Saturday, August 13, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Yosemite Natl Park
One of the many places I'd always dreamed of putting my feet on is the grounds of Yosemite National Park. This park turned out to be even more magnificent that I'd imagined, but also less impressive than I'd hoped as well. That said, if you have a chance to make it to Yosemite, drop what you are doing and find your way there. Ruth and I did just that in early August 2011.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm
Day 1 - Tioga Road and Saddlebag Lake
At Saddlebag we were lucky and found a parking spot. Although there were many cars we saw only a few groups of people at the South end of the lake. Most were down at lakeside casting out to snag whatever fish might be stocked. Our goal was hike the perimeter of the lake. We made it to the North side of the lake and then took the ferry back. Daylight was fading, I was fading, water was nearly gone, and we were not able to find the trail in the swampy area at that end of the lake. There were about a dozen people around the North end and when the ferry arrived more folks came out of nowhere to catch the ferry.
Most of the terrain was rocky and the treeline was just above us, maybe 100m up the slopes. Tantalizing. I kept telling Ruth, if I had an extra hour I'd make the treeline.
The lake was crystal blue. I was reminded of Crystal Lake just below Long's Peak in Colorado. Same feel, smell, temperature, wind.
The North end of the lake was swampy, with swiftly running water. Foot trails meandered everywhere causing us to lose the trail altogther. We made our way to the dock and the lake. We considered just trying to cross the stream, but a after a couple of half-hearted attempts to step across those slippery rocks and ankle deep water we decided we were ready to take the easy way back to the car.
On the ferry we talked with a group of women who had been there all day hiking around the lakes that form along the stream on their way down from North Peak and Mt. Conness.
On the way back out of Yosemite, along the Tioga Road, we stopped at Tuolomne and had some food. We had been apprised that the food was expensive but very good. The food was expensive.
As daylight was fading we stopped at Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias. We were quite tired and Ruth was hoping the walk would not be far... and there would be no uphills. No problem. The walk was only a little over a mile and there was only downhill to the grove! Ok, yes, uphill a mile on the way back. The stop was very well worth it. I was already at a point where my hips hurt from sitting in the car so long. The walk was very nice. The view of the trees was even better.
The drive down the ridge to the valley gave us views of a forest fire on the other side of the valley. As it was night we were simply not able to get a picture that captured the forest fire the way it was presented to our eyes.
Day 2 - Horsie Ride
Well, mules anyway. The pretty and very touchy young lady at the end of the line rode a horsie.
I've discovered that my back and sciatica are no longer suited for riding four legged creatures. I need more back support than my legs in stirrups can manage.
We took a half day ride from the valley part way up towards Vernal Falls. The ride up was interesting, but did not provide many views. At the hairpin turns where one could look out over the valley, focus was required to stay on the animal as it made it's way up the rugged rocky trail. My little friend kept trying to take me off his back by dragging me across rocks that stuck out above the trail. I can't say I care much for riding anymore. The way back down I was in excruciating pain. My back and left leg were cramping up as I tried to maintain balance while the beast picked it's way down the side of the mountain.
Sorry horse lovers, but any animal that simply takes a dump whenever and where ever does not rank very high on my likable list. Not just my ride, but others as well, it was clear that these animals barely tolerated us humans.
At the top we took a 30 minute break for a sandwich lunch and had great views of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.
Ruth had a good ride although she had some anxiety about my well being. That was too bad, although I was in pretty rough shape I was never at a quitting point, even when my leg cramped right as we were make a sharp, steep, downward turn. At the same time the nasty four legger was trying to wipe me across a rock abutment.
The ride was an adventure but isn't something I'd need to do again.
Hike Day!!!
I've ranted about this before. When embarking on a hike be sure that your electronic equipment is prepared the night before. If you don't know how to use your GPS, leave it in your backpack. If you are not sure about the quality of batteries in said GPS, leave it off. If you filled up your SD card on your camera discover that the night before the hike, not at the start of the hike.
We took the guided tour bus from the valley up to Glacier Point. The plan was then to hike the Panorama Trail to the Mist Trail and down back into the valley. The bus ride up to Glacier Point was quite a bit of fun. The driver, Dave, was knowledgable, and peppered everything with a wry sense of humor that I can only approach on my best days. We were up close and personal to the forest fire we saw two days before. We also came up close and personal to a BEAR! This was the only bear we saw on the trip, though reports of them lurking among the streams of visitors abound.
Dave also clued us in that the forest fire that we were to drive through was caused by a lightning strike and was very carefully being kept alive. Some visitors may not be aware of the need for fire in our forest and grasslands. Yosemite employs a thoughful approach to fire management. Details on Fire Management at Yosemite can be found beginning at this link.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm
The air quality was definitely poor on the ridge and in the valley. Two days before the air quality was perfectly fine, but both Ruth and I found sinus congestion to be a growing issue as we spent time at Yosemite. We snore enough as it is. We need no further help! Visibility in the morning and early afternoon were good, but pretty hazy. As the afternoon progressed visibility down into the valley and out to the other side of the valley was quite poor.
We spent probably a half hour at Glacier Point and then began the trek down the Panorama Trail. All along the trail there views out where Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Washington Column, and North Dome are just off to the left.
The entire valley was just below our feet.
After a mile down the trail Ruth realized here camera was not taking pictures anymore. We quickly discovered that the CF card was full!!!! Remember what I mentioned at the beginning of the post? I had to really contain myself (we are on vacation, we have daylight, no big deal). We spent nearly an hour sitting on the side of the trail while she picked through over 700 pictures to see which ones to keep. Ruth kept asking for my help in deciding, but I assured her she didn't want me to decide how to handle this.
Now, I understand one perspective. The day is beautiful. The sun is out. Tbreeze is cool. We found shade and a place to sit. Why not spend an hour just taking in the view below? There are really three reasons why not.
Firstly, often-times on a hike in the mountains there is a long way to go and a little daylight to get there. I've been chased by storms, darkness, and pain while on the trail. Time spent means water spent and food spent. On a hike like this where there are many many people that means that the last half of your hike is spent tired, thirsty, and miserable. On a trail where the nearest person is 5 miles away, that means perhaps not making an appearance at work on Monday.
Secondly, we knew, as do all visitors to Yosemite, that there are other places along that trail to spend an hour that would be more comfortable and perhaps more memorable. Though, I have to say, I will not long forget my hour spent sitting on a stump only 20 minutes from where we started.
Lastly, I'd be a terrible hunter. The reason I don't hunt has nothing to do with an aversion to killing animals. Neither am I a vegetarian, nor do I want to be. Although, have you ever seen a horde of zombies attacking a broccoli patch? No, I'm not a hunter only because I just cannot sit still while in the woods. I have this deep need for movement. I spend only a little time admiring views, and streams, and what-not, because I just need to keep moving. Smell the roses? Sure thing. Done! Now let's move out.
Ruth tolerated my anxiety well. I think we still amaze each other with what we'll put up with in each other. Quite a woman.
Glacier Point sits at over 7200ft. The next point of interest on the map is Illilouette Falls, 1.6 miles downhill. The Falls are at around 5800 to 5900ft. Right at the Falls the trail climbs slowly back up to Panorama Point and about 6300ft. Trail continues to climb up to over 6500 ft as it finds its way around the point and then to Nevada Falls.
We took a little lunch break near Illilouette Falls and soaked in the sun.
