tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50609354803956764072024-02-19T07:22:07.837-08:00Hiking Around SacramentoA posting of the hikes I have taken in and around the greater Sacramento region.digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-86876442704812690282012-08-06T15:17:00.000-07:002013-07-05T15:22:18.371-07:00Mt. Lassen PeakIn 2008, a collapse of rocks led to the death of a nine year old boy on the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_lassen_peak.htm" target="_blank">Mt. Lassen Peak Trail</a>. Since that time it has been essentially closed while it undergoes a reconstruction. Until the work is complete, the entire trail is only open of a few days each year - check the website for details. The trail should be fully open in 2015. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lassen Peak Trailhead</td></tr>
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The vehicle entrance fee is $10.00. <br />
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It is only open for three short periods this year. My nine year old son and I climbed the peak on August 5, 2012. We saw a number of families on the trail with kids of all ages, including an 18 month old carried in a backpack. My son led the pace and needed to numerous short breaks, but he did fine climbing to the edge of the caldera. We decided not to climb the scree covered pinnacle, as the day was ending. <br />
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The round trip distance is five miles and there is a 2000 elevation gain to the summit at 10,457 feet. At this altitude there is 69% of the oxygen available at sea level according to <a href="http://www.altitude.org/air_pressure.php">altituted.org</a>. <br />
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On Sunday, August 5, we left Sacramento at about 10:45 a.m. and hit the trail at 2:45 p.m. It took us four hours and 40 minutes to complete the hike up and back. The NPS notes that you should allow four to five hours to complete the hike. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of the trail showing new work. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the peak, with smoke from the Lassen fire in background</td></tr>
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We set up camp that night at about 8:00 p.m. and it was getting dark. <br />
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The two closest campgrounds to the Lassen Peak Trail are Summit Lake and Southwest. Southwest is a walk-in only campground with only 20 spaces. We <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/camping_in_campgrounds.htm" target="_blank">previously reserved</a> a space at the Summit Lake campgrounds, which has a very attractive lake. The north side campgrounds have flush toilets and south south side has pit toilets). Cost a this campsite was $16.00 a night paid through <a href="http://Recreation.gov/">Recreation.gov</a>.<br />
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The next morning we hiked the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/hiking_bumpass_hell.htm" target="_blank">Bumpass Hell Trail</a> and went back home. Plan to spend about three hours on this trail. <br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-55912680265670057312012-04-14T16:25:00.000-07:002012-04-14T16:25:20.728-07:00Training Hill to Cool - ASRAOn April 14, 2012, I did a nine mile loop from Training Hill (Pointed Rocks Trail) to Olmstead loop to the small town of Cool. The trail ends at the Knickerbocker Trailhead parking lot. I had and "endless" salad bar lunch at American River Pizza and Grill. The salad was fresh and I would stop there again.<br />
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See this printable <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=training%20hill%20auburn%20stae%20recreation%20area%20map%5B&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.psyber.com%2Fasra%2Ftgptrk.pdf&ei=jwGKT7GqKIWSiALv-vz1Cw&usg=AFQjCNFP6PqgB9N2w6iFabIY1XX2gjpcew&cad=rja" target="_blank">map</a>. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62ooOkMf4cO6jrup7eDMeRWzElvW1fAAMjga-y65tAwg8ZOBrWsQ9tGOUF07UlUhR91OJSem9HqneGGiGl84A0-7UInKgaCagG0G_-UGhbbzX3QIHCWE01lT7gYYVwsACNO_JdH1XI8I/s1600/Training_Hill_to_Cool_Trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62ooOkMf4cO6jrup7eDMeRWzElvW1fAAMjga-y65tAwg8ZOBrWsQ9tGOUF07UlUhR91OJSem9HqneGGiGl84A0-7UInKgaCagG0G_-UGhbbzX3QIHCWE01lT7gYYVwsACNO_JdH1XI8I/s320/Training_Hill_to_Cool_Trees.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The green grass of spring.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgng0-BW4lAotRt7pqBzwCgHyUKwrPjDWlRTVUwfSLsmMhh0-8FfpxZebn3_UgAi2wiqNtH6wgnJVKvD_aXr1Q9tjgSJULVK-W8bllxBM2ANgZXyek9JW8o6IDMlmp18LbyNCVx_6WmGyE/s1600/Training_Hill_Western_States_Waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgng0-BW4lAotRt7pqBzwCgHyUKwrPjDWlRTVUwfSLsmMhh0-8FfpxZebn3_UgAi2wiqNtH6wgnJVKvD_aXr1Q9tjgSJULVK-W8bllxBM2ANgZXyek9JW8o6IDMlmp18LbyNCVx_6WmGyE/s320/Training_Hill_Western_States_Waterfall.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of spring runoff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaQRbeoyttZDHl9MOYlKUvYPBeRPljpzOvXQHIZO5uKV2ZpCm16iG82VEBlLtn2p4k9LFqFwhMTqeQL3F-o7Vg3txgyBDX6DiJrdqilPxMXyG9m3yJ1yqXTEagYf3hcvnSqMVnKldq8/s1600/Training_Hil_Town_of_Cool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LaQRbeoyttZDHl9MOYlKUvYPBeRPljpzOvXQHIZO5uKV2ZpCm16iG82VEBlLtn2p4k9LFqFwhMTqeQL3F-o7Vg3txgyBDX6DiJrdqilPxMXyG9m3yJ1yqXTEagYf3hcvnSqMVnKldq8/s320/Training_Hil_Town_of_Cool.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small town of Cool. </td></tr>
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<!-- End MMF Embed Tool -->digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-83884855552804471282012-01-29T14:23:00.000-08:002012-02-12T22:43:41.796-08:00Redbud Trail - Cache Creek Canyon BLM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SYnxUkayUi7e4LtFb6Q_beb3QdBqZXdoyY04njsY2kpGruNRT1MvQIbn_Yw6ib-miWDT9bag7qp6zVNaLr_eAMQPddRS3IRhGYjPKUURaaCt9bTRYe1joZkzNo7XOtBBEdsffRRD5HA/s1600/Cache_Creek_Canyon_trail_2.jpg" imageanchor="1">The Redbud Trail hike was listed in the </a><a href="http://www.backpacker.com/local_hikes_sacramento/destinations/14535" target="_blank">November 2010 issue of Backerpacker Magazine</a> as a great hike out of Sacramento. Local hiking clubs were asked for their hiking recommendations and Alan from the Sacramento Hiking Meetup offered up this trail along Cache Creek Canyon. Alan led the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sachikinggroup/events/48930142/" target="_blank">Meetup hike I attended on January 28, 2012</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of erosion that looked like the product of strip mining.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The highlight of the hike was seeing migrating Bald Eagles fly above the canyon. When Alan led the hike on the previous week, they saw none, so we were lucky. A birder who was along on the hike confirmed three sightings of immature Bald Eagles, which do not have white heads. From the distance I saw them, they were clearly large raptors. The weather was perfect. This trail is too hot in the summer and in the spring the creek can rise to an uncrossable level. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SYnxUkayUi7e4LtFb6Q_beb3QdBqZXdoyY04njsY2kpGruNRT1MvQIbn_Yw6ib-miWDT9bag7qp6zVNaLr_eAMQPddRS3IRhGYjPKUURaaCt9bTRYe1joZkzNo7XOtBBEdsffRRD5HA/s1600/Cache_Creek_Canyon_trail_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A migrating immature Bald Eagle in the distance. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Cache Creek on the return. </td></tr>
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The drive is pretty straightforward from Sacramento. Take I-5 North to Highway 20. When you get to Williams, turn left on Highway 20. After 31 miles, you will pass over a bridge and immediately see a sign on the left that reads Cache Creek Management Area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV43AhD2vtHPDiQbtHG-FIj1uAeKqiZVmLchjmiHECSuZqfv2QPSYXIn9rAP8Mzyxo9MB2r2c8I9uPWx1tVQp1eBOU87DrI4noXZgV8gpcqA69qYN4MAQnthhVXpTbNiSNAYxHZ8vU3eA/s1600/Cache_Creek_Canyon_crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV43AhD2vtHPDiQbtHG-FIj1uAeKqiZVmLchjmiHECSuZqfv2QPSYXIn9rAP8Mzyxo9MB2r2c8I9uPWx1tVQp1eBOU87DrI4noXZgV8gpcqA69qYN4MAQnthhVXpTbNiSNAYxHZ8vU3eA/s320/Cache_Creek_Canyon_crossing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing in the spring can raise the creek 5 feet higher. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Bureau of Land Management controls the land. They have a <a href="http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/cachecreek.html" target="_blank">webpage</a> with a <a href="http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/ukiah/trail_maps.Par.56894.File.dat/Redbud_Trail.pdf" target="_blank">map of the Rosebud Trail</a> and a link with <a href="http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ukiah/maps_ukiah.html" target="_blank">additional maps</a> for the Cache Creek Natural Area. There is a parking area with two pit toilets. A small display stand give some cultural and natural history information about the area. The trail is well marked down to the creek. Crossing the creek can be difficult in the spring, but with the recent lack of rain, it was easy to cross across stones and a couple of downed logs. I did bring water shoes in my pack, and used them to cross, but did not use them on the return.<br />
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There are multiple paths after crossing the creek. This is where our experienced guide was useful. The map didn't seem to show these multiple branches and there was no clear trail markings. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/Maps/EmbeddedMap.aspx?tripId=768730&w=420&h=400" width="420">&lt;p&gt;This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &amp;amp;amp;lt;a href='http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/768730'&amp;amp;amp;gt;here&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt; instead.&lt;/p&gt;</iframe>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-69984374079439595212011-12-20T19:00:00.000-08:002012-01-07T14:17:34.152-08:00Training Hill- Pointed Rocks ASRA<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next to the pointed rocks. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>On December 20 2011, My eight year old son and I climbed up Training Hill and did a nearly 5 mile loop back to the car. He did well on Training Hill which rises 1000 feet in a mile, but did need to stop several times for water breaks on the way up. <br />
