Dan's Outside

2006December

***I neglected
to record several hikes during the first half of the month – Almaden Quicksilver, Calero. Ah, well.

***December 20, 2006
– Short hike at Calero to photograph winter trees.

***December 28, 2006
– A one-hour dusk hike out to the Vallecitos trail at Calero.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006December

2006November

***November 5, 2006
– Time for a short loop hike at Almaden Quicksilver today.

***Life got busy
and I neglected to record a variety of day hikes…

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006November

2006October

***October 2, 3006
– Second day of leaf trip. Spent morning and early afternoon in Bishop Creek drainage. Left around 3:00, but it was raining as I drove north.

***October 7, 2006
– Drove to Yosemite early to find Tioga Pass Road temporarily closed due to light snow. The road soon opened and I drove on up. After TPR breakfast, Owen and I drove to Saddlebag Lake, waited out a small snow shower, and backpacked around the left side of the lake to Cascade Lake. Cold!

***October 8, 2006
– Got up late due to the very cold and frosty morning. Packed after sun began to hit camp. Continued on loop through 20 Lakes Basin, eventually returning via the other side of Saddlebag Lake. Last Mono Melt of the season for late lunch at TPR, then time for some photos in Lee Vining Canyon, up the Virginia Lakes Road, around Conway Summit, and other places before heading home.

***October 14, 2006
– English Camp via Deep Gulch.

***October 22, 2006
– One-day trip to Yosemite in beautiful weather to photograph spectacular fall foliage. Hiking included parts of the upper end of the Valley and the Mist and Nevada Fall loop around Vernal Fall.

***October 28, 2006
– Up for an early (but not quite early enough) start at Mission Peak. On the trail at about 6:40 a.m. for climb to the ridge south of the summit just after dawn.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006October

2006September

***September 1, 2006
– Long urban walk to downtown and back.

***September 2, 2006
– Up very early for an early morning hike up Mission Peak. Arrived at trailhead with barely any light. Went to the ridge to the south of the peak to photograph rocks along with spectacular clouds above and fog below.

***September 3, 2006
– Urban walk.

***September 6, 2006
– Urban walk.

***September 7, 2006
– Fast Almaden Quicksilver hike. Up Deep Gulch and Castillero to the Castillero/Mine Hill junction. Then down Mine Hill, across the lateral trail past English Camp, and down Deep Gulch.

***September 9, 2006
– Drove to Yosemite with the intention of backpacking but permits were gone. Hiked out to and beyond Mono Pass.

***September 10, 2006
– After dawn photography at Mono Lake, I backpacked up to Fletcher Lake.

***September 11, 2006
– Day hiked to Vogelsang Pass and then up to the ridge between Fletcher and Parsons Peaks.

***September 12, 2006
– Hiked back down Rafferty Creek to Tuolumne.

***September 16, 2006
– First day of a pack trip along the Sierra Crest between Old Donner Pass and Squaw Valley. Hiked along PCT about 9 miles to a point just north of Tinker Knob. First snow of the season was on the trail from a small front that came through the night before… :-)

***September 17, 2006
– Second day of pack trip. Hiked along PCT to backside of Squaw. Some crossed the ridge at the top of Squaw and others (including me) traversed around the north side of the ridge. Descended to upper lodge.

***September 23, 2006
– Now that school is starting again, getting out on weekdays will be much more difficult! Today I hiked a longish loop at Calero that took me to the top of the rocky hill on the Javelina Loop, from which I walked back via my ridge route.

***September 24, 2006
– Getting a late start, I only had time for a short hike today – out to nearly the reservoir from the north entrance to Quicksilver.

***September 30, 2006
– Fall leaf trip to eastern Sierra. Spent the morning around Carson Pass/Hope Valley. Headed south via Monitor Pass and 395 to end up at Four Jeffrey campground.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006September

2006August

***August 7-12, 2006
– (After injuring my toe at the start of the month, I had to forego any hiking before this trip.) The annual Talusdancers pack trip, though a rather easy and short one this year.

Day 1: Drive over Tioga Pass to Big Pine Creek for trailhead barbecue and car camping.

Day 2: Backpack up to Lake Two.

Day 3: Backpack to Lake Four.

Day 4: Hang at Lake Four. Short early morning walk to Summit Lake.

Day 5: Day hike to Lakes Six and Seven.

Day 6: Hike out and drive home.

***August 20, 2006
– Toe is recovering enough that I could take a short hike today at Calero.

***August 21, 2006
– Continuing the recuperation with a short urban walk.

***August 22, 2006
– Quicksilver hike from MacAbee Road to the reservoir and back.

***August 23, 2006
– Another little easy loop at Calero.

***August 25, 2006
– Urban hike: Train to San Francisco, then walk along Embarcadero to Ferry Building, past Transamerica Building, through Chinatown and North Beach to Fishermans Wharf, then back along waterfront.

