excerpt from email to Sandy: Gualala, Ukiah

Yes I liked the Gualala Campground. Thanks for the tip about the free camping.

I got there a bit after 6pm and the ranger drove by a few minutes later while I was taking a few picts of the backlit tree branches overhanging the river.  So I asked her that I'd heard I get one free camping night, and she said yes. After a long pause I asked her "so how do I invoke that?"  She said, I can do it right here if you have your card. "Good" I said. (Don't know why she was so reluctant to begin with, though later she asked me rather pointedly whether I had any problems with mosquitoes because there are a lot flying around, and after I told her I had bug spray and could retreat to the tent if necessary, she told me she just had another camper demand a refund because of the mosquitoes, and I responded that that type of person would have found another reason to try for the refund. She then asked me if I had any dogs or cats, I said "just my very active camera".

Anyway, the mosquitoes were pretty bad, but with the sun still up I took the path under the road, past the walk-in campgrounds (one was occupied) up to the parking area of the day-use area.  "How's your camera?" I heard, Turned around, it was the ranger picking up litter.  "It wants to get to Gualala Point for the sunset.  And this is my mosquito protection" I said pointing to the green parka I had put on.  The sunset turned out to be rather bland.  I walked back via the road as it got dark.   

Sorted my stuff this morning (will need another iteration to get it all settled more compactly, had to ask for change to take a shower, walked to the campground host, saying hi to c couple walking a very skittish littile  black dog with no tail.  Called out "anyone home?" at the trailer and the couple I had passed responded "can I help you?"  "yes, I need quarters."  I hadn't recognized her without her uniform.   As she went back to the trailer her dog pulled on it's leash and looked at me the whole time rather suspiciously. 

I got going at 10am, got gas & coffee  in Gualala, made a few more stops along  the road, getting to Navarro River Beach by noon.  Took my camera for an hour walk along the river & beach, then another walk from a turnoff in the Navarro Redwoods, getting some good picts of Ginger, and a few oterhs I can't remember the name of.

The I headed to Ukia, where I'm at the library that's closed but they're having a book sale, so I guess I better get shopping for a book now.

Will continue later.

exerpt of email to Sandy: Revised May travel plans

Mainly I'm adding a visit with my daughter followed by hike on PCT near Donner Pass.  I'm also "filling in the blanks" what I might be doing on some of the the "unscheduled" days.  For example, I've pinpointed some possible days we could hike at Castle Crags:  Friday May 9th being the "first opportunity", other main windows being between Sunday and Wednesday May 11-14, or  possibly as late as Fri-Mon May16-19.

Of course there are other worthy hikes in the area as well.

  

But actually, I'm thinking you might like to hear that talk on "Plants of the Calif Deserts" up at the   Lake Oroville Visitor Center the evening of Wednesday May 7th.  I could meet you there and we could continue from there to make our way up along the Sacto river to Redding area in the next few days.

Anyway, here's my revised list:

Thu May01 10am CNPSMB field trip:Stump Beach MBCNPS Ann Howald.

Overnight at coast (at Salt Point or further north at Navarro beach?)

Fri May02 slowly drive from coast to Ukiah area (stop at library for wifi?.) 

Overnight at Cow Mt

Sat May03 9:30am CNPSMB field trip: Carpool from CCC at 2600 Old River Rd, Talmage/Ukiah for stops along N.CowMt.Rd    

Overnight at Cow Mt.

Sun May04 10am CNPSDKY field trip: Highland Springs Reservoir, Kelseyville/Lakeport. 

Overnight at Boggs Demonstration forest near Kelseyville, or at Cedar Roughs near Lk Berryessa?

Mon May05 10am Visit Becca in Davis, then drive to Donner Pass in time to rent snowshoes at Clair Tappan Sierra Club lodge.

Overnight at PCT trailhead (at the Boreal Snow Park hwy 80 exit)"

Tue May06 Hike PCT north 10 miles & back

Overnight near Peter Grubb Sierra Club hut. 

Wed May07 Back to car by noon. Return rented snowshoes. drive to Lk Oroville/Chico area, Scout for possible camping spots in area.

Wed May07 7:30pm CNPSLassen talk: (carpool at7pmfromW.LotChicoP&RatHwy32/99) or meet at Lk.OrovilleVisitorCtr 917 KellyRidgeRd for "Plants of Ca Deserts" by Jim Bishop

Overnight in Oroville/Chico area?

