Jones Whites Creek Loop (Washoe County, Nevada)

As I spent all of last Saturday in Yosemite, I decided to hike a little closer to home this weekend. I have been wanting to complete the Jones Whites Creek Loop from Galena Park ever since I hiked to Church's Pond a couple of months back. Today, seemed like as good a day as any to knock this one out.

Galena Park is only about 20 minutes from my home and so I didn't get started until about 9:00 AM, but before leaving, I put the top down on the jeep for the first time this season. Ah, I love being able to do that. The drive to the trail head was uneventful and there weren't as many cars in the parking lot as I would have expected with this being Memorial Day. Ah well, more trail for me!

After a quick jaunt to the actual loop trail, I started up the grueling climb to the Church's Pond detour. This is the same section I hiked a short time ago and it is no more forgiving. I gained about 2000 feet over only a couple of miles. Compared to Yosemite Falls though, which I did last week, this is a picnic. A few long switchbacks and get past the worst of it, eventually reaching the sign indicating the way to the pond. I decide to skip the pond today and continue on the loop.

As that turn off was pretty much the high point of the entire trail, I enjoy a nice leisurely down hill of most of the rest of the hike. I had considered doing the trail in the counter-clockwise direction, which would have had me coming down this step part instead of climbing up it, but I really need to get my arse into gear in preparation for Mt. Whitney, and so, chose the more difficult route.

This trail doesn't offer any spectacular waterfalls or superlative mountains. There are no petroglyphs or geothermal anomalies that I'm aware of. What it does have is a few outstanding vistas of the Washoe Valley and Mt. Rose Wilderness. 

The way down along Whites Creek offers a chance to cross the creek in various places, including a crudely fashioned bridge. However after seeing the next couple of crossings, which were merely falling trees, I was thankful for the rickety old bridge.

The trail is surprisingly lonely today. I pass a few hikers, but not many. And the vast majority of them, are on the adjoining Whites Creek Trail. After about four hours, I'm ready to head home. It's been a nice day, though it's hot and I'm sweating. In total, I logged just over 10 miles today. Not bad!

Upper Yosemite Falls (Yosemite National Park, California)

 
Normally, I can't start hiking in the high country until at least June, but Tioga pass, the highest pass over the Sierra Nevada Range, opened very early this year due to a lack of snow in the mountains. Continuing my search for great trails in the area, I decided to head down to Yosemite and tackle the daunting hike to the top of Yosemite Falls. It takes a little about two and half hours to get to the entrance of Yosemite from my home, and so I got an early start. 

While the roads are clear, there is still a lot of snow and ice in Tuolumne Meadows, the high country above Yosemite Valley. That should deter some of the visitors and keep it from being so incredibly crowded. Another hour or so and I'm in the valley looking for a place to park. All of the magnificent waterfalls that Yosemite is known for are at the height of their flow, which makes for a very enjoyable drive through the valley. 

Looking to the north, I see my destination. Yosemite Falls leaps over the sheer granite cliffs a little east of El Capitan, before falling 2425 feet in two tiers (the upper and lower fall), making it the tallest waterfall in North America and sixth tallest in the world. Quite a site to behold from the valley floor, but today, I intend to do more than that.

Parking the jeep alongside the road, I head down a short trail toward Camp 4, looking for the beginning of the Yosemite Falls Trail. Eventually, I find it and start up, up, up toward the top. Effectively, this trail scales the side of Yosemite Valley, leading from valley floor to the edge of Tuolumne Meadows in the high country. That said, it is a monster of a journey. Switchback after switchback over crudely carved and well worn granite steps. I don't think the trail ever went below a 20% grade for the entire distance and in some cases, it was considerably steeper.

To call this 'quite a workout' would be an understatement. Three and a half miles of this unrelenting climb is enough to give someone a heart attack. I have to take quite a few short breaks, just to catch my breath. I won't, however, be intimidated. I will reach the top.

About midway up, there are two areas worth noting. The first is Yosemite Point, from which one can get a grandiose view of the mighty Half Dome, which I have hiked to the top of in the past, but wasn't lucky enough to get permits for this year. The second is an area just above the lower falls, which offers a wide-open view of the upper falls. I stop here to take a few snapshots . . . and rest.

