Summer medley, to 8-16-25

 

Summer 2025 has been very good to us thus far.  We've been lucky, we know, and we thank the heavens daily.  Maybe we'll pay for it later on, but right now you'll hear no complaints from us, especially when we see floods and heat waves and fires all over the country.  Jimmy and I have been Out and About a lot this summer, as much as we can in-between chores and appointments.  Make hay while the sun shines as the saying goes.  I can't remember exactly when we went here or there and I'm too lazy to look up the details, but you'll get the general idea.  Anyhoot, take a gander at each photo's sky:  Always blue.

One day we decided to EXplore further away from home.  For years (on our way to the high country) we've passed a sign for Omega Road off Hwy 20 but till we bought the Subaru, we wouldn't have tackled this rough dirt and gravel road which leads to the former Alpha and Omega mines.  Dang road spiraled down and down, but we didn't make it to either mine.  Instead, we pulled in and parked roughly two-thirds the way down and took off on an alleged path.  Big boulder, Jimmy! 

How about this pile of tailings?  That's me up there.  We walked hither and yon and realized a person could easily get turned around in this mess o' hills.  We were careful to keep an eye on where we'd been so as to not get lost.  We got hot traipsing around.

I tipped this picture, to see the dead critters better.  Looks like a dragon fly atop an unknown insect, but who killed who?  They're on a Cedar tree trunk.  Makes you wonder ....

At left is true-blue Chicory, which flowers all over the US, I think, especially in habitat nothing else seems to like (except maybe Queen Anne's Lace, and together they make a lovely pair).  Top right is a variety of St Johns Wort, and bottom right is California Indian Pink, native annual herb.

On another day, we bit off more than we could chew when we hiked the Point Defiance trail counter-clockwise on a HOT Sunday!  Mistake.  We couldn't even find a parking space and had to park on Rice's Crossing Rd!  That meant we had to climb the switchbacks at the end of our hike, which just about "did us in."  When the South Yuba River water level was low, someone made the round rock circle.  Looks like a huge bathtub drain!  Weird!  Enlarge the picture.

This fella entertained us as we trudged along.  It scurried ahead of us for a long time, keeping pace with our steps.  It was big and methinks it's an alligator lizard.  

We picked an awesome weekday to bike from Beal's Point to the Sunrise footbridge on our favorite American River Trail.  With mild temps, we felt like we could've biked forever (but we settled for 27 miles).  It's always a plus when you see a swan afloat, the white speck in the water at left.

Enjoying a bit of lunchtime rest.

We like the sentiment on the bench.

Lots and lots of watercraft on the river near Folsom.

Kayaks, canoes and SUP's.

Whoa, how about this! Peaches. Ten pints. They join jars of strawberry and blueberry jams, as well as plum sauce jam, cherries and applesauce. Productive summer so far. Tomatoes are yet to come. Maybe next week. Aren't we lucky to have friends who share their produce bounty with us? Yes, is the answer.

The Nevada County Fair in August is always held during the hottest week of the year. 😄 We usually go with Matt, Jen and Evie, but this time they were elsewhere, so Jimmy and I went by ourselves.  Yup, it was hot, but we enjoyed the four hours we spent.  We checked out the award-winners in every category.  Can you spot Jimmy, above, by what appears to be the world's tallest Ferris wheel?

Too hot to move, may as well nap. 😂

The fairgrounds are decked out every year with gorgeous flowers.

Recently we took off for a hike in the Grouse Ridge area, again off Hwy 20, higher up the hill, elevation between 6600-7000+ ft.  Trust me, this is one of the prettiest places ever.  First thing we saw was mountain goats. 

Round Lake Trail passes by five or six serene alpine lakes.  Above, Jimmy stands before Feeley Lake, one of the larger lakes on this trail.  Fall Creek Mountain looms in the background.  We wondered if we could hike to its summit, but we couldn't see a trail.

