South Yuba Trail 4/29/09

Finally I got to rejoin you all (figured it may easily have been 2 months!!! what with one thing and another) - for a fantastic 6+ mile hike down to the Yuba and back again. Sixteen of us (Grace, Laurie, both Marilyns, both Barbaras, Kim, Karen, Tammy, Maureen, Tiana, Jo, Selma, Cyndi, John and Elly) were rewarded with singing grosbeaks, towhees, and other unidentifiable birds plus lots of Spring wildflowers and perfect hiking temperatures in the upper forties to very low sixties. A lovely grotto of cascading water and cool blue pools was visitable with a very short side trip on our way down the trail. Huge, multiply-trunked black oak trees (?) hung precariously over the river gorge looking like a feather could push them over.

Let me know if I have omitted or mis-identified any of the following wildflowers:

purple and harlequin lupine
indian pinks and paintbrush
yellow cats ears
frying pan poppies
stickseed (pointed leaves, ultramarine petal with white circle)
canyon dudleya (succulent)
blue dicks
buttercups

Marilyn S. adds these flowers:
pink carnations
monkey flowers (red and yellow)
ceanothus (blue and white) shrub

There was a large dead bird on the trail that appears to have been a turkey. I wonder if it met its end by becoming entangled in some kind of human detritis that appears tangled in its wing and neck.

We ate lunch at a dramatic spot where the river makes an almost 180 degree turn around Long Point. We all found niches to settle in to enjoy the swift green river surrounded by beautiful, large, iron-coated rocks. Dogwood and Redbud were among the trees making their rooted entries in cracks betweeb the vertical cliff across the river.

Four of us extended the hike a bit at the end by going down the old toll road to Illinois Crossing which has a beautifull stretch of what looks like prime fly fishing water. There are picnic tables on a bench above the river and a primitive camping area.

I'm not sure if there was discussion of where to go next week. Does anyone have an idea?

Purdon on Earth Day

Unseasonably warm weather greeted 19 hikers as they fought their way past poison oak and snakes. Mary, Jim'n'Jan, both Marilyns, Steve'n'Ella, both Barbaras, Maurine (welcome back!), Karen, Selma, Kim, Stan, Priscilla, Laurie, Ann, Cyndi, and John hiked 7 miles round trip. They ate lunch at a beach just east of the Round Mountain Trail on the Yuba.

Once again I wasn't there - still sick with this viral infection!! Gads, don't get it!

Hopefully I will bring my weakened self on next week's hike. The proposal is to start at S. Yuba Campground and hike to Illinois Crossing and Overlook Point. For those who want a longer hike, there are a few alternatives on the return with a meeting at Edwards Crossing. If it's a really HOT day, we might want to hike up at the Omega Reststop on the Pioneer Trail.

Stevens Trail on Tax Day

As many of you know, I am writing this secondhand from my sofa, where I have been hanging out since Monday. I've caught the flu from Hell and yes, we DID have the shots. Fever as high as 102.



So John told me that Akiko, Tiana, Cyndi (welcome back - is this farewell to snow?), Barbara G. Stan, Jim, Steve and Ellen (from Colfax - anyone have their email address??) hiked down the Stevens Trail on the east side of Colfax to the American River. John thought it was about 8 miles while Jim, and his "accurately callibrated instrument" thought it was 7. So you can take your pick. Spectacularly beautiful wild flowers were seen, including Fairy Lantern and Lupine. The trail was well-built, contoured and high above the American River, gradually descending to meet the river at the site of a former crossing to the Iowa Hill trail.



An alternate trip was taken locally by Laurie, Priscilla, and Karen.



Next week the group is going to hike out of Purdon. I won't be there due to yet another workshop (if I recover sufficiently) but John will. Hope to see you all the following week.

Table Mountain redux

I've been getting emails from people afraid they've been dropped from the hiking group. Nope - just haven't been hiking with the group due to other commitments including travel. But due to Superman Clarence with the power of email and the GPS, John and I, who had an afternoon appointment in Oroville (bottom of Coal Canyon, actually) got to re-create your hike of last week. Today we saw the not quite as wonderful wild flowers of last week: Blue Dicks, Poppies, Lupine, Owl's Clover, Sedum, Mimulus, Violets, etc.....walking cross-country between waterfalls enjoying the spectacular rock outcroppings while hurrying due to the storm that the darkening west portended.

At the bottom of Coal Canyon is Chaffin Family Orchard. It is an organic permaculture farm selling exquisite fruit and organically raised meats, including chicken and eggs and is reached north of Oroville.