2015 Trips
Ornament Trail and Nesika Lodge
9.7 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Annual hike to the Ornament Trail and Nesika Lodge
December 24, 2015
YNP - Pohono Trail - Tunnel View to Stanford Point
8 miles of hiking • 3000' elevation gain •
Snow hike in Yosemite along the Pohono Trail from Tunnel View to Stanford Point. Not enough snow for snowshoes until after Stanford Point, but microspikes were very useful.
November 28, 2015
Timothy Lake Trail Run
12 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
Clockwise loop around Timothy Lake starting and ending at Little Crater Lake.
October 24, 2015
1
PCT to Sedum Point
10 miles of hiking • 2250' elevation gain •
Day hike to look for mushrooms and views. No mushrooms and a tough scramble to Sedum Point, which would have been a lot easier with different footwear. (I was wearing trail runners with worn tread).
October 11, 2015
5
High Sierra Trail / John Muir Trail (NOBO)
264 miles of hiking • 50000' elevation gain • 23 nights
Notes: Miles and EG are estimates, as we were not carrying GPS and we had three different map sets, none of which matched each other, in terms of mileage date, or any of the signage along our route. Actual EG estimation is around 51,000'.
The Rough Fire was at about 30,000 acres and 0% containment when we started hiking. The closest we were to it, at any given point on the trail, was probably about 15 miles. We were never in any danger, as we were carrying an InReach and were in contact with family members who are associated with CalFire. As of today (9/19/2015), the Rough Fire is nearly 150,000 acres and nearing 70% containment.
This trip report is a work in progress...
Day 1: Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow We got an early start from Fresno, driving through a very smoky Kings Canyon to the Lodgepole visitors center to pick-up our permit. First snafu, we were planning on resupplying in the town of Independence and staying there for a night. The ranger on duty informed us that our permit would not allow us to spend a night outside of the wilderness, only a "JMT permit" or "PCT permit" would allow this, and our permit, although mostly on the JMT was not a "JMT permit". After some questions, he backed down and said that he would need to get clarification, because he had not seen anything official on the matter, but that is what he had heard was being enforced. He then issued our permit and told us to go ahead with our plans.
We headed to the TH, where would leave a car for the next 25 days, and started up the trail. We got the first viewpoint, which was obscured by smoke. This would get better, right? The smoke finally cleared in the evening...
Day 2 - Bearpaw Meadow to Little Arroyo Started the day with smoke obscured views again. We passed Hamilton Lake, stopping for lunch at Precipice Lake. Smoke. We hiked over Kaweah Gap and into Nine Lakes Basin. Smoke. Black Kaweah and Red Kaweah were somewhat visible through the haze. By the time we made it to Little Arroyo, we finally got a reprieve from the smoke.
Day 3 - Little Arroyo to Kern Hot Springs Started off with a clear morning. The smoke started settling in as we descended into the Kern River Valley, but then cleared as we neared Kern Hot Springs. The hot spring itself was small, rustic, but still pleasant after several days on the trail. A single concrete tub, with an inlet, outlet, and a little algae, all behind a 3ft fence. We were sharing the camp area with a couple of smaller groups, when just before sunset, and group of eight came in and camped right next to us and on the access to the main trail. We suggested an open group site less than 50 yards away. They refused, so...
Day 4 - Kern Hot Springs to just past Upper Kern Cutoff We got up at 4:30am and left camp before sunrise, pretty much walking over the large group that rudely invaded our camp the night before. We headed up the trail toward Junction Meadow, where we stopped for lunch before diverting from the HST to head further up the Kern River Drainage. We ended up cowboy camping next to a windy, smoky, unnamed lake north of the Upper Kern Cutoff.
Day 5: Upper Kern Cutoff to Tyndall Creek Our goal today? Lake South America, which is one of the highest elevation lakes in the Sierra as well as the headwaters of the Kern River. Then we'd connect up with the JMT just north of Tyndall Creek. The trail up the Kern River Drainage to Lake South America could be called a trail, only because the route is marked with cairns, mostly. Without the cairns, this would be a cross country route. Lots of elevation gain, and trickier terrain, led to a short mileage day. We enjoyed a clear morning. It was still clear when we arrived at Lake South America, where we took a break, enjoying lunch, the scenery and the water. Then the smoke started rolling in from the west. We headed down towards the JMT surrounded by a orange tinted haze, setting up camp about 4 miles south of Forester Pass.
Day 6 - Tyndall Creek to Kearsarge Lakes
Day 7 - Kearsarge Lakes to Onion Valley
Day 8 - Onion Valley to Charlotte Lake
Day 9 - Charlotte Lake to Arrowhead Lake
Day 10 - Arrowhead Lake to Lake Marjorie
Day 11 - Lake Marjorie to Palisade Lakes
Day 12 - Palisade Lake to Starr Camp
Day 13 - Starr Camp to McClure Meadow
Day 14 - McClure Meadow to MTR
Day 15 - MTR to Rose Lake Junction
Day 16 - Rose Lake Junction to Pocket Meadow
Day 17 - Pocket Meadow to Purple Lake
Day 18 - Purple Lake to Reds Meadow
Day 19 - Reds Meadow to Rosalie Lake
Day 20 - Rosalie Lake to Thousand Island Lake
Day 21 - Thousand Island Lake to Lyell Canyon
Day 22- Lyell Canyon to Cathedral Lakes
Day 23 - Cathedral Lakes to Clouds Rest Junction
Day 24 - Clouds Rest Junction to Happy Isles
August 20 – September 12, 2015
Timberline Trail - Glamping Version
44.5 miles of hiking • 10000' elevation gain • 1 night
Our second attempt at the Timberline Trail in two days, after getting thundersnowed off the mountain last year.
