Kevin DuBois Travel and Photography

Rapidan Recon February 2012

2012-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

Rapidan Recon

2012-02-26T15:28:00.001-08:00

I fished President's day with my friend Chris. After a brief stop at the Albemarle Angler, we drove up to the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area near Graves Mill and hike upstream about 1.5 miles.

Chris schooled me in the ways of nymph fishing and using a strike indicator. We rock-hopped our way upstream fishing promising pools as we went. When I caught up with Chris, he'd already caught half a dozen-the nymph zen master! We continued on, Chris encouraging me and letting me spook some choice pools, without chastising me - a saint. It was fun - crouching, crawling, casting from a kneeled position and hiding behind rocks. Even though I bought some nhmphs at the Albemarle Angler, I was using my own beadhead pheasant tail nymph that I tied the day before.

Towards the end of the day, I had missed probably half a dozen fish, failed to set the hook on two deep pool beauties, and landed one. Here is a quick picture I took before returning her to the water unharmed.

It was a great day or learning and friendship. I'm a novice at winter trout fishing and at using nymphs, but Chris helped take some of the mystery out of it. Can't wait to go again!

Charleston - 20th Anniversary Weekend

2011-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Kathi and I have been waiting since August to celebrate our 20th anniversary. I wanted to take her to explore Charleston so we waited until October to get some nice weather for tramping around the city.

We put the kids on the school bus Friday morning, dropped Bodie (our dog) off at a neighbor's house and took off. Once on I95, the drive is easy and we filled the 7 hour drive with both light and heavy conversation. Soon enough we were in the outskirts of North Charleston. Too early for the dinner I had planned, so we burned off an hour or so checking out downtown Summerville. Cute, but just OK.

On to Folly Beach, almost. We slowed just short of Folly and made a quick right turn in the middle of the vast marshland, and picked our way down an oyster shell road to the Bowen Island Restaurant (www.bowensislandrestaurant.com). We got there early so we could get a good spot on the outside deck to eat fried fish and shrimp and chase it with a cold beer as we watched the sun go down over the creek and marsh. A friend who told me about the place said I had to make sure to leave my initials in on the outside bar (along with a myriad of others, so, in the southern way, I obliged him. No snob appeal here, just pure magic!

We drove back into Charleston and checked into our hotel, the Vendue Inn.

We dumped our stuff, and then went to the end of the street for some gelato and stroll down the pier at the end of the street (Marine Park) to watch an electrical storm light up the heavens like so many fireworks. More magic!

We returned to the Vendue for a nightcap of complimentary milk and cookies. When will the magic cease?

Saturday morning we woke and grabbed a cup of coffee while we discussed our plans for the day. Made our way to the restaurant for a complimentary breakfast. Kathi had a breakfast croissant with fruit and taters and I had bananas foster french toast with fruit plus more coffee and juice. Awesome!

Fueled up, we grabbed two complimentary beach cruisers and took a ride through Marine Park and down to the Battery to look at beautiful restored historic homes along "Rainbow Row".

Fantastic architecture, flowers, landscaped alleys, towering live oaks in the parks, overflowing window boxes, meticulous church grounds and historic cemeteries. It very much reminded me of Key West for some reason.

The Pineapple Fountain in Marine Park...

The pergola in Battery Park...

Just one of many beautiful historic cemeteries....

Veteran from the Revolutionary Battle of Long Island (NY)...

We spent the rest of the day walking up and down Market and King streets peeking in the art galleries (wishing we could paper our walls with all the fabulous art!), Halloween costume shopping in the "alternative" stores up by the College of Charleston, checking out the open air bazars, grooving on Robot Candy, having great Thai food for lunch, and generally just enjoyed moseying along.

Beautiful window dressing...

Flowers, window boxes, and plants adorning every public space...

Private alleys nevertheless summoned you closer...

Beautiful old buildings at every turn...

A random wedding march following the service at one of the many historic churches. October is a favorite month for weddings in Charelston...

We made it back to the Venude for afternoon wine and cheese and then hoofed it down the street for a traditional lowcountry style meal at Poogan's Porch. Almost all the restaurants had booked all their seatings and had no reservations left, but we were told we might be served if we opted for the outdoor dining area. Duh, that's what we wanted anyway! Tourists are so crazy to eat inside when the weather's nice! We had a nice meal and took another stroll down the pier and swang on the swing and shared a few kisses before heading back for milk and cookies and then retiring.

Sunday morning we met our good friend Richard Stuhr for breakfast at the Vendue. After a leisurely breakfast, we took a stroll and Richard told us many stories about Charleston when he was growing up, the local culture, and he gave us a tour of his Circular Church before we had to depart to attend our own service.

My father's side of the family is French Huguenot and so we attended service at the local Huguenot Church. It had been recently restored and the service was very nice. Some of the songs were sung in French, and the service ended with a chorus of My Country Tis of The... After the service, I walked around the church and found markers relating to church patrons - among them George and Martha Washington and one of my ancestors - Alexander Hamilton. There was also a plaque in the lobby recounting all the US presidents that were or had ties to Huguenots. I was surprised at how many!

The Huguenot Church in Charleston...

Inside the Huguenot church...

Alexander Hamilton's marker inside the church...

After mass, we gathered our things, did a quick pass through West Ashley (our future home?), and then headed up Rt. 26 to I95, and then home again. It was good to see the girls and pick up Bodie and get settled again. But Charleston beckons. There's more to see, and redfish to catch, and neighborhoods to explore - and the wonderful Vendue with its rooftop perch.

Yosemite and John Muir Trail 2011 (Click on the images to see a larger version)

2011-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

After getting snowed out in June 2010, I returned to Yosemite in 2011 with my friend JC to hike the John Muir Trail (Tuolumne Meadows to the Devil’s Postpile National Monument). We planned to spend a few days doing practice hikes, staging the rental car at the end of the trail, and getting acclimated to the altitude, and then spending a day at the end taking in the Pacific Ocean. This is the story o our adventure....

Saturday, August 6, 2011 Norfolk to San Francisco

Get to the airport for the afternoon flight. Fly from Norfolk to Las Vegas, Lost Wages to San Diego, and San Diego to San Francisco. Bunch of drunks on the plane from Vegas to San Diego. Took the opportunity to finish Ecology of a Cracker Childhood and started Gods and Generals. Flight was long, ate crap food to save money, but the flight attendants on Southwest were generous with the snacks and drinks, and with the humor.

Happy to get in at San Francisco even though the flight arrived late. Caught the shuttle to the hotel, Millwood Inn, and hit the hay.

Sunday, August 7, 2011: San Francisco to Yosemite National Park

Got up early, showered, checked email and sent messages on the hotel computer, and got my free breakfast on. JC had mapped out the travel path to get to Rent-a-Wreck (RAW) from out hotel. We caught the bus to the Bart, took another bus to within about 3 blocks of RAW and hoofed it there by about 9:15 am.

Picked up our sporty Kia Rio and, with the assist of JC’s smartphone GPS app, made our way back to the hotel in no time flat. Picked up all our luggage and camping gear and hit the road. Made one pitstop to the closest REI store only to find they were having their end of the season clearance sale = MOBBED! At least the mob was outside. We went int he store and got our MSR Superfuel and JC picked up a pair of sturdy trekking poles.

Now we were on our way to Yosemite for real. The driving was easy and we made a few stops to take some pictures, buy almonds, eat some lunch, and enjoyed the ride. We made it to the gates of Yosemite in about 5 hours - right on time. Normally, the entrance fee is $20 and it’s good for 7 days. As luck would have it, our itinerary would have us re-entering the park after 8 days and we risked having to pay the entrance fee twice. After explaining our predicament, seeing our backpacks in the back seat, noticing the sheer economy of our ride, the uber-cool Park Service guy let us slide on the entrance fee. Sweet!

We get our camp site at Crane Flat (#222) - very nice.

Good site and it backs up to a beautiful meadow.

We set up two tents to delay the impending backcountry 2-man tent “bro-mance” (as my wife likes to say while chuckling!). Then we head down into the valley to get JC some face time with the granite. The Valley does not disappoint. As the sun starts to fade, the Range of Light blossoms in all its glory. I cannot resist taking more pictures of the landmarks - El Cap, Half Dome, The Three Sisters, ++++++++ We have a beer from he Curry Village store before heading back to the campsite for some dinner in the dark.

The Valley as the sun sets...

Monday, August 8, 2011: Yosemite National Park

Up at 6 am and get busy making breakfast - oatmeal and coffee. Clean up, get water, messed around a little, and left by 7:30 to head down into the Valley. We planned to hike the Panorama Trail down from Glacier Point to get some altitude in our lungs and miles on out shoes. Just daypacks on this hike.

Drove to the Yosemite Lodge to pick up the Glacier Point Tours (209-372-4386) bus tickets to ride up to Glacier Point. Caught the bus at 8:30 am. Jack, our driver, was great and full of facts and stories to entertain us as we climbed the road to Glacier Point. Jack told us about the "Avalanche" fire that was burning in the park and was being watched but allowed to burn to provide all the natural burn benefits to the forest ecology. At times were were surrounded by the thick heavy smoke and it lingered int he valley and up in the high peaks, depending on the wind direction, for part of each day were were around the Yosemite Valley. On the way up to Glacier Point, we saw two of the three wildlife stars of Yosemite (mule deer, coyote, black bear). First we saw mule deer which were common on our trip. Then we saw a black bear mother and her two cubs. It's hard to not get excited at seeing bears!

Got to Glacier Point, showed JC the sights, hit the loo, and then started the Panorama Trail. Took lots of pictures of Half Dome as we hiked to Illoette Falls.

Half Dome from the Glacier Point Geology Cabin

JC doing his best North Face imitation...

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls as seen from from Glacier Point

The start of the Panorama Trail

More Half Dome...

About only a mile down, we ran into a guy who had rolled his ankle and was headed back up to see if he could cajole the bus driver into carrying him back down to the Valley. Talk about getting spooked! I was being careful not to end out adventure before it started.

Looking at the back side of Half Dome as we hike along...

Illilouette Falls was pretty and flowing good! Here it is with the back side of Half Dome in the background.

Old sterioscopic view of Illilouette Falls...

We stopped for lunch upstream of the falls and took our time to soak in the forest gestalt before continuing on to Nevada Falls.

JC pumping water...

The stream above Illilouette Falls where we had lunch...

The oft ignored sign warning unwary adventurers that the falls present a danger...

The cascade leading to the placid pool before the stream disappears over the edge of Illilouette Falls....

Along the way, we see lots of squirrels and chipmunks, and some funky grouse - mother and chick.

The trail continued to provide stunning views of the backside of Half Dome and Liberty Cap (featured here)

A unique handcrafted water control structure along the trail...

Views of the forest on the way to Nevada Falls...

Nevada Falls was big, raging, and crowded. There were people all over resting, soaking their feet (we did too), pumping water, and generally hanging out in the stream and pool above the falls.

The stream leading to the brink of Nevada Falls...

Nevada Falls with a veil of smoke from the Avalanche Fire...

The way down from Nevada Falls was a steep, sheer, set of stairs. It was slow, crowded, and hard going. But it did provide spectacular views of Nevada Falls from below. See for yourself!

The cascades below Nevada Falls....

Once the grade started to level out, we stopped at Silver chute, then Emerald Pool, and then to Vernal Falls. Incredibally, with the over-the-falls deaths of 3 scofflaws a couple weeks prior, there were still people beyond the warning signs and in the pool above the falls. Darwin at work!!!!!

Took some snaps of Vernal and then made our way down more steep steps to get down. Having hiked the Mist trail twice now, I don’t have any desire to ever do that again! I’m over those crowded steep steps! Once we were at the bottom of the trail in Happy Isles, JC called his wife and I went to the Mountaineering Shop in Curry Village to look around. JC meets up with me and we get beers and chips and hang our on the porch before driving home for some Mountain House meals and bed.

Sunset over the valley...

Tuesday, August 9, 2011: Yosemite (Tuolumne Meadows) to Mammoth

Got up early - 6 am - and had just a Clif bar and coffee (anticipating a big breakfast at the White Wolf Lodge. JC wanted to see some Sequoias while in Yosemite, but we didn’t have time to commit to go all the way to the Mariposa Grove so we checked out the Tuolumne Grove instead. It was a mile downhill to get to s small grove of trees arranged along a short loop. If you wanted to see sequoias and check the box, you could do it here, but it was poor in comparison to Mariposa. If you really want to see the BIG trees, make the time to go to the Mariposa Grove.

JC checking out the Sequoia's core...

We (I) huff and puff the mile uphill and make it to the White Wolf Lodge at 10:30, only to find that they stop serving breakfast at 10 am. Damn! We drive on to the Tuolumne Meadows with stops at Olmstead Point and Tenaya Lake for pictures. We tried to pick up our backcountry permit a day early, but got shut down.

Tenaya Lake...

Rocks? Oh, I see one!

We hiked to Soda Springs (naturally carbonated mineral water) and the Parsons Lodge. The Lodge was built in 1915 from local granite and was originally a meeting room for the Sierra Club. We then continued on towards Mono Lake and Mammoth.

Soda Springs...

Cathedral peak with the Tuolumne River in the foreground...

On the way out of Yosemite, you’re supposed to show your entry fee receipt (to catch anyone who snuck in at night and didn’t pay). That ranger who let us in for free probably knew we’d get tagged on the back end and all the while we thought he was cool. Once at the booth, we just acted stupid, rummaged around for our immaginary receipt and then the ranger asked us how much we paid at the entrance. We knew the answer to that question, 20 bucks, and she let us pass.

Once out of the National Park, we passed some nice and some sketchy campsites before winding our way through Tioga Pass. We pulled the Kia to the right on all the climbs and let others pass as she struggled to make the grade. Don’t hate the Koreans, she was a good little, fuel-efficient girl!

Tioga Lake...

Tioga Pass...

We came upon Mono Lake and made a diversion to see the Tufas (mineral formations exposed in the lake due to a draw-down of water by the City of Los Angles). At one of the overlooks, we spotted this cool cat with an Area 57 sticker on his VW camper. Off the grid?

We made a stop at the Mono Basin Visitor Center in Lee Vining and got directions to the must-see South Tufa formations.

Mono Lake was dry, barren looking, and JC said it looked lifeless. Except of course for the 10 gazillion little black flies that rimmed the lake shore. Thank god they didn’t attack or bite! We got some pictures of the Tufi (plural?) and then continued on our quest.
Tufi...

Remembering my Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club roots, we stopped at the Mono Cone for some ice cream.

Tooled into Mammoth and stopped at the Mammoth Visitor Center (worth a stop), picked up a Centennial Devil’s Postpile pin, and then headed on to Shady Oaks campground. After checking in, we took the drive up to the Mammoth Ski Lodge to recon where we would stage the car and pick up the YARTS (Yosemite Area Rapid Transit) bus back to Tuolumne. Got that squared away, and then headed back down into town for some pizza, beer, and last minute map checks and camera battery charging at Joh’s Pizza using their wall outlet. That’s one thing that sucks about Yosemite campgrounds - unlike Yellowstone, the Smokies, or others I’ve been to, the bathrooms don’t have power outlets to recharge camera batteries so you got to carry extras and get creative with recharging. I think I’m going to get a solar powered charger so I don’t have to worry about this in the future.

Back to Shady Oaks, for a pack shakedwon. We set up the tent, I retrieve my other (Nikon) battery charger from the camp host’s RV outlet, hit the head, and go to bed.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011: Mammoth Lakes back to Tuolumne Meadows (Yosemite NP)

Got up at 5:45, broke camp, reloaded the pack with everything I would need for the JMT, and headed into Mammoth Lakes to get coffee and a muffin before heading on to the Mammoth Mountain Inn to pick up the YARTS bus back to Tuolumne Meadows.

JC and our pre-packed "yard sales"...

