Bear Valley

Indian Rhubarb 

Dogwoods

Three of us (bad foot, bad back and virally compromised) went on a short 4 miler through Bear Valley meadow in search of elusive wild flowers. But it was not much further along than Loney Meadow.  We tromped around raising our feet on the uneven tussocks and then plunging them down, sometimes submerging our feet in water up over our boots. When we got back to the road, we dumped the slimed boots and wrung out our sox. But hiking boots are heavily padded and getting water in them is a poor idea. The padding is like sponges. Hope they'll be dry by next week. So next week:  Salmon Creek. 

Fordyce Trail to Lake Spaulding inlet

Although there were 4 of us hiking, three of us felt compromised due to a table falling on a toe, a back hurting, and viral symptoms continuing for a few days.  We figured we would turn around if any one person felt worse. 

I might have started the problem early in the morning when I figured on leaving my pack rain cover at home.  Having been threatened by cloudiness without rain numerous times, we didn't think twice about the accumulating clouds as we drove up to the trailhead. We felt especially confident after talking to some backpackers who had been camping for a few days and had experienced very little rain.

Or even later when at 11:30 it started thundering. No it wasn't the hovering helicopter practicing firefighting moves with a hanging bucket.

It was thunder and it was getting more insistent. With the weather cooling and the breeze picking up we decided to cut the intended hike shorter and then shorter again. Let's eat down where we first hear the water. We cross-countried straight down to a place on Fordyce Creek where we could see the lake.   Then we felt the first raindrops. We ate under some trees staying miraculously dry while watching heavier rain falling on the lake. Beyond the lake the sky was blue so we were deciding whether to hike to the falls or head back. (Picture at top)

One of the compromised hikers settled it fast. Back. And that's when the skies opened up. And the lightning and the thunder. We were surprised that we were in heavy rain and hail all the way back to the car. The trails were quickly filling with water.  Although three of us had rain parkas, two of them proved no match to this storm. The third person was quite comfy in a borrowed garbage bag. My "quick dry" pants never did dry. So much for polyester. We tried to warm up and dry off in the car but the poor car will be drying out for days. 

We had hiked 6 miles. This trail has detours and intersects the Pioneer Trail from Langs Crossing. Due to our hasty return we ignored the detours and went the old way.  The wild flowers were abundant: alpine campion, harlequin lupine, snowflower, phlox, penstemon. 

Fashion statement.

Where's Stan?

Warm at last. 

Lake Valley Reservoir

Four of us walked 6 miles at Lake Valley Reservoir. We were at the overlook rock by 10:30 so we headed to the highest rock around, a granite dome of sorts 3 feet higher than Cisco Knob.  The climb involved some brush hopping and other off-trail shenanigans which resulted in a bit of spilled blood but nothing serious, just character building. The skies thickened and wind blew cold so we huddled down in the lee of some rocks for lunch. Although we walked only 6 miles, some of the hike was slow and treacherous (and bloody). We hiked over talus and scree, and down a double black diamond road to Kelly Lake. sometimes we were sidling around cliffs and such. You know the drill.

Double black diamond descent. 

Lake Valley Reservoir from high dome.

Cabin is even more decrepit. 

Humbug and S. Yuba

Harlequin Lupine

What is this?

Manroot.  Member of cucumber family

Walking across the S. Yuba to our picnic sandbar

Spotted Coralroot. Member of orchid family. 

Six of us hiked down the Humbug Trail to the S. Yuba. We walked over the bridge at Humbug creek to at a shallow Yuba crossing to a sandbar for lunch. Later the car drivers hiked back up the Humbug Trail to drive the cars around to the S. Yuba campground. The poison oak on steroids makes the Humbug Trail difficult. The bridges are replaced but the trail is quite steep in places and difficult to negotiate. The vistas into the Humbug canyon with its huge boulders were exciting. We hoped there would be less poison oak trying to grab us on the s. Yuba trail.  The leaves still reached for us but at least the trail was wider. Both trails had a large variety of wild flowers. Besides the ones shown, we saw penstemon monkey flowers, violets, Indian pinks, bleeding hearts, dogwoods, wild rose, false Solomonic seal, Clarkia, various members of the onion family, cats ears, star flowers, various members of the mint family, and Caterpillar Phaecia. We had hiked 8.5 miles with a bigger elevation loss than gain.