Resting won't lower the top though and so I push on. More and more switchbacks. If I had to guess, I would estimate there are no less than 80 switchbacks on this trail, more than I have ever seen, but it makes sense considering the height we are ascending. I've read estimates that the trail actually climbs something like 2600 feet, which makes sense considering it comes out above the top of the falls. Anyway, that's still 1000+ feet ahead. Onward . . .

As the trail winds its way behind on of the granite cliffs and into the crag behind, it looses sight of the falls. I am not able to see the water again until I finally reach the top. Once there, I catch site of a lone deer scrambling around on the granite. There are a few people resting from the exhausting journey they have just made. I look around for a good shot, but I find that I have to climb back down a ways onto a granite outcropping for a good view of the falls. It's steep and dangerous, but I don't know when or if I will ever be back here again. I edge my way out and get a few pictures of both the falls and the valley below me.

Taking a few minutes to re-hydrate and re-fuel, I relax in the warmth of the sun rays beaming down on me, before heading back. While the way up should be call the heart-pounder, the way down should be named the knee-killer. Just as the trail is unrelenting in it's upward climb, it is just as unapologetic in it's downward direction. I'm generally very good about being able to rock scramble at a good pace down trails like this. And for the first half, I make great time. Eventually though, my 40-year old knees start nagging at me and soon I must rest. The remainder of the journey is fairly uneventful, though I must make frequent stops as my knees scream at me for relief. 

I do want to make mention of a piece of trail etiquette that I saw go unobserved by the same group multiple times as we leap-frogged back in forth. No matter how fast you are hiking, be conscious and courteous to other hikers ahead of and behind you. If you see hikers ahead of you that are going at a slower pace. Give them time to notice you and find a spot to pull of and allow you to pass. And in turn, notice others on the trail coming up behind you at a quicker pace and find a place pull over, where it is safe. The later was my complaint of this group. Time after time, along the trail, I saw these three remain oblivious to individuals and groups patiently waiting for them to allow the quicker hikers to pass . . . and waiting . . . and waiting . . . until finally, the quicker hikers had to ask to pass. Just rudeness in my opinion.

Anyway, I finally reached the bottom and found my knees shaking like I was freezing to death as I stood at the wash basin in the camp restrooms. This was really, really a tough trail, but I'm glad I did it. Hopefully, it and others I have planned will prepare me for Mt. Whitney in August. In total, I hiked about 9 miles today and I'm ready to head home, but not before stopping at the famous Whoa Nellie Deli for some dinner.

Hunter Creek Falls (Washoe County, Nevada)

I was just wanting to get a quick hike in this weekend to put some miles in, and perhaps find a new trail near town. The trail to the Hunter Creek Falls looked like a good fit. The trailhead is in the foothills just west of town, which makes it a very popular destination on a clear spring day. Arriving at the parking lot, I was greeted by a large crowd of fellow hikers. 

Hopping across some conveniently placed rocks, I cross the creek for the first time and begin the uphill trek south towards the waterfalls. The trail climbs steadily while running along the western side of the canyon, parallel to, but well above the creek. There are several sections where the trail is nearly washed out and I have to watch my footing closely. In addition, there is also a lot of loose shale carpeting the trail in places.

The view looking ahead further into the canyon is outstanding, as the trail winds in and out of small side offshoots of the main canyon. Eventually, I reach a lightly forested area. The shade is a nice change and gives me a nice chance to cool off. Crossing a bridge fashioned from some fallen logs, I make my way to the other side of a branch of the creek. And just a little bit further, three larger fallen logs form another bridge across the main branch and right to the foot of my destination.

Hunter Creek Fall is a two section fall, descending about 25 feet from the area above. A large fallen log stands atop the lower section of the falls and leans against the mouth. I stop for just a couple of minutes to get some water and an energy bar before heading back to the jeep. In total, it was only about 6.2 miles, but made for a nice quick trail that I will most likely visit again.

Napa Valley (Napa County, California)

While the vast majority of my adventures involve hiking or backpacking out into the wilderness to see some of the most beautiful and interesting places on the face of the planet, that is only one of my great passions. Another involves the study and enjoyment of vino, and there is no greater place in the US to do immerse oneself in that world than Napa Valley. The calm serenity of the rolling hillsides, the slow, matter-of-fact manner of the people, the aromas and tastes of some of the best wine on Earth all make this an outstanding place to visit.This is my third or fourth trip to Napa over the years, but each time it gets better and better.