Parked the car and hopped on the bus with two other backpackers. I hung out at the Tuolumne Campground Office while JC went to get the Backcountry permit. Once secured, we walked back into the campgrounds and found the back loop where the backpackers campground was located. We paid our $5 per person at the self-serve kiosk and set up the Big Agnes 2-person tent. With time on our hands, we headed to the camp store. I got a Pepsi (no Coke!) to try to soothe the raging headache I had. (I assumed the headache was from caffine withdrawl, but would later find this was a symptom of my worsening altitude sickness)

The Pepsi gave no relief, but we decided to hike ~4 miles RT to Dog Lake (from the Glen Alum Trailhead) to get more miles and altitude under out belts. We also wanted to see how bad the mosquitos were - since it was a big topic of conversation at the backcountry permit office.

On the way to Dog Lake (520’ up), I stopped to fish in the Tuolumne River. I got hits on the hopper pattern I had left over from a previous trip to Yellowstone, but I lost it somehow due to a hastily tied knot. My bad. I tried a stimulator in the same seam and at a few other places, but it garnered no interest. I think it was too big!

On to Dog Lake. We hiked through the Tuolumne meadows, saw herds of mule deer and stalking tourists, trout in the streams, a bear cub by the road, a snake and a marmot among the rocks. When we got to Dog Lake (9,170’), we found that it was very beautiful, but there were lots of mosquitos that would attack as soon as you stopped walking. After a liberal application of DEET, JC and I hiked to the far end of the lake looking for the inlet stream. We found a broad meadow a little channel cut in the peet that we guessed was the inlet. Very beautiful place with lots of lovely flowers surrounding the lake. Well worth the hike.

Dog Lake (One of my favorite images from the trip)

Dog Lake, shoreline flowers...

After the hike down, I check out a hotspot and find a nice big blister on the side of my big toe. After some mandatory liquid sedation of the operating attendent, JC lanced the blister, cleaned it and applied moleskin and taped it in place. Feels good. We ate dinner and had lots of conversations with our camp mates. My head was still aching when I went to bed.

Thursday, August 11, 2011 Tuolumne Meadows to the Lyell Fork Bridge

We got up at 6 am, gave away our extra food, and were out of camp by 8:00 am. We messed around a bit, taking pictures of mule deer in the morning mist (elevation ~ 8585').

Mule deer in the shadow of Lembert Dome (a roche moutonee - formed by a glacier flowing up and over the granite top.)

Finally connected with the JMT by about 9:00 am.

The hike eastward up Lyell Canyon was filled with gorgeous scenery! If you lived close by and could get a wilderness permit. this would be a great place to set up a base amp and hang our for a couple days dayhiking and trout fishing! As we passed, the prairie dogs chirped at us to warn their kin and we saw marmots scurry among the rocks.

The beautiful Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River...

At 11:30, we passed the avalanche rock slide that marked the halfway point or day’s hike and the place where you can legally start camping along the trail. We stopped and had lunch and I fished a bit.

Caught one brookie on a royal coachman “X” pattern.

There were spectacular views of the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River and the canyon on either side.

We made it to the head of the canyon by 1:30-2:00 pm (9000') and began the 1 mile climb up ~ 700 feet in elevation. For me, the hike up was brutal! I was stopping every 100 paces to rest and catch my breath. My headache had not abated and I did not know, but my altitude sickness was about to add nausea to it's little bag of torments.

Here, Bruce from Scotland powers past us...

Trail maintenance....

JC and I made it to the Lyell Forks Bridge (9650') at around 3:30 pm. I was exhausted, but we set up the tent and napped as mosquitos hovered looking for a way into the mesh. Got up around 5:30, washed sweat-soaked clothes, gathered firewood, and made dinner. On top of the headaches that had accompanied me up the trail, I now was nauseous too. A cup of tea (caffine) did not help with the headaches (I did not recognize the common symptoms of altitude sickness). After dinner, I made a big fire and burned the food I couldn’t bear to eat. We got the bear canisters set up, but started to worry what to do with the packs since the Lyell Forks Bridge campsite is notorious for bear raids. In the end, we left them outside, but a little ways from the tent. The mosquitos tapered off after sunset, There was a nice big moon. It didn’t take long for the roar of the river rushing in the gorge below us to put us to sleep.

Friday, August 12, 2011 Lyell Forks Bridge to Thousand Island Lake

Got up at 6 am and pumped water for breakfast. I was still feeling sick to my stomach and could only eat 1/4 of my oatmeal and take a few sips of coffee. We broke camp and hit the trail at 8:30 to begin the climb to Donahue Pass. On the way up, we encounter pockets of snow. Aside from the nausea, it feels good to be high up and in the snow zone.

In the snow zone...

We climbed about 500' in elevation to a small lake surrounded by a meadow. It was great to see snow in the mountains, but the pass was out of view and the added elevation was daunting.

There was a red tinge to the snow and we were trying to figure out what that was from. My best guess was that the pollen from the surrounding pines was tainting the white snow (like the yellow pollen that covers everything back home in VA).

Here's a picture of a possible culprit...

A view of the lake from above...

We rock hopped across the lake outlet and continued to climb along a narrow trial and crossed a bunch of snow-melt streams and we went. Every now and then we had to cross a patch of snow and we were careful not to slip and were hoping not to punch a hole through a gap in the rocks underneath. We encountered another lake and again had to rock hop across the outlet. I wedged a trekking pole between two rocks and when it didn't release, I got thrown off balance and had to take a big dunking step in the water to keep from going all in. I rallied and got to the other side. We took a break so that I could change socks and I'm very glad we did.

Here's the lake that almost dunked me with more red-tinged snow....

Up we climb, with spectacular views all around.

Flowers flanked both sides of the trail...

Engineered steps led the way...

Crystal clear puddles were an amazement...

I was slow going as we picked our way up the grade. There were tricky rock sections interspersed with snow patches, but finally the pass came into view. We had a long stretch of snow to traverse as we climbed and so we followed the path of those who came before us. I know seeing the top of the pass buoyed my spirits. JC said the views made him want to yell “Ricola”.

Snow field traverse....

Reaching for the top of Donahue Pass...

We had our lunch at Donahue Pass (11,056') which is the Yosemite border. A marmot chirped at us, the intruders, as we enjoyed the view. Before long, we began to pick our way down and into the Ansel Adams Wilderness (formerly Minarets Wilderness) and the Inyo National Forest. As we wove our way down the switchbacks, the scenery was filled with glacial erratics - boulders dumped by one of the glaciers.

Looking down into the Rush Creek drainage from Donahue Pass...

The Rush Creek drainage (9,640’) at the base of Donahue Pass was very pretty, but also full of mosquitos so the bug nets came out and we raised and unfurled them as the need arose. Rush Creek drains to Mono Lake, the end of the line since Mono has no outlet.

The quiet stretches of Rush Creek looked like this...

Everywhere you turned, the scenery was spectacular! Here we are looking at Koip Crest to the north...

Among the mountains, snow, and clouds! Banner Peak points the way to the heavens...

JC crossing the Rush Creek log bridge at 10,040' near the junction of the Marie Lakes Trail...

Rush Creek picking up speed as the elevation drops...

We made it to the base of Island Pass by 3 pm, pumped water, and had a snack to fuel up for the 600’ climb.

The pitch to Island Pass was not as steep as Donahue and there were good switchbacks, but I became exhausted nevertheless. The nausea and lack of food in my stomach were taking their toll but we continued on - taking comfort in all the beautiful scenery.

A fallen tree on the way to Island Pass. Koip Crest in the background....

The twisted remains - nearly as beautiful in decay as in life...

The top of Island Pass (10,205’) and the surrounding plateau of land was gorgeous - one of the prettiest sights on the hike. In retrospect, if we could have extended our trip and planned to camp at Island Pass, we would’ve.

The way down from Island Pass was full of little crystal clear ponds and panoramas filled with the looming Banner Peak. Since we were on the west side of the crest, all the water we would see for the rest of the trip would drain into the San Joaquin River and eventually flow into San Francisco Bay. The backdrop on our horizon was now the Ritter Range with Banner Peak most prominent.

I was thankful when we made our way 1.8 miles down to Thousand Island Lake (9,833’).

Unfortunately, it was a big pain to try to find a campsite meeting the rules (not on vegetation) as the rocky perches away from the lake or feeder streams were few and far between. I was exhausted so JC did all of the work hunting for a site and he finally found a spot to share with Bruce from Scotland - a guy who passed us on the way up to Donahue Pass. Bruce was on the trail to do the full JMT, but was suffering from altitude sickness like me and he was saying if it did not clear up in a day or two he was going to abandon his attempt. I could totally understand. You can’t do that trip without eating to refuel the furnace!

We made dinner, and, once again I could only eat about half of my raimin, We cleaned up our bowls. To keep my mind busy, I fished for a while and lost a fish on the retrieve. Probably not a good hookset on the little guy. There were lots of “gulpers” taking tiny little black gnats - size 20 or 22 - a fly I did not have.

Took some sunset pictures and went to bed. I hate to say it, but I was thinking: half done.

Electric sunset at Thousand Island Lake with Banner Peak front and center!

Saturday, August 13, 2011 Thousand Island Lake (TIL) to Rosalie Lake

Woke up early and pumped water. Fished a little and took pictures while JC slept. Hooked another small fish on a size 16 Henryville Special (smallest fly I had), but lost him.

Sunrise with rising trout disturbing the mirror effect of Thousand Island Lake...

There seemed to be a lot of non-backpackers at TIL. There were lots of base-camp type set ups, tons of people fishing the lake, dogs, etc. Seemed obvious we were not in the National Park and it did not feel much like backcountry. We would have much preferred to stay someplace more remote like Island Pass or pressed on to one of the other lakes if I had the stamina.

Boiled water for breakfast, but 1/2 of a Clif bar is all I could get down. Didn’t fight the sickness at this point, just went with the flow. We broke camp, used the head, and got on the trail a little late. It was 9:45 when we rolled out of TIL.

On our way again...

We had to hike up and out of TIL and then down again to make the 2.6 miles to Garnet Lake (9,678’). It seemed to take longer than it should’ve. That’s probably just me feeling weak. Poor JC having to put up with my crap!

Ruby Lake was clear, beautiful, and trouty...

Garnet Lake looked like a repeat of Thousand Island Lake...

Crossing the outlet of Garnet Lake and continuing on....

After another 2.5 miles, we have lunch at Shadow Creek (9,000’) where I force down the second 1/2 of my Clif bar. We continue another 0.9 miles down to Shadow Lake (8,737’) and then turn southeast to start the last steep climb of the trip (yeah!). Take it slow, again about 100 paces at a time.

Flowering shrubs and ground covers are our reward for making it to the top of the pitch...

The landscape is filled with talus...

On the descent we pass a guide and his client on horseback heading to Garnet Lake for some fishing...

We descend 1,100 feet past a small meadow and through a tiny canyon with lodgepole pines and mountain hemlock cover. Anywhere we find water, flowers abound.

At 9,000' we came to a trail junction - right went to Ediza Lake - but we continued on to the left towards Shadow Lake. Along the way, we paralleled and crossed Shadow Creek.

Amazing crystal clear water with to-the-bottom visibility and interesting fringing wetlands...

Shadow Creek becomes a torrent...

Shadow Lake...

After an hour and 15 minutes, we make it to Rosalie Lake. It lives up to its reputation. Gorgeous!

We find a nice camp site with a good fire pit nearby. We take pictures, set up the tent, wash clothes and chat with neighbors. During the conversation, we find out that the highly anticipated showers at Reds Meadow are our of service and will be for the entire year! WTF!!!!! That’s a stop I think that most backpackers covet! Our heads swim with alternative plans for a scrub. I am still planning for a stop to fill my belly with one of their famed milk shakes (down at lower altitude)!

After dumping the packs, setting up camp, and squaring away the bear canisters, we climb some rocks to see the sunset.

JC contemplating the meaning....

Looking towards Mammoth Mountain...

JC and I return to camp for a dinner of couscous and Kathi’s special spices - Yum! I eat as much as my stomach will allow. After dinner, JC stacks the bear canisters to see if they get knocked over by a bear.

We make a good campfire and I repeat my new ritual of burning uneaten food. We stare at the flames fro a while, spread out the coals in the pit, and then hit the hay.

Sunday, August 14, 2011: Rosalie Lake to Devil's Postpile National Monument

I’m up first, and I check the clothesline to see if the clothes have dried overnight. Even though the temperature drops down into the 40s, the air is so dry the clothes are dry after being washed late the night before. I snap a few pictures of Rosalie Lake as the sun comes up and then go to get JC so we can get moving towards that end-of-the-trail milkshake at Red’s Meadow.

Gladys Lake with the pinnacle of the "Two Teats in the background...

One of the many Trinity Lakes.....

We’re dropping down through the trees. The JMT guidebook says the soil in this region is volcanic, but it’s hard to tell the difference - it’s just all dusty. JC continues to be accosted by mosquitos but it’s not so bad for me - my stink must be off-putting! Once again, water is life. Where ever we cross a snow melt stream, we're treated to flowers, flowers, flowers.

The trail down from Trinity Lakes...

It seems like we’re moving fast enough, but the trail miles yield slowly. We’re running into a bunch of folks heading in the other direction and we swap stories about mosquitos and altitude sickness. We drop down to Jonhston Lake and the surrounding meadows (8,120’) and enter the Devil’s Postpile National Monument.

As you cross the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River into the Postpile, you are immediately greeted with a basaltic extrusion (derscribed as warped organ pipes)veering off to the right - cool!

The San Joaquin...

Extruded basalt marks the entrance to the Devil's Postpile National Monument...

Instead of heading left to the Ranger Station, we continue on with full packs to take a look at the main postpile attraction - accordianlike columns of blue-grey basalt that formed 10,000 years ago when magma flowed through Mammoth Pass and fracturedd vertically. We also hike to the top of the formation to look at the hexagonal honeycombed extrusion patterns.

The Devil's Postpile...

The hexagonal pattern of the extruded volcanic magma. I love to say that word like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movie - magma!

OK, I’m done climbing! We head to the ranger station and wait for the bus to Red’s Meadow Resort. We get a free ride to the Resort and meet up with two guys we met at the entrance to the Postpile. They met online and were hiking the whole JMT. At the Red’s Meadow grill, they struggled to get a double cheeseburger down while I opted to fill my belly with some comfort food - a big chocolate shake. It’s old school - in a big metal shake cannister, and topped with whip cream and chocolate sauce. Come to Papa! It was worth every penny of it’s exorbitant cost!

JC points to the finish line at Red's Meadow Resort...

The resort store... backpacker prejudice???????

We hop back on the shuttle bus, and pay $7 this time, to make our way back to the Mammoth Mountain Inn. We are happy to find that the Kia has not been attacked by a bear or vandalized in any other way. We dump our stuff, grab our toiletries, and head back to the Mammoth Mountain Inn where we’ve been told we can pay for a shower. We’re directed through a maze of backdoors, parking garages, and service elevators (keeping us hidden from the true guests) to a bathroom with a single shower adjacent to the hot tubs and a small outdoor pool. JC and I get clean just before a long line forms.

Feeling refreshed, we go back to the funky coffee shop in Mammoth where JC gets a killer sandwich, but I hold off for a burger back at the Tuolumne Grill. We head back to Yosemite with a quick stop at the Mono Basin Visitor Center for gifts for my kids. The Kia climbs slowly through Tioga Pass and shortly enough we’re back in Yosemite and Tuolumne.

We pull up to the Tuolumne Grill to find it closed. Damn it! JC is making comments about his great sandwich as I gnosh on microwave mac and cheese and some chips and dip that JC gets as a snack. We drive up to backpackers campground with the car this time, unload our gear needed for the night, set up camp, and then go park the car in the Lembert’s Dome parking lot overnight. Walk back to the backpacker’s campground and enjoy a nice campfire program by one of the seasonal Rangers. The crowd shares impressions and what’s special about Yosemite. Good classic campfire experience!

We’re back in two tents again - the bro-mance is over!

