Tuesday Hike: Deer Creek Tribute Trail

Today’s hike was about 60 miles north of us, at an elevation slightly lower than ours, in the town of Nevada City which was also a gold rush mining town.  The temperature was a degree below freezing when we climbed out of the car to join the rest of the group.  There were restrooms at the trailhead so we used those before starting out — it took almost two hours to get there and I had had my coffee before leaving home.  The restroom doors were standing open, so it was as cold inside as outside.  It is really hard to pee when you are sitting on a ice cold toilet.  Just sayin’.

The trail, though, was beautiful.  It followed Deer Creek which was busily singing its way along next to us.  When it came time to cross the creek, the group was very excited to see that there was a brand new extension bridge across the ravine.  The bridge was very narrow, very long, and VERY high up.  The photo doesn’t give the proper perspective but if you look at the stream you can get a sense of how far down it was.  The first two to cross the bridge enjoyed jumping and making it sway.

Meanwhile, Brett was trying to control the anxiety building inside of him.  You may remember that he was really uncomfortable in the Alps.  He is petrified of heights.  He gets panicky, he gets vertigo, he does not do well.

I took one look at the bridge and offered to turn around.  We had already come a good distance so I would have been fine with going back and exploring the town.  But Brett was determined to do it.  He did not want to be a wimp.  I went first, and Brett followed with each hand gripping the cables on either side.   He watched my feet and my backside, and every few steps said, “slow down.”  But he made it.  Fortunately, we went back a different way that did not involve that bridge.

There were choke cherries everywhere.

And a swimming hole that must be wonderful in the summer but was not at all inviting today.

After the hike, we grabbed lunch in town.  There’s nothing like a burger or a pulled pork sandwich after a long hike on a frigid day.

Tuesday Hike: Georgetown Nature Trail

This week’s hike was through a nature preserve in Georgetown.  We were fortunate to have the long-time caretaker of the reserve lead us on our hike; he has been been the caretaker since its founding — and much of the work on the trails was done by his Boy Scout troops over the years.  It was a chilly 38F when we started down the trail, and it was deeply shaded by towering pines and cedar, but we were dressed warmly and it was one of those crystal clear and cold brilliant days so we didn’t mind at all.

The nature trail is on land owned by the school district.  Students involved in fighting bullying at school created this space. 

Himalayan blackberry was introduced to the Sierras by early settlers because it does well in the cold mountain climate.  ...too well, it is taking over and can be found everywhere.  Our ranch is surrounded by it as well.  I thought it was native, but it isn’t.  

The trail leads past an abandoned gold mine dating back to the gold rush.  It goes back about 800 feet into the hillside.  You had to stoop and crawl in the entrance.

But, once inside you could stand all the way up.  We walked on some metal laying in the water that was all through the base of the tunnel.  It was way cool in there.  And dark.  The light in the photo is from the flashlights on our phones.

The area was originally inhabited by Native Americans who moved between Georgetown  and Lake Tahoe, depending on the season.  A Boy Scout troop built this replica of their teepees, made from cedar bark.  The tribe no longer exists.  They suffered the same fate as the Cherokee — they were driven out of the area and sent to Oregon.  Some perished there, and some on the journey and others  trying to journey back home.  California’s own trail of tears.  So sad.  So wrong.

This is Scotch Brush.  It’s an invasive non-native as well.  It started out as an ornamental plant, used to landscape suburban backyards.  And, it escaped.  It is everywhere and just about impossible to kill.

Tuesday Hike: Jenkinson Lake

One of the first things I did upon retiring was join the local Tuesday hiking group.  Brett and I went on our second hike with the group today — the first one was the Persimmons and Turtles post last week.  The hike this week was close by; up at Jenkinson Lake which is just eight miles up a fairly steep and very windy road from us.

It’s a friendly group of retirees; some who hike fast and some who hike slow; some who are talkative, some who aren’t, and some who know a whole lot about the local plants and animals.  On alternating weeks they go on a long (6-10 miles) or short (4-6 miles) hike.  This week was a long hike; nine miles around the perimeter of the lake.  We joined a subset of the group that hiked to the waterfall and then turned back — still a respectable six and a half miles.

The water in the lake is very low right now.  The lake is a reservoir for drinking water for towns further down the mountain, in the foothills.  They’ve been taking water from the lake all summer, with not much coming in so there was a lot of shoreline exposed.  Depending on how much rain and snow we get, the lake will fill by spring.  It is fed primarily by snow melt.

Along the way, we passed this gorgeous Pacific Dogwood.

Surprisingly, there was water splashing down at the waterfall.  I had expected it to be dry.  It wasn’t the mad, spray drenching, torrent that is there is spring but, still, it was water.

Turtles and Persimmons

One of our friends, Patty who used to be a neighbor, belongs to a hiking group.  Ever since we moved up here, I’ve been looking at the photos she posts of their hikes and wished I could go.  The group hikes on Tuesday mornings — and is made up of retirees.  The minute I retired, I sent Patty an email and asked for details on the next hike.

Today we hiked from the north end of Folsom Lake up to Avery’s Pond.  There were buckeye seeds (huge!) littering the path, wild blackberries clinging to the vines already golden leaved, and turtles sunning themselves on the banks.

There were also wild persimmon trees.  A few of us scrambled down the bank and picked some, enjoying the sweet pucker of their orange flesh.