Thu May08 drive to Redding area. Maybe visit Shasta Dam & hike/bike some of the bike paths along the river below the dam.  

Overnight on NF land near the dam.

Fri May09 Possibly meet up with Sandy to Hike at Castle Crags.

Overnight at Castle Crags? (alternatively drive to near tomorrows meeting location (Medford or ?) 

Sat May10 8am CNPSShasta field trip: Yreka Greenhorn Park Siskiyou Arboretum Demonstration Garden with J&T Theskin

or

Sat May10 9am NPSOSiskiyou field trip: meet at Medford BLM/FS Ofc 3040 BiddleRd for hike to FlounceRock & Baker Cypress ACES

or

Sat May10 1-4pm CNPSNC field trip: Stony Creek hike with Carol Ralph 822-2015  Location?

Sun-Wed May11-14  Unscheduled; Possibly hike Castle Crags and elsewhere with Sandy?

Wed May14 7:30pm CNPSNC talk: Hiking the JMT by G&L Lester. Location near Arcata?

Thu 15 6pm SierraClubShastaGrp event: at Redding Library 1100 Parkview Ave. "Sectionhiking the PCT" by John Livingston 

Fri May16 set up to hike PCT from Burney Falls to Castle Crags (possibly "kill more time" over the weekend when bus to Burney not running, maybe including Castle Crags with Sandy?)

Warner Valley hydrothermal

By the time I had posted my last blog entry via the Chester library's WiFi, it was late evening so i just overnighted at the PCT TH at Domingo Springs.  Next morning decided I needed a shower and drove back to Chester for that and do my laundry and get some groceries (and coffee&doughnuts.)
Managed to do that all fairly efficiently and drove back up Warner Valley Rd to the Lassen Park gate, verifying that it was mow open, then driving back to the end of the pavement, dropping off my bicycle, then driving back into the park to to Waarner Valley Campground, leaving my car there, then walking the two miles on the road back to my bicycle then bicycling the hour's worth of mostly level road to Domingo Springs, hiding my bike at the end of that paved branch of the road and walking the few hundred feet to the PCT trailhead.  I guess it was early afternoon by then.

Most of the trail was a viewless climb and west-slope traverse of Flatiron Ridge, finally getting to a sign saying Terminal Geyser .2 miles. Nearly a whole mile downhill later, I finally got a first glimpse of steam, although I could smell it the whole time, as the trail tangentially circumnavigated a .2 mile radius for 180 degrees counterclockwise before completing the catenary toward the steam vent, not a geyser, at the canter.  It was still worth the look.

 
Continuing on, the trail passed along the east shore of Boiling Springs lake.  A trail circled around the north and west sides of the lake. It was late in the afternoon with the west side already shaded by trees, but I spent about an hour there takinglots of photos and panoramas.

The rest of the way to Warner Valley was fairly unremarkable.

Hiked through Lassen betw. Summit Lk & hwy44

(Writing this on tiny smartphone keyboard, will be brief.)

Actually, hiked north to south on PCT after bicycling from Summit Lk to the 32N12 Twin Bridges Road trailhead off of 44, a few miles short of Old Station, with the usual prep - leaving backpack at trailhead before leaving car at other end & bicycling.

The actual hike was rather viewless, except for occasional burnt-tree screened views westward to the major peaks much better viewed from the road.  I did indulge in an hour-long break in the midday sun by Lower Twin Lake, feeling like i had the whole park to myself.

I was actually the first car past the south-side gate after the gov. Shutdown. Only one other car waiting.  On trail, met only one couple, and followed one set of bootprints for a portion, the Twin Lake loop portion. Lots of animal prints including bear.

Got back to car early this morning, fetched my bike and did short out&back hike from there north to Old Station, or more precisely, to the gate in back of the Hat Creek Resort there, which had a sign inviting PCT hikers to come stay for showers, etc. I decided to turn around there since this would be a good accesspoint to resume from.

Drove north on 44 to trailhead jatop Hat Creek Rim ust north of Subway Caves, intending to bicycle back from there to OldTown then hike PCT to car. But by then it was 3PM, a bit late in the day to do that stretch. So should I spend the remaining daylight scouting out a lext loop to maybe Burney Falls, or call OldStation my northern termminus for this season and instead try to complete sections I had skipped?