Monday, August 15, 2011 Tuolumne Meadows to San Francisco

We get up, break camp, walk to get the Kia (no bear invasions), drive it back to the backpacker’s Camp and load up. We head to the wilderness permit office and donate our remaining Superfuel (half a can) to a very grateful park employee and score some extra Yosemite Wilderness stickers in the process. In the parking lot we meet a trio of NC belles and donate our two mosquito head nets to their cause. They are slightly red-eyed from an overnight drive and perhaps a little underprepared but stoked nonetheless.

We start the drive home with a leisurely stop at the White Wolf Lodge grill for an all-you-can-eat breakfast that erases most of the weight losses we may have managed on the trail.

White Wolf Lodge...

On the way back through Tuolumne, we are ever mindful of our speed as these signs remind us that...

Thankfully, this sign has not date scrawled across it. Putting a date on the sign means that a bear has been killed in a collision.

We stop at the store at Crane Flat for some Devil’s Postpile brew and a few more trinkets. I make a pitstop at a turnout outside Yosemite to collect a few massive sugar pine cones. We make another stop near Groveland so JC can pick up some tie dye for his Mom (we pass on the homemade elk jerky).

We stop for lunch in Oakdale (again JC gets the gourmet sandwich while opt for the dollar menu), and we make it back to San Francisco in the early afternoon. We touch base with my friends Tom and Leslie and make plans to meet for dinner in Chinatown. Next mission - get JC’s feet wet in the Pacific Ocean!

We get downtown, but get totally hosed on Market Street because we can’t make a left hand turn to head toward the ocean. Out attempts to drive through Golden Gate PArk are thwarted, but we do manage to catch a glimpse of Haight-Ashbury and skirt the northern edge of the park until we make it to Ocean Beach. JC gets his feet dipping box checked and we start heading south on Highway 1.

Pacific foot massage...

We make a quick stop at Fort Funston to see the cliffs and Pacific Ocean and are mesmerized by the hang gliding going on there. Beautiful!

The beautiful CA coast looking south from Fort Funston...

Looking north from Fort Funston...

JC enjoying the gliders...

We make our way back to the Millwood Inn in beautiful downtown Millbrae. Chaos ensues as we unpack everything and begin repacking for the flight home. We wash out fuel canisters, charge camera batteries and phones, repack flight essentials (Ipod, reading material, snacks, etc). We shower and put on our best (least stinky) old clothes and drive to the BART station to catch a train into SF to meet the Crabs in Chinatown. There is some “civil unrest” at one of the BART stations (protest about the jamming of cell phone signals so people couldn’t photograph alleged police brutality) so there are armed cops, dogs, and riot gear all over the place.

We make our way by foot to the China Gates and window shop as we go. We pick up a few more gifts and then meet up with Tom and Leslie. Greetings and hugs all around with loud banter we pick a restaurant - one that has dim sum for JC. We chose one at random and the food is excellent! We have a great time and Tome and Leslie give us a ride to the BART station. We make it back to the Millwood Inn and the repacking resumes. I stay up until 2 am doing work for Lynnhaven River Now until they kick me off the hotel computer. Bed!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011 Sand Francisco, CA to Norfolk, VA

We drive to Rent-A-Wreck, drop off the KIA (no harm no foul!), and get a ride from the RAW crew back to the BART station for a train ride to the airport. Catch the plane to Las Vegas, hang for a couple hours, and then make our way back to Norfolk. JC reads the Ecology of a Cracker Childhood book cover to cover while I knock off sections of Gods and Generals. We make it home after midnight. JC picks up a car dropped by his wife and my friend JD picks me up for the ride home.

Glad to me home, safe, and with another great adventure under my belt!

Charleston SC Fishing Report

2011-07-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

As David Jones put it: "Redfish 3, us 0"

David had his Beavertail skiff gased up and ready to go when I met him at 7 am at the park and ride on Rt. 64. We made quick work of the trip south - rolling into the Mt. Pleasant KOA at around 3 pm. We unhitched the trailer headed to the Charleston Angler to get our licenses, some tippet, and to get psyched up.

Wednesday, we made it to the Remley Point ramp at around 8 am and headed over to Drum Island to look for jacks while the tide rose. We saw lots of spanish, but we were rigged with big rods and poppers for the jacks. We found a rip and started working it. On one of the drifts, there was a big explosion and I put the white gurgler in the middle of the meele. In and instant, I hooked up and got bitten off by a jack. I tied on a new popper with a trace of wire tippet this time, but the jacks did not return so we stowed the big rods and headed up river. We did the drive by past the familiar flats west of the Rt. 41 bridge, blind casted at some creek mouths, and then circled back to up the Wando to a section of flooded marsh near Rathall Creek.

As I walked the shoreline, I saw a redfish porpoise and then wathced as he slid along the bank right under my nose to disappear. He never tailed and I waited, but he never reappeared. He probably saw me too. We kept checking the flats to see if the flood tides would get up in there, and we did find one section that got flooded from an interior feeder creek off Horlbeck Creek. I spotted a fish in there, but we spooked him and even though we could see him moving around, he never settled down to get a good shot at him before he too disappeared into the murky water.

Day one: One breakoff, two spotted reds, no tight lines. Not too bad for a shakedown day, and I was optimistic. We had a nice dinner on Bowen's Island watching the kayakers and dolphins play in the river.

Thursday, because the high tide wasn't until almost 2 pm, we decided to go to the Charleston Angler at 8 am and see about some intel. The weather report predicted wind blowing 15-20, but instead we found out the report in the morning was for 3-5 mph. Big difference overnight! We were told we missed the best early morning shallow tide in the Intercoastal area, that the tides Thursday would not flood the lower Wando flats, that the water was hot and the catching was cold all over, and other really positive news. But we did learn some things about local tides and predicting, and about some new spots to fish.

On this day, we decided to fish the Wando River Flats east of the Rt. 41 bridge. We were told the tide would be higher and the flats flooded there, but that the fish were hard to catch. Not too many other options... We launched again at Remley Point and worked our way up river as the tide rose. We got to the Wando River Flats and they were different than the lower river flats west of the 41 bridge. The marsh grass was tall and uniformly thick or tall with the water in channels and cuts in between the clumps of grass. No hard bottom or short grass here.

We poled through, but never saw any fish. We dropped back down river to see if we could find fish in the other flats and in the areas where we'd seen fish the previous day, but never saw a thing. Tough day, and we had to schlep all of our stuff up past North Charleston to another KOA because we couldn't keep our cabin at the Mt. Pleasant KOA.

Friday, we got up at 4:15 am to pack up our stuff and get to the Isle of Palms Marina ramp to hit the crack-of-dawn, skinny water reds that we heard frequent the shallow bays of the intercoastal. The skies were ominous, but they looked to be staying to our west so we motored towards Hamlin Sound. We were promised lots of hungry aggressive reds with no guides or clients to contend with (like in Grey's Bay). Sounded good.

We made our way up the creek and found huge oyster bars just as promised. We threw topwater flies along the shore as recommended but did not scare up any fish.

As low tide approached, we moved into the sound until we could take the motor no further and then we poled along the southern Mt. Pleasant shoreline in a series of little "bays" between oyster mounds. As promised, there were lots of reds and they were aggressively feeding. Problem is, we could not get them to eat! Shrimp were jumping out of the water all over and there were baitfish circling around. We threw crab flies, shrimp flies, spoon flies, baitfish patterns, everyting! Dem fish would not eat! A guide and his clients came by and said they had no luck getting a bite either. We continued to work the fish and watch in wonder and frustration.

Dark clouds approached and David made the smart call to begin heading for home. The rain started about halfway back and then we ran into an all out deluge - white out! Thankfully David used his GPS track to keep us headed in the right direction while I spotted approaching boats. We were drenched, but made it in safely thanks to David's heroic captaining!

At the ramp, as other skippers made their way in, we heard that the bite was off and that we should've been there yesterday - It was off the hook! (naturally). We were also told by one of the locals, that the magic fly for that area is a purple and black "peanut butter" fly - the reds can't resist them.

We were drenched and figured we'd call it a day and get an early start home. We learned a lot about the tides, the Wando, learned about some new spots on the Intercoastal, and a new way to find and catch reds.

We'll be back, and next time with a fist full of peanutbutters!

Family Camping at Kiptopeakse State Park on VA's Eastern Shore, June 2011

2011-06-22T03:39:00.001-07:00

Once again, we made the trip to Kipopeake State PArk to camp on VA's Eastern Shore. This year we were joined by the Wolfes, Heysels, Dempseys, and Hanssons.

Trip to NY's Catskill Mountains with the Bill Wills Chapter of Trout Unlimited May 2011

2011-06-22T03:17:00.000-07:00

This is our annual trout fishing trip to the fabled waters of the Beaverkill, Willowmeamoc, and Delaware Rivers and the smaller tributaries around White Lake, Roscoe, and Hancock. Rumor had it that this muight be Bill Will's last trip with the Virginia Beach TU crew so many people made a special effort to participate this year.

Joe Lovas and I left Virginia Beach at 5 am and drove to New York on Wednesday, May 31, 2011, and got into Roscoe at around 3:30 pm. Joe got his license at the Little Store, we bought some flies at Catskill Flies, and cahtted up the owner for some intel. We got an early dinner, and then Joe took me to a spot on the Eastern Branch of the Delaware where a friend of a friend owned some property on a nice run. The water was high and slow so the fishing was tough, but I managed to coax two brown trout to the net before a quick release. We drove to Bill's place in White Lake in the country's pitch black, keeping an eye out for deer and bears. We made it to Kevin's Ice Cream Cone probably 10 minutes before closing time for a celebratory chocolate=dipped softie. We made a quick stop at the lodge to see who was up and brag a little about the evening's catch. Made the short hop down the road to Bill's place and he was waiting up for these two vagabonds. We had a short visit before hitting the hay.

Thursday morning we lounged around the cabin, starred at the lake's beauty, and watched the hummingbirds feed. Frank Nugent, Bill's constant companion, made a great breakfast while we gabbed and caught up. We made plans to go to Walmart to get some supplies and materials (epoxy, freshwater popper hooks, and a paint brush) so that Bill could learn me how to make his classic White Lake "Jug Bugs".

After lunch, Joe and I headed

Fly Fishing the Lower Florida Keys 2011 (Double click on the images for an enlarged view)

2011-05-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

The family was on spring break in Key West at the end of April 2011 and I was all geared up to do some flats fishing. Unfortunately, the wind was not about to cooperate. It blew east or SE 15-25 the whole week we were there and it was dificult to find any lee at all (at least by wading).

I ended up trying to fish 2 different days.

The first day, I checked out some spots on the Atlantic side of Sugerloaf Key that looked good on google earth images and were mentioned in Stu Apte's Key's fishing book as good spots to find fish.

The access to southern Sugarloaf flats is tricky and because of parking restrictions will involve a fair bit of walking to get to the flat. Zen Park is closed, but there is room to park adjacent to the street. This spot shows potential.

Looking for the way to the secret spot on Sugerloaf Key

Sometimes you need to bushwhack through the mangrove to get to the flat

Next I went to the end of Little Torch Key to fish the flats NE of the point at the end of the road. I had to bushwhack some to get to the flat, but nothing horrendous. The flat was nice, but as soon as you got 100 from the mangrove shore, the water got bumpy and it was difficult to see. I did see jumping fish and a moving mud, but it turned out that this was a school of grunts not bones. I picked a few grunts out of the pack.

I finally thought I had a bone when I hooked up and my reel started to sing. Alas, it was a bonnethead shark. I pulled him into the shallows, a place he did not want to go, and got the hook out with my Leatherman pliers. He was released and revived none the worse for the wear.

The reward - small grunts feeding in the muds

And a small bonnethead shark...

The second day, I was advised to check out a flat on No Name Key - over the bridge, past, the No Name bar. I was a little unsure about parking since you're in the Key Deer wildlife area. The map I had showed roads throughut the refuge (probably from when the area was slated for development). The "roads" are still there, but totally overgrown, pitted, and you cannot drive on them through the refuge. You can walk on them however, and I spent a good hour hoofing it over a mile or two to reach the flat on the southwest corner of the key.

The beginning of the trail at Key Deer refuge on No Name Key

Makin' my way...

Nearing the coast...

Step through the portal...

It was a pretty flat, but again the wind was not my friend, and you really couldn't see to cast. I blind casted to patchy sand/grass areas that I hoped would be ambush spots. After hours of casting and moving, I did hook one small fish, but performed the long line release.

Too much chop for me. I couldn't see anything at distance and just blind casted the whole time....

So there you have it. Both days of fishing were a bust. Nice flats, but I think I need to go to the Keys in August and suffer the heat for a chance at some calm days with less wind, warmer waters, and more abundant fishing opportunity.

It's no wonder people flock to Mallory Square for these daily sunsets.

McFee Knob and Tinker Cliffs Hike April 29- May 1, 2011 (Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

2011-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to hike the John Muir Trail later this summer and wanted to do a shakedown weekender to make sure the gear was working well and ID any necessary repairs or other needs.

My friend Chis recommended an overnight hike up to McAfee Knob and said we wouldn't regret it. We were joined by our friend Harry (who had backpacked with me in the Smokies last October) and Noel (a friend of Chris' and an avid AT section backpacker).

Friday, April 29, 2011

We left after work on Friday and drove past Roanoke to the Dragon's Tooth trailhead parking lot on Rt. 311. We got in around 11 pm and pitched the tent in a grassy spot off the stone parking area. Chris thought this would be a good place to camp since there's a good bathroom available at the trailhead.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

We got up the next morning, swung by a mini mart for some not-so-good coffee and sweets, and made it to the parking lot where Rt. 311 crosses the AT.

This was going to be the end of our hike, and it is also where we had out shuttle driver ( Homer Witcher: 540-266-4849) pick us up to take us to the starting trailhead - Andy Layne Trail. Homer charged the four of us $20 for the shuttle - a good deal! We got to the Andy Lane Trail about8:45 am and started our climb to the first destination - the Tinker Cliffs.

The hike started out easy with some fence and stream crossings before the trail started to climb.

It was steady going up, but not that difficult it seemed. We took breaks where we needed them and we were in no particular hurry so we just made our own pace.

It was a beautiful day and perfect weather for hiking. You could tell as we approached the Tinker Cliffs, because these huge rock formations began to jut out of the ground.

The rock formations at Tinker Cliffs were spectacular as was the view!

At Tinker Cliffs we met a group of college students from Michigan who said they were taking their outdoor course final with a backpacking trip on the AT. Man, I wish they had those courses back when I was a student!. As we hiked away from the cliffs, we continued to enjoy the views, the flowers, and the rock formations jutting from the ground.

We were headed to the Campbell Shelter and had some more climbing to do.

More pretty flowers and rocks...

We made it to the Campbell Shelter by about 3 pm. and got the tents and hammock up, and we pumped water for the evening meal and to have a relaxing beverage. Harry always comes through with some specialty instants that he hocks during his international flights.

We lounged around, some more than others, as we greeted other hikers, and waited for our evening assault of McAfee Knob for the sunset views. Here's a picture of a Nixon at rest.

Without packs, we bounded up the trail for about 3/4 of a mile to McAfee Knob. No wonder this is such a popular spot. The views are spectacular! If you click on the picture of Noel (below) it will enlarge, and you can see the Tinker Cliffs on the peak at the end of the ridge over his right shoulder.

Here's a picture of Harry on the Knob

Momma don't like this picture...

Even messing with the camera settings, I had a hard time capturing the sunset. Even as the sun went down, the sky was still bright and I just couldn't capture the scene with my electrons. Hope my memory will serve me well.

Back at camp, we listened to some thru-hiker stories as we sat around the campfire. Sleep came easily.

Sunday May 1, 2011

We got up, made breakfast, and pumped water. We gave our extra food to the thru-hikers. I tried to offer a packet of instant hot cider, but one of the thru-hikers flipped the packet over and complained about the low caloric content and mumbled something about making it would be a waste of fuel. Apparently we messed around too much, because we were the last to leave Campbell Shelter.

We hiked up to McAffee Knob, with packs this time. The view was still great, but what it showed us was a rapidly approaching front - the rain was coming earlier than we planned.

