A Refreshing Hike at the Castle Crags River Trail

The Sacramento River

   

Date: June 27, 2020
Place: Castle Crags State Park
Coordinates: 41.149827, -122.307357
Length: 3.1 miles
Level: easy

All of our plans for the summer break of 2020 were shattered by COVID. The chikas were in distance earning since March and at the beginning of the summer break we still didn't know if they'll be going back to school in the fall (they didn't). Those 'two weeks until the curve is flattened' were extended, seemingly forever. Thankfully we remained physically healthy, but we seriously needed a break from the choking environment of the Bay Area. The rural areas of California and the neighboring states were much less restricted, and we chose to go on a week long road trip to Bend, Oregon. We drove north on I-5 and stopped for an afternoon hike at Castle Crags State Park, near Mount Shasta. 

We've hiked numerous times in Castle Crags State Park, but always as a break on the way from one place to another. And I never wrote about any of our hikes there before. There is a lot to see there, and one day I'll make it a sole destination to explore. 

The River Trail seems separate from the rest of the park not only by the freeway, but also because it's not in the crags area. It's an easy walk along the north fork of the Sacramento River, which makes it a great little hike to break a long drive with. 

Our hike as captured by my GPS 

Right away, just at the beginning of the hike, I saw white lilies blooming. I've never seen those in the wild and at first I thought these were cultivated lilies that escaped to the wild. This lily is however, a native California species.  

Washington Lily, Lilium washingtonianum

The trail follows the river fairly closely most of the way. Most of the way it is also impossible to see the river because of the thick vegetation.  

The chikas found a short millipede on the trail and call me excitedly to take a photo. The little guy was making its way across the path, getting away from us as fast as it could. 

We assumed our usual waling order in which Pappa Quail and the elder chika are in the lead, followed by the younger chika, and me bringing up the rear. I like to stop whenever I see wildflowers or other interesting sights.  

California Harebell, Asyneuma prenanthoides

The chikas wanted to get to the water. When we saw the river for the first time on the trail it was below us and there was no easy access down. On the map it looked like there would be suitable places further ahead. I hoped that would turn out to be true. 

The Sacramento River

There were many spider webs along the trail. I admire these little weaved wonders and the creatures that make them. 

I was surprised to see how many people were using that trail. It wasn't very crowded but there was certainly a good number of humans present. Most of them however, weren't exactly hiking. Many of them were dressed beach attire and were carrying floaters and coolers. I took it as a reassurance that there would be river access further on that trail. 

None of the other trail users seem to notice the little orchids that bloomed in the wetter parts of the trail. 

The bleeding heart is common enough in the Northern California forested areas but I always love to see it on my hikes. Its pink, drooping flowers don't remind me of a heart shape, and they certainly don't look 'bleeding' to me, but my opinion wasn't taken into account when naming this plant.  

Bleeding Heart, Dicentra formosa 

I caught up with Pappa Quail and the chika when they stopped to photograph a lizard that was sunning itself near the trail. The lizard seemed cooperative enough so I photographed it too. 

Alligator Lizard 

We kept looking for a river access but the trail was still to high above the water with much vegetation in between. At some point we had to take a short detour around a side tributary.

Back near the river, more wildflowers were painting our way, such as the impressive-looking tiger lily. It doesn't show it in the photograph, but these lilies are tall plants, almost adult human size. Their bright orange flowers are visible from a long distance away.

California Tiger Lily, Lilium pardalinum

Another prominent color along that trail was added by the sweet pea - a very aggressive invasive plant, that has taken over wide areas in Northern California.

Sweet Pea, Lathyrus odoratus. Non-native, invasive

At last we found access to the river. As I had expected, the place was already occupied by many other humans. The water looked too turbulent as well. We decided to continue on, and I promised the chikas that we could stop here on the way back if we won't find a better spot.

The Sacramento River

 

I caught up with Pappa Quail while he was photographing a little Pacific wren. These birds are common enough, but are hard to see, let alone photograph. It's easier to hear them for they have a lovely, distinct song.

Pacific Wren

I don't know if the empty nest that Pappa Quail had found later was a wren's nest. I hope that whichever bird it belonged to was successful in rearing its fledglings to take flight.

Nest

We were getting near the end of the trail. On our way we saw a few more river access places, but all of them were already occupied. I was just fine to continue walking but I knew we had to appease the chikas with some river time. meanwhile I tried to keep them excited with the botanical wonders we saw along the way.