As we began to climb Ruth began flagging. On the trail we are opposites. She handles the downhills like a mountain goat. I pick and stumble my may along. On the uphills she finds religion and prays for an early death. I slowly but steadily work my way up the switchbacks.
The climb from Illiouette to the top of the ridge is only about 700ft and occurs over the course of more than a mile. There was only one set of two switchbacks that made me break a sweat. I think that the poor air quality played a major factor in Ruth's discomfort. She plugs along, though. She'll not quit, plus how can you quit? Where would you go? Back is up and onward is up. We took very frequent breaks and made the high point of Panorama Ridge.
We had a good time along that part of the trail trying to pick out the features and spot where we were on the map. My map reading skills are passable, but certainly not what they should be. I used to adventure race with a guy, Dan, who could spot landmarks on a map with his left closed and right eye blinded. Here's another Kevin Bacon moment. I almost bought his future wife's previous house. How 'bout them apples!
Ruth took pictures of various plants while we tried to identify them from the 5 minutes we spent studying a board on vegetation at the visitor's center. We snapped a couple picks of a bird and chipmunk, about the only life we saw on the trail that was not human.
As far as the human traffic, there was plenty. Particularly at the beginning, near Glacier Point, there were several groups of hikers. Our 60 minute picture deletion period kept us behind some of those groups, but there was never a time we were not within earshot of other hikers. Usually at least one group within view. Except at the water falls where water play was involved, people were quiet and respectful. We could hear the hikers talking as they came within a few feet, but you could not hear hikers far off in the distance as we did at Devil's Lake (see that post for more complaining). Though crowded, the experience was not diminished for it.
We met a lone hiker near the turn to head to Nevada Falls or take a right and head out into the wilderness and the Merced lakes. He and some friends had been camping at Merced lakes and were now making their way to Glacier Point and then down into the Valley via Four Mile Trail. At this point Ruth and I had been on the trail some 5.5 miles. He still had about 10 miles to his car and had already covered over 11 miles. Wow. To be 20 years old again. His friends were no where in sight. Upon leaving him I realized he had no pack and only a 16 oz bottle of water. Many questions.
Nevada Falls is a short climb down from that intersection. There is another intersection just before the Falls. A left turn would take us back to where we parked our mules the day before.
Nevada Falls was packed with people. They make the climb up the Mist Trail or the Muir Trail, view the Falls and then head back down again. I hold no disdain for that endeavor, even with having covered seven miles of trail. The climb up, and down, is shall we say... notable.
The area around the falls is a flat worn rock that is excellent for catching the sun. We spent a good 45 minutes with our feet in the frigid water taking the sun and enjoying the cool mountain air. The temp up there was probably not quite 80F. Perfect.
The only bad news was on the posters about the three missing hikers. Two went into the water above Vernal Falls and got caught in the current. Their friend waded deeper in to help them. All three went over. If you ever see the Falls you'll understand that it is not likely they will find the bodies intact. Very tragic.
These are not small waterfalls. I've played around in some small falls on the Black River in Northern Michigan, but Vernal and Nevada are not those kind of waterfalls. If you wish to play in the water of these falls stay well up stream.
The history of the area was fascinating. There was and still is the classic struggle between modern progress and natural preservation taking place at Yosemite. I became quite impressed with the life of Galen Clark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen_Clark
http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm
Day 1 - Tioga Road and Saddlebag Lake
Our first day there we got a rather late start. I'll hold off on the rant for that, except to say that I prefer to be on the trail by 0800. That means getting out of bed earlier. That implies getting to bed earlier.
So, the first day we went into the village and made reservations for a couple activities for the following days. Then we drove and drove. We headed up the Tioga road for a few hours of driving. The sites along the road were pretty enough, very enjoyable. This is a different kind of mountain that the Pacific Northwest and I found myself making comparisons of the vegetation, rock, and general lay of the land. That is, when I wasn't busy looking for a way to pass or be passed.
Yosemite, I think, is a native word for "High Traffic" or "Many People". There is no place in Yosemite that is not highly populated by visitors. Actually, that is not entirely accurate. A friend of my is an expert on Yosemite, having visited there dozens of times and having been a guide at times as well. I would certainly like to spend a few days there with him. I enjoy his company to begin with, but in a place where he is so familiar... that can only be an excellent adventure (dude!)
As the road climbed to over 9000ft we passed by a few trail heads packed with cars. The day was very sunny, clear, typical day in Yosemite in August. The temps favored us very well, being in the mid 70s at that altitude. We stopped for a few moments at Tenaya Lake, an interesting formation. The place was packed with swimmers, sailboards, and other manner of tourism. In a future visit this would make a nice place to have a lunch picnic. I'd like to see a sunset from the Eastern shore as well.
Onward we drove, past Tuolumne Meadows and out of the park. We were interested in getting some altitude and since we were starting late in the day (at the visitor's center about 10:30), the ranger pointed us towards Saddlebag Lake. At over 10,000 feet, Saddlebag Lake hangs just below the treeline and is one of several mountain lakes that feeds the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River.At Saddlebag we were lucky and found a parking spot. Although there were many cars we saw only a few groups of people at the South end of the lake. Most were down at lakeside casting out to snag whatever fish might be stocked. Our goal was hike the perimeter of the lake. We made it to the North side of the lake and then took the ferry back. Daylight was fading, I was fading, water was nearly gone, and we were not able to find the trail in the swampy area at that end of the lake. There were about a dozen people around the North end and when the ferry arrived more folks came out of nowhere to catch the ferry.
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| Ruthie! |
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| Saddlebag Lake - East shore |
The lake was crystal blue. I was reminded of Crystal Lake just below Long's Peak in Colorado. Same feel, smell, temperature, wind.
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| North End Saddlebag Lake |
On the ferry we talked with a group of women who had been there all day hiking around the lakes that form along the stream on their way down from North Peak and Mt. Conness.
On the way back out of Yosemite, along the Tioga Road, we stopped at Tuolomne and had some food. We had been apprised that the food was expensive but very good. The food was expensive.
As daylight was fading we stopped at Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias. We were quite tired and Ruth was hoping the walk would not be far... and there would be no uphills. No problem. The walk was only a little over a mile and there was only downhill to the grove! Ok, yes, uphill a mile on the way back. The stop was very well worth it. I was already at a point where my hips hurt from sitting in the car so long. The walk was very nice. The view of the trees was even better.
The drive down the ridge to the valley gave us views of a forest fire on the other side of the valley. As it was night we were simply not able to get a picture that captured the forest fire the way it was presented to our eyes.
Day 2 - Horsie Ride
Well, mules anyway. The pretty and very touchy young lady at the end of the line rode a horsie.
I've discovered that my back and sciatica are no longer suited for riding four legged creatures. I need more back support than my legs in stirrups can manage.
We took a half day ride from the valley part way up towards Vernal Falls. The ride up was interesting, but did not provide many views. At the hairpin turns where one could look out over the valley, focus was required to stay on the animal as it made it's way up the rugged rocky trail. My little friend kept trying to take me off his back by dragging me across rocks that stuck out above the trail. I can't say I care much for riding anymore. The way back down I was in excruciating pain. My back and left leg were cramping up as I tried to maintain balance while the beast picked it's way down the side of the mountain.
Sorry horse lovers, but any animal that simply takes a dump whenever and where ever does not rank very high on my likable list. Not just my ride, but others as well, it was clear that these animals barely tolerated us humans.
At the top we took a 30 minute break for a sandwich lunch and had great views of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.
