Dan's Outside

Lichen on Manzanita

&uot

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November 15, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Lichen on Manzanita

Rain and fall leaves at Almaden Quicksilver Park

(Those who are visually-oriented may recognize this particular spot on the trail from previous photos I have posted. :-)
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November 15, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Rain and fall leaves at Almaden Quicksilver Park

Disappointing outdoor websites that I still visit

You know the type of site I’m describing. You once found something really interesting there, or the concept of the site is great – but after visiting a few times you realize that it leaves you a bit disappointed. (Heck, you might even have that reaction to this site! ;-)

***Backpacker
(http://www.packpacker.com/) – I subscribe to the print version of this magazine, in which the writing quality ranges from juvenile to outstanding. There is enough of the good stuff to keep me subscribing. (See articles on Ansel Adam’s Sierra, backpacking in Alaska, etc.) Unfortunately, the web site mostly features reruns of cut-down versions of the same articles that appeared in the print version… sometimes years earlier. And, if you watch the site for a few months, you realize that the web versions of the articles are frequently recycled as well, maybe every few months. This is not the most productive way to position a magazine web site. Ideally, the print version should drive people to the web site… and the web site should drive people to the print version. To accomplish this, each version must complement the other one. When I go to the web version of Backpacker I should find something there that I have not already seen in print – perhaps reader-provided current conditions and news or features that are both compelling and not found in the print magazine. Why I keep coming back: I’m not sure. I guess I hope that Backpacker will eventually get it and provide something really exciting at the web site. Hint to backpacker: It won’t be one of your online contests, nor your online store.

***Joe’s Ultralight Backpacking
(http://www.ultralightbackpacker.com/) – It would be unfair for me to pick on Joe, since he is just one dedicated outdoor enthusiast who started a web site dedicated to the notion of going ultralight. I first discovered his site when I was beginning to work on lightening my backcountry loads, and I found useful information at the site along with links to other useful resources. But it turns out that Joe has a life beyond his web site and recent updates have changed from weekly or semi-monthly to semi-annual. Most of them begin with “Sorry I haven’t posted lately but here’s why…” Why I keep coming back: I like Joe’s site and his attitude about backpacking. Plus it doesn’t hurt that his home page features a picture of him in one of my favorite places on the planet. I enjoyed his descriptions of his adventures… and hope he’ll find a bit more time to post them on a more regular basis.

***Sierra Club Daily Scoop
(http://www.sierraclub.org/scoop/) – Great source of news on current environmental issues and a slash-and-burn approach to uncovering the anti-environmental policies of our current administration. But shouldn’t a web site called the Daily Scoop be updated… uh, daily? Why I keep coming back: It really is a great site and there are news tidbits there that I don’t get anywhere else.
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November 9, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Disappointing outdoor websites that I still visit

First "rain hike" of the season

Well, it drizzled anyway. Although it the rainy season did begin here about a week ago, today was the first time this season when I hiked in the rain. I did the mid-length version of my Almaden Quicksilver County Park hike and picked up some rain on the ridge and on my descent to the parking lot. I also noticed that, true to California form, one week after the first rain the new winter greenery is already starting to sprout. Soon the hills will be emerald green instead of their current dusty brown.
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November 8, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on First "rain hike" of the season

Mine Hill Trail fall leaves

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November 8, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Mine Hill Trail fall leaves

New Almaden Quicksilver Park Leaves

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November 4, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on New Almaden Quicksilver Park Leaves

The season changed

Just like that. Without warning. Early last week it was in the nineties in California and heat records were broken everywhere. Literally 48 hours later it was all over and record low temperatures were set around the state.

The change was apparent on my hike today. Last week’s dusty trails had been dampened by light rains and it was cool enough on the ridge at mid-day that I had to add an extra layer of clothing.

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November 3, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on The season changed

Two hikes – one park

On this strangely hot last weekend of October I managed to get out for two hikes at Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Yesterday I did my shorter loop up Mine Hill Trail and then back down via Castillero and English Camp. Today I went further – speed-hiking out on the Randol Trail, up Prospect #3 to the ridge, then back via Mine Hill, Castillero, and the newly renovated trail that comes out in the overflow parking lot at the New Almaden entrance.

