Black Swan/Sucker

Trail Company

Cliff, Nests, Mine

Wanting to avoid the lightning storms of the high country, seven of us headed down the hill to a newly built trail to Black Swan Lake.  We were surprised when we turned on the Mooney Flat Road to find Karen hanging out in a parking lot.  She was waiting for the 9 o'clock group for a hike at that level as well. 

We hiked to Black Swan Lake, quite a beautiful place.  As we were ready to leave we heard someone calling out to us.  After a few attempts at answering, we assumed it was the bellowing of a large herd of cattle that we had seen earlier on the trail.  So we mooed back a few times, only to look up and actually see the 9 o'clock group along the trail. 

We left the lake on a roundabout route up through the Sucker Road subdivision known as Excelsior Ranches.  There used to a hydraulic mine there in those cliffs.  We were hoping for a viewpoint of the Yuba for a good lunch stop.  But that was not to happen so we ensconced ourselves in the shade of a Willow bush for lunch.  We watched the Red-winged Blackbirds and swallows or swifts that were nesting in the cliffs above us.  While we relaxed, John read us the sales pitch for the lots from their website which he found with his phone.  Apparently there is a pair of Peregrine Falcons nesting in those cliffs, but we didn't see them.

Black Swan Lake

After lunch we hiked up over the cliffs almost immediately passing another lake.  We wished we had known it was there as it would made for a better lunch site, but it didn't  show up on any GPS or map.  We followed a dirt road across a hill and heard rushing water.  In front of us was ditch water that was careening down the hill.  We crossed it and went up to the ditch where we hiked until it hit Route 20, very near Mooney Flat Road.  Since we didn't see cars from the other group, we assumed that they had left already.  Were we surprised when we returned to Sutton Way to find some of their cars still there.  They must have parked in another location but after Black Swan Lake, they hiked to the Englebright Dam. 

Next we will meet at 8:30 and hope to do Loch Leven from the backdoor or Long Valley Reservoir.

Penner

Five of us felt Ram Tough as we traversed the rutted road in our new 4-wheel drive Dodge to the parking lot at Carr/Feeley Lakes.  We were the only ones in the lot.  The weather was balmy as we hiked through snow drifts and wet trails around to north of Island Lake and up the trail to Penner, where we ate lunch.  The only wild flowers were Glacier Lilies and Phlox.  The air was aromatic and bird sounds filled our ears.  When we returned to the parking lot, our truck had acquired about a dozen vehicles for company. 

Next week we will meet at 8:30 but the weather may help us to decide where to go.  We are thinking of Loch Leven by the backdoor or Long Valley Reservoir.

Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

Around Bowman Mountain

Loney Meadow

 Seven of us jumped the season and went hiking higher: up around Bowman Mtn. from Loney Meadow.  We were  too early for most wildflower blooms and not too late to have to hike through snow on Bowman Mountain to the pass between Upper and Lower Rock Lakes. 

A few wildflowers were in bloom, Glacier Lily and CA Starflower.  Red heads of Snow Plant were starting to poke through the duff and Pussy Paws looked like they had just been under some snow. 

Bowman Lake in Background

Many parts of the trail were under freshly melting snow or on top of large sections of snow.  It was easy to loose the way as other people's footprints were freshly snowed into.  The trail on the other side of the drift had to be found but that sleuthing made the hike more challenging and interesting.  We hiked about 8 miles with a 1400 foot elevation gain, with the top elevation being in the 6 thousands.  The sometimes dry tarn that we have admired near the clock tree was quite full so it had a different look than usual.  A tree had fallen in the area below it, changing it's look a bit.  Corn lilies were on their way up but still quite short at the lower elevations.  Aspens were still leafless and elegant in their austerity.

Starflower

Tarn near Watch Tree

Glacier Lilies

Next week we will hike at 8:30 due to the desire to hike further away up in the high country.  We might try to get up to Island Lake with a hike to Penner.  That's a south-facing slope so there may be wildflowers.