The Other Side of Kirkwood

Date: December 23, 2015
Place: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California
Length: about 3 miles
Level: easy

There is a loop trail that goes around the Kirkwood Meadow, just below the slopes. The trail might be visible in summer time too, I don't know. In winter, however, it is well marked on the snow, groomed to perfection for snow-shoe hikers and cross-country skiers.
I didn't plan to do this trail. I arrived at Kirkwood Mountain Resort with the intention to ski down hill. But it was a lovely day after three consecutive days of awful weather and many people had come to enjoy the fresh snow. After I dropped the chikas in ski school there was no more parking within the resort and the waiting line to get a lift pass was enormous. So I drove off to the cross-country lodge where I managed to find parking, and instead of marching all the way back with my skis I headed up to the lodge and rented me a pair of cross-country skis and boots, bought a trail pass for the day, and headed to the Meadow Trail.
So technically speaking, I didn't hike that trail. But cross-country ski is something I usually do when down-hill conditions are not to my liking and I never really built up the skill to be any good at it, so I skied at hiking speed, enjoyed the scenery very much and stopped frequently to take photos. (The photos here were all taken by my phone, please forgive their inferior quality).

The trail map I got said: 'The Other Side of Kirkwood'. It turned out to be a beautiful side.

The trail is very nicely groomed and is mostly flat, made for easy skiing. The temperature, however, was higher than optimal, making the snow more sticky and resistant. Still, I could glide easy enough on the trail. I hardly had to mind other skiers. There were so few out there.

The day I was there was the first clear day following a prolonged snow storm, The snow, so desperately needed there, had painted the trees in white. A very obvious line separate the trees that remained frosted the day after the storm.

The local conifers are evergreen and have a very nice contrast to the snow-whire slopes. The occasional bare tree is usually dead, but it too can look very beautiful as part of the winter scenery.

But not all bare plants are dead. The reddish twigs that stick out of the snow belong to willow shrubs, all dormant, sleeping the winter off.

Even when dormant the willows look pretty, reddish against the white snow background.
The creek was running still, deep in the snow. The trail bridges over the ice-cold stream.

Caples Creek

Dips, bumps, grass heaps, shrubs and gopher holes, all equally covered with a thick snow blanket, nicely quilt-patterned by the winds.

Slowly I made it to the far end of the meadow. I didn't take a backpack with me, and had no water or snack, so I crossed over to the resort's Village and entered the cafeteria. It was so crowded in there, the only place to sit was at the bar.
Oh, well.

After my break I waddled back to the meadow and somehow managed to hook on the skies again. I already learned that beer can affect my ski run choices, good thing that the meadow trail is flat. 

The cool air quickly cleared the alcohol fumes and I was on my way back north on the other side of the meadow. The clouds started gathering again and soon the sunlight dimmed. 

 By then I had already felt considerably more confident on the narrow cross-country skies and I picked up my pace. The wind picked up too and I wrapped my coat tighter. The clouds were racing across the sky and the gaps between them let down bright patches of sunlight that made the snow glisten.

Closing the meadow loop I came across the creek again. At that place is was frozen nicely. Although it was very tempting, I didn't test the ice thickness.

The outer meadow loop is roughly 3 miles long, the perfect distance for a nice, easy snow-shoe hike or ski. I had finished it just in time to go and pick up the chikas and their friend from ski school and drive out ahead of the crowd. I even had the time to stop on my way down the mountain and appreciate the sunset. 

Sunset on Hwy 88

This lovely ski-hike was on the last day of a planned 3-days ski trip.
We had arrived on Kirkwood on Monday, December 21, and were trapped there by a snow storm that had the roads blocked on all directions. We floor-camped at the resort's Red Cliff Lodge with a couple hundreds other people who were stranded there as well. The resort's people made sure all were tucked safely indoors, warm and dry. They had fed us, had a separate space for families with children (there were quite a few there!) and even dispensed sleeping bags to the kids. On the following morning the road east was still closed but the way north to South Lake Tahoe had reopened. I had to dig my car out of the snow and it was a very slow drive all the way around the mountain back to Somerset where we were (we had planned to be) staying the nights. That second day of our trip felt like it completely gone missing. It was only on Wednesday, December 23, that we finally had made it in and out of Kirkwood as planned.