Wood Rose, Rosa gymnocarpa 

The trail ends with a Private Property sign. We had reached the park's northeastern boundary. Turning around we found the nearest place with river access and went down to sit by the water and have snacks. The water looked inviting and the chikas took their shoes off and waded a bit near the shore. Pappa Quail and I sat in the shade of a tree and watched the water flow by us. It was a hot day and a nice, quiet afternoon. We still had some drive ahead of us - we planned to reach Klamath Falls by night.

Sacramento River

When I got tired of sitting I did a little exploration of my own in the bushes and came upon this insect of a kind I've never seen before. I kept looking for them on the way back and found a few more. I still don't know what they are.

After a nice break by the river Pappa quail reminded us that we needed to get back to the car. On the way back we saw more people yet making their way to the river stops. The trail was turning more populous than I was comfortable with at the time. It was time to get back.

The Sacramento River

The River Trail is an in-and-out trail. We backtracked, walking quickly, hardly stopping for anything on the way. The chikas started talking about dinner (which we planned to have in the town of Mt. Shasta). The shadows were getting longer but the day was still hot.

 I've hiked numerous times in Castle Crags State Park, yet this trail is the first I write about, and it is the least characteristic of this park's hikes. It is a fitting one to start with though, since each time we've been in that park it was on the way to some other place. Hopefully the next time I go there it'll be to stay and explore it as it deserving.

A Worthy Alternative for a No Ski Day: A Windy Exploration of the Panum Crater

Panum Crater

 

 

Date: January 7, 2022
Place: Panum Crater, lee Vining, California
Coordinates:
Length: 2.3 miles
Level: moderate

 

The chikas had their winter break extended through the first week of January, so I booked us a ski week in Mammoth Mountain Resort. On our forth day there however, the winds were simply too strong to do any skiing so we decided to go hiking instead. I received a wonderful list of recommendations for hiking trails from members of the Eastern Sierra group and Panum Crater was my first choice for that day. Panum Crater is a small volcano located near the southeastern shores of Mono Lake. Every time we visit the South Tufa area of Mono Lake we drive past that volcano, and each time I tell myself that one day I'll go up there and explore. That day has come at last.

The access road to Panum Crater is a dirt road exiting from highway 120. According to Google Maps hwy 120 is seasonally closed from its junction with highway 395 but that's not true - it is closed further east, past the South Tufa area.

There is a small parking lot by Panum Crater, with an information kiosk, but nothing else. I looked at the trail leading up to the crater's rim and decided that we didn't need our snow shoes for that. A short distance up that trail however, I turned back to the car to fetch my hiking poles - the trail was too slippery.

It's a quarter a mile hike up a mild slope to the rim of the crater. There was a great view from there of the snowy road we came with, through the big flat that lies northwest of the Mono Craters.

Panum Crater is a plug volcano, meaning the magma rose up slowly, forming a lava dome in the crater's center. Lassen Peak is also a plug volcano, a much, much larger one. 

There was a trail going up the plug but the chikas and I chose to go around it along the rim trail.

Panum Crater Magma Plug

The rim was fairly narrow and the whipping wind made it hard to walk while maintaining our balance on the narrow path. The crater's slopes were not  all that steep but it would have been unpleasant to roll off to either side. I was glad to have brought my hiking poles and soon I relinquished one of them to my younger chika, who struggled hard to maintain her footing.

The inner side of the rim reminded me of a castle's moat, protecting the plug from outside invaders. I wondered if it ever gets flooded.

The 'Moat'

The wind aside, the air was clear and the sky mostly sunny. There was a great view all around and I loved seeing the Mono Craters all white with snow. The Mono Craters were also high on my list of hikes for today, but eventually we didn't - the brutal wind made even the relatively short and easy Panum Crater hike a challenging one for us.

View Southeast

We curved around the crater counterclockwise. On the east side I saw a large pine growing on the inner slope of the rim. I guess it does accumulate enough water there to support a full grown tree.

the other side of the rim, view to the northeast, was Mono Lake in its (modern era's) full glory. The South Tufa area looked so small far below! I regretted not having my regular camera with me. Not having planned for any hikes on this trip I had left it at home. All the photos poster here were taken on my phone and I didn't want to zoom in fearing I'd get a too low resolution image. We had visited the South Tufa area only three days before, when the high winds made us quit skiing after only three hours.