Finally. We "accidentally" found a stand of blooming native Corn Lilies.  I've tried several times to see these plants in flower while hiking in other areas of the Sierras (namely Castle Peak), and here they are!  The plants are quite tall, as you see, above, with many inch-wide flower clusters.  The bees were happy.

What makes a tree shift like this?

Perhaps a snow drift?

While tiny in size, Delaney Lake was also mucho picturesque. Pond lilies dot the surface, but the water in every lake was clear as bottled water. 

Comely no-name lake with an island, and two gals swimming!  Maybe skinny-dipping!?  See the two white dots toward the back of the lake, at right?  We left them in peace.

Left is the perennial herb, White-veined Wintergreen, and right is one of the largest clumps of Woodland Pinedrops I've ever seen. It's a root parasite that depends on its association with a mycorrhizal fungus (also associated with a pine tree), and has small pink, urn-shaped flowers which hang upside-down.  Both are members of the heath family and are found in coniferous forests.  Cool beans, huh?

We both tested and declared the water cool, verging on cold, but if you had to swim, you could.  Once immersed in the water, maybe it feels refreshing.  I prefer the water temp of Catalina Spa and RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs:  Warm as toast!

After eating our granola bars perched on one of these granite slabs, I left Jimmy to rest and continued my climb up to Long Lake overlook. This entire area is pocked with lakes and ponds, and each is simply gorgeous.  There are plenty of other trails or offshoots of this one in the Grouse Ridge area, and it's easy to get here in the Subaru.  Pesky gravel-dirt roads!

That's a wrap on some of our summer doings. Of course, we enjoyed other stellar bike rides and hikes, but I didn't take many pics. Hopefully we'll have a few more adventures this summer.  Yet, as August wanes and September closes in, Jimmy and I are beginning to prepare for our ambitious journey across the Big Pond -- our trip to Türkiye, Egypt and Jordan. Oh, but first we stop in Maryland.

Buttermilk Bend, reopened! Friday, 4/18/25

 

Being outdoors on a fresh spring day is thrilling, especially if you're hiking on a path known for its abundant springtime flowers.  I'm not sure if spring or autumn is best, both have their advantages, but in spring there's a sense of renewal and rebirth, and I like that.  Right now, our yard is filled with purple blossoms, just like we would see on the Buttermilk Bend trail.  But purple wasn't the only color we'd see today -- decorative yellows line a trail hillside, as you see in the photo below.

Buttermilk Bend trail is part of South Yuba River State Park.  The So Yuba River is ripping along at an average 3,000 cfs, and I do mean ripping!  So loud that the river's roar could drown out normal conversation if you were close to it.

In February 2024, the trail was closed due to a washout about a half mile in, and we missed our annual wildflower walk that year. We were delighted to hear the news that this favorite trail (of many) had reopened a couple of weeks ago and happy to step on the new bridge, above, spanning the washout; this would be our first spring trip on this trail in two years.

Lupines were the star of the show today, it being a bit late in the season (at this elevation, less than 1,000') for heaps of Poppies and other early bloomers.  But the Lupines made up for any seeming lack, and Poppies were indeed scattered along the way.

These two, Canyon Dudleya and Lupine, were eye-catching favorites.

White Globe Lilies favored shadier spots.  They seem so delicate.

Purple and gold, y'all.

Pipevine Swallowtails were busy flying from flower to flower.  Hard to get a decent photo when they don't light on the front of a flower.  They're black with iridescent blue hindwings and they're beautiful.

Jimmy and I were not alone.  Plenty of others were Out and About, even kids.  Then we remembered today was Good Friday and kids were on spring break and parents probably had the day off.  And the trail was open again, yeehaw! 

A profusion of Blue Dicks.

You know that water is snow melt, right, coming from the High Sierra, where they've had tons o' snow this winter.  The river was high, fast and cold.  Deadly if you somehow fell in.

