through Smith River National Rec area. Finally, we arrived at Red Wood National and State Parks and we were ready to get the wiggles out that getting in and out of the van hadn’t.
We started with the Simpson-Reed Trail that wasn’t quite a mile long, but still took almost an hour to do. There was very limited parking and none for RV or trailers. The van just barely fit. It was located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The trail itself was beautiful. It took us around redwood groves, creeks, nurse logs, ferns, hemlocks, huckleberries and a wide variety of other forest features and creatures. There were several sign-thingies that explained things and made the trail interesting as well as pretty. There were a lot of things about the trail that made it a good first one.
First of all, there’s the location, just three miles of curving through the redwoods on Highway 199 east of its junction with Highway 101. It’s about a 15-minute drive from downtown Crescent City. There’s no more accessible route into what one hiking books I read calls “breathtakingly big redwoods.” Uh huh, them were some biiiig trees. The path is level and mostly smooth through a double-loop route that, while on the short side, delivers a treasure trove of visual delights. It is an accessible trail which is great for those that need it, but all that accessibility is also a problem, including for parking. If your vehicle isn’t the size of a roller skate, you are going to have a problem. Like I said, Benny and I just barely got a space.
Benny and I parked then walked a few yards along the road to reach the trailhead that only stood out because there was a handicapped parking area and a small restroom building. We took the trail and then turned right when we reached the first T intersection a few yards further on. To keep from getting lost or turned around we turned right at each subsequent intersection. And since dyslexia sometimes tries to rule my actions, I put a hair tie on my right wrist and when in doubt, always knew to turn the direction of that wrist. Just to be on the safe side of things, I tied a bandana on Benny’s right wrist and told him if we got separated – which wasn’t likely, but I try to be prepared for the unlikely – he was to do the same thing until he came back to the bathroom building and wait for me or a real live ranger in that spot.
His eyes grew wide for just a moment then said, almost like my own mantra, “Better safe than sorry and prior planning prevents poor perflormance. This is for just in case, so we don’t have to worry.” It made me wonder just how many times I’ve said that under my breath during his lifetime that he had it memorized. And I didn’t correct him saying “perflormance” instead of performance. I knew what he meant. More importantly he knew what he meant.
That trail is not the place to go for the silent treatment. Between people of all ages, languages, and volume knobs, plus highway traffic, silence is the last thing you are going to get for most of the way. The roar of 18-wheelers blazing down 199 was overwhelming at first. It nearly activated our APD. Fortunately the roar of cars, the crashing of freight containers, and the squeal of brakes dissipated several hundred feet into the forest. What didn’t go away was the sound of humans acting human. But what the heck, the view was worth dealing with it and people were for the most part friendly and interested in their fellow hikers. There was one group of French kids I could have done without, but that was mostly because their parental units had the kind of “hands off” to nonexistent parenting habits that drive me crazy and wasn’t doing much for Benny either until they rushed ahead of us on the trail.
The “hike” was more of a stroll, but then again, as I heard one man say when his wife was complaining he was moving too slow, not everyone goes into the woods looking for a cardiovascular workout.
The scenery was pretty consistent throughout the loop, but the biggest trees seemed to be mostly around the beginning and end of the loop. Downed trees were scattered along the side of the trail as was the occasional bench. The height of the canopy was up to 150 feet above the ground, even before the first branches. As the trail extended out from the road it eventually ran into a small creek. The black burls set against the high growing ferns give the trail a weird feeling, as if a dinosaur (or Ewok) might suddenly come crashing through the forest. The Peterson Memorial trail extends the loop a bit further before the trail returns to the roar of traffic. Near the end of the loop, there was an especially large dark tree with its top broken off. I don’t want to be in a storm that can do that kind of damage to that size tree.
Hidden in the woods just a few yards further up Walker Road from the Simpson-Reed Trail is a short, unmarked path with the same excessive jungle-like lushness. Got that description from a guy tossing his hands about and complaining to his partner. Apparently he wasn’t having a good time. I would have offered him some bug repellent but I’m not sure that would have corrected his attitude. It sure looked like his partner was about to do some correcting so I hurried Benny and I along. There were lichens hanging from tree branches, foliage everywhere, and some pretty impressive trees. Despite the bit of company we kept running into, the meandering, little-visited track through Metcalf Grove felt wilder than the wide gravel path of Simpson-Reed.
Getting unwedged from the parking area was not fun. Too many people wanted the spot and they actually wound up blocking me and a few other cars in while they were fighting over it. Finally I got them to understand they needed to back up and back off and I popped us out of there like a cork in a narrow-necked bottle using my high clearance and four-wheel drive so we could head on to the Foothill Trail Loop. This trail was longer but flat. The 2.5-mile-long trail meandered along a creek, under some of the tallest redwood trees in the world, past interpretive sign-thingies, and led us right back to where we started.
The first 300 yards of the trail cover, to paraphrase a park volunteer we met at the trailhead, arguably the finest stretch of redwood forest in the park. Immediately the titans of the forest are visible on the right, rising high above an understory of verdant ferns. I borrowed the word “verdant” from a sign. Not sure I would ever use it otherwise. A wooden bridge over Prairie Creek, followed by a short boardwalk section, led to a grove of imposing redwoods, a sight no photo could do justice. At 1/10 mile, we bore right at the first of several trail junctions.
It is not until at a quarter mile that Prairie Creek appears again, this time flanked by redwoods on both sides. The redwoods in this section come in spurts, with dense groves interrupted by stretches of smaller—and younger—trees: Sitka spruces, maples, firs, and hemlocks.
A slight uphill at around the ½ mile mark gave way to flat terrain again as the trail followed the creek on the right. The path crossed a tricky spot at 6/10 mile where part of the trail had eroded away, creating an obstacle that caused the trail to lose its accessibility status. Beyond that however, the route returns to a wide and smooth trail, passing through a pair of tunnels carved through giant fallen logs.
The ancient trees continue to dot the landscape as the trail crosses another bridge at 0.85 miles and then a brushy clearing at around the one-mile mark which offered a brief respite from the tree canopy. Here the path crossed a minor stream blanketed with ferns and hungry mosquitos. Back in the woods, the trail splits at 1.25 miles. We again bore right, leaving the mini vampires and approaching Newton B Drury Parkway. The footpath surprised me and crossed the road at 1.35 miles. It wasn’t easy to cross due to traffic and lack of any kind of pedestrian right of way but all of us finally made it across in a bunch when a ranger stopped, forcing other vehicles to stop as well.
The eastbound path bent south and wove through dense thicket, though old-growth redwoods were disappointingly sparse. The trail wasn’t disappointing, just if you were there for the big trees there weren’t many in that section. The redwoods returned around a wayside, with its viewing platform and sign-thingies located around the "Big Tree". The walk to the Big Tree is less than 200 yards from a parking area which we could have used had we wanted to hike the trail from that point. This location is popular with visitors, tour groups, and charter busses that have less than half an hour to experience any redwoods. In other words, I’m glad we parked where we did because of how tight and busy the parking areas were at that point.
Near that section were some audio boxes that allowed us to hear the local Yurok tribe elders talk about redwood trees. It was pretty neat and Benny was fascinated. There were also vault toilets that we took advantage of during a lull in the crowds.
After the toilets we got to look at the Big Tree. Wow. Soaring to a height of 304 ft, we had a difficult time seeing the top of The Big Tree itself, but with a circumference of 68 feet it wasn't difficult to appreciate its size. It is estimated that the tree is 1500 years old. The Big Tree itself sits within a grove of similar such trees, though none quite as big or old.
After the Big Tree, we stayed straight. Leaving the cars and crowds behind, the trail passed under a group of moss-laden trees. They looked otherworldly if you want to know the truth, like they were artificial sets from some fantasy or sci-fi movie. But they were all real.
At around 1.9 miles, the old-growth redwoods returned in earnest, with a beautiful grove just off to the left. Mixed in are several redwood look-alikes: Douglas firs and western hemlocks, many of which grow out of the roots of the redwoods themselves. We crossed a service road at 2.05 miles, then entered the Rotary Memorial Grove, a garden of titanic trees, complete with several benches to park on if you want to absorb the atmosphere or just relax for a minute.
The trail reached its high point when it passed a massive trunk on the left at 2.35 miles. Beyond that point is the open fields of Elk Prairie. The trail forks and you bear to the left and cross a bridge over Boyes Creek. Less than a minute later, you follow the path as it goes under the Newton B. Drury Parkway. By 2.6 miles, we had completed the loop and were back at the trail’s start. And trust me, people were once again eager for the parking spot we were vacating just not as crazy rude about it.
I called ahead and we were still a bit of time from being able to check in at our camp site so it was a good thing I had another hike we could go on. Trillium Falls was located in the south of the parks.
The hike started just off Highway 101, in a clearing that was once the site of the Arcata Redwood Company sawmill. The sawmill has been removed and the clearing restored to a grass-covered field where elk occasionally browse. The parking area gets pretty busy even when there aren't any elk to be seen, but it doesn’t usually fill up, or so I was given to understand by an older couple who come to the parks quite often and admired my ability to park the Ark with so straight and quickly to get out of other drivers’ way. I told them my father had been a truck driver and would have accepted no less, leaving out the part about how young I was when he taught me. They both laughed and kept walking and Benny and I started off as well.
From the parking lot, we descended on one of the paved access trails, and turned right onto the paved Davison Trail. After just a few yards, the Trillium Falls Trail branched off to the right, through some blackberry brambles and then into the redwoods. The first little bit of old growth was especially spectacular. As the trail switchbacked uphill, the redwoods became a little more normalish if such a redwood exists.
The trail then descended slightly to a long metal footbridge that provided a view of Trillium Falls, a little cascade that was surrounded by maples and ferns.
After the waterfall, the redwoods get a lot smaller and the woods become choked with small spruce trees. Dense thickets of young trees seem to be common at the fringes of old-growth groves where the neighboring land has been logged. There were also a lot of huckleberry shrubs lining the trail, so although there are still redwoods around, you can’t see much of them in this section. Just after the trail descends and crosses a dirt logging road, the woods opened up and the trees got a lot bigger again. The best scenery and most impressive redwoods of the hike are here, around the southern tip of the trail loop. The trail turned north and, near its end, approached the edge of the forest. This part of the grove is much less attractive; however, it still had a few good-sized trees.
The trail unceremoniously dumped us onto a dirt road, at which point the redwoods abruptly ended. The last one-third mile on the dirt road is still very pleasant, though, with attractive alders leaning over the road. The lack of redwoods in this area appeared to be natural and not due to logging.
It was time to turn around and head towards camp but I was going to do is slow. I wanted to stop at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, but it was a no-go for the van. We stuck to the Newton B. Drury Scenic Road (10 miles). Now we can say we’ve crossed the road on foot and by vehicle. We stopped at the Jedediah Smith Visitor Center. The rangers were really busy but I managed to snag a copy of the Junior Ranger Booklet from a park volunteer manning one corner the information desk.
With our reservations figured out and our site number in hand we quickly went to park before any more confusion could take place. Dang those blasted campsite rustlers anyway. I hated kicking the group out, but they played the game and lost, assuming I’d just roll over and accept the hand they tried to deal me. I was less inclined to sympathy when I heard them running their mouths and the kind of language they were using. I’m no prude and more than a bit of sailor in me still, but even I draw the line at some of the disgusting stuff they were dishing out. I’m glad they didn’t know our “persona” of Aunt Gus and Little Bear as I’m pretty positive they would have tried to hack me or at the very least leave nasty comments and try and affect my reputation.
After we parked, I found one more trail for us to work off the upset. Stout Memorial Grove Trail (1-mile roundtrip) - These 300-foot trees are considered by many as the heart of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It is a majestic 44-acre grove of old-growth redwoods and a popular summer destination. The trail is a short 0.5 mile in length and a short spur trail descended down twenty feet to the Smith River. In summer many people picnic, paddle, and swim at this cobbled beach. In summer this is where the hikers' bridge crosses the Smith River.
Once back at the camp the day seemed to be settling down for everyone and Benny and I could finally relax a bit. I’m trying so that Benny doesn’t develop my anti-people personality traits but honestly there are days it isn’t easy. This campground is a little more expensive and doesn’t have any discounts but what do you expect for California? Another challenge is that with all the tree coverage we’ll have to be economical about the solar usage, especially since there are no hook ups in the park, not even hook ups for electric vehicles which I found very strange.
The campground was also under fire restrictions which made dinner prep interesting. I wound up using the range top in the Ark and heating water to cook up just enough pasta to make salmon caprese. Then I took more hot water and set some overnight oatmeal up for our breakfast. We both took quick showers and Benny has fallen asleep with the crew and his Junior Ranger papers which I need to rescue from being drooled on.
I was going to take Benny to the Pacific Ocean along Hwy 101 tomorrow and do some tidepooling, but there were several rockslides along the highway that had sections closed, impassable, unsafe, or blocked our access to the locations I wanted to go. Decided in the end to listen to the warnings of the other people in camp that said avoid it. Instead, we are going to do a neat trail that someone described like stepping into a terrarium because some of the near vertical walls are covered in ferns.
Driving Route:
August 25th
Three hours to go a hundred and fifty miles. Glad we were out of the park by 5:30 am. Wasn’t what I would call easy driving but mostly it was because I got stuck in a clump of cars that seemed to be scared to use the gas pedal. I think they were caravanning together. I was thankful when they all finally pulled over because it didn’t matter how many times Benny and I pulled into an overlook or viewpoint to take a picture, we always caught up with them and could never seem to get out ahead of them.
Some of the places we stopped along the route was Natural Bridge, Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, we drove through the Jedidiah Stewart State Rec Area, we got gas and cold drinks in the town of Shady Cove, I stopped to check a tire outside of Dodge Bridge County Park, stopped to check the same tire outside of Valley of the Rogue State Park, then really got into the curvy road when it went through Smith River National Rec area. Finally, we arrived at Red Wood National and State Parks and we were ready to get the wiggles out that getting in and out of the van hadn’t.
We started with the Simpson-Reed Trail that wasn’t quite a mile long, but still took almost an hour to do. There was very limited parking and none for RV or trailers. The van just barely fit. It was located in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. The trail itself was beautiful. It took us around redwood groves, creeks, nurse logs, ferns, hemlocks, huckleberries and a wide variety of other forest features and creatures. There were several sign-thingies that explained things and made the trail interesting as well as pretty. There were a lot of things about the trail that made it a good first one.
First of all, there’s the location, just three miles of curving through the redwoods on Highway 199 east of its junction with Highway 101. It’s about a 15-minute drive from downtown Crescent City. There’s no more accessible route into what one hiking books I read calls “breathtakingly big redwoods.” Uh huh, them were some biiiig trees. The path is level and mostly smooth through a double-loop route that, while on the short side, delivers a treasure trove of visual delights. It is an accessible trail which is great for those that need it, but all that accessibility is also a problem, including for parking. If your vehicle isn’t the size of a roller skate, you are going to have a problem. Like I said, Benny and I just barely got a space.
Benny and I parked then walked a few yards along the road to reach the trailhead that only stood out because there was a handicapped parking area and a small restroom building. We took the trail and then turned right when we reached the first T intersection a few yards further on. To keep from getting lost or turned around we turned right at each subsequent intersection. And since dyslexia sometimes tries to rule my actions, I put a hair tie on my right wrist and when in doubt, always knew to turn the direction of that wrist. Just to be on the safe side of things, I tied a bandana on Benny’s right wrist and told him if we got separated – which wasn’t likely, but I try to be prepared for the unlikely – he was to do the same thing until he came back to the bathroom building and wait for me or a real live ranger in that spot.
His eyes grew wide for just a moment then said, almost like my own mantra, “Better safe than sorry and prior planning prevents poor perflormance. This is for just in case, so we don’t have to worry.” It made me wonder just how many times I’ve said that under my breath during his lifetime that he had it memorized. And I didn’t correct him saying “perflormance” instead of performance. I knew what he meant. More importantly he knew what he meant.
That trail is not the place to go for the silent treatment. Between people of all ages, languages, and volume knobs, plus highway traffic, silence is the last thing you are going to get for most of the way. The roar of 18-wheelers blazing down 199 was overwhelming at first. It nearly activated our APD. Fortunately the roar of cars, the crashing of freight containers, and the squeal of brakes dissipated several hundred feet into the forest. What didn’t go away was the sound of humans acting human. But what the heck, the view was worth dealing with it and people were for the most part friendly and interested in their fellow hikers. There was one group of French kids I could have done without, but that was mostly because their parental units had the kind of “hands off” to nonexistent parenting habits that drive me crazy and wasn’t doing much for Benny either until they rushed ahead of us on the trail.
The “hike” was more of a stroll, but then again, as I heard one man say when his wife was complaining he was moving too slow, not everyone goes into the woods looking for a cardiovascular workout.
The scenery was pretty consistent throughout the loop, but the biggest trees seemed to be mostly around the beginning and end of the loop. Downed trees were scattered along the side of the trail as was the occasional bench. The height of the canopy was up to 150 feet above the ground, even before the first branches. As the trail extended out from the road it eventually ran into a small creek. The black burls set against the high growing ferns give the trail a weird feeling, as if a dinosaur (or Ewok) might suddenly come crashing through the forest. The Peterson Memorial trail extends the loop a bit further before the trail returns to the roar of traffic. Near the end of the loop, there was an especially large dark tree with its top broken off. I don’t want to be in a storm that can do that kind of damage to that size tree.
Hidden in the woods just a few yards further up Walker Road from the Simpson-Reed Trail is a short, unmarked path with the same excessive jungle-like lushness. Got that description from a guy tossing his hands about and complaining to his partner. Apparently he wasn’t having a good time. I would have offered him some bug repellent but I’m not sure that would have corrected his attitude. It sure looked like his partner was about to do some correcting so I hurried Benny and I along. There were lichens hanging from tree branches, foliage everywhere, and some pretty impressive trees. Despite the bit of company we kept running into, the meandering, little-visited track through Metcalf Grove felt wilder than the wide gravel path of Simpson-Reed.
Getting unwedged from the parking area was not fun. Too many people wanted the spot and they actually wound up blocking me and a few other cars in while they were fighting over it. Finally I got them to understand they needed to back up and back off and I popped us out of there like a cork in a narrow-necked bottle using my high clearance and four-wheel drive so we could head on to the Foothill Trail Loop. This trail was longer but flat. The 2.5-mile-long trail meandered along a creek, under some of the tallest redwood trees in the world, past interpretive sign-thingies, and led us right back to where we started.
The first 300 yards of the trail cover, to paraphrase a park volunteer we met at the trailhead, arguably the finest stretch of redwood forest in the park. Immediately the titans of the forest are visible on the right, rising high above an understory of verdant ferns. I borrowed the word “verdant” from a sign. Not sure I would ever use it otherwise. A wooden bridge over Prairie Creek, followed by a short boardwalk section, led to a grove of imposing redwoods, a sight no photo could do justice. At 1/10 mile, we bore right at the first of several trail junctions.
It is not until at a quarter mile that Prairie Creek appears again, this time flanked by redwoods on both sides. The redwoods in this section come in spurts, with dense groves interrupted by stretches of smaller—and younger—trees: Sitka spruces, maples, firs, and hemlocks.
A slight uphill at around the ½ mile mark gave way to flat terrain again as the trail followed the creek on the right. The path crossed a tricky spot at 6/10 mile where part of the trail had eroded away, creating an obstacle that caused the trail to lose its accessibility status. Beyond that however, the route returns to a wide and smooth trail, passing through a pair of tunnels carved through giant fallen logs.
The ancient trees continue to dot the landscape as the trail crosses another bridge at 0.85 miles and then a brushy clearing at around the one-mile mark which offered a brief respite from the tree canopy. Here the path crossed a minor stream blanketed with ferns and hungry mosquitos. Back in the woods, the trail splits at 1.25 miles. We again bore right, leaving the mini vampires and approaching Newton B Drury Parkway. The footpath surprised me and crossed the road at 1.35 miles. It wasn’t easy to cross due to traffic and lack of any kind of pedestrian right of way but all of us finally made it across in a bunch when a ranger stopped, forcing other vehicles to stop as well.
The eastbound path bent south and wove through dense thicket, though old-growth redwoods were disappointingly sparse. The trail wasn’t disappointing, just if you were there for the big trees there weren’t many in that section. The redwoods returned around a wayside, with its viewing platform and sign-thingies located around the "Big Tree". The walk to the Big Tree is less than 200 yards from a parking area which we could have used had we wanted to hike the trail from that point. This location is popular with visitors, tour groups, and charter busses that have less than half an hour to experience any redwoods. In other words, I’m glad we parked where we did because of how tight and busy the parking areas were at that point.
Near that section were some audio boxes that allowed us to hear the local Yurok tribe elders talk about redwood trees. It was pretty neat and Benny was fascinated. There were also vault toilets that we took advantage of during a lull in the crowds.
After the toilets we got to look at the Big Tree. Wow. Soaring to a height of 304 ft, we had a difficult time seeing the top of The Big Tree itself, but with a circumference of 68 feet it wasn't difficult to appreciate its size. It is estimated that the tree is 1500 years old. The Big Tree itself sits within a grove of similar such trees, though none quite as big or old.
After the Big Tree, we stayed straight. Leaving the cars and crowds behind, the trail passed under a group of moss-laden trees. They looked otherworldly if you want to know the truth, like they were artificial sets from some fantasy or sci-fi movie. But they were all real.
At around 1.9 miles, the old-growth redwoods returned in earnest, with a beautiful grove just off to the left. Mixed in are several redwood look-alikes: Douglas firs and western hemlocks, many of which grow out of the roots of the redwoods themselves. We crossed a service road at 2.05 miles, then entered the Rotary Memorial Grove, a garden of titanic trees, complete with several benches to park on if you want to absorb the atmosphere or just relax for a minute.
The trail reached its high point when it passed a massive trunk on the left at 2.35 miles. Beyond that point is the open fields of Elk Prairie. The trail forks and you bear to the left and cross a bridge over Boyes Creek. Less than a minute later, you follow the path as it goes under the Newton B. Drury Parkway. By 2.6 miles, we had completed the loop and were back at the trail’s start. And trust me, people were once again eager for the parking spot we were vacating just not as crazy rude about it.
I called ahead and we were still a bit of time from being able to check in at our camp site so it was a good thing I had another hike we could go on. Trillium Falls was located in the south of the parks.
The hike started just off Highway 101, in a clearing that was once the site of the Arcata Redwood Company sawmill. The sawmill has been removed and the clearing restored to a grass-covered field where elk occasionally browse. The parking area gets pretty busy even when there aren't any elk to be seen, but it doesn’t usually fill up, or so I was given to understand by an older couple who come to the parks quite often and admired my ability to park the Ark with so straight and quickly to get out of other drivers’ way. I told them my father had been a truck driver and would have accepted no less, leaving out the part about how young I was when he taught me. They both laughed and kept walking and Benny and I started off as well.