Ruth had a good ride although she had some anxiety about my well being. That was too bad, although I was in pretty rough shape I was never at a quitting point, even when my leg cramped right as we were make a sharp, steep, downward turn. At the same time the nasty four legger was trying to wipe me across a rock abutment.
Ruth still has that little girl love of horses. The thing could have bit her fingers off her left hand and she'd blame herself.
The ride was an adventure but isn't something I'd need to do again.
Would highly recommend for stable teenagers and adults. Younger than 15? There is a less steep and shorter ride available.
Do it!! You likely won't regret it.
Day 3 - Panorama Trail
Hike Day!!!
I've ranted about this before. When embarking on a hike be sure that your electronic equipment is prepared the night before. If you don't know how to use your GPS, leave it in your backpack. If you are not sure about the quality of batteries in said GPS, leave it off. If you filled up your SD card on your camera discover that the night before the hike, not at the start of the hike.
We took the guided tour bus from the valley up to Glacier Point. The plan was then to hike the Panorama Trail to the Mist Trail and down back into the valley. The bus ride up to Glacier Point was quite a bit of fun. The driver, Dave, was knowledgable, and peppered everything with a wry sense of humor that I can only approach on my best days. We were up close and personal to the forest fire we saw two days before. We also came up close and personal to a BEAR! This was the only bear we saw on the trip, though reports of them lurking among the streams of visitors abound.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm
The air quality was definitely poor on the ridge and in the valley. Two days before the air quality was perfectly fine, but both Ruth and I found sinus congestion to be a growing issue as we spent time at Yosemite. We snore enough as it is. We need no further help! Visibility in the morning and early afternoon were good, but pretty hazy. As the afternoon progressed visibility down into the valley and out to the other side of the valley was quite poor.
The bus unloaded us at Glacier Point around 11:00. We poked through the store there and took in the views from the edge. Glacier Point has spectacular views of the features of Yosemite. The valley, Half Dome, the Falls are easily visible from Glacier Point.
We spent probably a half hour at Glacier Point and then began the trek down the Panorama Trail. All along the trail there views out where Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Washington Column, and North Dome are just off to the left.
The entire valley was just below our feet.
After a mile down the trail Ruth realized here camera was not taking pictures anymore. We quickly discovered that the CF card was full!!!! Remember what I mentioned at the beginning of the post? I had to really contain myself (we are on vacation, we have daylight, no big deal). We spent nearly an hour sitting on the side of the trail while she picked through over 700 pictures to see which ones to keep. Ruth kept asking for my help in deciding, but I assured her she didn't want me to decide how to handle this.
Now, I understand one perspective. The day is beautiful. The sun is out. Tbreeze is cool. We found shade and a place to sit. Why not spend an hour just taking in the view below? There are really three reasons why not.
Firstly, often-times on a hike in the mountains there is a long way to go and a little daylight to get there. I've been chased by storms, darkness, and pain while on the trail. Time spent means water spent and food spent. On a hike like this where there are many many people that means that the last half of your hike is spent tired, thirsty, and miserable. On a trail where the nearest person is 5 miles away, that means perhaps not making an appearance at work on Monday.
Secondly, we knew, as do all visitors to Yosemite, that there are other places along that trail to spend an hour that would be more comfortable and perhaps more memorable. Though, I have to say, I will not long forget my hour spent sitting on a stump only 20 minutes from where we started.
Lastly, I'd be a terrible hunter. The reason I don't hunt has nothing to do with an aversion to killing animals. Neither am I a vegetarian, nor do I want to be. Although, have you ever seen a horde of zombies attacking a broccoli patch? No, I'm not a hunter only because I just cannot sit still while in the woods. I have this deep need for movement. I spend only a little time admiring views, and streams, and what-not, because I just need to keep moving. Smell the roses? Sure thing. Done! Now let's move out.
Ruth tolerated my anxiety well. I think we still amaze each other with what we'll put up with in each other. Quite a woman.
Glacier Point sits at over 7200ft. The next point of interest on the map is Illilouette Falls, 1.6 miles downhill. The Falls are at around 5800 to 5900ft. Right at the Falls the trail climbs slowly back up to Panorama Point and about 6300ft. Trail continues to climb up to over 6500 ft as it finds its way around the point and then to Nevada Falls.
We took a little lunch break near Illilouette Falls and soaked in the sun.
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| Below Illiouette Falls |
The climb from Illiouette to the top of the ridge is only about 700ft and occurs over the course of more than a mile. There was only one set of two switchbacks that made me break a sweat. I think that the poor air quality played a major factor in Ruth's discomfort. She plugs along, though. She'll not quit, plus how can you quit? Where would you go? Back is up and onward is up. We took very frequent breaks and made the high point of Panorama Ridge.
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Ruth took pictures of various plants while we tried to identify them from the 5 minutes we spent studying a board on vegetation at the visitor's center. We snapped a couple picks of a bird and chipmunk, about the only life we saw on the trail that was not human.
As far as the human traffic, there was plenty. Particularly at the beginning, near Glacier Point, there were several groups of hikers. Our 60 minute picture deletion period kept us behind some of those groups, but there was never a time we were not within earshot of other hikers. Usually at least one group within view. Except at the water falls where water play was involved, people were quiet and respectful. We could hear the hikers talking as they came within a few feet, but you could not hear hikers far off in the distance as we did at Devil's Lake (see that post for more complaining). Though crowded, the experience was not diminished for it.
We met a lone hiker near the turn to head to Nevada Falls or take a right and head out into the wilderness and the Merced lakes. He and some friends had been camping at Merced lakes and were now making their way to Glacier Point and then down into the Valley via Four Mile Trail. At this point Ruth and I had been on the trail some 5.5 miles. He still had about 10 miles to his car and had already covered over 11 miles. Wow. To be 20 years old again. His friends were no where in sight. Upon leaving him I realized he had no pack and only a 16 oz bottle of water. Many questions.
Nevada Falls is a short climb down from that intersection. There is another intersection just before the Falls. A left turn would take us back to where we parked our mules the day before.
Nevada Falls was packed with people. They make the climb up the Mist Trail or the Muir Trail, view the Falls and then head back down again. I hold no disdain for that endeavor, even with having covered seven miles of trail. The climb up, and down, is shall we say... notable.
The area around the falls is a flat worn rock that is excellent for catching the sun. We spent a good 45 minutes with our feet in the frigid water taking the sun and enjoying the cool mountain air. The temp up there was probably not quite 80F. Perfect.
The only bad news was on the posters about the three missing hikers. Two went into the water above Vernal Falls and got caught in the current. Their friend waded deeper in to help them. All three went over. If you ever see the Falls you'll understand that it is not likely they will find the bodies intact. Very tragic.
These are not small waterfalls. I've played around in some small falls on the Black River in Northern Michigan, but Vernal and Nevada are not those kind of waterfalls. If you wish to play in the water of these falls stay well up stream.
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| Nevada Falls |
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| Vernal Falls |
The path down from Nevada Falls to Vernal Falls was a nightmare of stone steps. Even Ruth described some difficulty negotiating these steps. My trip down was, well, I kept my mouth shut. Downhill does not treat me well. Steps do not treat me well. As you approach Vernal Falls you begin to understand why it is called the Mist Trail. Especially after you cross the bridge and have the vantage points of Vernal Falls... You might mistake yourself for being in an Irish countryside valley. The rocks are slick and the mist hangs in the air. Moss and greenery grows on every possible surface. The stone steps of the trail are narrow and wet. Occasionally, metal pipes form a handrail on the trail, but these are of little comfort. The area around Vernal Falls was simply fantastic. Worth the trip, whether coming up or going down.
