Independence Trail East -- Tues 1/30/18

All that snow we rec'd last Thursday is g.o.n.e. -- GONE!  NorCal's weather did a flip-flop (common everywhere these days) with today's forecast high a very warm 65°!  Fact is, the weather guys say we're in for a spate of way-above-normal temps.  We thought today would be an ideal day for lacing up the hikers.  Out of all the options, we picked The Independence Trail East; haven't been on it in a year or more.  I know it was closed for a good part of last year due to storm damage, and was recently rebuilt by the California Conservation Corps.

One of two entrances to the trail ... the other is accessible and has restrooms.

Hi Jimmy!

The ditch.

This trail is easy and a lovely place to hike ... it follows the gentle gradient of an old mining ditch (and is wheelchair accessible for the first mile).  I wore a light long-sleeved shirt with a down vest and wondered in the cool air if I should've worn a jacket because tree cover and a generally northerly orientation keep the trail relatively cool for its 1400'-1500' elevation.  At first I felt chilly, but as the day warmed, so did I.

This time of year could be blah if you're looking for lots of color, but I love to see all the ferns and mosses growing out of the old canal stone and trail side.   Once out of earshot of Hwy 49 (below), we enjoyed listening to the rushing water.  The Yuba was loud and fast, and each of the seasonal streams feeding the Yuba was flowing madly.

I think it might be a bit early for Manzanitas to flower (white and pink above), but look at the rich red color of it's bark, bottom right.  I liked the way the moss was creeping over a board.  The photos were an experiment.  This is the first time I used my late brother's red Olympus Tough camera.  Fits in any pocket and it is allegedly waterproof to 50'.  It's a little more complicated than the one I've been using ... but the pictures turned out all right.  Yes?  I can get used to it.

The Independence Trail was the first identified wheelchair accessible wilderness trail in the country, how about that?  The trail utilizes the old Excelsior Ditch, built around 1859 to carry water for hydraulic mining. After two miles it ends at the unmarked, deeply rutted, dirt Excelsior Ditch Camp Road.  At that point it connects to more rugged side trails descending about 200' to the river. While the Independence Trail is easy, the short trails to the river are rated moderate to difficult. Read: Really steep. 

We continued on for another 0.2 miles with views (above), through the vegetation, of Hoyt’s Crossing and the Miners Tunnel inlet 200′ below. The trail dead-ends at an abrupt drop-off; from there a steep, un-maintained section, festooned with poison oak, winds down to the river. We made it as far as we could, but said no thank you to the poison oak part! 

With bare Pussy Willow branches in the foreground, you see the Miners Tunnel (black hole, center).  We couldn't get near the entrance to the tunnel; we would've been swept into the Pacific Ocean (eventually).  The Pussy Willow looked ready to burst into bloom.

BTW, the Miners Tunnel was blasted through 800 feet of bedrock in the late 1870’s to divert the flow of the South Yuba during summer months so miners could work the main river channel.  Both ends of the tunnel are visible ... if the water isn't too high.

We made it down that awful "deeply rutted road" to the river.  I love clambering over the polished granite boulders.  Those near the water are contoured by the river, and smooth as a baby's butt.  Graceful and beckoning.  We ate our lunch parked on a higher boulder.  It ain't easy climbing back up to the trail, but we did it.  I can tell you that Jimmy and I are always grateful that we can get Out and About like this.  At our age, many can't.  We don't take this gift for granted.

Hey, I must be part mountain goat!

I didn't fall in.  Good thing, the water was freezing.

Can you see me in the center of the pic?

I was shooting the video I sent to Instagram.

Because we had a powerful rainstorm Thursday (we got the snow), some of the many wooden bridges that replaced the flumes of yore were slickery, but not scary.   Luckily the trail has two parallel paths, and we were able to bypass a few muddy places in the ditch bottom by moving up to the ditch bank.

Always a fascinating rock configuration.  (Hi Jimmy!)

I usually say as I pass beneath, "I hope that rock doesn't fall now."

Right here, we're approaching Smartie in the parking lot, but we still have to descend.  This gives a good view of the river.  That large white boulder?  Probably as big as a two-bedroom condominium!  That's our adventure for this day -- 5 miles or so, three hours +/-, and very enjoyable.

A Little January Post -- Friday, Jan 26th, 2018

I've enjoyed my hiatus from blogging.  Besides, there isn't much going on around here this time of year to warrant a posting.  January is a cold month with short days and long nights; the perfect month to warm piggies, and other body parts, in front of the toasty fireplace.  It's a great time to catch up on reading and even some TV ... so Jimmy and I loaded up on books at Nevada City's monthly library book sale, and we've watched a few flicks and a couple of favorite Netflix series during some of these drawn-out evenings.  On especially nice days we'll "hit the trail," putting in miles to stay in shape.  Also, I finally began physical therapy for my back (injured in India) which seems to be helping.

We watched this fox amble across our driveway one morning.

Although we're not really joiners, when our friends, Mary and Terry, invited us to play "Hand and Foot," (a card game) we hesitantly agreed.  Maybe you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but we learned to play and discovered it's lots of fun!  We get together once a week, rotating homes, always beginning with a tasty lunch.

Matt and Jen and Everly Rose are settling into their new-to-them house in Fair Oaks (Sacramento).  We've been happy to help out, which means I get to play with sweet Everly Rose -- yay!  At ten months, she is such a sweet child and quite a character!

Nothing's safe now that she's On.The.Move.  Not quite walking independently yet, but she's thinking about it.  She learned how to navigate that high step above in short order.

After feeding her yummy stuff from a jar (what IS that stuff?), I unbuckled the high chair harness.  Was she in a hurry to get down?  No.  She wanted to study how the buckle fits together.  She turned it over and over, and then this way, that way, studying on it.  I could almost see the gears in her brain meshing.  Another engineer in the family? 😌

She and Jimmy had the best time with Jimmy's glasses.  She laughed and he laughed, it was so much fun watching.  She'd squint when the glasses neared her eyes and just squeal with delight.  Makes me smile all over again seeing the pictures.  What a love!

* * * * *

NorCal hasn't had much precipitation this month, and the weather people are already hinting at a new drought.  Yesterday's off/on rain/snow took the steam out of that theory, at least for me.  Snow was the big winner, dumping 6-7 inches on us by Midnight.

“Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things,

but just look what they can do when they stick together.”  (V. Kelly)

I'd gone to the movies last night with friends (pre-planned), but worried about being Out and About in this weather in the Prius (good for gas mileage, not snow and ice).  I got home safely by driving slowly, made it up and over the snow plow berm at the top of the driveway, and got the car as far as you see (above).  I took this picture when I went out at 7am to get the newspaper.  We had to shovel a path to the road so I could take the Prius to my 9am P/T appointment.  I made it on time.

The snowy landscape was pristine and beautiful.

Except these dang pesky deer beat me to the fresh snow!!

In between times of activity, we're planning for upcoming 2018 journeys!