This time, eight hikers completed Day 1, Vista Ridge to Timberline Lodge. Five hikers completed the entire trail!
Beautiful weather, good company, great food and accomodations at Timberline Lodge.
August 15 – August 16, 2015
2
Timberline Lodge to Cascade Locks on the PCT
49.5 miles of hiking • 8000' elevation gain • 2 nights
Weekend on the PCT: Friday - Timberline Lodge to Sandy Guard Station Saturday - Sandy Guard Station to Wahtum Lake Sunday - Wahtum Lake to Cascade Locks
July 17 – July 19, 2015
Mt. Margaret Backcountry from Norway Pass
16.5 miles of hiking • 4000' elevation gain • 2 nights
July 4th weekend slackpacking trip to Panhandle Lake.
July 3 – July 5, 2015
Wolf Creek Trestle
10 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •
Beating the heat with a hike in the Coast Range on an old railroad line.
June 27, 2015
Wildflower hike on the Mazama Trail
9 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain •
Wildflower hike on Mt. Hood
June 14, 2015
June 6, 2015
Mt. Margaret Backcountry
32.5 miles of hiking • 8000' elevation gain • 2 nights
Memorial weekend trip in the Mt. Margaret Backcountry.
May 23 – May 25, 2015
Dressed to Kill Hike
6 miles of hiking • 750' elevation gain •
Toothrock TH to Punchbowl Falls dressed in clothing completely inappropriate for hiking.
May 9, 2015
Banks-Vernonia Trail
21 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Car Shuttle between Banks and Vernonia
April 5, 2015
Mill Creek Wilderness
12 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain • 1 night
Overnight trip to the Mill Creek Wilderness. Out and back from the South Twin Pillars TH to Twin Pillars.
Camped along Mill Creek near the last crossing.
March 21 – March 22, 2015
February 23, 2015
Yosemite NP - Sentinal Dome via the Four Mile Trail
14.7 miles of hiking • 4500' elevation gain •
When we originally planned what is turning into an annual Yosemite trip, we were hoping to spend the weekend skiing out of Badger Pass. The weather this year had other ideas, so we hiked up to a nearly snowless Sentinal Dome.
We started at Yosemite Valley Lodge, traversing the meadow on one of the boardwalks, then passing the Valley Chapel on the way to the Four Mile Trail TH. Then it was uphill for approximately 4.6miles to Glacier Point. The forecast was for rain / snow showers, but all we saw were a few occasional flakes along the way. We stopped at the Geology Hut for some shelter while eating lunch, then continued to Sentinal Dome. The first snow patches were around 7600ft!
With Glacier Point Rd being closed, few tourists venture past Glacier Point, so we were able to explore the top of Sentinal Dome and enjoy the valley views in solitude. Then it was time to head back down the switchbacks and back across the Valley floor.
February 22, 2015
Lower Yosemite Falls and Columbia Rock
4 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Late afternoon wanderings from Yosemite Valley Lodge. We took the loop trail around Lower Yosemite Falls and over to Camp 4. Then we hiked up the Upper Yosemite Falls Trail to Columbia Rock before returning to the Lodge.
February 21, 2015
Lower Deschutes River Trail Run
21.8 miles of hiking • 500' elevation gain •
Needed to get a 20 miler in today, so we headed east to get a break from the rain in PDX.
We ran an out and back to the Harris Homestead.
We were on the trail at 9:30am, and didn't see any others until we were a few miles from the TH on our return. Skies stayed overcast, but it was perfect running weather.
Not sure what the correct EG is, since my GPS watch somehow recorded 3,048'EG!
February 8, 2015
1
Tanner Butte
19.5 miles of hiking • 5000' elevation gain •
Summer like hiking in January!
Training for a spring marathon has left me with limited time to hike. Thus, we had been planning on a January 25th hike for weeks. I could not have asked for a better day.
The day started off pretty rough. I was coming off a cold from the week before and didn't eat much for breakfast, since I lost my spoon somewhere between home and Gateway where I met with the rest of our group. We carpooled out to Eagle Creek, and then headed down the bike path and then up the Wauna Cutoff. By the time we got to the camp at the junction of the main trail, I was bonking bad. I started thinking that I wasn't as recovered from my cold as I thought I was, but grabbed some snacks before continuing up the trail. I felt like I was hiking in a haze, half asleep and ready for a nap. I told the rest of the group to go ahead, and that I might turn back towards the camp at the trail junction.
Somehow, I kept plodding along at a snails pace. Around Dublin Lake my energy level improved, and I grabbed yet another snack. Shortly after this I was cruising up the trail. I managed, somehow to get to the top of Tanner Butte just minutes after the rest of the group. The views were AMAZING! We could see Mt. Jefferson to the south, Mt. Rainier to the north, and Saddle Mountain in the coast range. After basking for much too long in the sun, taking photos, and eating lunch, we headed back down the trail, trying to beat the setting sun. The sun won, so the last three miles or so were by headlamp.
So what did I learn? Eat. Eat food...lots of it! I had never really bonked while hiking before, and definitely not this badly. I'm still not sure why it happened this time, but it is something I will be cautious not to repeat!
January 25, 2015
1
In and Around Battle Ground Lake State Park
11.3 miles of hiking • 1000' elevation gain •
Been missing the trails recently, as my winter focus has been more on running than hiking. Sunday I had the opportunity to join friends for a trail run in and around Battle Ground Lake State Park. We ran the outer equestrian trail, upper lake loop, and lower lake loop within the park. Around the park, we ran the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad Trail.
January 11, 2015
Icy Multnomah - Wahkeena Loop
6.9 miles of hiking • 2500' elevation gain •
Microspikes came in handy on this New Year's Day modified Multnomah - Wahkeena loop.
January 1, 2015