On the way back to the main road, we stopped and bought a bag of mandarin oranges from a local farm.  As we drove home, dusty and fingers sticky with mandarin juice, I smiled.  This retirement gig is the bomb.

Woods Lake Trail

Remember a few weeks ago, Brett and I went kayaking at a beautiful lake high in the Sierras?  The trail head was packed and people told us that the hike was beautiful -- making a loop which included three lakes and fields of wildflowers.  Of course, we had to go back and make the hike.

I checked a trail website and the trail was given five stars (accurate) and a rating of easy (not even close to accurate).  The trail started at Woods Lake, at 8200 feet elevation, and climbed to 9400 feet at the summit.  If we had known that the hike was three miles straight up, and then three miles back down, I'm not sure we would have attempted it.  Brett is doing great with his knee replacements but he wasn't at all sure that the supporting muscles were ready.

But, we were oblivious and so we set off from the Woods Lake trail head and started climbing.  After hiking through the pines, we came into a green valley.  The trail climbed at the base with a stream tumbling to our right, and wildflowers stretching up the hillside as far as we could see.

We took it slow -- partly because of the steep climb, partly because of the elevation, and partly because I was taking photo after photo after photo.  We've both been on beautiful hikes before, but this took the cake.

We reached Winnemucca Lake at lunch time.  Okay, it wasn't lunch time but we were hungry so we stopped and ate our lunch.

From Winnemucca Lake, the trail continued to climb.  Parts of the trail were still covered in snow.

We came across these huskies who were leaping around their owner, full of joy and play, clearly in their element.  The owner let me take a picture, then he leaned back on his heels and the dogs pulled him across the snow.

We stopped again at the summit and caught our breath.

A short way further down the trail, we came to Round Top Lake.  There was a spur trail that went to 4th of July Lake -- but we didn't take it.  We were tired of climbing.

The trail back down to Woods Lake was also steep.

We had to cross another stream and the log, which served as a bridge, was a bit too high for Brett to comfortably use.  He wasn't sure that he could clamber up on the log and then stand without losing his balance.  So, he used the log as a handrail and stepped across on the rocks.

We passed an old mine (there is a reason that this area is called the "Gold Country"); the mine opening (fenced closed for protection), the foundation of an old cabin, a rusty model T car, and other debris.  Brett was fascinated.  I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of it.

We will definitely take this trail again.  It wasn't easy, but it was do-able.  And worth doing again.

El Dorado Emeralds

When I was a kid and a young adult, I did a lot of hiking and backpacking.  I loved hiking; backpacking not so much.  I wasn't really into the whole "climb every mountain" with 40 lbs on your back, no showers and freeze dried food experience.  Hiking would easily take the prize as my favorite thing to do on a date.  Brett and I were very compatible on that front.  But we have gotten older; his knees and my feet don't handle hiking so for the past ten years or so we have limited out forays into the mountains to horseback.

But, now we live in El Dorado county in the pine studded Sierra Nevada mountains with trails everywhere.  And I don't have a trail horse.  My trusty steed, Winston, is at reform school.  After being tossed onto the trail and riding out some bucking tantrums I'm not particularly anxious to take him out into the wilderness again.  I invested in a good pair of hiking shoes and some sole inserts for added cushion and support.  I'm ready to venture out.

Yesterday, our neighbor Patty took me on a trail up off of the Georgetown Divide.  We started by a stream, rushing over rocks and swelling the banks after the recent rain.

We followed it for awhile, until it ended at some pools lined with mossy rock.

We retraced our steps to where the trail led up the mountain, past soap weed (the root, a bulb, was used by Native Americans to counteract the effects of poison oak).

I scrambled over loose rocks and boulders, until we reached the top.  The trail made a gentle descent on the other side, under spruce and pine, until we again reached the stream.  The water was too high to cross; the stepping stone rocks were submerged and my boots are not waterproof.

On the way back to the car, Patty told me about the rocks in the area.  They are green and were mined around the turn of the century for jewelry -- sold to Tiffany's even.  The stone has a formal name, of course, but its common name is El Dorado emerald.

I knew about the gold in these mountains; I had no idea we also had "emeralds."

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Today, I invited Brett to go on a hike to Tenaja Falls and have a picnic there.  We used to hike and picnic and, ahem, enjoy ourselves when we were young and impetuous. He agreed -- now that he has a bionic knee we can go for walks again. I was told that the trail is short and the falls pretty, with a couple of nice swimming holes.  The trail head was about 10 miles down the back road from our community.

We found the trail head and set out.

The grass and chaparral are brown and dry this time of year.

We didn't expect to find water in the stream.

Our beautiful,tinder dry, mountains.

Typical footing on our trails.  This is why Jackson's feet have to be strong.  Steep, with boulders and loose rock.

Do you see the falls in the distance?

Just an itty bitty trickle of water.  We haven't had measurable rain since May.

WHY do people smoke and throw their cigarette butts on the trail??!!  In high fire season no less!

The swimming holes were pretty.... the graffiti not so much.

Why put this stuff on the rocks in an area of natural beauty?!  Take your spray cans and go away.

We found a quiet place at the top of the falls for our picnic.

 It was a good day.  A little exercise, a little wine, lots of fresh air... spent with the love of my life.  It just doesn't get any better than this.