We hoofed it down the trail to the parking lot where Rt. 311 crossed the AT. The rain was only intermittent and after about 1.5 miles we shed the rain gear. The trail was good and the hiking mostly easy with some ups, but not too bad.

Even with the rain in the forecast there were lots of day hikers headed for the Knob from the Rt 311 parking lot. We continued on and made it to the car without incident. Still raining on and off, we made it to Rt. 81 and pulled off for some post hiking grub. By the time we made it back to Virginia Beach, the sun was shining - another beautiful day to be alive!

Business trip to Washington DC

2010-12-22T17:23:00.001-08:00

Took a business trip to Washington DC the other day and got to work in some of the sights - Smithsonian Natural History Musuem, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the national Christmas Tree. Enjoy the photos!

The entrance to the Museum of Natural History is guarded!

Imagine this coming for you in the dark!

Looking a tarpon in the bony mouth!

The many faces of the Washington Monument...

Surrounded by the ring of freedom!

From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking down the Mall...

Zoomed out!

Impressive, all dressed in white.

The National Christmas Tree

The people's house...

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Backpacking Trip - October 2010

2010-11-02T19:02:00.001-07:00

Our friend Corky from Australia had been living with his family and working in the US for 3 years and was about to return home. But before he left, he wanted to see a bear in the wild. Taking him to the Great Smoky Mountains seemed to be a good bet for the sighting, so we picked a time when the leaves should be colorful (mid October), got the necessary backcountry permit reservations, and waited with anticipation! Our friend Harry would join us to make his first foray into the backpacking arena. Of course, we kept him in the dark as long as possible :)

Friday, October 15, 2010. Virginia Beach, VA to Hickory, NC

We left VA Beach at around 4:30 made it past Emporia and then grabbed Rt. 85 south. Missed the turn at Winston-Salem so had to jog north to get back on track. Stayed in Hickory, NC at a Best Western and, thanks to Corky, got a good government rate.

Saturday, October 16, 2010. Hickory, NC to Smokemont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Woke up at around 6:30, showered, and took full advantage of the free breakfast. Corky chatted up a women’s volleyball team heading to a tournament as Harry got the last opportunity for a late sleep.

Hit the road and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Jonas Gap to take advantage of the beautiful views of the mountains and maybe see a bear. Beautiful drive. Saw signs for Mt. Mitchell State Park and, since we had the time, pulled in to investigate. Parked and walked the last 100 meters to the summit of the highest peak east of the Mississippi (at 6684 ft.). Now that wasn’t so hard was it?
Harry on top of Mt. Mitchell

View from Mt. Mitchell

Had lunch at the park lodge and then continued on the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Great Smoky Mountains. We arrived at the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center, filled out, and deposited our backcountry permit.

I convinced Harry and Corky to drive through Cherokee on to Sylva so that I could get my fishing permit. Lots of little towns with living mainstreets. Nice to see. Got the permit and a few small flies and winded our way back to the Smokemont campground.

Moonrise over the Smokies

We set up Harry’s tent in no time and then went back to Cherokee to Pauls for dinner. I opted to stay away from any camp food groups and had a fried fish sandwich and fries (that would be burned off in the trail miles to follow). Food was mediocre at best. Headed back to Smokemont in the dark and sleep came quickly.

Sunday, October 17, 2010. Smokemont Campground to Kephart Prong Trailhead to Sweat Heifer Trail to the Appalachian Trail to Icewater Spring Shelter.

Woke up as late as possible because it was freaking COLD! OMG we were freezin’ I ran to the bathroom and its heater was anemic! Got back to the tent and immediately searched out my gloves, wool hat and extra layers. Got water and commenced to boil and made everyone’s coffee. Corky and Harry got up and rushed off to the WC while I prepared breakfast. Pack-it Gourmet’s Bangers and Mash. The breakfast was fine, but I find their preparation too laborious and the smell of their sauces take weeks to leach out of my bowls. One still smells like Ya Ya Gumbo from last summer! I’m done with Pack-it Gourmet. We rushed to get the tent down and threw it in the back of the van. Cleaned up our backpack content “yardsales” making sure not to leave anything behind. It was so cold I packed an extra long sleeve shirt and long underwear (Note to self - both turned out to be unnecessary). Our AT shuttle driver arrived and we parked our car in one of the open spaces in the Smokemont campground since we were told that cars left for days at the trailhead on Rt. 441 were obvious and semi-routine targets for theft.

We rode the 3 miles to the Kephart Prong trailhead and took the traditional “before” hike snapshot.

We’re off! The trail was easy and we had fun crossing the Oconaluftee River on a series of foot bridges.

The beautiful Oconaluftee River watershed...

First stop at mile- 2 was the Kephart Prong shelter.

Just beyond the shelter we found the Sweat Heifer trail and up we climbed.

We took breaks along the climb and stopped for lunch at a beautiful cascade.

After lunch we continued to climb, break, climb, break, and so on. Saw a turkey on the trail. We made it to the junction with the AT at 3 pm – just steps from a beautiful overlook. We stopped at the junction and snacked and changed socks.

Only a little more up in the mile it took to get to the Icewater Shelter.

Icewater Spring Shelter

View from Icewater Spring Shelter

We were first to arrive at 3:45 and quickly claimed our sleeping spots on the top bunk. Others filtered in as we were pumping water. We made our Mountain House dinners at around 6 pm amid more arrivals. We checked the maps and chatted with our shelter-mates. Met a guy that designed the Arnold Palmer golf course in VA Beach. A group of six 20-somethings arrived and debated whether to stay (and sleep on the ground) or go (and hike about 5 hard miles up to the LaConte Shelter) since they didn’t have reservations at Icewater Spring. They went back and forth and finally decided to stay to the consternation of at least one or two. They settled down, made dinner and waited to see if they’d get a spot inside for the night. We all made room and I think the 14-person shelter slept 18 or 20 that night. One of the youngsters was an animator for Dreamworks who worked on How to Train Your Dragon. He had a killer camera and was showing us how to do some really cool time lapsed photography. One of the other youngsters had just come from Alaska and was on her way to be a ranger in Yosemite in the winter. Seemed like she had the perfect demeanor for the work. Nice girl.

We also saw this big fat grouse hop up in a tree and then work his way to the outer branches to feast on the tree’s berries. Cool!

The Icewwater Spring Shelter is a great place for the sunset/sunrise cause there are great views of the mountains and valley below with some nice trees to frame the view.

Icewater Spring Shelter: Sunset over the Great Smoky Mountains!

Wish you were here?

We enjoyed the show and the company. I was ready for bed after sunset, but Corky and Harry made me stay up until 9 pm before going to bed. I barely made it.

Monday, October 18, 2010. Icewater Springs To Peck’s Corner Shelter

As good as the sunset was, the sunrise was even better. Great color and cool cloud patterns.

Sunrise at the Icewater Spring Shelter

Ole reliable oatmeal for breakfast. Corky wasn’t eating because he was too busy chatting everyone up. That’s how he got his trail name... If not last, we were next to last to leave the shlter, but right before we left, we met a young couple with an Australian Blue Heeler pup. Corky melted. Picture-taking ensued. Then we met a couple from AL. More chatting. We finally got underway by 10:45 am. Tom, J.C., Will, help me please!

We headed for Peck’s Corner Shelter will lots of up and down planned for throughout the day.

On our way to the Peck's Corner Shelter from Icewater Springs Shelter

About 2 miles down the trail we made it to Charlie’s Bunion. Everyone we talked to and everything I read said it was a must see. They were all right! Nice picture spot. There was a kid there who was just climbing down from the pinnacle and we were told he just lost his jacket. It and his daypack were tumbling off the cliff and he almost fell to his death lunging for his stuff and could only retrieve the pack. No way he could recover the jacket by hiking down. Bye bye…. We carefully took our pictures and left all our gear in safety against the trail and cliff wall.

Charlie's Bunion - people fall off and die every year!

Corky on the tip of the Bunion
Bunion on the left; Smokies as far as the eye can see...

Vegetable and mineral at the Bunion

Back on the trail, we made our way to the Dry Sluice Gap junction (the alternate trial up from the Kephart Prong Shelter). Sign says 6.2 miles to Peck’s Corner. We past one set of south-bound thru hikers who had left Maine in June. We stopped for lunch and then worked through lots more up and down before we made it to the Hughes Ridge Trail that led to the Pecks Corner Shelter.

Work on the trail

It was 0.4 miles downhill to the shelter (which meant 0.4 miles uphill for the start of tomorrow’s hike – crap) and on the way down we ran into some Park employees doing trail maintenance. Building runoff diversions – hard, muddy work! Said we appreciated their work, saluted, and kept on.

Made it to the shelter. My little MSR 11 oz white gas fuel bottle was making more meals than planned so we boiled water for an après-dinner coffee treat. Busted out the maps and discussed a shortcut that would shave a day off the hike and lead us directly back into the Smokemont campground. Harry rejected! He’s a trooper!

Peck's Corner Shelter
Privy with a view

Trail book says TriCorner Knob Shelter is remote and smack dab in the middle of the Smokies. Who can resist “remote”? Yeah, we want to be deep in the Smokies and be as far away from roads as possible – only a piddling 7 miles at that point, but as far away as we could be. We want remote!

Pumping Water; typical water source on our trip

Corky and Harry pump water and I hike down the ravine in search of trout. The guide book says a tributary of the Enloe stream flows from behind the shelter. At the water source, the “stream” is a trickle. I hike along the drainage to see if it opens up into anything bigger.

Woods in the stream drainage

After about a half a mile of picking my way downstream, and keeping an eye peeled for bears, the trickle intersects with a bigger water course. At least I can hear it! It’s getting dark, so I tie my red bandana on a tree stretching across the stream at the intersection so I know how to get back up the right ravine if I’m coming back near dusk.

The trickle begins to "widen"

After about another ½ mile downstream, I find a promising mini waterfall and plunge pool. Only about 8” deep, but broad enough I think and highly oxygenated.

"da pool!"

Not a cast so much as a dangle and a fish rises to the offering. Not sure what it is, but it’s small. I place the #16 Henryville Special (one of my all-time favorite flies) at the base of the fall and the trout takes it with gusto. The gods favor me with a beautiful 6” GSM brookie. I’m in heaven!

"GSM gift!"

That’s all I need to make my day complete! The brookie is quickly returned to his little wet world unharmed and I pick my way upstream as the light fades and my bear radar is on high. Water, fish food, a mile away from the shelter, this is where I’d be if I were a bear! Found my bandana without incident and made it the rest of the way back to the shelter before full dark. Noodles for dinner. We hang the packs up in the dark, and again stay up until 9 pm before being allowed to sleep.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010. Peck’s Corner to Tricorner Knob to Laurel Gap Shelter.

It was a beautiful sunny morning at Peck’s. We found out that two other guys in the shelter were also heading to Tricorner Knob. One left before us, the other after. It was a short hike of about 5.3 miles to TK, but with three climbs over Eagle Rock, Mt. Sequoyah and Mt. Chapman (the fourth highest peak in the GSM). We made good time up to Eagle Rock where we took a break for water and some snaps.

Eagle Rock
Elevation marker at Eagle Rock

Next up, Mt. Siqouyah, but we rolled over that peak. Day-3 climbing was still hard, but rest-recovery was much quicker.

On our way to Mt. Chapman in the more "remote" sections of the Great Smoky Mountains

Hiking up Mt. Chapman was tougher. On the slopes, we caught up with the guy who left before us and we leap-frogged at rest points. We ate lunch at the top of Mt. Chapman and made quick work of the downhill to the TK shelter. Arrived at 1 pm after about 2.5 hours of hiking.
We're here!
Tricorner Knob Shelter
TK water source

It was a very nice shelter – one of the nicest on our trip. Since we arrived so early, as we took off the packs and surveyed the area, Corky hatched a plan to continue on for the next 6 flat miles to get to the Laurel Gap Shelter. There was a high probability that it would rain the next day and he reasoned that it would be better to hike the 5 miles when it was sunny and nice and we had our legs than to risk having to hustle to knock out 10+ miles on the last day and in the rain. Sounded good to me. Although we acted all democratic as we put the idea up to a vote, I think we strong-armed Harry a little. He worried about not having a reservation at Laurel Gap (reasonable), but we poo-pooed this mid week risk and he unenthusiastically relented.

Good bye TK. Packs back on, and surprisingly the trail headed up! I felt Harry’s mind darts piercing my back as we climbed. Thankfully, the climb or the mental blood-letting didn’t last long. The Balsam Mountain Trail dropped about 500 vertical feet over 6 miles on the way to the Laurel Gap Shelter.

Dead logs provideing nourishment for the next generation...
White rock outcroppings (quartz?)were surprising and magical
The guidebook mentioned wild pig wallows along this section of the trail - here's one.

Balsam Mountain Trail views...

The hiking was easy and we made it to Laurel Gap by 5 pm to find the shelter fenced in to keep the bears out – PROMISING FOR CORKY! Harry scouted for the loo while Corky and I hiked downhill to the water source. Harry had no luck finding the latreen and broadcast a $10 challenge to anyone who could find it. Corky took up the challenge and I started to boil water for dinner.
Laurel Gap Shelter with bear fence

Typical bear bag cable system we found on the AT in the GSM

Harry also produced some German hot chocolate packets for cocktails before the coos coos. Dinner was grand and we had a nice fire and conversation interrupted only briefly by the hoot of owls and calls of coyotes. The boys chained the entrance to the shelter and tested the bell on the chain so we could hear the bells if they messed with it. Nevertheless, Harry slept with the “persuader” close and ready for action. Rain penetrated my subconscious as I floated in and out of sleep.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010. Laurel Gap Shelter to Round Bottom Horse Camp

We woke up to on and off rain and found that no bear had messed with the lip balm and gum that was left out overnight. Got the stove going boiling water and took Harry’s 10 buck challenge to find the “shitter” (Corky’s term). Hiked ~ ½ mile up two different trails but to no avail. Surmized that “toilet area” on the sign meant “dump in the woods”. At least this way Harry would get the full backpacking experience all in one trip – rain (check), dump in the woods (check). Did my business and came back to cold oatmeal, but at least had a double cappacino packet thanks to Harry’s travels abroad.

Got the raingear and pack covers on and hit the trail.

Unwelcome ups to start off but we were headed downward soon enough. We continued down Balsalm Mountain Trail towards Straight Fork Road(trail's end)and peeled off layers as we built up steam and the sun began to peek out of the clouds. We made it to the Beech Gap Trail junction in no time - only about 2.3 miles to go.

The trees in the woods surrounding the trail were colorful and beautiful.
Even in the rain, the woods were beautiful!

Continuing down, we ran into a horseback party heading up the trail. It was amazing how sure-footed those animals and how confident their riders were! As they passed and stopped for a break, we lusted for the cold beers they produced out of the saddlebags. Somehow we felt more deserving….

The last mile at the bottom of the trail was very rocky and wet, but the thought of a pizza dinner with beer purred us on. We made it to the end of the trail where it intersected with the Straight Fork Road (dirt road)and hike the approximate ¾ of a mile to the Round Bottom horse camp. We tried to call our shuttle driver, but there was no cell service so we relaxed, pumped water, Harry made us some green tea, and we had lunch.

We made it!

Last of the backpack lunch!

We helped one of the camp’s horses that had gotten tangled up in a blanket strap as we waited for our ride.

After a couple more unsuccessful tries at getting cell service, I decided to take advantage of the Raven Fork stream across the street to see if I could coax a fish out of it. Caught a nice little rainbow trout right off the bat on a #16 Henryville Special, and then missed a succession of his faster cousins upstream on Adams and Caddis patterns. It seemed like you got one shot and if you missed you had to change flies. It was a fun diversion.

Raven Fork Rainbow

We started to worry, but Bill arrived a little late at 4:15 and gave us our ~ 45 minute $ ______ ride back to Smokemont. We threw our stuff in the van and beat feet to the visitor’s center at Oconaluftee to pick up a few things for our families. In the fading light, we got a picture of the GSM sign and got on the Blue Ridge Parkway to give Corky one last shot at seeing a bear. No luck and a disgruntled Corky complained that bears are uncooperative and not his favorite animal any more. Humpf! Unfortunately, this is the only bear Corky saw the whole trip!