From the parking lot, we descended on one of the paved access trails, and turned right onto the paved Davison Trail. After just a few yards, the Trillium Falls Trail branched off to the right, through some blackberry brambles and then into the redwoods. The first little bit of old growth was especially spectacular. As the trail switchbacked uphill, the redwoods became a little more normalish if such a redwood exists.
The trail then descended slightly to a long metal footbridge that provided a view of Trillium Falls, a little cascade that was surrounded by maples and ferns.
After the waterfall, the redwoods get a lot smaller and the woods become choked with small spruce trees. Dense thickets of young trees seem to be common at the fringes of old-growth groves where the neighboring land has been logged. There were also a lot of huckleberry shrubs lining the trail, so although there are still redwoods around, you can’t see much of them in this section. Just after the trail descends and crosses a dirt logging road, the woods opened up and the trees got a lot bigger again. The best scenery and most impressive redwoods of the hike are here, around the southern tip of the trail loop. The trail turned north and, near its end, approached the edge of the forest. This part of the grove is much less attractive; however, it still had a few good-sized trees.
The trail unceremoniously dumped us onto a dirt road, at which point the redwoods abruptly ended. The last one-third mile on the dirt road is still very pleasant, though, with attractive alders leaning over the road. The lack of redwoods in this area appeared to be natural and not due to logging.
It was time to turn around and head towards camp but I was going to do is slow. I wanted to stop at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, but it was a no-go for the van. We stuck to the Newton B. Drury Scenic Road (10 miles). Now we can say we’ve crossed the road on foot and by vehicle. We stopped at the Jedediah Smith Visitor Center. The rangers were really busy but I managed to snag a copy of the Junior Ranger Booklet from a park volunteer manning one corner the information desk.
With our reservations figured out and our site number in hand we quickly went to park before any more confusion could take place. Dang those blasted campsite rustlers anyway. I hated kicking the group out, but they played the game and lost, assuming I’d just roll over and accept the hand they tried to deal me. I was less inclined to sympathy when I heard them running their mouths and the kind of language they were using. I’m no prude and more than a bit of sailor in me still, but even I draw the line at some of the disgusting stuff they were dishing out. I’m glad they didn’t know our “persona” of Aunt Gus and Little Bear as I’m pretty positive they would have tried to hack me or at the very least leave nasty comments and try and affect my reputation.
After we parked, I found one more trail for us to work off the upset. Stout Memorial Grove Trail (1-mile roundtrip) - These 300-foot trees are considered by many as the heart of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. It is a majestic 44-acre grove of old-growth redwoods and a popular summer destination. The trail is a short 0.5 mile in length and a short spur trail descended down twenty feet to the Smith River. In summer many people picnic, paddle, and swim at this cobbled beach. In summer this is where the hikers' bridge crosses the Smith River.
Once back at the camp the day seemed to be settling down for everyone and Benny and I could finally relax a bit. I’m trying so that Benny doesn’t develop my anti-people personality traits but honestly there are days it isn’t easy. This campground is a little more expensive and doesn’t have any discounts but what do you expect for California? Another challenge is that with all the tree coverage we’ll have to be economical about the solar usage, especially since there are no hook ups in the park, not even hook ups for electric vehicles which I found very strange.
The campground was also under fire restrictions which made dinner prep interesting. I wound up using the range top in the Ark and heating water to cook up just enough pasta to make salmon caprese. Then I took more hot water and set some overnight oatmeal up for our breakfast. We both took quick showers and Benny has fallen asleep with the crew and his Junior Ranger papers which I need to rescue from being drooled on.
I was going to take Benny to the Pacific Ocean along Hwy 101 tomorrow and do some tidepooling, but there were several rockslides along the highway that had sections closed, impassable, unsafe, or blocked our access to the locations I wanted to go. Decided in the end to listen to the warnings of the other people in camp that said avoid it. Instead, we are going to do a neat trail that someone described like stepping into a terrarium because some of the near vertical walls are covered in ferns.
August 26th
Kayaking! – Got a surprise treat. A spot opened up in the ranger-led Smith River Kayak Tour. Found it out early this morning when Benny said hello to a ranger and he saw our tandem kayak tied to the top of the van. But first we did our morning hike that replaced the tidepooling.
This is the description for the Fern Canyon Loop Trail: Prepare to get your feet wet to really explore this short hike into a stunning mini-canyon covered with ferns. This is a very popular walk up a cobbled stream located east of Gold Bluffs Beach. Many travel writers and bloggers are correct when they talk about the natural beauty of this area. You won't find huge redwoods right here, but it is surrounded by sitka spruce and other conifers. The trail can be done as a 1-mile "lolly-pop" loop with an elevation gain of 150 feet, or hikers can stick to the bed of Home Creek and within quarter of a mile see the steep, leafy walls of Fern Canyon. This in-and-out option has a 30-foot elevation change. Either of these options might mean climbing through log jams that occur in winter floods. Normally from late June to September there are wooden footbridges installed in Fern Canyon to help walkers get partway up the canyon without getting their feet wet. Our advice is to wear waterproof footwear with good traction, and bring a pair of dry shoes to wear after the hike. Beware the Roosevelt Elk, they can be aggressive.
Now is that a description too cool to pass up or what? The Fern Canyon Hike is one of the most popular and overcrowded hikes in the northern California redwoods. Overcrowded? Yeah. But it was still fun. It is a sheer-walled fantasy ravine that has become a social media. We were prepared for people taking lots of selfies and the selfie-takers were smart enough to not make a nuisance of themselves.
Part of the fame stems from its use of a filming location for scenes in the popular dinosaur and monster franchises, including that oldie but goodie Jurassic Park. The crowds were horrible, mostly people most people come during the winter when the water is deeper. Water was still deep enough today. Benny and I had our hikers tied to our day packs but wore our water shoes. We also had microfiber cloths attached to the pack that we could pull around and wipe our face with. Some people tend to get a little over excited and no matter what you did, you are going to be in a splash zone. The cloths were so we could wipe our faces.
We were warned that there would be a chance of encountering elk near the trailhead, and we did. Big suckers too. Earlier in the month someone hadn’t kept their distance and got pretty well run over by a female elk that had a young one with her. That is the kind of tourist that gives us all a bad name. There had also been heavy rains and someone didn’t pay attention to the danger signs about staying out of the canyon during those kinds of weather events. They didn’t drown but a couple of kids with them came close.
To get to the canyon we first took a section of the California Coastal Trail which was behind a colorful interpretive display (another sign warning you not to antagonize the local elk). The Coastal Trail has been rerouted inland here to avoid the dunes where some bird called a snowy plovers like to nest. The trail is wide flat gravel in that section, and we reached the cobbled wash from Home Creek. The trail map said to keep walking until we saw an old sign displaying some of the fern species in the ravine then to turn off the Coastal Trail and go up the creek, noting the James Irvine Trail, our return route, then to drop down to the stream on our left.
At that point we officially entered Fern Canyon where the sheer 30-foot walls literally drip from a heavy layer of moss and five-finger maidenhair ferns. Several other fern species also live within the canyon, including sword fern, lady fern, wood fern, chain fern, deer fern, and California polypody according to some educational sign-thingies we read. Pacific giant salamanders and cutthroat trout also live in the deeper grottoes. In the bad ol’ days of extreme environmentalism, the park service would install footbridges during the summer months to keep people out of the water … until they found out how destructive they could be causing erosion and debris jams for one example.
As the canyon widened, we noticed steps leading up to the left. Checking the map I saw that the Fern Canyon Trail switchbacks up to the upper junction with the James Irvine Trail. This would be our return route where we would turn left into a Sitka spruce forest with a few younger redwoods. We went as far into the canyon as we could but the water was getting a bit deep for Benny so we turned around to the James Irvine Trail.
There was a small spur trail that led to a small meadow and a view down into Fern Canyon. According to our trail map, that meadow was a camp for 19th century gold miners who attempted to glean flecks of the shiny stuff from Gold Bluffs Beach and the neighboring slopes. Their backbreaking endeavors never turned a profit, and the camp was abandoned. The trail rose a little on the slope and then switchbacked down a stepped passage that descends to the bottom of the canyon at the mouth of Home Creek, thus completing the loop.
A short break would have been nice but we had to get to our kayaking appointment. What fun. It started at noon and all we had to do was pack a snack, leave the van in camp, walk the half-mile to the Hiouchi Visitor center, and use their inflatable kayaks. I don’t particularly care for inflatables but something is better than nothing. We paddled approximately 3 miles through Class I and II whitewater that included moving flatwater, riffles, and small rapids. Along the way, the ranger told us about local geology, wildlife, and the ancient coast redwood forest. A break for a bring-your-own-lunch was also arranged. And it was free, but donations were allowed and our particular guide was worth it.
Benny was unusually tired and really only wanted to stay in camp after the kayaking was over with and I decided that it wasn’t a bad idea either. I gave him a first course of chicken soup with his dinner for just in case – he and I both are so rarely ill but more because I am a pre-emptive type of person – and he was satisfied to play with his discovery toys and look at his Junior Ranger notebook with the Crew.
I washed and tried to dry out socks and shoes that got soaked on the trails, did a little cleaning including trying to trim my hair which I swear is a lost cause, and then looked through our food supplies. I think my idea of menus is officially dead. I’ll make up what I can to use up what we have and then resupply when possible. How’s that for flexibility?
We head out in the morning and I hope the location perks Benny up.
Resources:
Hour Or Two (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Junior Ranger booklet
Kayaking! – Got a surprise treat. A spot opened up in the ranger-led Smith River Kayak Tour. Found it out early this morning when Benny said hello to a ranger and he saw our tandem kayak tied to the top of the van. But first we did our morning hike that replaced the tidepooling.
This is the description for the Fern Canyon Loop Trail: Prepare to get your feet wet to really explore this short hike into a stunning mini-canyon covered with ferns. This is a very popular walk up a cobbled stream located east of Gold Bluffs Beach. Many travel writers and bloggers are correct when they talk about the natural beauty of this area. You won't find huge redwoods right here, but it is surrounded by sitka spruce and other conifers. The trail can be done as a 1-mile "lolly-pop" loop with an elevation gain of 150 feet, or hikers can stick to the bed of Home Creek and within quarter of a mile see the steep, leafy walls of Fern Canyon. This in-and-out option has a 30-foot elevation change. Either of these options might mean climbing through log jams that occur in winter floods. Normally from late June to September there are wooden footbridges installed in Fern Canyon to help walkers get partway up the canyon without getting their feet wet. Our advice is to wear waterproof footwear with good traction, and bring a pair of dry shoes to wear after the hike. Beware the Roosevelt Elk, they can be aggressive.
Now is that a description too cool to pass up or what? The Fern Canyon Hike is one of the most popular and overcrowded hikes in the northern California redwoods. Overcrowded? Yeah. But it was still fun. It is a sheer-walled fantasy ravine that has become a social media. We were prepared for people taking lots of selfies and the selfie-takers were smart enough to not make a nuisance of themselves.
Part of the fame stems from its use of a filming location for scenes in the popular dinosaur and monster franchises, including that oldie but goodie Jurassic Park. The crowds were horrible, mostly people most people come during the winter when the water is deeper. Water was still deep enough today. Benny and I had our hikers tied to our day packs but wore our water shoes. We also had microfiber cloths attached to the pack that we could pull around and wipe our face with. Some people tend to get a little over excited and no matter what you did, you are going to be in a splash zone. The cloths were so we could wipe our faces.
We were warned that there would be a chance of encountering elk near the trailhead, and we did. Big suckers too. Earlier in the month someone hadn’t kept their distance and got pretty well run over by a female elk that had a young one with her. That is the kind of tourist that gives us all a bad name. There had also been heavy rains and someone didn’t pay attention to the danger signs about staying out of the canyon during those kinds of weather events. They didn’t drown but a couple of kids with them came close.
To get to the canyon we first took a section of the California Coastal Trail which was behind a colorful interpretive display (another sign warning you not to antagonize the local elk). The Coastal Trail has been rerouted inland here to avoid the dunes where some bird called a snowy plovers like to nest. The trail is wide flat gravel in that section, and we reached the cobbled wash from Home Creek. The trail map said to keep walking until we saw an old sign displaying some of the fern species in the ravine then to turn off the Coastal Trail and go up the creek, noting the James Irvine Trail, our return route, then to drop down to the stream on our left.
At that point we officially entered Fern Canyon where the sheer 30-foot walls literally drip from a heavy layer of moss and five-finger maidenhair ferns. Several other fern species also live within the canyon, including sword fern, lady fern, wood fern, chain fern, deer fern, and California polypody according to some educational sign-thingies we read. Pacific giant salamanders and cutthroat trout also live in the deeper grottoes. In the bad ol’ days of extreme environmentalism, the park service would install footbridges during the summer months to keep people out of the water … until they found out how destructive they could be causing erosion and debris jams for one example.
As the canyon widened, we noticed steps leading up to the left. Checking the map I saw that the Fern Canyon Trail switchbacks up to the upper junction with the James Irvine Trail. This would be our return route where we would turn left into a Sitka spruce forest with a few younger redwoods. We went as far into the canyon as we could but the water was getting a bit deep for Benny so we turned around to the James Irvine Trail.
There was a small spur trail that led to a small meadow and a view down into Fern Canyon. According to our trail map, that meadow was a camp for 19th century gold miners who attempted to glean flecks of the shiny stuff from Gold Bluffs Beach and the neighboring slopes. Their backbreaking endeavors never turned a profit, and the camp was abandoned. The trail rose a little on the slope and then switchbacked down a stepped passage that descends to the bottom of the canyon at the mouth of Home Creek, thus completing the loop.
A short break would have been nice but we had to get to our kayaking appointment. What fun. It started at noon and all we had to do was pack a snack, leave the van in camp, walk the half-mile to the Hiouchi Visitor center, and use their inflatable kayaks. I don’t particularly care for inflatables but something is better than nothing. We paddled approximately 3 miles through Class I and II whitewater that included moving flatwater, riffles, and small rapids. Along the way, the ranger told us about local geology, wildlife, and the ancient coast redwood forest. A break for a bring-your-own-lunch was also arranged. And it was free, but donations were allowed and our particular guide was worth it.
Benny was unusually tired and really only wanted to stay in camp after the kayaking was over with and I decided that it wasn’t a bad idea either. I gave him a first course of chicken soup with his dinner for just in case – he and I both are so rarely ill but more because I am a pre-emptive type of person – and he was satisfied to play with his discovery toys and look at his Junior Ranger notebook with the Crew.
I washed and tried to dry out socks and shoes that got soaked on the trails, did a little cleaning including trying to trim my hair which I swear is a lost cause, and then looked through our food supplies. I think my idea of menus is officially dead. I’ll make up what I can to use up what we have and then resupply when possible. How’s that for flexibility?
We head out in the morning and I hope the location perks Benny up.
Resources:
Hour Or Two (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Junior Ranger booklet
Siskiyoumom
Veteran Member
Thank you Kathy!
The scenery you showed is why we love living near here! As well as the ocean fishing.
And tge you pick it blueberry farms and orchards.
The Humboldt State University (now renamedPoly Tech ) has a great oceanography lab in Trinidad,with an awesome hands on tide pool tank.
The scenery you showed is why we love living near here! As well as the ocean fishing.
And tge you pick it blueberry farms and orchards.
The Humboldt State University (now renamedPoly Tech ) has a great oceanography lab in Trinidad,with an awesome hands on tide pool tank.
Aug 27 – 29: Lassen Volcanic National Park, California (Part 1)
Driving Route:
August 27th
Another long drive this morning. Six hours. Wish I had a driving partner but then again, I’m a bit of a control freak and I would need to be in charge. Doesn’t really sound like “partners” now does it? LOL And I gotta admit that fact is also what is putting the kibosh on the wondering that was bothering me of wanting to add a third to our family group. Yeah, I can see it now. “Sure, we’re partners but you have to do everything my way.” Would go over like a lead balloon.
Fueled up in Grants Pass. Also took a short break there. In Medford I decided I had had enough of my own cooking and stopped at a takeout place for burgers. Benny ate everything but not with enthusiasm, but better than breakfast which he didn’t want at all. He quickly went back to sleep after that. Color me worried that my little bear wasn’t eating like a little bear.
Interstate 5 was easier driving. Got off for a few minutes at the Randolph Collier Rest Area. Topped off the tank again around Mount Shasta – and had to listen to my wallet cry over the amount – before getting off the interest and onto 89 which we stayed on the remainder of the way into Lassen.
Didn’t think Benny was up to any hiking so we kept to the very short walks in the hydrothermal areas after picking up his Junior Ranger booklet:
Today’s survival skill was actually more mine than Benny’s. I don’t know if my little bear is getting sick, sick, or getting over almost getting sick. I needed to practice my we-will-not-freak-out and we-will-remain-calm protocols. This is one of those times that being alone sucks.
August 28th
Benny was back to being bright and chipper this morning. He may have just had a chill from all the wet in Fern Loop and then the Kayaking, it could be that he was having a “moment” which he does occasionally when something reminds him of Lawrence or Penny, it could have been he was getting overtired and it caught up with him, it could have been anything. I’ll keep an eye on him, but he was good and fine all day today and kept giving me the “you’re being weird” look every time I tried to check his vitals for just in case.
I debated the first hike this morning due to its length, but Benny was all excited because he’d seen it in a documentary. Devils Kitchen is a 4.2-mile, roundtrip, moderate trail in the Warner Valley area that leads visitors to this bubbling cauldron. There are also steam vents, mudpots, and boiling pools. We saw some of this stuff in Yellowstone but this was a different setting. This trail is beautiful the entire way, but especially so in the beginning.
The trail went along many elevated boardwalks as we walked along the creek and through a few meadows. We even saw two deer while hiking. They must be used to people as they barely paid us any obvious attention as we went by them. The trail was easy to follow through the meadow despite no signage because the ground is packed down and the path is easy to see against the gree of the plants and wildflowers
At about a half-mile the trail split with the other path going to Terminal Geyser and Boiling Springs Lake. The part of the trail we took continued along the creek with a couple of water crossings on small bridges. In one section you could also see Drakesbed Guest Ranch, which is the primary lodging in Lassen Volcanic National Park. At the one-mile mark, we reached another giant meadow with forest on both sides.
This area is beautiful, and was a nice walk through such an open space. After hiking in trees it almost feels too big when you are in the middle of it. A little agoraphobic. From there the trail headed back into the forest and started going up. In fact we continued ascending most of the way to the Devil’s Kitchen, but it wasn’t too tough. I took plenty of breaks for Benny’s sake but he didn’t seem very affected. This area was peaceful since most of our fellow hikers had to shut up to conserve their breath. Bears are often reported here, but we didn’t see any.
Eventually, we reached the end of the uphill part and had a 100 foot downhill to Devil’s Kitchen. We began seeing some steam rising as we headed down and saw a creek with greyish water entering it. The Devil’s Kitchen is a large geothermal area right next to the creek.
It has a quarter mile trail that took us all around the area with many different steam vents and colored pools to look at. I thought it was small at first and didn’t realize that it was a more extensive trail with a good amount to see on its quarter mile.
The top of the small hill brings you to the primary steam vents which were spewing out when we were there.
As we headed down the other side of the hill, we saw a pool with yellow dirt surrounding it, which is one of the most photographed areas in the Devil’s Kitchen.
There is a grey creek that comes off the pools in this section and some boiling mud if you listen for it. The trail continued down but doesn’t get you very close to the rest of the geothermal aspects of this area. Survival Skill was a review of the safety rules we learned in Yellowstone: Be sure to stay on the trail! The ground can crumble, and you would not want to fall in the boiling water.
We took lots of photos and then began the hike back out. I was happy we visited this part of the park. Despite my concern for Benny, he never acted sick at all. I kept us to a slower pace than normal and perhaps that helped.
Driving Route:
August 27th
Another long drive this morning. Six hours. Wish I had a driving partner but then again, I’m a bit of a control freak and I would need to be in charge. Doesn’t really sound like “partners” now does it? LOL And I gotta admit that fact is also what is putting the kibosh on the wondering that was bothering me of wanting to add a third to our family group. Yeah, I can see it now. “Sure, we’re partners but you have to do everything my way.” Would go over like a lead balloon.
Fueled up in Grants Pass. Also took a short break there. In Medford I decided I had had enough of my own cooking and stopped at a takeout place for burgers. Benny ate everything but not with enthusiasm, but better than breakfast which he didn’t want at all. He quickly went back to sleep after that. Color me worried that my little bear wasn’t eating like a little bear.
Interstate 5 was easier driving. Got off for a few minutes at the Randolph Collier Rest Area. Topped off the tank again around Mount Shasta – and had to listen to my wallet cry over the amount – before getting off the interest and onto 89 which we stayed on the remainder of the way into Lassen.
Didn’t think Benny was up to any hiking so we kept to the very short walks in the hydrothermal areas after picking up his Junior Ranger booklet:
- Little Hot Springs Valley - Located at the bottom of a steep valley, steam vents can be viewed via the park road with binoculars. There is no trail in this area.
- Pilot Pinnacle - There is no trail or parking area for this feature which includes steam vents, boiling pools and mudpots. One part of this area is visible from the park road; "Fart Gulch" is a chalk-colored hillside on the north side of the road near Little Hot Springs Valley. The sulfur smells makes this area easily identifiable.
- Sulphur Works - The park's most easily accessed hydrothermal area features boiling mudpots and steam vents viewable via a sidewalk. A parking area with sidewalk access to the features is located one mile north of the Southwest Entrance.
- Boiling Springs Lake - Accessed from the Warner Valley trailhead, this short hike leads to a bubbling lake with a temperature of the lake around 125 degrees. Mudpots and steam vents line part of the shore and drainage creeks. Be careful to stay on clearly marked trails in this area as the ground around the lake is unstable; travel in these areas may result in severe injury.
- Terminal Geyser - Access this gigantic steam vent from the Warner Valley trailhead. Although not a true geyser, this spurting steam located in the middle of a creek, provides a spectacular show!
- Cold Boiling Lake - Enjoy a short hike from the Kings Creek Picnic Area to this quaint lake where "cold boiling" bubbles rise like soda water.
- Devastated Trail - The Devastated Area Interpretive Trail is a 0.2-mile loop. Trailside signs detail the area's formation during the 1915-1916 Lassen Peak eruption. Restrooms, picnic tables, and trash and recycle bins are available at the trailhead. A number of spots within the Devastated Area afford excellent views of Lassen Peak and the upper Devastated Area on its southeast slope.