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I've done this hike a couple of times nd I like it, but I think the Fire Trail Hike (Kickass Hill) up to the Forrest Hill bridge is a better workout. Located in the Auburn State Recreation Area, <a href="http://www.meetup.com/hikersandcompany/events/40620372/" target="_blank">this link</a> has a good description of the tail. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500px" id="mmf_blog_map" src="http://js.mapmyfitness.com/embed/blogview.html?r=409132442181582481&u=e&t=hike" width="400px">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/61299382"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Training Hill ASRA: Dec 20, 2011 2:55 PM&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/?location=Auburn, CA"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Hikes in Auburn, CA&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-9166476265133114622011-11-27T16:56:00.000-08:002011-11-27T21:32:23.298-08:00Mt. Diablo Loop<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></div><br />
On Saturday, November 26, 2011, I joined a <a href="http://www.meetup.com/hikersandcompany/events/33164272/">Hikers & Company Meetup that did a loop hike to the summit of Mt. Diablo</a>. We left Sacramento at 7:38 a.m. and arrived at the Mitchell Canyon Interpretive Center at about 8:10 p.m. I ran my iPhone's <a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/59187610" target="_blank">Map My Hike</a> app to track the trail. The new phone's battery nearly died by the time I finished at about 4:15 p.m. We spent about 40 minutes at the summit walking through the museum and eating lunch. We saw a couple of other large groups on the trail at the same time we were on it, in addition to a few small groups and some cyclists, who must generally use the automobile road. he trail is quite separate from the hiking trail. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500px" id="mmf_blog_map" src="http://js.mapmyfitness.com/embed/blogview.html?r=844132235140969069&u=e&t=hike" width="400px">&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/59187610"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Mt Diablo&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/?location=Clayton, CA"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Hikes in Clayton, CA&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;</iframe><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail crosses the road to the summit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of Mt. Diablo has a museum built as a WPA project.</td></tr>
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Below is a fly-over view of the hike. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the museum is the rock floor summit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt6q-wgqvRmfgMbEqsLF81dizKPgNW_ZrmCIPOXS2Kv_O_PFFjJ9oRCD7vU9xILCYNElS0qhzkqH9V7uqK0a8jWcOweiNNFogLPcunlVUpmU9-QlhyphenhyphentknV90APudEDUERFjaCLtibkE8/s1600/Mt_Diablo_Museum_Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYt6q-wgqvRmfgMbEqsLF81dizKPgNW_ZrmCIPOXS2Kv_O_PFFjJ9oRCD7vU9xILCYNElS0qhzkqH9V7uqK0a8jWcOweiNNFogLPcunlVUpmU9-QlhyphenhyphentknV90APudEDUERFjaCLtibkE8/s320/Mt_Diablo_Museum_Map.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A relief map with light showing our starting point.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail about 3 miles from the end of the loop. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/59187610">Mt Diablo</a> and more hikes in Clayton, CA on MapMyHIKE. <a href="http://www.mapmyhike.com">Find hike</a><br />
</iframe>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-34848792479856867502011-09-25T19:46:00.000-07:002011-10-01T14:54:29.046-07:00Echo Peak - Desolation WildernessOn Saturday, September 24, I joined the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/hikersandcompany/events/33603262/">Hikers & Company Meetup</a> for a 9.5 mile hike up to Echo Peak. The trail head is located next to Echo Chalet. Their website offers these <a href="http://www.echochalet.com/directions.htm">directions</a>. Also useful are the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=9900+Echo+Lakes+Road,+Echo+Lake,+CA+95721-9400&hl=en&cid=0,0,13123692911531888679&fb=1&gl=us&geocode=2296888281123255463,38.834643,-120.044174&sqi=2&t=h&z=16&vpsrc=0">Google Map directions</a>. Coming from Sacramento, the exit is off of Highway 50, a short distance from the Ralston Peak parking lot (across from the Camp Sacramento sign). We hit the trailhead about 10:15 p.m. and completed the hike about 4:45 p.m. Allow 5.5 to 6 hours for hike. We spent about 25 minutes on the summit which as free from the bugs found just a bit lower. The hike can be shortened if you take the boat "taxi" near the end of Upper Echo Lake. The service ends during Labor Day, so it was not available as an option.<br />
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The first half of the hike take you past both Lower and Upper Echo Lakes. The trail then ascends, with some steeper sections to the summit. The summit is hidden until you are almost upon it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat launch area in front of Echo Chalet, on Lower Echo Lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next to the boat launch is the trailhead Day hikers fill out a free use permit at this point. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the trail. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail following the lakes is well defined (as pictured) Later it becomes less distinct. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of the first half the hike follows the two lakes. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfoiYMUtGd897-L4UZjxbkbkcuDAFTxZ9nDNhm6cXm4nM-VAJLxhoQn1e2ed8Z7_WoRDcp_jP2pTjJCD6oonZbKLyg51UvGM-URgwTRWutIzmB-8rgIsFOFl4JJslgjZTulPDZQdsBTM/s1600/Echo_Peak__Echo_Lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfoiYMUtGd897-L4UZjxbkbkcuDAFTxZ9nDNhm6cXm4nM-VAJLxhoQn1e2ed8Z7_WoRDcp_jP2pTjJCD6oonZbKLyg51UvGM-URgwTRWutIzmB-8rgIsFOFl4JJslgjZTulPDZQdsBTM/s400/Echo_Peak__Echo_Lakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the back is Lower Echo Lake, in the forefront Upper Echo Lake. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-CItG89rQKQwByPOQoqfNXO4B-RLcKfFYOtEh3LPF0dLdhdoXGkSnyqi50c1BsVW9CF-QdX7WL7G5q27T13FTtnIh6lYUS0sZtAvKSo1rH4Aa0A6BhUY-mZayymQsoBPnaQ5rIolZ3o/s1600/Echo_Peak_Desolation_Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-CItG89rQKQwByPOQoqfNXO4B-RLcKfFYOtEh3LPF0dLdhdoXGkSnyqi50c1BsVW9CF-QdX7WL7G5q27T13FTtnIh6lYUS0sZtAvKSo1rH4Aa0A6BhUY-mZayymQsoBPnaQ5rIolZ3o/s400/Echo_Peak_Desolation_Sign.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right after this Desolation Wilderness sign the trail forks. Turn right and climb up the hill. (note the trail to the left of the big tree). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKnGMJeOp2EH22mq7WCA3JVlfOWY9rWv0sokkRPlHm1LEQpEmKMYmItsUi3aLyP1LWCs-J5jWDwkzV9wzkaVrHos9inuhESl4AQ8svkMmHfwrbDGD0hvwhTvpWJMdl4fgL6JuklXNybw/s1600/Echo_peak_trail_post_turn_left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKnGMJeOp2EH22mq7WCA3JVlfOWY9rWv0sokkRPlHm1LEQpEmKMYmItsUi3aLyP1LWCs-J5jWDwkzV9wzkaVrHos9inuhESl4AQ8svkMmHfwrbDGD0hvwhTvpWJMdl4fgL6JuklXNybw/s400/Echo_peak_trail_post_turn_left.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At this trail post turn left. (Note that the post does not list the summit). A short distance later the trail forks, turn right again. The Tom Harrison Desolation Wilderness map does not show this fork. The trail from this point on becomes less distinct and seems less used. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvfznUlSsAizEmKcdwtTbQLPKMV91zsqQ5PcOs02vXr9EMp88yOvZl9QcZZLCkokzw38A3y3AGI0uOPEtbBAa0mWAdE1umEZju4yAC4WL_UsvywZFLjSERH6JP5pzB2IpsWEthKt95QE/s1600/Echo_Peak_snow_field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvfznUlSsAizEmKcdwtTbQLPKMV91zsqQ5PcOs02vXr9EMp88yOvZl9QcZZLCkokzw38A3y3AGI0uOPEtbBAa0mWAdE1umEZju4yAC4WL_UsvywZFLjSERH6JP5pzB2IpsWEthKt95QE/s400/Echo_Peak_snow_field.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A snow field remained near the peak, however we were able to walk around it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EGIYko38wOk36deEYNOTTQ-0KwA6JP7N_p3mvHEKTFitWBvKhkpAXLX_dLdIgQUrkQ3_aQaHqG1-LmEaZEa1O0mzHV86-sgqoA4V6XKi2NKW3g8Q9CX2IjIpn2AY6JhcMepxFNbgTPY/s1600/Echo_Peak_view_of_summit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EGIYko38wOk36deEYNOTTQ-0KwA6JP7N_p3mvHEKTFitWBvKhkpAXLX_dLdIgQUrkQ3_aQaHqG1-LmEaZEa1O0mzHV86-sgqoA4V6XKi2NKW3g8Q9CX2IjIpn2AY6JhcMepxFNbgTPY/s400/Echo_Peak_view_of_summit.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the summit. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjAQsQkaTfHsuCI5oV7EHvfp0aie2noeAKv21iNhZKRALLNox0nI9cEXL1FBVhtTS15xiGWBWaIhh0GT1SbwTwpgYFAuvNMo3LcgisUxIVw33-00-AnmRVpKVrblz82S3ffM73BUqhvY/s1600/Echo_Peak_on_the_peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjAQsQkaTfHsuCI5oV7EHvfp0aie2noeAKv21iNhZKRALLNox0nI9cEXL1FBVhtTS15xiGWBWaIhh0GT1SbwTwpgYFAuvNMo3LcgisUxIVw33-00-AnmRVpKVrblz82S3ffM73BUqhvY/s400/Echo_Peak_on_the_peak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the summit, with Lake Tahoe in the background and Fallen Leaf Lake below it. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The weather was a comfortable. It was a little cool at the start, but after a couple of miles I shed my long sleeved shirt and just used a t-shirt the rest of the trip. We had a light sprinkle on the way back, but it was never enough that I needed to get out my shell. I emptied my 3 liter CamelBak and was a little dehydrated at the end. I bought a sports drink at the store at the Echo Chalet store when we returned. <br />
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One of the participants on this hike recorded this 360 degree view from the top. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLYNO9mZDh4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-78999652087743640252011-06-10T17:29:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:33:14.192-07:00Mt. Shasta - Avalanche Gulch RouteOn June 8, 2011, G.H. and I drove to Mt. Shasta for a summit attempt via the Avalanche Gulch Route. This was the most physicaly challenging event I had tried, although G.H. had climbed Shasta several times, once requiring an emergency airlift when he broke his ankle hoping across the rocks. . <br />
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Once in the city of Mt. Shasta we had lunch at the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/black-bear-diner-mount-shasta">Black Bear Diner</a>. This restaurant was the first of what is now several that have been built around California. The food was not particularly good. G.H.'s hamburger was oddly raw around the edges. My chicken sandwich was okay.<br />