Anticipating the possibility of having to dig my car out of the snow I had brought a shovel with me. That shovel came in handy for other people as well. It is a very useful item to have in the car when going out to the snow. Chains, are, of course, a must (or a 4x4 with snow tires) and it very much helps to have a pair of gloves (not mittens) and a head lamp in the car if needed to install/uninstall the chains at nighttime. I make sure to have an emergency pack with personal essentials in the car. It doesn't take much space in the car, and getting stuck is a real possibility. It is important to be prepared when going out to the snow. It can be, and usually is a lot of fun, but a quick turn of events can make it a disaster.
I cannot wait until the next trip up to the snow!

Many, many thanks to the people at the Kirkwood Mountain Resort for taking such an excellent care of all of us who got stranded there on Monday, December 21, 2015. It was a Winter Solstice we'll never forget!

Camping at the Pinnacles National Park

Dates: Camping is available year-round.  I camped there on December and April.
Place: Pinnacles National Park (eastern entrance), Paicines, California
Coordinates: 36.49141, -121.146351

The past year has been my Pinnacles year. And it took me as long to post all my of my Pinnacles hikes here too. This has also bee the first year I had camped at the Pinnacles, although I hiked there many times before.  This post is sort of a wrap-up for the year, focusing on my camping experience there. Today is exactly one year from the first time I had arrived at this park to stay for the night.

I have visited the Pinnacles National park many times before, yet never camped there until last year. And why would I, if it's only two hours drive from my home. But when I started planning my group hike camping trip I figured I should test that campground in person before I take people there. By now I have camped there three times, once in December and twice in April. Twice I camped alone, at the family campground area, and the last time I camped with the group at the group camp area.

On December 24, Christmas Eve, I was driving Papa Quail's little hybrid to the Pinnacles. Right after I passed Tres Pinos, at about 9:00 pm, I got a phone call. Thinking that Papa Quail who stayed at home with the chikas had needed to ask me something, I pulled over and took the call. It wasn't Papa Quail, but regardless of the caller identity, I soon found myself in a predicament: the road shoulders that looked perfectly firm from the road had turned out to be a mud trap. I had sank pretty deep and couldn't get out. It took nearly 2 hours before the tow truck showed up and put me back on my wheels on the road (The tow truck driver told me that sinking by the shoulders on that road is one of the most common calls he get.)

Take home lesson: If you drive at night on CA-25 from Hollister to the Pinnacles in winter, don't pull over to the shoulders. 
Bottom line: It was almost midnight when I finally arrived at the Pinnacles campground and found a spot. It was very dark and very cold, and I had to put up a brand new tent that I had purchased just a day before and had no time to open and study at home.

Acorn Woodpecker, December 25, 2014

After the tent was set I made a quick dash to the restroom and nearly had a heart attack when a large animal with wide eyes that shone brightly in the beam of my head light emerged from the vegetation. It was a large buck with a full rack of antlers and he was staring me down. I moved carefully with my back to the building wall and slid into the restroom. When I got out the deer was no longer there but my heart was still racing. I made it quickly back to the tent and took a long while to fall asleep despite my fatigue.

California Quail, male, December 25, 2014

I woke up to a chilly morning and a noisy and very merry choir all around me. I recognized the familiar acorn woodpecker's knocks and rusty door hinge calls, the quail's bottle cork-pooling, the chilling call of a red-tailed hawk, and othed song birds  did not recognize by ear.
Later that day, after finishing my hike to the Pinnacles Shoulders I sat at the campground and watched these birds at their activities.

Varied Thrash, December 25, 2014

It was very cold that night. I had brought the needed equipment and so had a comfortable night sleep but the cold spell of that week had deterred my hiking group from signing up for a camping trip in January. (Needless to say, the planned January date had a wonderful, ambient weather).

So my planned Pinnacles group camping trip got pushed back to April. A week before the group trip I came once more to camp at the park and do some more trail preparation. This time cold was not an issue at all. The main problem was to find a vacancy. April is the busiest time in that campground and I had not reserved a spot. Thank to last minute cancellations I was able to find a spot for two nights and had a very good time hiking and camping.
I was very happy to meet  more quails :-)

California Quail, male and female, April 9, 2015

The quails of the Pinnacles NP are all over the campground, seemingly unhindered by the human activity there. Even the normally shy females were out and about.

California Quail, female, April 9, 2015

 My first hike that visit, to the Balconies via Chalone Creek, I had finished at sunset. By the time I made it to the campground there was barely any light left. But that's the time the Indian tobacco opens up, and I strained my camera to get a photo of this pretty flower.

