Mt. Burdell 10-13-18

Maureen and I attended a four-day clinic in Novato with Chris Ellsworth to learn how to do ranch work on a horse. Besides basic horsemanship, it involved working with cattle every day as well as learning other skills. Maureen was there to do the work while riding our horse, Zim, and I was there just to watch and take photos. Maureen has been doing clinics like this for about five years now, and she is getting good at it. Zim is very good at it too since he spent his first 10 years or so on ranches in Wyoming and he was well trained by Chris before he sold him to us.

I find watching clinics by Chris very interesting, but on Saturday, the third day, I decided to take a break from it and go for a hike. I saw that the Mount Burdell Preserve was only a short distance from the Novato Horsemens arena, so I went to check it out. The map on the website shows several places to access the park. I chose the one at the end of San Carlos Way off of San Marin Drive.

It was a beautiful morning — clear skies and slightly cool. I started on the San Carlos Fire Road up a grassy hillside with scattered oaks. It was a steady climb, but not too steep. Soon views opened up to the southeast with a little of the bay shining in the distance. There were lots of other hikers and bicyclists on the trail. I passed a couple of water troughs at Two Brick Spring and turned left on Middle Burdell Fire Road which leveled off and headed west. I could have turned off on the Old Quarry Trail and climbed to the top of the mountain, but the climbing that I had already done was enough for today. I soon passed Hidden Lake, which was not a lake at all, but just a patch of flat grassland. I guess that after sufficient rain, it will become a lake again. Then I was winding down the west slope of the mountain to the San Andreas Fire Road and passed another park entrance. Then I was on the San Marin Fire Road heading east again.

Then the road appeared to be blocked ahead by fences and houses. There was a gap in the fences that led out to a street, but I didn't want to finish my hike on streets. The only alternative seemed to be to climb steeply to the left up along a fenceline to the top of a hill on a rough path that soon gave out and I had to work my way down a very steep grassy hillside and across a dry creek to rejoin the trail I had apparently missed. I saw a park entrance below that looked like the one I had started on, but none of the vehicles parked there were mine. I thought for a moment that my truck had been stolen, but then I figured out that my park entrance was a little further. I followed the trail up over another hill and finally found my way back to my starting point.

I could have done without that last part where I lost the trail, it was otherwise a very nice hike. Pretty country, nice views, and friendly people on the trail.

4 miles, 850 ft. climb

Heritage Grove Trail 8-26-18

Mike in Heritage Grove

Back in 2012, I wrote a post about camping with horses at Jack Brook Horse Camp in Sam McDonald County Park near La Honda where Maureen and I rode our horses, Zach and Rio, on the Brook Trail Loop. Every year since then (except for one) we have kept up the tradition and spent 8 days camping and riding there with our friends.

The last time we rode Zach and Rio on the Brook Trail was in 2015. They had a rough time with the steep trails, especially Rio, and I got off and walked up some of the steepest parts to make it a bit easier for him. In 2016, we bought a younger horse, Zim, and since our trailer only holds 2 horses, decided to leave Zach and Rio behind. Then a friend let us borrow her horse, Belle, for the trip, so we were able to ride together. We were able to borrow Belle again last year, 2017. After that, Belle's owner got bucked off one too many times, and sold her.

This year Zach and Rio both turned 30. Over a couple of months, Rio had several bouts of colic, from which he recovered, but then just after his birthday, he got it again, and this time he wasn't recovering. He was in extreme pain for many hours, and we agreed with our vet that he should be put down. Zach had been having symptoms of nerve damage and we think he may have had a stroke. He had difficulty walking straight. And then he was grieving the loss of his best friend, Rio. He is now doing much better, but he is not in good enough shape to take camping.

We were offered the use of our friend Jodie's horse, Tea, which would have worked out well, but then Tea was found to have some neurological problems. He was treated and mostly recovered, but we decided against borrowing him and being responsible if something bad happened. So we just brought Zim to camp with us, and I let Maureen do all the riding while I relaxed in camp. Our friends Mike and Norma who we camp with also only have one horse, so on a couple of days Mike and I went hiking while Maureen and Norma went riding.