Mono Lake

 Curving westward, I saw more trees growing inside the rim's perimeter. As expected, the north-facing side supported more plant life.

The rim isn't level. Going counterclockwise meant a steady uphill walk. That walk would have been easy on a dry surface and low wind conditions. The steepest part of the rim however, was on the crater's north side, and the snow cover there was deep and slippery, and the powerful wind slowed our progress to a crawl.

The Rim

We completed the rim trail. I looked wistfully at the plug but the chikas wouldn't hear of it. I looked down at the parking lot and noticed another vehicle there. As I watched, the other car took off and went back toward hwy 120. I pulled the car key out of my pouch and handed it to my chikas, telling them to go down to the car on their own. I knew I wouldn't have another chance to explore this place anytime soon and I wanted to go up there now. I told them I won't be long but I knew they didn't mind - there was cellular reception there and they'd be busy with their phones for a long while before getting impatient.

We separated ways. The chikas went down the outer slope to the car and I went down the inner side, to the plug trail. The trail down was covered in deep snow and for a moment I regretted not having my snow shoes with me. But the connector trail was pretty short and soon I was at the base of the plug. I took two steps up the trail and stopped. I had just remembered that is was about lunch time, so I took my mittens off and texted the chikas a reminder that there were snacks packed in the trunk. Now I was sure that they won't call me down too soon.

Up the Plug

The way up the plug was strewn with interesting, colorful rocks. I knew they were all of volcanic origin, but that's where my knowledge ended.

Volcanic Rock

Except for obsidian. I knew that rock from its shiny, black glass-like appearance. I knew of it's usefulness to the native people here when their ancestors lived according to their traditional ways. The local Monache people made arrowheads from obsidian, and they traded it with other nations too, for it was a very valuable commodity.

Obsidian

It was a short hike to the top of the plug but there the trail ended. I could see where hikers before me had walked, forming little paths between the rock formation. I knew I could stay there for a long time, exploring the place.

Lonely Bush

Two large basalt formations were the most prominent feature up the plug. They were the summit pinnacles of that little volcano. I was too close to them to be able to capture both in a single frame. Even one was difficult to capture in a way that shows its grandeur. I couldn't back away for perspective because I already was at the edge of the plug.

The Summit Pinnacle

From up close though, I was able to inspect the features of the volcanic rock. There were many of them. I liked best the circular patterns in the photo below.

Rock Pattern

I meandered to the north side of the plug. From there I could capture both summit pinnacles in a single frame. In the backdrop of the black basalt rocks are the snow-covered Mono Craters (left) and the Sierra Nevada mountain range (right).

The Summit Pinnacles

The day, which started bright with mostly blue sky, has darkened. The wind intensified, and ominous-looking clouds were rushing east over the mountains. A storm was coming, it was time to go back.

The Storm Rolls Over the Sierra Nevada

I made my way down the plug, back up the rim, and down the outside slope to the parking lot without stopping for any more photos. The wind seemed to blow right through my winter clothes. I was alone on the trail but I had my COVID mask on my face nonetheless, just to block some the wind. I opened the car's trunk and threw my poles inside and I noticed that the elder chika was sitting in the driver's seat. Without saying a word I closed the trunk and slid into the passenger seat next to her. She looked at me with mild surprise and then grinned and turned on the engine. This little snowy dirt road was a perfect off-asphalt first for her, and she made sue I documented the event and sent the photo to Pappa Quail to be proud.

Road Out

It was past lunch time when we were back on the road. Lee Vining was all closed up so we ended up having lunch in June Lake Village, where we stayed indoors watching the snow flurries coming down. All that wind, but only flurries to show for it. When we finished lunch we drove to Silver Lake trailhead at the end of the road and snow-shoed around until nightfall. Not having skied that day turned out not to be a downer after all because we had a very cool hike at a most fascinating and beautiful place - the Panum Crater by Mono Lake.

Many thanks to members of the Eastern Sierra group for recommending this hike! 

Dry Falls and the Big Burn: Day 3 of the Ohlone Wilderness Backpacking Trip

Date: May 23, 2021

Place: Ohlone Wilderness Trail, between Sunol and Livermore, California

Coordinates:  37.530754, -121.707233

Length: 7 miles

Level: Strenuous  

Link to the post of Day 2 of the Ohlone Wilderness backpacking trip.

