"Rehearsing!" Wednesday, 7/3/19

As retired folks, we can pretty much do whatever we decide on any given day, barring medical appt's and the like.  With my cataract surgeries, I've had plenty of doctor visits (right eye next: July 10th).  Plus, we have our annual checkups this month.  Medical aside, with our Swiss Alps hiking trip looming in a little over six weeks, we're trying to get our legs "mountain" fit.  Naturally, we'd head for a fairly strenuous (for us, anyway) Sierras high country hike, one we've done before.  Rehearsing, sort of. This hike is so scenic, it's enough to make you feel energized rather than pooped!

Alpine Meadows is on the "backside" of Squaw Valley.  Elevation is roughly 6500 ft there, and the trail begins from the road (where I'm standing) just to the right of the big ol' dead tree.  Jimmy has already begun heading up the Five Lakes hike!

Of course we knew we'd see snow on these peaks; we have in years past.  With this year's gigantic snowfall, we'd wondered if we'd see snow by the lake.

The is a multi-purpose trail, meaning it's open to horses and dogs and people and even strollers (!).  No bikes, though.  This is the first time we've seen a horse clip-clopping the fairly narrow path.  It didn't want to step over the fallen tree, but with a little coaxing, over it went.  You know we encountered horse apples further up the trail (pee-yew!).  Honestly, we can't imagine a horse navigating such a steep trail that has some precipitous drops.

Again, we were favored with lotsa wildflower blooms all along the way.  Clockwise from top left:  Sierra Stickweed, Western False Soloman's Seal, Bitter Cherry, Spreading Phlox, Snowflower, and Mountain Pride.

Up he goes.  Look at the clear, blue sky!

Not much shade to be had.

Above the trail we spotted our first patch of snow, which created a tiny rivulet ... easy to step over. I was wearing my new Ahnu hikers, with deep tread for trails like this.  I wore out my last pair.  Maybe I should've tried them on the level canal trail, but I didn't. Give them a real test here!

More snow.  This drift covered the trail.

We carefully walked on it to the other side.

When we reach this sign, much of our uphill slog is finished and we will soon be in the shade of tall trees -- fragrant firs and pines.  We were lucky to have such cool temps today ... only in the high 60's or low 70's, but it's always a relief to get out of the hot sun.  A cool breeze hit us at times which we really appreciated.

And then, oh my!  Were we in for a surprise!  Look at this picture -- look at all the snow!  This is where that cool breeze came from!  We stomped across snow piles, dodged snow-melt "lakes," and had to scout for the trail at times.

This is July 3rd, for Pete's Sake!  Some of this was still three to five feet deep.  The trail itself disappeared and reappeared, but hikers' tracks across the snow led us in the right direction.  We surely didn't expect to see this!  Our elevation at this point was approximately 7500 ft -- we'd gained 1,000 ft since we began.  Imagine how deep the snow was last March -- Squaw Valley had something like 719 inches of snow this winter!  It wasn't cold standing here, but the snow was slippery.  (719 divided by 12 = 60 ft, zowie!)

We debated about continuing on.  We didn't know if we could even find a lake, and, if we did, which one it would be.  Ah, well, of course we kept going.  When we weren't directly beneath the trees, the snow petered out somewhat.  Overall, we had to sidestep many seeps, puddles, and water leaching from the hills and rocks and spilling across the trail.

Yes, here is the lake we were looking for  This is the lake where we usually eat our lunch, sitting on a boulder waterside.  Not today.  That's ice you're seeing.  Even now, the lake was partially frozen.  Our lunch rock was submerged.  Melting ice/water generated a fast-moving swollen stream at the far end, though we weren't sure if it flowed down into another lake or a larger river.  In the forest stillness, the splashing torrent was loud to our ears.

Clear, COLD water.  Jimmy tested it.

We ate our granola bars sitting on a log.

This lake was as far as we'd go.  We didn't quite make it the entire five miles, but we got close.  It took us two hours to hike up this far and eat our lunch, stopping to take pictures (and breathe), and the trek down would be about an hour-and-a-half.  Unless we got lost in the snow!  (we didn't)

We see a number of venerable, bleached giants at this elevation.  Long winters with severe winds and deep snows take a toll on all the vegetation up here.  At one point near the lake, tiny perennial plants were emerging from the soil -- they'd have a brief time to grow before winter's gales strike again.