On our last day of camping, Mike and I decided to check out Heritage Grove. From the campground, we walked the Towne Fire Road to near the Sierra Club Hiker's Hut, and turned left on the Heritage Grove Trail. It wound steeply down the forested mountainside into the canyon of Alpine Creek. At the bottom, there was a nice little grove of large old-growth redwoods. From there we debated how to get back to camp. We didn't want to go back up the steep mountainside that we had come down even though it was probably the shortest distance. We considered walking down Alpine Road, but that would be too far. So we continued west across the mountainside on the Heritage Grove Trail. Luckily it was relatively level and the forest was beautiful. We turned left on the Big Tree Trail and climbed steeply up to the fire road. We were both tired and this was the hardest part of the hike. Another quarter mile or so up the road and we were back at camp, quite exhausted.

This was really a beautiful hike and I suppose it would not be very hard at all for hikers who are younger or in better shape. I would recommend it. You wouldn't need to start at the horse camp as we did, it would work just as well starting at the park headquarters or at the Heritage Grove Trailhead.

4.5 miles, 900 ft. climb

Past Sierra Adventures 2

Three years after that first trip, in 1976, I wanted to do something like that again. Maureen didn’t like the idea of being left at home with a two-year-old son, but she figured that maybe if she let me go for a week long trip, I would get it out of my system. My plan was to go in mid-September, take a bus to Yosemite Valley, spend seven days crossing the range, and have my mom and dad pick me up on the east side at Silver Lake. Like the previous trip, my route included enough off-trail hiking to add some adventure.

The bus ride took most of the day, with a couple hour wait for a connection in Merced. In Yosemite Valley, I got my permit and something to eat, and as it was getting dark, I found a secluded spot near Happy Isles to put my sleeping bag. I was so excited about starting out that I was up at first light and soon on the trail up out of the valley past Vernal Falls and along Illilouette Creek.

Nevada Falls

Illilouette Creek

At Ottoway Lakes trail junction

My plan had been to camp somewhere along the creek, but I was going strong and it seemed early to stop, so I kept going. I thought I could stop at Merced Pass Lakes, but after wandering around a bit I couldn’t find a lake, and there was no water around. I was very tired by now, but I needed a place with water, so I pushed on to Lower Ottoway Lake. I was in pretty good shape in those days, but after 18 miles and 6000 ft. of climbing with a heavy pack, I was about as worn out as I’ve ever been. My hips were so sore that I was having a hard time walking.

Lower Ottoway Lake and a couple of Synanon people

I soon noticed that there was a group of about a dozen people camped nearby. They were a group from Synanon, a organization that began in the 60’s to help drug addicts, and expanded in the 70’s to help people with any kind of problems. Their approach to group therapy was called “the game”, and it featured an attempt at total honesty with a lot of verbal abuse aimed at each other. A few years before, I had been in therapy for a couple of years, and for a few months, I had gone to Synanon meetings at their Oakland clubhouse, so I knew something about it. In later years, the organization fell apart in very nasty power struggles, but in the mid-70’s they were still doing pretty well. They invited me to join a “game” after dinner, so I did. They were pretty hard on each other, but they took it pretty easy on me as a guest, and I enjoyed their company.

Me with some of the Synanon group at Red Peak Pass

The next morning, I hiked with several of them up to Red Peak Pass, where I said goodbye and continued on my way. Late in the afternoon, I stopped for the day in a meadow along the Triple Peak Fork of the Merced.