***August 26, 2006
– Short hike at Quicksilver.

***August 30, 2006
– Up Deep Gulch to the ridge on Castillero Trail – on a hunt for locations that Wallace Stegner might have used as a setting for the home in Angle of Repose. Back down via Mine Hill.

***August 31, 2006
– Very short photography walk at Calero.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006August

2006July

***July 1, 2006
– School’s out! (yesterday) – Hiked Mission Peak this morning.

***July 2, 2006
– Hiked out to Spillway Lake in the Tioga Pass area. Camped at Aspen campground in Lee Vining Canyon.

***July 3, 2006
– Up early to drive to Mono Lake to take sunrise photos. Quick trip to top of Conway, then back to Lee Vining for coffee. Back up to Tioga/Tuolumne area for various short hikes and photography stops. Ended with sunset photos at Tuolumne.

***July 8, 2006
– Marched up the hill (to the upper Providentia trail) and back down again at Almaden.

***July 9, 2006
– a rather warm “big loop” hike at Calero – on Chisnantuck and Bald Peaks trails.

***July 10, 2006
– Early morning 2 1/4 hour urban hike.

***July 15, 2006
– Short evening hike up Deep Gulch to English Camp; back down via Mine Hill.

***July 16, 2006
– Roundabout hike to the top of Mission Peak. Up the main trail but then to the rock outcropping on the cutoff before the ridge. Descent on the main trail, but then took the lateral to the Horse Heaven trail.

***July 17, 2006
– Spare the Air Day so I took the train to SF and walked along the waterfront.

***July 20, 2006
– Another Spare the Air day… so this time I went to SF and walked up the Embarcadero, then up to North Beach and to Coit Tower before heading back down into the financial district. Took a quick ferry round trip to Sausalito before heading back home.

***July 22, 2006
– Went to Tuolumne to escape the heat and do some photography. Made it to Mono Lake and other areas around Tuolumne.

***July 23, 2006
– After some morning photography in the meadow, I hiked out the Young Lakes trail to ridge near the junction to the final mile and a half to the lakes. (Just past the spectacular open rocky/meadow area with the view of the Cathedral Range and the Sierra crest.

***July 27-August 1, 2006
– On a family trip to Seattle we did quite a bit of urban hiking, mostly in downtown Seattle, but also a bit on Bainbridge Island.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006July

2006June

***June 3, 2006
– A nice morning hike at Calero Park. Went up to Bald Peaks ridge and to within a mile of the Cottle picnic area at a point where the trail enters the Rancho Cañada del Oro open space. Next time I’ll make this a full loop. Hiked about 8 miles.

***June 4, 2006
– Another morning hike, this time at Almaden Quicksilver. Started at MacAbee Road (among the throngs of runners and hikers) and eventually headed up Mine Hill to the high point on the Castillero trail before retracing my steps. 9 miles.

***June 10, 2006
– Hiked a big loop at Calero today. I went out on the north portion of Javellina Loop, then took the Cottle and Chisnantuck trails up to the Bald Mountain Trail. Followed Bald Mountain for awhile along the ridge before descending to Figeroa and then heading back to where I started. The whole loop was nearly 9 miles.

***June 11, 2006
– We’ll call this the annual waterfall trip. I got up and 3:00 a.m. and drove to Yosemite Valley. Spent the day mostly hiking around the Valley floor, then drove up to Glacier Point for sunset. Arrived back home at 1:00 a.m.

***June 17, 2006
– Despite the fact that this is another “Paper Grading Weekend,” I managed to get out for an early morning hike today. Hiked out to and along the Bald Peaks Trail at Calero, well into the Open Space land and making it to the top of the highest point on the ridge. All told, it was a 10.5-11 mile hike.

***June 25, 2006
– Did one of my “climbing hikes” today – from Sanborn Park up to Skyline and then to Castle Rock State Park and back.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006June

2006May

***May 5, 2006
– Urban wallk in the late afternoon.

***May 6, 2006
– A “Hodges Trip” with students from Hoover Middle school! Up at 3:30 to drive to Donner Lake. Started at the state park museum, hiked the length of the lake and then up old hiway 40 to Donner Ski Ranch.

***May 19, 2006
– Urban walk.

***May 20, 2006
– Quicksilver. Out from MacAbee Road and started toward Prospect #3.

***May 27, 2006
– Visited Bodie and Mono Lake on the way to Mammoth.

***May 28, 2006
– Skied Mammoth.

***May 29, 2006
– Skied to Minaret Vista.

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December 31, 2005 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on 2006May