I decided to drive around the east side of Lassen back to Chester to check email, (that's what I'm doing now, parked in front of the closed library) resupply, and set myself up to do the section of trail between Domingo Springs and Warner Valley campground that i had skipped.  I'll do that tomorrow.

Then, since the weather is still forecast good for next 5 days, i think I'll head south on hwy 89 toward Truckee and take the Hennis Pass/Jackson Meadows road westward to Jackson Mdws Reservoir and do some out&back day or one-overnight hikes both north and south from there along PCT, to essentially split my last remaining chunk between hwy 80 & 49 into 4 pieces, those two O&B's from Jackson Mdws being the middle two pieces.  If the weather still holds, I'll the do the piece from hwy 49 (from Wild Plum trlhd) and finally, the last piece from DonnerSummit.

Then I'll call it A Hike for this season and come home. 

thunder, lightning, snow

Well, the forecast called for nothing but sunshine last week, but...

So, last post I wasn't sure when I would leave Bucks Summit - I ended up staying the night and bicycling down to Quincy the next late-morning to catch the mid-day bus to Chester - still a freezing cold downhill, but then had a chance to warm in the sun waiting for the bus.

Bus went via the east shore of Lk Almanor - a lake very reminiscent of Lk Tahoe - a bit smaller, and mts a bit less close up to the shoreline.  Usually the buses I've been taking are mostly empty, this one filled up to SRO at the Sierra community college west of Quincy, all heading to a highschool homecoming in Greenville.

From Chester, I bicycled up the Warner Valley rd then west past Domingo Springs CG to the PCT trailhead where I'd left my backpack.  Locked my bike against some trees & hiked a few miles til Sunset, finding a nice spot on ridge top with last rays of sunset and first rays of sunrise bathing my campsite.  Cold morning nevertheless, frost on my sleepingbag, partly frozen bottles of water.  Seemed to get even colder as the day progressed, partly cloudy morning made for good photoops but afternoon progresssively more overcast and a cold fog developing, unfortunate becasue I would have had some good close views to the north into Lassen, but left with ratehr grey indistinct outlines of peaks.

Thought I must be approaching a logging road hearing rumbling of truchs, and flashes of headlights from those trucks, but it soon became obviously a developing thunderstorm, so I decided to forego a nice campsite at top of ridge near a side trail to Butt mt that would have had good views into Lassen next morning, and continued hiking by flashlight down to Carter creek, where it just felt like I was about to get dumped on, so found the first adequate site and prepared for a wet night, not a minute too soon.  Bright flash of lightning across the whole sky, thunder close by, about a five minute lag and gradual patter of frozen rain drops turning a few minutes later into flakes of snow, about two inches within a half hour then tapered of.

Next morning, and most of that day, a winter wonderland, photographer's nirvana!  Except, in the woods it rained snow-melt all day.  Did get a chance around 2pm in a clearing of a volcanic outcrop to hang out my bag, and socks, to dry in the sun and breeze.

Next few days back to the car were still briskly cold but "dry", crunchy frozen ground dry.  managed to be about a day ahead of schedule to the car, walking down to Bucks summit just at sunset with a full moon superimposed by the sunset against a hazy-pink cast on the ridges south of Bucks Summit.  Photographer's delight.

Drove to Quincy to do my laundry and have a pizza next door while backing up picts, then drove to Chester and overnighted at the trailhead near my bike.  Loaded that in the car first light next morning, drove back to Chester to take a shower, have coffee and a breakfast of eggs & hashbrowns while chatting with diners there, asking about the status of the Warner Valley entrance into Lassen - it may be closed for the winter.   Stopped at the Bike shop and Forest Service center in town to ask a few more questions, still have a few more saved for the Park's visitor center, about to head there with the though of maybe doing a loop hike along the PCT in the park from the Summit Lake area - or see if I can put together something with the bike to hwy 89/44 north of the park from Summit Lake, and get a back country permit to camp within the park.

Unless... I can "get a ride" from hwy 44 (Sierra City area) to hwy 80 (Donner Pass) and finish off that skipped section of the trail while there's a good chunk of sunny weather forecast'
  

About2do Bucks Summit to Domingo Springs abt 6days

Figured a way to avoid bicycling down hwy70 which is too treacherous for my taste, by taking bus from Quincy to Chester, bringing bicycle along (after coasting from Bucks Summit to Quincy) then bicycling moderately uphill from Chester to Domingo Springs (which is just south of the Lassen park boundary.)