Today’s survival skill was actually more mine than Benny’s. I don’t know if my little bear is getting sick, sick, or getting over almost getting sick. I needed to practice my we-will-not-freak-out and we-will-remain-calm protocols. This is one of those times that being alone sucks.
August 28th
Benny was back to being bright and chipper this morning. He may have just had a chill from all the wet in Fern Loop and then the Kayaking, it could be that he was having a “moment” which he does occasionally when something reminds him of Lawrence or Penny, it could have been he was getting overtired and it caught up with him, it could have been anything. I’ll keep an eye on him, but he was good and fine all day today and kept giving me the “you’re being weird” look every time I tried to check his vitals for just in case.
I debated the first hike this morning due to its length, but Benny was all excited because he’d seen it in a documentary. Devils Kitchen is a 4.2-mile, roundtrip, moderate trail in the Warner Valley area that leads visitors to this bubbling cauldron. There are also steam vents, mudpots, and boiling pools. We saw some of this stuff in Yellowstone but this was a different setting. This trail is beautiful the entire way, but especially so in the beginning.
The trail went along many elevated boardwalks as we walked along the creek and through a few meadows. We even saw two deer while hiking. They must be used to people as they barely paid us any obvious attention as we went by them. The trail was easy to follow through the meadow despite no signage because the ground is packed down and the path is easy to see against the gree of the plants and wildflowers
At about a half-mile the trail split with the other path going to Terminal Geyser and Boiling Springs Lake. The part of the trail we took continued along the creek with a couple of water crossings on small bridges. In one section you could also see Drakesbed Guest Ranch, which is the primary lodging in Lassen Volcanic National Park. At the one-mile mark, we reached another giant meadow with forest on both sides.
This area is beautiful, and was a nice walk through such an open space. After hiking in trees it almost feels too big when you are in the middle of it. A little agoraphobic. From there the trail headed back into the forest and started going up. In fact we continued ascending most of the way to the Devil’s Kitchen, but it wasn’t too tough. I took plenty of breaks for Benny’s sake but he didn’t seem very affected. This area was peaceful since most of our fellow hikers had to shut up to conserve their breath. Bears are often reported here, but we didn’t see any.
Eventually, we reached the end of the uphill part and had a 100 foot downhill to Devil’s Kitchen. We began seeing some steam rising as we headed down and saw a creek with greyish water entering it. The Devil’s Kitchen is a large geothermal area right next to the creek.
It has a quarter mile trail that took us all around the area with many different steam vents and colored pools to look at. I thought it was small at first and didn’t realize that it was a more extensive trail with a good amount to see on its quarter mile.
The top of the small hill brings you to the primary steam vents which were spewing out when we were there.
As we headed down the other side of the hill, we saw a pool with yellow dirt surrounding it, which is one of the most photographed areas in the Devil’s Kitchen.
There is a grey creek that comes off the pools in this section and some boiling mud if you listen for it. The trail continued down but doesn’t get you very close to the rest of the geothermal aspects of this area. Survival Skill was a review of the safety rules we learned in Yellowstone: Be sure to stay on the trail! The ground can crumble, and you would not want to fall in the boiling water.
We took lots of photos and then began the hike back out. I was happy we visited this part of the park. Despite my concern for Benny, he never acted sick at all. I kept us to a slower pace than normal and perhaps that helped.
August 28th (Part 2)
Our next activity was to hike Bumpass Hell. It’s a 3-mile roundtrip trail that is the largest hydrothermal area in the park but is accessible by trail only in the summer and fall (approximately June through October according to the park newspaper). The trail began from the parking area on the park highway (7 miles from the Southwest Entrance). A boardwalk provided up-close access to some of the hydrothermal features in the 16-acre basin.
Bumpass Hell was named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, who stumbled on this area in the late 1800s while he was hiking. It is called Bumpass Hell because he fell in one of the steam geysers and ended up losing a leg. Can you guess what our survival skill continued to be about with a story like that? It is a geothermal area that has many steam vents that continuously pour out steam and sulfur gases from the molten lava, which is running five miles below. The forest ranger there told us some of the water is so acidic it is like stomach acid. This is a beautiful hike though and both similar and dissimilar to Yellowstone.
If I had to describe the hike’s difficulty I would say easy to moderate. It should be relatively easy for most people though I did see some hikers huffing and puffing when they looked in better shape than that. The Bumpass Hell area is certainly something that should be experienced in the park. Even though you have to smell the sulfur which was … er … strong in a couple of places, even stronger than in Fart Gulch.
The first part of the trail goes along the edge of a mountain. Along the way, there were beautiful vista points that overlooked the forest and streams below. The trail is beautiful the entire way.
Hiking along the trail took us over a hill and back towards the Bumpass Hell geothermal area. After we topped the hill we saw the colors and boiling mud pots of the area.
Similar to Yellowstone, the terrain itself is almost otherworldly, like the setting of a sci-fi movie or some space documentary. There are a lot of orange, red, and bluish rocks all over, due to the sulfur mixing with the ground. Plus, the creek that comes off Bumpass Helli has solid grey water.
There are many mud pots constantly boil from the heat that is coming up from underground. The boardwalk allows you to get within viewing distance without walking on the brittle surface. One of the largest features is called Big Boiler, the central steam geyser in Bumpass Hell, has water that reaches 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
When we finished walking along the boardwalk, we headed up the small hill to the overlook on the other side of Bumpass Hell. It gave us a fantastic view looking back the other way towards the main geothermal area.
I wasn’t going to push Benny for more though he seemed ready and eager if that had been the plan. We came back to camp and decided since Benny seemed to really be feeling better and not tired, that we would take the kayak out on Manzanita Lake but I made sure he had on his wet suit and rain poncho. He didn’t want to wear the rain poncho but I told him it was non-negotiable and that I would wear mine as well for just in case. Maybe I was over compensating but decided tough, that was just the way it was going to be for both of us.
I made chicken soup (again) but this time added gluten-free dumplings so it was almost a chicken stew. I wasn’t surprised when Benny was ready to snuggle with the crew not long after and I feel like my choices today were worth the change of pace.
Our next activity was to hike Bumpass Hell. It’s a 3-mile roundtrip trail that is the largest hydrothermal area in the park but is accessible by trail only in the summer and fall (approximately June through October according to the park newspaper). The trail began from the parking area on the park highway (7 miles from the Southwest Entrance). A boardwalk provided up-close access to some of the hydrothermal features in the 16-acre basin.
Bumpass Hell was named after Kendall Vanhook Bumpass, who stumbled on this area in the late 1800s while he was hiking. It is called Bumpass Hell because he fell in one of the steam geysers and ended up losing a leg. Can you guess what our survival skill continued to be about with a story like that? It is a geothermal area that has many steam vents that continuously pour out steam and sulfur gases from the molten lava, which is running five miles below. The forest ranger there told us some of the water is so acidic it is like stomach acid. This is a beautiful hike though and both similar and dissimilar to Yellowstone.
If I had to describe the hike’s difficulty I would say easy to moderate. It should be relatively easy for most people though I did see some hikers huffing and puffing when they looked in better shape than that. The Bumpass Hell area is certainly something that should be experienced in the park. Even though you have to smell the sulfur which was … er … strong in a couple of places, even stronger than in Fart Gulch.
The first part of the trail goes along the edge of a mountain. Along the way, there were beautiful vista points that overlooked the forest and streams below. The trail is beautiful the entire way.
Hiking along the trail took us over a hill and back towards the Bumpass Hell geothermal area. After we topped the hill we saw the colors and boiling mud pots of the area.
Similar to Yellowstone, the terrain itself is almost otherworldly, like the setting of a sci-fi movie or some space documentary. There are a lot of orange, red, and bluish rocks all over, due to the sulfur mixing with the ground. Plus, the creek that comes off Bumpass Helli has solid grey water.
There are many mud pots constantly boil from the heat that is coming up from underground. The boardwalk allows you to get within viewing distance without walking on the brittle surface. One of the largest features is called Big Boiler, the central steam geyser in Bumpass Hell, has water that reaches 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
When we finished walking along the boardwalk, we headed up the small hill to the overlook on the other side of Bumpass Hell. It gave us a fantastic view looking back the other way towards the main geothermal area.
I wasn’t going to push Benny for more though he seemed ready and eager if that had been the plan. We came back to camp and decided since Benny seemed to really be feeling better and not tired, that we would take the kayak out on Manzanita Lake but I made sure he had on his wet suit and rain poncho. He didn’t want to wear the rain poncho but I told him it was non-negotiable and that I would wear mine as well for just in case. Maybe I was over compensating but decided tough, that was just the way it was going to be for both of us.
I made chicken soup (again) but this time added gluten-free dumplings so it was almost a chicken stew. I wasn’t surprised when Benny was ready to snuggle with the crew not long after and I feel like my choices today were worth the change of pace.
Lived for a while just off of HWY44 a few miles east of Shingletown. Only had to walk a hundred yards or so down the road to have a view through the trees of Mt. Lassen. The earthquakes were so small and frequent that one needed to make an effort to notice most of 'em. Every once in a while. though, there'd be one strong enough to remind one that that mountain erupted just last century.
Hope our guys learn some of the huge blow-up of what used to be Mt. Tehama.
Hope our guys learn some of the huge blow-up of what used to be Mt. Tehama.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Another thank you for the chapters during your busy life.
August 29th
Holy geothermic crap Batman!! Earthquake. I mean a freaking earthquake. And they said it was a mild one. You telling me an earthquake is mild even when it sets off all the car alarms in the campgrounds?!
Okay. Calm down Gus. Don’t freak the Little Bear out. His eyes are still big around as silver dollars and he’s got the Crew and his special items all packed up tight and sitting beside our go-bags up in my platform bed. I didn’t tell him to do that, it was his choice. I let him because it was an action he could take to address his anxiety. Me on the other hand? I’m playing adult. Thankfully I got all of our water tanks and containers filled before we went to the amphitheater.
Okay stop. Back up and start at the beginning of the day Gus. This is your way of dealing with stress and keeping the hamster leashed. And man, doesn’t that little furry beast feel all wide-eyed and bushy tailed and in need of a clonazepam or three.
We were up early for a good breakfast I fixed in the van since we had full hook ups. I decided that while I was doing that, I would also fill up the freshwater tank and all of our water jugs so I wouldn’t have so much to do to close down camp tonight. In retrospect I’m glad I used my time wisely and multitasked the early morning away.
Our first hike of the day was the Manzanita Loop Trail, a 1.7-mile loop that can take 30-60 minutes depending on your speed. The trail is one of a handful of walks in the park with scenic views of the iconic Lassen Peak, what the park gets it name from. The dirt trail begins at the lake from the Manzanita Lake Day Use Area or Loomis Plaza (between the restrooms and museum). A tip from a fellow hiker gave us the information that parking is easiest at the boat launch.
Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags are visible from a large section of the western shore. There was also a sign-thingie that gave us a history lesson.
Around the year 1670 a massive rock avalanche fell outward from the northwest slope of some nearby lava domes known as Chaos Crags. This avalanche traveled outward at over one hundred mph to the northwest and destroyed nearly everything in its path. Manzanita Creek, which flows to the west, became blocked and formed a natural dam. The end result was a body of water about a half mile in length called Manzanita Lake.
Manzanita Lake is a hub for visitors at the park’s northern entrance. It was gorgeous and perfectly still and calm, perfect canoe and kayak weather. Even better than it was last night. Around the lake are ample amounts of shade from willows and towering Jeffrey Pines. Because we were out before the crowds drove the animals into hiding we got to see both a muskrat and a couple of beavers who made their home at this lake. We also saw a few deer but no beer, another animal common to the area. Didn’t hurt my feelings any. To the left of Lassen Peak was a view of Chaos Crags.
The lake presents one of the best viewing areas of the park’s main attraction: Lassen Peak. I had no idea it was the southern most active volcano in the Cascade Range. I mean I guess they’ve discussed it in some of the sign-thingies and at the visitor center but it didn’t register. In geologic time it hasn’t been that long ago that the peak as erupted; 1914-1921. It had been dormant for thousands of years and then without warning it goes BANG! Gee whiz.
The mountain was formed by a lava dome. The volcano towers above the eastern shores of the lake and is still a hotspot for geological activity. Now they tell me. The last series of eruptions from 1914 to 1917 ejected ash over 30,000 feet into the air, sent mudflows over ten miles away, and completely destroyed three square miles. Historically the Native American people’s of the Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu have inhabited the area for hunting and gathering during the warmer months.
I must be nuts or something. Not that long ago we were at Mt Saint Helens and the park has the park as the word “volcanic” in its name. I guess that just goes to show you can ignore anything until it reaches out and slaps you upside your head.
The lake didn’t take us long, so we headed on to our next hike. King’s Creek Falls was a 2.3-mile loop. The first half-mile passed along Lower Kings Creek Meadow. The loop then began to the left (clockwise) along the Upper Cascades section, which offered expansive vistas as it steadily descended towards Kings Creek Falls. As soon as we started our descent to the waterfall we could see how beautiful the area is. Then we reached a large meadow.
As we continued, the trail started to follow the creek that eventually became the waterfall. It didn’t take long for the water to pick up speed.
About a mile in, we reached a split for the steep cascade area of the hike or the horse trail. The horsetail is .3 miles longer but much less steep overall for those that need it. The cascade portion was closed due to a recent slide so the horse trail it was even with the unscooped poop.
The horse trail started at the top of the hill and followed switchbacks down. It was a gentle grade, with a few trees you could use for shade if you needed it. It was warm at midmorning, but not enough to hunt up a tree for shade. Or at least not for Benny and I. What some people consider “too warm” is a mystery.
When we reached the bottom, we were at the creek again and saw a couple of other small waterfalls as well as the beautiful cascades behind it. There was also another side for the closed cascade trail and I could see why they would have it closed off. Geez. What a mess.
After about another third of a mile, we dropped off at the top Kings Creek Falls. You can’t see the falls from there, just see the drop. It is a tummy tickler.
We continued around on the trail to get a better view. It is a 40-foot waterfall that falls elegantly over the rocks below.
There was a ranger there that said if we were interested in some scrambling, we could make it down to the base of the falls for a complete view.
Yes, Benny was up for it so we took it slow and steady. And yes, it was definitely worth it. I took a lot of pictures down here. This waterfall was fantastic. I almost hated to climb out and head back but all good things must come to an end and we had other plans.
For a treat I took us to the Lassen Café for lunch since I’d heard from a commenter on the blog that the café had some gluten-free options. They were swamped but I got takeout for both of us. They had a gluten-free grilled turkey and cheddar sandwich that Benny practically wolfed down once we got to a picnic spot. I’m relieved. He’s normally a good eater, not picky, so for him to be off his feed really bothered me. I had a grilled ham and swiss and it wasn’t bad at all either. I also had a caffeine-free root beer with my lunch, the first one in a long time, and I was just about ready to come out of my skin. Way too much sugar. Thank goodness I hadn’t gotten one for Benny. I would have been chasing him through the clouds.
As a surprise, since he’d been a good sport about my rules yesterday, I took Benny swimming to work off some wiggles with some swimming while the opportunity was there but man was that water cold. And hour was about all either one of us was interested in. We headed back to camp, and I had Benny shower right away with what hot water there was; then just I rinsed off (brrrrr).
All play and no work gives Gus an ulcer. I needed to go over the notes and itinerary and Benny was due some free-time that he could choose what he wanted to do. Within reason. He chose to have the Crew out while he finished filling in some blanks on his Junior Ranger stuff and then used his discovery toys. I also let him take some pictures with his tablet. I’ve looked at some and it is educational for me to see what he thinks is interesting down at his level.
Since I have the solar cooker I decided to make the kabobs I had planned that way. Almost burnt them even though it isn’t what I would consider hot. I still haven’t got the knack of using that thing. I need to use it more to save on fuel and batteries but I hate feeling stupid. I need to practice more.
After dinner we headed to the Ranger-led program at the amphitheater so that we could turn Benny’s junior ranger stuff in and get his pin. I’m glad we did it before the program because I don’t know if it would have worked out otherwise.
The program was on the history of the park and included a slide show.
Early in the 20th century, the eruption of the Lassen Volcanic Center spawned the development of the first U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcano observatory. Today, USGS scientists monitor the Lassen Volcanic Center with the goal of predicting hazardous conditions. Instruments called seismometers measure seismic activity and are stationed at several locations throughout Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The park seismic stations produce helicorders (digital seismographs) which display ground movement for a 24-hour period. Some stations pick up a lot of "noise" (movement not associated with earthquakes), but if the same signal appears on several helicorders, it probably represents an earthquake.
Will Lassen Peak erupt again? No one can say for sure if or when; however, Lassen is considered still active because of the geothermal activity in area over the previous one hundred years. Hazards from a future eruption could include:
The ranger was still talking and there was a picture from the 1915 eruption on the screen and I swear I guess most of us put it down to some weird special effect when we felt the rumbling through our feet. The ranger stopped talking mid-sentence and the look on her face made me realize that it wasn’t special effects.
She picked up a bullhorn and as she calmly announced what we needed to do she demonstrated.
“Off the benches. Get on the ground. Watch for falling objects. Don’t panic. Keep your party together.”
It was over so fast I couldn’t tell you how long it was. Seconds, not minutes, but it felt like forever at the same time.
“Please remain where you are until a ranger gives you further instructions.”
That’s when I heard all of the car alarms going off and noticed there was no lights. After about five minutes we were instructed to get up, carefully, then to calmly make our way back to our campsite, checking for fallen objects once we got there. Good thing some of us thought to bring flashlights or we would have had to wait for rangers to lead us.
I keep everything well tied down and secured so we didn’t suffer any damage. I heard other people lost a few things to breakage inside their RVs. I was worried about the awning but nothing is bent. Also, nothing fell on the solar panels. I let Benny help me check things over so he wouldn’t be like a rabid monkey. He gave the appearance of calming down but when I put him in the van so I could talk to some of the other campers I came back to find he’d gotten out go-bags and the Crew all arranged.
He's finally asleep but I’m not sorry that we are leaving tomorrow. The trails are all going to be closed until they can be checked for damage. The boat dock has a few nails pop up on the rails. They also need to check on some backcountry campers and hikers at first light. The earthquake was a “small” one. Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. If that was small I don’t want to be in anything bigger. I wasn’t this discombobulated after a Cat 3 hurricane made a direct landing just north of Jacksonville while Lawrence was TDY.
There’s a long drive tomorrow and I need to stop around Sacramento to pick up groceries as well. If I can find a wallyworld along the way I may just pick up a fuel can or two and fill them up just to be on the safe side. All the power is still off in the campground and with that also went the water and hookups.
I just hope I can get some sleep tonight.
Resources:
Food Service – Lassen Lodging
Holy geothermic crap Batman!! Earthquake. I mean a freaking earthquake. And they said it was a mild one. You telling me an earthquake is mild even when it sets off all the car alarms in the campgrounds?!
Okay. Calm down Gus. Don’t freak the Little Bear out. His eyes are still big around as silver dollars and he’s got the Crew and his special items all packed up tight and sitting beside our go-bags up in my platform bed. I didn’t tell him to do that, it was his choice. I let him because it was an action he could take to address his anxiety. Me on the other hand? I’m playing adult. Thankfully I got all of our water tanks and containers filled before we went to the amphitheater.
Okay stop. Back up and start at the beginning of the day Gus. This is your way of dealing with stress and keeping the hamster leashed. And man, doesn’t that little furry beast feel all wide-eyed and bushy tailed and in need of a clonazepam or three.
We were up early for a good breakfast I fixed in the van since we had full hook ups. I decided that while I was doing that, I would also fill up the freshwater tank and all of our water jugs so I wouldn’t have so much to do to close down camp tonight. In retrospect I’m glad I used my time wisely and multitasked the early morning away.
Our first hike of the day was the Manzanita Loop Trail, a 1.7-mile loop that can take 30-60 minutes depending on your speed. The trail is one of a handful of walks in the park with scenic views of the iconic Lassen Peak, what the park gets it name from. The dirt trail begins at the lake from the Manzanita Lake Day Use Area or Loomis Plaza (between the restrooms and museum). A tip from a fellow hiker gave us the information that parking is easiest at the boat launch.
Lassen Peak and Chaos Crags are visible from a large section of the western shore. There was also a sign-thingie that gave us a history lesson.
Around the year 1670 a massive rock avalanche fell outward from the northwest slope of some nearby lava domes known as Chaos Crags. This avalanche traveled outward at over one hundred mph to the northwest and destroyed nearly everything in its path. Manzanita Creek, which flows to the west, became blocked and formed a natural dam. The end result was a body of water about a half mile in length called Manzanita Lake.
Manzanita Lake is a hub for visitors at the park’s northern entrance. It was gorgeous and perfectly still and calm, perfect canoe and kayak weather. Even better than it was last night. Around the lake are ample amounts of shade from willows and towering Jeffrey Pines. Because we were out before the crowds drove the animals into hiding we got to see both a muskrat and a couple of beavers who made their home at this lake. We also saw a few deer but no beer, another animal common to the area. Didn’t hurt my feelings any. To the left of Lassen Peak was a view of Chaos Crags.
The lake presents one of the best viewing areas of the park’s main attraction: Lassen Peak. I had no idea it was the southern most active volcano in the Cascade Range. I mean I guess they’ve discussed it in some of the sign-thingies and at the visitor center but it didn’t register. In geologic time it hasn’t been that long ago that the peak as erupted; 1914-1921. It had been dormant for thousands of years and then without warning it goes BANG! Gee whiz.
The mountain was formed by a lava dome. The volcano towers above the eastern shores of the lake and is still a hotspot for geological activity. Now they tell me. The last series of eruptions from 1914 to 1917 ejected ash over 30,000 feet into the air, sent mudflows over ten miles away, and completely destroyed three square miles. Historically the Native American people’s of the Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu have inhabited the area for hunting and gathering during the warmer months.
I must be nuts or something. Not that long ago we were at Mt Saint Helens and the park has the park as the word “volcanic” in its name. I guess that just goes to show you can ignore anything until it reaches out and slaps you upside your head.
The lake didn’t take us long, so we headed on to our next hike. King’s Creek Falls was a 2.3-mile loop. The first half-mile passed along Lower Kings Creek Meadow. The loop then began to the left (clockwise) along the Upper Cascades section, which offered expansive vistas as it steadily descended towards Kings Creek Falls. As soon as we started our descent to the waterfall we could see how beautiful the area is. Then we reached a large meadow.
As we continued, the trail started to follow the creek that eventually became the waterfall. It didn’t take long for the water to pick up speed.
About a mile in, we reached a split for the steep cascade area of the hike or the horse trail. The horsetail is .3 miles longer but much less steep overall for those that need it. The cascade portion was closed due to a recent slide so the horse trail it was even with the unscooped poop.