My wife and I left shortly after I got home from work on Friday night and made the drive over the hill, stopping for dinner along the way. We arrived at our hotel in American Canyon in time to get a good night's rest before getting up early Saturday morning to hit the wineries. I had put together a list of a few places I wanted to visit on this trip, but also left a fair amount of room in the schedule to try and find some treasures. 

We started the day at Beringer's in St. Helena. I've always enjoyed their Chardonnay, and my found took a liking to their newly released zin. We grabbed a bottle of that and one of their desert wines called Nightingale before departing. 

Our second stop was Grgich, a favorite of some of our good friends and a winery known for their semi-organic methods. Instead of just doing a tasting here, we decided to enjoy a cheese platter and their wine catalog on their guest patio. This truly is the life . . . good food, great wine, and my beautiful wife at my side, as we take some leisure and enjoy this beautiful day. As we taste the various offerings, the waiter shows great enthusiasm for the wine and we get into some discussion about the lineage of zinfandel and plavac mali. Okay, I'm a bit of wine geek, but the mix of history, science, and this nectar of the gods is an irresistible confluence to me. Looking at the clock, it's time to head to lunch.

Knowing how crazy it can be to get a table at this time of year in the valley, I planned ahead and made reservations for most of our meals. For lunch today, we dined at Mustard's Grill, a local favorite. I had a Moroccan-style quail dish, while wife had the catfish. All of it was outstanding, especially the asparagus and crab egg-drop soup we started with . . . yum!

After lunch, we headed to Whitehall Lane for a reserve tasting of some absolutely outstanding cabernet sauvingon. Their 2006 and 2010 were marvelous, but we both fell in love with the '08 and had to adopt a bottle, even at a hefty price tag.

Our next stop was Sequoia Grove, which turned out to be quite an interactive experience. Our server at the tasting bar, Tom, was very knowledgeable and kept pouring well beyond the tasting we paid for. Interestingly, some actual giant sequoias were planted about a century ago just outside the building and they seem to be thriving. The wines here are very nice, especially the cabernet franc, which is probably one of the best showings of that variety I have had. We pick up a few bottles and head back to the hotel to take a rest before dinner.

After a nice little nap, we rise for dinner and head back into Napa to dine at Morimoto's, of Iron Chef fame. This will be my third visit to one of his restaurants and yet again, his cuisine held up to his reputation. We enjoyed some oh toro nigiri and a toro tartar as an appetizer before getting into our entrees. Surf and turf for me, while she had a seafood concoction, both of which were just magical. Having had quite a day, we decided to head back to the hotel and get some rest.

Rising even earlier Sunday morning, we took a leisurely drive up the valley toward Calistoga and Chateau Montelena, who's Chardonnay won the 1976 Judgement of Paris, and was one of the main reasons the world starting taking Napa Valley serious as a producer of world-class wines. After winding up the mountainside, we arrive at the tasting room and are treated to a barrage of their best offerings. The chardonnay is very Chablis-like in style; light and fruity, with the slightest hit of oak. As this is the wine that changed the wine-world forever, we had to kidnap a bottle for a wine cooler. As we had some time before our lunch reservation, we decided to stop at Old Faithful of California, which is small geyser just down the road from the winery. Far from the size of it's namesake in Wyoming that we visited last year, this little geyser is very energetic and seems to erupt every five or so minutes. The caretaker invited us to return in the evening and enjoy a picnic. We may not get to that on this trip, but it may be something for our next trip.

For lunch, we drove back into Calistoga proper and found a creek-side table at Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery. We enjoy this beautiful setting, while sharing a smoked trout and goat cheese pizza and some various side dishes. Wow . . . that pizza is amazing!!!

Our last planned stop for the day is our favorite place in Napa, Castello di Amorosa, the replica 13th century Italian castle. A tour of the amazing facility (which we do every time we visit) and  a barrel tasting of the yet-to-be-released 2012 Il Barone (cabernet sauvignon), and we head down to the tasting room for some liquid gold (Il Passito) and other offerings. Love this place. Finally, the day starting to crest, we make our way back to the jeep and begin the long drive home. What a wonderful weekend and what a wonderful woman to spend it with.

Stevens Trail in Spring (Placer County, California)

Not long ago, I visited this trail and found it to be a terrific medium length trail. However, that was January and in the middle of winter, there were no wild flowers to be seen on these magnificent sloping hillsides. I decided to return today and see what spring has to offer.