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We then went to the <a href="http://www.thefifthseason.com/">Fifth Season</a> to rent my mountaineering boots. I had used their online reservation system to reserve boots, crampons, gaiters and an ice ax. When I got there I learned their boots did not come in half sizes. I found the 12" too small and the 13" too large. I decided on the 13"Koflach boots. While I had no better choice, this boot would be the reason my summit attempt was not completed. They told me they did not have gaiters for me, but did find a pair that were slightly damaged, but workable. <br />
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We then drove to the Bunny Flat parking area. This is as far as the road is cleared. There was quite a bit of snow, as we expected. We set up our two tents just above Bunny Flat parking area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GzWE4N-XfFwEe55aFiKfmieaIikvc_kgI86NgmNPo_lopijkXr6sQXpTvScQeNaqIqfxP41rAGz0LRleq4IL88Y4BOwOm_IFYNfC2sEEFjNS69pufsLOGxFYzehxIeScFDgHVCqD1rI/s1600/Shasta_tents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GzWE4N-XfFwEe55aFiKfmieaIikvc_kgI86NgmNPo_lopijkXr6sQXpTvScQeNaqIqfxP41rAGz0LRleq4IL88Y4BOwOm_IFYNfC2sEEFjNS69pufsLOGxFYzehxIeScFDgHVCqD1rI/s400/Shasta_tents.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tents at Bunny Flat with Mt Shasta in the background. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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We went back down to town for dinner. We ended selecting the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=piemont+restaurant+mt+shasta&fb=1&gl=us&hq=piemont+restaurant&hnear=0x54cde0d325020841:0x8e6a2d01c84b8607,Mt+Shasta,+CA&cid=12345200261341040113">Piemont Restaurant</a>. This is a was nice small town Italian restaurant with good food. We went back to camp to get things organized for a very early start. The evening was cold, but the sky was clear and there was only light wind.<br />
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We awoke at 3:00 a.m. with the goal to hit the trail an hour later. It took longer than I thought to get ready. I taped moleskin to my feet using Leukotape P sports tape. I used silk liners and wool mountaineering socks. We started off at 5:00 a.m. The advantage to an early start is that the snow is frozen. It was nice walking on the snow, and I thought it present less wear and tear on your feet than a standard rocky trail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1XKUGvSWg83Gn_bSOfupvgTb4DbU3e6L817YIspAM_gyuS45Dz65HwbwYJtcPySgiXQ0LA0whBtm6zo6VOYttBDlo9aSMsQTOcluxbDQz9AOPiHuN2S6A79QXIPJEnkoUMcuELyflQg/s1600/Shasta_Horse_Camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1XKUGvSWg83Gn_bSOfupvgTb4DbU3e6L817YIspAM_gyuS45Dz65HwbwYJtcPySgiXQ0LA0whBtm6zo6VOYttBDlo9aSMsQTOcluxbDQz9AOPiHuN2S6A79QXIPJEnkoUMcuELyflQg/s400/Shasta_Horse_Camp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nearly buried Alpine Lodge at Horse Camp. </td></tr>
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We made it to Horse camp just as the sun was coming up. The stone hut owned by the Sierra Club was largely covered, but the doorway was dug out for access. We found two campers in the hut, inside of two tents they had set up. The interior was dark, dank and cold. The hut is only supposed to be used in emergencies, and I think it would have been more pleasant outside. I adjusted my boots and reset my crampons at a table inside. We then headed to Lake Helen. The elevation increased as we approached the frozen and buried lake. G.H led us straight up the middle, instead of taking the more gradual grade to the left. The steep angle of this climb wore into my heels with each step. I could guess I was developing some nasty blisters. When we made it to the top, we took a short break. There were a few tents set up, including a Ranger tent. I could not tell if a ranger was actually inside. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKyHa4HMbXZrlicjmf-uAn5xfYo4hXWf21hiwrGHhvmJhRzoYB45hvrXIRRt2qxHoYL2oxFbJTneh_ktxjivHSJHVamAKssNyc9OTWVwU0Lw2vTSgmyNe9SOFtJz8AHsw2jvgUlMm3w8/s1600/Shasta_Lake_Helen_tents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKyHa4HMbXZrlicjmf-uAn5xfYo4hXWf21hiwrGHhvmJhRzoYB45hvrXIRRt2qxHoYL2oxFbJTneh_ktxjivHSJHVamAKssNyc9OTWVwU0Lw2vTSgmyNe9SOFtJz8AHsw2jvgUlMm3w8/s400/Shasta_Lake_Helen_tents.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G.H. leaving Lake Helen. Note the tents. </td></tr>
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We then began the long steep ascent up the gulch. We passed lone guy carrying skis. We never saw it, but I imagine it was an incredible ride down. <br />
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Now that the sun was out the snow because to get softer. Be fire I was able to walk on the snow and only crunch it down a couple inches. The higher I climber the deeper my feet sank. I tried to search out areas that looked more solid, but those patches became fewer and fewer. My feet would often sink down to my knee. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCtloyJO05qOVF3tCA5IadJ1aQrX8jBUyVXOpkHjlBzf38gmF27f-Js6LVZzNM2kXeNq-zuZ0-_Sa-TNYjfTyEPRFZU_mGUh_fuHRAPY9p7MMn6guRbZ5t-0fzZMl4X1Etj0N1dnd8Ms/s1600/Shasta_Avalanche_Gulch_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBCtloyJO05qOVF3tCA5IadJ1aQrX8jBUyVXOpkHjlBzf38gmF27f-Js6LVZzNM2kXeNq-zuZ0-_Sa-TNYjfTyEPRFZU_mGUh_fuHRAPY9p7MMn6guRbZ5t-0fzZMl4X1Etj0N1dnd8Ms/s400/Shasta_Avalanche_Gulch_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Red Banks along the ridge. Note the glissade trails down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As the climb became steeper, the snow became softer. Add to that the thinner air and it was quite a physical challenge. Additionally each step caused sharp physical pain. As the climb went on, I felt the pain change. I experienced a burning electrical-like charge in my heels with each step. I knew I had deep blisters that had somehow developed through the moleskin and sports tape I had affixed to prevent them. I was concerned I might do some long-term damage if I went on. I signaled to G.H that I was done. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepRkHVxWmFIONEDbUOSlU3xqJy5hvvtb8Id6N_7kEUQCC9k0VDwPmnpXEPBGIpzNb9_diVdaztfPBHiqhJyVw7sGWN-LYL1hQt4MugigckkBixqsf3iUHndz8XvhtmaoGdhSAxZ1D4FA/s1600/Shasta_high_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepRkHVxWmFIONEDbUOSlU3xqJy5hvvtb8Id6N_7kEUQCC9k0VDwPmnpXEPBGIpzNb9_diVdaztfPBHiqhJyVw7sGWN-LYL1hQt4MugigckkBixqsf3iUHndz8XvhtmaoGdhSAxZ1D4FA/s400/Shasta_high_up.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look down from where I stopped. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I really feel that I could have completed the climb, but decided to end it early. I took out my cell phone and called my wife and told he I was coming down. I took some Advil and some pictures. A mountaineering class of four guys and an instructor came by. I watched their technique for stomping down the hill and found it was a lot easier going down than up. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY1TDwjWAJUzsO1LsTXfwPDZws8N_XzzCG7L6Gpfe7O1UE-PqhWMl8MOZez_3ccz8Mi2jHo9i349yDUw49_oWffoWgnpZ8yotOoYS5zfdK2VSfufP5snZlZQDNGgZjYK0OXZC5MOlwtk/s1600/Shasta_Red_Banks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimY1TDwjWAJUzsO1LsTXfwPDZws8N_XzzCG7L6Gpfe7O1UE-PqhWMl8MOZez_3ccz8Mi2jHo9i349yDUw49_oWffoWgnpZ8yotOoYS5zfdK2VSfufP5snZlZQDNGgZjYK0OXZC5MOlwtk/s400/Shasta_Red_Banks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look at the Red Banks from where I stopped. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAA_LW5KH6AhWJtq_aO5yy0hTOKyZiMs1uZSBiUVgeNH7ZwCBniOK7e6-DgQdGJCWsVKlUGWHYeKvC-36gyT4FH6Pdr8LH7YPKRgCcGcOV3vg3ZY53vhA9qIAUX6e_LfDOw6bzX96hOs/s1600/Shasta_made+_it_here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAA_LW5KH6AhWJtq_aO5yy0hTOKyZiMs1uZSBiUVgeNH7ZwCBniOK7e6-DgQdGJCWsVKlUGWHYeKvC-36gyT4FH6Pdr8LH7YPKRgCcGcOV3vg3ZY53vhA9qIAUX6e_LfDOw6bzX96hOs/s400/Shasta_made+_it_here.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spot where I decided to turn back. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>We made it back to camp at about 3:45 p.m. When I pulled off my boots, I found blood in my socks. G.. was gracious about the whole thing and said it was a good call. We didn't want to have to spend another night there if we didn't have to. We hurried to break down our camp so that we could get to the Fifth Season before they closed at 5:00. We made it into their shop at five till, returned the equipment. We grabbed at bite at Burger King and then made the drive back to Sacramento. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTvgUHh1bvTVVcxo_7YJ5gq3ptWLpjV46wY2GBtoAOfNi-byVQP4LRmH7kdTfY6A_Yb9bTQkHPJfktVJGScrdWXjYTRudrwF1Ww7Nc_OxR8SFxSGYOH7bt-2PTUFfRV54L11CyfOzQYM/s1600/Shasta_on_way_down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTvgUHh1bvTVVcxo_7YJ5gq3ptWLpjV46wY2GBtoAOfNi-byVQP4LRmH7kdTfY6A_Yb9bTQkHPJfktVJGScrdWXjYTRudrwF1Ww7Nc_OxR8SFxSGYOH7bt-2PTUFfRV54L11CyfOzQYM/s400/Shasta_on_way_down.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way back down. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-35683245746094667082011-03-07T22:09:00.000-08:002011-03-25T18:34:58.245-07:00American Canyon Creek to Quarry Trailhead (ASRA)On Sunday, February 20, I did an extended version of the planned hike from this <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Sacramento-Hiking/events/16621172/">TrailMix Meetup in the Auburn State Recreation Area</a>. There were only four of us on this hike, with Gary P. as the leader. Gary was a nice guy and I look forward to hiking with him again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_szM_k_q3PNI4NiTSt68RyzRr07VX_YctHN9hp7BcbAFDyOhL_aZ90fYXys0NNXKdbVUpKfRM-YypYoQv_HduxiAqIddAZyP9J5Fen5UIujFbTCwdhkFpJIpEFK28pXbLE6QR81ZFB8/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_szM_k_q3PNI4NiTSt68RyzRr07VX_YctHN9hp7BcbAFDyOhL_aZ90fYXys0NNXKdbVUpKfRM-YypYoQv_HduxiAqIddAZyP9J5Fen5UIujFbTCwdhkFpJIpEFK28pXbLE6QR81ZFB8/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_fall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waterfalls. </td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When we came up to a creek too deep to cross and took an extended detour that turned an 11 miler into a 14 miler. A great trip on a beautiful day around lots of flowing water.