Stopped at the Big Witch OVerlook for one more picture of the Pisgah National Forest.

Got off the BRP at Sago Gap and flew to Ashville for pizza and Brooklyn browns at Vinnie’s (reasonably priced and highly recommended!). Got totally stuffed and then drove an hour more back to the Best Western in Hickory NC. Had a wonderful shower and then watched the San Francisco Giants beat Philly (Fear the Beard!) and then went to bed.

Thursday, October 21, 2010. Hickory, NC to Virginia Beach, VA

Got up and indulgently showered again! Harry insisted that Corky could not go back to OZ without a Waffle House experience. Luckily, there was one across the street. There were three of us so we could legally sit in a booth. We stuffed ourselves again – erasing any weight loss benefit the backpacking might have provided. C’est la vie! The miles peeled away. We stopped at Emporia for a late lunch – more sensibly at Subway this time - and then made our way home.

Awesome trip. Looking forward to exploring more of the Great Smoky Mountains!

Family trip to Yosemite

2010-07-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

After having such a wonderful experience in Yelloswtone last summer, Dana in particular was interested in going to Yosemite, so we decide to make it happen.

Sunday: June 20, 2010
Virginia Beach, VA to San Francisco, CA

Our flight to Sand Francisco left at 5:45 am; Kathi and the girls on Delta and me on USAIr to take advantage of a free fare. We arrive in Ca at around 11:45 am. Our friends Tom and Leslie pick us up at the airport in a BIG Chevy Suburban and we drive to Treasure Island to drop off suitcases full of camping gear so we don’t have to take them to the hotel.

We walk to the lighthouse on TI and smell the eucalyptus and marvel at all the beautiful and varied plants - nasturtiums, succulents, and more. The lighthouse is very cool. The Admiral’s quarters are beautiful and we love seeing the seals on the beach below the lighthouse. They seem interested in us and leave the beach to swim in the waters below us. They are looking up at us - waiting for treats to be showered from above????

The Admiral's House on Treasure Island

The Treasure Island Lighthouse

The seals below

We drive to the Presidio and the Disney Family Museum. Walt Disney is an amazing man! What a life! What vision! I was particularly struck by all the cartoons from other artists lamenting Walt’s death. It makes you want to cry!

We drive around the Presidio with Tom and Leslie an visit their old stomping grounds. We see their old house and walk down to the battery for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and lots of photos.

The Golden Gate Bridge

We drive down to Fisherman’s Wharf for a traditional bread bowl of corn and crab chowder chased with a Sierra Nevada beer.

Fisherman's Wharf

We check into the hotel and go to bed.

Monday: June 21, 2010
San Francisco

Leslie joins us and we scarf down the breakfast buffet at the hotel. Tom is already at work. Leslie, Reilly, Andrew, and out clan head to Trolley Station and buy passes for $13.00 for the day. We take the trolley to wander around Fisherman’s Wharf passing the famous steep and windy Lombard Street on the way.

We meet up with Tom for lunch in Chinatown (fantastic) and roam the streets taking in all the food and trinket markets.

We visit the Chinatown Gate for pictures.

We take the trolley as far as we can and then walk the rest of the way up to Coit Tower. We take the ride to the top and get fabulous views of San Francisco, San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland, Alcatraz and Marin County beyond.

Coit Tower

We head back down to see the seals at Pier 39 and do some window shopping.

We had dinner at a diner-style restaurant to save some money. The restaurants in SF are expensive!!!!!

Reilly comes back with us to the hotel for a sleepover.

Kathi and I sneak out with Tom and Leslie for a drink at a bar near the hotel for some good conversation, but it doesn’t take too much time for the sandman to come-a callin’

Tuesday: June 22, 2010
San Francisco to Yosemite

We checked out of the Marine Memorial hotel in SF and Tom and Leslie drove us to Rent-A-Wreck to pick up our rental van for the trip to Yosemite. The van looked like new and was an excellent value. I would recommend Rent-A-Wreck in San Francisco to everyone!

We drove Leslie and the kids to Treasure Island and picked up the stored camping gear we left there. We dropped Leslie and the kids off and headed for Yosemite via Rt. 120 East. Stopped along the way to get Kathi and Hailey some cherries and blueberries at one of the many farm stands along the road.

We got to the Yosemite North entrance, took a spin around Hodgdon Meadow campground and then drove through Foresta, past Crane Flat, and into the Valley - lots of windy roads with no guardrail. We saw a bear cub in the meadow near the Tuolumne turn off.

The Woods at Crane Flat

Cub in the Meadow

Driving into Yosemite Valley

Once in Yosemite Valley,we WOW-ed at El Capitan, Half Dome, the waterfalls and all the abundant peaks, meadows, and streams. More evidence of God int he world!

Bridalveil Falls

Sentinel Rock

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls

We got to our Upper Pines campsite and were disappointed by how cramped, crowded, and noisy it was! Hailey and I set up camp while Mom and Dana cooked burgers to have with chips. After dinner, Dad washed dishes in camp as instructed (which did not seem bear-smart) and we all went to bed.

Wednesday: June 23, 2010
Yosemite Valley - Upper Pines

We had a nice breakfast of pancakes and fresh blueberries from the farmstand, sausage, juice, but no coffee :(

No Fly - The View From Inside the Tent...

But disappointed by the crowds, noise, and cramped campsites!

Since we only had a reservation in the Valley for one night, we packed up camp (yuck), put everything back in suitcases again and drove to the Curry Village parking lot so we could catch the free shuttle bus that carries tourists to points around the valley.

We took the shuttle to Happy Isles to hike the recommended Mist Trail to the Vernal Falls Bridge. Practically from the get go, Dana had a meltdown. It was like coaxing a burro up that trial. In fairness, it was a lot stepper than I remember any of the guidebooks indicating, but perhaps pointing out the 4-year-olds who were skipping up the trail wasn’t helping with motivation. We all made it to the bridge and then Dana was all smiles - taking pictures and flitting about. I continued on to see Nevada Falls marveling at the carved stone steps. I had read the guidebook and had a raincoat so the many splash zones along the way did not dampen my spirit as I climbed. Others were not so lucky and got soaked along the way!

The view from the Vernal Falls Bridge

My destination: Vernal Falls

Vernal Falls

You Gotta Climb These Steps to Get to the Top of the Falls!

Soaking Spray at the Bottom of the Falls Makes Double Rainbows!

At the cusp of Nevada Falls, Emerald Pool and the cascade above were beautiful! I hoofed it down as quick as I could to meet Kathi and the girls for lunch at 3 pm.

You Gotta Climb These Steps to Make it To the Top of the Falls!

Cascade into Emerald Pool - Just Upstream of Vernal Falls

We took the shuttle bus back into the Valley and found a store where we could buy coffee! We visited the Ansel Adams gallery and I oogled a print of El Cap in Spring.

We did a short hike to Lower Yosemite Falls bridge. The falls are GUSHING! As we exited the valley on the way to our new Hodgdon Meadow campsite, we stopped often to snap pictures of the rock formations and meadows and streams.

Drove to Hodgdon Meadows and set up camp on a hill. Hailey is a great tent-setter-upper. Mom makes pasta with meat sauce AND garlic bread on toasted hamburger buns. That woman can adapt!

We hit the hay hard!

Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hodgdon Meadows

Slept past 7 am! Happy to be settled and glad to be out of the Valley! Our campsite is on a hill, but the campgrounds is less cramped and more scenic. The Rangers at check-in (seniors) were very nice!

Hodgdon Meadows Campsite

Mom made french toast and BACON and Dad made COFFEE! We had a late breakfast. Poor Hailey is not feeling well :(

We drove back into the Valley and Curry Village for a $5.00 shower. It’s nice and exhilarating to be clean! We take care of some business - getting stamps, canceling my wilderness permit, and learn that Donahue Pass is snowed in and that there are some lost hikers up there. The Rangers were debating whether to send up a helicopter rescue.

Half Dome - Ansel Adams Style!

I made a reservation for an “Ansel Adams” photo walk at the gallery and then we got to take a tour of the Awahnee - Eh. We were not impressed. It was not so nice, stuffy, not inviting. Seems like just a place to brag about that you stayed there. Didn’t earn its reputation in my book.

Saw Bridalveil Falls and Tunnel View - Awesome!

Yosemite Valley

Bridalveil Falls

Tunnel View

Got lost on the way to Glacier Point and drove a long way on a rocky road under repair before we got to the Wawona campground and turned around.

On the way to Glacier Point we stopped at the Washburn Point turnout - definitely worth the stop.

Washburn Point Turnout

We finally made it to Glacier Point. Incredible! We didn’t do any hikes around Glacier Point because it was late and Hailey was not feeling well. It was a long drive back to the Valley and then home to Hodgdon Meadow.

Glacier Point

Got some cool pictures as the sun was setting. Kathi getting tired of cooking in the dark (but there’s so much to do I protested). She made Rice-A-Ron i (the San Francisco Treat!) in the dark and, even though it is one of her favorite foods, Hailey only had one spoonful she was so sick :(,

Cleaned the dishes and went to bed, hoping for a better day for Hailey.

Friday, June 25, 2010
Hodgdon Meadow - Tuolumne Meadows

Kathi made an early breakfast while the girls slept. After breakfast, Kathi went to do laundry at a campgrounds in Yosemite Falls (outside the park).

After the chores are done, we gas up at Crane Flat and head to the Tuolumne Meadows via the Tioga Road. Hailey spots a bear cub in the first meadow so we stop to get a better look. After our experience in Yellowstone, I’m surprised to see cubs without their mothers around so I constantly scan the perimeter for signs of danger. Dana, of course, is oblivious and inches closer and closer for a good picture.

Another Black Bear Cub Going Solo

We stop at Olmstead Point for Awesome Views and take lots of pictures at almost every turnout along the road - Tenaya Lake, Cathedral Peak, Tuolumne Meadows, Lembert Dome.

Water From All the Snow Melt Rushing Down the Mountain On the Way To Olmstead Point

Olmstead Point

Tenaya Lake

Tuolumne Meadows - Late June

Snow Still in the Meadow

We take a picture of Dana with Mount Dana in the background and Hailey asks where Mt/ Hailey is and when she will get her turn. Alas, there is no Mt. Hailey that we know of :(

Dana Standing in Front of Her Namesake

Sierra Nevada - See You Again Soon!

We keep driving to the Park boundary and do a short distance beyond before turning around and starting the long drive home. We stop at the Tuolumne Post Office and store which was surprisingly well equipped. We get ice creams all around to carry us over until another late dinner.

Small Lake Reflections...

Kathi whips up some fantastic chicken quesadellas (cooked in daylight!) and we enjoy a quiet evening before bed.

Saturday, June 26, 2010
Hodgdon Meadows - Hetch Hetchy

Wanting to see every part of the Park, we took a day to see Hetch Hetchy. Drove to HH along a steep, curvy road. Kathi did not look outside, but focused her gaze on the pages of her book instead.

Entering Camp Mather

I do hate the HH dam and what it did to the HH Valley and the insult to John Muir, but the spillway is impressive. I’ve convinced the girls to hike the trail first to Teeulala Falls and then Wapama Falls.

Driving to the Hetch Hetchy Valley

The Damn Dam!

Free The Rivers!

The Spillway

The Lake Behind the Damn Dam

Check out these pictures of what the Hetch Hetchy Valley used to look like before the dam. The same volcanic and glacial forces that made Yosemite Valley filled HH Valley with waterfalls, domes, and impressive rock features and the Tuolumne River flows through beautiful meadows.

Before and After the Dam

Teeulala Falls has nearly dried up, but with the trickle that remains, it supplies enough water for flowers to bloom everywhere in its wake. A Ranger tells us that the flowers along the trail are at their peak and anywhere there’s shade or water, flowers abound.

Teeulala Falls on the Left

Aside from the falls, the trail is rocky, pretty exposed, and hot so we take many breaks along the way. It’s cool to look at the geology and compare it to Yosemite Valley. Here to are steep pinnacles and massive impressive domes. No wonder, the same processes that shaped Yosemite Valley also shaped Hetch Hetchy.

The Rocky Trail to Wapama Falls

The Locally Famous Manzanilla Bush

Dana, of course, nearly steps on gopher snake crossing the trail and is totally freaked out. Even after being told by a knowledgeable hiker that it was harmless, it took effort to coax her on.

With the huge melting snowpack (and the majority of snow the Ranger told us came late in May) Wapama Falls is raging! We get soaked in its spray, but don’t mind so much because it is hot! We haul up on a big flat rock for a snack and to let the sun dry us off.

Wapama Falls

Drying Off via Sun Bake

The hike back to the car goes a little faster. We chatted up some SCA workers that were taking a trail survey. The Ranger tells us the lake formed by the O’Shaughnessy Dam is 300 feet deep. I ask him about plans to remove the dam. He is “PC” and talks about the lake’s beauty and development that might’ve happened if there was no dam (like in Yosemite Valley), Sounds like a BS excuse for a lack of will to me!

We spy some cool looking lizards on the trail on the way back, but after Dana's gopher snake scare, she wants noting to do with them. Still, they were cool looking!

On the way home, we stop at Camp Mather family camp (owned by the City of San Francisco) and get coke and ice cream. While using the bathroom we realize we could sneak into the attached shower facilities for free! I will tuck that nugget into my noggin for later use.

We get home and Kathi makes campsite pizza. That gal is versatile! A Ranger comes through the camp and tells us about the meadow there at Hodgdon Meadows. It’s at the end of the campground and she tells us we might see bears at dusk. What the cuss! It would’ve been more advantageous if they told us that when we entered the campground, not near the end of our trip!

We go to the meadow after dinner, but don’t see any animals of note. The meadow and the flowers are very beautiful though. Kathi and Hailey head back, but Dana and I stay and are rewarded by seeing two deer in the woods on the way back. We appeased the girls desire for a fire in the evening and after a while put it out and went to bed.

The Meadow at Hodgdon Meadow Campgrounds - Beautiful!

Sunday, June 27, 2010
Hodgdon Meadows

WE STINK!

Kathi makes eggs and bacon for breakfast, and we hit the road by 8:30 am to see about rafting on the Merced River at 10 am. Unfortunately, the water level is too high and speed of the flow is too great and they won’t let rafts go. They tell us to check in later in the afternoon.

So we head to the Mariposa Grove of sequoia trees. We retrace our steps from when we took the wrong turn heading to Glacier Point, down the same rocky dirt roads under construction, and it’s slow going. We finally make it to the Wawona General Store and it’s only a short wait before we grab a ride on the free bus shuttle to the grove.

We buy tickets for the tram so that we can ride up to the top of the grove and then my plan was that we would walk downhill trough the grove back to the bus stop. Unfortunately, my plan was met with major resistance. The girls were in revolt! Kathi stayed with them on the tram for the return ride back while I struck off alone to be with the trees.

Bus Stop at the Top of the Grove

The Mariposa Grove

I walked the forest loop which was very nice. I then proceeded along the northern loop to see the telescope tree. Very cool!

I continued down getting up close and personal with the the Clothespin Tree, the Loving Couple, the Grizzly Giant and many more un-named trees - all magnificent!

Telescope Tree

The Grizzly Giant

Back at the Wawona General Store, we got soft drinks and cheese doodles for “lunch”.

We rush back to the Yosemite Valley (while Kathi focuses on the pages of her book..) and find that the afternoon float trip is ON!

Hailey and Dana are stoked! The float down the Merced is fun, but too short. This would be a very nice relaxing thing to do for a whole day. If you bring your own floaties you can do it for free! The views of the major sights, Yosemite Falls, etc are different from the perspective of floating down the river and I would highly recommend the trip. The girls say this is the funnest part of the whole trip!

Floating Down the Merced River

Unique Views of Yosemite Falls While Floating the Merced River

I get a beer at one of the Curry Village markets and we drive back to Hodgdon Meadows. Kathi makes hot dogs and mac and cheese and salad - burp! We get the clothes squared away in the car and go to bed early for the morning pack up and departure.

