Dan's Outside

2007 Log

January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December

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January

Some date before today – went on some kind of hike in early January, but I don’t remember where…

January 20, 2007 – Relatively short loop at Calero, including a large section of trailless ridge walking – and more than an hour of waiting for the right light to photography foggy lakes and ponds.

January 21,2007 – Steep climb up the Nibb Knob trail to summit road at Uvas Canyon Park in strong winds.

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February

February 3, 2007 – Interesting day… Started with a hike at Las Trampas with the Bay Area bloggers contingent. Ended the day with a night photography workshop at Mare Island.

February 16, 2007 – Nice little morning hike at Almaden Quicksilver. Started out in fog that quickly cleared to warm sunshine.

February 18, 2007 – Sigh… hoping to get in a lot of hiking this 4-day weekend, but I got a nasty cold. I did get in some serious urban walking at the Amgen Tour Of California prologue stage in San Francisco today.

February 24, 2007 – Nice rain hike at Castle Rock.

February 25. 2007 – Urban hike.

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March

March 3, 2007 – Urban Hike.

March 4, 2007 – Not exactly a hike, but kinda, sorta. Spent about five hours wandering around Mare Island Naval Shipyard doing night photography.

March 12, 2007 – Urban hike.

March 17, 2007 – Almaden Quicksilver.

March 18, 2007 Calero for photography.

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April

April 1-4, 2007 – Death Valley and return via 395 and Monitor/Ebbets Passes. Various bits of hiking over the course of the trip.

April 15, 2007 – Climbed Deep Gulch trail at Almaden Quicksilver.

April 20-21, 2007 – Overnight photo trip to Yosemite Valley. Drove up Friday and camped in the Valley. Up early on Saturday to do photography, followed by afternoon hike around various spots in the east end of the Valley

April 28, 2007 – Accompanied a large group of Hoover Middle School kids on a trip to Donner Lake and a hike over Donner Pass.

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May

May 5, 2007 – Cinco de Mayo hike at Almaden Quicksilver.

May 6, 2007 – Some very minor walking about while taking photographs.May 12, 2007 – Nice hike at Big Basin State Park; walked up to Mt. Abee more or less by accident.

May 19, 2007 – Longish hike at Calero – out to Bald Peaks ridge and back.

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June

Saturday, June 2, 2007 – Nice little National Trails Day wander at Calero Park. Today’s hike was meant to be a (belated) start on getting up to speed for this summer’s upcoming pack trips. I did a fairly brisk hike from the MacAbee Road entrance to Almaden Quicksilver Park up to the high point on the Mine Hill trail.

June 24, 2007 – Today’s hike was meant to be a (belated) start on getting up to speed for this summer’s upcoming pack trips. I did a fairly brisk hike from the MacAbee Road entrance to Almaden Quicksilver Park up to the high point on the Mine Hill trail.

June 26, 2007 – Today’s hike was pretty much an old standard – a loop on several familiar trails at Calero Park. I arrived early and went out past the pond and up over the hills to pick up the Javelina loop, which I did in the counter-clockwise direction. I added a bit of an extra loop at the end, coming back via the trail I usually take when I do the Bald Peaks trail.

Saturday, June 30, 2007 – I got up very early today, planning to get on the trail by dawn. I ended up sitting around, checking email, having an espresso… and finally got on the road to Calero park around 7:30. Today’s hike took me up to the Bald Peaks trail, which travels along what is likely the highest ridge in the park. It is an open, sunny, windy place with views all around – south to the far reaches of Santa Clara County, west to the ridge of Loma Prieta and Mt. Umunhum and east to the Diablo Range and Mt. Hamilton, and north across San Jose and toward San Francisco where today I could see morning fog coming in from the Pacific. I hiked on into the Rancho Cañada del Oro open space preserve until I reached the highest point on the trail, and from there I took a short side trip the summit of the highest spur on the ridge.
I’ve set a minor photographic challenge for myself this summer. (Actually, I’ve set several, but I’ll only mention one right now.) I like the look of the Central California oak grassland in all seasons – yes, even in the heat of summer. So I’m going to try to do some photography of these scenes in the middle of the day when the light is high and harsh and see if I can capture the right feeling.