Triple Peak Fork

 The following day, I left the trail in the canyon of the Merced and climbed beside cascades over smooth granite to the meadows of the Lyell Fork of the Merced. It was still early in the day, but it was such a beautiful spot, and I was ahead of schedule after my 18-mile first day, so I decided to stay there. There were 360 degree high mountains, but Mount Ansel Adams dominated the view, a sharp pointed well shaped spire at the upper end of the meadows. It is not the highest peak in the area, but it was well chosen as the namesake of the photographer because it is so impressive. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the meadows looking for good photos. As it got dark, I started to feel lonely and worried about bears, but none showed up.

My camp at Lyell Fork of the Merced

Evening at Lyell Fork of the Merced

In the morning, I started off again, heading for the big unknown of my planned trip. I was going to try to cross the divide that forms the southeastern border of Yosemite just north of Electra Peak. I chose that spot because on the the topo map the contours looked a bit less dense there, and it looked like it might work. I knew that there was a passable cross country route just south of Foerster Peak, but I had always been intrigued by the basin south of Mt. Lyell, which the map showed as filled with many little lakes. I made it past several of the lakes up to lake 10702, and then headed for the divide. I found that although there were indeed a lot of lakes, it was a pretty sterile environment. I had pictured meadows and trees, but it was all barren rock.

One of the lakes in the basin south of Mount Lyell

Near the top, there was some steep scree that I had to scramble quickly across to avoid sliding over a cliff edge, but I made it. The other side looked pretty scary with cliffs everywhere, but first I wanted to climb to the top of Electra Peak (12442 ft.) since it was so near. The view was awesome, especially to the southeast where the Ritter Range rose straight out of the deep canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin.

On the way down into the canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin

Further into the canyon of the North Fork of the San Joaquin

Then I looked for a way down to the east. At first the cliffs had looked like a solid band, but looking more closely, I noticed that at one spot big blocks of talus reached nearly to the top and I could make it down. Then there was a long slope of talus and meadow. As I walked down, I started thinking about the last few days. I began to realize that exciting as it was, this solo backpacking was also pretty lonely, and I missed having someone to talk to. My thoughts were brought back to the present when I found myself on the edge of another band of cliffs that hadn’t been visible from above. Far to the left, they looked a bit less steep, so I made a big detour and continued down. This big upper basin of the North Fork of the San Joaquin was a pretty wild, desolate place with lots of colorful rock and barren lakes. At Twin Island Lakes I looked around, and I could see a flat area a couple hundred feet below in the canyon that looked like a good campsite. I didn’t pick the best way down, and I was pretty tired, so it was a bit of a struggle. There were a few scrawny trees, but it didn’t feel like a very welcoming spot. I did appreciate the late afternoon light on the mountains above making them gold with purple shadows, which reminded me of a Maxfield Parrish painting, but soon it was just another lonely night.

Twin Island Lakes

North Fork of the San Joaquin — 4th night's campsite

The next morning I was climbing the far side of the canyon, roughly following a cascading stream. It was steep, but there were no real problems. After a long climb I reached Ritter Lakes. It was a beautifully wild scene of bright snow, dark rock and sparkling water. It had been about four days since I had seen another human, but then as I crossed a snowbank, there were footprints. And then, as I was rounding Lake Catherine, there was a guy sitting on a rock. He looked like a larger version of myself -- mid-thirties, long blond hair and beard. He asked if I had a map, and I showed him mine. In an amazing coincidence, he had also started in Yosemite Valley, and was following a similar route. So we hiked together over North Glacier Pass and down to Thousand Island Lake, where we camped together. We talked a lot about our similar experiences and it was nice to finally have some company.

On the way up to Ritter Lakes

Ritter Lakes

Fellow Hiker at Lake Catherine

Thousand Island Lake

descending from Agnew Pass

The next morning, we made the long descent to Silver Lake, where we said goodbye, and he hitch-hiked away. I was a day early for pick-up by mom and dad, so I just hung around the general store for a few hours until evening, and then looked around for a suitable place to sleep. I found it in a clump of junipers a quarter mile or so above the road where I figured no one would bother me. The next day, mom and dad showed up as planned, and my trip was over.