</div><div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dHH9KOiGBkynv0n1rvGIEf9EsTWgMDchG6xFPMI-XumAcF4PAeMfU-ySvo2pOduHwf9ToWNuJ6gR-wtMQN6O3Hh3YiTEf1h2kZsUwFedwNB860laV1qMKpXIvpBuqUr_KkJmabaKoRU/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_slot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dHH9KOiGBkynv0n1rvGIEf9EsTWgMDchG6xFPMI-XumAcF4PAeMfU-ySvo2pOduHwf9ToWNuJ6gR-wtMQN6O3Hh3YiTEf1h2kZsUwFedwNB860laV1qMKpXIvpBuqUr_KkJmabaKoRU/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_slot.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slot waterfall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZrReVj0lI0ClgOGGaa8_QRRzNlew6mHJ3u2pzQnHugxXJEn68o2ghPf0Ino1BeEicMIcjCcxX2hkFzsM5VhzTAn8CilB03bMRMiWZyPELtPCTnF2x63IAg4Y1bWbPkcpC2LaTfYoV5s/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek__slot_climb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZrReVj0lI0ClgOGGaa8_QRRzNlew6mHJ3u2pzQnHugxXJEn68o2ghPf0Ino1BeEicMIcjCcxX2hkFzsM5VhzTAn8CilB03bMRMiWZyPELtPCTnF2x63IAg4Y1bWbPkcpC2LaTfYoV5s/s320/American_Canyon_Creek__slot_climb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up after viewing slot waterfall.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNb0D4K5VyY8_sDCUdt70SBEdRTSUvHdjszASa5ADW_BXMARN3PflJMaIiMzidQvI__kNOU2OZY80Gt6RgeCBcksW1uuJjmWthFKlO1j3Xux9NurpS8tu-ZzJpulRyd2xH1QuaXHJpAg/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_rock_wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNb0D4K5VyY8_sDCUdt70SBEdRTSUvHdjszASa5ADW_BXMARN3PflJMaIiMzidQvI__kNOU2OZY80Gt6RgeCBcksW1uuJjmWthFKlO1j3Xux9NurpS8tu-ZzJpulRyd2xH1QuaXHJpAg/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_rock_wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A huge retaining wall built by miners.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPPrTico1vYPnuPttMXeY5C1I3u44-C-ZJ-gUWsA_bnJq3sbAcl43mbAfcpot_ImEULu-xhz_GukshQuHgWR8W9LEsHSemdg662-EG4ls0e88B_7sbM6Jui46caKPyw8yDOXEpU_nbvo/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPPrTico1vYPnuPttMXeY5C1I3u44-C-ZJ-gUWsA_bnJq3sbAcl43mbAfcpot_ImEULu-xhz_GukshQuHgWR8W9LEsHSemdg662-EG4ls0e88B_7sbM6Jui46caKPyw8yDOXEpU_nbvo/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_tunnel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tunnel near the retaining wall. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw4d9OElXX7W2MPa0UDWWOz2UncuPQiB9PQa8Z17avh_FgDY_qYZWI4IG4LU9lTOjUr99gf1cEzYMRWcxJwF36nObpPYx8Bq0R6QJmLS1YXrM-mJMMHbg-sTUAuDYOJ7x6d1RKwXokIM/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw4d9OElXX7W2MPa0UDWWOz2UncuPQiB9PQa8Z17avh_FgDY_qYZWI4IG4LU9lTOjUr99gf1cEzYMRWcxJwF36nObpPYx8Bq0R6QJmLS1YXrM-mJMMHbg-sTUAuDYOJ7x6d1RKwXokIM/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_falls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8KXnpU4kYJhA3kFXfEtOupKS5TFNV_gvwkoLSI14WweugugIAxYOB-H6TXOID6QtVY0yNgMbGnTOxH_nQHptiXfVSpi0UkhqLsAe4m5vrwYk8YflDckpP2Y7eljDT2BgqSXTctksfdk/s1600/American_Canyon_Creek_Mine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8KXnpU4kYJhA3kFXfEtOupKS5TFNV_gvwkoLSI14WweugugIAxYOB-H6TXOID6QtVY0yNgMbGnTOxH_nQHptiXfVSpi0UkhqLsAe4m5vrwYk8YflDckpP2Y7eljDT2BgqSXTctksfdk/s320/American_Canyon_Creek_Mine.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance to the Hawver Cave.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-23564691725718237592010-12-11T13:40:00.000-08:002010-12-11T13:40:07.884-08:00Cardiac Bypass Trail - Auburn SRAOn Thursday, November 11, my seven year old son and I joined the Sacramento Hiking Meeting for a five mile hike in the dark along the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sachikinggroup/calendar/15027673/">Cardiac Bypass Trail</a>. This is in the Auburn State recreation Area. It probably has some nice views of the river, but it was really dark. <br />
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The map below isn't the exact route, but it must have been similar.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="400px" src="http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/spatialArtifacts.do?event=view&id=290033&measures=off&title=off&near=off&images=off&maptype=S" width="500px"></iframe>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-64831564747641263232010-11-21T20:34:00.000-08:002011-03-25T17:55:10.932-07:00Sutter Buttes Summit Ascent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I climbed the Sutter Buttes - North Butte summit on Sunday, November 21. This can only be done as a guided hike from the <a href="http://www.middlemountain.org/">Middle Mountain Foundation</a>. <br />
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Their description was as follows. <br />
<blockquote><br />
One of our most challenging treks, this route is a steep, 1,000-foot push straight up North Butte; off trail with no easy switchbacks. Only register for this hike if you are in very good physical shape and don’t suffer from vertigo. Bring food and water. Limit is 15.</blockquote><br />
I didn't find this too challenging, we climbed the summit in about a half hour, but it took 90 minutes from the start of the hike to get there. Our guide stopped every few hundred feet to speak out the natural history of the place. Once we got to the top were were warned of the danger of climbing the craggy rock that represents the top. I was a little disappointed. however, the view was spectacular. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCe5li3t1DfBIrHU_w58JhZFOKOqLkQsxkcfrfY6GH9R3MZ9BdJxFytRBaEhaQsknJt8dz93y2VBFLuDWAi9zNh1uf05SkYF2o4ABskl6Js65HtLQV0Ae5C9HAWq9NF5Cfj5Y6NsX0Cw/s1600/sutter_buttes_model.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCe5li3t1DfBIrHU_w58JhZFOKOqLkQsxkcfrfY6GH9R3MZ9BdJxFytRBaEhaQsknJt8dz93y2VBFLuDWAi9zNh1uf05SkYF2o4ABskl6Js65HtLQV0Ae5C9HAWq9NF5Cfj5Y6NsX0Cw/s320/sutter_buttes_model.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A model of the mountain in the Yuba City museum seems a bit exaggerated. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXpkfYz_RJXqzIE7a-egUYPLDFTZTr3jiie-W4XrNHd96GjAO0KThd88r2enCBSVKUhyvtECd1iyyLlTcTUiyav4SrDKwY5SR8ABIGnCUzH76nSA0GZhZFe2Bhj9wCHfifR2PuPgA2ds/s1600/sutter_buttes_mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXpkfYz_RJXqzIE7a-egUYPLDFTZTr3jiie-W4XrNHd96GjAO0KThd88r2enCBSVKUhyvtECd1iyyLlTcTUiyav4SrDKwY5SR8ABIGnCUzH76nSA0GZhZFe2Bhj9wCHfifR2PuPgA2ds/s320/sutter_buttes_mountain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peak seems less intimidating from a distance. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhxAz5jrek0d31vaQofSj89urKkLBMzsA_VmSabjVYqBOrSsbeuhjKBgJRMifI6XpctKeOgInyc9uW0AfVEhVHYrdn7_OUpZwzNnqSBcSSeEqW6F43-mq06OamLMOxZiGNChWfrnCQNU/s1600/sutter_buttes_climbing_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhxAz5jrek0d31vaQofSj89urKkLBMzsA_VmSabjVYqBOrSsbeuhjKBgJRMifI6XpctKeOgInyc9uW0AfVEhVHYrdn7_OUpZwzNnqSBcSSeEqW6F43-mq06OamLMOxZiGNChWfrnCQNU/s320/sutter_buttes_climbing_up.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the climb up. The South Buttes are seen in the background.<br />
Becuase they have radio, TV and cell towers,public access is prohibited. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXwq3pZnwP-NjTRkdeSCxyEiw6RGrRKu5FkuQwq3DmMx3nJsjaNopuBZ2RGwpamEY6Y0fdAw23_lsYf7a0uqHJ2H4apktQKndjzjS-H8JsNNIH4ouwx4hXmX4qHg_HnEeG7KeXLtUeUU/s1600/sutter_buttes_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXwq3pZnwP-NjTRkdeSCxyEiw6RGrRKu5FkuQwq3DmMx3nJsjaNopuBZ2RGwpamEY6Y0fdAw23_lsYf7a0uqHJ2H4apktQKndjzjS-H8JsNNIH4ouwx4hXmX4qHg_HnEeG7KeXLtUeUU/s320/sutter_buttes_top.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down on the valley that is now state park land.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-58095504947272789882010-10-06T17:46:00.001-07:002010-10-06T18:59:09.613-07:00Carpenter Benchmark- Highest Point in Sacramento CountyOn Sunday, October 3, my 12 year old and I joined a <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sachikinggroup/calendar/14831961/">Sacramento Hiking Meetup to the highest point in Sacramento County</a>, the Carpenter Benchmark (828 feet above sea level). The leader of the hike planned a route that included million dollar views as we walked the streets of million dollar houses in Folsom. <br />
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One member of the hike published this <a href="http://beta.mapmyrun.com/routes/render_route_video?route_key=605128615855997742">Google Earth look at the route</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfGExY51gGr9btA0qGws7WKXwwvzwMeRkwSYSJfDtW-WxKfZQ68x2aHXZ3i9duIpqtX7zbptboZxVDx79ZXeLs-eJmWrJrFpXWIsNbOqalkdiMBrg3XMmz0gMn-rnRp2c2GApKX7rwE8/s400/carpenter_benchmark_hikers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hikers on their way to the top, next to cell towers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfGExY51gGr9btA0qGws7WKXwwvzwMeRkwSYSJfDtW-WxKfZQ68x2aHXZ3i9duIpqtX7zbptboZxVDx79ZXeLs-eJmWrJrFpXWIsNbOqalkdiMBrg3XMmz0gMn-rnRp2c2GApKX7rwE8/s1600/carpenter_benchmark_hikers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7o6LyprutHhpuKRmIrLMCQ_zhu0UcIDHluL6v-O8wAslpH8_Oks49QWmZ-cZRy2S3a6mhBtaKyWgopReuwvYviz8FpoJk319vKb34xbpYaPu9YQGPDR9s9eHYrjjtDsWWp3sODxcmls/s400/carpenter_benchmark_sunset.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view at sunset with downtown Sacramento on the horizon. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7o6LyprutHhpuKRmIrLMCQ_zhu0UcIDHluL6v-O8wAslpH8_Oks49QWmZ-cZRy2S3a6mhBtaKyWgopReuwvYviz8FpoJk319vKb34xbpYaPu9YQGPDR9s9eHYrjjtDsWWp3sODxcmls/s1600/carpenter_benchmark_sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-9601536552075410052010-10-03T09:46:00.001-07:002010-10-03T09:46:15.450-07:00My Review of Marmot Titan Backpacking Tent - 3-Person, 3-Season<div class="hreview"><div class="item"><p><a href="http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,88636_Marmot-Titan-Backpacking-Tent-3-Person-3-Season.html">Originally submitted at Sierra Trading Post</a></p><div><img src="http://images.powerreviews.com/images_products/01/81/1389973_100.jpg" class="photo" align="left" style="margin: 0 0.5em 0 0"><p style="margin-top:0">Closeouts . Ventilation, ventilation, and more ventilation. Marmot's Titan backpacking tent is mostly mesh under the weatherproof fly, to keep you exceptionally cool in hot weather and eliminate tent condensation when the mercury drops. Its light weight makes it perfect for casual weekend backp... </p></div><a href="http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,88636_Marmot-Titan-Backpacking-Tent-3-Person-3-Season.html" style="display: none;" class="url fn"><span class="fn">Marmot Titan Backpacking Tent - 3-Person, 3-Season</span></a></div><br clear="left"><p><strong class="summary">A great buy</strong></p><div>By <strong>digihiker</strong> from <strong>Sacramento</strong> on <strong><abbr title="2010103T1200-0800" class="dtreviewed" style="border: none; text-decoration: none;">10/3/2010</abbr></strong></div><p><div style="margin: 0.5em 0; height: 15px; width: 83px; background-image: url(http://images.powerreviews.com/images_merchants/stars/10253_stars_small.gif); background-position: 0px -180px;" class="prStars prStarsSmall"> </div></p><div style="display: none"><span class="rating">5</span>out of 5</div><p><strong>Pros: </strong>Easy To Set Up</p><p><strong>Best Uses: </strong>Backyard, Car Camping, Backpacking</p><p><strong>Describe Yourself: </strong>Casual/ Recreational</p><p><strong>What Is Your Gear Style: </strong>Minimalist</p><p><strong>Was this a gift?: </strong>No</p><p style="margin-top:1em" class="description">This was a great buy. I saved a couple hundred bucks compared to Marmot's Limelight model. The main difference is that the body of the tent is netting, much like Big Agnes Seed Tent. Unlike the Limelight, this model does not include a footprint or gear loft. I bought a Tyvek sheet for a footprint. Quick and easy to set up.