8.2 miles after we'd started and over 6 hours later we hit the valley floor.
Day 4 - Wawona and Mariposa Grove
The plan for Day 4 was to drive to Wawona and take the shuttle bus to Mariposa Grove. Both of us were a bit beat up from the hike the day before. My left knee had bothersome tendinitis from the descent to the Valley. Ruth was just plain leg weary and had a blister on one toe the size of Delaware. Yow! So, walking opportunities were going to be short. Turns out we walked more than we thought we would.
We knew we couldn't dawdle much on the drive to Wawona, which took us on part of the bus route from the day before. On the way up there is a tunnel and just before the tunnel there is a pull-out. I beg you, please pull out and take many many pictures.
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| Yosemite Valley from the West |
The smoke from the fire had already filled the valley at 0900. That is easily seen in the pictures.
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| Map showing fire area |
At Wawona we spent a little time in the gift shop. More than I'd care to, but yesterday was do what Mikey wants. Today was "sure thing, Dear" day. Take it easy and just do whatever.
There were people, people, everywhere. We missed the first shuttle bus to Mariposa by about 50 people. We missed the second because the length of the line to the women's bathroom was rivaled only by that of the mighty Mississippi. We caught the third bus. The driver was giving some interesting facts about the area, particularly he described some of the plants and wildflowers. Unfortunately, the noise of conversations on the bus kept us from hearing more than a 1/3 of what he said. Still, we used that information to spot some of those described flora while we walked through the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. We probably even identified some correctly.
The tram ride at Mariposa is not cheap. Actually, few things at Yosemite are cheap and whether good or bad, nearly everything takes credit cards. Have plenty on your credit limit or bring lots of cash. Be willing to spend it freely and you'll have a good time. The lady at the ticket booth has a son who lives in La Valle, WI. She spent a couple months each Winter at her son's cabin in the woods outside La Valle. Snow shoeing, skiing, and ice fishing. How about that! Summer in California and Winter in Wisconsin.
Still, take the tram ride at least on the way up to the grove. Then walk around and maybe hop a tram on the way down or just walk all the way down. We took the tram up and it was an informative ride. We spent a good 90 minutes at the grove itself, walking slow through the trail and taking a picture of anything and everything.
The size of these trees are indescribable outside of scientific measurements. I can well imagine the awe of the first time a person would walk up over the North Ridge and see these monsters.
The Sequioa is still being cut down in places, even though it is protected. Manifest Destiny or Rampant Stupidity? Who can tell.
We hopped another tram and took it about halfway down. Then we walked the rest of the way.
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| Mariposa |
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| Mariposa |
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| Notice trees growing together |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen_Clark
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| Galen Clark Cabin |
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| Wawona Inn |
The Wawona Inn is a first class resturant, especially in price, but the food was also very good. The setting was fabulous. We spent 45 minutes just relaxing on the porch and reading/napping and then had a good supper.
We should have timed things a little differently, but didn't think about it. We took our time on the way back to the valley and snapped some great picture of the waterways, and views. We stopped at nearly every turnout to see what we could see.
What would have been best is if we would have given ourselves a chance to get to the Tunnel Turnout before the sun went down. Now, we can only imagine the Valley at Sunset.
Still, we snapped a good picture of the valley, but not quite at sunset. We still did see a good sunset further up the mountain.
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| Sunset At Yosemite |
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| Yosemite Valley after Sunset |
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Athlone Clonbonny Loop - Athlone, Ireland
A half day off on Sunday before heading into work for a couple hours. The day before had been an OK hike in Galway, but I was looking for something a little more rustic. There is a road into the countryside south of Athlone that loops right back to the hotel. So, why not.
The morning was perfect. Started at almost exactly 09:00. Temp right around 15C, high fog and a light wind.
Taking off out of the hotel I went East into Athlone on Dublin Rd. Very few cars, which is not the norm, but it was Sunday morning. Even fewer people. At the turn for Golden Island, right before the city centre I took a left on John Broderick. Staying straight and not going right (which goes to the shopping centre) the road quickly narrows and becomes countryside.
I suppose there is nothing spectacular in regards to the scenery. There are no majestic sweeping vistas of herd of buffalo. There is no long shore of high cliffs with crashing waves.
There are, however, a few houses. Some are nicely done and some are not quite in that category. There are a great deal many boggy meadows, a patch of forest here and there, and birdsong in great quanitity. For you true naturalists you'll be disappointed with my posts but I hope to make up for that as time goes on. I do not know my birds, nor do I know my trees. I know an oak or maple when I see them. I can tell the difference between deciduous and evergreen, especially in Winter.
The walk was very quiet and about 7.5 miles for the whole loop. The first two miles are all spent in Athlone along Dublin Rd. Once out in the country the left hand side is mosty peat bog with patches of forest. Occassionally, a cow pasture and a house break the bog. On the right side is bog land that is used mostly for pasture. Cows, horses. After perhaps only a half mile the River Shannon makes an appearance and as you make your way down the road further, the road and the river nearly meet.
At the point where the road takes a left turn and begins to head back East, there is a cul-de-sac to the right. Take that as far as you care. I took it to a point just before the first (and only?) lodging. This little side trip will bring you to within 100m of the Shannon. The bog pasture, the cows, and the river are something very special. I stood for a few minutes taking in the scenery.
In many places it seems the river has no banks and in the Winter of 2010-2011 that's just what happened. Along the road you can see where the repairs took place.
Passing by a group of beef cattle they started up and began running along side my walking. I told them I had nothing for them, but soon saw their ultimate wish. They stood by their cattle gate with eyes that I've only seen on begging dogs, just hoping to get through the gate and into a different pasture. Sorry, I'm the wrong human!
This first part of the road had little in the way of old ruined buildings, but once the road turns left that changed. The land quickly becomes more hilly and there are more rolling meadows for the horses and cows. There are also more old stone buildings. Now, these are not hundreds of years old where ancient rituals were once performed. These are old farmhouses, perhaps from the late 1800's , early 1900's where farmers raised cattle, sheep, and children. Still, they are a unique part of the landscape. At least my camera and I thought so. They are also worth documenting because, as one posted notice states, they are soon to be demolished and replaced with newer structures.
The scenery can only be described by the inadequate term, pastoral. Really, the rolling hills, meadows, well maintained homes and yards, make for a excellent stroll through the countryside. The road is narrow and driving is fast. When you hear a car, step aside. The locals don't mind you being out there, but they don't expect you either.
As you approach the bridge over the train tracks you begin to hear the sounds of the N62 and M6 motoroways. Soon, you'll be out of the country and back to the stores and hotels. Before that, though you pass by the Clonbonny National School. This old school seemed to remind me a bit of the old Nasonville Elementary in Clark Cty, Wisconsin. Not sure why, maybe the shape, but it did.
Shortly after the school there is a small industrial/commercial area right at the intersection of the country road and N62 (Dublin Rd). A short walk of less than a mile back to the hotel. Still, along the way back to the hotel, there is good rolling meadows that offer a view amid the sounds of cars and trucks at your back.
Once back at the hotel. A quick shower, and down to the Granary Bar for the Sunday Carvery.
The morning was perfect. Started at almost exactly 09:00. Temp right around 15C, high fog and a light wind.