On the morning of our third and final day of the Ohlone Wilderness backpacking trip I woke up relaxed and energized, after having a good night sleep. My companions also had a better sleep than the night before. It is not unusual that the first night of a backpacking trip is the least restful one. 

 

No one else had shown up, we were still all by ourselves in the morning. Although we weren't in any particular hurry, we didn't dally. As before, I was the first one out of the tent, taking out the breakfast supplies and heating water for the morning tea. As soon as my companions were out we had our breakfast and quickly broke camp and packed everything. 

Our trail for today was a little shorter than that of Day 2 but no less strenuous. In fact, it turned out to be the most challenging day of this trip. 

Our hike from Stewart's Camp to Del Valle Regional Park as captured by my GPS

We started with ease, going downhill a very mild slope under the patched shade of a live oak forest. When we passed the tree in the photo below I was compelled to peek inside that hole. There were no surprises in there though.

The Yawning Tree

A short distance downhill from Stewart's Camp was a small reservoir, still full. It looked like a nice spot the hang by but all we did was take a look and a few photos, then move on. 

On the slope down to the reservoir was a nice patch of blooming lupines. I didn't get off the trail for a closer look but I enjoyed the color added to the dry grass. 

Away from the reservoir the scenery was more like what we've seen earlier on the Ohlone Wilderness Trail: beautiful oak savannah of smooth, rolling hills. 

Stewart's Camp is off the main Ohlone Wilderness trail, on a detour loop that adds more than two miles and one extra uphill section to this trek. I chose to add it because it passes close to Murietta Falls and, although I knew for sure that these seasonal falls would not be running, I still wished to see it. 

We crossed the creek that was supposed to feed into the waterfall. The creek was dry, as I expected (can't deny that I did have a tiny hope that there would be water there). I couldn't see anything resembling a waterfall where the map marked it should be. None was visible from the trail.

Disappointed, we continued uphill some, when three young women came down the trail towards us. They too, were looking for the Murrieta waterfall.

From a higher place we had a better vision of the area and I saw a rocky place off the trail and figured that the waterfall must be there. We didn't get too far way from it so I wanted to go back and take a look. One of my companions decided to stay up and rest and the other joined me.

We left our heavy backpacks in care of our third companion, and galloped downhill toward the rocky place we saw from above.

A narrow path diverged from the main trail toward the rocks. we followed it to the edge and around a rocky protrusion and got a skewed view of a sheer drop smoothed by water.

The creek leading to the waterfall was really inconspicuous. No wonder I had missed it. We got around the rock protrusion and into the dry creek bed just above the waterfall.

From the top of the falls I could see how impressive the drop was and I wished I could see this waterfall in flow. I didn't dare getting all the way to the very edge so I don't have a photo of the full height of this waterfall. There was a thin trail leading to the base of the falls but we decided not to get down there.

Murietta Falls, dry

A small cavity above the waterfall still held some water in it. The water was old, warm, scuzzy, and full of bugs.

Little plants grew in the cracks of the rock. It added a nice splash of color to the gray stone face. 

Below the waterfall the creek continued on and on, eventually opening up into the Livermore valley. There's a trail there, and maybe another way to access the waterfalls, although on the map it looks much longer than the Ohlone Wilderness Trail from Del Valle.

We explored the Murietta Falls area for a few more minutes, then went back up the trail to where םur companion was waiting near the backpacks. She asked about the waterfall, we had a sip of water, and then we hoisted our backpacks and continued on.

We needed to reconnect with the Ohlone Wilderness Trail. It was an uphill stretch but not a very long one, and there were more mariposa lilies along the way.

Yellow Mariposa Lily, Calochortus luteus

At the junction with the Ohlone Wilderness Trail there was a small cattle pond that perfectly reflected the blue skis and the surrounding oak trees. I felt compelled to check out that pond and this time my companions joined me on the short diversion to the water.

There were fish in that pond! Likely brought there to mitigate the mosquito larvae. They were not easy to see or photograph through the murky water.

There were patches of aquatic flowers on the surface of the pond. The first grabber of attention was the water lily, a non-native beauty. It's Latin name indicates it has a nice smell too but the flowers were too far from me to detect any fragrance. 

Water Lily, Nymphaea odorata, Non-native

On the muddy sides of the pond bloomed the much smaller but no less beautiful, water buttercup. It was much harder to get any decent photo of these little guys. 

