Editorial: Homer's ... nose?
August - Tulare to Garfield Grove
September - Silliman Pass
November - Giant Forest — The Hard Way
December - Moro Creek
January - Panther Creek - with Juan. This was a much more enjoyable trip than that of the previous month. The weather was great, and we saw the lovely falls on Panther Creek. We laid out my tent as a tarp in the snow.
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March - Upper Moro Creek - with David, Juan, and Joey Galvin. Attempted to reach Moro Rock via Moro Creek, but turned back when David's friend Joey got cold feet. It's probably a good thing we did turn back, because a storm rolled in later that night. We camped at Buckeye Flat, which was closed at the time.
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April - Hite Cove and the Mist Trail - with David. We couldn't take a bus directly into Yosemite, as there was record precipitation that year and a massive rockslide had occurred in Merced Gorge, which blocked the highway. We camped across the South Fork Merced River from a friend's house, then we backpacked up the South Fork to Hites Cove. We draped a large tarp over our campsite and built a large campfire. The next day, we caught a ride and a bus to Yosemite Valley, where we would trudge around in the snow for a couple days. We managed to trudge up to the base of Nevada Fall. We camped at Sunnyside Campground the first night, and a raccoon broke into our hot chocolate mix. The next night we stayed in the overheated cabin of a Curry Co. employee. By that night, the cold and some bad dietary choices were starting to take a toll on me, but by morning I coundn't wait to escape the heat of that cabin.
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June - High Sierra Trail - with David. During a dayhike up to Tokopah Falls, we encountered a blackbear, minding its own business out in the woods. We headed for the High Sierra Trail, and camped on one of the western tributaries of Panther Creek. I remember scrambling down creek and getting momentarily stuck on a ledge.
June - Hat Creek - with David, Al, and Al's friend Randy Rickert. This was a camping and fishing trip, though I didn't do any fishing.
July - Van Matre Meadows, Trinity Alps - with David. We hiked from Stoney Creek Campground on Trinity Lake directly up to Stonewall Pass. Much of our uphill route was cross-country. We camped in the snow north of the pass. I remember getting our lighter wet and not being able to start the stove for some time. In the morning, we followed where we thought the trail might be to the vicinty of Echo Lake, then we descended into Van Matre Meadows. From there, we turned back. Our return route down from the pass followed trails and rodes more, as we had a better view of things, though the trail crossed a steep snowfield near the pass. In all, we covered 18.5 miles of mostly steep terrain.
http://www.gorp.com/gorp/publishers/westcliffe/ca_trini.htm
July - Morris Meadows, Trinity Alps. This was a solo backpacking trip that went awry due to a sudden loss of enthusiam once I reached my destination. The valley looked good on the map, but once I got there it felt big and flat. This was part of the lesson I slowly learned that Meadows are typically wet and buggy, though they can make for great views. I was a bit lonesome, as this was my first attempt at a solo trip. I looked around while I ate lunch, and decided to turn back to the campground my brother Al was managing by Trinity Lake. Both my brothers were there, and they'd be watching a movie that night, and I felt bad for missing it. I remember marching through a Trinity Alps Resort and basking in the warmth of the human activity. There was a dance scheduled that night. It turned out to be a 23-1/2 mile day hike with a heavy load (including a full-size tripod). I'd never had feet more sore ... but then I was only 17!
August - Hamilton Lakes - with Juan. This was our first multiple night backpacking trip. It turned out to be three nights. We departed from Giant Forest, camped on the High Sierra Trail, then camped the next night at Hamilton Lakes. Our last night was spent at Panther Creek down on the Middle Fork trail. As we were approaching Moro Creek, Juan threw a rock at a hornets' nest. I don't know what he thought his target was. The nest was concealed in a dirt trailcut. He and some unfortunate hikers behind us were stung by the hornets.
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November - Paradise Creek - with David, Juan, and a friend of David. We camped at Buckeye Flat, which was closed at the time. I wanted to follow an old trail toward Castle Rocks, but we found very little evidence of a trail. I intend to approach Castle Rocks from Atwell Mill someday.
June - Hockett Lakes - with David & Al. I was just out of high school. We camped at Garfield Grove the first night, then next to the South Fork the next. Snow and mosquitoes were everywhere on the Hockett Plateau.
maps: [1:100k] [1:50k]August - Lone Pine Creek & Alta Peak - another three-night trip with Juan. It was a record snow year, and I had no idea how badly that snow could impact an August hike. Our intended destination was Hamilton Lakes, but the high stream levels stopped us. We had already forded Buck Creek which was flowing over the footbridge there, but Lone Pine Creek just seemed too dangerous. We retreated to Bearpaw Meadow campground, got into a scuffle with a bear, and then retreated further, in the dark, to Buck Canyon. The next morning we were told a bear was near our camp - no relation, I'm sure. When we crossed Buck Creek the water was below the bridge, it being morning. We hiked toward Panther Pass, where we intended to make our final camp. We climbed through the snow to the summit of Alta Peak (the highest point I've reached in the Sierra), then slid down the snowfield on the west slope. Upon returning to the trail, we discovered that my pack had been ripped apart. Juan's was untouched. I had been carrying all the food. Rather than making camp without any food, we hiked back to Giant Forest village.
April - Upper Yosemite Creek - with David. We hiked up to the top of Yosemite Falls and camped there. A beautiful easter in Yosemite, after the previous two were so cold and wet. I remember enjoying the view from the top at dusk tremendously. We brought a pocket radio, and discovered Dr. Ruth Westheimer that night.