Indian Tobacco (Nicotiana quadrivalvis), April 8, 2015

The campground was at full occupancy. On my second day I realized than many campers simly enjoyed hanging out in the campground, playing ball and other games, riding their bike, drinking and eating, or going for a swim at the swimming pool that operates in the campground during spring and summer. Not everyone is into hiking, but the campground itself offers ample chances to encounter wildlife, so their's no need to go far for tha.
And it is a birding heaven.
I returned from my High Peaks Trail with enough daylight to spare so I walked over to the visitor center area and checked out the local residents.

Western Bluebird, April 9, 2015

As the light faded the vultures started circling down, pulling home to their roost from the skies all over. 

Turkey Vultures fly-in, April 9, 2015

Their roost - a large pine just over the ranger's residence, soon filled up with turkey vultures. They like to sleep in colonies like that. I didn't get close enough to smell them but I can imagine.

Turkey Vultures roosting for the night, April 9, 2015

The campground at the Pinnacles NP is very family friendly. While only few spots offer relative privacy, there are a number of separate loops that give the impression of several small adjacent campgrounds and not of a huge tent city. There are quarter-operated showers by the swimming pool, but only two stalls. I didn't bother. There is also a campers store that carries essentials (such as beer) and a friendly, helpful staff both at the store and at the visitor center. And there is the swimming pool, too. It is a very good place for families and beginner campers to start at.

On the following week I was back at the Pinnacles campground - this time in the group camp area. The major drawback there is that is has a single restrooms facility for the entire group area. Realizing that I had booked the group site that was closest to the restrooms. Having some very young kids in the group, as well as some beginner campers, that choice turned out to be a very wise one.
Also - the drinking water tap was in our site. Very convenient for us. Less convenient to the neighboring groups who had to come over to fill their containers, then haul it all the way back to their site. Conclusion - better do the homework before reserving a campsite. Particularly when other people's convenience is in consideration.

It was fairly hot when we were there and on the second day we finished our hike with enough time for the families to go to the pool and take a refreshing swim. I preferred to stay at the campsite by myself and enjoy a cold beer. I also enjoyed the visit of a wild turkey pair in the neighboring camp site.

Wild Turkey, male in courtship, April 13, 2015

There were just two of them. The female was walking to and fro, seemingly uninterested in the show that the male put up for her. The poor dude fluffed all his feathers, spread his tail, puffed his chest and wiggles his wattles, but the girl kept her back to him, slowly walking away. There were there the next day too. It's good to see a stable couple like that.

Wild Turkey, female, unimpressed. April 13, 2015

But the prized sighting at the Pinnacles NP is always the California Condor. Since the Pinnacles have been selected as a release site for these majestic birds the park was promoted from National Monument to a National Park status. Every time I go there I keep checking the sky for them.
And so it was that I was lying on the bench alone with my beer when the condor swooped over my, quite low. I yelped and run to the car to fetch my camera. By the time I had it on the condor had already gained altitude. But still - a condor! 

California Condor, April 8, 2015,

I am sure to visit the Pinnacles again soon. I also plan to camp there again, and with my family. I have no doubt my chikas will have a blast there.

The Bonus Hike: The Pinnacles South Wilderness Trail

Date: April 10, 2015
Place: Pinnacles National Park, Paicines, California
Coordinates: 36.482288, -121.162274
Length: about 6 miles round trip
Level: moderate (because of rugged trail condition in some places).

I woke up on the final day of my solo prep trip to the Pinnacles with plenty of time before having to go home and no more 'must do' trails. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore the Pinnacles' more peripheral areas. I selected the South Wilderness Trail and after breaking camp I packed everything in the car and drove to the trailhead.

My hike of the South Wilderness Trail as captured by my GPS

I parked at the Peaks View Picnic Area and looked for the Bench Trail, which connects the parking lot with the South Wilderness Trailehead. I crossed the Chalone Creek back and forth before finding my trail adjacent to the paved road. It was early in April and the creek was already dry.

Chalone Creek

It was obvious, though, that water was running there not that long ago. Some of that moisture was still under the pebbles and supporting a nice spring bloom right there on the creek bed.

Yellow Pincushion (Chaenactis glabriuscula)

The segment of the Bench Trail connecting the Peaks View area and the South Wilderness Trail is less than a third of a mile. There is much to see on along that short segment, though. Particularly in springtime.

Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum)

The gray pine is the dominant tree in the Pinnacles NP.  Previous years' cones collect under the trees, adding nice texture to the grassy ground.

Butterflies were everywhere, enjoying the fantastic bloom in ways more practical than mine. Sometimes they even stood still for a second and posed.