Taking off out of the hotel I went East into Athlone on Dublin Rd. Very few cars, which is not the norm, but it was Sunday morning. Even fewer people. At the turn for Golden Island, right before the city centre I took a left on John Broderick. Staying straight and not going right (which goes to the shopping centre) the road quickly narrows and becomes countryside.
I suppose there is nothing spectacular in regards to the scenery. There are no majestic sweeping vistas of herd of buffalo. There is no long shore of high cliffs with crashing waves.
There are, however, a few houses. Some are nicely done and some are not quite in that category. There are a great deal many boggy meadows, a patch of forest here and there, and birdsong in great quanitity. For you true naturalists you'll be disappointed with my posts but I hope to make up for that as time goes on. I do not know my birds, nor do I know my trees. I know an oak or maple when I see them. I can tell the difference between deciduous and evergreen, especially in Winter.
At the point where the road takes a left turn and begins to head back East, there is a cul-de-sac to the right. Take that as far as you care. I took it to a point just before the first (and only?) lodging. This little side trip will bring you to within 100m of the Shannon. The bog pasture, the cows, and the river are something very special. I stood for a few minutes taking in the scenery.
Passing by a group of beef cattle they started up and began running along side my walking. I told them I had nothing for them, but soon saw their ultimate wish. They stood by their cattle gate with eyes that I've only seen on begging dogs, just hoping to get through the gate and into a different pasture. Sorry, I'm the wrong human!
This first part of the road had little in the way of old ruined buildings, but once the road turns left that changed. The land quickly becomes more hilly and there are more rolling meadows for the horses and cows. There are also more old stone buildings. Now, these are not hundreds of years old where ancient rituals were once performed. These are old farmhouses, perhaps from the late 1800's , early 1900's where farmers raised cattle, sheep, and children. Still, they are a unique part of the landscape. At least my camera and I thought so. They are also worth documenting because, as one posted notice states, they are soon to be demolished and replaced with newer structures.
Once back at the hotel. A quick shower, and down to the Granary Bar for the Sunday Carvery.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Mitake-san & Otake-san, Japan
October 2010 was my first trip to Japan and as I write this in September 2011, it looks like it won't be my last. This was no vacation, but three weeks of work. Long hours and stressful situations. During 22 days I had 2 1/2 days off. The work day started at 08:00 and finished up usually by around 19:45 or 20:00.
A lot of walking was done on my days off, with the exception of one. Two of the very fine human beings I worked with took me on a tour of the countryside around Mt. Fuji. Not climbers themselves, we settled for the shops at the end of the road. I was extremely pleased with the gift of their time and attention. I cannot say enough about the Japanese people.
I had a Sunday off and there were no Western co-workers about on that day. Two left on Friday and another would be arriving very late that evening.
Having the full day off today so I thought I'd leave the city for the hills. Tokyo is very very large and lies in a huge bowl. Mountains to the North, mountains to West and to the South. There are mountains to the East as well, but those are in California, Washington, and Oregon. Except for Mt Fuji, these mountains tend to be around 2000ft to 4000ft, much like in Virginia. The great thing is that some of these mountains are less than 2hr train ride from downtown Tokyo. Mt Takao is 20 minutes from my hotel (Tachikawa) by train.
I did a little research and found that Takao would be very very busy and all but one path was paved. What mountain has paved trails? I absolutely crave solitude in the mountains. I demand it. So, there is Mitake-san (Mt. Mitake) at 800m (2600ft) which has a shrine and a village at it's peak. Hmmm... paved. But, leading from the shrine are a handful of trails that lead to other peaks. The largest in the area being Otake-san at 1266.5m (4155ft).
I set the alarm for 06:20 to make an early start. Rain was forecast for later in the day and I wanted to get up and down before the rain. Plus, the trains run less frequently the further from Tokyo you get. At 06:20 I tried really did try, but went back to bed for another hour. No worries. Took the train from Tachikawa to Ome. At Ome changed trains to a local line to Mitake. Side story: Starting from Tokyo station or Shinjuku station you are in downtown Tokyo and the buildings are monstrous. Small buildings are 9 floors. As you travel by train west you see the large buildings melt to smaller, but still most buildings are 6 to 12 stories with a smattering of 3 to 4 story apartment buildings. 1 or 2 story buildings are usually schools or some such. As you get past Tachikawa and are closer to Ome (heading West) there are fewer buildings over 5 stories, but still most are 2 to 4 stories. But now, occassionally the train passes a neighborhood of single dwelling homes. Wouldn't know it though as they are crammed together like a tin of Oscar sardines. Hey, that sounds good. After Ome, things change dramatically. There are far more trees and the smaller moutains are just on the otherside of the river, maybe 1500 meters wide. They do not rise gently, but are very steep and heavily wooded. One of the stops after Ome you go through a tunnel (driving through a spur of a short hill). On the other side the landscape is suddenly a mountain village. No large buildings and houses are stuck on any piece of flat land.
The train stops at Mitake station. Across the street and a block away is the bus that takes you to the cable car. The cable car takes you from 400m to 800m and is not cheap (about $6 one way). Mitake is a small town and the best way I can think to describe it is that it reminds me a bit of Ontario just down the road from us. Ontario may have a little more flat space. Ontario, except that the buildings have that Japanes roof style. A few still even have the timber and thatch and are in good shape. Most have ceramic or metal roofing.
That $6 on the cable car is some of the best cash you'll ever spend. The 400m climb to the summit of Mitake-san would be an incredibly difficult climb and would be entirely on pavement.
Pavement, yes that's the thing. Roads in mountain towns in the US tend to be a bit winding, but they allow the space for two vehicles to pass one another in the opposite direction. Not so in Mitake. Most of the time the road is barely 12 feet across.
The bus stops below the cable car station, so there is short 200m hike up a steep hill to get to the cable car.
The weather today. Well, it started out cloudy and about 60F. Supposed to be sunny, but that didn't happen. As the train approached Mitake the clouds were beginning to become thicker in the mountain valleys.
So, the cable car ride is short, but really quite necessary. At the top there are two gift shops and an open courtyard. Most of the signs are in Japanese and only a few sprinklings in English. Well, there's one road and two directions. Down or up. So, up I go. The others on the cable car seemed to want to look through trinkets instead of getting into the woods. I need the trail. I'm not in my hiking shoes to shop. The "road" is a concrete path barely 7 feet wide and has grooves cut in it. The drivers are pretty friendly and are on the lookout for tourists. The village at the summit is very small, perhaps 30 houses. They all butt right up to the road and each other. After 20 minutes of walking on the main thoroughfare through the village you come to the shrine. Most of the stones are newish and all are in Japanese. Have no idea what they are about. The famous Samurai armor was not on display today. Walking through the shrine there are two paths that are part blacktop, part gravel and these are the trails that lead out to other peaks.
By this time the weather had turned to drizzle, but under the canopy of cedar and other trees little rain made it to the trail. The hike from Mitake-san to Otake-san took me 1:51 minutes and it was as difficult a climb as any of the others, save the return from Lost Lake in Olympic. Never stopped going up. There were two main shelters along the way. Only one was open and that was because it has only two walls. Just a place to sit and rest. Before the final ascent to Otake-san there is a workhouse and a small prayer temple. Both locked.
The last half mile to the summit is rock; slippery sharp black rock. That last bit took some thinking. But, if the old folks could do it, so could I.
At the summit there is a post with the altitude. Behind the post to the North are further mountains. I saw nothing but gray. There were no features of anything, tree or otherwise beyond 200m. Fantastic.