</p><p style="margin-top:0.5em">(<a href="http://www.powerreviews.com/legal/terms_of_use.html" rel="license">legalese</a>)</p></div>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-33078029771994146062010-09-26T19:32:00.000-07:002010-10-03T10:03:16.899-07:00Horsetail Falls to Ropi Lake in the Desolation WildernessOn Sunday, Septmebr 26, 2010, I hiked Horsetail Falls to Ropi Lake in the Desolation Wilderness. I did this with the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sachikinggroup/calendar/14690229/">Sacramento Hiking Meetup Group</a>. I went with five others. The hike was about eight miles, round trip. <br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Twin+Bridges,+CA&sll=38.821655,-120.118589&sspn=0.036177,0.043774&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Twin+Bridges,+El+Dorado,+California&ll=38.821554,-120.118632&spn=0.009046,0.010943&t=h&z=14&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Twin+Bridges,+CA&sll=38.821655,-120.118589&sspn=0.036177,0.043774&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Twin+Bridges,+El+Dorado,+California&ll=38.821554,-120.118632&spn=0.009046,0.010943&t=h&z=14" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD6D7eenj2fyYr0gx39xi1cHbYdC9cLd1FNbVs4EPuBQqmnSSeIzyz685tW_sxzOieDHqL1dO2VKakt-acVawmcBsVrM2Hveot7iFDhPJgbJis_291__kfA983nDpicnXdbYB1tbMfJA/s320/horsetail_falls_sign.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyramid Creek Trailhead map. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The trail head is just past Strawberry about an hour and a half from Sacramento. The trail is in the El Dorado National Forest. Pyramid Creek Trailhead is located at Twin Bridges. The Forest Service has a has a parking lot with a fee of $5.00. Pit toilets and water are available. We arrived at about 8:30 and hit the trail at 8:45 a.m. The trail is initially easy.<br />
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At the farthest end of the loop, you will find the tail into the Desolation Wilderness. Filled out the permit for your group and head up trail. This trial becomes harder to follow.<br />
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Eventually we guessed which way to go and followed the creek. It becomes a scramble to the top. This is a good workout and the rock is slick in some sections. After the long scramble, hike is easier to the lake. The weather was a surprisingly warm, 90 in Strawberry, but with a slight breeze is was a beautiful day for a hike.<br />
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We spent about an hour at the lake. We returned to the parking lot at 2:30. The drive home slowed to a crawl for some reason around Placerville. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfD6D7eenj2fyYr0gx39xi1cHbYdC9cLd1FNbVs4EPuBQqmnSSeIzyz685tW_sxzOieDHqL1dO2VKakt-acVawmcBsVrM2Hveot7iFDhPJgbJis_291__kfA983nDpicnXdbYB1tbMfJA/s1600/horsetail_falls_sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6p3kePUHkkjoANcOIe8bWVZcmcWGvrWA382PpRR4nUqQQNYXmQtpBRpjkWmzBdLmUQreO_ATFoh8w0rSnS9FjXyxhwcLjm1cwgnvGGE_IL3m5-PjLxoVkIDP50CrnyxiJB2zGQLVXGFU/s400/horsetail_falls_top.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of Horsetail Falls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6p3kePUHkkjoANcOIe8bWVZcmcWGvrWA382PpRR4nUqQQNYXmQtpBRpjkWmzBdLmUQreO_ATFoh8w0rSnS9FjXyxhwcLjm1cwgnvGGE_IL3m5-PjLxoVkIDP50CrnyxiJB2zGQLVXGFU/s1600/horsetail_falls_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6p3kePUHkkjoANcOIe8bWVZcmcWGvrWA382PpRR4nUqQQNYXmQtpBRpjkWmzBdLmUQreO_ATFoh8w0rSnS9FjXyxhwcLjm1cwgnvGGE_IL3m5-PjLxoVkIDP50CrnyxiJB2zGQLVXGFU/s1600/horsetail_falls_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6p3kePUHkkjoANcOIe8bWVZcmcWGvrWA382PpRR4nUqQQNYXmQtpBRpjkWmzBdLmUQreO_ATFoh8w0rSnS9FjXyxhwcLjm1cwgnvGGE_IL3m5-PjLxoVkIDP50CrnyxiJB2zGQLVXGFU/s1600/horsetail_falls_top.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6p3kePUHkkjoANcOIe8bWVZcmcWGvrWA382PpRR4nUqQQNYXmQtpBRpjkWmzBdLmUQreO_ATFoh8w0rSnS9FjXyxhwcLjm1cwgnvGGE_IL3m5-PjLxoVkIDP50CrnyxiJB2zGQLVXGFU/s1600/horsetail_falls_top.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horsetail Falls from a distance. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bEJvXOYYyI9DN5ZkAj8E7_pi4iciuOkt34R530QQ6b7hRy9c4-RMgZmm-_fkUTKGUdo5lBGy4h_LKnkNseH80exPqckX_BgA30kHWjw1X1spK_sFIVlhxGVn_WujWwiAJLrg46F-9TI/s1600/horsetail_falls_LS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gs-qpEkyL32gTtAdPH4tcrOOTCa-WFs7NG-hvR69c_jyubylMd9k7dsX9HyNEnuWYejgLWIcYu74b0KY8EIBab-l35XAEW3r0w067E3z2bk9NEwVRGjys5WqZPSk9TYFirv1Rm8BXiA/s640/horsetail_falls_near_top.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horsetail Falls near top</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water on its way to the falls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPuEyBzH5Ryc-mC7XKic4QsZsWeoTtZPEZMXHcMartX__CAfWg9QY6uA2iHrmXq72SnnCh6AQWMxIrmmZnofd3HoOIaSdZ9MbXAOEBaPiMV-VNufAIB_SN1WKVv521Sok8GLh7qsQa7I/s1600/horsetail_fall_slot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7-8b0VZFmsDQiP2-Bj6w6jumfZ0-mkNJK32BiXlid7sh-HPZZma9VISrPHyXbo-tdWX9qZL3hfDJMJNT02vNimiDUZIi74z93XZMIzTWmDUnjEiLjpvWt9kbShWdBiKrohuxusE3YiI/s400/horsetail_falls_pond_to_falls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water before the falls. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-7-8b0VZFmsDQiP2-Bj6w6jumfZ0-mkNJK32BiXlid7sh-HPZZma9VISrPHyXbo-tdWX9qZL3hfDJMJNT02vNimiDUZIi74z93XZMIzTWmDUnjEiLjpvWt9kbShWdBiKrohuxusE3YiI/s1600/horsetail_falls_pond_to_falls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOpLCNrRT2tRBgxM8wrw8jblVAAd5kZ7GgEADa_lXRmGlEdErCgguG9UKV1fLfghUIZadKh7zVjcsoFuV2zkKFLZh_plWYGY63GGdKnBGPZ2a8SIud1Vqn6NmBAnnwp2J15AhdID85tY/s1600/horsetail_falls_ropi_lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieOpLCNrRT2tRBgxM8wrw8jblVAAd5kZ7GgEADa_lXRmGlEdErCgguG9UKV1fLfghUIZadKh7zVjcsoFuV2zkKFLZh_plWYGY63GGdKnBGPZ2a8SIud1Vqn6NmBAnnwp2J15AhdID85tY/s400/horsetail_falls_ropi_lake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ropi Lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQGcs_3qMrb53c1Ut5a5wRg6RDNbcnAVZY-CE7yy5qUiksZ6LwzXesTvxo6PWmvNed6vSnL8sZWQRPjWWds3ZY-0mMxd1Kf4VeBLlg_PmMyOoWqKsLbT_FcGhiJyGD2Hj5aARF5dn8Z0/s1600/horsetail_falls_ropi_lake_wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQGcs_3qMrb53c1Ut5a5wRg6RDNbcnAVZY-CE7yy5qUiksZ6LwzXesTvxo6PWmvNed6vSnL8sZWQRPjWWds3ZY-0mMxd1Kf4VeBLlg_PmMyOoWqKsLbT_FcGhiJyGD2Hj5aARF5dn8Z0/s400/horsetail_falls_ropi_lake_wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of Ropi Lake.</td></tr>
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</div>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-71211401409882015052010-09-05T19:41:00.000-07:002010-09-26T22:02:32.916-07:00Grouse Ridge LookoutOn Saturday, September 5, 2010, I did the <a href="http://www.localhikes.com/HikeData.asp?ActiveHike=2&GetHikesStateID=1&ID=6036">Grouse Ridge hike</a> with the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Sacramento-Hiking/calendar/14447215/">Sacramento Trail Mix Hiking Meetup</a>. This is located about a two hour drive from Sacramento in the Tahoe National Forest. The hike takes you around a number of lakes and follows some old mining trails. The end point of the hike is a visit to the <a href="http://grouseridgelookout.com/">Grouse Ridge Lookout</a>. This Forest Service fire lookout was built in 1923, but has been vacant and vandalized since the 1970s. You cannot go into the building, but that may change as a group is looking into restoring the building. You can walk around the balcony, which was quite windy. The Lookout provides a beautiful vista at an elevation of 7707 feet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2oDifJXHSf3Twr4BL-a6PrGUafJm7uynoWMiA3iWbErUU2WS2IJvPqc2hx_x-sjCvU8_gwVfDLV3CPwaYqYVOXfUkTSmPVN50ecMzNIzZyQYfJth4jZMXZuvA933GELsfSEjZxhAe6U/s1600/gouse_ridge_islandlake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2oDifJXHSf3Twr4BL-a6PrGUafJm7uynoWMiA3iWbErUU2WS2IJvPqc2hx_x-sjCvU8_gwVfDLV3CPwaYqYVOXfUkTSmPVN50ecMzNIzZyQYfJth4jZMXZuvA933GELsfSEjZxhAe6U/s320/gouse_ridge_islandlake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island Lake from the Grouse Ridge Trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizePWWv5ETftFGYVmhzGpVlTrbj9fURLHu3xmJ9PjU6ryvEHwQ5BuJYHJbiSAEAVtDVIXr_l4U-PHY4A9oKpcyor4sRCb7cboMS6Qk-ThRPCcgU04kRvXrHazbPhmHBGE3wThBhRUSiDc/s1600/grouse_ridge_lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizePWWv5ETftFGYVmhzGpVlTrbj9fURLHu3xmJ9PjU6ryvEHwQ5BuJYHJbiSAEAVtDVIXr_l4U-PHY4A9oKpcyor4sRCb7cboMS6Qk-ThRPCcgU04kRvXrHazbPhmHBGE3wThBhRUSiDc/s320/grouse_ridge_lakes.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from Grouse Ridge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTiECJ52773-SfEUD4Qt-MaQAcQe2Uh_5TvVEQUDL5C6FyoEiYnP4AfXaq6C83gZiEwSS2Cr5fFoqzXuSuv7qrqXoRKX_1e_aigtWjJlxcyS-W-Jqq5BbbDQDrOpsAuOWDhF0YuPGp1A/s1600/grouse_ridge_lookout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGTiECJ52773-SfEUD4Qt-MaQAcQe2Uh_5TvVEQUDL5C6FyoEiYnP4AfXaq6C83gZiEwSS2Cr5fFoqzXuSuv7qrqXoRKX_1e_aigtWjJlxcyS-W-Jqq5BbbDQDrOpsAuOWDhF0YuPGp1A/s320/grouse_ridge_lookout.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trail up to Grouse Ridge Lookout</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67exE55yTueRCFppD5r1ExmtPmWSF2SQLf2kRbSbSzwXzU-Q6Z0AoT0nKrqadD8UUdnMIiE0JSVDTJ3MIRKcUqIpph6POlwlAOirhmuOvg6acm0uz-mlSe5dn4Gb-KOvTTKfXJEi-qV8/s1600/grouse_ridge_outhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh67exE55yTueRCFppD5r1ExmtPmWSF2SQLf2kRbSbSzwXzU-Q6Z0AoT0nKrqadD8UUdnMIiE0JSVDTJ3MIRKcUqIpph6POlwlAOirhmuOvg6acm0uz-mlSe5dn4Gb-KOvTTKfXJEi-qV8/s320/grouse_ridge_outhouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outhouse at the end of the world (or at least Grouse Ridge.)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Someone in the group posted this video of the trip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dGPvWYoDEsU?