The temp at our house when we left was in the mid-50's, so we pulled on long pants and long-sleeved shirts.  Phooey.  I never get it right -- we should've worn shorts and T's -- temp here was in the mid-70's.  Lower elevation and south-facing hills make a big difference.  A cool breeze wafting off the water felt good.

Before too long we realized we weren't seeing bees.  With so much to pollinate, shouldn't there be a goodly number of bees?  There's one on the Lupine, above, but we had to search for it.  

Look!  Aan entire village of Chinese Houses!

This huge and gorgeous Silverbush Lupine sat by itself on an eroded hump, but it looked happy!

Altogether now!  Lupine, Poppies, Canyon Dudleya, Bush Monkeyflower, and Bird's Foot Cliffbrake.  We saw many more varieties:  Twining Snakelily, Dutchman's Pipe, Prettyface, Purple Sanicle, and so on and so on.

Love this side-by-side arrangement. 

Always good to know and pass it on.  Parking here is ten bucks, but I think most folks don't mind paying for such a great 2.5-mile out-and-back hike.  I wouldn't try being here on a weekend (or a holiday, but retired people don't always know what day it is). 😊  South Yuba State Park is less than 20 miles from our house, easy-peasy for us -- we are so fortunate to be close to such outstanding parks!

Anyhoot, we enjoyed our time here, despite the crowd -- under blue skies and with flowers galore, listening to a wild river the entire distance, what's not to like?

Happy Easter! 

December on the Bend, 12/13/23

Into the busyness that is December, we found a free afternoon and took advantage of it.  Rather than our usual out-the-door to the Cascade Canal path, we made the short drive to the South Yuba River so we could walk our favorite Buttermilk Bend trail.  This time of year it's good to be outside, away from stores and baking and computers, and into winter's quiet, where one can appreciate the stillness and find joy in nature's hibernation.  

This river looks like a small creek right now, but we have seen it full and raging.  As it awaits winter's rains and snow, the river just chuckles along.

In the clear water, we could see the sandy bottom.  Submerged boulders, iceberg-like, showed a gray tip above the water with a rocky mass below.

If we'd a mind to do it, we thought we could walk across the river in some places and only get our ankles wet.  But we know the river is cold.

The Yuba presented many faces today.

Especially lovely was the golden glow above.

Though Buttermilk Bend is known for its wildflower display in spring, 'tis not wildflower season now.  Toyon -- California's holly -- with its bright red berries, was the only color to be seen among the earth tones of winter.  A welcome contrast to the muted landscape.

From up on the trail, the last leaves of autumn looked like flowers.

The river's pools seem dark and mysterious.

I climbed far out on the boulders to video the river for Instagram.  But I forgot to post it.

Polished granite boulders shine like expensive silver trays.  So gorgeous.  And you have to love a pop of yellow. 

Listening.  Looking.  Still.

Here the water has an almost-aqua tint as it rushes downstream.

Many of the trees had shed their leaves and we could see into the forest on the north-facing slope.  A few trees had crispy leaves that curled up, fetal-like. Yet, seeing some green leaves made it feel less austere, less wintry.  The day itself was chilly and sunny at our house.  On the trail, we didn't need our jackets, the sun felt warm and toasty ... till shadows reached across the river and we knew it was time to turn around.

Smooth and buffed to a fine sheen, reflecting all above it.

Come January or maybe February, no one knows for sure, the polished granite boulders will be hidden below high water.

Fleecy white mare's tales reached across a bluebird sky, tickling a snag's sticks.  As we neared the car, more clouds filled in and the sky turned a slate color. 

These Osage Orange trees and fruit are a curiosity.  I don't think they belong here; their natural habitat is Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.  I don't think they're good for anything, either, except as a curiosity.

Ahhh, such a great place to recharge batteries, a balm to soothe the soul during this hurried month.  Today we didn't hurry, we stopped frequently with the river's roar always below us, and noting every glorious thing around us.  The trail is roughly three miles and we spent roughly two hours on it.  Just the right amount of time.  Tomorrow we can return to December's needs.