Coming and going I met perhaps 30 people along the trail. That's busier than I'm used to in Mountains, but for Japan that is absolute solitude. Most everyone was dressed in expensive North Face winter and rain gear. By the time I was half way into the climb the rain was a bit more steady. Actually, outside the canopy it was coming down pretty good. There was no way to not get wet. The temp was probably around 55F or a little less. That is December temps for Tokyo and it showed in the people. I was so warm on the climb (from working hard) that I was in t-shirt and shorts with my rain jacket hung off my pack. There were people I met with full rain gear. One guy was wearing alpine hiking boots! I probably looked as strange to them as they did to me. At one point on the way up I dropped my light pack and sat on a rock. I had picked up some kind of cookie at a store the night before for a snack on the hike. I could not really tell what they were. The package was in Japanese and the girl behind the counter spoke no English. Oatmeal raisin. Wow! When I say "like grandma use to make" I'm spot on. I sat on the rock, soaked in rain and sweat, smiling.. thinking about Grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Karl (miss you!) eating cookies. What did those Japanese think about that site?!?
On the way back down I changed shirts and then wore my rain jacket. I wasn't working as hard and the rain was really coming down. Even under the trees the rain was steady. The amount of standing water on the trail tripled from on the way up. Those rocks on the way down. Boy were they slippery. Took 1:25 to get back down to the cable car, but that first half mile off the summit took about 20 minutes. Scary.
I freely admit I'm very bad with knowing my trees and plants. The scenery, despite the mist and drizzle, was still fantastic. The woods, steep hills were sites to behold. I won't long forget it. I hope that in December 2011, when I go back, I have another day off.
A lot of walking was done on my days off, with the exception of one. Two of the very fine human beings I worked with took me on a tour of the countryside around Mt. Fuji. Not climbers themselves, we settled for the shops at the end of the road. I was extremely pleased with the gift of their time and attention. I cannot say enough about the Japanese people.
I had a Sunday off and there were no Western co-workers about on that day. Two left on Friday and another would be arriving very late that evening.
Having the full day off today so I thought I'd leave the city for the hills. Tokyo is very very large and lies in a huge bowl. Mountains to the North, mountains to West and to the South. There are mountains to the East as well, but those are in California, Washington, and Oregon. Except for Mt Fuji, these mountains tend to be around 2000ft to 4000ft, much like in Virginia. The great thing is that some of these mountains are less than 2hr train ride from downtown Tokyo. Mt Takao is 20 minutes from my hotel (Tachikawa) by train.
I did a little research and found that Takao would be very very busy and all but one path was paved. What mountain has paved trails? I absolutely crave solitude in the mountains. I demand it. So, there is Mitake-san (Mt. Mitake) at 800m (2600ft) which has a shrine and a village at it's peak. Hmmm... paved. But, leading from the shrine are a handful of trails that lead to other peaks. The largest in the area being Otake-san at 1266.5m (4155ft).
I set the alarm for 06:20 to make an early start. Rain was forecast for later in the day and I wanted to get up and down before the rain. Plus, the trains run less frequently the further from Tokyo you get. At 06:20 I tried really did try, but went back to bed for another hour. No worries. Took the train from Tachikawa to Ome. At Ome changed trains to a local line to Mitake. Side story: Starting from Tokyo station or Shinjuku station you are in downtown Tokyo and the buildings are monstrous. Small buildings are 9 floors. As you travel by train west you see the large buildings melt to smaller, but still most buildings are 6 to 12 stories with a smattering of 3 to 4 story apartment buildings. 1 or 2 story buildings are usually schools or some such. As you get past Tachikawa and are closer to Ome (heading West) there are fewer buildings over 5 stories, but still most are 2 to 4 stories. But now, occassionally the train passes a neighborhood of single dwelling homes. Wouldn't know it though as they are crammed together like a tin of Oscar sardines. Hey, that sounds good. After Ome, things change dramatically. There are far more trees and the smaller moutains are just on the otherside of the river, maybe 1500 meters wide. They do not rise gently, but are very steep and heavily wooded. One of the stops after Ome you go through a tunnel (driving through a spur of a short hill). On the other side the landscape is suddenly a mountain village. No large buildings and houses are stuck on any piece of flat land.
The train stops at Mitake station. Across the street and a block away is the bus that takes you to the cable car. The cable car takes you from 400m to 800m and is not cheap (about $6 one way). Mitake is a small town and the best way I can think to describe it is that it reminds me a bit of Ontario just down the road from us. Ontario may have a little more flat space. Ontario, except that the buildings have that Japanes roof style. A few still even have the timber and thatch and are in good shape. Most have ceramic or metal roofing.
 |
| Trail Map near shrine |
Pavement, yes that's the thing. Roads in mountain towns in the US tend to be a bit winding, but they allow the space for two vehicles to pass one another in the opposite direction. Not so in Mitake. Most of the time the road is barely 12 feet across.
The bus stops below the cable car station, so there is short 200m hike up a steep hill to get to the cable car.
The weather today. Well, it started out cloudy and about 60F. Supposed to be sunny, but that didn't happen. As the train approached Mitake the clouds were beginning to become thicker in the mountain valleys.
So, the cable car ride is short, but really quite necessary. At the top there are two gift shops and an open courtyard. Most of the signs are in Japanese and only a few sprinklings in English. Well, there's one road and two directions. Down or up. So, up I go. The others on the cable car seemed to want to look through trinkets instead of getting into the woods. I need the trail. I'm not in my hiking shoes to shop. The "road" is a concrete path barely 7 feet wide and has grooves cut in it. The drivers are pretty friendly and are on the lookout for tourists. The village at the summit is very small, perhaps 30 houses. They all butt right up to the road and each other. After 20 minutes of walking on the main thoroughfare through the village you come to the shrine. Most of the stones are newish and all are in Japanese. Have no idea what they are about. The famous Samurai armor was not on display today. Walking through the shrine there are two paths that are part blacktop, part gravel and these are the trails that lead out to other peaks.
 |
| Mitake village |
The last half mile to the summit is rock; slippery sharp black rock. That last bit took some thinking. But, if the old folks could do it, so could I.
At the summit there is a post with the altitude. Behind the post to the North are further mountains. I saw nothing but gray. There were no features of anything, tree or otherwise beyond 200m. Fantastic.
 |
| Summit |
 |
| Bridge on trail |
 |
| Crossroads - last sign in English |
Coming and going I met perhaps 30 people along the trail. That's busier than I'm used to in Mountains, but for Japan that is absolute solitude. Most everyone was dressed in expensive North Face winter and rain gear. By the time I was half way into the climb the rain was a bit more steady. Actually, outside the canopy it was coming down pretty good. There was no way to not get wet. The temp was probably around 55F or a little less. That is December temps for Tokyo and it showed in the people. I was so warm on the climb (from working hard) that I was in t-shirt and shorts with my rain jacket hung off my pack. There were people I met with full rain gear. One guy was wearing alpine hiking boots! I probably looked as strange to them as they did to me. At one point on the way up I dropped my light pack and sat on a rock. I had picked up some kind of cookie at a store the night before for a snack on the hike. I could not really tell what they were. The package was in Japanese and the girl behind the counter spoke no English. Oatmeal raisin. Wow! When I say "like grandma use to make" I'm spot on. I sat on the rock, soaked in rain and sweat, smiling.. thinking about Grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Karl (miss you!) eating cookies. What did those Japanese think about that site?!?