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dGPvWYoDEsU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></div>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-6151861283554414232010-08-22T16:28:00.000-07:002010-08-29T12:56:40.790-07:00Old Sacramento Undergound TourI did the <a href="http://www.historicoldsac.org/programs/programs-underground.asp">Old Sacramento Underground Tour</a> led by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation on Saturday, August 21. In the early 1980s, I took an archeology course that dug underneath the the concrete slab of a building in Old Sac. It was fascinating to find numerous artifacts buried at this site and to handle something that hadn't been seen in over 100 years. Needless to say, when I learned about this tour, I was excited about it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90D6Jna5iXP-VgaC1CvirNpHqwR1jOqBetEN_p7-Tvs4XlRA1OoGjeLXy9WDvgIaMFuREU14Heni_mkH6pXda0d_mQQTa2cFbGWwo-_3i2z60Brj066sHx_3trBXGsaLQaMvBMcc30s/s1600/underground_tour_photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90D6Jna5iXP-VgaC1CvirNpHqwR1jOqBetEN_p7-Tvs4XlRA1OoGjeLXy9WDvgIaMFuREU14Heni_mkH6pXda0d_mQQTa2cFbGWwo-_3i2z60Brj066sHx_3trBXGsaLQaMvBMcc30s/s320/underground_tour_photo.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1930s era photo show passages under sidewalk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I bought the tickets online. While I could have purchased them at the door, they often sell out early on the weekends and I wanted to guarantee our spots on the tour. I found the cost a bit high. $15 for adults and $10 for kids ages 6-17. When you buy them online you are charged a "convenience fee" of $2.25 for each ticket. A family of four will pay $59.00 for a 55 minute tour. The price did not include admission to the museum, which is $3.00 each. New total price $71.00. The museum is a worthwhile add-on. We only had a half hour to check out the place before it closed, 45 to 60 minutes would have been better. You must also include the cost of parking, which will run another five to ten bucks depending on how long you spend in Old Town. The museum sells a very nice 30 page "Official Souvenir Guide" about the tour for an additional $14.95, which I bought. So, a family of four could spend $95 for a two-hour history review of Sacramento. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z0E9PzAQKpdJeJulZ-L3ILhuODYDjGg1xzB3gzOufvzVpVtQUiUpnSTTjnlsC5S-ppKk8veJC2ow6y3l2EyeYGlEVvG5EA9FCaB1mw-1nl5QCMravCZjAQ2ViiW9mJihkmPr3JBX2r0/s1600/underground_tour_old_sac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Z0E9PzAQKpdJeJulZ-L3ILhuODYDjGg1xzB3gzOufvzVpVtQUiUpnSTTjnlsC5S-ppKk8veJC2ow6y3l2EyeYGlEVvG5EA9FCaB1mw-1nl5QCMravCZjAQ2ViiW9mJihkmPr3JBX2r0/s320/underground_tour_old_sac.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The helmeted tour group head to the Eagle Theater in Old Sac.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We met at the <a href="http://www.historicoldsac.org/museum/default.asp">Sacramento History Museum</a>. The twenty tour participants were given green hardhats and a headset with a radio receiver that is worn around the neck. The headset did not give any prerecorded information, but was used exclusively to amplify the tour guide's voice. This worked well, and I am sure puts less strain on the vocal cords of the guide. From the museum we walked to the Eagle Theater and watched a video that provided background information. Basically, after particularly devastating flood in 1862, it was decided that the city would be raised an average of 9 1/2 feet. The tour highlights the subterranean spaces below the sidewalks. According to the tour guide there never was a network of connected tunnels, because tunnels crossing the streets were never built, as the cost for raising each building was the responsibility of the individual owners.<br />
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I enjoyed the tour and I thought the guide was was energetic. I also learned some things. I would recommend it to others interested in Sacramento's history...if you are prepared to pay for it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdB2D3UKaR1Gttopo9VGwwvfY4HRt1bb5RRyCcWkmzBvFB8PpmK1E3f-eBnxUJR6k1lzSTqPU-pQDfhCLi63Q-WTR0Jm1Vs-TlSWI4Q6Ayc3t98vRsvtYrjMOgvIGcCyEJLerXOhGCOo/s1600/underground_tour_pit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdB2D3UKaR1Gttopo9VGwwvfY4HRt1bb5RRyCcWkmzBvFB8PpmK1E3f-eBnxUJR6k1lzSTqPU-pQDfhCLi63Q-WTR0Jm1Vs-TlSWI4Q6Ayc3t98vRsvtYrjMOgvIGcCyEJLerXOhGCOo/s320/underground_tour_pit.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old archeology pit under a building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjBeSonmJFIAX-nOekGcOc40Sunbj88JYPC2q4EBR4jUZImYwsu4mVZa1iiu80CMmanWPjo7gc4KfCma2TVHCK6VBd-2vxKuvnrIBwb6LUACSUp60SQcu9eh0SwrOFGlTGRNR9wfDp9c/s1600/underground_tour_jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMjBeSonmJFIAX-nOekGcOc40Sunbj88JYPC2q4EBR4jUZImYwsu4mVZa1iiu80CMmanWPjo7gc4KfCma2TVHCK6VBd-2vxKuvnrIBwb6LUACSUp60SQcu9eh0SwrOFGlTGRNR9wfDp9c/s320/underground_tour_jack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour guide demonstrates house jack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-19597714371904610902010-08-15T09:49:00.000-07:002010-08-15T09:49:00.701-07:00Lower American River RaftingOn Wednesday, August 11, I took the two kids rafting down the Lower American River. We selected River Rat as the company we rented the raft from. There are basically two companies that service this stretch of the American River: <a href="http://www.river-rat.com/raft_rentals.htm">River Rat Raft & Bike</a> and <a href="http://www.raftrentals.com/">American River Raft Rentals</a>. They both start at the same place, but River Rat has a bit longer route, adding about an additional 45 minutes to the trip. <br />
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We rented a four person raft for $50.00. We also paid $4.00 per person for the return shuttle fee. Additionally, we paid a required county parks boat launch fee of $2.50, plus a optional raft damage waiver of $2.00. <br />
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After renting the raft, we were told we could walk it down an "eight of a mile," or place the raft on the car room and drive it down. We chose the latter. It is a good thing, because it seemed like it was a much longer road than they suggested. It was pretty easy driving the raft down, even though only gravity held it onto the car roof. I ended up parking in the county parking lot for another $5.00. We then had to carry the raft to the water. <br />
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The day was not in the mid 80s, and was quite pleasant. We were told that the trip would last about 3 hours, but it was really four and a half. We made a stop of about 20 minutes to a small island about halfway down to stretch our legs. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_uKcV58lrDlHHq6x11_2dX66M-PesCKkHYiKHOUYNG2r3n3LcqvUBGQlMYOHYsBPpkXXE1RYk1rut7cUYSvC-V3zsWVsnTpROg-n4CkeIijh3UesROI3GrlibwHqGzXbUXgb-vkCmKU/s1600/american_river_rafting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-_uKcV58lrDlHHq6x11_2dX66M-PesCKkHYiKHOUYNG2r3n3LcqvUBGQlMYOHYsBPpkXXE1RYk1rut7cUYSvC-V3zsWVsnTpROg-n4CkeIijh3UesROI3GrlibwHqGzXbUXgb-vkCmKU/s320/american_river_rafting.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stop on the Lower American River. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-4282225957965105622010-08-14T21:29:00.000-07:002011-03-25T17:39:39.671-07:00Alcatraz Island - Golden Gate BridgeSpent the day in San Francisco with the kids on Tuesday, August 10. We left Sacramento at 9:15 a.m. and arrived in S.F at 11:15 a.m. We parked in the Pier 39 Parking lot. We walked a couple of blocks and had lunch at Rain Forest Cafe. We then walked over to Pier 33 to board the Alcatraz boat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32i5UjTzC3755lVcA15b7AAhfKSrxuoNYQssRnduQqZ8dujMv9CKWFq5SSWV2vrTsiJ1bRH8BcWLN1Gf_-NbDz3DA8hY3bljrcu4r7NKKBakSeudXFynYuXGZomGp3_BpEnsdzeaH8S0/s1600/Alcatraz_from_ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32i5UjTzC3755lVcA15b7AAhfKSrxuoNYQssRnduQqZ8dujMv9CKWFq5SSWV2vrTsiJ1bRH8BcWLN1Gf_-NbDz3DA8hY3bljrcu4r7NKKBakSeudXFynYuXGZomGp3_BpEnsdzeaH8S0/s320/Alcatraz_from_ship.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Alcatraz from the ship</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Our 1:10 p.m. departure time required us to be in line at 12:40 p.m. It takes a bout 12 minutes to get to the island. I made my reservation about two weeks before our midweek trip. I would assume a weekend trip would require an earlier reservation. The price for an adult and junior ticket is $26.00 A child's ticket is $16.00.<br />
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After getting off the boat, a ranger gives a short orientation. A hike up the hill through the old brick military barracks leads up the the prison. In the shower room you can collect an headset for the audio tour. <br />
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This tour is worthwhile. Last time I was here they had a ranger give the tour, the headsets allow them to put more people through the island.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkzOA1G6Xw449gURSLKxU13e_4fA3DH4O9NZP4nxKudjXUa5P-eHqu4ohLVpImKf48ikNdBk8IyoY-CyUWeZwyUVrLWv88zwMVvvUwnUlxTo4fGStu-TefTayvgvVGcnbD_PXZQm_pT8/s1600/Alcatraz_wardens_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkzOA1G6Xw449gURSLKxU13e_4fA3DH4O9NZP4nxKudjXUa5P-eHqu4ohLVpImKf48ikNdBk8IyoY-CyUWeZwyUVrLWv88zwMVvvUwnUlxTo4fGStu-TefTayvgvVGcnbD_PXZQm_pT8/s320/Alcatraz_wardens_house.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of the warden's house. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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We took the 4:20 boat back. About 4:40 we had diner at the hard Rock Cafe on Pier 39.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNAaxMxlzfkmH2xQ8M6sGhlyaeEYOkR3w3H3LurOCL7eihciId93FiA1rtEXMQULvD42hdALihS7H-VDD-jm-c2zZJBYQW4SA5Je4V9E_D0xH48_PBWEp42LxlzYn882ruMBuYG9GzjA/s1600/Alcatraz_escape_cell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNAaxMxlzfkmH2xQ8M6sGhlyaeEYOkR3w3H3LurOCL7eihciId93FiA1rtEXMQULvD42hdALihS7H-VDD-jm-c2zZJBYQW4SA5Je4V9E_D0xH48_PBWEp42LxlzYn882ruMBuYG9GzjA/s320/Alcatraz_escape_cell.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cell with hole from 1961 escape. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF3PiTlorwTf9m2dPBkvU1jH2om_q0axg5kmVVPm4gAVHazhw8EMA04zxb_gSALqmi1nPaDiduzvFJw2m9XTWJaOdxwlcwACQbNrF0zFiwTT0DCH5BLocS612AOi_7Hc_JJ5BpD-BrBA/s1600/Alcatraz_cellblocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF3PiTlorwTf9m2dPBkvU1jH2om_q0axg5kmVVPm4gAVHazhw8EMA04zxb_gSALqmi1nPaDiduzvFJw2m9XTWJaOdxwlcwACQbNrF0zFiwTT0DCH5BLocS612AOi_7Hc_JJ5BpD-BrBA/s320/Alcatraz_cellblocks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alcatraz cell block</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We then drove to the Golden Gate Bridge. It took us about 55 minutes to walk up and back. It was pretty windy and cold. We got back to the car at 8:00 p.m. We were back home at about 10:30 p.m. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFGU194L03KwEIOspaYwfw7hzyi09aClRqflU7p99VUljIpi23lmzNi6Jx2FOHr5pQv8OHX51lkctGlFpzTKAa776skcJl7BJQioX4dl3qsKWGY9ltylv6OFq-rasQwCNwy2tIWtBDEg/s1600/Alcatraz_golden_gate_bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFGU194L03KwEIOspaYwfw7hzyi09aClRqflU7p99VUljIpi23lmzNi6Jx2FOHr5pQv8OHX51lkctGlFpzTKAa776skcJl7BJQioX4dl3qsKWGY9ltylv6OFq-rasQwCNwy2tIWtBDEg/s320/Alcatraz_golden_gate_bridge.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golden Gate Bridge (allow about a hour to hike back and forth)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-12716355716661512982010-08-07T16:44:00.000-07:002011-10-01T17:27:37.951-07:00Half Dome - YosemiteI climbed Half Dome in Yosemite with N.M. on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. All of the hikes this summer were conditioning exercises leading to this experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYX4wgIYeh6AdxY2w0v8ebdwRa0BZ4Q8SkQRd4MaJzfRL6klJw1WEGAyKuHzAB4ITQcgqQcEqdNCrgMNM9G4Va8Ceyq-FdcZkTPXjAGhL3M99EYE_o3hseBizxRWwzWe1oVGEOzlRHK4/s1600/half_dome_distant_view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYX4wgIYeh6AdxY2w0v8ebdwRa0BZ4Q8SkQRd4MaJzfRL6klJw1WEGAyKuHzAB4ITQcgqQcEqdNCrgMNM9G4Va8Ceyq-FdcZkTPXjAGhL3M99EYE_o3hseBizxRWwzWe1oVGEOzlRHK4/s320/half_dome_distant_view.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of Half Dome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We left Sacramento at noon on Monday and arrived in Curry Village about 3:15 p.m. I selected this accommodation based on the recommendation of "Mr. Half Dome" Rick Deutsch. I attended a Half Dome presentation he made at REI and bought his book, which I found very valuable. Check out his <a href="http://www.hikehalfdome.com/">website</a> for some interesting resources. <br />
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On April 7, 2010, I made online reservations for a tent cabin in Curry Village. I was able to obtain a Curry Signature Tent for a total of two nights for $292.82.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXRkCSOiHoryFsgcr6ClScNmbhZJBYQ95369JrequiFzjhyZFSOogxAMERC6jKVNo4dDnL5TPPsCABttAprGxPGJISuBo9BGbHQ09bPSWpe62dp1lgYqXRbzG_E-yBSB1S3gMgApBGT8/s1600/half_dome_cabin_ext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipXRkCSOiHoryFsgcr6ClScNmbhZJBYQ95369JrequiFzjhyZFSOogxAMERC6jKVNo4dDnL5TPPsCABttAprGxPGJISuBo9BGbHQ09bPSWpe62dp1lgYqXRbzG_E-yBSB1S3gMgApBGT8/s320/half_dome_cabin_ext.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curry Village Signature Tent with bear box.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Signature Tent is a heated tent during the winter. It has wooden walls, and three windows and a door. It had one double and two twin beds, which included towels, pillows, sheets and a wool blanket. It also has a metal shelf with a digital safe. The sheets and blanket felt crisp and clean. The towels were small and course, but clean. The metal bed frame was a bit squeaky and short for my 6' 2" size.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnPGxWKTXVYJou8w6vhnSQhoAJGsw0bREIXjZJ7cj2-EqPNS98hPrqoLweME0NE3wVM1PX7m3JCbTv0pWZDkMPXukpyndonadJPEl0qXBLqjOOsl1C8hAplHRZaPPfPxH7Qj78H-AYXc/s1600/half_dome_cabin_int.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnPGxWKTXVYJou8w6vhnSQhoAJGsw0bREIXjZJ7cj2-EqPNS98hPrqoLweME0NE3wVM1PX7m3JCbTv0pWZDkMPXukpyndonadJPEl0qXBLqjOOsl1C8hAplHRZaPPfPxH7Qj78H-AYXc/s320/half_dome_cabin_int.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interior of a Signature Tent.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4f9RaEkdEIwisjsjuzwxYwkSNIGB8YJAyY78P_PA0ln-wtfvDtQ0zaZXhcNtkmKHb2AFNbc8tKoZYUZygau0tSRa_KfexmFfjOxyqYWomiBHXNHMbo0N34SNb3ch9tDKQJIZaTyiJgc/s1600/half_dome_sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK4f9RaEkdEIwisjsjuzwxYwkSNIGB8YJAyY78P_PA0ln-wtfvDtQ0zaZXhcNtkmKHb2AFNbc8tKoZYUZygau0tSRa_KfexmFfjOxyqYWomiBHXNHMbo0N34SNb3ch9tDKQJIZaTyiJgc/s320/half_dome_sunset.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Dome at sunset from Curry Village. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
No cooking is permitted and all food must be stored in the bear locker outside of each tent. Upon checking in, you are provided a key to unlock the padlock on the door of the tent. You must bring your own lock if you want to keep humans out of your bear locker. We didn't bring one, but didn't have any problem with theft. We didn't even hear a bear come through the camp at night.<br />
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The big problem with this camp is the rocky gravel they have as ground cover. I am sure it eliminates the mud problem when it is wet, but at night, you can hear your neighbors making their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.<br />
<br />
These tents have a single electrical outlet. I used one to to charge my iPhone and used its alarm to wake us up at 5:15 a.m. I had a quick breakfast of a Clif Bar and a banana. We drove the car a short distance to the trail head parking lot and then walked about a half mile to the trail-head.<br />
<br />
It was about 6:15 a.m. and we had hoped to start at 6:00 a couple of minutes after the sunrise. After we had gone up a way, I realized I forgot my trekking pole. I left my hiking partner to wait as I raced back to the car to get it. By the time I got back it was about 6:45 a.m. The little diversion added an extra mile to my hike. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrS1_O-uzJAM6LR81Kh9pyTL6tzinrHRVCMSqNhlJWYu-IMUH2IgvwmCSkIUYqnIZfXd6L5UbhPwBMGfzLIKRfgtpbBuXkTGUSZ2uQWGqtZZNaVIaGIfH4IH2sMrVqNluzx-opyOxvVo/s1600/half_dome_trailhead_sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHrS1_O-uzJAM6LR81Kh9pyTL6tzinrHRVCMSqNhlJWYu-IMUH2IgvwmCSkIUYqnIZfXd6L5UbhPwBMGfzLIKRfgtpbBuXkTGUSZ2uQWGqtZZNaVIaGIfH4IH2sMrVqNluzx-opyOxvVo/s320/half_dome_trailhead_sign.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail-head sign.</td></tr>
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The trail to the base of Vernal Fall has a smooth asphalt surface. The next leg of the trail becomes a bit rougher, but as throughout this trail, significant work was put into building this trail. This includes a granite staircase up to the top of the fall. <br />
<br />
People has been swept over this fall while soaking their feet, so there is a hand rail at the top near the water.<br />
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The next leg of the hike took us near Nevada Fall. We walked over this on our return, but could see it from a distance. We got a little closer than most when we apparently took a side trail that fortunately rejoined the main trail. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-pHN_D9n56NpicTNmBEqr-OY1r1kBuY3PBa4vOUYu1VBPCjahI5ltgPrN0EImIa99iUiTwW7gA-K_o_w7wX_8xoQ51pp2X4l8LEg5ClF0rnf1bkX5DIECbpVef0S5vDFd03nSwRiKUc/s1600/half_dome_nevada_fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-pHN_D9n56NpicTNmBEqr-OY1r1kBuY3PBa4vOUYu1VBPCjahI5ltgPrN0EImIa99iUiTwW7gA-K_o_w7wX_8xoQ51pp2X4l8LEg5ClF0rnf1bkX5DIECbpVef0S5vDFd03nSwRiKUc/s320/half_dome_nevada_fall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nevada Fall (from side trail).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UIM62Ar2-4nYfwThv__HxyIlxmPH9abTSjTd-iful2SvM7ZdrcrrlFH2IgN6jY7hXhyGyH7ETfMTzDKgt73Yz2V7dFQqCF51I7Qm7lB5VrcVWt2G8bdWNtGF998r11Y1fYx6_CYutM4/s1600/half_dome_vernal_fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UIM62Ar2-4nYfwThv__HxyIlxmPH9abTSjTd-iful2SvM7ZdrcrrlFH2IgN6jY7hXhyGyH7ETfMTzDKgt73Yz2V7dFQqCF51I7Qm7lB5VrcVWt2G8bdWNtGF998r11Y1fYx6_CYutM4/s320/half_dome_vernal_fall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mist Trail granite staircase up to Vernal Fall. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-12179294233863697152010-07-26T12:23:00.000-07:002010-07-30T19:34:52.187-07:00Mt. Tallac - South Lake Tahoe<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib146J7UgyN7e5asKdFe49ERj8c2B5nnc58foeb6X3s8840gnAk1TJQvqKwBTbK3JSqqyHxhQ-Xps8ql326z642e9J_C9RW0EB7ZH0LPk42yqbFVbiwACBYWbCyElKtvykUPmK3NCLOsk/s1600/tallac_mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib146J7UgyN7e5asKdFe49ERj8c2B5nnc58foeb6X3s8840gnAk1TJQvqKwBTbK3JSqqyHxhQ-Xps8ql326z642e9J_C9RW0EB7ZH0LPk42yqbFVbiwACBYWbCyElKtvykUPmK3NCLOsk/s320/tallac_mountain.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloomy clouds move over Mt. Tallac.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Hiked to the top of Mt. Tallac in South Lake tahoe on Sunday, July 25, 2010. Let Sacramento at 8:00 a.m. hat left the car for the trailhead at 10:35 a.m. We returned to the car 7 hours later at 5:35 p.m.with sore feet and a sense of accomplishment. This hike offers a stunning panoramic view from the top. Most of the trail is over a well defined but rocky surface. <br />
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The forecast called for thunderstorms and a chance of precipitation starting at 11:00.m. About a half hour after we hit the trail we heard thunder, which became steady for the next hour. We felt some light sprinkles and decided to put on our windbreakers. The trail starts by paralleling Fallen Leaf Lake. It then passes Floating Island Lake, which gets its name from odd floating tufts of grass. The lake was very shallow and pretty stagnant, covered in pollen. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvCntSiu0oGosab1ZerQXcq30iig0vc9fxEYAxtlcdgTgh6heQICtAUaxFq6tT3u3MQpdDpNS_jGcdYBs9pss55Mi7_hydKBPPd4kQpOTGXsZqPbO7pTzqbAUO7bk9grf5udIANgZEVQ/s1600/tallac_floating_island_lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvCntSiu0oGosab1ZerQXcq30iig0vc9fxEYAxtlcdgTgh6heQICtAUaxFq6tT3u3MQpdDpNS_jGcdYBs9pss55Mi7_hydKBPPd4kQpOTGXsZqPbO7pTzqbAUO7bk9grf5udIANgZEVQ/s320/tallac_floating_island_lake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floating Island Lake with floating grass. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The hike continued through tree covered forest. A bit before Cathedral Lake is a creek. I finished off one of my liter bottles and refilled it from the creek (purifying it with my SteriPen). Coming up and back we saw people swimming in Cathedral Lake. From Cathedral Lake you assent up without shade of the trees. <br />