It was a great trip and it satisfied my appetite for mountain adventure for quite a while. It also taught me that although solo backpacking can be fun, it was not something that I wanted to do much of again. I had always thought of myself as something of a loner, but I realized that mountain adventure was a lot more fun with friends along. In following years, I did many camping and backpacking trips with Maureen and the boys, and with other friends, and I found that although they were not as adventurous as my solo trips, they were a lot more fun.

Past Sierra Adventures 1

Lately I haven't been doing much hiking in new places to add to this blog, so I thought I would share some old memories and photos of wilderness trips of years past. Though they are not a big deal compared with the hiking and climbing that lots of people are doing these days, they were pretty exciting to me. After the years of backpacking trips with the scouts, I wondered about the possibility of backpacking by myself. Mostly I wondered whether my mind could take being alone in the wilderness for days without going nuts. I thought that maybe I could.

In 1973, I was married and we had a kid on the way, and I felt like I was soon going to be tied down forever and it was my last chance for some mountain adventure, so I planned a 3-day solo trip in the Bridgeport area. I was going to start at Twin Lakes, and do a loop around Sawtooth Ridge. It would require several miles of cross-country hiking including two high passes which were questionable. In those days, there wasn’t much information available about off-trail routes, and I had practically no climbing experience, so I wasn’t sure if my plan would work.

On a mid-July afternoon, I arived at Twin Lakes and started up the Horse Creek trail. After a mile or two, I left the trail and continued on a fairly good use-trail which led up a long talus slope. I stopped to rest in a beautiful little meadow at about 9200 ft. elevation, unpacked and walked around taking photos as the sun was setting.

View down Horse Creek from the beginning of the talus slope and a passing hiker

Meadow near first night's camp

Last stretch to Horse Creek Pass

The next morning I continued up the canyon up long talus slopes and snowfields to Horse Creek Pass at about 10700 ft. It wasn’t too hard until the last bit where the snow was steep, which made me nervous, and I scrambled around it on some steep scree. About a half mile across the head of Spiller Creek I could see Matterhorn Pass, and it looked like a problem. There was about 100 ft. of nearly vertical granite below the saddle. I began trying to climb a crack near the middle of the face, but it was too difficult and I realized how foolish it was to take chances being alone in a remote place.

Matterhorn Pass from Spiller Creek side

At the top of Matterhorn Pass

I looked around and noticed a little gully going up far to the left that might work. Luckily it did, with just a bit of scary exposure near the top. The far side was steep, but not bad, and then there was a long snowfield down into Matterhorn Canyon. Then I was back on a trail over Burro Pass. I took a long lunch break in a meadow, and then one more pass to cross, Mule Pass. There was a lot of snow, and I lost the trail several times, and very tired by now, I finally got down to Crown Lake.

Looking back to the east from near Mule Pass

descending toward Crown Lake

As I passed the lake, I stopped to talk to a couple of young guys camped there, and they invited me to come back later and smoke a joint with them. I found a campsite a bit below them, and later went back to take them up on their offer. Three of us were crowded into a tiny tent, smoking. Then one of them got out a butane stove and lit it. A flame shot out of it about 3 ft. long, and we all totally freaked out.

Back at my camp, stoned and still a bit freaked, I suddenly wondered where my wallet was. I dumped everything out of my pack and searched everywhere, but didn’t find it. I was thinking that it must have fallen out of my pack back at my lunch stop, but that was way too far to go back for it. So I went to sleep very bummed about it.

Juniper on the way down from Crown Lake

The next morning, I looked once more, and the wallet was right in the side pocket of the pack where I had put it. Maybe getting stoned in the wilderness wasn’t such a good idea. From there it was a long but easy downhill hike back to Twin Lakes. It had been a fun, successful trip and I didn’t mind being alone, although it was only a couple of nights.