The horse trail started at the top of the hill and followed switchbacks down. It was a gentle grade, with a few trees you could use for shade if you needed it. It was warm at midmorning, but not enough to hunt up a tree for shade. Or at least not for Benny and I. What some people consider “too warm” is a mystery.
When we reached the bottom, we were at the creek again and saw a couple of other small waterfalls as well as the beautiful cascades behind it. There was also another side for the closed cascade trail and I could see why they would have it closed off. Geez. What a mess.
After about another third of a mile, we dropped off at the top Kings Creek Falls. You can’t see the falls from there, just see the drop. It is a tummy tickler.
We continued around on the trail to get a better view. It is a 40-foot waterfall that falls elegantly over the rocks below.
There was a ranger there that said if we were interested in some scrambling, we could make it down to the base of the falls for a complete view.
Yes, Benny was up for it so we took it slow and steady. And yes, it was definitely worth it. I took a lot of pictures down here. This waterfall was fantastic. I almost hated to climb out and head back but all good things must come to an end and we had other plans.
For a treat I took us to the Lassen Café for lunch since I’d heard from a commenter on the blog that the café had some gluten-free options. They were swamped but I got takeout for both of us. They had a gluten-free grilled turkey and cheddar sandwich that Benny practically wolfed down once we got to a picnic spot. I’m relieved. He’s normally a good eater, not picky, so for him to be off his feed really bothered me. I had a grilled ham and swiss and it wasn’t bad at all either. I also had a caffeine-free root beer with my lunch, the first one in a long time, and I was just about ready to come out of my skin. Way too much sugar. Thank goodness I hadn’t gotten one for Benny. I would have been chasing him through the clouds.
As a surprise, since he’d been a good sport about my rules yesterday, I took Benny swimming to work off some wiggles with some swimming while the opportunity was there but man was that water cold. And hour was about all either one of us was interested in. We headed back to camp, and I had Benny shower right away with what hot water there was; then just I rinsed off (brrrrr).
All play and no work gives Gus an ulcer. I needed to go over the notes and itinerary and Benny was due some free-time that he could choose what he wanted to do. Within reason. He chose to have the Crew out while he finished filling in some blanks on his Junior Ranger stuff and then used his discovery toys. I also let him take some pictures with his tablet. I’ve looked at some and it is educational for me to see what he thinks is interesting down at his level.
Since I have the solar cooker I decided to make the kabobs I had planned that way. Almost burnt them even though it isn’t what I would consider hot. I still haven’t got the knack of using that thing. I need to use it more to save on fuel and batteries but I hate feeling stupid. I need to practice more.
After dinner we headed to the Ranger-led program at the amphitheater so that we could turn Benny’s junior ranger stuff in and get his pin. I’m glad we did it before the program because I don’t know if it would have worked out otherwise.
The program was on the history of the park and included a slide show.
Early in the 20th century, the eruption of the Lassen Volcanic Center spawned the development of the first U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) volcano observatory. Today, USGS scientists monitor the Lassen Volcanic Center with the goal of predicting hazardous conditions. Instruments called seismometers measure seismic activity and are stationed at several locations throughout Lassen Volcanic National Park.
The park seismic stations produce helicorders (digital seismographs) which display ground movement for a 24-hour period. Some stations pick up a lot of "noise" (movement not associated with earthquakes), but if the same signal appears on several helicorders, it probably represents an earthquake.
Will Lassen Peak erupt again? No one can say for sure if or when; however, Lassen is considered still active because of the geothermal activity in area over the previous one hundred years. Hazards from a future eruption could include:
- Small basaltic lava flows and small associated local ash falls are the most common volcanic activity in the LVC. They are relatively nonviolent and rarely impact populations.
- Silicic lava flows (like dacite) have formed lava domes in the park, which can collapse to produce block and ash flows that travel several miles.
- Volcanic ash can rise several kilometers into the atmosphere when dacite magma charged with volcanic gases reaches the surface. Fallout from the eruption column can blanket areas within a few kilometers of the vent with a thick layer of tephra and winds may carry finer ash tens to hundreds of kilometers, posing a hazard to aircraft.
- Pyroclastic flows may form when a dacite magma eruption column collapses sending a hot chaotic mixture of rock, gas, and ash several kilometers down a volcano's slope.
- Lahars form when pyroclastic flows mix with large quantities of water (like melted snow) and can produce flows of mud and debris that rush down valleys leading away from a volcano. A lahar formed the Devastated Area in the park in 1915.
- Landslide and rockfalls have occurred in the park and were not directly related to eruptions. The collapse of one of the Chaos Crags domes approximately 350 years ago created a huge rockfall that climbed 400 feet up an adjacent mountain. This was likely caused by an earthquake. Normal weathering also weakens fractured volcanic rock and contributes to small rockfalls.
The ranger was still talking and there was a picture from the 1915 eruption on the screen and I swear I guess most of us put it down to some weird special effect when we felt the rumbling through our feet. The ranger stopped talking mid-sentence and the look on her face made me realize that it wasn’t special effects.
She picked up a bullhorn and as she calmly announced what we needed to do she demonstrated.
“Off the benches. Get on the ground. Watch for falling objects. Don’t panic. Keep your party together.”
It was over so fast I couldn’t tell you how long it was. Seconds, not minutes, but it felt like forever at the same time.
“Please remain where you are until a ranger gives you further instructions.”
That’s when I heard all of the car alarms going off and noticed there was no lights. After about five minutes we were instructed to get up, carefully, then to calmly make our way back to our campsite, checking for fallen objects once we got there. Good thing some of us thought to bring flashlights or we would have had to wait for rangers to lead us.
I keep everything well tied down and secured so we didn’t suffer any damage. I heard other people lost a few things to breakage inside their RVs. I was worried about the awning but nothing is bent. Also, nothing fell on the solar panels. I let Benny help me check things over so he wouldn’t be like a rabid monkey. He gave the appearance of calming down but when I put him in the van so I could talk to some of the other campers I came back to find he’d gotten out go-bags and the Crew all arranged.
He's finally asleep but I’m not sorry that we are leaving tomorrow. The trails are all going to be closed until they can be checked for damage. The boat dock has a few nails pop up on the rails. They also need to check on some backcountry campers and hikers at first light. The earthquake was a “small” one. Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. If that was small I don’t want to be in anything bigger. I wasn’t this discombobulated after a Cat 3 hurricane made a direct landing just north of Jacksonville while Lawrence was TDY.
There’s a long drive tomorrow and I need to stop around Sacramento to pick up groceries as well. If I can find a wallyworld along the way I may just pick up a fuel can or two and fill them up just to be on the safe side. All the power is still off in the campground and with that also went the water and hookups.
I just hope I can get some sleep tonight.
Resources:
Food Service – Lassen Lodging
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you, Kathy! 
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Nice thank you, I always hated those earthquakes when I lived in CA.
Aug 30 – Sep 3: Yosemite National Park, California
Weather: 98F/66F
Driving Route:
Wifi/Cell Signal – basically the signal comes and goes all over the park. The signal booster helped but there were definitely areas where there was no coverage.
Weather – Could fry an egg on the granite in the park. Apparently temps are supposed be highs in the upper 70s. Yeah. Right. There’s been a couple of cases of heat stroke as people have been unprepared for the heat. Even Benny and I think it is hot, but we know what to do for hot. Water. Water. Water. Wide brimmed hat. And a zero sweetener sports drink here and there doesn’t hurt either.
Safety note: Ticks can be a problem. Lyme Disease is carried by local ticks. I had Lyme when I was little. Don’t remember it and got all the prescriptions to get rid of it. Grandma Barry on the other hand was truly traumatized by my infection and was always spraying me down and checking me over during tick season. I swear Deet must have attached to my DNA as much as I was bathed in it, I haven’t been tick bit since then.
August 30th – First day in Yosemite
Power and water were still off in Lassen when we got up. We weren’t the first ones up and out of the park, but we weren’t far behind them. Explained to the rangers we weren’t running away but had planned to leave this morning all along. The guy didn’t really respond, seemed distracted, so I didn’t try and have a conversation with him or the other rangers. They had a job to do, and I had my own of getting us to our next stop.
Whew, long day but we’re here. Wow. The crowds are nuts, worse than Glacier – could anything be worse than the crowds at Glacier? – but on the plus side they have this place organized, I’ll give them that. Little regimented compared to what I’ve become used to in the other parks, but I don’t think the relaxed management approach would work with this number of people. We’re very lucky they limit the number that stay in the park overnight so there is some relief at least.
I’m doubly glad that I decided to stop and get groceries before we got too close to Yosemite because the closer we got, the more expensive everything became. And instead of that being in Sacramento I stopped in a wallyworld in Yuba City, CA early, early in the AM.
We got there right as the place was opening so everything was fresh in the deli and it looked like everything had been restocked overnight. Better even was it seemed that the wallyworlds out here in California cater to those with special diets. I found all the gluten free pastas I could want including Orzo and Egg Noodles, plus things like gluten free Duncan Heinz cake mixes and gluten free Krusteaz brand pancake and muffin mixes. They even had some Birch Benders at a better price than I could get it even at the warehouse club. Benny did the happy dance when he saw the pancake mixes, naturally.
When I say they cater to special diets I am not exaggerating. Gluten free cream of XXX soups that I’d never seen. Dried egg whites and dried whole milk that would both help make meals on the road easier. Nut and seed butters like sunflower butter that we were finally running out of. They also had cashew, pecan, and walnut butters. They also had all of those, plus almond, as “flours” in the baking aisle. They had the Snyder’s gluten free pretzels that Benny likes so I picked up two bags to make GORP for our hikes. Found some gluten free mini-graham crackers that could be used the same way. Cream of Rice hot cereal as well as several different rice blends made the list of things to keep an eye out for from here on out. Gluten-free Quaker brand instant oatmeal and gluten free baking mixes of several brands also hopped into the buggy. Rice snack crackers and rice ramen gave me ideas to piece out leftovers. I got several stacks of gluten-free tortilla shells since we use them so much. Several flavors of Lara Bars and Luna bars jumped in right after that.
“Ooooo look! Can this box of Chex cereal jump in Aunt Gus? It says gluten free.”
I gave him the you-are-a-stinker look and said, “Let me see the ingredients.” It looked okay but we had an agreement that since I was buying some junk that I don’t normally buy, he had to eat “good stuff” before the junk. I also got suckered into some gluten-free Oreos.
“You agree to eat good stuff before the junk?”
“Yes Aunt Gus.”
“Stinker winker,” I muttered just loud enough for him to hear on purpose.
He laughed and I caught a guy trying not to get caught looking at us from the corner of his eye. When he realized he was caught, he cleared his throat and asked, “You … wouldn’t happen to be Little Bear and Aunt Gus?”
“And?” I asked politely but ready to pull out and run.
“My wife reads your blog. Our kid has celiac real bad. I … uh … thanks and one of the nurses in the pediatric clinic recommended it.”
Caught a little sideways that early in the morning I asked, “For?”
He shrugged. “She treats Shawn like he is made of glass. Kid is miserable ‘cause he doesn’t get to do things other kids do. You … you’ve got her thinking maybe she can let go more than she does now that we’ve got his diet straight. All it takes is some planning.”
Relaxing into the role I’d somehow picked for myself I told him, “When they first get diagnosed it’s easy to think yourself into paranoia with all the stuff they want you to read and the predictions they make. And it isn’t easy, especially if you have to be really strict with their diet or they hurt … or you have to peel them off the ceiling because it affects how they behave. But when you make it routine, teach them how to deal with it and watch out for things that make them feel sick, it becomes more manageable. Manageable makes it bearable. Things get better. Sharing the diet with them doesn’t hurt either. Doesn’t make it super easy, but definitely more manageable than it feels in the beginning.”
“Yeah, Shawn is just four. He was a sick little boy for over a year. It happened right after he had to have his appendix out. He was in and out of the hospital, no one knew what was going on until they figured out it wasn’t an infection, or allergies, but celiac. Anyway … she’s gonna freak that I met you,” he said with a bashful grin.
Benny Big Ears piped up and said, “Tell Shawn I said hello.”
The guy grinned, “Right back at you Little Bear Dude.”
We finished our shopping with some canned meats (the kind I knew were gluten-free), fresh fruit, veggies, and some fresh meat that would keep in the freezer space we had after I repackaged it; but I had stuff to think about. I hadn’t been paying attention until recently how many hits the blog has been getting. Most of it was “return the favor” kind of traffic I got when I mentioned other blogger’s posts, or mentioned certain products. Some of it was search engine driven because of some weird combination like “gluten-free kids vacation.” I’m sure there were other reasons, but the hits were getting prolific compared to when I started. I was also getting requests for recipes, and someone suggested trying to monetize some vids which I might do. I don’t know. I don’t want to take time away from Benny, but at the same time I need a better financial plan that I currently have that doesn’t leave us owing the company store our souls. We’ll see how it goes.
I was checking out when the guy spotted me and came over. “Uh … my wife doesn’t believe me. Can I put you on Facetime?”
“Okay? But don’t put this out all over the place. I try and keep Little Bear’s face off social media.”
“Oh I get that all right. We are like no social media for the kids at all. We don’t even want our parents to do it and have to tell them just email, no posting it on Instacrap, Tik Turd, and places like that.”
After that he left to go home – he was stopping for groceries after working all night – obviously having built up some credits in the honey department. I finally got to check out and the girl asked, “Are you like a celebrity?”
“Definitely no,” I said with a laugh.
“Then what’s the fuss?”
“I’m just doing a blog. Not a big deal.”
“Oh, that.” I thought she was going to run it down but instead said, “Look, my brother is in digital marketing. Want some advice? Don’t turn down some free networking. Do you have a business card?”
“Uh … no.”
She handed me her phone. “Type in your blog address and I’ll pass it along to him. He’s doing his doctoral studies and maybe he can use you.” She insisted on giving me her brother’s name and university email address in return.
Okay, possibly stupid but I’m still figuring everything out. And my site is moderated for many reasons so if it blows up it won’t be because I’m not trying.
Getting the groceries and gas took a little longer than I had planned, there were lines at the pump and then a fat lady objecting to me filling gas cans on top of my tank despite the attendant telling her to relax and that it wasn’t against the rules. Apparently I was getting more than my fair share. Come to overhear that she was from out of the area and had come to fill up here to get around the restrictions in her town. The hypocrisy was huge in her. And that pun was intended. As for us, I’m going to stay topped off as I can. California has some weird practices out here. You can’t count on the laws staying the same from town to town. Just … bizarre.
Eventually we made it to the park road and I realized how crowded Yosemite gets. Getting Benny’s Junior Ranger booklets downloaded ahead of time helped immensely when it came to his experience. He could focus on the exhibits in the visitor center instead of waiting in line to get the booklet from the ranger and then wait in line for us to pay for it. That’s right, everything seems to cost here in the park, including the things like the junior ranger program that is free nearly every other park.
The parking in Yosemite is also problematical. We got a spot in the RV lot at the visitor center and walked for the remainder of the day. One of the rangers recommending waiting until some of the traffic cleared out before heading to the campground so that’s what we did.
Benny and I were both anxious to get started. Our first hike was short but strenuous. Bridalveil Falls Trail is barely 0.5 miles round trip. The elevation gain was only 80 feet but that was a lot for the short distance. They call it an “easy” hike but I noticed for many visitors it wasn’t. We began at the Bridalveil Fall Parking Area. The falls plunge 620 feet and is often the first waterfall people see when entering Yosemite Valley. In spring, it thunders from snow melt; during the rest of the year it is a light, swaying flow. A paved trail led from the parking area to the base of this waterfall. Although paved, this is trail is not wheelchair accessible due to its grade.
Our next hike was called Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. It was a 1-mile loop with the same kind of elevation change as the first hike. We began it at the Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead (shuttle stop #6). They call it North America's tallest waterfall for a reason. Lower Yosemite Fall is the final 320-foot drop. We got sprayed when we stood on the footbridge near its base. It is a paved loop trail that offers different vantage points of Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Creek, and you can stop at the many exhibits and sign-thingies to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the area. We walked from the Valley Visitor center, followed the bicycle path to shuttle stop #6, and picked up the trail there. We walked the loop clockwise for best views of Yosemite Falls.
Another short, 1-mile loop hike we did was Cook’s Meadow Loop. Flat and easy and another one that wasn’t far from the Valley Visitor center. This walk offered stunning views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Sentinel Rock. From the visitor center, we walked west along the bicycle path toward Lower Yosemite Fall. At shuttle stop #6, we crossed the street and followed the bike path, bearing left as the path forked. At Sentinel Bridge parking area (shuttle stop #11), we walked out onto the bridge to get a classic view (and a selfie) of Half Dome before returning to the parking area. We followed the boardwalk back across the meadow, across the two streets, and turned right to return to the visitor center. Like I said, not much in distance but worth it for the awe on Benny’s face. Mine too for that matter.
I’ve been trying to make sure and remember to take pictures of Benny and I together. I have them all on my computer and organized when I do my digital housekeeping chores. To me they are priceless and I keep them backed up just in case. I know I have the memories in my head but pictures are pretty wonderful to have too.
Another hike we took was a 5-miler called Mirror Lake Trail. We began at shuttle stop #17. The first mile of the trail was a paved service road that leads directly to Mirror Lake. The loop part was at the end at the paved road. The loop followed Tenaya Creek beyond the lake, and crossed two bridges after the Snow Creek Trail junction before returning past Mirror Lake on the south side of Tenaya Canyon. Here’s how it works … Mirror Lake doesn’t have much water in it most of the year. This helps the water stay very calm. “Mirror like.” When the water is calm, the lake provides beautiful reflections of the surrounding cliffs. Sign-thingies along the trail told about the natural progress of how Mirror Lake started as a meadow and then progressed to what it looks like today.
After that hike it was time to head to the Upper Pines Campground. They changed the site number on us despite the fact that I had checked in earlier. It caused a little confusion, but we all stayed polite and it was quickly rectified. Since Benny and I didn’t need a tent, I volunteered to take the smallest site just to get things over with. I didn’t happen to mention that since the site was sunnier than the one we had originally been assigned it was better for us anyway.
Benny and I were backed in and setting up for dinner when a couple of rangers walked up. “Aunt Gus and Little Bear?”
I’d already been caught out once today so I shrugged with a grinned and answered, “Yes?”
They relaxed. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Letting the other party have your original assigned site.”
“Oh … well sure. Little Bear and I have sufficient space here.”
“You do, but the concessionaire is going to comp one of your nights in addition to the discount you get for being a GSF.”
Well I wasn’t turning that down. We also got a day pass for the YARTS bus that would take us down to the South Entrance.
Need to get out of this journal and on to double checking our itinerary for tomorrow now that I have the shuttle map. Whew. Sometimes the planning is more work that the doing.
Weather: 98F/66F
Driving Route:
Wifi/Cell Signal – basically the signal comes and goes all over the park. The signal booster helped but there were definitely areas where there was no coverage.
Weather – Could fry an egg on the granite in the park. Apparently temps are supposed be highs in the upper 70s. Yeah. Right. There’s been a couple of cases of heat stroke as people have been unprepared for the heat. Even Benny and I think it is hot, but we know what to do for hot. Water. Water. Water. Wide brimmed hat. And a zero sweetener sports drink here and there doesn’t hurt either.
Safety note: Ticks can be a problem. Lyme Disease is carried by local ticks. I had Lyme when I was little. Don’t remember it and got all the prescriptions to get rid of it. Grandma Barry on the other hand was truly traumatized by my infection and was always spraying me down and checking me over during tick season. I swear Deet must have attached to my DNA as much as I was bathed in it, I haven’t been tick bit since then.
August 30th – First day in Yosemite
Power and water were still off in Lassen when we got up. We weren’t the first ones up and out of the park, but we weren’t far behind them. Explained to the rangers we weren’t running away but had planned to leave this morning all along. The guy didn’t really respond, seemed distracted, so I didn’t try and have a conversation with him or the other rangers. They had a job to do, and I had my own of getting us to our next stop.
Whew, long day but we’re here. Wow. The crowds are nuts, worse than Glacier – could anything be worse than the crowds at Glacier? – but on the plus side they have this place organized, I’ll give them that. Little regimented compared to what I’ve become used to in the other parks, but I don’t think the relaxed management approach would work with this number of people. We’re very lucky they limit the number that stay in the park overnight so there is some relief at least.
I’m doubly glad that I decided to stop and get groceries before we got too close to Yosemite because the closer we got, the more expensive everything became. And instead of that being in Sacramento I stopped in a wallyworld in Yuba City, CA early, early in the AM.
We got there right as the place was opening so everything was fresh in the deli and it looked like everything had been restocked overnight. Better even was it seemed that the wallyworlds out here in California cater to those with special diets. I found all the gluten free pastas I could want including Orzo and Egg Noodles, plus things like gluten free Duncan Heinz cake mixes and gluten free Krusteaz brand pancake and muffin mixes. They even had some Birch Benders at a better price than I could get it even at the warehouse club. Benny did the happy dance when he saw the pancake mixes, naturally.
When I say they cater to special diets I am not exaggerating. Gluten free cream of XXX soups that I’d never seen. Dried egg whites and dried whole milk that would both help make meals on the road easier. Nut and seed butters like sunflower butter that we were finally running out of. They also had cashew, pecan, and walnut butters. They also had all of those, plus almond, as “flours” in the baking aisle. They had the Snyder’s gluten free pretzels that Benny likes so I picked up two bags to make GORP for our hikes. Found some gluten free mini-graham crackers that could be used the same way. Cream of Rice hot cereal as well as several different rice blends made the list of things to keep an eye out for from here on out. Gluten-free Quaker brand instant oatmeal and gluten free baking mixes of several brands also hopped into the buggy. Rice snack crackers and rice ramen gave me ideas to piece out leftovers. I got several stacks of gluten-free tortilla shells since we use them so much. Several flavors of Lara Bars and Luna bars jumped in right after that.
“Ooooo look! Can this box of Chex cereal jump in Aunt Gus? It says gluten free.”
I gave him the you-are-a-stinker look and said, “Let me see the ingredients.” It looked okay but we had an agreement that since I was buying some junk that I don’t normally buy, he had to eat “good stuff” before the junk. I also got suckered into some gluten-free Oreos.
“You agree to eat good stuff before the junk?”
“Yes Aunt Gus.”
“Stinker winker,” I muttered just loud enough for him to hear on purpose.
He laughed and I caught a guy trying not to get caught looking at us from the corner of his eye. When he realized he was caught, he cleared his throat and asked, “You … wouldn’t happen to be Little Bear and Aunt Gus?”
“And?” I asked politely but ready to pull out and run.
“My wife reads your blog. Our kid has celiac real bad. I … uh … thanks and one of the nurses in the pediatric clinic recommended it.”
Caught a little sideways that early in the morning I asked, “For?”