On the way back down I changed shirts and then wore my rain jacket. I wasn't working as hard and the rain was really coming down. Even under the trees the rain was steady. The amount of standing water on the trail tripled from on the way up. Those rocks on the way down. Boy were they slippery. Took 1:25 to get back down to the cable car, but that first half mile off the summit took about 20 minutes. Scary.
I freely admit I'm very bad with knowing my trees and plants. The scenery, despite the mist and drizzle, was still fantastic. The woods, steep hills were sites to behold. I won't long forget it. I hope that in December 2011, when I go back, I have another day off.
 |
| Mountain forest |
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Mt. Rainier - Towards Indian Bar
Late July 2010 and I'm back in the Pacific Northwest. I absolutely love the Pacific Northwest. I've hiked on Rainier three times (including this hike), Mt St Helens, Olympic Natl Park, North Cascades. There is no place in the world better than the Pacific Northwest as far as I'm concerned.
Driving out of the airport and getting out on to I-5 I feel as if I've returned home. I've never lived there, only visited and only in the last 9 years. Somehow, something simply calls to me. There are four reasons I haven't moved out there. Those reasons will remain my own.
All but one of those hikes I did myself. This hike on Rainier was to be the second with another person and the first trip out to my "home" with my wife Ruth. Things hadn't been so good for us so there was quite some trepidation heading out on this vacation.
The planned hike was to start at Box Canyon and hike up to the Cowlitz Divide and make it as far as we could. Our ultimate goal was Indian Bar, but we knew that was a stretch goal. When I first thought I was going on my own my goal was Ohanapecosh Park. I would have needed excellent weather and to really push the pace. On my own that was possible, maybe 70% likely. Together there was no way, so Indian Bar was the goal with a 80% likelihood.
The snow about 6000ft refused to melt that Summer and the day before we left I gave Indian Bar a 60% chance. Figured we make it up to the high point right before Indian Bar.
We woke to a beautiful sunny and cool day on Rainier. The temp at 08:55 was right around 58F and the sun was out in full force. We'd have a comfortable hike up through the canopy to the ridge. We made sure to pack sunglasses and an extra shirt (two for me... boy I sweat easy). The ridge would be warm and sunny.
08:55 we left the parking lot at Box Canyon. Took a 5 minute side trip to check out the canyon, got a bit confused on which trail was the trail we needed. Backtracked for another 5 minutes and then got on the real trail up. The first mile is pretty easy to Nickel Creek. We hit Nickel Creek at 09:39.
I'm going to make a statement here that will get me in trouble when Ruth reads this, but she knows where I stand on the issue. Any moderately dedicated hiker will smile and shake their head in agreement with me, though. Very important ---- be sure all your electronic devices such as GPS and Camera are all set and ready to go at least a day ahead of time. There are few things more frustating to a hiker than to have their partner constantly stopping on the trail to learn how to use their GPS or adjust the settings on their camera. The first mile took almost an hour. We were stopping every 100m because something wasn't understood or wasn't quite right.
I carry a cheap GPS in my pack. I make sure the batteries are good before I get in the car or on the plane. It stays in pack, turned off. It's there for emergencies. I hike on trails. They are already on the map. Only once in the North Cascades did I end up on an unmarked trail, but I didn't feel the need to worry about whether I could upload it into my computer.
I have a decent, small, digital camera. I use two settings that I can find in less than a second. I stop quickly to take a picture and then keep moving. I do take a good number of pictures. An 8 hour hike in the mountains will yield about 50 pictures. I keep moving though and do not take a lot of time to frame them. I'm out there to hike and have memories, not win a contest.
Nickel Creek is about 3480ft. A wood bridge made from a cut tree runs across and there is a campground tucked on the East side. This is a great place to stop and soak your feet as we did on the way back down. It is also your only source of water until you hit snow pack. We had to stop at Nickel Creek for a nature call, fiddled with the GPS, fiddled with the Camera. At 09:50 we were moving again. Been on the trail almost an hour and had gone only a mile. No way to make Indian Bar now. We would run out of water and probably daylight, unless we really did well on the climb up.
The climb up starts at Nickel Creek and it is what you would expect of Rainier. Switchbacks. Constant switchbacks. Some were tough, some were not, but the climb never let up. Our pace slowed considerably, down to less than a mile an hour. I used to be a runner before two back surgeries. Now I hike. I'm 25 pounds heavier than I used to be and have sciatic issues that make a lot of things difficult. One thing I can do is put one foot in front of the other and climb. I can typically maintain a 2mph average on climbs and 3mph on the flats. Downhills kill my knees. I am slow, slow, slow on steep declinations. Ruth, well, she's not a climber. Those switchbacks took their toll. She'd recover nicely with just a minute or two, but the switchbacks were punishing. She's a gamer, though, and kept pushing.
We met a couple that was coming down. They were on Day 10 of the Wonderland Trail circuit and had one more day to go after this one. We wished them well and pushed on. About 10:47 we hit 4200ft and then at 11:00 on the button the GPS registered 4400ft. Okay, maybe GPS isn't so bad on a hike. We dropped packs and took a 10 minute break. I try to break every hour for 5 minutes. Get the pack off, stretch my legs and get my lower back a rest. Gratefully the weather and terrain allowed for this.
The climb up is all in the forest. Again, don't know my trees, but I like what I see in those Northwest forests. There were no grand views of picks on the climb up. We could hear the creek down below and small run-offs trickling down the mountainside but, with only a couple exceptions, couldn't really see them. Still, the sounds, the green, the smell of the pine, decay.
By 11:22 we'd hit an even 4600ft. and began to see small snow patch off the trail. Shortly after that, at 11:32 we hit the Cowlitz trail junction. We'd been moving for 2.5 hours and only gone 2.7 miles. We re-assessed our goal and decided we'd hike until 14:00 and then turn around. No chance of making Indian Bar or even close to that. I was a little worried about water. I don't like to take from snow cover if I don't have to or even streams. Day hike.... shouldn't need to have more water than you can pack in, but we were going to be close.
At the Cowlitz junction we met a couple that passed us as we stopped to take pictures by the sign. They were moving at a good clip going towards the top of the ridge. Their goal was to get to the "high point" which is a little before Indian Bar. As we started hitting the rolling terrain we met them coming back. The wife/girlfriend was completely freaked out and wanted to "get off this hill." I asked her partner about her attitude. He said she just couldn't deal with the snow. It was just too difficult. The little packs of snow were tough, no doubt. But certainly not insurmountable. She should've stayed on the trail. Still, once you're freaked out up there you best be getting back down or somebody's getting hurt.
At 12:59 we broke out of near constant tree cover and got glimpses of Bald Rock out to the East. 13:30 brought the first unobstructed view of Mt Rainier and saw us still around 5450ft. Felt like we'd been climbing, but we'd been dropping as well. Up on the ridge the view of Rainier was spectacular. Very few clouds and beautiful blue sky. Using the binoculars we tried to spy some climbers we'd been told would be on a face we could see. No such luck. If they were there we were not expert enough to catch them.
We broke for a long lunch about 14:00 at a good spot. We had a great view of Rainier. A little shade under a copse of trees when we wanted and excellent views of St Helens and Adams to the South. A couple hundred meters further up the trail I could see the high point. The approach to the high point was completely snow covered. The distance was about a half mile but would likely have taken us 45 minutes just to get there and another 45 minutes to get back. I liked the idea, but we were done to 1/3 water. Ruth was pretty beat. I was worried about daylight should something go wrong on the way back down. We decided a long 30 minute break to eat sandwiches (and drink a Coke!) was the order and then back down. As I said, the view from where we were was outstanding and we took a lot of pictures there. One of them has me with no shirt (drying it out) and wearing Ruth's bra. If you pay off my credit card I'll let you see that one. Maybe I should pay off your credit card instead. We'd reached an altitude of just over 5500ft. Actually, on going up to view the approach to the high point I likely cracked 5700.