Monday, June 28, 2010
Hodgdon Meadow - Monterey

We get up early and pack up to brake camp by 7:30 am. We drive down into the Yosemite Valley for Dad to take his Ansel Adams photography walk in the Awahnee meadow (sponsored by the gallery and Cannon). I was one of the few people with a Nikon camera and also one of the few that knew anything about white balance, variations in shutter speed or aperture, or other settings. It was fun, and I learned some interesting things about trying to get rid of haze in the photos. You could actually see the haze in Ansel’s work, just like today. Need to get a neutral density filter! Anyway, had fun.

Ode to AA

Met the girls at Curry Village and took a shower - Nice! Feel light as air!

Take a few pictures on the way out of the Valley and leave the park on the road to Merced and then Mariposa.

Unnamed falls on the way to Merced

There is lots of agricultural land on the way to Monterey - cherries, avocados, etc. Kathi is amazed at the abundance and the prices. She said if she could get avocados that cheap we’d be eating guacamole every night!

We hit Route 1 and make our way south trying to use the smart phone to make “Priceline” magic happen fro an on the fly hotel room. Even with a dead and dying phone and intermittent coverage, Kathi makes it happen and gets a nice 3-star hotel for $85 at the Hilton Garden Inn.

At night, we walked around Cannery Row and had dinner at a restaurant overlooking the bay and the floating algae. We canned for otters. Kathi had another bread bowl and I had mahi. We got Starbucks on the way to the car for a little pick-me-up after a long day.

Cannery Row

Drove to the hotel. Had trouble with some of the TV channels so I watched a little soccer while Kathi checked her emails. Back to that world...

Tuesday, June 29
Monterey - San Francisco

Wake up, pack up and stop at McD’s on the way to the aquarium. Made for the entrance and shot straight to the otter tank for the feeding. Cool. I love the beautiful seahorses, THE JELLIES! all the out int he open advocacy for the oceans (Go CA!)

Penguins!

Venus X 2

Jellies!

Dana in Wonderland

Advocacy - CA Style!

We bug out at 2 pm and get fast food (yuck) on the way out of town. We drive north on Rt. 1 and take a loop through Santa Cruz to see if we can get a peek of the surf break there. We go down near the water, near some carnival looking place but hit a dead end and bugged out so we could make it to San Francisco before stores closed. Kathi had a last minute jewelry purchase to make and we did not want to disappoint.

Rt. 1 north of Santa Cruz is beautiful. Rugged. Sooooooo many state parks on the ocean! We stop at one and Dana and Kathi dip their toes int eh Pacific.

The Famous Rt. 1 CA Coast Between Monterey and San Francisco

We get to SF and rush to Russian Hill where Kathi makes a dash to her store.

Later we drive down Lombard’s winding road to go to the North Beach Italian section to meet Tom Crabbs for dinner. Kathi and Hailey get ravioli and I get linguini with pesto. Tom gets gnocchi and Dana has blonde pizza.

We walk and find gelatto - $4 for a small cup. Yikes!

Walk back to the car and blase a trail to the hotel in Burlingame. Hailey and Dana spot humping raccoons in the grass patch next to the parking lot. Nature will always find a way!

We repack and reshuffle bags to ready them for the airport and go to bed with a wake-up call at 5 am.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Burlingame (Sand Francisco)

Get up with the alarm at 5 am, take a quick shower, make last minute adjustments to the suitcases and take everyone tot he airport. Drop off my checked bag and drop off the girls.

I drive the rental car back to the Rent-A-Wreck offices but they’re not open. Find a coffee place down he street and sip a cup and wait. When RAW opens, they are very courteous and one of the employees drives me to the train station (15-20 minutes away!) so I can ride the train back to the airport. $10 bucks for the train and I make my flight easily.

Kathi and the girls pick me up in Norfolk. Mission accomplished! What an Odyssey!

Looking forward to making it back to the Sierra Nevada to hike the John Muir Trail. From the scenery in the Tuolumne Meadows, it looks like it will be awesome!

June Trout Fishing Trip to the Catskills

2010-06-05T03:49:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2010

Just returned from a few days of fishing in New York's Catskill Mountain region. Stayed with my good friend Bill Wills, his ever-present fishing companion Frank Nugent, and my friend John Crosby.

We left Virginia Beach at 5 am and reached the White Lake area at around 2 pm. John got his NY license and then we went exploring. The Catskill Flies report mentioned that the Beaverkill and Willowemoc were fishing poorly because the water level was down and the stream was hot. It said that the Neversink River was fishing normally so we opted to have a look along the Neversink. We followed the stream from Montecello all the way up to the Neversink Reservior dam - checking out the public access points along the way.

After having surveyed the stream and getting a sense of the places we'd want to fish, we went into Liberty for an early dinner and left by 5 to catch the evening hatch. The first access point we tried, although very promising, did not provide any action. (In retrospect, perhaps it was too early in the evening and the hatch hadn't gotten underway.) The next access point we stopped at had a couple of cars in the parking lot (perhaps a better sign) and we saw two guys fishing with worms right along the bank. We watched the water and I saw a couple of fish rising well beyond where the locals were fishing.

We asked if it was OK to wade out beyond them and they said they didn't mind. John and I both picked up a fish in a seam that flowed off a small riffle and dumped into deep, cold water. There was bad glare on the water so I moved to the other side of the stream and fished the seam from the other side. I caught a few more small browns and then, as the light dropped, I moved to another seam with rising fish. I caught fish steadily until it was too dark to see. Probably ended up with 10 for the night - all caught on a caddis emerger. The hatch was made up of large size 10 or 12 sulphurs, but the fish were not taking the duns, being lazy, and sipping at or just under the surface, so I used an emerger. Worked like a charm.

The Neversink River...

We made our way to Bill's cabin on Toronto Lake, met up with Bill and Frank, settled in for the night and went to bed.

Got up the next morning to a full Frank Nugent breakfast of coffee, made-to-order eggs, toast, and jam. The Catskill Flies report said to fish early in the morning and in the evening, skipping the mid-day heat. Because of the hearty breakfast and our leisurely pace, we didn't get on the Neversink until probably 10 am. We were happy to find we hadn't missed all the action as we pulled up to the stream access and saw fish rising. We cast to rising fish. Caught another couple on an ant cast to to fish rising just downstream from a tree branch (blowing in the wind) before the action stopped at around noon.

The Neversink River...

Pollywogs along the stream edge...

Frank and John....

The Neversink River....

We had a nice streamside lunch and then Bill and Frank went home to the cabin to relax before the evening hatch hunt.

As Bill and Frank bass fished on the Lake, John and I went into Roscoe to visit Mary Dette, buy some flies, and John tried to find a wireless hotspot so he could check on his BP stock status (not good!)

We returned to the cabin and made a spaghetti dinner with the sauce Kathi had made. Bill opted to stay at the house so Frank, John and I went back to the Neversink River for the evening hatch.

The access...

John was determined to go back to the same spot where I'd don so well the night before (and armed with some caddis emergers I had tied that afternoon). Not wanting to fish the same spot, I moved downstream to a different, slower-moving section where fish were rising. I used the caddis emerger again and was rewarded with 7 or 8 brown trout - all between 9 and 12 inches. Put on a show for the worm dunkers who were clearly miffed at our catch and release tactics. Regardless of the size, it was fun fishing.

The fish....

We stayed until dark, and then made a stop at Kevin's Candy Cone for some soft ice cream dipped in a chocolate shell. YUM!

Next morning, John, Frank, and I headed back to the Neversink at 7 am to see if we could get in more catching with the cool morning temps. Although the river was beautiful, we got skunked X 3.

Back to the cabin to lick our wounds. While I took a nap, more bass fishing ensued. I was saving my energy for our foray to the West Branch of the Delaware for the evening hatch. We had an early supper. Bill cooked potatoes and made potato salad which we had with corn on the cob, ham, and applesauce. We had bought green beans, but Bill went out and bought corn for me 'cause he knows I don't like green beans. Bill's my FRIEND!

My FRIEND Bill....

This time, Bill and Frank both stayed home. John and I took the country roads through Callicoon to Hancock and then jumped on the "quickway" to our favorite spot on the Delaware. We were shocked to find the access where we've fished for over a decade (and others probably much longer) posted - No Trespassing! We discussed many covert options, but in the end decided to stay legal, bitch profusely, and find another spot on the river. We found another legal access in a new location, scoped it out, suited up and got to the river just in time for the beginning of the hatch.

We both had rising fish to cast to, but man these Delaware fish were being selective - no more dumb, lazy caddis emerger-taking Neversink fish! There were bugs all over the river and in the air - March browns, green drakes, sulphurs of all sizes and forms (cripples, duns, spinners), the occasional caddis, John showed me a huge coffin fly - Jeepers! We was throwing everything and the kitchen sink - probably changing flies a dozen times. They had just released water from the dam so a lot of junk was flushing down the river and coating the flies on the downdrift wing. Flies required constant attention and cleaning.

With maybe 20 minutes of light left, I cracked the code - a size 16 sulphur spinner. As I stripped in the line, I got a look at the fish and it was a chunk. At least 18" - and probably bigger. He surged and as I tried to get him on the reel, he snapped my 6X tippet. Damn! Damn! Damn!

With minutes of light left, I tied on a new section 6X and found another sulphur spinner. I could no longer see the fly so was casting and scanning the drift on instinct. I saw a fish sip in the vicinity of where I thought my fly was and set the hook. Not nearly as big as the first, the fish nonetheless set out on a number of nice runs before coming to the net. I got him back in the stream and resuscitated him before wading back in the dark and bushwhacking back to the car. We stopped on the way back to the cabin for some gas; John got a beer and I saved my calories for another cone at Kevin's.

It was a good trip all around - good fishing on the Neversink and the chance to fish for big browns on the Delaware.

God willing, can't wait to go again next year!

The Delaware....

Backpacking Shenandoah National Park - Austin Mtn to Furnace Mtn to Black Rock Summit loop

2010-05-23T17:12:00.002-07:00

DOUBLE CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO VIEW IT IN A LARGER VERSION

May 21-23, 2010

Chris Nixon, Patrick Mumm, Sam McGrath, and I left Virginia Beach around 5 pm for the drive to the Shenandoah National Park. We made it there in about four hours and found our way to Loft Mountain just before dark. We found a pleasant campsite and hurriedly set up our tents. It was supposed to rain so we brought car-camping tents so we could throw those tents in the car if they got wet and at least start out with a dry pack and contents (including tent, tarps, etc).

We got up Saturday morning around 6 am, made oatmeal and coffee breakfast with the Jetboil, washed up (with hot water in the bathrooms!), and broke down the tents. Because the reservation kiosk still wasn't open, we deposited our $15 camping fee in in an envelope and headed to the Loft Mountain Wayside to get our backcountry permit. Made out the paperwork and deposited the copy in the assigned container and headed to Blackrock parking lot for the start of the hike.

We begain the hike at the Blackrock parking lot. The Appalachian Trial (AT) ran right along side and we got a photo at the concrete sign post and began the hike heading north towards Brown's Gap.

The start...

It was an easy section, and we were going 2 mph or slightly better. It was overcast, but cool and pleasant for hiking. We were all secretly wishing the rain to stay at bay.

Hiking on the AT...

Along the way we came across a five foot-long black snake which Sam and Patrick agreed was a black rat snake. IT climbed up a nearby tree and slithered into a hollow in the tree. Even though we were more interested than scared, watching it slink into that hole in the tree still gave us the heebie-jeebees.

The snake...

When we got to the Brown's Gap parking area we had a choice to go up the AT or follow the Madison Run Fire Road. The boys were using a Hiking Upward trail description, so we stayed on the Fire Road for 0.8 miles until it intersected with the yellow-blazed Big Run Spur Trail. Up we go (!) for 0.3 miles to a ridge and intersect the blue-blazed Rockytop Trail.

The Madison Run Fire Road...

Big Run Spur Trail...

We continued on the Rockytop Trail for 0.4 miles to the intersection of the blue- blazed Austin Mountain Trail. The trail was mostly ridgeline and we enjoyed the hike and all the mountain laurel in bloom along the way.

Mountain laurel on the Austin Mountain Trail...

We started to descend and passed a number of rock slides, and then continued to descend down to the valley and reconnected with the MAdison Run Fire Road.

Rock slides on the Austin Mountain Trail...

We were making good time as we stopped at the intersection of the Madison Run Fire Road and the Fernace Mountain Trail. We decided to stop here for a meal. We were worried about the lack of water near our destination camp site at the summit of Furnace Mountain so we decided to eat our "just add boiling water" dinners for lunch at the Madison Run and save our fresh water supplies for breakfast and drinking along the rest of the hike. We'd eat our tuna sandwiches (no water needed) for dinner at the water-less Furnace Mountain summit.

Chris pumped water while the Jetboil boiled. Within a few feet of the Fire Road, we had a couple day hikers pass us and watched a man running and calling after his freedom seeking and unleashed dog. After a too-hearty mid-day meal, we began the climb of Furnace Mountain

Pumping water on the (lithium-free) Madison Run...

We were climbing in earnest now! We climbed steadily, but took plenty of breaks over the next 1.8 miles. The flowering mountain laurel kept framing beautiful views of the foggy mountains.

On the way up Furnace Mountain....

Ascending the trail made it seem longer than it was, but we finally made it to the saddle and the intersection with the Furnace Mountain Summit Trail. We turned lft and continued up! Argh! About halfway up the half mile Summit Trail, it began to rain, lightly at first, but it steadily kept notching up a bit, right on the brink of breaking out the rain gear, and then we found the campsite.

We hasilty put up the tarps, stowed the packs underneath, and then set up the tent and the hammocks. It was only around 3 o'clock and were bummed at the thought of sitting around for the next 6 hours under the tarp in the rain. We donned tain gear and walked the couple of hundred feet to the summit overlook - a large table rock with nice views to the northwest. Unfotunately, because of the weather, there were lots of low clouds and fog, so the views were obscured. We headed back to the campsite and Chris and I cought some Z's. The rain stopped and we headed back to the summit overlook. It was nicer sitting on the rok watching the clounds roll by below us so we got the cards, and Sam and Patrcik schooled Chris and I in hearts.

Card sharks at the Furnace Mountain Summit overlook...

The campsite...

We ate our tuna sandwich dinner around 6 pm at the overlook and then retired back to camp for a round of spades. Chris and I regained a modicum of dignity by winning a Wolfe-style 2 out of 3 tournament series. My nil failed in round 1, but Chris' was successful in round 2 to pucsh us toward victory! We packed it in shortly after 8 pm and fell asleep quickly.

Sunday, May 23

Got up around 6 am, and started to take down the camp. Took down the bear bags, grabbed the food, made breakfast at the summit overlook, and then finished up getting all our stuff together.

The Sunday morning view from the overlook...

We hit the trail again around 8 am and backtracked half a mile down to pick up the blue-blazed Furnace Mountain Trail.We were disappointed, but soldiered on up and up the trail taking breaks along the way. We climbed steadily for 2.1 miles to reach the Trayfoot Mountain Trail. We met some AT club volunteers who asked us about treefall blocking the trail somewhere from the Furnace Mountain summit spur trail and up Furnace Mountain trail to the intersection with Trayfoot (since they were coming to clear it). But we advised them they had gotten bad intel. They saw my hat and we talked a while about some rare violets they had found at Douthat State Park and then they continued on their way for a nice day hike sans work.

We were thankful for some nice descending trail and had to climb just a bit to make it to the Blackrock area with great SW views of the rock slide in the lower section and then nice NW views in the summit area.

The lower Blackrock trail section...

Blackrock rockslide...

Blackrock summit area with views to the northwest...

Sensing the the end of our hike, we continued on the AT for about a third of a mile where Patrick and Sam took the shortcut (by maybe 100 feet) while Chris and I stayed true and took the parallet AT back to the Blackrock parking area. We were happy to get back to the car, changed clothes, and headed back to the Loft Mountain wayside to look for some trail books and hydration.

