Time flies: August 2024

A month of Sundays has melted away since our return from Europe. Melted is the correct word, too. Like other areas in the country, summer's heat has just about flattened NorCal, and I, for one, am sapped, cooked and done with hot temps, stick a fork in me! What to do? Lots to do! Our yard needed plenty of attention (and work) after over three weeks away, which we tackled on many days before the sun got up and beat down. Early morning walks along our Cascade Canal were fine, and -- oh boy! -- we spent time with 7-yr-old Evie and her folks in Fair Oaks, where they now have, ahem, a lovely swimming pool.

Even Lucy, the Yorkie, hopped into the drink one appallingly hot day, and then she went "surfing" on a pink board.  Evie holds Lucy, left, to show you that Lucy doesn't always look like a drowned rat.

Toward the end of July, Jimmy and I took the bikes up to the high country, where it was cooler, and pedaled from Olympic Valley, to Meeks Bay, a ride we've done in the past.  Roughly 36 miles R/T, we always enjoy riding along the Truckee River and Lake Tahoe.  This time we stopped by the entry kiosk at Ed Z'berg Sugar Pine Point St Pk, gathered some info, and talked about taking Tergel there for a few nights.

The Truckee River was crowded with rafts.

Looks like fun!

At home, I checked the state park website and, woohoo!, I found three nights available, Aug 6-9, so I booked 'em right then.  Meanwhile, we continued playing catchup on household and yard chores, looking forward to our next sojourn in Tergel.

Sugar Pine Point St Pk (just above Meeks Bay, above at left) is only 80 miles from home, but the drive took two hours, with three road construction stops or slow-downs, using I-80 to Truckee, to Hwy 89.  Plus an elevation gain of over 3,000'.  We brought our bikes and left Smartie resting in the garage.  The day before I made a big pot of spaghetti, potato salad, and date/walnut bars, plus fresh fruits and veggies, and more.  Cold, or heat and eat stuff.

OMGosh, we were sooo pleased with this park and our site.  We even had our own fire hydrant, which, in my view, is wonderful considering NorCal's EXTREME fire danger!  The sites are far apart, and the park, 2,000 acres of dense pine, fir, aspen and cedar (and a long way off the highway), was quiet.  All sites are $35/night, no hookups.  Well worth it for the added bonus:  the air smelling fresh and piney, like Christmas.  And it's cooler!

As soon as we were set up, we set off on our feet to the Red Trail, a really neat 3.3 miles into the "back" country.  This late in the season many wildflowers were baked to a crisp, but enough were blooming to make me happy! 

Goldenrods, Dwarf checkerbloom, Pearly everlasting, and Asters,

some with friends.

We saw some truly spectacular trees in this park.

Lots and lots of Thimbleberries (Salmon berries) were ripe, unlike these in the photo, so we picked and ate as we went along.  I had my red whistle on a cord around my neck, 'cause this is real bear country.  Bears like berries, and, luckily, we encountered none!

This is the first time we've seen a chipmunk with a face like you see, above.  This li'l varmint is a Lodgepole Chipmunk.  It seemed unimpressed with our nearness; usually chipmunks will dart off under a log or into a pile of debris.  It being a hot afternoon, most critters were in hiding, altho I did see a new bird for me -- a Goshawk.  

Didn't know some parts of the 1960 winter Olympics were held here, on this spot, above, according to the signs.  No buildings remained, but we were fixin' to walk through a large, flat meadow.  Most of the  events were held 16 miles away at Olympic Valley (Squaw Valley).  Jimmy and I were at the loop turnaround.

But first we needed to cross this bridge.

Beneath was tiny General Creek.

I'm guessing this giant boulder is a glacier erratic.  The brown slab at my feet obviously fell off the brown area at my shoulder.  Bet it made a heckuva racket!

The fallen ones eventually become one with the land.  They have help by way of bears, raccoons, ants, and so forth.  We were admiring how much trunk and limb debris had been deposited.

Another General Creek crossing, leading back to the C/G.  (Hi Jimmy!)  We were hot and sweaty by this time and ready to relax in our chairs with a Gatorade or two.  Shoes off -- sandals on!  I refilled our water bottles at the spigot on the other side of Tergel -- nice, cold water!  Dinner was easy since it was premade.  We read for a while afterwards, but went to bed with the chickens, tired as we were.  Tomorrow we'll have a new day to play!