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Summer - Emerald Lake (Sequoia NP) - Solo. I dropped my sleeping bag somewhere along the way, backtracked aways, then decided to go on and spend the night under my tarp. After an uncomfortably cold night, I woke up the next morning to the sound of a marmot licking my dinner pot, a few feet from my head. It could have just as likely been a bear. What was I thinking? I remember how unbearably hot it was down in the Central Valley, after it had been so cold in the mountains.
Summer - Cobalt Lakes (Sequoia NP) - Solo. I had a bout with altitude sickness, and I had been told it was cross country the rest of the way to Crystal Lake (due to avalanche damage?), so I decided to make camp at Cobalt Lakes, and enjoyed myself, and a lovely sunset, thoroughly. Though it was short of my goal, it was at 10,000 feet, which proved to be plenty for my sea-level blood. I took the scenic route via Monarch Lake on my return trip.
Ranger Lakes (Kings Canyon NP) - I think I took this trip with Juan. If so, it was our last overnight trip together. The stars that night were beautiful. This is where I fell in love with astronomy, which was a major influence in my life for over ten years to come.
After this trip, I shipped all my valuable backpacking gear to South Africa, ended up in Israel, then lost my bearings for a bit. I didn't go backpacking for over four years.
September — Ellicott Rock Wilderness, South Carolina - with friends Phil, Chip, and Chip's girlfriend. We took this overnight trip when my brother Al worked at the Walhalla National Fish Hatchery, and the Ellicott Rock Wilderness was virtually in his backyard. It was a fairly level hike along the Chatooga River and its East Fork, 3-1/2 miles each way. After making camp, Chip and I swam across the chilly Chatooga into Georgia. To top off our self-styled journey up the famous Chatooga. Chip and Phil made Deliverance-style poses for my camera.
http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/wild_view.cfm?wname=Ellicott%20Rock
hatchery area map: [1:25k]
route map: [1:25k]
November — Shining Rock Wilderness, North Carolina - with friends Phil and Wes. We followed the Art Leob Trail across ridgetops and down to the Little East Fork Pigeon River. Though much of the forests in the area haven't recovered from wildfire damage, we experienced some amazing fall colors while descending into the river canyon. The bottom of the canyon was quite nice, too. I can't remember why we didn't camp there. Perhaps we noticed rainclouds in the sky. The ascent up the ridge was difficult. We endured a drenching rain storm at our camp on Shining Rock Gap (~5740 ft.) and during our return the next morning, but this was one of the most invigorating wilderness trips I've ever taken. We hiked about 19 miles in all, ranging from ~3260 ft. to 6214 ft. (on Black Balsam Knob).
http://www.wilderness.net/nwps/wild_view.cfm?wname=Shining%20Rock
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I got a job at Yosemite in June 1990, and remained there until February 1992. I didn't do much backpacking while I was there, but a couple of adventures are worth mentioning.
Spring 1990 - Wawona Hotel to Yosemite Valley - This was my first two-night solo trip. It was part of my trip to visit my new workplace-to-be in El Portal. I took a side trip to Glacier Point. I camped above Chilnualna Falls and on Yosemite's south rim.
maps: [50k] [200k] [50k]Summer 1990 - El Portal via El Capitan - a 27.5 mile day hike from Yosemite Valley to my cabin in El Portal, which I embarked on spontaneously after discovering I'd forgotten my PIN number. I brought a couple cans of Sprite, which was all I could afford. I took side trips to the top of Yosemite Falls and El Capitan. By the time I reached Foresta Falls, I coundn't see a thing except for the silhouette of trees over the road. I kept encountering a skunk as I descended Foresta Road in the dark. Later that year, Most of Foresta would be lost in wildfires. Needless to say, my feet made me pay for this one.
I didn't backpack much at all from Summer 1990 to late Summer 2000.
Spring, 1993 - Devils Peak (Ventana Wilderness) - I backpacked up the Skinner Ridge Trail from Bottchers Gap (~2100 ft.) to Devils Peak (4158 ft.). I didn't realize how hot these hills could be until this hike. It was Spring, yellow flies were eating me alive, and at one point I sat down to rest and noticed two ticks on my sleeping bag. This area isn't far from Garrapata (Spanish for Tick) Creek, and I recalled my roommate complaining about how the ticks jumped all over him while hiking in Garrapata State Park. I made camp near the Apple Tree campsite, then abandoned camp and returned before nightfall, after tiring of the constant assault of biting flies and worries about ticks. This was not the lush, moist, temperate coastal jaunt I had anticipated.
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Summer, 1994 - Poop Out Pass (Jennie Lakes Wilderness) - Having arrived late in the day, I found all park trailheads at their quota when I arrived at Roads End. I then drove to a Sequoia National Forest ranger station and obtained a fire permit for the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. I parked at Big Meadow (~7600 ft.), then hiked toward Poop Out Pass. By the time I hit the trail, I didn't have much daylight left to travel on. I camped at about 9000 feet, below the pass on the South side.
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1995 (age 30) - Castle Rock - Carolyn and I took the leisurely hike to the Castle Rock State Park trail camp, and spent the night there.
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In late 1999, I tracked down Juan Briseno, my old friend and hiking partner. Since then we have paid visits to the Sierra on about an annual basis.