He shrugged. “She treats Shawn like he is made of glass. Kid is miserable ‘cause he doesn’t get to do things other kids do. You … you’ve got her thinking maybe she can let go more than she does now that we’ve got his diet straight. All it takes is some planning.”
Relaxing into the role I’d somehow picked for myself I told him, “When they first get diagnosed it’s easy to think yourself into paranoia with all the stuff they want you to read and the predictions they make. And it isn’t easy, especially if you have to be really strict with their diet or they hurt … or you have to peel them off the ceiling because it affects how they behave. But when you make it routine, teach them how to deal with it and watch out for things that make them feel sick, it becomes more manageable. Manageable makes it bearable. Things get better. Sharing the diet with them doesn’t hurt either. Doesn’t make it super easy, but definitely more manageable than it feels in the beginning.”
“Yeah, Shawn is just four. He was a sick little boy for over a year. It happened right after he had to have his appendix out. He was in and out of the hospital, no one knew what was going on until they figured out it wasn’t an infection, or allergies, but celiac. Anyway … she’s gonna freak that I met you,” he said with a bashful grin.
Benny Big Ears piped up and said, “Tell Shawn I said hello.”
The guy grinned, “Right back at you Little Bear Dude.”
We finished our shopping with some canned meats (the kind I knew were gluten-free), fresh fruit, veggies, and some fresh meat that would keep in the freezer space we had after I repackaged it; but I had stuff to think about. I hadn’t been paying attention until recently how many hits the blog has been getting. Most of it was “return the favor” kind of traffic I got when I mentioned other blogger’s posts, or mentioned certain products. Some of it was search engine driven because of some weird combination like “gluten-free kids vacation.” I’m sure there were other reasons, but the hits were getting prolific compared to when I started. I was also getting requests for recipes, and someone suggested trying to monetize some vids which I might do. I don’t know. I don’t want to take time away from Benny, but at the same time I need a better financial plan that I currently have that doesn’t leave us owing the company store our souls. We’ll see how it goes.
I was checking out when the guy spotted me and came over. “Uh … my wife doesn’t believe me. Can I put you on Facetime?”
“Okay? But don’t put this out all over the place. I try and keep Little Bear’s face off social media.”
“Oh I get that all right. We are like no social media for the kids at all. We don’t even want our parents to do it and have to tell them just email, no posting it on Instacrap, Tik Turd, and places like that.”
After that he left to go home – he was stopping for groceries after working all night – obviously having built up some credits in the honey department. I finally got to check out and the girl asked, “Are you like a celebrity?”
“Definitely no,” I said with a laugh.
“Then what’s the fuss?”
“I’m just doing a blog. Not a big deal.”
“Oh, that.” I thought she was going to run it down but instead said, “Look, my brother is in digital marketing. Want some advice? Don’t turn down some free networking. Do you have a business card?”
“Uh … no.”
She handed me her phone. “Type in your blog address and I’ll pass it along to him. He’s doing his doctoral studies and maybe he can use you.” She insisted on giving me her brother’s name and university email address in return.
Okay, possibly stupid but I’m still figuring everything out. And my site is moderated for many reasons so if it blows up it won’t be because I’m not trying.
Getting the groceries and gas took a little longer than I had planned, there were lines at the pump and then a fat lady objecting to me filling gas cans on top of my tank despite the attendant telling her to relax and that it wasn’t against the rules. Apparently I was getting more than my fair share. Come to overhear that she was from out of the area and had come to fill up here to get around the restrictions in her town. The hypocrisy was huge in her. And that pun was intended. As for us, I’m going to stay topped off as I can. California has some weird practices out here. You can’t count on the laws staying the same from town to town. Just … bizarre.
Eventually we made it to the park road and I realized how crowded Yosemite gets. Getting Benny’s Junior Ranger booklets downloaded ahead of time helped immensely when it came to his experience. He could focus on the exhibits in the visitor center instead of waiting in line to get the booklet from the ranger and then wait in line for us to pay for it. That’s right, everything seems to cost here in the park, including the things like the junior ranger program that is free nearly every other park.
The parking in Yosemite is also problematical. We got a spot in the RV lot at the visitor center and walked for the remainder of the day. One of the rangers recommending waiting until some of the traffic cleared out before heading to the campground so that’s what we did.
Benny and I were both anxious to get started. Our first hike was short but strenuous. Bridalveil Falls Trail is barely 0.5 miles round trip. The elevation gain was only 80 feet but that was a lot for the short distance. They call it an “easy” hike but I noticed for many visitors it wasn’t. We began at the Bridalveil Fall Parking Area. The falls plunge 620 feet and is often the first waterfall people see when entering Yosemite Valley. In spring, it thunders from snow melt; during the rest of the year it is a light, swaying flow. A paved trail led from the parking area to the base of this waterfall. Although paved, this is trail is not wheelchair accessible due to its grade.
Our next hike was called Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. It was a 1-mile loop with the same kind of elevation change as the first hike. We began it at the Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead (shuttle stop #6). They call it North America's tallest waterfall for a reason. Lower Yosemite Fall is the final 320-foot drop. We got sprayed when we stood on the footbridge near its base. It is a paved loop trail that offers different vantage points of Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Creek, and you can stop at the many exhibits and sign-thingies to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the area. We walked from the Valley Visitor center, followed the bicycle path to shuttle stop #6, and picked up the trail there. We walked the loop clockwise for best views of Yosemite Falls.
Another short, 1-mile loop hike we did was Cook’s Meadow Loop. Flat and easy and another one that wasn’t far from the Valley Visitor center. This walk offered stunning views of Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Sentinel Rock. From the visitor center, we walked west along the bicycle path toward Lower Yosemite Fall. At shuttle stop #6, we crossed the street and followed the bike path, bearing left as the path forked. At Sentinel Bridge parking area (shuttle stop #11), we walked out onto the bridge to get a classic view (and a selfie) of Half Dome before returning to the parking area. We followed the boardwalk back across the meadow, across the two streets, and turned right to return to the visitor center. Like I said, not much in distance but worth it for the awe on Benny’s face. Mine too for that matter.
I’ve been trying to make sure and remember to take pictures of Benny and I together. I have them all on my computer and organized when I do my digital housekeeping chores. To me they are priceless and I keep them backed up just in case. I know I have the memories in my head but pictures are pretty wonderful to have too.
Another hike we took was a 5-miler called Mirror Lake Trail. We began at shuttle stop #17. The first mile of the trail was a paved service road that leads directly to Mirror Lake. The loop part was at the end at the paved road. The loop followed Tenaya Creek beyond the lake, and crossed two bridges after the Snow Creek Trail junction before returning past Mirror Lake on the south side of Tenaya Canyon. Here’s how it works … Mirror Lake doesn’t have much water in it most of the year. This helps the water stay very calm. “Mirror like.” When the water is calm, the lake provides beautiful reflections of the surrounding cliffs. Sign-thingies along the trail told about the natural progress of how Mirror Lake started as a meadow and then progressed to what it looks like today.
After that hike it was time to head to the Upper Pines Campground. They changed the site number on us despite the fact that I had checked in earlier. It caused a little confusion, but we all stayed polite and it was quickly rectified. Since Benny and I didn’t need a tent, I volunteered to take the smallest site just to get things over with. I didn’t happen to mention that since the site was sunnier than the one we had originally been assigned it was better for us anyway.
Benny and I were backed in and setting up for dinner when a couple of rangers walked up. “Aunt Gus and Little Bear?”
I’d already been caught out once today so I shrugged with a grinned and answered, “Yes?”
They relaxed. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“Letting the other party have your original assigned site.”
“Oh … well sure. Little Bear and I have sufficient space here.”
“You do, but the concessionaire is going to comp one of your nights in addition to the discount you get for being a GSF.”
Well I wasn’t turning that down. We also got a day pass for the YARTS bus that would take us down to the South Entrance.
Need to get out of this journal and on to double checking our itinerary for tomorrow now that I have the shuttle map. Whew. Sometimes the planning is more work that the doing.
August 31st – Wanona and Mariposa (Part 1)
The YARTS bus thing was a little confusing but fine once I had a ranger direct us to the only stopping point of the bus in the Yosemite Valley visitor area. Apparently the YARTS system brings people from outside the park, as it way outside the park like Fresno outside the park as an example, and then has a couple of standard stops, one of which was at the South Entrance area which is where we needed to get. I could have driven it but to be honest, it didn’t hurt my feelings to take the shuttle and bus. I love the Ark but finding a parking space for it isn’t always the easiest thing to do. And the traffic on those narrow roads was a nerve-wracking challenge as well. So, the YARTS bus it was and thank you very much.
I also found out that the bus we used today was a special one that only operates in summer, in fact the route would be closing in less than two weeks. So, I suppose I could have driven but the tickets were free, and it saved us from using the OMG-Expensive fuel they have out here in California. Not to mention there is no fuel available inside the park so it is even better that we conserve however we can. Yes, I have extra fuel canisters but I prefer to have them and not need them.
After getting on the YARTS we got off in the Wawona area of the park, not far from the southern entrance. Since the stop was at the Wawona Hotel we were essentially right at the start of our first trail, the Wawona Meadow Loop. It was a 3.5 mile loop that took two hours. We could have gone a little faster but the trail was already getting a lot of people traffic as well as people with leashed pets.
Wawona Meadow Loop Trail is described in the trail guides as weaving through the forest surrounding a large meadow at the south end of Yosemite National Park, offering a relaxing hike that receives less attention than those in Yosemite Valley. Starting from trailheads on two sides of Wawona Hotel (Big Trees Lodge), Meadow Loop Trail follows an old road for 3.3 miles and can be connected by paths across the hotel ground for a 3.9-mile loop with 250 gentle feet of elevation change. I don’t know about the “less attention” part of the description. There looked to be plenty of people there in my opinion.
Sign-thingies along the trail gave information about Wawona Basin’s ecosystems and history. The trail was mostly-shaded but we’d missed all of the wildflowers which was kinda disappointing. Not to mention due to the drought things were starting to “brown out” and get crispy well ahead of the Autumn cool down. Speaking of cool down, I’m glad I decided to take the extra weight of water because it was so hot we needed it. There were some people on the trails today that were borderline in distress and there were rangers all over the place making sure that there was only “almost” and not “in distress.”
Most people seem to take the loop counterclockwise but there didn’t seem to be any disadvantage to hiking in the other direction. From a partially paved parking area just off the south side of Wawona Road (4.3 miles from the park’s south entrance), there is a trail kiosk labeled “Meadow Loop” in front of the gate at the start of Meadow Loop Trail. That is where we came out at then end. We decided to make a full loop (not just a “U”) so started at the hotel.
There is a crosswalk over Wawona Road. Traffic made getting across a little interesting, but we safely made our way to the north side of the busy road and continued up a dirt trail. In another tenth of a mile, the trail joined a paved road into the hotel grounds. The sign instructed us to bear right and continue heading northwest. From there we continued along the road and took a curve to the left past some hotel cabins and then to the Wawona Hotel’s golf shop. We had to use a crosswalk again and then went through a bit of brush. We were at the golf course and I was a little worried I’d taken a wrong turn but another hiker said after a bit the trail leaves the course and for the most part stays well away from it. Following his instructions, we bore right on a path along the golf course that quickly reached Chowchilla Mountain Road, a paved road that intersects Wawona Road.
We turned left to take Chowchilla Mountain Road for 0.05 miles to the start the loop part of Meadow Loop Trail. This is one of the oldest roads in Yosemite National Park, which began as a horse trail and developed into a stage road that connected Wawona with the mining town of Mariposa. The road was said to include bone-jarring drops and climbs on the way to Wawona Basin. A sign-thingie along the road explained: The Chowchilla Mountain Road began in 1856 as a simple toll trail providing access from Mariposa to Yosemite Valley. In 1870, Galen Clark and others expanded this trail to a stage road, enabling wheeled vehicles to reach Clark’s Station (Wawona). This road continues to receive limited use today. I read in The Yosemite, something I did with Dad as we dreamed his bucket list, John Muir described Galen Clark as the best mountaineer he had ever met and one of his kindest mountain friends.
As we walked south on Chowchilla Mountain Road, I thought of Dad and wondered if the Creator had let him do things like he had on his bucket list. I know, strange thought, but I do wonder about things like that at times. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, I hope when they got where they were going that it came with a benefits package like getting to do things they didn’t have a chance to in this life. I mean the Creator made these places for a purpose. I may not know what the purpose is, but I still think everyone should get a chance to experience them in this life or what comes after it. I’m beginning to think that not getting to experience the world the Creator made for us would be part of what hell must be like.
In the distance, I saw the tumbling waters of Chilnualna Falls (try saying that three times fast). To the east is a long clear view up Wawona Meadow toward Mount Savage.
After putting in the 0.6-mile preamble, basically just a connect between the two legs of the “U”, we turned left to begin on the trail proper. Meadow Loop Trail is built on an old paved road, but much of the pavement is eroded and covered in dirt and tree debris. Looked oddly like the road in front of my old house. It used to be paved but floods and storms had washed out most of the road bed and the county never could get up the energy to repair and repave the road. They treated it like an old limerock road and would occasionally grade it just to keep the potholes from getting so big a gator would sunbathe in them.
One of the sign-thingies read: The trail follows the historic Meadow Loop Road, originally built in 1891. In addition to serving as a sightseeing road for visitors, it allowed for easy access to the orchard, pasture, and farmland that once comprised a large section of this meadow to the south. Enjoy your travels down Wawona’s memory lane!
The trail was wide as it went through a forest of tall ponderosa pines, accompanied by incense cedars and white firs. To our left were views through the trees at the edge of the meadow looking across the golf course toward the Victorian hotel. Meh. I was eager to get further away from what passed for “civilization” in these parts.
Another third of a mile bought us to the first of five sign-thingies along the trail. This one described the plants that grow in Wawona Meadow, with an emphasis on how they are adapted to conditions in the Sierra Nevada where wetlands are flooded in the spring by snowmelt but dry out later in the year.
The trail signs directed us to continue heading southeast along the trail through the forest bordering Wawona Meadow. Here and there the trees thinned out enough to see the meadow and get views of Wawona Dome, a mass of granite rising to the north. Old sections of a split-rail fence border the meadow, and we also saw old cattle chutes giving hints at the “long and varied history” of Wawona Meadow, as outlined by the next panel along the loop: In 1851, the Mariposa Battalion passed by here on their way into Yosemite Valley. Wawona, and the historic Wawona Hotel, quickly became a stopping place for visitors on their way to and from Yosemite Valley to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. From the mid-1850s until the early 1930s, the purveyors of the Wawona Hotel used Wawona Meadow as a place to grow fruits and vegetables and graze horses, mules, cows, and pigs. For a short time there was a landing strip in this meadow to allow for air service into Wawona! In 1918, the Wawona Golf Course was constructed in the north end of the meadow. As recently as the 1970s, this meadow was used as a pasture for horses from the Wawona Stables.
The trail guide explained that the Wawona Area did not become part of Yosemite National Park until 1932, so the meadow isn’t as natural as other areas of the park, but it is still pretty. After reading the sign-thingies we got back into the where the next third of a mile offered views across the meadow through a thin rows of trees. Black oaks and dogwoods grew among the conifers.
The third sign-thingie described restoration efforts undertaken by the National Park Service starting in 2010. Meadows in this region typically flood with snowmelt in the spring and slowly distribute that water into rivers. Ditches dug in Wawona Meadow in 1936 altered that behavior, diverting water to orchards and other agricultural and livestock uses for the area’s inhabitants. Changing the water patterns changed what plants grew in the meadow, allowing non-native plants to take root. The ditches deepened and the erosion increased – until the park service took action and filled the ditches and replanted native flora. Strange to think you would want a flood, but there you go. Humans can be crazy even when they are trying to do the right thing.
The trail then rounded the south end of the meadow and crossed the first of three creeks that drain into the meadow, 1.5 miles from the trailhead on Chowchilla Mountain Road (and 2.1 miles from the start of the hike). It was dry as a bone but you could still see where the creeks were trickling through. We hiked a quarter mile across the south end of the meadow to a junction by a second creek crossing. Good thing for trail signs. A few people thought they’d try to take a “short cut” but we stayed to the left as instructed, passed a wide dirt road parting to the right. Just ahead, the trail passed the third creek crossing, which appeared to be the most active and had it not be for the drought, required some log and rock hopping during wet months.
The trail then turned northwest along the other side of the basin. The forest on that side provided broader views over the meadow. We passed another sign-thingie that described animals that live in and around Wawona Meadow. The panel explained why the area surrounding the trail is a hot spot for animal viewing: The transitional zone between two different ecosystems – like here between the forest and the Wawona Meadow is called an ecotone. Ecotones like this can be great places to view wildlife because animals common to overlapping environments are often brought together here.
Animals that live around Wawona Meadow include black bears, deer, coyotes, weasels, martens, foxes, bobcats, mice, chipmunks, and dozens of species of birds. We continued into the final 1.5 miles of the hike and started hearing vehicle noise from Wawona Road. Ugh. But it wasn’t too bad, just annoying like a mosquito flying around your head. The trail descended off a conifer-covered hill to return to the side of the meadow, where it passed black oaks and willows. Spotted a lone corn lily hiding out in a protected spot.
The last of the sign-thingies was there and titled, “A Good Place to Stop” even though there was another 0.55 miles to go. The panel explained that Native Americans lived in the Wawona Area for at least 5,000 years, and in the region at large for over 10,000 years: American Indians were living along the South Fork of the Merced River, a few miles downstream from Wawona when pioneers arrived in 1851. Originally called Pallahchun (an American Indian word for “a good place to stop”), Wawona was later know as Clark’s Station, named for Galen Clark, pioneer and founder of the Wawona Hotel, who was appointing the first “Guardian” of the Yosemite Grant by the state of California.
We finished the hike by continuing to walk along the gently rolling trail, enjoying some of the best views across Wawona Meadow.
It was pretty doggone warm so as a “necessary treat” for both Benny and I we walked to the Wawona Store to grab something to drink. I also wound up grabbing more than that. There was a Xing sign that had a bear cub on it. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist it. Benny got the giggles and snorted and I said, “Maybe I should trade it for a little pig crossing.”
Of course that made it worse. Oh well. I was happy to see him (both of us) over the scare of the earthquake. It was all over the news. It was measured at its epicenter as a 4.7 but lucky that was in the middle of nowhere and there wasn’t much damaged than a couple of broken dishes in other places. Still didn’t like it and hope I don’t have to feel that sort of thing again. I like roller coasters, didn’t like the feeling the quake gave me. I nearly got motion sick.
Since I didn’t know if we’d be stopping there on the way out, I got some other things … post cards, patches for Benny to earn, some drinks “for the trail.” And shock of all shocks they had gluten free sour gummy worms. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Benny. I could see him trying to decide between a Benny Blue sports drink and the worms. I mentally said what-the-heck and just got both of them. I could see him struggling to say something and then I nearly fell down when he looked me in the eye and said, “Stinker winker.” Geez, I needed the laugh for real.
Our next hike just so happened to start right from the store parking area. It was called Swinging Bridge, an easy five-mile loop. We started by following Follow Forest Drive, the paved road, two miles upstream from the store to the Seventh Day Adventist camp. At the camp, we bore to the left onto a dirt road and continued a half-mile to Swinging Bridge, the entire point of the trail. It deserved its name and swung worse that the bridge at O’Leno State Park in Florida.
We crossed the bridge and bore left again onto the trail that became a dirt road, then paved Chilnualna Falls Road. This road took us back to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center where we walked through the history center and its covered bridge to return to the Wawona Store.
The bridge and the history center were the best parts of the trail. I mean there was nothing really wrong with the trail but I have to admit it isn’t the best or most interesting one we’ve ever been on.
It was time to grab some lunch so I hauled out the plastic table cloth I carry around for just such a purpose and we had a picnic. It was basically just your tried-and-true taco walking salad using up some of the leftovers sitting in the frig to make room for the new stuff that was kinda crammed in there all higglety pigglety. And for dessert we have a walking banana cream pie. Basically the same thing only with gluten-free nilla wafers and gluten-free banana pudding.
When I was little Grandfather Barry said he can just remember pudding coming in metal pop-top cans. When I asked Dad he said when he was a boy pudding came in plastic cups with plastic covers you peeled off. Both sound weird since all I’ve ever known is pudding you squeeze out of a plastic tube. Nearly everything comes in tubes these days … pudding, tomato paste, garlic paste, hot pepper paste (e.g., chipotle), mustard, mayo, vegetarian sandwich spreads, horseradish, pate, herbs, you name it. Can make putting things on the refrigerator door a little challenging but I just keep them in the drawer instead.
After we cleaned up from the picnic we took a shuttle (not the YARTS) to the Mariposa Grove area which wasn’t far.
The YARTS bus thing was a little confusing but fine once I had a ranger direct us to the only stopping point of the bus in the Yosemite Valley visitor area. Apparently the YARTS system brings people from outside the park, as it way outside the park like Fresno outside the park as an example, and then has a couple of standard stops, one of which was at the South Entrance area which is where we needed to get. I could have driven it but to be honest, it didn’t hurt my feelings to take the shuttle and bus. I love the Ark but finding a parking space for it isn’t always the easiest thing to do. And the traffic on those narrow roads was a nerve-wracking challenge as well. So, the YARTS bus it was and thank you very much.
I also found out that the bus we used today was a special one that only operates in summer, in fact the route would be closing in less than two weeks. So, I suppose I could have driven but the tickets were free, and it saved us from using the OMG-Expensive fuel they have out here in California. Not to mention there is no fuel available inside the park so it is even better that we conserve however we can. Yes, I have extra fuel canisters but I prefer to have them and not need them.
After getting on the YARTS we got off in the Wawona area of the park, not far from the southern entrance. Since the stop was at the Wawona Hotel we were essentially right at the start of our first trail, the Wawona Meadow Loop. It was a 3.5 mile loop that took two hours. We could have gone a little faster but the trail was already getting a lot of people traffic as well as people with leashed pets.
Wawona Meadow Loop Trail is described in the trail guides as weaving through the forest surrounding a large meadow at the south end of Yosemite National Park, offering a relaxing hike that receives less attention than those in Yosemite Valley. Starting from trailheads on two sides of Wawona Hotel (Big Trees Lodge), Meadow Loop Trail follows an old road for 3.3 miles and can be connected by paths across the hotel ground for a 3.9-mile loop with 250 gentle feet of elevation change. I don’t know about the “less attention” part of the description. There looked to be plenty of people there in my opinion.
Sign-thingies along the trail gave information about Wawona Basin’s ecosystems and history. The trail was mostly-shaded but we’d missed all of the wildflowers which was kinda disappointing. Not to mention due to the drought things were starting to “brown out” and get crispy well ahead of the Autumn cool down. Speaking of cool down, I’m glad I decided to take the extra weight of water because it was so hot we needed it. There were some people on the trails today that were borderline in distress and there were rangers all over the place making sure that there was only “almost” and not “in distress.”
