Gerle Loop Trail, S. Fork American River, Lotus, CA

Happy Birthday Susan!

Fourteen of us were turned around at Cronan Ranch due to Star Thistle spraying in progress.  Where to go? The ranger took a look at us and suggested a hike of a whopping 1.5 miles.  Ingrid knew of a place quite nearby that was similar to Cronan but the ranger warned us that when the trails came close to Cronan, we needed to steer away.  We were impressed with the nameless park as the trails are near the river and the terrain changes more quickly than Cronan.  


After lunch by the river, Rod surprised us all with a champagne celebration at a picnic table on the hill top.  Susan had wondered why he needed the big pack.  Pretty sneaky.

Somewhere on the S. Fork of the American River

 

 





Frank finds a geo-cache

 As you can see I am still having trouble with the blog but Rod and Frank's suggestion of re-sizing the pictures has helped speed up the process. 

Blue butterflies with dark spotted undersides

The important information: next week is May first and we will be divided into two groups.  One will leave the meeting area at 8:30 and the other will leave at 9.  The 8:30 group tends to hike longer and for a greater distance with more elevation gain than the 9 o'clock group.  We will probably stay in this formation throughout the summer and into the fall.  A lot will depend on the weather.  The groups are still deciding on the actual hikes but it looks like the 9 o'clock group is going to Bear Valley and the 8:30 group might go to second divide (towards Downieville). 

Chinese Houses

Mule's Ears
 

artwork of acorn woodpeckers

Snake Lily

More Chinese Houses
 

Lupine with a Jepson's pea plant

Stevens Trail

Although we missed the Redbuds, it was more than compensated by the wildly blooming ceonothus and bright yellow bush poppies. The moderately difficult Stevens trail was a riot of perfectly blooming wild flower bounty.  It would be hard to name all the species but here are some of what our rather large and spread out group of about 14 saw:

Harlequin Lupine

Fairy Lanterns

Paintbrush

Lupines galore, Tufted Poppies, Blue Dicks, Monkey Flowers - bush and a little pink one, Buttercups, Madias, Canyon Duddleya, Caterpillar Phacelia, Ground Iris, Larkspur, Paintbrushes, Asters, Bush poppies, etc. 


Indian Pink