End of June – Due to school stuff and a web site transition stuff didn’t get listed…

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July

Sunday, July 1, 2007 – Nice long local hike.

Monday, July 2, 2007 – Arrived at Tuolumne for a 3-day camping trip. After getting settled I went up to the pass and hiked into Gaylor Lakes Basin, where I did some late afternoon and evening photography.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007 – After getting up quite early to do morning photography, I started on a hike out towards Young Lakes around 9:30 a.m. What with many stops and starts along the way I got as far as the ridge before the last section to the lakes. On the way back I stopped for quite awhile at Dog Lake and stayed around to photograph sunset on Dana and Gibbs before returning to the car nearly 12 hours after I started.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007 – After some morning and midday photography, I started up the trail to May Lake after lunch. From there I followed the (sometimes sketchy) route to the top of Mt. Hoffman.

Sunday, July 8, 2007 – Urban walk. (There was another one around this time that didn’t get recorded also…)

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 – To the high point of Mine Hill from the Hacienda entrance to Almaden Quicksilver. Gotta’ do more climbing!

Friday, July 13, 2007 – Most of the “big climb” from the MacAbee Road entrance to Almaden Quicksilver. Got as far as the Prospect #3 trail junction before time forced a return. And a good thing too! By the time I got back to the car I was feeling the first effects of the flue that Patty and Jameson had earlier this week.

Sunday, July 15, 2007 – Long urban walk between Fort Mason and Fort Point in SF.

Tuesday, Juy 17, 2007 – Urban hike on the river trail.

Saturday, July 21 – Sunday, July 29, 2007 – Pack trip with Richard’s family. On Saturday drove to Tuolumne to camp and climbed Lembert Dome for Sunset. On Sunday, hung out and hiked around T-Meadows until mid-afternoon when I left for Mammoth. Monday: Hiked in to Ediza Lake where we stayed for three nights – day hiked to nearby lakes and did a lot of photography. Next two nights at Thousand Island Lake before hiking out on River trail.

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August

Saturday, August 4, 2007 – Drove to Horseshoe Meadow with the talusdancers gang; trailhead bb!.

Sunday, August 5, 2007 – First day of pack trip. Hiked out to Cottonwood Lake #1 and then turned left to go to Long Lake and camp.

Monday, August 6, 2007 – Day 2: Up early to cross New Army Pass. After pause at the top, descended to the west and then took lateral trail to Soldier Lake. From here followed cross country route up a break in the cliffs to the ridge, contoured around before dropping into Miter Basin. Camped at Blue Sky Lake.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007 – Day 3: Up early and around Blue Sky Lake to start up the cross country route toward the pass. Crossed Crabtree pass midday, then descended to Upper Crabtree Lake to camp.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007 – Day 4: Continued down canyon toward Lower Crabtree Lake and then followed trails to Crabtree Meadow, where we stopped for lunch. Now on the JMT we ended up camping at Wallace Creek.

Thursday, August 9, 2007 – Day 5: Short day… we followed the JMT north, stopping for a long lunch at the lake near Tawny Point before continuing on to Tyndall creek to camp.

Friday, August 10, 2007 – Day 6: Headed up and over Shepherd Pass; descended to Anvil Camp.

Saturday, August 11, 2007 – Day 7: Continued descent, interrupted by a 500′ foot climb before descent resumed. Exit at Symmes Creek. (Then to Mammoth for a nice hotel, shower, good food, family…

Sunday, August 12, 2007 – Hung out with family in Mammoth. Visited South Lake and Sabrina and Convict Lake.

Monday, August 13, 207 – Home with a side trip to Bodie.

Saturday, August 25, 2007 – Medium length loop at Almaden Quicksilver. Light and air slightly suggest fall…

Note: – Probably missed recording a few short hikes in here somewhere.