We started back down around 14:35. We hit the junction about 16:24. On the way down to the junction we met a Ranger who was out with a couple of hand saws. She was out clearing the path from fallen trees from the Spring flood. Doing a great job I might add and I told her so. She wasn't impressed and simply did not seem to want people on the trail. I have a soft spot for the Rangers and honestly believe they do us a great service. I've had better conversations with them than this time around.
We hit Nickel Creek at 17:22. I was completely out of water and had been for about 45 minutes. I was a bit parched at that time. But, with only a mile left I figured I'd pass on the creek for water. Besides the pills need about 30 minutes to kick and we'd be back by then. I really should have filled a bottle with snow at the top. We stopped for about five minutes to soak our feet (and dunk my head).
At 17:22 we made it back to the parking lot. Tired, out of water, and still married.
Ruth turned out to be a great partner. Need to work on the electronics. Actually, here in 2011, still do...
The following couple of days saw us driving up the back forest roads to take pictures of St Helens. A helicopter ride over St Helens, and generally just out viewing the scenery. The helicopter ride is horribly expensive, but frankly, worth going into a little debt for.
Someday I'm going to make Ohanapecosh.
Driving out of the airport and getting out on to I-5 I feel as if I've returned home. I've never lived there, only visited and only in the last 9 years. Somehow, something simply calls to me. There are four reasons I haven't moved out there. Those reasons will remain my own.
All but one of those hikes I did myself. This hike on Rainier was to be the second with another person and the first trip out to my "home" with my wife Ruth. Things hadn't been so good for us so there was quite some trepidation heading out on this vacation.
The planned hike was to start at Box Canyon and hike up to the Cowlitz Divide and make it as far as we could. Our ultimate goal was Indian Bar, but we knew that was a stretch goal. When I first thought I was going on my own my goal was Ohanapecosh Park. I would have needed excellent weather and to really push the pace. On my own that was possible, maybe 70% likely. Together there was no way, so Indian Bar was the goal with a 80% likelihood.
The snow about 6000ft refused to melt that Summer and the day before we left I gave Indian Bar a 60% chance. Figured we make it up to the high point right before Indian Bar.
We woke to a beautiful sunny and cool day on Rainier. The temp at 08:55 was right around 58F and the sun was out in full force. We'd have a comfortable hike up through the canopy to the ridge. We made sure to pack sunglasses and an extra shirt (two for me... boy I sweat easy). The ridge would be warm and sunny.
08:55 we left the parking lot at Box Canyon. Took a 5 minute side trip to check out the canyon, got a bit confused on which trail was the trail we needed. Backtracked for another 5 minutes and then got on the real trail up. The first mile is pretty easy to Nickel Creek. We hit Nickel Creek at 09:39.
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| Mike and Ruth at the start |
I carry a cheap GPS in my pack. I make sure the batteries are good before I get in the car or on the plane. It stays in pack, turned off. It's there for emergencies. I hike on trails. They are already on the map. Only once in the North Cascades did I end up on an unmarked trail, but I didn't feel the need to worry about whether I could upload it into my computer.
I have a decent, small, digital camera. I use two settings that I can find in less than a second. I stop quickly to take a picture and then keep moving. I do take a good number of pictures. An 8 hour hike in the mountains will yield about 50 pictures. I keep moving though and do not take a lot of time to frame them. I'm out there to hike and have memories, not win a contest.
Nickel Creek is about 3480ft. A wood bridge made from a cut tree runs across and there is a campground tucked on the East side. This is a great place to stop and soak your feet as we did on the way back down. It is also your only source of water until you hit snow pack. We had to stop at Nickel Creek for a nature call, fiddled with the GPS, fiddled with the Camera. At 09:50 we were moving again. Been on the trail almost an hour and had gone only a mile. No way to make Indian Bar now. We would run out of water and probably daylight, unless we really did well on the climb up.
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| Nickel Creek |
We met a couple that was coming down. They were on Day 10 of the Wonderland Trail circuit and had one more day to go after this one. We wished them well and pushed on. About 10:47 we hit 4200ft and then at 11:00 on the button the GPS registered 4400ft. Okay, maybe GPS isn't so bad on a hike. We dropped packs and took a 10 minute break. I try to break every hour for 5 minutes. Get the pack off, stretch my legs and get my lower back a rest. Gratefully the weather and terrain allowed for this.
The climb up is all in the forest. Again, don't know my trees, but I like what I see in those Northwest forests. There were no grand views of picks on the climb up. We could hear the creek down below and small run-offs trickling down the mountainside but, with only a couple exceptions, couldn't really see them. Still, the sounds, the green, the smell of the pine, decay.
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| Ruth! |
After the junction the heavy climbing is over, but the terrain is rolling and twisting, giving the legs and cardio a continued workout. 11:55 sees 5002ft. 12:10 we dropped the packs again for 20 minutes. 12:37 we broke 5450ft and the snow cover was nearly 100%. We would have to walk on a snow pack and duck under branches, the pack being 3 to 4 feet deep and 20 to 40 ft long. Then the pack would end in a 4 foot drop-off back to trail. The trail, there, covered in ankle deep water. 20 years ago this would have been fun. Now? Let's say we found it... interesting.
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| The trail is in there somewhere |
At the Cowlitz junction we met a couple that passed us as we stopped to take pictures by the sign. They were moving at a good clip going towards the top of the ridge. Their goal was to get to the "high point" which is a little before Indian Bar. As we started hitting the rolling terrain we met them coming back. The wife/girlfriend was completely freaked out and wanted to "get off this hill." I asked her partner about her attitude. He said she just couldn't deal with the snow. It was just too difficult. The little packs of snow were tough, no doubt. But certainly not insurmountable. She should've stayed on the trail. Still, once you're freaked out up there you best be getting back down or somebody's getting hurt.
At 12:59 we broke out of near constant tree cover and got glimpses of Bald Rock out to the East. 13:30 brought the first unobstructed view of Mt Rainier and saw us still around 5450ft. Felt like we'd been climbing, but we'd been dropping as well. Up on the ridge the view of Rainier was spectacular. Very few clouds and beautiful blue sky. Using the binoculars we tried to spy some climbers we'd been told would be on a face we could see. No such luck. If they were there we were not expert enough to catch them.
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| The trail continues to the high point. |
We hit Nickel Creek at 17:22. I was completely out of water and had been for about 45 minutes. I was a bit parched at that time. But, with only a mile left I figured I'd pass on the creek for water. Besides the pills need about 30 minutes to kick and we'd be back by then. I really should have filled a bottle with snow at the top. We stopped for about five minutes to soak our feet (and dunk my head).
At 17:22 we made it back to the parking lot. Tired, out of water, and still married.
Ruth turned out to be a great partner. Need to work on the electronics. Actually, here in 2011, still do...
The following couple of days saw us driving up the back forest roads to take pictures of St Helens. A helicopter ride over St Helens, and generally just out viewing the scenery. The helicopter ride is horribly expensive, but frankly, worth going into a little debt for.
Someday I'm going to make Ohanapecosh.
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