Be fun to clamber around this rock jungle.

Mahala Pinemat -- a lovely shrub that decorated the trail side.

And so, down we went, zig-zagging our way toward the Prius.  My new shoes proved themselves; they're keepers.  The feet were tired, though!  (Jimmy's, too)  We encountered a lot of people coming and going, including plenty of young people, even some children.  Nice to see families Out and About enjoying the day full of sunshine and flowers ... and snow!  

Up to Wednesday, 8/29/18

Three cheers for cooler days!  I know it can (and probably will) heat up again, but we are enjoying a respite from those continuous over-90 degree temps.

Good buddies at the Saturday Nevada City farmer's market.

Mary, Jimmy, Terry -- three card sharks, trust me!

(We four play Hand and Foot card games every week or two.)

Sunday evening was the final band concert of the summer and the only one we were able to attend.  I think we picked the best.  Not only were the music selections good, the comic antics of the band added greatly to a fun evening.  Conductor, Cheryl, dressed in Victorian white garb for this free concert held in Pioneer Park.  Nevada City offers lots of free, fun stuff to do all year long.

Cool dude enjoying the music.

* * * * *

In this refreshing weather, we opted to hike in the high country again this week.  Latent wildfire smoke hasn't been much of a problem for us lately, though a filmy haze clings to the mountains and lingers in the valleys.

Today we picked a hike we've done twice before, in 2014 and 2015, and, even though it's pretty strenuous, the views are out-of-this-world, at least we think so.  Five Lakes trail off of Alpine Meadows is up and over, on the other side of Squaw Valley.  It's five miles R/T, and rated moderately strenuous, beginning at 6500' elevation.  As usual, we packed food and drink, pulled on the hikers, and took off.  The first mile-and-a-half is the steepest ... after that the trail eases.  Still, I can't look and walk at the same time w/o tripping or worse.  So we stopped often on the uphill, both to breathe and to gaze in wonder at our surroundings.

Jimmy asked, "Why are you kissing that tree?"  Nope, not kissing -- bent inward to sniff the sweet butterscotch scent of a big ol' Jeffrey pine!  And maybe a "happy to see you, big guy" pat on its bark.

One stellar view after another.  Isn't this beautiful?

Lots of people use this trail, many of them with dogs in tow.  We met a man named Randy, on his way down as we were going up, and he offered to take our pic.  Thanks, Randy!

We love these mountains -- shiny granite, glowing in the sunlight,

gray volcanic rock hunkered along the crests.

This brave soul gained a foothold, managed to survive.

Not all the trees make it.

Looking across a divide in the direction of Squaw Valley.

I think this is a firecracker plant, growing out of crushed granite. 

We sigh in relief when we see this Granite Chief Wilderness sign, because that means we're out of the sun and entering the forest of tall trees!  Much of the trail to this point is in full sun and uphill.  I should've worn shorts today!  A coolish breeze blasted us occasionally, bringing a sense of (can it be?) autumn ... it felt like it anyway.

Another trail sign -- Five Lakes to the left, PCT straight ahead.

We're skipping the PCT today.

We're still not sure if we've seen all five lakes.  I think we've missed one (just have to return, right?).  Each lake is calm and picturesque.  We ate our lunch perched on a boulder just out of the photo at left.

After eating, we crawled down off the rock,

 and spotted this harmless li'l fellow below us.

Squaw Valley's Sun Bowl can be seen beyond lake

Peeking over the log to make sure we wouldn't bite, this lone duck finally crept beneath the log "to get to the other side" of the lake.  Funny to watch it bob its head up and down to see if it was safe to pass.

Tranquility.

A tick to the left atop yonder mountain, white-domed KT-22 is visible on the ridge.  (Voted best chairlift in North America, KT-22 is an expert's nirvana and an iconic chairlift—not just at Squaw Valley, but in the world of skiing and snowboarding.  So sayeth the Internet.)  Probably have to enlarge the photo and use your back arrow to return to this post.

Towering giants -- magnificent Red Fir trees.  Our trail is smack in the middle.

Headin' down.  Part of our zig-zag trail at red check mark.

Five Lakes trail begins in Alpine Meadows at approx 6500', gains over 1000' elevation, and ends somewhere above 7500'.  We spent four hours on the trail, including a peaceful lunch interlude.  You know our feet were ready for the hikers to be off when we returned to the car.  We are so lucky to live where we do, close to these wonderful mountains ... we treasure the time we spend here.