Heading north on the parkway, we couldn't help but stop and admire the mountain view, especially the particularly beautiful one at Big Run overlook.

Big Run Overlook...

It was a good trip, even with the forecast of rain. It's always nice to spend time at elevation - with friends, with scouts, and with good humor.

Key West, Spring Break 2010

2010-05-23T17:12:00.001-07:00

Family Camping Trip to Yellowstone, Day 10

2010-05-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

August 27, 2009
Yellowstone Lodge

Family Camping Trip to Yellowstone, Day 9

2010-05-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2009
Canyon Campground to Old Faithful Lodge

Got up and had a simple breakfast of oatmeal. The girls went horseback riding while dad did laundry. We broke down camp and packed up for the last time, and drove back to Upper Geyser Basin and the historic Old Faithful Lodge where we would spend out last night in the Park.

We stopped along the way at the Yellowstone River and had lunch - tuna fish and chips.

We checked into the Old Faithful Lodge and got keys to our room in the original building section. The shared bathrooms were tiled and beautiful and there were beautiful old tubs that I'm sorry we didn't take advantage of!

Old Faithful Lodge...

The girls shopped while I went to the backcountry office, modified my permit to start off on the Buffalo Plateau trail the next evening and I also got my Montana fishing license so I could legally fish on the Buffalo Fork. The lad from the Youth Conservation Corps was most helpful, using his personal cell phone to track down info and then using the computer to register me online and print out my receipt. WOW - what service!

Old Failthful backcountry office....

After taking care of the backcountry permit, I did a little gift shopping and SHOWERED! We had a lovely dinner in the Lodge restaurant. I had the pork chop special with apple glaze and Kathi had steak and shrimp with fried risotto - we even tried a little farmed bison meat. It was good. Dana, of course, had grilled cheese and fries and Hailey picked from the buffet. Mom and I also had Gouda soup (tomato base?) Excellent!

Cleaned plates....

After dinner, we sat on the second story deck/porch and watched Old Faithful blow and recounted stories of our trip as the sun went down. Perfect!

the "porch"...

Old Faithful letting it rip!

After dark, Hailey helped me look for Mars which was supposed to be particularly big and close.

2 out of 3 camping beauties!

Feelin satisfied, we hit the rack hard!

Family Camping Trip to Yellowstone, Day 8

2010-05-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

August 25, 2009
Canyon Campground

We got up and made a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and coffee. Our cookstovee gas ran out so Kathi cooked the last of the eggs over an open fire. Nice!

I went to the backcountry office at Canyon and asked about camping at the Buffalo Plateau patrol cabin and the Ranger said No Way!

This was our next to last family day in Yellowstone and we had rearranged our schedule to be able to climb Mount Wasburn with good weather and clear skies so we could make the best of the views. It was also good to do the hard work on this day before we splurged and stayed in the Old Faithful Lodge the night before our early morning drive to the airport.

We were a little late in getting to Dunraven Pass by 11:00 am. In retrospect it would have been better to get an earlier start. We started at 8,859 feet in elevation and were climbing to 10,243 ft. At the beginning, the path was easy enough, but Kathi's lingering bronchitis had her struggling with the altitude and thin air. We took it slow and took rest stops as needed. The views all along the way were spectacular! I think Backpacker magazine rated this hike in the top three family hikes and I would definately agree!

Beginning the climb...

We saw marmot at the bottom near Dunraven Pass...

As we climbed, think I freaked Kathi out when she asked where we were hiking to and asked if it was the peak in this picture on the right.

Mt. Washburn in the center of the picture - way in the distance!

I looked at the map, and had to respond that it was acctually the small peak in the center of the picture, the one with the little point in the clouds. Not even through the first hour of hiking, that almost sparked desertion! Luckily, everyone agreed to soldier on - Dana "hiking" in her Crocs. She probably would've done it in flip flops if we let her.

The views continued to Wow us - especially the view of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone which we had seen before from the rim. But this was a whole new perspective!

Mountain Views...

Happy Campers!

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone....

(Careful editing =) More Happy Campers....

Mountain views...

On the way up, Dana and Hailey stopped to speak to every brash, handout-seeking, ground squirrel they saw (many). They got nothing but slight of hand from us.

Ground squirrels....

As we continued up, the trees started to thin out and the landscape took on that lunar look, but the panoramic views just kept getting better and better.

Above the tree line....

Nearing the summit...

After about 3 hours to go the 3 miles, there was great relief as we neared the summit. Once on top, we had lunch and took a well deserved rest. We scanned the lower slopes for bighorn sheep and saw a few off in the distance. At the summit, they had a cool lookout with maps of the names and locations of all the visible mountains in every direction. So, I took advantage of the the elevation and located the Buffalo Plateau where Tom and I would be hiking into the backcountry - also to a topographic crest of about 10,000 feet. I was psyching myself up!

We made it!

Mountain Profile Map Showing Buffalo Plateau...

The Real Thing!

On the way down, we spotted a Pika in the rock wall along the path to the summit. We enjoyed watching this hamster-sized creature dart in and out of the rock crevices to spy on us and then dash for cover. The girls always appreciate cuteness!

The Pika...

We made the return trip down Washburn in 2 hours - a long day, but well worth the views. I joked with Kathi that now she could brag to her friends and claim the disticntion of having bagged her first peak over 10,000 feet. She laughed wryly and said that her friends wouldn't care and I shot back that she needed some new friends!

Nearing the End of the Trail...Back at Dunraven Pass...

Kathi also confided in me and told me something the girls said in and exhausted state on the way down Mt. Washburn. "Where the heck is Dad dragging us to tomorrow!" We both had a knowing laugh. They were glad to learn that was our last march, er I mean hike!

We made our way back to Canyon, and had an early dinner while most other people were out and about. It was quiet and peaceful. That was until a black bear cub decided to wander through the campsite next door (where the residents sprayed something over everything they owned - idiots!). The bear cub was definitely interested in their spray as he sniffed everything they had sprayed. We kept waiting for a mother bear to arrive and were vigilent about not getting between mother and cub (a dangerous situation), but the mother never materialized. This made us more worried for the cub since it would likely be tracked down and killed. They say in Yellowstone that "a fed bear is a dead bear" and it seemd like this cub had learned to associate the campground with food. Tragic!

Black bear cub sniffing around next door...

Dinner was hot dogs and mac and cheese. Later that evening we went wildlife spotting in the Hayden Valley. We got a good spot early and it was nice how the folks with the expensive spotting scopes let everyone have a look at what we saw and the people with digital cameras shared pictures of wolves, bears, and other interesting animals with the kids. We heard lots of cool stories. We were hoping to see wolves, nut alas, did not. We did see a BIG grizzly roam lazily across the valley for about an hour - much to everyone's excitement. In addition we saw elk and bison. Closest we got to the wolves was to hear them at night, but that was cool too.

Spotting wildlife at one of the Hayden Valley overlooks....

Christmas day in Yellowstone did not disappoint.

Family Camping Trip to Yellowstone Day 7

2010-05-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

August 24, 2009
Canyon Campground

Today is our anniversary and we also learn it is considered "Christmas Eve" in Yellowstone and all the shops are festooned with Christmas decorations. Interesting!

Pancakes and bacon (!) for breakfast before the drive to the Norris Geyser Basin. On the way, we take a 3-mile one-way side road along the Gibbon River to see the Virginia Cascade and Meadows. More beautiful water!

The Virginia Cascade...

Once we got to the Norris Geyser Basin, we walked the 1.5 miles around the basin's boardwalk trails. Lots of beautiful views of the geyser's steam rising above the valley with mountains in the background.

Steamboat Geyser....

Geysers in the Valley....

Thermal Creeks....

We cruised around the Norris campground where we had wanted to stay (but didn't because they don't take reservations). Nice campground. It was full.

The View from Norris Campground...

We ate lunch at the Beaver Lake picnic area - leftover pancakes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Continuing on towards Mammoth, we were interrupted by bison in the road (much to the girls delight). We patiently enjoyed their slow progress across the road and the girls laughed at the "dumb" male calf for eating plastic tape off a marked roadside tree.

Bison in the Road...

Mother and Calf....

The girls dropped me off across Bunsen Peak, and I hiked the Howard Eaton Trail (Golden Gate to Mammoth). Traveling through the Hoodoos rock formations and into the back country of the Mammoth Hot Springs, this was my favorite dayhike in Yellowstone. It was an easy trail and there was so much diversity in landscape, gorgeous views, interesting thermal features, a MUST DO hike.

Start of the hike on the Howard Eaton Trial...

Looking back towards Glen Creek and Gardners Hole...

Mountain Views...

The trail to the Hoodoos...

Cool Rocks...

The Hoodoos!

Montana paintbrush...

The Trail Continues...

tree grove...

wolf prey????

nearing Mammoth Hot Springs...

busy insects...

ancient geyser....

thermal features only seen from the trail...

Kathi and the girls picked me up at the appointed time and we drove to Slough Creek to recon the exit point for my backcountry hike with Tom Crabbs.

Lamar Valley near Slough Creek...

Pronghorn in the Lamar Valley near Slough Creek....

On the way home, we scanned the Lamar Valley for Wildlife, got some provisions at Roosevelt, and continued back towards Canyon Campground. Suddenly, near the Mount Washburn trailhead, the car in front of us came to a stop, and there, not a couple hundred feet from us was a grizzly bear! Most astonishingly, he was peacefully eating flowers and seemed unconcerned with the growing line of traffic. Kathi and I switched seats so she could drive and I could take pictures out of the car window. Amazingly, and against all park runs, some idiots got out of their cars and approached the bear. We took our pictures and moved along so others could get a look before the idiots scarred the bear away or he ate someone.

Grizzly!!!!

Back at the campsite, we had a dinner of spaghetti, pasta and butter, and quesodillas with sausage and peppers. We uncorked a bottle of Pinot Grigio to celebrate our anniversary, built a fire to cook smores, and then fat and happy, hit the hay.

Merry Yellowstone Christmas!

Family Trip to Yellowstone Day 6

2010-04-22T19:12:00.001-07:00

August 23, 2009
Canyon Campground

We had oatmeal for breakfast - a campsite favorite, but we ate quickly and headed for a real treat - the showers! How nice it is to get clean after a few days of grubbing it with only hand and face washing and teeth brushing.

While we were in the laundry/shower complex, the proprietors showed us pictures of a grizzly vs. wolf encounter in the Heyden Valley where a dominant female wolf aggravated the bear until he surrendered his kill and then the wolf pack came in to feed. Pretty amazing stuff!

We drove to the Roosevelt area for a traditional stagecoach ride along the old roads that used to take vacationers from lodge to lodge around the park. Our team of horses included Deacon and Preacher. The girls enjoyed the ride immensely, but it seemed like it was over too soon.

Pets for Preacher and Deacon...

We continued on towards Mammoth Hot Springs, stopping to see a petrified tree, and what one excited motorist exclaimed to be a wolverine. I too was excited to see a wolverine, because they are nocturnal I think so to see one in the daylight is a treat. Turned out, it was a marmot, but cute nonetheless.

Petrified Tree...

Marmot...

After all the excitement, we stopped to have lunch overlooking Hellroaring Creek and the Buffalo Plateau Trail that I would hike into the backcountry with Tom Crabbs a few days later.

Onward to Mammoth Hot Springs!The girls loved seeing all the elk who had come to bed down and graze on the superior tasting, well kept lawn grass prior to the mating season.

It was an overcast day, but even so, the hot springs and all the travertine formations were pretty cool to see. We walked around the boardwalks and listened in on the park ranger talks, took pictures and took other people's pictures.

Hailey and Kathi with Liberty Cap sticking out of their heads....

Me and the girls...

Someone told us about a hot spring, the Boiling River, near the N entrance of the park where you could wade in the river to feet the volcanic heat! We decided to check it out.

We walked down the long path and you could see the hot spring coming out of the ground. Down in the stream people had piled up rocks to make small pools and many people were soaking in the pools. Away from the hot spring, the stream was cold, but in the seams with the hot water, it was very pleasant. I guess we'd make poor trout!

The Boiling River...

Kathi and Dana taking a soak....

We pressed on and set up the tripod to get our picture at the N entrance, the famous Roosevelt Arch.

We took a quick drive-by look at Gardner, stopped in a few shops, and visited the Yellowstone Association HQ.

On the way home, we took the 7-mile Blacktail Plateau (one-way) gravel drive and stopped to take pictures of the beautiful mountains and rock formations, and juxtapositions of stands of trees.

Just east of Mammoth....

Blacktail Plateau drive...

We stopped for a free re-fill cup of coffee at Roosevelt and then stopped again at Calcite Springs Overlook - the narrowest point int he Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Columns of basalt are sandwiched between thick deposits of sedimentary gravel for a very dramatic effect as you can see here...

We made another stop at Tower Falls and walked the short path to see the falls. Very nice.

As we drove south along Antelope Creek we scanned for bears but did not see any. It started to rain (which always makes Hailey happy, but it did not make her mother happy with the road being high steep and windy and me driving and looking for bears!

Due to the rain, we decided to treat ourselves and instead of cooking outside, we splurged on dinner at the Canyon gift shop restaurant counter. Burgers, hot dogs, and grilled cheese all around.

Even with overcast skies and the rain at the end, it was a good day.

Family Trip to Yellowstone Day 5

2010-04-22T19:11:00.004-07:00

August 22, 2009
Canyon Campground

Kathi made french toast and BACON for breakfast - yum! We were going to need sustainanace becase today we were hiking around the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. We started by parking the car at Inspiration Point of the North Rim.

The view from Inspiration Point...

The family hiled along the north rim trail and was bowled over by the vivid colors of the canyon and the beautiful scenery. In my mind, this was way better than Old Faithful. We stopped at Grand View and Lookout Point.

On the way to Lookout Point....

Lower Falls...

Not wanting to hike back to the car, Kathi and the girls stayed put and I offered to hitchhike back to the car - be back soon I said. Well, between the full cars and the retirees giving me dubios and steely eyes of distrust, I ended up hoofing it all the way back to the car at Inspiration Point.

Pickup up la familia and drove to the Brink of the Lower Falls. We hiked down the steep and switchbacking trail to the bottom. It seemed pretty trecherous so we were careful as we picked out way down. We were amazed that there were kids working baby strollers down that steep trail. A ranger told us people go over the falls every year! Yikes!

Pictures from the Brink!

We we got to the bottom, the scene was amazing! As the trail name says, you're at the brink of the falls. The force of the water going over the falls makes a loud roar while the river leading up to the edge looks so serene. We couldn't believe there were tourists climbing up the cliff face above the safety of the brink platform so that they could have their picture taen - kids too! Yuo, people go over the falls every year. Apparently, some people commit suicide there too.

We took in the beautiful falls, the beautiful canyon, the rainbows, everything. Best, must-see, #1 attraction in Yellowstone!

Kathi took the car to find out about horseback riding and I hiked the south rim trail and we agreed to meet up at the Brink of the Upper Falls trail. It was an easy and pleasant trail with waterfalls at the Cascade Creek crossing and reoccuring vistas of the canyon and river. I think I may have seen 20 people out of the thousands that were at the automobile stopping points.

We rendezvoused at Artist Point.

On the way back, we enjoyed seeing a herd of mule deer. Dana and I tried to get closer for a photo, but as we got closer, they kept their distance. Back and Canyon, dad went to check out the backcountry office and then we all did a little shopping. Dinner was sausage and peppers and garlic bread. Yum! We did laundry and Hailey took a shower. Dana's feet were black and filthy, but she refused to take a shower. Yellowstone does not lend itself to angst so instead of fighting, we went to bed.

Family Trip to Yellowstone Day 4

2010-04-22T19:11:00.003-07:00

August 21, 2009
Madison Campground

Got up at around 5:30 am to make coffee ane enjoy the rising sun. Took my first cup for a walk through the woods. Walked only a couple hundred feet and made it to a clearing where the MAdison River streched out before me. It was so beautiful, I had to go get Kathi and we whispered to one another as the sun rose.

Madison morning....

