Has the weather been that bad? Has it been about a month since we took a group hike? Might be - Wednesday weather has been problematic for sure. The group met and split into two: those who wanted a shorter hike and beautiful day with the birds at Gray Lodge; and the ones whose muscles were itching to be worked.
Since I went in the latter group, I will report on that first: six of us wore warm clothing to S. Yuba trail campground near Malakoff. Memories of a south-facing, ie., warm, slope brought us hope. But it was not to be. The trail was a bit slippery at first, with frost heaves poking up like sapporophytes. Stream crossings were sketchy - it would have been smart to bring poles. Although the bright sunshine did not hit us (except a few spots), we enjoyed how it lit up the fuzzy moss-covered oaks that grow on the steep slope. When we saw the river, it was running strong and noisy. Surprisingly, we did meet a couple of other parties: a miner returning to his camp just past Humbug Creek (Primitive Camp); and a young couple out for a hike. We hiked about 8 miles and got back to Brunswick Basin early, before the Gray Lodge group. Next week Wednesday falls the day after Christmas, and the forecast is for rain. If it turns out to be a decent enough day, we may show up at the meeting place to see if there are any others wanting to burn off calories.
Maureen writes that the birders at Gray Lodge had a lovely day. I will attempt to upload a picture or two but fiddling with this internet is frustrating - we will be getting new internet - they have to get a tree climber in first.