Huckleberry 7-2-18

I had been thinking that it would be nice to do some walking in some shady woods, and the Huckleberry Preserve in the Oakland hills would be a good place for it. So on a foggy monday morning I set off on Redwood Road from Castro Valley. As I drove I remembered that along the way I would pass a trail that I had never tried, the Big Bear Loop Trail, so I stopped at the Big Bear Staging Area. The sign on the only visible trail said "to McDonald Staging Area". That's not where I wanted to go, but I followed it for a short distance and found the Big Bear Trail branching to the right. It was a steep climb up into a small ravine until the trail bent to the right and traversed the hillside through lush vegetation. After passing a water tank, the trail descended back down to Redwood Road a short distance above the parking area.

I drove on up to Skyline and followed it up to the Skyline Gate of Redwood Park. This is a very popular spot, especially with dog walkers, but luckily there were still a few places to park. I walked along with several strings of dogs on the East Ridge Trail until the Skyline Trail branched left. Going over a small hill, I saw some beautiful magenta flowers on the trail side. I don't know much about flowers, and I thought these looked like some kind of orchids, imagining that I had found something exotic. Later, at home, I showed a photo to Maureen and she told me that they were sweet peas. Not so exotic but pretty all the same. My trail crossed Pinehurst Road, and soon came to a fork. I turned right, heading lower into the canyon. After winding in and out of a couple of ravines, I came to a trail branching left heading steeply up the hillside, and I followed it. It was steep enough that in many places it climbed wooden steps. At the top, I turned left again heading back to complete my loop. All along these trails I got my fill of shady woods and lush vegetation. In many places the trail sides are walls of huckleberrys way over my head.

So I got what I was looking for -- a nice walk in beautiful woods, not too long but enough to feel like I had gotten some exercise.

Big Bear Trail:  0.5 miles, 150 ft. climb
Redwood and Huckleberry:  2.2 miles, 380 ft. climb

Pleasanton Ridge 5-21-18

My hiking activity has slowed down a lot in the last year or two. That's partly because age has slowed me down in general and partly because sometimes arthritis in my knee makes it painful. I try to keep active with frequent walks near home, but those wouldn't be of much interest for this blog. I've done quite a few hikes at Pleasanton Ridge, and I've always been curious about the northern half of the park, but to get there from the Foothill Staging Area would take a longer hike than I was willing to do. Then a couple of months ago, I heard that a new entrance to the park had opened further north on Foothill Road, and I wanted to check it out.

Monday, May 21, 2018 seemed like the perfect day to try it. The weather had been very cool and cloudy for a week or so, but this day began with sunshine. I drove to Pleasanton, south on Foothill Road, and then found Old Foothill Road, a narrow one-way road with parking along one side. I had no idea where the trail was and a pickup truck was backing down the road toward me, so I backed out and drove further south to the other end of Old Foothill at the Alviso Adobe. I parked there and walked up Old Foothill until I came to the Castleridge Entrance and the Courdet Trail. I expected a parking area, but the only parking was along the side of the road.

The trail started off steep, but after a quarter mile or so it became easier. Most of the trail had a fairly easy gradient, but climbs steadily for a couple of miles. The woods were beautiful with big oaks and bays and lots of ferns and wildflowers. Between the trees are views of the valley below which feels kind of like being in an airplane. I was surprised to find the trail quite busy with hikers and cyclists. It seems that local people have not wasted any time finding this spot.

I was looking forward to reaching the top of the ridge, but when I finally arrived, it felt a bit anticlimatic. The views were nice but the rolling hills of dry grass felt rather plain after all of the trees and flowers on the way up. I had thought about exploring some of the many trails branching out from that point, but the long climb had used up most of my energy. I did walk a short way both directions along the ridge just to see what was there. I was surprised to find that to the north the trail ended at a gate with a couple of large houses beyond. These must be at the top of Santos Ranch Road, a private drive that has been there for many years. The walk back down went quite pleasantly and I was soon back at the bottom.

This was really a great hike and it was easy to see why so many people were using it. I'll be likely to come back and do it again next time I feel energetic.

5.1 miles, 1100 ft. climb