How's this for a parting shot?  I'm currently reading Gene Fowler's glib biography of John Barrymore, Good Night, Sweet Prince, ©1943, which I bought for a buck at our local library's book sale.  I came across this line, and it struck a nerve:  

"A man is not old," Barrymore once said,

 "until regrets take the place of dreams."

No regrets:  Plenty of dreams (and plans)!

Way-To-Go!!! Friday, Oct 2, 2015

For a man who had Left Total Knee Replacement surgery less than four months ago, Jimmy is amazing. He can hike up and down these alpine mountains like a pro. When we last trod Five Lakes (June 2014), this trail hurt him. Today all he felt was hot, tired feet by the time we finished our 7.5 mile hike. Yes, you read that right ... lotsa miles! This is our third Friday in a row to plod up and down mountains in the high country; we felt practicing walking at higher altitudes would come in handy for our next journey. We won't be hiking in Tahoe National Forest next Friday, however -- we'll be packing our suitcases.

Besides, how could we (or why would we?) stay indoors on such a dazzling day?  The temperature was in the low 70's, which is ideal for hiking, and nary a cloud in the sky.  Five Lakes is a popular trail; we encountered quite a few people (and dogs, of course).  Had to sidestep a few horse ploppers, too, although how a horse could navigate a steep, narrow course like this is unimaginable to us.

These two rock piles, one smoothly rounded, the other dark and jagged, sit side-by-side.  What happened to make it so?  And why?  Makes no sense, but gotta love Mother Nature!

By the time we reached this sign, we'd already logged two miles in the sun.  We stopped now and again to admire the spectacular scenery (and breathe) on our ascent; it isn't possible for either of us to hike and look around at the same time!  As we approached the five lakes area, we were treated to plenty of shade cover from tall trees. Elevation at the trailhead is 6500 ft, and we'll climb to 7500 ft at our highest point.  

Blessed shade!

California Sister (Adelpha californica) flitting from leaf to leaf.  Nice spot of color.  This late in the year, we saw no flowers, but no snow either.

Lichen we did see!  I thought this pattern was so cool.  A recently-downed tree, I think.

OK, now -- after taking side trails down to a couple of the lakes, we followed a less-used path that took us eventually (up/down) to a juncture with the PCT (below).  Look at the photo above.  Jimmy is standing straight, and the tree in the foreground is straight, but all the trees in the background are listing so much they look as though they're fixin' to fall over!  What a bizarre picture.  (we were on a steep hillside, but ....)

We shucked our packs and stopped here to eat our lunch.  Our turn-around point.

There are no signs to be seen in the wilderness.  The lakes aren't numbered, as in 1. 2. 3., etc.  We had single hikers and a group of guys asking us questions:  is this Lake Five?  Are more lakes this way?  Is there a lake that way?  Where's the trail?  We had no answers.  So, I don't feel too bad saying that on our return, we slipped up and lost the trail completely, ending up with a lot more steps on the ol' fitbit than we intended. As long as we could see a lake shimmering in the sun, we knew we could eventually find our way to the main trail ... it just wasn't easy.  Think of it as an adventure! 

What goes up, must come down, and it's always faster going downhill.  I personally rated this trail at "moderately strenuous" because it's so steep.  And also very beautiful.

Yup, that zigzag in the center of the pic is part of the switchback.

The End.  Wait ...

... no, not the end.  I wanted to tell you about packing suitcases!  Next Saturday, Oct. 10th, Jimmy and I are flying from Sacramento to Los Angeles (LAX) to Beijing, China!  From there, we'll tour the mountain kingdoms of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and ending in Bangkok, Thailand.  For almost three weeks we'll be out of the country, some of it in HIGHER elevations, hence our hiking in high country (Lhasa, Tibet sits at close to 12,000 ft above sea level.) To say we are excited about this trip would be an understatement!  For months we've been working on getting our stuff in order, together, and ready to go into luggage.  We're almost there.

We are taking the new lightweight Surface Pro computer, but I have no idea if I'll be able to post anything on my blog.  If blogging isn't possible while Out and About in Asia, I'll do catch-up posts on our travels when we get home.  I'll carry you in my pocket while touring these exotic places.  Till next time, safe travels and happy camping.  Now, it's The End of my post!