I've left my backpack at Domingo Springs (i should say, at the trailhead nearby, since the FS campground is obviously closed due to Gov shutdown.)

Not sure yet whether i will take the afternoon bus today or overnight at Buck Summit and take the morning bus tomorrow.

There's snow on the ridgetops but forecast promises a week more of sunshine.
Will

PCT: completed Quincy-Laporte Rd to Bucks Summit

This was mostly an "out & back" hike starting from the Bald Mt Trailhead Campground at Little Grass Valley Reservior. A "PCT connector trail" branches off of the Bald mt Trail, reaching the PCT in about three miles. starting mid-afternoon, I first headed south on the PCT from there back nearly to the Quincy-LaPorte rd, planning to leave my pack at a "base-camp" point short of the road timed so I could do the rest out&back before dusk, then camp that first night where I'd left my pack.  Only problem was, I made better time than I expected (took fewer picts?) and found myself unexpectedly at the road, pack still on, so I guess I wasted some (food) energy... ended up camping close to the junction with the connector trail.

Next day, hiked north down (waaay down) to the Middle Fork Feather River and up the other side just past Bear Creek. This was a long day, the last 40 minutes being by flashlight simply because the terrain was so steep there was no place flat enough to lay down my biv bag. (I was looking at one possibility above a large tree but I couldn't scramble the steep slope up to it.   Finaly found a large "established" campsite on a shoulder a bit beyond Bear Creek (bypassing another established site right at the creek because those tend to be too cold & damp for my taste.)

Next morning I left my pack there and just a bottle of water and a small bag of "essentials": mixed nuts, a peanut butter sandwich, first-aid  kit, flashlight & batteries, and camera of course, I headed north, making it at 4pm to Big Creek Rd which is 5 miles short of Bucks Summit Rd.  Scurried back, (whistling all the way) to my backpack/campsite, again after dark, about 8pm.  (I've taken to whistling - my own compositions or simple up & down runs to reflect the terrain - after talking to some hunters - several encounters (and more incidents of shots not far in the distance,) telling me that the tan sun-hat I'm wearing looks like a dear's hind-end. In one conversation I suggested I must look like a buck whose head & neck had already been taken as a trophy but was still reflex-walking on his front-legs, hind-end in the air because he couldn't figure out anymore which way was up.

Final day, back across the MBFeatherR gorge and back to the car just at dusk, drove a bit further towrd Quincy t othe same spot alongside the road I had used while scouting the area a few weeks earlier, then next morning (this morning) passed through Quincy with just a quick stop at the Safeway for some fruits & veges etc, (and a hot coffee) and on to Bucks Summit. Sat there most of the morning munching fresh food listening to radio, then bicycled down the west side of Bucks summit rd past bucks lake then up (regaining most of the elevation from Bucks Summit) south & east on Big Creek Rd to the PCT Trailhead which was where I stopped two days earlier, then strolled the mostly level 5 miles back to the car.  Fetched my bicycle, headed to Quincy to do laundry and use the wifi at the Pizza place next door.

Pizza place is about to close. I think I'm heading north to Chester, find a spot to overnight near the southeast entrance to Lassen Park, which I assume is closed, but there were some "dispersed" sites on NF land I've used last time I was scouting that area.  Plan to use the Chester Library tomorrow while it's supposed to rain/snow.  will probably do some of the hikes I had scouted out earlier in that area within the next few days, then head back to tackle the Bucks Summit to Belden section of trail, which will involve a nervey bike ride down hwy 70.

This would only leave one more section I'd like to do this season - the piece from Hwy 80 to hwy 49.  I've scouted out a way to possibly do that it two pieces, the northern half probbaly an out&back, but the southern half possibly involving a long bike ride with significant uphill, to Truckee, then a $50 taxi ride from Truckee to Donner Summit.   I could maybe also this section all-at-once with a long bicycle ride from Hwy 49/Sierra City to Nevada City and another $50 taxi ride to donner Summit.  Or, maybe I could still persuade a friend or family member to make a day-trip some weekend to Sierra City on hwy 49, picking me up there, have a short hike or picnic in the area, then later drop me off at Donner Summit.  hint hint.