As the girls slept, Kathi rustled up some pancakes for breakfast. When the girls got up they were cold! Kathi figured out that after she was finished making breakfast on the grittle the girls could flip it upside down and warm their bottoms as they ate.

Here's Hailey demonstrating the technique....

We left Madison for out trip to the Old Faithful (OF) area of the Upper Geyser Basin. But before OF, we took the Firehole Lake drive loop across from Fountain Paint Pots and enjoyed seeing Great Fountain Geyser.

I had read that you could get a better psespective of Old Faithful AND avoid the crowds if you hiked up Geyser Hill.

Geyser Hill Trail...

Kathi was still suffering from her brochitis so we took it easy up the trail, but found ourselves in position with about a half hour to spare. We rested, drank water and had a snack as a few other people drifted in. It seemed like a long wait, and OF was a little late.

Old Faithful as seen from Geyser Hill....

I have to say, maybe becaue of all the hype, the blow was a little disappointing, especially after dragging everyone up the trail. One side benefit of climbing Geyser Hill was seeing Solitary Geyser - very beautiful, and there was a shady spot to rest before continuing on down the trail.

Solitary Geyser...

Getting back to the geyser boardwalk near OF was an easy downhill stroll.

One the way down...

Kathi's bronchitis had left her winded and Dana was tired so Hailey and I continued on to look at more geysers. I'm not sure how much Hailey wanted to see more geysers, but she took great pleasure that she was doing something Dana wasn't and in calling Dana a "ditcher" That still enters into the conversaiton from time to time today!

On our loop, Hailey and I particularly enjoyed Grand Geyser, Chromatic Pool, Beauty Pool, and Grotto Geyser.

defunct geyser...

trees with "bobby socks" near Grand Geyser...

Chromatic Pool....

Grotto Geyser....

We made it back for lunch and an ice cream and then got in the car and headed towards Canyon Village where we would camp for the rest of our stay. We had heard that Canyon was not the best campground - that it was the Disneyland of campgrounds (and not in a good way). However, it was much nicer than I imagined. Besides, we weren't spening a whole lot of time in the campgrounds.

We saw male elk on out way to the Mud Volcano area and made a stop to cool off by dipping our toes into the Yellowstone River.

We saw numerous boiling mud springs along the Mud Volcano trail.

We also drove through the Hayden Valley and marvelled at the herds of buffalo. We saw a few males squaring off and butting heads in some late mating season rivalry. One buffalo, with apprently bad eyesight, almost rammed an Austim Mini Cooper.

We checked in at Canyon campsite C-69. Kathi made spagetti for supper. We washed dishes, brushed teeth and hit the hay. Long, but oh so rewarding days!

Family Trip to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Day 3

2010-04-22T19:11:00.001-07:00

August 20, 2009

Spent the night in the Colter Bay tent cabins. The sagging steel spring frames and thin mattresses are not the best for those of us with back issues. For me a flat wooden platform would have been better. At least I could have used my inflatable sleeping pad on a level surface. Ah well....

The inside of the tent cabins looks like this....

Woke the clan up pre-dawn and drove to the top of Signal Mountain. Lots of grumbling, but once in the car everyone cheered up. We made it to the top and were joined by maybe half a dozen other sunrise revelers. Watching the sun rise over the Tetons was amazing! We stayed for about an hour watching different parts of the valley flood with light as the sun rose higher and higher.

Pictures from sunrise at Signal Mountain...

Finally decided to head down and get some grub. On the way down, Hailey pipes up and says, matter-of-factly, "I just saw something big, black, and furry" I check the rear view mirror and come to a stop on the winding mountain road and put the car in reverse. We back up and there, maybe 100 feet from the road is a mother black bear and her cub gorging themselves on blueberries. They were very intent on stuffing themselves and barely took notice of us.

Momma and baby bear......

We contineued down Signal Mountain and spotted a moose out in the middle of a pond having her breakfast. More pictures....

Back at the tent cabins, we had a hearty breakfast and commenced packing up our stuff to head to Yellowstone. We kepy oohing and aahing at all the mountain and lake views as we drove north and put the Teotns in the rear view. Near the south entrance of Yellowstone, we hit a stretch of dirt road where there was major road reconstruciton going on. We had been warned that this would be a big delay in travel and I mentally logged the time to cover the 10 or 20 miles for the return trip to the airport.

Past the dirt road section and into Yellowstone, we drove along Lewis Canyon. I have to say, after the beauty and magesty of the Grand Tetons, we were disappointed with the sights along the south entrance road. Since this was our first trip to Yellowstone, we didn't know what to expect from the park, but were comparing everything to the Tetons and Yellowstone's south entrance area wasn't sizing up.

The dirt road....

South entrance scenery blahs...

We stopped at a few turnouts to look at the Lewis Canyon gorge and Lewis Falls. There were some pretty meadows along the Lewis River where I thought I could hear trout urging me to move along...

The scenery was improving. At Lewis Lake, we entered into the Yellowstone caldera - we're in geyserland baby! We coaxed the car up over the continental divide at 7,988 feet and dropped down into West Thumb on the Yellowstone Lake where we parked to have lunch and stretch our legs. After a few quicky sandwiches, we headed towards the lake and our first geyser experience.

At last, geysers!

Geysers overlooking Yellowstone Lake's West Thumb...

The colors!...

We continued west towrds Old Faithful, crossed the continental divide two more times (at 8,391' and 8262' at Craig Pass) and made a stop at the Kepler Cascades. It was a very beautiful spot, but also vert crowded. Careful aiming with the camera erases the crowd.

Kepler Cascades...

We continued up the road into the Upper Geyser Basin and made a stop at the Mystic Falls trailhead in the Biscuit Basin. We looked at more geysers and made the short 3.2 mile hike along the Littel Firehole River to Mystic Falls
I (we?) wanted to see them all!

Geysers in the Biscuit Basin...

Sapphire Pool....

mini geysers...

bigger geysers...

Mystic Falls....

Just up the road was the Midway Geyser Basin and the famed Grand Prismatic Spring. We stopped to admire the geysers, but only Hailey and I took the walk up to Grand Prismatic Spring. The perspective is not the samd as all the aerial shots you see, but the colors from the critters in the outlet channels were nontheless spectacular.

Excelsior Geysor streaming into the Firehole River....

Grand Prismatic Spring...

Midway Geyser Basin...

We pressed on to the Madison campground, set up camp, and made dinner.

Our campsite... The Kelty Mantra 7 rocks!

After dinner we went for a drive and found some elk along the Firehole River. Dana ignored all the rules about wildlife engagement stating that the animals were her friends and would not hurt her. Hell, I was going to hurt her!

Dana at one with her peeps...

We snapped some picks and drove along the Firehole Canyon Drive and stopped to admire the Firehole Falls.

We stopped at Fountain Paint Pots to check out all the gurgling mud pots and assorted geysers while the sun set.

Geysers in the setting sun...

The calcium deposits from erupting geysers and mineral springs that forms on the bottom of the trees are called "bobby socks"....

Mudpots...

The girls hamming it up...

We drove down Fountain Flat Drive where we saw rising trout in the setting sun along the Fairy Creek.

Rising trout at dusk...

I tried to help Dana catch one with a fly attached to a casting bubble, but I couldn't reach the far bank where the fish were. We stayed until dark, and then headed back to Madiosn to hit the hay by 9 pm.

WOW, WHAT A DAY !!!!!!!!

Family trip to Grand Tetons & Yellowstone - Day 2

2010-04-22T19:10:00.001-07:00

August 19, 2009

We are staying in the Colter Bay Tent Cabins in the Grand Tetons National Park. Our neighbors are uncharacteristically loud! We made breakfast of bacon and eggs before rushing to make the 9:30 ferry across Jenny Lake.

Here's our tent cabin...

I buy 3 tickets for roundtrip fares and one ticket one way. The young woman at the counter takes a wild guess that it's me that's going to hike back. I guess I had that look...

The waters are crystal clear and I talk with the boat captain on the 15 minute crossing. We get our bearings and begin the climb up the trail stopping to marvel at the mountains. I take many pictures.

The view from above the landing on the opposite side of Jenny Lake...

On our way up...

We talk to a nice French couple and take their picture next to Hidden Falls. They tell us about some deer in the woods for us to see. We take some more pictures of another couple at the falls and they tell us about a grizzly bear that's got a buried carcass close enough to the road that we can view him as he returns each evening to feed. Taking pcitures of other people and showing a little kindness gets big dividends!

Hidden Falls....

We continued on the swithbacks and through the narrow trail sections to Inspiration Point (7,200 ft) where we rested and ate snacks in the shade). The views of Jenny Lake and the Tetons are stupendous!

The narrow trail...

We made it!

On the way down, we see pack horses at the waterfall and the girls stop to admire and pet the horses. We make it down to the bottom fo the trail and the ferry docks and KAthi and the girls take the boat back to the car where they make a dash back to Jackson for some supplies (sweat pants to keep warm in the morning!).

I head back up the trail to find the trail upper of two parallel trails that will guide me around Jenny Lake and back to the parking lot. I had to hike all the way back up to the falls and really hunt for the unmarked or mostly hidden horse trail entrance. Once on the trail and up a ways, there was a sign pointing to the "corral" so, even though I considered the trail pretty narrow, I figured I was on the right track. The trail seems to end at a horse corral (not an enclosure, but more of a hitching post), but if you look around you can pick up the trail at the far end and the trail is well worn and easy to follow.

On the "corral" trail...

These higher elevation views of the south rim of Jenny Lake are beautiful! I was hiking alone and kept alert thinking of bears. Never saw, smelled or saw footprints or other signs of bears. Loved the scenery and the solitude!

Views from the trail...

Did a quick side trip down one of the spur trails around the Moose Lakes, but didn't want to take it too far or get too off track so that I didn't make my rendezvous point with KAthi and the girls.

Made it back tot he Ranger station, and got a well-deserved ice cream! We drove back to camp along Rt. 89 to see the grizzly bear we had been told about. Sure enough there were a bunch of people and the rangers had set up a spotting scope so everyone could get a good view. The bear had finished eating when we got there and was just lying on his back feeling fat and happy! We drove by Oxbow Bend and saw otters and beavers slapping their tails ont he water to protest the kayakers coming too close! Dana spotted a coyote walking along the bank a coupel 100 yeards down the road. We were also treated to a moose mother and calf in the woods not 50 feet from the road. Oxbow Bend is awesome for wildlife!

Otters:

Momma Moose....

Moose calf...

We made it back to camp for a late dinner and bed.

Yellowstone Backcountry - Buffalo Plateau Trail - Part 5

2009-11-17T19:31:00.001-08:00

On our way to Slough Creek and "home"....

Our last day hiking - out of the backcountry. Got up before dawn to get an early start on the hike back to the car and the long drive back into Jackson. We were now very efficient at breaking down camp and made quick work of making breakfast, preparing the fire pit for our departure, pumping water, taking down the tent, and repacking the packs (minimal yard sale). I really liked the way the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL tent is designed so that you can take down the tent and pack that dry and only have to worry about a damp fly and footprint. Saves weight!

We got going, forded Buffalo Fork creek, and found our way to the Yellowstone Border.

Our legs were good or maybe that it was that we were trending downhill! We marveled at the surrounding slopes and their mineral outcroppings - the stuff of Yellowstone that most tourist need to get in line on a boardwalk to see!

As we weave in and out of wooded sections of the trail, we find fresh bear and wolf tracks left after the previous day's rain. Cool! We continue to fly.

We come to a spot on the trail with a great view of one of the Slough Creek meadows. It was really cool to see the former oxbows that had filled in after the stream changed course. Beautiful!

Wish we had another day to fish! Family and the flight home beckoned...

The trail was well defined, and we passed interesting geology - rock walls, rock peaks, glacial erratics.

Skulls, vertebrae, and various bones scattered about remind us that we're still in the backcountry and of the life and death struggle going on just beyond the tourist campsites. One of the last skulls we saw still had blood on the bones so we didn't linger - no need to risk attack or injury so close to "home"!

Suddenly, we see tents, and we realize we're back at the Slough Creek campground. We ford the streem and we've made it! We're at trail's end. Safe and sound. I fill out the trail register and we take a moment to whoop it up!

Then, it's all business. We throw packs in the rental car, change into comfortable shoes, and make a beeline for Jackson. We make a brief stop at Yellowstone's Canyon campground backcountry office to report on our trip, reporting downed trail markers, lack of bear sightings (for future hikers), difficlty in Poacher's Trail intersection location, etc. We were surprised the park rangers didn't seem too interested in the post-hike brief/intel, especially since the many we talked to had never heard of the Buffalo Plateau Trail and it was obvious it was not often hiked. Oh well, we did our duty.

Made it to Jackson, and got a room for the night. Organized some gear and set out socks, boots, and other stuff for drying. Beat feet to a mexican restaurant in Jackson and had a nice dinner basking in the late afternoon sun. After dinner, we made our way to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar only to fend off a cougar attack, as we drank some well-deserved celebratory beers and recounted our hike with gusto and loud storytelling - a good way to cap our spectacular trip! Can't wait to do it again!!!!!!!!!

TOM - YOU ARE THE MAN!

Yellowstone Backcountry - Buffalo Plateau Trail - Part 4

2009-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

Buffalo Fork Creek campsite.

Finally a rest day! Wahoo! Time to do some trout fishing!

Got up at 7:30, got the packs down, pumped water, and backwashed the filter but it's still pumping harder than it should. Still serviceable though. In the morning light we found the campsite fire ring. As the sun rose, and I boiled water to prep for breakfast, I spotted an ermine (short-tailed weasel) as he scampered along a log by the campfire. Too quick for my camera to capture.

Made coffee, and oatmeal with papaya, cranberries, and other fruit Tom has been lugging over hill and dale as extra gorp rations. Even with all those goodies, the taste of the Ya Ya Gumbo from two nights before lingers on. That was some powerful Ya Ya!

Tom and I removed the tops to our Osprey Aether 70 packs and re-rigged them with the hip belt for an ultra convenient and functional fanny pack! This is a great feature of this pack!

Put our rods and reels together, tippits on - Blue Ribbon flies (hoppers and terrestrials, irish caddis, black caddis, Adams, damselfly nymphs, etc) out and ready!

As we walked to the stream, I told Tom to catch a few of the grasshoppers that were abundant in the meadow grass. He wondered why out loud. As we neared the stream edge, I picked out a run and tossed one of the hoppers at the head. As soon as the hopper got into the tailwater - gulp! I explained "highcountry chumming" as a means to determine where the fish were holding. Cheating? Maybe a little, but we were both novices in the ways of the highcountry so this one act of hopper chumming gave us the knowledge we needed to be effective.

With a single Blue Ribbon chaos hopper, I caught dozens of cutthroats. Beautiful fish! The largest was perhaps 9-10 inches, but it didn't matter because they were beautiful and plentiful. Although the water seemed shallower than I'm used to in eastern streams, each tailwater contained an eager fish or two or three!

We also fished some pools that had been formed by the placement of brushpiles across the stream. Beavers? Looked like human engineering to me....

A little after mid-day, Tom and I got chased off the river by a thunderstorm and we retreated back into the tent hoping that the storm would be short lived so we could resume fishing and make our way to Hidden Lake and try fishing for trout with damsel nymph flies. We spent an hour or two recounting our hiking mishaps from the day before, cursing the map makers and carin maintainers, comparing trails in WY and MT, and generally celebrating our bushwhacking prowess. Good fun!

After the thunderstorms and lightening subsided, we headed back upstream for more cuts. After dozens of trout caught, I lost my BR chaos hopper in a tree and switched to a BR Flies Royal PMX and that worked just as well.

Here's Tom with one of his many fish...

Tom and I fished along Buffalo Fork Creek among the mineral deposit outcroppings that marked its volcanic past.

We coaxed a few trout out of these pools and runs.....

Really....We didn't plan matching outfits! See our shorts are differet! Really!

As dusk approached, around 7:30 pm, we beat it back to camp ahead of another approaching thunderstorm. We made Will's couscous with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes for dinner (still tinged with Ya Ya seasoning), hung the packs and food, and hit the hay.