Painted Lady

The moon, a waning gibbous, was up. A week later the skies were completely dark and I had the pleasure of sharing my fascination with the stars and constellations with my hiking group.

A cluster of scarlet buglers grows by the intersection with the South Wilderness Trail. These common penstemons were just beginning their spring bloom.

Scarlet Bugler (Penstemon centranthifolius)

I started down the South Wilderness Trail only to stop after a few yards to appreciate the massive oak trees that grow from the valley floor. They were all shining with new spring foliage and glowed in the bright sunlight.

A deciduous oak (Quercus sp.) stretching after its winter sleep

The bright sun was very potent that day. It soon got very hot and I was hopping from one shady spot to another, thanking the trees that cast them. In between shades - bushes of silver lupines and patches of California poppies.

Silver Bush Lupine (Lupinus albifrons)

And suddenly - a creek.  Grassy Canyon. And it was running yet, and there were tadpoles in the stream.

Tadpoles in Grassy Canyon Creek

There is no bridge there, but the creek is narrow enough to jump across.
 I continued south, going in and out of tree groves. Relishing the shade, enjoying the bright light. A lot of hyperactive butterflies flying around me.

Western Tiger Swallowtail

The hot sun brought the lizards out. There was a lizard on every rock, literally. The one in the photo below did a few warning push ups before slinking off to the other side of the log.

Western Fence Lizard

And more butterflies. Many, many more butterflies.

Painted Lady butterfly visiting a larkspur (Delphinium sp.)

The South Wilderness Trail goes along the Grassy Canyon. The vegetation there - riparian. Meaning the densest and tallest grow by the creek itself, where water is not as limiting as on the slopes.

The day grew hotter by the minute. As I progressed south the trees seemed fewer too. The air shimmered in the heat and I dripped sweat on the trail. The golden California Poppies looked like little flames burning on their narrow stems.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia california)

Hot and getting hotter. April is a busy month at the Pinnacles, but there was no evidence of that on the South Wilderness Trail. I saw no one else on that trail. It was just me and the flutter-by butterflies. And ants to. Many ants.
And lots of pretty wildflowers.

Purple Clarkia (Clarkia purpurea)

I was getting closer to the end of the trail. Having walked ceaselessly for two hours I was ready to take a break and I planned to do so at the turn-around point.
The trail curved into the creek bed and disappeared. It wasn't the end, I was pretty sure about it. Not year, anyway.

California Golden Violet (Viola pedunculata)

The creek is wide but the running water was confined to a narrow strip. I kept walking south on the dry pebbles that made most of the creek's width. Soon I saw three rocks piled on top of each other. And further down - another such pillar. Someone had marked the trail. I followed the rock signs until I picked the regular trail again, a bit further south.

White Skipper Butterfly

One more curve. The trail cut across on the hillside and all of a sudden I was approaching a fence and a sign marking the boundary of the park.
I reached the end of the trail and the turn-around point. I was hot and dripping sweat. I found a large oak with a low-hanging branch and sat down to rest and eat.
I was completely alone. There was no sign or sound of any other humans in that area so I allowed myself a privilege usually kept for males and let the light breeze on my skin.

I wanted was to lie down and take a nap but I needed to start going back. I got to my feet and slung the backpack on my shoulders and started north on the same trail I arrived by.

Cobweb Thistle (Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale) 

I walked more briskly, not stopping as frequently as I did on the way south. Some sights, however, become apparent only when seen from the opposite direction.

Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

About half way back I was walking on an open stretch of the trail when two hikers emerge from around the curve ahead of me. In a flash I spun around and reverted back to the Clark Kent mode. I turned around in time to smile at the hikers. They were an elderly couple and they were smiling politely back at me. We engaged in a pleasant chat that involved exchanging trail experiences and interesting wildlife encounters, and then we went on our separate ways: they south and me north.
I remained decent for the rest of the hike.

Side-bloched Lizard

I didn't see any more people until I had reached the Bench Trail again. Butterflies, however, were still in abundance.

Common Buckeye

I needed to be home in time to take the elder chika someplace and I dreaded having to cross San Jose in rush hour, so I picked up my pace.
I didn't want to stop for anything, anymore, but I cannot resist a pretty flower.  

Blue Witch Nightshade (Solanum umbelliferum)

Still, I made it back on time to the Peaks View Picnic Area, and even had a few minutes to spare just for sitting down and relaxing before taking off to the road back home.

The Pinnacles High Peaks