We’re experiencing what will hopefully be the last hot days of the year. Records were set around the Bay Area yesterday and it was at least 80 degrees when I started my hike near 9:30 – and much hotter when I crossed the ridge later on.
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October 26, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Two hikes – one park

Harder to find hiking time now

It seems that once a week is about as often as I can get off on a hike right now. Today I hiked up English Camp and Castillero Trails to Catherine Tunnel at Almaden Quicksilver County Park. I came back via the Mines Trail.
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October 19, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Harder to find hiking time now

Fletcher Lake Trip Report

(Before I arrived) Owen and Shelley drove up to the Tuolumne area on Thursday. From what I recall, they camped somewhere just outside of the park that night – perhaps at Tioga Lake – since the Tuolumne Meadows campground is closed for the season. They had Thursday morning breakfast at TPR before hitting the trail to Fletcher Lake around 11:00 am and arriving there, as Owen described it, “in time for cocktails.”

After finishing up at the college in the early afternoon the same day (while they were probably about 1/3 of the way up the trail) I hopped in the car and headed straight for Tuolumne Meadows. It was a strange afternoon in the Central Valley; one of those October weather patterns with strong offshore winds was kicking up a near-dust-storm. It began to clear as I drove into the foothills of the Sierra.

I arrived at the Tuolumne Meadows trailhead parking lot a bit after 5:30 pm, quickly changed from work clothes into trail clothes, checked my load, and was on the trail 20 minutes later.

I covered the first flat part of the trail in about a half hour and the sun set as I finished the first big climb up the Rafferty Creek trail just before 7:00 pm. By 7:20 it was dark enough that I had to use my headlamp, and the temperature was dropping quickly. A few minutes later the full moon erupted over a ridge to the east providing decent illumination, at least on the open sections of the trail.

This was the first time that I have started a substantial hike so late in the day, and I really enjoyed the first two-thirds of it – particularly with the beautiful full moon. However, as the evening wore on the effects of a very busy work week kicked in and I became very tired. This, combined with the lack of perspective in the dark conditions made the hiking quite difficult during the latter part of the route. By the time I approached Fletcher Lake I was as fatigued as I have ever been on a Sierra hike – and very glad to spot the light that Owen and Shelley had left on at our campsite as I arrived at around 10:30.

I was so tired that I didn’t bother with dinner, choosing instead to simply drop the pack, stash my food, set up my bivy sack and sleeping bag and crawl in.

I awoke late on Saturday morning (8:00 am) as the sun hit my campsite – feeling very much better than the night before! The weather was as good as it gets in the Sierra during October, with beautiful sunshine and temperatures around 60 degrees. After breakfast we headed up the trail above Vogelsang High Sierra Camp toward our goal for the day, Vogelsang Peak. Above Vogelsang Lake, we left the trail and headed more or less straight up to a broad ridge to the right of the summit. This class 2 route is fairly straightforward, angling a bit towards the left near the ridge and then following the ridge up to the actual summit. You can see it in the following photo: It angles up towards the sloping ridge to the right of the peak just to the right of a shadowed area, then following the ridge to the left.

Vogelsang Peak. Our route heads up the middle of the peak, angling up to the ridge to the right of the summit before following the ridge to the top. October 11, 2003.

We arrived almost exactly at noon in nearly still air. (See the following story for a photo from the summit.) Soon another group of three arrived by way of the gully route to the east (northeast?) of the peak, followed by two more climbers who had apparently followed our route. We debated which of the two summits was the highest, finally sending one person over to the other one to check. He reported that “both summits are higher, but that the one we were on was ‘more higher’.” (He and his partner were day-hiking a giant loop from Tuolumne Meadows, over Vogelsang Peak, across a saddle east of Parsons Peak, down to Ireland Lake, and then back to Tuolumne Meadows via Lyell Canyon!)

Shelley, Owen, and Dan on the summit of Vogelsang Peak. October 11, 2003.

After about an hour and a half on the summit we finally descended, taking the alternate eastern gully route down to Vogelsang Pass. (My verdict is that the gully route is probably more straightforward, but perhaps less interesting than our ascent route.) From the pass we headed back down to our camp at Fletcher Lake, arriving around 3:30 – giving us time to take care of various important chores (lounging by the lake, taking a nap) before dinner. The temperature dropped quickly after the early sunset, but we were visited by a nearby group of four hikers (three of whom had shared the summit with us) and we talked until 8:30. In an astonishing coincidence, one of them turned out to be one of Owen’s fellow Cal music majors whom he had not seen since college!

On Sunday we again got up late – waiting for the sun to strike our camp – and began the easy hike back to Tuolumne Meadows around 10:15. After a few pauses along the way we arrived back at the parking lot before 2:00. We loaded up the cars and drove up over the pass for our end-of-season lunch at Tioga Pass Resort about 2 hours before they closed for the season.

Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River. October 11, 2003.

And thus ended the 2003 backpacking season. It was a great one: a week-long canoe/backpack trip in British Columbia; another week-long trip into Pioneer Basin; several late season trips in the Yosemite area.
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October 13, 2003 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Fletcher Lake Trip Report