The drive is only about an hour to get to the Colfax exit and the trailhead only a short drive from there. On the way over, I took advantage of the time to continue listening to an audio version of Sean Carroll's "The Particle at the End of the Universe". Quantum theory and particle physics has always fascinated me, and while I had, of course, heard of the discovery of the Higgs Boson, I didn't even have a fundamental understanding of what it truly was. The book is an excellent guide through the complex and sometimes bizarre work of modern geniuses to arrive at the amazing discovery.

Arriving at the trailhead, I see that it is a popular destination today. And why not? It's Easter Sunday, and the weather here (about an hour East of Sacramento) is predicted to be in the mid-80's. Everyone seems to have the same idea, to get out there and enjoy nature a little bit.

The trail gently slops downhill with a terrific views of the valley, as it meanders it's way down to the American River. As I had hoped, sections of the hillside are a carpet of yellow and purple wild flowers. I can't help but relate the scientific material I enjoyed on the way over and think about all of the quarks, muons, and gluons that go into making up this wonderfully complex existence we live in. These flowers are simply an expression of that.

I finally arrive at the river and climb out onto some rocks for a short break and to soak up some rays before heading back. That gentle downward slope gets you on the way back, especially with a 20ish pound pack on my back (as training for later hikes this year). All in all, it was a short 3 hour, 7.75 mile hike. The scenery and beauty of the spring foliage made it all worthwhile.

Muir Woods (Marin County, California)

If I had to choose one word to describe this small National Monument, it would 'peaceful'. If I had to choose two words, they would be 'peaceful' and 'green'. Those two ideas are taken to the extreme in this redwood refuge just north of San Francisco.

I have been planning a trip to Muir Woods for the past several weekends, but each time I look at the San Francisco area's weekend weather, there had been a chance of rain. I wasn't keen on driving three hours to get rained out and so I put it off. This weekend though, it looked to be clear . . . or at least almost no chance for rain. The bay is rarely 'clear'. As I wanted to get an early start, I drove over to the bay area Friday night after work, which allowed me to arrive at the visitor center parking log before the crowds arrived and still in time to secure a parking lot.

I started out on the well-maintained trail starting at the parking log, and as I soon learned from the posted maps, most of the trails within the monument branch off of this one. Soon, I was walking beside a lazy little stream under the cover of fairly young coastal redwoods, and by young, I mean less than half a millennium old. They create a great canopy above me and allow very little light into these woods. The very common fog adds to the mystique and provides a very humid environment.

Lush green ferns cover the ground between the mighty trees, and where a tree has fallen, it's remains are soon blanketed in a bed of green moss. Green, green, and more green as I split off the main trail and begin to head up the Fern Creek Trail, intending to loop back to the visitor center.

As reach the point where the Fern Creek Trail meets the Lost Trail, the grade increases pretty drastically and I'm presented with wooden steps for some of the steepest sections. It's good exercise and the scenery is just amazing. As I mentioned, there is a peacefulness here. It is no wonder this place was named for the father of the American Conservationist Movement, who was so at home in nature he was accepted by some of the local tribes as an honorary member. John Muir was truly an amazing man, and a personal hero of mine. I think I have some idea of what he loved so much about being in the woods. In this place, and places like it, one's existence is such a minuscule piece of the world at large, that it can hardly be noticed at all. If I'm (or John Muir) in the pace or if I'm not in the place, the place doesn't really notice one way or the other. The place goes on with or without me. That is such a stark contrast to the nearby hustle and bustle of the San Francisco Bay Area. It's no wonder many urbanites frequent this monument to find some of that peace and remove themselves from notice for a short time.

I finally reach the top of the hillside and take a sharp right onto the Ocean View Trail. Shortly thereafter, I'm approaching the visitor center and I'm amazed to see all of the people now in the park grounds. Wall to wall people. Ah well, I guess I can't have nature all to myself this close to such a big megalopolis. It was nice while it lasted though.

I had intended to hike a nearby trail called the Steep Ravine Trail, but as I make my way to the trail head, I'm stunned by the volume of visitors to this area. There isn't a parking spot to be found anywhere. I continue on to Stinson Beach, take in a view of the ocean and then drive south on Highway 1 overlooking the Pacific Ocean before returning home. I didn't get to do a lot of what I had planned on here, but I did get a four mile hike in and experience a wonderful place.