Most people seem to take the loop counterclockwise but there didn’t seem to be any disadvantage to hiking in the other direction. From a partially paved parking area just off the south side of Wawona Road (4.3 miles from the park’s south entrance), there is a trail kiosk labeled “Meadow Loop” in front of the gate at the start of Meadow Loop Trail. That is where we came out at then end. We decided to make a full loop (not just a “U”) so started at the hotel.
There is a crosswalk over Wawona Road. Traffic made getting across a little interesting, but we safely made our way to the north side of the busy road and continued up a dirt trail. In another tenth of a mile, the trail joined a paved road into the hotel grounds. The sign instructed us to bear right and continue heading northwest. From there we continued along the road and took a curve to the left past some hotel cabins and then to the Wawona Hotel’s golf shop. We had to use a crosswalk again and then went through a bit of brush. We were at the golf course and I was a little worried I’d taken a wrong turn but another hiker said after a bit the trail leaves the course and for the most part stays well away from it. Following his instructions, we bore right on a path along the golf course that quickly reached Chowchilla Mountain Road, a paved road that intersects Wawona Road.
We turned left to take Chowchilla Mountain Road for 0.05 miles to the start the loop part of Meadow Loop Trail. This is one of the oldest roads in Yosemite National Park, which began as a horse trail and developed into a stage road that connected Wawona with the mining town of Mariposa. The road was said to include bone-jarring drops and climbs on the way to Wawona Basin. A sign-thingie along the road explained: The Chowchilla Mountain Road began in 1856 as a simple toll trail providing access from Mariposa to Yosemite Valley. In 1870, Galen Clark and others expanded this trail to a stage road, enabling wheeled vehicles to reach Clark’s Station (Wawona). This road continues to receive limited use today. I read in The Yosemite, something I did with Dad as we dreamed his bucket list, John Muir described Galen Clark as the best mountaineer he had ever met and one of his kindest mountain friends.
As we walked south on Chowchilla Mountain Road, I thought of Dad and wondered if the Creator had let him do things like he had on his bucket list. I know, strange thought, but I do wonder about things like that at times. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life, I hope when they got where they were going that it came with a benefits package like getting to do things they didn’t have a chance to in this life. I mean the Creator made these places for a purpose. I may not know what the purpose is, but I still think everyone should get a chance to experience them in this life or what comes after it. I’m beginning to think that not getting to experience the world the Creator made for us would be part of what hell must be like.
In the distance, I saw the tumbling waters of Chilnualna Falls (try saying that three times fast). To the east is a long clear view up Wawona Meadow toward Mount Savage.
After putting in the 0.6-mile preamble, basically just a connect between the two legs of the “U”, we turned left to begin on the trail proper. Meadow Loop Trail is built on an old paved road, but much of the pavement is eroded and covered in dirt and tree debris. Looked oddly like the road in front of my old house. It used to be paved but floods and storms had washed out most of the road bed and the county never could get up the energy to repair and repave the road. They treated it like an old limerock road and would occasionally grade it just to keep the potholes from getting so big a gator would sunbathe in them.
One of the sign-thingies read: The trail follows the historic Meadow Loop Road, originally built in 1891. In addition to serving as a sightseeing road for visitors, it allowed for easy access to the orchard, pasture, and farmland that once comprised a large section of this meadow to the south. Enjoy your travels down Wawona’s memory lane!
The trail was wide as it went through a forest of tall ponderosa pines, accompanied by incense cedars and white firs. To our left were views through the trees at the edge of the meadow looking across the golf course toward the Victorian hotel. Meh. I was eager to get further away from what passed for “civilization” in these parts.
Another third of a mile bought us to the first of five sign-thingies along the trail. This one described the plants that grow in Wawona Meadow, with an emphasis on how they are adapted to conditions in the Sierra Nevada where wetlands are flooded in the spring by snowmelt but dry out later in the year.
The trail signs directed us to continue heading southeast along the trail through the forest bordering Wawona Meadow. Here and there the trees thinned out enough to see the meadow and get views of Wawona Dome, a mass of granite rising to the north. Old sections of a split-rail fence border the meadow, and we also saw old cattle chutes giving hints at the “long and varied history” of Wawona Meadow, as outlined by the next panel along the loop: In 1851, the Mariposa Battalion passed by here on their way into Yosemite Valley. Wawona, and the historic Wawona Hotel, quickly became a stopping place for visitors on their way to and from Yosemite Valley to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. From the mid-1850s until the early 1930s, the purveyors of the Wawona Hotel used Wawona Meadow as a place to grow fruits and vegetables and graze horses, mules, cows, and pigs. For a short time there was a landing strip in this meadow to allow for air service into Wawona! In 1918, the Wawona Golf Course was constructed in the north end of the meadow. As recently as the 1970s, this meadow was used as a pasture for horses from the Wawona Stables.
The trail guide explained that the Wawona Area did not become part of Yosemite National Park until 1932, so the meadow isn’t as natural as other areas of the park, but it is still pretty. After reading the sign-thingies we got back into the where the next third of a mile offered views across the meadow through a thin rows of trees. Black oaks and dogwoods grew among the conifers.
The third sign-thingie described restoration efforts undertaken by the National Park Service starting in 2010. Meadows in this region typically flood with snowmelt in the spring and slowly distribute that water into rivers. Ditches dug in Wawona Meadow in 1936 altered that behavior, diverting water to orchards and other agricultural and livestock uses for the area’s inhabitants. Changing the water patterns changed what plants grew in the meadow, allowing non-native plants to take root. The ditches deepened and the erosion increased – until the park service took action and filled the ditches and replanted native flora. Strange to think you would want a flood, but there you go. Humans can be crazy even when they are trying to do the right thing.
The trail then rounded the south end of the meadow and crossed the first of three creeks that drain into the meadow, 1.5 miles from the trailhead on Chowchilla Mountain Road (and 2.1 miles from the start of the hike). It was dry as a bone but you could still see where the creeks were trickling through. We hiked a quarter mile across the south end of the meadow to a junction by a second creek crossing. Good thing for trail signs. A few people thought they’d try to take a “short cut” but we stayed to the left as instructed, passed a wide dirt road parting to the right. Just ahead, the trail passed the third creek crossing, which appeared to be the most active and had it not be for the drought, required some log and rock hopping during wet months.
The trail then turned northwest along the other side of the basin. The forest on that side provided broader views over the meadow. We passed another sign-thingie that described animals that live in and around Wawona Meadow. The panel explained why the area surrounding the trail is a hot spot for animal viewing: The transitional zone between two different ecosystems – like here between the forest and the Wawona Meadow is called an ecotone. Ecotones like this can be great places to view wildlife because animals common to overlapping environments are often brought together here.
Animals that live around Wawona Meadow include black bears, deer, coyotes, weasels, martens, foxes, bobcats, mice, chipmunks, and dozens of species of birds. We continued into the final 1.5 miles of the hike and started hearing vehicle noise from Wawona Road. Ugh. But it wasn’t too bad, just annoying like a mosquito flying around your head. The trail descended off a conifer-covered hill to return to the side of the meadow, where it passed black oaks and willows. Spotted a lone corn lily hiding out in a protected spot.
The last of the sign-thingies was there and titled, “A Good Place to Stop” even though there was another 0.55 miles to go. The panel explained that Native Americans lived in the Wawona Area for at least 5,000 years, and in the region at large for over 10,000 years: American Indians were living along the South Fork of the Merced River, a few miles downstream from Wawona when pioneers arrived in 1851. Originally called Pallahchun (an American Indian word for “a good place to stop”), Wawona was later know as Clark’s Station, named for Galen Clark, pioneer and founder of the Wawona Hotel, who was appointing the first “Guardian” of the Yosemite Grant by the state of California.
We finished the hike by continuing to walk along the gently rolling trail, enjoying some of the best views across Wawona Meadow.
It was pretty doggone warm so as a “necessary treat” for both Benny and I we walked to the Wawona Store to grab something to drink. I also wound up grabbing more than that. There was a Xing sign that had a bear cub on it. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist it. Benny got the giggles and snorted and I said, “Maybe I should trade it for a little pig crossing.”
Of course that made it worse. Oh well. I was happy to see him (both of us) over the scare of the earthquake. It was all over the news. It was measured at its epicenter as a 4.7 but lucky that was in the middle of nowhere and there wasn’t much damaged than a couple of broken dishes in other places. Still didn’t like it and hope I don’t have to feel that sort of thing again. I like roller coasters, didn’t like the feeling the quake gave me. I nearly got motion sick.
Since I didn’t know if we’d be stopping there on the way out, I got some other things … post cards, patches for Benny to earn, some drinks “for the trail.” And shock of all shocks they had gluten free sour gummy worms. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or Benny. I could see him trying to decide between a Benny Blue sports drink and the worms. I mentally said what-the-heck and just got both of them. I could see him struggling to say something and then I nearly fell down when he looked me in the eye and said, “Stinker winker.” Geez, I needed the laugh for real.
Our next hike just so happened to start right from the store parking area. It was called Swinging Bridge, an easy five-mile loop. We started by following Follow Forest Drive, the paved road, two miles upstream from the store to the Seventh Day Adventist camp. At the camp, we bore to the left onto a dirt road and continued a half-mile to Swinging Bridge, the entire point of the trail. It deserved its name and swung worse that the bridge at O’Leno State Park in Florida.
We crossed the bridge and bore left again onto the trail that became a dirt road, then paved Chilnualna Falls Road. This road took us back to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center where we walked through the history center and its covered bridge to return to the Wawona Store.
The bridge and the history center were the best parts of the trail. I mean there was nothing really wrong with the trail but I have to admit it isn’t the best or most interesting one we’ve ever been on.
It was time to grab some lunch so I hauled out the plastic table cloth I carry around for just such a purpose and we had a picnic. It was basically just your tried-and-true taco walking salad using up some of the leftovers sitting in the frig to make room for the new stuff that was kinda crammed in there all higglety pigglety. And for dessert we have a walking banana cream pie. Basically the same thing only with gluten-free nilla wafers and gluten-free banana pudding.
When I was little Grandfather Barry said he can just remember pudding coming in metal pop-top cans. When I asked Dad he said when he was a boy pudding came in plastic cups with plastic covers you peeled off. Both sound weird since all I’ve ever known is pudding you squeeze out of a plastic tube. Nearly everything comes in tubes these days … pudding, tomato paste, garlic paste, hot pepper paste (e.g., chipotle), mustard, mayo, vegetarian sandwich spreads, horseradish, pate, herbs, you name it. Can make putting things on the refrigerator door a little challenging but I just keep them in the drawer instead.
After we cleaned up from the picnic we took a shuttle (not the YARTS) to the Mariposa Grove area which wasn’t far.
August 31st – Wanona and Mariposa (Part 2)
We combined the Big Trees Loop Trail, the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, and the Mariposa Grove Trail for a long seven-mile trail. Lucky for us the there was a water station and bathroom right at the trailhead. We were warned that the trail had a fair number of twists and turns and a few of the crossed and then re-crossed each other so I made sure to have the trail guide in a convenient but secure location just in case we needed it. There were a lot of people on the trail as well but they weren’t all going the same direction.
I’m looking back on the trail in my minds eye and there was so much to see and it was so over the top, in some ways more than Redwood National and State Parks, that I can probably only describe it by hitting the high points and including information we learned from the trail guide and sign-thingies as we went along.
Start the hike by walking up the big boardwalk from the trailhead. Man was it crowded however I was determined. Dad and I had wanted to do this together. It took me a moment to let my chest loosen and carry on. I made sure that Benny could keep up and not lose sight of me, and that I wouldn’t lose sight of him.
The Fallen Monarch was the first tree to welcome us once we started the trail. To say it is a fallen tree doesn’t even begin to cut it. This giant tree tumbled down about three centuries ago, but thanks to tannic acid existing in the wood, the tree has remained preserved. Oh my gosh that thing is big even after all this time. I would not have wanted to be anywhere near it when it fell.
At this junction we stayed to the right and the steel guard rails ended and the wooden ones took their place.
The next set of trees were the Bachelor and the Three Graces.
We kept hiking but there was some up and back and forth before we finally arrive at the Grizzly Giant, the eldest and largest among all the giants sequoia trees in the park. It’s been standing in that spot for over 1,800 years. Get this, the Roman Empire controlled most of Europe while that tree was starting to grow. And by giant, I mean that just one of its branches is bigger than all the other non-sequoias in the grove.
Benny and I took a while to absorb the reality of that tree. It is almost too big to take in. Up close you see its size but you can’t put it in perspective unless you are standing well back from it.
We turned to the left and right after that we arrived at the California Tunnel Tree. This is the only tree, cut in 1895, that is still standing that has a tunnel cut into. The Giant Sequoia can still live with the tunnels cut into them, although they are weaker. The tunnel was originally cut to allow a horse-drawn podium to pass through it. We hiked through the tree and I even took a video of us doing it.
Once we got beyond the California Tunnel Tree the crowds began to noticeably get smaller. There were still a lot of people, just not as many as there had been.
The trail crosses the old tram road again before taking a hard left and climbing 0.8 miles towards a confusing five-point intersection. Good thing our trail map was explicit. We took the first left and kept going. As soon as we made the left we spotted our next landmark, the sign that said this way for Telescope Tree.
The trail was peaceful and the trees tall. It was a long section of unnamed trees. When we reached the sequoia tree that was smack in the middle of the trail we turned left. Right in front of us was Telescope Tree. The tree is hollow and you can see the sky through its middle. Giant Sequoia trees don’t need an entire trunk to live, but while alive, the tree was obviously weakened.
Just passed the Telescope Tree we bore right and not long after that we saw the huge root system of the Wawona Tunnel Tree. The Wawona Tunnel Tree, now renamed the Fallen Tunnel Tree, was the first tree in the park with a tunnel carved through it in 1881. At the time carving the tunnels was a novelty and good photo opportunity to attract visitors. In 1969, after 2300 years of life, the tree fell and died during a heavy snow. The event was an eye-opener for the parks system, and from then on their focus started shifting to conservation of the giant trees.
From the Fallen Tunnel Tree we head straight down the path where it turned into the tramroad. We continued on the old road, once open to cars many decades ago, up to Wawona Point. Wawona Point is the highest point on the hike at 6,810 feet. From the viewpoints we could see into the Wawona Valley.
After getting our fill of the views it was time to head back. When we reached the intersection where we joined the road, we continued down the road to the right. This was another tricky area because the trail map said to ignore any small side trails we saw that said Wawona Valley. We kept heading down the road until we saw a marker for the Mariposa Grove Trail. When I say down, I mean down. After all the up we’d been doing it was nice to go down. At the next intersection we made a hard left to go see Galen Clark’s cabin. The original cabin was built 1858 but by 1930 they have to build a new one and that is the one used as a museum today.
The cabin and museum was nice but didn’t take long so we headed straight out the front door and back to the five trail intersection. From there we headed towards the Clothespin Tree. The tunnel through that tree is a natural one created by a forest fire.
The signage from that point was a lot better and we followed the signs all the way back towards the boardwalk we’d started on.
There were other named trees that we saw. From a spur trail we saw the Faithful Couple. Like a sweet couple, two sequoia trees grew together and merged over the years. Until they have formed a huge trunk. Other trees were the Washington Tree, the General Sheridan Tree, the General Grant Tree, the Columbia Tree, and there were other fallen trees like the Massachusetts Tree.
I would have liked to have stayed in the area longer but we had to hurry to catch the YARTS bus back to the Valley visitor center. Whew, we just made it. We quickly found our seats and there was only one couple after us to make it.
Little Bear was willing to stay in camp tonight. He was tired and wanted to work on his Junior Ranger booklet. Dinner was stir fry where I threw in whatever was still a leftover in the frig including some turkey kielbasa, a couple of scrambled eggs, some mixed veggies, a diced slice of spam, and the remainder of a small can of pineapple tidbits. So it wasn’t haute cuisine but it filled our bellies.
I have some adulting to do. I got an email from Pei Shin checking on us after figuring out we were going to be in the area of the Lassen earthquake. I have some tax papers to sign and return to the lawyers that manage the Trust. And I need to let Groucho know how we are doing.
We combined the Big Trees Loop Trail, the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, and the Mariposa Grove Trail for a long seven-mile trail. Lucky for us the there was a water station and bathroom right at the trailhead. We were warned that the trail had a fair number of twists and turns and a few of the crossed and then re-crossed each other so I made sure to have the trail guide in a convenient but secure location just in case we needed it. There were a lot of people on the trail as well but they weren’t all going the same direction.
I’m looking back on the trail in my minds eye and there was so much to see and it was so over the top, in some ways more than Redwood National and State Parks, that I can probably only describe it by hitting the high points and including information we learned from the trail guide and sign-thingies as we went along.
Start the hike by walking up the big boardwalk from the trailhead. Man was it crowded however I was determined. Dad and I had wanted to do this together. It took me a moment to let my chest loosen and carry on. I made sure that Benny could keep up and not lose sight of me, and that I wouldn’t lose sight of him.
The Fallen Monarch was the first tree to welcome us once we started the trail. To say it is a fallen tree doesn’t even begin to cut it. This giant tree tumbled down about three centuries ago, but thanks to tannic acid existing in the wood, the tree has remained preserved. Oh my gosh that thing is big even after all this time. I would not have wanted to be anywhere near it when it fell.
At this junction we stayed to the right and the steel guard rails ended and the wooden ones took their place.
The next set of trees were the Bachelor and the Three Graces.
We kept hiking but there was some up and back and forth before we finally arrive at the Grizzly Giant, the eldest and largest among all the giants sequoia trees in the park. It’s been standing in that spot for over 1,800 years. Get this, the Roman Empire controlled most of Europe while that tree was starting to grow. And by giant, I mean that just one of its branches is bigger than all the other non-sequoias in the grove.
Benny and I took a while to absorb the reality of that tree. It is almost too big to take in. Up close you see its size but you can’t put it in perspective unless you are standing well back from it.
We turned to the left and right after that we arrived at the California Tunnel Tree. This is the only tree, cut in 1895, that is still standing that has a tunnel cut into. The Giant Sequoia can still live with the tunnels cut into them, although they are weaker. The tunnel was originally cut to allow a horse-drawn podium to pass through it. We hiked through the tree and I even took a video of us doing it.
Once we got beyond the California Tunnel Tree the crowds began to noticeably get smaller. There were still a lot of people, just not as many as there had been.
The trail crosses the old tram road again before taking a hard left and climbing 0.8 miles towards a confusing five-point intersection. Good thing our trail map was explicit. We took the first left and kept going. As soon as we made the left we spotted our next landmark, the sign that said this way for Telescope Tree.
The trail was peaceful and the trees tall. It was a long section of unnamed trees. When we reached the sequoia tree that was smack in the middle of the trail we turned left. Right in front of us was Telescope Tree. The tree is hollow and you can see the sky through its middle. Giant Sequoia trees don’t need an entire trunk to live, but while alive, the tree was obviously weakened.
Just passed the Telescope Tree we bore right and not long after that we saw the huge root system of the Wawona Tunnel Tree. The Wawona Tunnel Tree, now renamed the Fallen Tunnel Tree, was the first tree in the park with a tunnel carved through it in 1881. At the time carving the tunnels was a novelty and good photo opportunity to attract visitors. In 1969, after 2300 years of life, the tree fell and died during a heavy snow. The event was an eye-opener for the parks system, and from then on their focus started shifting to conservation of the giant trees.
From the Fallen Tunnel Tree we head straight down the path where it turned into the tramroad. We continued on the old road, once open to cars many decades ago, up to Wawona Point. Wawona Point is the highest point on the hike at 6,810 feet. From the viewpoints we could see into the Wawona Valley.
After getting our fill of the views it was time to head back. When we reached the intersection where we joined the road, we continued down the road to the right. This was another tricky area because the trail map said to ignore any small side trails we saw that said Wawona Valley. We kept heading down the road until we saw a marker for the Mariposa Grove Trail. When I say down, I mean down. After all the up we’d been doing it was nice to go down. At the next intersection we made a hard left to go see Galen Clark’s cabin. The original cabin was built 1858 but by 1930 they have to build a new one and that is the one used as a museum today.
The cabin and museum was nice but didn’t take long so we headed straight out the front door and back to the five trail intersection. From there we headed towards the Clothespin Tree. The tunnel through that tree is a natural one created by a forest fire.
The signage from that point was a lot better and we followed the signs all the way back towards the boardwalk we’d started on.
There were other named trees that we saw. From a spur trail we saw the Faithful Couple. Like a sweet couple, two sequoia trees grew together and merged over the years. Until they have formed a huge trunk. Other trees were the Washington Tree, the General Sheridan Tree, the General Grant Tree, the Columbia Tree, and there were other fallen trees like the Massachusetts Tree.
I would have liked to have stayed in the area longer but we had to hurry to catch the YARTS bus back to the Valley visitor center. Whew, we just made it. We quickly found our seats and there was only one couple after us to make it.
Little Bear was willing to stay in camp tonight. He was tired and wanted to work on his Junior Ranger booklet. Dinner was stir fry where I threw in whatever was still a leftover in the frig including some turkey kielbasa, a couple of scrambled eggs, some mixed veggies, a diced slice of spam, and the remainder of a small can of pineapple tidbits. So it wasn’t haute cuisine but it filled our bellies.
I have some adulting to do. I got an email from Pei Shin checking on us after figuring out we were going to be in the area of the Lassen earthquake. I have some tax papers to sign and return to the lawyers that manage the Trust. And I need to let Groucho know how we are doing.
September 1st – Yosemite Valley
Sent in my Letter of Intent to home school Benny by email last night during my “adulting” tasks. Woke up to find a minor “lecture” via email stating that I should have sent the letter in earlier since the school year had already started but that they’d let me off the hook because Benny won’t turn six for a couple of weeks and technically isn’t required to be registered. They also had something to say about my reasons being “travel.” I got the entire run down of what I will be required to do to maintain compliance. Ugh. Sounds like a change in leadership in the home education department. I don’t remember it being like this when I was home schooled. Unbeknownst to the adults-in-charge, I had to do most of that for myself after moving to Jacksonville because Penny was clueless and Lawrence was away so much of the time. Oh well, I’ll deal with it if it gets me what I want. My first priority has and will continue to be Benny’s well-being. So there, here’s some wet raspberries for you, you bunch of control freaks.
Today’s trail was an almost twelve-mile loop. It took nearly seven hours for us to complete the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail. It was mostly level but the length still has it marked as moderate.