White Water Buttercup, Ranunculus aquatilis

Blue butterflies swooped to the muddy pond sides, resting briefly, possibly sucking in moisture and minerals. I could watch them for a long time but we didn't have the time. After a few minutes of exploration, we got back on the rail and resumed our hike. 

From the trail junction we had a fairly short uphill segment. When we reached the top we had the entire Livermore valley below, and Mount Diablo floating above it. Way down below we could see Lake Del Valle - our final destination. 

Mount Diablo View

We took a short break at the top, admiring the crooked trees and enjoying a snack. We talked a little about the incredible life story that one of my companions had shared with us yesterday. A few back and forth questions and answers had revealed that my other companion had quite an interesting tale to tell too. 

We had a long way down. We were at the top of the longest and steepest slope of the Ohlone Wilderness Trail, the one that is called "The Big Burn". People who walk this trail from the east must climb it. We were going downhill. 

Indian Paintbruss, Castilleja affinis

Downhill is usually considered easier, or at least less physically demanding. Long and steep downhill slope are in fact, much more problematic in more than one way. I down think it's less physically demanding - the effort of stopping one self from sliding and slipping is very taxing. On top of that, it's the knee and hip joints that take the punishment rather than the muscles. To top it all, long and steep downhill slopes are where a hiker with less than ideal shoes is most prone to develop blisters. 

My companion who had it hardest the first two days was now having the best time. Wearing sneakers rather than hiking boots, she had no blisters at all. She had also filled her socks with wads of petroleum jelly and was surprised that neither me nor our third companion knew about the effect of that jelly in preventing blisters. 

Coyote Mint, Monardella villosa

My other companion had arrived at the top of The Big Burn with some blisters already and as we were descending, they were causing her considerable pain. She walked very carefully, trying to place her feet down with as little roll as possible, and was moving very slowly because of that. She told us to go ahead and not wait for her but neither of us did. I too had some tender spots on my feet, foreshadowing the blister agony I'd have a month later coming down Mount Shasta. 

All three of us stayed together. We walked slowly, me and my pained companion listening with much fascination to the life story of our third companion, who was now in a very cheerful mood and was able to distract our minds from the pain in the feet, at least somewhat.

Chinese Houses, Collinsia heterophylla

The Big Burn is a north-facing slope, which made it the greenest and shadiest part of the entire Ohlone Wilderness Trail. It also had the biggest display and species diversity of wildflowers along that part of the trail. 

White Globe Lily, Calochortus albus

This time I didn't need to any excuses for walking slowly. Our progress was slow enough so I didn;t need more than a slight pause to get the photos I wanted. 

Crimson Clumbine, Aquilegia formosa

Down, down, down we went. It felt endless. We started slow and the further down we went the slower we got. It was good to have our unaffected companion tell her life story. It was so interesting that i was able to forget completely my discomforts. It was more challenging for our blistered companion but she too was able to engage in the conversation and didn't let much of her pain show. 

At the bottom of The Big Burn was a creek and to my great delight it was flowing! We sat down to rest and filter drinking water.  A California Sister butterfly flew by and sat on a nearby rock, undisturbed by my attention. 

We took a long, restful break by the creek but then we needed to get up and move on. The next bit was an uphill again - a relief for the blistered feet. A dead sycamore holed by woodpecker marked the continuation of the trail after leaving the creekside. 

The uphill part was all too short. South-facing, that slope didn't have too many wildflowers blooming by the trail, but there were some. Accustomed to the uphill walk by now, we climbed that segment in a short time. 

Morning Glory, Calystegia malacophylla 

Once again we sat to rest. My companion who had it well today, and was sharing her own incredible story with us, persuaded the other one to smear petroleum jelly on her feet. She encouraged her to put lots and lots of it so it'll remain lubricated even after much is absorbed into the socks. I watched and retained the information in my memory for future use.

Western Thistle, Cirsium occidentale 

We were at the top of the last downhill lag, the one that would carry us all the way down to Lake Del Valle, where I parked Pappa Quail's car three days before. It was less high than The Big Burn, but it stretched along a longer distance. What was worse was that this part wasn't a solid earth switchback type of trail, but a gravel road, making it less stable under the feet. I had my poles to help with my balance but that terrain proved to be seriously damaging for my companion with the blisters. Her blisters were fully formed and bloated by now, beyond the aid of any amount of petroleum jelly, and she was suffering with every step. 