Feather Falls (Butte County, California)

Working in the casino industry for many years, I was familiar with the Feather Falls Casino, but until I browsed through a California hiking guide, gifted to me by a co-worker, I had never considered visiting Feather Falls itself. As I'm trying to find nearby hikes of 10-20 miles as I train for some trips later this summer, this seemed like an ideal destination on a warm March Saturday.

The drive to Feather Falls (at least the route I found) passes through some very rural California farmland and some well-hidden back roads. All in all, it took just shy of three hours to get there from my home in Reno. Arriving at the large trail head parking lot, I slung on my purposely heavy pack (again for training purposes) and started to make my way to the renowned falls. Just after leaving the trail head, the trail splits into the Upper and Lower paths. As I wanted to experience the whole trail, I opted to take the upper to the falls and the shorter (but steeper) lower on the way back.

This deciduous forest reminds me of those near St. Louis in Spring. Here in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, the entire palate is green and lush, even at this late winter date. This forest bristles with life. Moss and lichens cover almost every exposed surface, from the giant granite boulders to rotting logs to living trees. With all of the granite, I am reminded of Yosemite, a couple of hundred miles to the south, but Yosemite sits at a higher elevation and doesn't have this amazingly vibrant green carpet on everything.

At about a mile in, I encounter a small, but beautiful water fall. It is only about 30 feet tall
as it cascades over the rocks, but still a great preview of what is to come. The trail in this
area is pretty level and easy to navigate. I'm still impressed by the vibrancy of this forest. As
I get caught up in taking pictures, a small garter snake slithers from warming himself on the
sunny trail to some nearby grass for cover. I snap a couple of pictures and move on.

The point where the upper and lower trails rejoin is a bit difficult to recognize, as the trial
to the falls beyond starts at a switch back hidden behind a large boulder. I eventually figure
out and return to the uphill path toward the falls. This path has had concrete poured at some
point in time. Though cracked and broken now, it still ensure a nice clear walk up the steep last section to Feather Falls, which I can now hear in the distance as the falling water pounds the rocks below.

The trail curls around the top of this giant granite monolith until it begins to descend to an
observation deck. I catch my first site of the falls after making the turn to start going
downhill to the deck. Amazing!!!

Feather Falls was long touted to be the 3rd, 4th, or 5th tallest water fall in the US with a
reported height of 640 feet. Recently however, this has been revised to 410 feet, and while that removes it from contention even for the top 10 list, it does nothing to diminish the grandeur of this might plummet. The cliff over which the water falls is almost sheer and quite magnificent. The water continuously pours over the edge to 'feather' out as it makes its way to the bottom. Most impressive.

http://youtu.be/rITkZ_Ccdg0

Once I reach the observation deck, I take a few minutes to take it all in, take some photos, eat a snack, and then I'm on my way back. However, as I reach the point where I had started down toward the deck, I notice a broken trail leading beyond. A couple a few yards ahead of me welcome me and ask if I know where it goes. I respond that I don't, but that I intend to find out. After a quarter mile or so, I have skirted the edge of this sharp crevasse and made my way to the top of the falls. I scramble down some granite to the very top of the falls. It's always amazing to see the power of the water as it takes its last breath before diving off. It truly is beautiful up here.

 

Making my way back, I start along the lower trail. So far, so good. In this section, the trail is
fairly easy. I come to a spot overlooking Bald Rock Dome, a monstrous piece of granite,
protruding from the forested mountainside on the far side of the valley.

About half way in, the trail begins to get steeper and I am forced to stop for a water break
every so often. As I cross Frey Creek's broken bridge, I look for signs of ladybugs, which I had read winter along this creek. I find a few stragglers, but not the millions I had read about. I'm sure they have moved back into the valley already, given the overly warm winter we have had. Nearing the end of the trail, I come across a mighty oak tree, covered in moss and splitting through a a number of granite boulders. A sign indicates and I find some ancient Native American mortars drilled into the stone. These were used to grind acorns into a sort of bread dough by the local tribes. The bread made from this dough was a staple of their diet. It's always interesting to see little pieces of history like this out in the forest.

Returning to jeep, I pack up and prepare to head home. What a great hike and what a great life I have. The falls were everything I had been lead to believe and I'm grateful for the freedom to experience this natural wonder for myself. In total, I hiked just short of 10 miles. My phone app stopped tracking at some point at the top and so didn't calculate my trip around to the top of the falls, but no matter.