We were able to leave the van parked once again which I was really happy about. The trailhead was at the Lower Yosemite Fall trail (shuttle stop #6). We headed west from there, along the bicycle path, until we saw signed for the Valley Loop Trail.
This trail follows many of the Valley's first east-west trails and wagon roads. According to the trail guide, “It offers a rare opportunity in Yosemite Valley: to hike on a fairly level trail with some solitude.” Meh. I never did find the solitude they mentioned. While some of the trail passes near roads, much of it took us through meadows, talus slopes at the base of the granite cliffs, and near the Merced River. That part was cool.
You can access the trail from many places throughout the Valley; however, we started it at the Lower Yosemite Fall area. Another hiker warned us that route-finding can be difficult in places, so it is best to bring a map with you, which I do as a matter of habit, but it was a good reminder. I did in fact have to use landmarks a few times as the trail markers were faded or missing.
The main landmark features were:
El Capitan: also known as El Cap. This three thousand feet granite piece of rock is a sheer vertical cliff. It was most recently made famous in the film, Free Solo where a rock climber made it up the wall with no safety ropes in four hours.
Half Dome: A large granite dome visible from most of the eastern half of the valley loop trail. This dome attracts visitors by the thousands each year who attempt to climb the steep dome shaped face.
Mirror Lake (which we’d already hiked to) as well as other we’d already seen such as Bridalveil Fall: A 617 foot waterfall from the south walls of Yosemite Valley. Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls: This trail connects to the trails for both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. This cascading waterfall is the tallest in California and the top ten tallest in North America at well over one thousand feet. And most of the Yosemite Amenities: The Yosemite Village, the Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Yosemite Chapel, The Ahwahnee Hotel, Half Dome Village, and The Visitor Center.
From the Lower Yosemite Fall area, we first headed west along the base of the Three Brothers rock formation, past Camp 4, eventually working our way through Yosemite Valley to El Capitan. We continued west past El Capitan toward Bridalveil Fall. We took a break at both – along with some pictures – to admire the amazing landmarks. While most of the trail is flat, there were some hilly sections throughout the hike. There were also mixed trail surfaces: dirt, rocks, sand, and old pavement. It made things interesting and a few times easier to tell which direction to take.
The Natives of Yosemite Valley, the Ahwahnechee, deserve credit for establishing the first trails within Yosemite Valley. Most of these trails were either walkways between villages or possibly hunting trails. Part of the Valley Loop trail may have even been old wagon roads first established by the Euro-Americans in the Valley.
From the small footbridge at Bridalveil Falls it was 3 miles to the next junction we needed. There was a lot to look at along the way including Cathedral Rocks, as well as the Southern Rim of the Valley including Taft Point and the Fissures. Continue east from the junction of make sure you check out the Swinging bridge there for great views of Yosemite Falls. We crossed the Sentinel Bridge and discovered we were just steps away from Yosemite Village.
The trail wasn’t nearly as difficult or as long as I expected it to be. I don’t know if we missed a turn somewhere along the way and took a connector trail or just what. Or maybe Benny and I are just so used to hiking that when someone tells us to expect it to be “moderate” we need to evaluate it for ourselves and our own skill level.
I almost decided to get something to eat at the Lodge but when I saw the waitlist for reservations and what it was going to cost us … nope. Instead I took a little extra time with dinner tonight and made grilled pizza. Benny was thrilled and he played in camp with the Crew and his discovery toys while I cooked. I had the fidgets but some down time isn’t going to kill me. The problem was it gave me too much time to think about things I really don’t want to think about. I know I need to but … I’ll do it tomorrow, or next week. There’s time. I hope.
Sent in my Letter of Intent to home school Benny by email last night during my “adulting” tasks. Woke up to find a minor “lecture” via email stating that I should have sent the letter in earlier since the school year had already started but that they’d let me off the hook because Benny won’t turn six for a couple of weeks and technically isn’t required to be registered. They also had something to say about my reasons being “travel.” I got the entire run down of what I will be required to do to maintain compliance. Ugh. Sounds like a change in leadership in the home education department. I don’t remember it being like this when I was home schooled. Unbeknownst to the adults-in-charge, I had to do most of that for myself after moving to Jacksonville because Penny was clueless and Lawrence was away so much of the time. Oh well, I’ll deal with it if it gets me what I want. My first priority has and will continue to be Benny’s well-being. So there, here’s some wet raspberries for you, you bunch of control freaks.
Today’s trail was an almost twelve-mile loop. It took nearly seven hours for us to complete the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail. It was mostly level but the length still has it marked as moderate.
We were able to leave the van parked once again which I was really happy about. The trailhead was at the Lower Yosemite Fall trail (shuttle stop #6). We headed west from there, along the bicycle path, until we saw signed for the Valley Loop Trail.
This trail follows many of the Valley's first east-west trails and wagon roads. According to the trail guide, “It offers a rare opportunity in Yosemite Valley: to hike on a fairly level trail with some solitude.” Meh. I never did find the solitude they mentioned. While some of the trail passes near roads, much of it took us through meadows, talus slopes at the base of the granite cliffs, and near the Merced River. That part was cool.
You can access the trail from many places throughout the Valley; however, we started it at the Lower Yosemite Fall area. Another hiker warned us that route-finding can be difficult in places, so it is best to bring a map with you, which I do as a matter of habit, but it was a good reminder. I did in fact have to use landmarks a few times as the trail markers were faded or missing.
The main landmark features were:
El Capitan: also known as El Cap. This three thousand feet granite piece of rock is a sheer vertical cliff. It was most recently made famous in the film, Free Solo where a rock climber made it up the wall with no safety ropes in four hours.
Half Dome: A large granite dome visible from most of the eastern half of the valley loop trail. This dome attracts visitors by the thousands each year who attempt to climb the steep dome shaped face.
Mirror Lake (which we’d already hiked to) as well as other we’d already seen such as Bridalveil Fall: A 617 foot waterfall from the south walls of Yosemite Valley. Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls: This trail connects to the trails for both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. This cascading waterfall is the tallest in California and the top ten tallest in North America at well over one thousand feet. And most of the Yosemite Amenities: The Yosemite Village, the Yosemite Valley Lodge, The Yosemite Chapel, The Ahwahnee Hotel, Half Dome Village, and The Visitor Center.
From the Lower Yosemite Fall area, we first headed west along the base of the Three Brothers rock formation, past Camp 4, eventually working our way through Yosemite Valley to El Capitan. We continued west past El Capitan toward Bridalveil Fall. We took a break at both – along with some pictures – to admire the amazing landmarks. While most of the trail is flat, there were some hilly sections throughout the hike. There were also mixed trail surfaces: dirt, rocks, sand, and old pavement. It made things interesting and a few times easier to tell which direction to take.
The Natives of Yosemite Valley, the Ahwahnechee, deserve credit for establishing the first trails within Yosemite Valley. Most of these trails were either walkways between villages or possibly hunting trails. Part of the Valley Loop trail may have even been old wagon roads first established by the Euro-Americans in the Valley.
From the small footbridge at Bridalveil Falls it was 3 miles to the next junction we needed. There was a lot to look at along the way including Cathedral Rocks, as well as the Southern Rim of the Valley including Taft Point and the Fissures. Continue east from the junction of make sure you check out the Swinging bridge there for great views of Yosemite Falls. We crossed the Sentinel Bridge and discovered we were just steps away from Yosemite Village.
The trail wasn’t nearly as difficult or as long as I expected it to be. I don’t know if we missed a turn somewhere along the way and took a connector trail or just what. Or maybe Benny and I are just so used to hiking that when someone tells us to expect it to be “moderate” we need to evaluate it for ourselves and our own skill level.
I almost decided to get something to eat at the Lodge but when I saw the waitlist for reservations and what it was going to cost us … nope. Instead I took a little extra time with dinner tonight and made grilled pizza. Benny was thrilled and he played in camp with the Crew and his discovery toys while I cooked. I had the fidgets but some down time isn’t going to kill me. The problem was it gave me too much time to think about things I really don’t want to think about. I know I need to but … I’ll do it tomorrow, or next week. There’s time. I hope.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very good, thank you dear lady.
September 2nd – Vernal and Nevada Falls
Went to a completely different area of the park today … Happy Isles which is at Shuttle Stop #16.
We combined the Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls Trails which the trail getting successively strenuous as we went along from the Vernal Fall Footbridge, Distance: 1.6 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 400 feet, to the top of Vernal Fall, Distance: 2.4 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 1000 feet, and finally to the top of Nevada Fall, Distance: 5.4 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 2000 feet. We could have turned around at each point, and I was prepared to if it became too much for Benny, but my little trooper was as eager as I was to get to the top.
This is a very popular hike. The John Muir and Mist Trails, what you use to access the landmarks, offer spectacular, up-close views of the two large waterfalls, pretty scenery along the Merced River, and views across Yosemite Valley.
This trail starts out paved for about a mile and is the busiest section up to the Vernal Fall Footbridge. Almost entirely uphill, you took breaks along the way to catch your breath and to enjoy the views. During the Spring they say you can also glimpse Illillouette Fall from this first section of trail but with the water so low it took binoculars to do it.
We got a most excellent view of Vernal Fall from the footbridge at the 0.8 miles mark. Wow. Benny and I got a couple of selfies together and an older couple helped us to get an even better picture with the two of us in exchange for doing the same for them.
About 0.2 miles beyond the bridge, the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail diverge. The next section of our hike was to proceed directly to the top of Vernal Fall. We followed the Mist Trail 0.5 miles up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps. The footing was slippery with an enormous amount of waterfall spray even with the low water. I can’t imagine what it must be like in spring and early summer when the water is at its peak. Obviously that is the reason for the name of the trail.
The views of Vernal Fall all along that stretch were phenomenal but my attention was split to make sure Benny’s footing was safe. I got a picture of him in a “rainbow” in the spray that is my current photo of him in my digital frame I have near my pillow.
At the top of Vernal Fall, the views were jaw-dropping as you looked straight down the length of the 317-foot waterfall. We could also feel the waterfall through our feet. Benny wasn’t sure if he liked that or not.
From this point, we continued uphill on the Mist Trail to the top of Nevada Fall. A little way beyond Vernal Fall we passed Emerald Pool and Silver Apron. Both of those pools may look like a nice place to take a dip on a hot summer’s day, but it is illegal and dangerous to swim there due to the extremely hazardous current. In other words, some idiots in the world have idioted and died in the past otherwise there wouldn’t have been a sign to keep other idiots from following suit. I certainly wasn’t going to repeat their stupid no matter how inviting the pools looked.
Continuing along the Mist Trail, we hiked another 1.5 miles of steep, rocky switchbacks in order to reach Nevada Fall. Crashing down 594 feet, this waterfall gave us a lot of opportunities for photos I will be treasuring forever. The looks on Benny’s face were just … I knew right then that no matter the doubts I might occasionally have, that I was doing the right thing for him and us.
At the top of the climb, we headed to the right to reach the footbridge that crossed the Merced River above the fall. The views from that location were even closer. At the suggestion of a ranger who was up there, rather than try and face the crowds and steep trail by going back the same way we’d come – the stairs would have been the worst – we continued over the bridge to the John Muir Trail for an alternate route back to Yosemite Valley.
On that section we enjoyed different and calmer scenery, with fantastic views of Liberty Cap and a different perspective of Nevada Fall. The John Muir Trail was longer—approximately 4 miles one-way compared to the Mist Trail’s 2.5 miles —so we stopped and at our picnic of finger foods and munched other healthy junk food on the way down.
I had thought to maybe do a little more hiking but the added mileage made it later than I thought we would get down. There was also warnings at the shuttle stops that there was a storm that was forecasted to have some lightning in it. Not what you want to hear when you are in the middle of a forest. And not what you want to deal with on trails.
We hiked back to the van and walked around the Village area for a bit before heading to the Ark where I covered the solar panels for just in case. I know they are happy to have the rain that eventually came. I can still hear the pitter patter of it on the roof. The sound made Benny sleepy and he crashed and burned surrounded by the Crew until I picked them all up. That boy can sleep through elephants tap dancing but try and be quiet and he’ll wake up and be up for hours. I made sure he stayed asleep and now I’m heading there myself.
Went to a completely different area of the park today … Happy Isles which is at Shuttle Stop #16.
We combined the Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls Trails which the trail getting successively strenuous as we went along from the Vernal Fall Footbridge, Distance: 1.6 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 400 feet, to the top of Vernal Fall, Distance: 2.4 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 1000 feet, and finally to the top of Nevada Fall, Distance: 5.4 mi round trip, Elevation gain: 2000 feet. We could have turned around at each point, and I was prepared to if it became too much for Benny, but my little trooper was as eager as I was to get to the top.
This is a very popular hike. The John Muir and Mist Trails, what you use to access the landmarks, offer spectacular, up-close views of the two large waterfalls, pretty scenery along the Merced River, and views across Yosemite Valley.
This trail starts out paved for about a mile and is the busiest section up to the Vernal Fall Footbridge. Almost entirely uphill, you took breaks along the way to catch your breath and to enjoy the views. During the Spring they say you can also glimpse Illillouette Fall from this first section of trail but with the water so low it took binoculars to do it.
We got a most excellent view of Vernal Fall from the footbridge at the 0.8 miles mark. Wow. Benny and I got a couple of selfies together and an older couple helped us to get an even better picture with the two of us in exchange for doing the same for them.
About 0.2 miles beyond the bridge, the Mist Trail and the John Muir Trail diverge. The next section of our hike was to proceed directly to the top of Vernal Fall. We followed the Mist Trail 0.5 miles up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps. The footing was slippery with an enormous amount of waterfall spray even with the low water. I can’t imagine what it must be like in spring and early summer when the water is at its peak. Obviously that is the reason for the name of the trail.
The views of Vernal Fall all along that stretch were phenomenal but my attention was split to make sure Benny’s footing was safe. I got a picture of him in a “rainbow” in the spray that is my current photo of him in my digital frame I have near my pillow.
At the top of Vernal Fall, the views were jaw-dropping as you looked straight down the length of the 317-foot waterfall. We could also feel the waterfall through our feet. Benny wasn’t sure if he liked that or not.
From this point, we continued uphill on the Mist Trail to the top of Nevada Fall. A little way beyond Vernal Fall we passed Emerald Pool and Silver Apron. Both of those pools may look like a nice place to take a dip on a hot summer’s day, but it is illegal and dangerous to swim there due to the extremely hazardous current. In other words, some idiots in the world have idioted and died in the past otherwise there wouldn’t have been a sign to keep other idiots from following suit. I certainly wasn’t going to repeat their stupid no matter how inviting the pools looked.
Continuing along the Mist Trail, we hiked another 1.5 miles of steep, rocky switchbacks in order to reach Nevada Fall. Crashing down 594 feet, this waterfall gave us a lot of opportunities for photos I will be treasuring forever. The looks on Benny’s face were just … I knew right then that no matter the doubts I might occasionally have, that I was doing the right thing for him and us.
At the top of the climb, we headed to the right to reach the footbridge that crossed the Merced River above the fall. The views from that location were even closer. At the suggestion of a ranger who was up there, rather than try and face the crowds and steep trail by going back the same way we’d come – the stairs would have been the worst – we continued over the bridge to the John Muir Trail for an alternate route back to Yosemite Valley.
On that section we enjoyed different and calmer scenery, with fantastic views of Liberty Cap and a different perspective of Nevada Fall. The John Muir Trail was longer—approximately 4 miles one-way compared to the Mist Trail’s 2.5 miles —so we stopped and at our picnic of finger foods and munched other healthy junk food on the way down.
I had thought to maybe do a little more hiking but the added mileage made it later than I thought we would get down. There was also warnings at the shuttle stops that there was a storm that was forecasted to have some lightning in it. Not what you want to hear when you are in the middle of a forest. And not what you want to deal with on trails.
We hiked back to the van and walked around the Village area for a bit before heading to the Ark where I covered the solar panels for just in case. I know they are happy to have the rain that eventually came. I can still hear the pitter patter of it on the roof. The sound made Benny sleepy and he crashed and burned surrounded by the Crew until I picked them all up. That boy can sleep through elephants tap dancing but try and be quiet and he’ll wake up and be up for hours. I made sure he stayed asleep and now I’m heading there myself.
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you for the new chapters!
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you for another.
September 3rd – Upper Yosemite Falls Trail
Last day in Yosemite. Part of me is sad, or that’s the word that I’m using for it though it isn’t a precise description of what I’m feeling. Thankfully Benny accepted that I was just a bit wore out as a reason for my mood. I’m that too, but I’m thinking it might be anxiety and that is something that I don’t need to make contagious. I’ve started using some ashwagandha chews that I was taking for a while on the advice of a doctor that I occasionally saw back during the worst episodes when Penny and Benny were freaking out at the same time. I’ll see if it helps. If not, it is an easy thing to simply stop taking without any adverse side effects. I don’t know if it helped back then but it sure didn’t hurt me. We’ll see.
The doc was a good one and he said that I shouldn’t try and just medicate the problem into non-existence. I need to identify what is causing me to feel the way I do and then address the root cause rather than just the symptoms. Hah. Easier said than done but good advice nonetheless. Oh, I’ll just take a wild guess and say it has to do with the end of the adventure coming faster than I’m ready for and I still have no clue what I am going to do or where we are going to end up. I mean could it possibly be that? Naw, really?! I know I keep saying it, but I’m not really doing anything about it. That needs to stop. Right the frick now but how the heck am I supposed to figure things out when I don’t know where we are going to end up?! Like a freaking Chinese fire drill.
Alright Gus. Enough with the attitude. It is too close to your bedtime to start this stuff. Get a grip.
If it was only as easy as that, but I do need to rein it all in and stay focused. Letting my emotions get away from me and control me is not constructive. I’m not a kid anymore. By age and by necessity. I need to use that as the motivation not to let my OCD and all the other alphabets I have had hung on me to get the upper hand. I need to set a good example for Benny. And I need to make good choices for myself as well.
So, today. We did the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. If I haven’t said it before, Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in the national park. It is also the tallest waterfall in California. The trail itself is one of the parks old historic trails have been built between 1873 and 1877. Benny was the youngest hiker after a certain point and I’m very glad that I put the extra time into prepping for the hike last night.
First, I decided what we were going to wear, and I started with inspecting our hikers. One pair of our shoes are getting a little worn, so I opted for the pairs with the best tread. We wore both socks and liners. We both used our larger day packs and carried twice the water and snacks we normally do. Hats. Trekking poles. And I had our first aid kit, a small emergency kit, and some other incidentals in my pack as well. It was a little heavier than I wanted, but on the other hand I knew it was going to be a strenuous, full-day hike and with Benny along I didn’t want to take chances.
Our day began before the shuttles started running so we had to walk to Camp 4, where the trail started. It added to the hike, but we did it while we ate breakfast – an egg, ham, and cheese breakfast burrito – and it gave us time to warm our muscles up for what lay ahead. It really turned out to be a stair master of a hike. How the trail started is how it stayed … up, up, and away. We climbed roughly 3000 feet in three miles.
After getting started it is one-tenth of a mile to the first landmark, the Valley Loop Trailhead where you take a left and then a quick right onto Yosemite Falls Trail. There is a sign there that I took a quick picture of for Benny’s permanent file. He insisted on including Benny Bear and Gus the Pelican in the picture. And no, I didn’t know that he’d snuck them into his pack. One of those easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-ask-permission things. I let him get away with it this time. Next time I’ll simply start asking if he has any passengers in tow. He called it training maneuvers since those two are “Crew Leaders.” I call it trying to schmooze me, but like I said, I let it go. This time. He also understood that I was choosing to let it go rather than make a public issue out of it. And that next time I wouldn’t. Enough said and the ball is in his court.
It was at this point that the “up” started. The up was in a forest. Followed by “up and up and up in a forest.” It wasn’t all steep but only because there were switchbacks. And more switchbacks. Some of them meandering and some of them decidedly … er … not. Soon we came out of the trees and the viewpoints into Yosemite Valley opened up. There were some small side trails to unofficial viewpoints, but we avoided those as they weren’t maintained.
About one mile in we reached Columbia Rock. We took a short break for water and a cheese stick and a shared Slim Jim, but didn’t stop long because the trail was getting busy. From Columbia Rock we got a pretty sweet view into the Yosemite Valley and of Half Dome. At that point we’d climbed about 1100 feet up from valley floor. We checked out the viewpoint then continued on up the trail.
We started climbing again but the trail wasn’t particularly steep at first. Some of it was even “paved” though it was more like it had been carved or had local rocks cut into steps. Soon we emerged from the trees and got some awesome views of Upper Yosemite Falls. This is the longest section of the waterfall. The water is falling for about 1430 feet here. We stopped for another break, more water, a box of yogurt drops, and for me to check Benny’s feet. No blisters or hot spots but I couldn’t say the same for another hiker up there. I handed off a moleskin patch, much to their gratitude and we were off again after several pictures.
After that viewpoint there was a steep “down” section but it had great views, so no one was complaining. As a matter of fact, most of the hikers turned around at that point and while less traveled, the trail wasn’t exactly empty either. And the “down” didn’t last long. The trail started making its way steeply up the side of the granite wall. It’s an engineering marvel for sure, with lots of switchbacks. We did a mile of this, about a dozen switchbacks, and climbed another 1500 feet. At the top of this stretch there is a trail sign that let us know we only had about 0.2 miles to go until the falls. This helped keep us energized rather than dragging our butts like they wanted to.
We hung out for a while and had a mini picnic of trail snacks … GORP, jerky, cheese and crackers, and some jelly beans for dessert. I tried to get a good picture but there were enough people that no matter how patient I was, someone always got in the shot.
We could have turned around here but there was a little more to go. To continue to the “official” yet somewhat scary end of the trail at the overlook, look for these steps heading down. We followed the fence down the granite ledge carved into the side of a cliff. The ledge goes down … and down … with barely a railing between you and nothing but thin air. We finally reached the viewing platform which is basically just another ledge with a fence between you and oblivion.
The views we got are some rarely seen by visitors to Yosemite. I am glad Benny and I did it together. These are lifetime memories, at least for me. We even managed a few good selfies but after another break it was time to head down. We made a quick stop at the Yosemite Creek Bridge to see Yosemite Point where the creek goes over the edge.
From there it was just back the way we came. You’d think going down would be easier but nope. Hard as heck on the knees and calves – and nerves in some of the steeper sections of the trail – and I actually had us take more rest stops in that direction than on the way up.
In hindsight I should not have done this trek on our last full day. Man oh man. But let me tell you, Benny was phenomenal. I saw grown people on the trail moaning and groaning. Not my Little Bear. Nope. And I made sure to tell him that as well.
“I didn’t want to spoil the hike.”
Concerned I asked, “Did you need more breaks?”
