January 7, 2008

Hi Group!! I hope this seems sensible to you as I wanted a place where people could add comments for everyone to see. If this is more difficult for you to access, please let me know.

Today Grace, Laurie, Priscilla, Stan, Clarence, Tiana, Akiko, Jo, both Marilyns, Barbara Gable, Karen, John, and Elly decided to hike in the warm sunlight but not in the fog below us. The result was Wolfe Mountain Road at the dump turnoff. We started out inauspiciously as we parked our 4 cars in 2 groups, separated by about a mile. We wondered where they were and they wondered where we were. After a useless phone call, both groups started out in the same direction: up the road. After a couple of miles we started beating the bushes for the other group. As we tore our clothing on the manzanita, they were frying their brains out under a huge microwave facility on top. We noted that the security was lax, the gate being open. Happily reunited you would think we were long, lost cousins. Meanwhile a happy and fat white Labrador decided walking with this group sure beat barking in her yard.

We started back down only to turn off immediately to go into the woods for a big surprise. There, before us, was a completely graffitied, circular, cement wall that echoed nicely as we chattered and hooted. We took turns photographing the group while wading ankle deep in detritus from the "artists". Later we found out that the round foundation was the beginning of a future rotating house built 50 years ago...this sounds like misinformation to me but that's what a local resident told us.

Next road down the hill we went into Orbit (Drive) a short way before finding a relatively large dry area that took in the magnificent view of the Sierra Buttes down to the Crystal Range. After lunch some of us continued down this road only to find an even better place for lunch: another unfinished foundation with a nice soggy easy chair to take in the view. (Next time we'll eat there.) As we continued down the road, we were surprised at the security people had put up around their places: very tall chain link fences topped with a few rows of barbed wire!! We never did find out why but we all have our opinions about this.

After hiking back up the hill, we hiked back down Wolfe Mountain to the cars. Some hikers made a quick rendezvous with a former hiker who lives there. The total mileage for the hikers who parked furthest back and went all the way on the side roads: 7.5 miles.