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September

September 1, 2007 – Short urban evening hike.

September 2, 2007 – Nice little hike and photography session at Calero.

September 9, 2007 – Drive to Tuolumne Meadow and hit the trail (via Dog Lake) to Lower Young Lake.

September 10, 2007 – Layover day at Lower Young Lake – visited the upper lakes and a bit beyond before afternoon thundershowers chased me back to my camp.

September 11, 2007 – Return to Tuolumne with a twist. Instead of starting out on the main trail, I climbed over the saddle to the left of Ragged Peak and descended from there into the upper Dingley Creek drainage, rejoining the Dog Lake trail across this valley.

September 16, 2007 – Spent the evening photographing at Point Lobos.

September 22, 2007 – Little hike out of MacAbee road entrance at Almaden Quicksilver.

September 31, 2007 – One-day photo marathon in eastern Sierra: over Carson and Monitor and south on 395 to as far as Lee Vining. Visited Dunderberg Meadow, Green Creek, and other assorted areas to see the aspens, which were just coming into form – perhaps a bit early this year? Returned via the same route.

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October

A Couple Notes:First, it seems to me that the autumn season is coming on earlier that usual this year. As I write this (10/14/07) we’ve had weekly or better Pacific fronts come through since late September. Tioga Road has been closed several times, along with other Sierra Passes. I saw 4 inches of snow during the first weekend of October across Monitor Pass and down in the Mammoth area; some of it all the way down to the high desert east of the Sierra. Aspen color started early and did not last long – much of it was gone during my October 6 and 7 visit. In the Bay Area many trees are already turning fall colors in mid-October rather than the more typical Mid-November.

Second, I missed recording some activities here including a few short local hikes in the Quicksilver park.

October 6, 2007 – Drove over Carson and Monitor Passes and headed south on 395, eventually ending up at Four Jeffrey campground.

October 7, 2007 – Photographed Sabrina, North Lake, McGee Creek, Rock Creek, Lee Vining Canyon, and parts of Tioga Pass Road.

October 13, 2007 – Short hike at Quicksilver.

October 14, 2007 – Medium loop at Calero.

October 21, 2007 – Visited Muir Woods for photography and hiked a loop there.

October 27, 2007 – A one-day photo trip to see fall foliage in Yosemite Valley. In addition to the photography I hiked up most of the mist trail, stopping at my cliffside tree just below the top.

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November

November 2-3, 2007 – Two-day photo trip to Yosemite to catch the tail end of the autumn colors. Shot around the valley on the first day; up at dawn to photograph Glacier Point at sunrise on day 2, and then various spots (many by foot) around the valley before leaving.

November 17, 2007 – (No hiking last week – weekend in LA and busy week at the college.) Nice little hike at Calero. Noticed that this is the time of year when: grasses die back and one can travel cross country in this type of terrain, it isn’t hot even when it is sunny, and some grasses are already coming up from the earlier rain.

November 18, 2007 – Two hour urban hike on the nearby creek trail.

November 23, 207 – Short post-Thanksgiving Turkey Recovery Hike this morning at Calero. Very cold morning with lots of wind and leave blowing around, but it gave way to Santa Ana type winds that warmed things up quite a bit.

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December

December 1, 2007 – Began the month with a short hike up Deep Gulch at Almaden Quicksilver, a place I haven’t been to enough recently. I was surprised by light rain on the climb, but it mostly cleared by the top. I was surprised – and a bit distressed – to find some extensive newly plowed roadway along some ridge areas near the old mill on the ridge.

December 2, 2007 – Loop hike in very cold and windy conditions at Castle Rock. Noticed that the very tail end of the fall color had arrived, but too windy to photograph it. Got a bee sting on the way back to the car!

Forgot to record several mid-month hikes here! Darn…

December 27, 2007 – Nice winter loop hike at Calero, with virtually no one else at the park and a storm on its way in.

December 28, 2007 – Urban walk.

December 30, 2007 – Point Lobos for sunset photography.