“Uh uh. I just didn’t want to be like some of the other hikers grouching at each other. That’s not how you have fun. If they were tired, they shoulda just stopped for a little while. Like you say, it’s not like the mountain is going to move and them miss it.”
I almost laughed because I had done my own bit of grouching under my breath at one particular couple that had bit off more than they could chew and looked on their way to Divorce Court. Man. And did they have potty mouths on top of it. Not the kind of memories that I want Benny to have. Not the example of adult behavior either. I nearly walked over to tell them they could turn around any time they wanted.
Benny never even complained of the heat though the trail was a lot warmer than I expected. That provided some examples of adult crankies as well, though how they had the energy to complain if they were as bad off as they thought I don’t know. The trail was on the side of the mountain that just bakes in the sun most of the day and you can feel the heat even when you are under trees. I mean I sympathized but come on, before you take a hike you check on the conditions and go from there. You certainly make sure you have enough hydration for the task before you.
Rather than walk back to camp we took the shuttle around the stops for some last looks and then and got off at Yosemite Village. I found us some popsicles pronto at the store. Benny is a hoot. I don’t know if it is a good thing or not that he is always so surprised and appreciative when I try and give him a surprise. The popsicle was one … and it was “Benny Blue” so I didn’t have to worry about a reaction.
Surprise #2 was more spur of the moment. Benny has quite a collection of animals now. He has them all named. Today I picked up a Zoo Tuub that had some animals in it he doesn’t have. He was shocked. I’m a real minimalist by nature and necessity. I just thought he deserved a surprise. And none of the plastic animals are very big. They all fit in the little Junior Ranger trail bag that Pei Shin bought him.
The trail took nearly seven hours with all our breaks calculated in. We were both tired, Benny more than me naturally. I asked him if he minded if we spent the rest of the day in camp and he had no problem with that.
“Benny Bear and Gus Pelican need to report in so the rest of the Crew don’t get worried that they got lost or anything.”
Uh huh. As soon as we got back to camp, he discarded the packaging on the animals and made sure they would fit and had a place in his personal gear. They aren’t Crew but are officially Crew Mascots with assigned caretakers and I don’t know what all his imagination got up to or where he got it from. I had already prepped dinner … wraps on gluten-free tortillas and all the other bits and pieces of fresh stuff that wouldn’t last much longer … and made sure that clean-up was just as simple by eating them on the foil that I had stored them in.
We also cleaned up our camp to prep for a fast getaway in the morning and this included filling up all our water containers. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow and need to start early. Benny fell asleep over an hour ago and I need to make myself go to bed as well. I hope I can sleep. I’m so tired, I’m wired. If I had some caffeine water I’d probably drink some but I haven’t restocked since I drank my last bottle. Not good Gus … not having it and needing it both.
Resources:
World Heritage Junior Ranger program
YOSEmap1 (nps.gov)
yosemitecampgroundmap2013b (nps.gov)
YOSEmap2 (nps.gov)
Yosemite Guide - Volume 45, Issue 7 (nps.gov)
http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/yosemite-valley-shuttle-bus-map.pdf
Last day in Yosemite. Part of me is sad, or that’s the word that I’m using for it though it isn’t a precise description of what I’m feeling. Thankfully Benny accepted that I was just a bit wore out as a reason for my mood. I’m that too, but I’m thinking it might be anxiety and that is something that I don’t need to make contagious. I’ve started using some ashwagandha chews that I was taking for a while on the advice of a doctor that I occasionally saw back during the worst episodes when Penny and Benny were freaking out at the same time. I’ll see if it helps. If not, it is an easy thing to simply stop taking without any adverse side effects. I don’t know if it helped back then but it sure didn’t hurt me. We’ll see.
The doc was a good one and he said that I shouldn’t try and just medicate the problem into non-existence. I need to identify what is causing me to feel the way I do and then address the root cause rather than just the symptoms. Hah. Easier said than done but good advice nonetheless. Oh, I’ll just take a wild guess and say it has to do with the end of the adventure coming faster than I’m ready for and I still have no clue what I am going to do or where we are going to end up. I mean could it possibly be that? Naw, really?! I know I keep saying it, but I’m not really doing anything about it. That needs to stop. Right the frick now but how the heck am I supposed to figure things out when I don’t know where we are going to end up?! Like a freaking Chinese fire drill.
Alright Gus. Enough with the attitude. It is too close to your bedtime to start this stuff. Get a grip.
If it was only as easy as that, but I do need to rein it all in and stay focused. Letting my emotions get away from me and control me is not constructive. I’m not a kid anymore. By age and by necessity. I need to use that as the motivation not to let my OCD and all the other alphabets I have had hung on me to get the upper hand. I need to set a good example for Benny. And I need to make good choices for myself as well.
So, today. We did the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail. If I haven’t said it before, Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in the national park. It is also the tallest waterfall in California. The trail itself is one of the parks old historic trails have been built between 1873 and 1877. Benny was the youngest hiker after a certain point and I’m very glad that I put the extra time into prepping for the hike last night.
First, I decided what we were going to wear, and I started with inspecting our hikers. One pair of our shoes are getting a little worn, so I opted for the pairs with the best tread. We wore both socks and liners. We both used our larger day packs and carried twice the water and snacks we normally do. Hats. Trekking poles. And I had our first aid kit, a small emergency kit, and some other incidentals in my pack as well. It was a little heavier than I wanted, but on the other hand I knew it was going to be a strenuous, full-day hike and with Benny along I didn’t want to take chances.
Our day began before the shuttles started running so we had to walk to Camp 4, where the trail started. It added to the hike, but we did it while we ate breakfast – an egg, ham, and cheese breakfast burrito – and it gave us time to warm our muscles up for what lay ahead. It really turned out to be a stair master of a hike. How the trail started is how it stayed … up, up, and away. We climbed roughly 3000 feet in three miles.
After getting started it is one-tenth of a mile to the first landmark, the Valley Loop Trailhead where you take a left and then a quick right onto Yosemite Falls Trail. There is a sign there that I took a quick picture of for Benny’s permanent file. He insisted on including Benny Bear and Gus the Pelican in the picture. And no, I didn’t know that he’d snuck them into his pack. One of those easier-to-ask-forgiveness-than-ask-permission things. I let him get away with it this time. Next time I’ll simply start asking if he has any passengers in tow. He called it training maneuvers since those two are “Crew Leaders.” I call it trying to schmooze me, but like I said, I let it go. This time. He also understood that I was choosing to let it go rather than make a public issue out of it. And that next time I wouldn’t. Enough said and the ball is in his court.
It was at this point that the “up” started. The up was in a forest. Followed by “up and up and up in a forest.” It wasn’t all steep but only because there were switchbacks. And more switchbacks. Some of them meandering and some of them decidedly … er … not. Soon we came out of the trees and the viewpoints into Yosemite Valley opened up. There were some small side trails to unofficial viewpoints, but we avoided those as they weren’t maintained.
About one mile in we reached Columbia Rock. We took a short break for water and a cheese stick and a shared Slim Jim, but didn’t stop long because the trail was getting busy. From Columbia Rock we got a pretty sweet view into the Yosemite Valley and of Half Dome. At that point we’d climbed about 1100 feet up from valley floor. We checked out the viewpoint then continued on up the trail.
We started climbing again but the trail wasn’t particularly steep at first. Some of it was even “paved” though it was more like it had been carved or had local rocks cut into steps. Soon we emerged from the trees and got some awesome views of Upper Yosemite Falls. This is the longest section of the waterfall. The water is falling for about 1430 feet here. We stopped for another break, more water, a box of yogurt drops, and for me to check Benny’s feet. No blisters or hot spots but I couldn’t say the same for another hiker up there. I handed off a moleskin patch, much to their gratitude and we were off again after several pictures.
After that viewpoint there was a steep “down” section but it had great views, so no one was complaining. As a matter of fact, most of the hikers turned around at that point and while less traveled, the trail wasn’t exactly empty either. And the “down” didn’t last long. The trail started making its way steeply up the side of the granite wall. It’s an engineering marvel for sure, with lots of switchbacks. We did a mile of this, about a dozen switchbacks, and climbed another 1500 feet. At the top of this stretch there is a trail sign that let us know we only had about 0.2 miles to go until the falls. This helped keep us energized rather than dragging our butts like they wanted to.
We hung out for a while and had a mini picnic of trail snacks … GORP, jerky, cheese and crackers, and some jelly beans for dessert. I tried to get a good picture but there were enough people that no matter how patient I was, someone always got in the shot.
We could have turned around here but there was a little more to go. To continue to the “official” yet somewhat scary end of the trail at the overlook, look for these steps heading down. We followed the fence down the granite ledge carved into the side of a cliff. The ledge goes down … and down … with barely a railing between you and nothing but thin air. We finally reached the viewing platform which is basically just another ledge with a fence between you and oblivion.
The views we got are some rarely seen by visitors to Yosemite. I am glad Benny and I did it together. These are lifetime memories, at least for me. We even managed a few good selfies but after another break it was time to head down. We made a quick stop at the Yosemite Creek Bridge to see Yosemite Point where the creek goes over the edge.
From there it was just back the way we came. You’d think going down would be easier but nope. Hard as heck on the knees and calves – and nerves in some of the steeper sections of the trail – and I actually had us take more rest stops in that direction than on the way up.
In hindsight I should not have done this trek on our last full day. Man oh man. But let me tell you, Benny was phenomenal. I saw grown people on the trail moaning and groaning. Not my Little Bear. Nope. And I made sure to tell him that as well.
“I didn’t want to spoil the hike.”
Concerned I asked, “Did you need more breaks?”
“Uh uh. I just didn’t want to be like some of the other hikers grouching at each other. That’s not how you have fun. If they were tired, they shoulda just stopped for a little while. Like you say, it’s not like the mountain is going to move and them miss it.”
I almost laughed because I had done my own bit of grouching under my breath at one particular couple that had bit off more than they could chew and looked on their way to Divorce Court. Man. And did they have potty mouths on top of it. Not the kind of memories that I want Benny to have. Not the example of adult behavior either. I nearly walked over to tell them they could turn around any time they wanted.
Benny never even complained of the heat though the trail was a lot warmer than I expected. That provided some examples of adult crankies as well, though how they had the energy to complain if they were as bad off as they thought I don’t know. The trail was on the side of the mountain that just bakes in the sun most of the day and you can feel the heat even when you are under trees. I mean I sympathized but come on, before you take a hike you check on the conditions and go from there. You certainly make sure you have enough hydration for the task before you.
Rather than walk back to camp we took the shuttle around the stops for some last looks and then and got off at Yosemite Village. I found us some popsicles pronto at the store. Benny is a hoot. I don’t know if it is a good thing or not that he is always so surprised and appreciative when I try and give him a surprise. The popsicle was one … and it was “Benny Blue” so I didn’t have to worry about a reaction.
Surprise #2 was more spur of the moment. Benny has quite a collection of animals now. He has them all named. Today I picked up a Zoo Tuub that had some animals in it he doesn’t have. He was shocked. I’m a real minimalist by nature and necessity. I just thought he deserved a surprise. And none of the plastic animals are very big. They all fit in the little Junior Ranger trail bag that Pei Shin bought him.
The trail took nearly seven hours with all our breaks calculated in. We were both tired, Benny more than me naturally. I asked him if he minded if we spent the rest of the day in camp and he had no problem with that.
“Benny Bear and Gus Pelican need to report in so the rest of the Crew don’t get worried that they got lost or anything.”
Uh huh. As soon as we got back to camp, he discarded the packaging on the animals and made sure they would fit and had a place in his personal gear. They aren’t Crew but are officially Crew Mascots with assigned caretakers and I don’t know what all his imagination got up to or where he got it from. I had already prepped dinner … wraps on gluten-free tortillas and all the other bits and pieces of fresh stuff that wouldn’t last much longer … and made sure that clean-up was just as simple by eating them on the foil that I had stored them in.
We also cleaned up our camp to prep for a fast getaway in the morning and this included filling up all our water containers. We have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow and need to start early. Benny fell asleep over an hour ago and I need to make myself go to bed as well. I hope I can sleep. I’m so tired, I’m wired. If I had some caffeine water I’d probably drink some but I haven’t restocked since I drank my last bottle. Not good Gus … not having it and needing it both.
Resources:
World Heritage Junior Ranger program
YOSEmap1 (nps.gov)
yosemitecampgroundmap2013b (nps.gov)
YOSEmap2 (nps.gov)
Yosemite Guide - Volume 45, Issue 7 (nps.gov)
http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/yosemite-valley-shuttle-bus-map.pdf
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you .
.
Sep 4 – 7: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California
Driving Route:
September 4th
Little over five hours to get from Yosemite to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. I had us on the road at 5 am and I’m glad I did since we avoided the worst of the tourist traffic all the way into Fresno. In Fresno I made a quick stop for fuel and grabbed a few gallons of drinking water and some other odds and ends drinks including some caffeinated waters to restock. I’m not going to allow myself to become dependent on them to get to sleep but dang if I am going to short myself in case I do need one like last night. I would have preferred to find a wallyworld or other discount store but the itinerary didn’t have room. Around Fresno there was the typical morning traffic in a city except for some protestors being kept back by local LEOs so they couldn’t block the off/on ramps in this one area, but then after leaving there it was just normal-ish until we got to this place called Grant Grove Village. Traffic was stacked up but it looked to be more about parking spaces than anything else. Wish we could have been here earlier in the day to avoid some of that but not every day is going to work out like that.
Grant Grove Village was where our first point of interest was. It is also where I pulled out the sack lunches that I prepped last night and we ate as we walked. I would have preferred something a little more substantial, but I put in enough snacks to make even Benny happy. I hung mine in a drawstring bag on my belt and after the wraps were eaten, I just kept poking my hand down in there to pull up the next thing, whatever that might be.
First on the agenda was the General Grant Tree Trail. It is one of the world's largest living trees and President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the Nation's Christmas tree way back in 1926. The trail was a really short 1/3-mile on pavement so was more like a wayside than a hike, but it got us out of the van and gave us time to warm up our sore leg muscles. In addition to the honking big tree, there was the historic Gamlin Cabin and the Fallen Monarch which is another big tree only this one was laying on the ground.
Next trail was from the same parking area – yay on not having to find another parking spot as parking lot wars was in full swing – was the North Grove Loop. Traffic in the parking lot may have picked up but this trail was only being lightly traveled. It is 1.5 miles in length and is mostly paved and accessible. The trail provides a chance for a close look at some of the big trees in the park. It was quiet and enjoyable, and took us passed meadows and creeks, while walking through a mixed conifer and sequoia forest.
From there we went to the Kings Canyon Visitor Center for the exhibits and Benny’s Junior Ranger booklet. Yeah, had to play wait-for-a-parking-space but since I wasn’t looking for one right at the door it didn’t take too long. While there I checked trail conditions for the tomorrow’s activities. They were reminding everyone to make sure and carry enough water and I overheard there’d been some emergencies where people hadn’t been thinking. We used the fountain at the visitor center to refill our Nalgene bottles rather than do it at the van. We are going to be moving campgrounds a lot over the next little bit and none of them have hookups so water usage needs to be taken into consideration and secured sources need to be taken advantage of.
We left the Visitor Center and after stopping at Panoramic Point for some views and photos to go in Benny’s portfolio – something I really need to keep in better order like I do this log – we moved on to our next hike. Buena Vista Peak was a two-mile round-trip hike up this granite peak that began just south of the Kings Canyon Overlook on the Generals Highway. We drove 6 miles southeast of Grant Grove Village, and just managed to get a parking spot near the trailhead reminding me once again why you start the parks as early in the day as you can get away with. The hassle was still worth it. Once we got to the top of Buena Vista Peak, we had a 360-degree view looking out over the crazy big sequoias in Redwood Canyon, the Buck Rock Fire Tower, and beyond that to a panorama of the high Sierra. Wow.
We had one more hike to go, the longest of the day, then after that we were going to head to our campground. Big Baldy Ridge was a 4.4-mile, round trip trail that provided us with great views out and down into Redwood Canyon. Giant sequoia trees may be the main attraction in the other parts of the park, but the area also contains several granite peaks, and the highest point, 8,209-foot Big Baldy is pretty nice.
The trail isn’t the most used, and practically empty compared to what we had to deal with in Yosemite, but it was easy to follow and not too steep which worked just fine for us after the major hike yesterday. Its 650-feet elevation gain was confined to several short climbs near the start. The summit and various viewpoints along the way allowed good views over a large section of the Sierra Nevada mountains, from what a sign-thingie called chaparral-covered lowlands in the west to the snowcapped peaks of the Great Western Divide in the east.
It took 2.2 miles to reach the summit and after resting (and more snacks) it was time to head back to the van. We were both ready as we were getting hungrier than normal. It was probably the hike from yesterday. I know my muscles were also a little tweaked off at me. I need to do some additional training. I’ve slacked off and if I’m feeling it, I know that Benny has to be though he isn’t acting like it.
I’ve got cell reception tonight in the Azalea Campground where we are staying but like I said, no hook ups. I still insisted Benny shower to get the little boy stink off him. Between that and my version of beef stew over rice he was ready for his bed a little early. The winds in the evergreens has me ready to nod off as well and as soon as I update what needs updating … the blog, Benny’s portfolio, the adulting world of bills and whatnot … I’m going to hit the hay.
I’m slacking on new survival skills, but we are reviewing ones he already knows. I need to sit down and plan things out better so it won’t be so ding-blasted onerous to work on the portfolio. I’m tired of using the word slacking about that on top of the other stuff. What I don’t need is to procrastinate on the portfolio thing more than I already do. I don’t know which I despise more, paperwork or busywork; they are both time-wasters in my book but some people seem to find them necessary. Ugh.
Driving Route:
September 4th
Little over five hours to get from Yosemite to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. I had us on the road at 5 am and I’m glad I did since we avoided the worst of the tourist traffic all the way into Fresno. In Fresno I made a quick stop for fuel and grabbed a few gallons of drinking water and some other odds and ends drinks including some caffeinated waters to restock. I’m not going to allow myself to become dependent on them to get to sleep but dang if I am going to short myself in case I do need one like last night. I would have preferred to find a wallyworld or other discount store but the itinerary didn’t have room. Around Fresno there was the typical morning traffic in a city except for some protestors being kept back by local LEOs so they couldn’t block the off/on ramps in this one area, but then after leaving there it was just normal-ish until we got to this place called Grant Grove Village. Traffic was stacked up but it looked to be more about parking spaces than anything else. Wish we could have been here earlier in the day to avoid some of that but not every day is going to work out like that.
Grant Grove Village was where our first point of interest was. It is also where I pulled out the sack lunches that I prepped last night and we ate as we walked. I would have preferred something a little more substantial, but I put in enough snacks to make even Benny happy. I hung mine in a drawstring bag on my belt and after the wraps were eaten, I just kept poking my hand down in there to pull up the next thing, whatever that might be.
First on the agenda was the General Grant Tree Trail. It is one of the world's largest living trees and President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the Nation's Christmas tree way back in 1926. The trail was a really short 1/3-mile on pavement so was more like a wayside than a hike, but it got us out of the van and gave us time to warm up our sore leg muscles. In addition to the honking big tree, there was the historic Gamlin Cabin and the Fallen Monarch which is another big tree only this one was laying on the ground.
Next trail was from the same parking area – yay on not having to find another parking spot as parking lot wars was in full swing – was the North Grove Loop. Traffic in the parking lot may have picked up but this trail was only being lightly traveled. It is 1.5 miles in length and is mostly paved and accessible. The trail provides a chance for a close look at some of the big trees in the park. It was quiet and enjoyable, and took us passed meadows and creeks, while walking through a mixed conifer and sequoia forest.
From there we went to the Kings Canyon Visitor Center for the exhibits and Benny’s Junior Ranger booklet. Yeah, had to play wait-for-a-parking-space but since I wasn’t looking for one right at the door it didn’t take too long. While there I checked trail conditions for the tomorrow’s activities. They were reminding everyone to make sure and carry enough water and I overheard there’d been some emergencies where people hadn’t been thinking. We used the fountain at the visitor center to refill our Nalgene bottles rather than do it at the van. We are going to be moving campgrounds a lot over the next little bit and none of them have hookups so water usage needs to be taken into consideration and secured sources need to be taken advantage of.
We left the Visitor Center and after stopping at Panoramic Point for some views and photos to go in Benny’s portfolio – something I really need to keep in better order like I do this log – we moved on to our next hike. Buena Vista Peak was a two-mile round-trip hike up this granite peak that began just south of the Kings Canyon Overlook on the Generals Highway. We drove 6 miles southeast of Grant Grove Village, and just managed to get a parking spot near the trailhead reminding me once again why you start the parks as early in the day as you can get away with. The hassle was still worth it. Once we got to the top of Buena Vista Peak, we had a 360-degree view looking out over the crazy big sequoias in Redwood Canyon, the Buck Rock Fire Tower, and beyond that to a panorama of the high Sierra. Wow.
We had one more hike to go, the longest of the day, then after that we were going to head to our campground. Big Baldy Ridge was a 4.4-mile, round trip trail that provided us with great views out and down into Redwood Canyon. Giant sequoia trees may be the main attraction in the other parts of the park, but the area also contains several granite peaks, and the highest point, 8,209-foot Big Baldy is pretty nice.
The trail isn’t the most used, and practically empty compared to what we had to deal with in Yosemite, but it was easy to follow and not too steep which worked just fine for us after the major hike yesterday. Its 650-feet elevation gain was confined to several short climbs near the start. The summit and various viewpoints along the way allowed good views over a large section of the Sierra Nevada mountains, from what a sign-thingie called chaparral-covered lowlands in the west to the snowcapped peaks of the Great Western Divide in the east.
It took 2.2 miles to reach the summit and after resting (and more snacks) it was time to head back to the van. We were both ready as we were getting hungrier than normal. It was probably the hike from yesterday. I know my muscles were also a little tweaked off at me. I need to do some additional training. I’ve slacked off and if I’m feeling it, I know that Benny has to be though he isn’t acting like it.
I’ve got cell reception tonight in the Azalea Campground where we are staying but like I said, no hook ups. I still insisted Benny shower to get the little boy stink off him. Between that and my version of beef stew over rice he was ready for his bed a little early. The winds in the evergreens has me ready to nod off as well and as soon as I update what needs updating … the blog, Benny’s portfolio, the adulting world of bills and whatnot … I’m going to hit the hay.
I’m slacking on new survival skills, but we are reviewing ones he already knows. I need to sit down and plan things out better so it won’t be so ding-blasted onerous to work on the portfolio. I’m tired of using the word slacking about that on top of the other stuff. What I don’t need is to procrastinate on the portfolio thing more than I already do. I don’t know which I despise more, paperwork or busywork; they are both time-wasters in my book but some people seem to find them necessary. Ugh.