There was no alternative but to go down. We walked slowly, taking frequent stops. Chatting and discussing common interests. I kept pointing out nature's curiosities to my companions, such as the mistletoe balls which decorated almost every tree along the way.

Mistletoe, Phoradendron leucarpum ssp. tomentosum 

Although we were going down a north-facing slope again, this one was more exposed and considerably drier than The Big Burn. Still, there were quite a few wildflowers to enjoy.

Graceful Clarkia, Clarkia gracilis 

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant. Dispersed by means of birds poop, it sprouts on tree branches and digs into their vascular system for water and nutrition. It does photosynthesize, but relies mostly on its host's vitality. It's an evergreen too, and would be the only green thing on a wintering deciduous host, such as the Valley Oak. We were there in May so the trees were with full foliage, but it was still easy to tell where the host ended and the mistletoe begun.

An oak tree (Velley Oak?) with mistletoe

There were many, many mariposa lilies along the trail. At some point I stopped taking their photos. There were just so many of them, both yellow and white, and each was perfect. This one however, had a butterfly inside it, so of course I had to stop and take a closer look.

Yellow Mariposa, Calochortus superbus 

We were descending continuously now. My hurting companion refused any more stops, arguing that stopping won't make the pain go away, and that she wanted to go on and finish the hike. Her words and demeanor were etched in my psyche. A month later I would say those very same words to the guide that stuck with me all the agonizing way down Mount Shasta. 

Unlike the forested slope of The Big Burn, this slope's greenery was nearly all high chaparral: a thicket of bushes, in this case quite tall. The few 'real' trees that grew on that slope were sticking out like the redwood Hyperion in the midst of normal trees. The tall pine in the photo below definitely was a giant among dwarfs, although it was probably an average size pine.

One of the most common chaparral bushes was the manzanita, with its shiny dark red and very smooth bark and coin-like gray-green leaves.

Turkey vultures circles the sky above us. I didn't take many bird photos on this trip, my camera isn't suitable for birding. This vulture however, was modeling nicely right overhead. Perhaps it was checking to see if we're dead yet.

Turkey Vulture

May is the best time to see buckeye trees in bloom, and I was very excited to see a blooming one on the trail. It was sad to see that its leaves were already drying out however. We had practically no winter last year.

California Buckeye, Aesculus californica

Further down the trail we got to a shadier area that was also greener, with lush coyote brush and poison oak, fully green still, decorated by the white puffballs of the pipestem seed heads.

Clematis sp.

Another common chaparral member is the sticky monkeyflower. It too was at peak bloom, adding beautiful color to the dusty greenery of the slope.

Sticky Monkeyflower, Diplacus aurantiacus 

We slowly made our way around the final curves of the trail and the view of Lake Del Valle grew larger and larger. We were getting down later than I had expected but we were in no rush other than wanting to relieve the aching feet.

Del Valle Reservoir

We reached the border of Del Valle Regional Park and signed out of the Ohlone Wilderness Trail at the signing board that was posted there. From there it was less than a mile to the parking lot. It was then, and only then that we encountered the first mosquitoes on this trip. The bug repellent that I packed was deep inside my backpack and I think it was the same with my companions. Instead of taking the backpacks off and searching for the bug spray we simply took off and started to (almost) run. All the aches and pains and discomforts were temporarily pushed aside - we were escaping an onslaught of mosquitoes!

Woodland Clarkia, Clarkia unguiculata 

Pappa Quail's car in the parking lot was a very welcomed sight. I reached the car first and dropped my backpack on the asphalt. My companions arrived on time as I pulled the key out and unlocked the car. Without delay we shoved our backpacks in the trunk, got inside and drove off, leaving the cloud of mosquitoes behind. 

We had to go to Sunol first, to retrieve the car that we parked there on the first day of the trip. There we hugged and said goodbye to our companion with the blisters. She was very relieved to finally change her shoes. Then me and my other companion drove back to my home where she had parked her car. We stopped momentarily on the way to buy a watermelon and to text Pappa Quail that we're on our way. 

 

 

I had a great time. I finally backpacked the Ohlone Wilderness Trail, and I felt that I was coming along well with my training for the Mount Shasta expedition that was coming up next month. It seemed that my companions also had a good time all and all, despite the lack of showers, the cold nights, and the blisters. The only thing that I was sorry for was not seeing Murietta Falls when flowing. That was corrected on a very strenuous day hike last Sunday, a hike I will write about separately.