<br />
I thought we might have to turn around when we got to Cathedral Lake, but we decided to take our chances with the weather and head up the mountain. Fortunately, the storm move away from Tallac and by 1:00 p.m. the weather was good. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaoQ4r-zXEfun_6uJIhV7zHBwg16zrB1vsYsuycPks644gHI1UNOuieSlbj378DhszncTLcdhqFBDQr4yJGS2yroAI_7_Yn0mOt7-qhH1Uy7EGfMKI_0WgDPN48v6EkrZtjZkd_Gry_c/s1600/tallac_peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaoQ4r-zXEfun_6uJIhV7zHBwg16zrB1vsYsuycPks644gHI1UNOuieSlbj378DhszncTLcdhqFBDQr4yJGS2yroAI_7_Yn0mOt7-qhH1Uy7EGfMKI_0WgDPN48v6EkrZtjZkd_Gry_c/s320/tallac_peak.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down from the summit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We ate dinner at the Beacon Restaurant about a mile away from the trailhead in Camp Richardson. We heard two songs before the live band ended their show at 6:00. The food was good and we were back in Sacramento by 8:55 p.m. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YAy7gobJzcyqlTXSYoBm2kK8070-lQmaGM9l0GlnnqlAIOLII0r97ICtZVTl6shyphenhyphen-oOV0mGOO8PA0Irr0OobaFpe-6OC2BssD6MK5qZxySXXf9fwV2_Pxgxquv-qWcxSAlzm5PtzG5c/s1600/tallac_marmot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YAy7gobJzcyqlTXSYoBm2kK8070-lQmaGM9l0GlnnqlAIOLII0r97ICtZVTl6shyphenhyphen-oOV0mGOO8PA0Irr0OobaFpe-6OC2BssD6MK5qZxySXXf9fwV2_Pxgxquv-qWcxSAlzm5PtzG5c/s320/tallac_marmot.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the marmots at the summit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Water: 4 liters total. <br />
2 - Nalgene liter. One refill up and another back<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkuGefBNih3-E0kfxmRW6oMuLfns77pbzBr0TVy45uZJdU9sSwi4MxmE9fMAhL9xpy-r6lD4j9OF24WP5RkXjGBk2561NUWYT8_dPNV8DZnMPfs76ZD2Xoq13ujZCd4mhre2BlKEji_M/s1600/tallac_rock_shelter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkuGefBNih3-E0kfxmRW6oMuLfns77pbzBr0TVy45uZJdU9sSwi4MxmE9fMAhL9xpy-r6lD4j9OF24WP5RkXjGBk2561NUWYT8_dPNV8DZnMPfs76ZD2Xoq13ujZCd4mhre2BlKEji_M/s320/tallac_rock_shelter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock shelter built below summit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Time: Seven hours up and back.digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-40723620429166257222010-07-23T18:36:00.000-07:002010-07-30T19:18:12.081-07:00Mt. RoundtopHiked to the peak of <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150503/round-top.html">Roundtop Mountain</a> in the Eldorado National Forest on Friday, July 23. The trailhead parking lot has a small volunteer built and staffed visitor's center. We had excellent weather. A bit of snow remained around th mountain, but did not obscure the trail. The elevation gain seems minimal as you approach the mountain. The trail was easy to follow until you get make the diversion to the peak. There is not an official trail to the top, but by climbing up the saddle between the Two Sisters, we did find a route. At the top you need to use both hands to scramble up the rock. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiCuVE6j2pZSQ0hPf3erpDjQ3MdJIhLugzJT4dEJXE0sQsxyU45GiclQGK-1eMmykxCl_4jOTueZZeGWEOPEXJV7groBAY81U69FJNKi4MU3Zz8kzNXYOztf3eqyMU1fvRUxOgsGeoN4/s1600/roundtop_wth_wildflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiCuVE6j2pZSQ0hPf3erpDjQ3MdJIhLugzJT4dEJXE0sQsxyU45GiclQGK-1eMmykxCl_4jOTueZZeGWEOPEXJV7groBAY81U69FJNKi4MU3Zz8kzNXYOztf3eqyMU1fvRUxOgsGeoN4/s320/roundtop_wth_wildflowers.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers with Roundtop in the background. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Water: Carried two liters of water. Refilled one liter after coming down the mountain in stream. <br />
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Time: 4.5 hours up and back. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAu2TtDVOd8tQD0XH9PEdsBfrMhtF1DtnVTZbF7W1NcrttS2sPWos-os58vSXG4LRkwnq_MqvGttI4sdf2KDLjmRxDx92mJX1_sV_zYanyNflIJxbc22X_hbQFOHyU2e1OlLTF9mbmVw/s1600/roundtop_winnemucca_lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAu2TtDVOd8tQD0XH9PEdsBfrMhtF1DtnVTZbF7W1NcrttS2sPWos-os58vSXG4LRkwnq_MqvGttI4sdf2KDLjmRxDx92mJX1_sV_zYanyNflIJxbc22X_hbQFOHyU2e1OlLTF9mbmVw/s320/roundtop_winnemucca_lake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from Winnemucca Lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx86zMTph2Q_dEHaK8iu5h3z0ihQ275-iQe5HJrQpK1eZzL0eYFk1ztqBy-80GfbgSGt9ztg2QbsjbIhLcFU_a9WJx4Nkjk-yUJQq-tgrWGoKcZGXzMBSvmgfKlnXs6ybWwJrBE_AN0Lk/s1600/roundtop_on_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx86zMTph2Q_dEHaK8iu5h3z0ihQ275-iQe5HJrQpK1eZzL0eYFk1ztqBy-80GfbgSGt9ztg2QbsjbIhLcFU_a9WJx4Nkjk-yUJQq-tgrWGoKcZGXzMBSvmgfKlnXs6ybWwJrBE_AN0Lk/s320/roundtop_on_up.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing to the peak</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnhBJ5JwHfBZVen0KpbxS_znmEhz9nnF-7H0YJMvlLRV9iuZtInJBF8OfI7mfXWXoyZ2EBvokgunTs3HUGtTeG0NpvXNQXeCTFqmtWr2F8kfaetIF9kKQdRYAQw7PqkDd2c-anOLVoxA/s1600/roundtop_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKnhBJ5JwHfBZVen0KpbxS_znmEhz9nnF-7H0YJMvlLRV9iuZtInJBF8OfI7mfXWXoyZ2EBvokgunTs3HUGtTeG0NpvXNQXeCTFqmtWr2F8kfaetIF9kKQdRYAQw7PqkDd2c-anOLVoxA/s320/roundtop_top.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the "false peak."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-31575198301508476492010-07-14T12:40:00.000-07:002010-07-14T14:52:16.632-07:00Crocker Park to Discovery ParkDid the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/sachikinggroup/calendar/13786699/">Sacramento Hiking Group Meetup</a> from Crocker Park to Discovery Park and then across the Tower Bridge to West Sacramento's Riverwalk Park, where we listened to the the <a href="http://www.deltaroadmasters.com/">Mighty Delta Roadmasters</a>. (They were really good!) I took my seven-year old along and he enjoyed both the hike and the music.<br />
<br />
This is a 4.13 mile walk that takes you to the point where the American River meets the Sacramento River. It is a nice mid-week walk. You may come across some homeless people on this walk, but the bike path is traveled pretty regularly by people, so it should be safe. Even so, walking with others may make some people feel more comfortable. <br />
<br />
Park your car at Crocker Park (parking is free after 6:00 p.m. and free on Sunday). Walk across overpass (over I-5). Follow sidewalk. To avoid crossing the street at the I Street bridge, take the walkway under the bridge to the moored boats. Walk through Old Sacramento to the end of the Railroad Museum. Follow the bike path to Discovery Park. Cross the Jiboom Street Bridge to cross the American River. Return following the same route. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72eQ5GBmPCfecz_7z4_DKZaKqP33mmP2KjF5FMmzpIEBRMbdYnHSZNKTWZdw6ots7zpeX7SuS95wPN3SUAZQWPfOKxIL1ZE7o66vgceRNU9mGlENGolDl8eluDPLMguz53tFjcIWCtDc/s1600/Riverwalk_Tower_Bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72eQ5GBmPCfecz_7z4_DKZaKqP33mmP2KjF5FMmzpIEBRMbdYnHSZNKTWZdw6ots7zpeX7SuS95wPN3SUAZQWPfOKxIL1ZE7o66vgceRNU9mGlENGolDl8eluDPLMguz53tFjcIWCtDc/s400/Riverwalk_Tower_Bridge.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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A shot of the Tower Bridge from the West Sacramento side of the river.digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-41818135707121179312010-07-10T23:21:00.000-07:002010-07-30T19:46:18.119-07:00Lake Tahoe - Fallen Leaf LakeWe spent three days camping at Fallen Leaf Lake campground in South Lake Tahoe.<br />
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We did a two-hour horseback ride to Fallen Leaf Lake. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw30MB3k4lvRbbMNSDZYrIWrcH-ZZX964roAmeaiccw-5RrSURNLWtd1eWsGZXxui1wBR9yraoLRVgpxlQZQYl2ED1FBa0oD6X2TnJoEVw3-oXEDU6MnHkDZ5ee8HZ5kWi28JEHkNFcNs/s1600/Fallen_Leaf_Lake_horseback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw30MB3k4lvRbbMNSDZYrIWrcH-ZZX964roAmeaiccw-5RrSURNLWtd1eWsGZXxui1wBR9yraoLRVgpxlQZQYl2ED1FBa0oD6X2TnJoEVw3-oXEDU6MnHkDZ5ee8HZ5kWi28JEHkNFcNs/s320/Fallen_Leaf_Lake_horseback.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseback riding to Fallen Leaf Lake. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsTjGEr7MyCvU77-VpAGPxAbIrHErFd133J7on2ToA1CqAokn3vgO-6fiXOEkZW8bi8tBAyUVw05sKsRrGhtBAa5sA7oepqwB_Xf4NgM1eP56dTi2ZgTenvUFkSTKCCwLXhPOX46jJdw/s1600/Fallen_Leaf_Lake_salmon_exhibit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsTjGEr7MyCvU77-VpAGPxAbIrHErFd133J7on2ToA1CqAokn3vgO-6fiXOEkZW8bi8tBAyUVw05sKsRrGhtBAa5sA7oepqwB_Xf4NgM1eP56dTi2ZgTenvUFkSTKCCwLXhPOX46jJdw/s320/Fallen_Leaf_Lake_salmon_exhibit.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creek exhibit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-49954948913481279652010-07-10T23:18:00.000-07:002010-07-10T23:18:40.551-07:00Convict Lake Horseback TrailWhile staying at Mammoth Lakes, we rode horseback on a trail that took us almost halfway around Convict Lake. This was a two-hour ride with a $60 fee. digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-83305112948754339712010-07-08T20:56:00.000-07:002010-07-10T22:28:01.000-07:00Yosemite - Dead Giant Tunnel TreeWhile driving from Mammoth Lakes through the Tioga Pass, we stopped in Toulamne Grove and did the trail that leads to a grove of Giant Sequoias and the famous Dead Giant, the first "tunnel tree." The trail is a now closed road. The hike is two miles up and back with a 400' elevation. The Tunnel Tree was hollowed out in 1878. <br />
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<a href="http://cathedralgrove.eu/">CathedralGrove.eu</a> has some interesting information about this tree. <br />
<blockquote>The "Dead Giant" is a famous Sequoia stump located on the first stage road into Yosemite Valley, in the Tuolumne Grove of what is now Yosemite National Park. The veteran Sequoia tree had been struck by lightening but was still living when she was cut down at 90 ft from the ground and debarked. Tunneled c. 1875 to entice stagecoach tourists from San Francisco, this was the first of California's "Drive Thru" trees - macabre roadside displays created to provide entertainment and recreation. </blockquote><br />
YosemiteHikes.com has this <a href="http://www.yosemitehikes.com/tioga-road/tuolumne-grove/trail-map.htm">map</a>.digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060935480395676407.post-31331147959121804732010-07-07T23:11:00.000-07:002010-07-10T23:15:02.081-07:00Mono LakeWhile staying at mammoth Lakes, we drove 40 minutes to Mono Lake. We hiked the South Shore to Navy Beach trail. digividsterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16969306954379800519noreply@blogger.com0