hikes – Page 7 – Circadianreflections Blog

Hiking Upper Yosemite Fall Trail

May 13, 2011May 13, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, PhotographyTagged Photography; Yosemite National Park; Hikes; California;10 Comments

Dogwood blossoms gracing the Merced River

For my birthday this year the only thing I wanted was to hike up Upper Yosemite Fall Trail to the base of the Upper Yosemite Fall to see if there was a rainbow up there, and with luck I’d see some Dogwoods that I had heard were blooming in the valley. I asked Heman if he could go with me. Lucky me, he freed up his calendar enabling us to spend the day together hiking.

We left home just after 6AM with a coffee stop in Gilroy, and a lunch stop in Mariposa. Then we drove straight into Yosemite Valley. We started our hike just before noon, and went to Lower Yosemite Falls first. I thought the trail head to the Upper falls was near there, but turned out I was wrong it’s a lot closer to the Lodge. So we hiked over to the trail head extending our hike.

The weather was gorgeous, but for hiking it was on the warm side at 75º. We were shedding layers soon after we started the ascent up Upper Yosemite Fall Trail.

Neither one of us had ever hiked this particular trail before, nor did I have any idea what to expect. I thought we’d be up and down in about 4 hours.

After hiking this trail I read it described as the “the mother of all Stairmaster workouts.” That is a very accurate description! This trail is very, very rugged. 90% of the way up it’s very rocky. For my friends who have hiked Mission Peak this hike is like the last 300ft of the trail to the Pole. That rocky and steep all the way up. There is a nice flat part of the trail at a ridge line once you make it up to the base of Upper Yosemite Fall, but it’s too short. You’re climbing and picking your way though the rocks again all too soon.

Wanting a photo of the rugged trail I stopped to take this shot as these two passed me heading down.

There were 4 streams running down the mountain and trail that we traversed. There was no way to keep your shoes from being wet. If you didn’t have waterproof shoes you had wet feet. Fear of slippery rocks kept the pace slow too.

Below the base of Upper Yosemite Fall at a look out spot aptly called “Oh, my gosh! Point” one gets a great view of all 3 falls; Upper, Middle, and Lower cascading down the mountain, and when I got there I saw a double rainbow! I lost my sunglasses to the mountain here. My Hobie’s came unhooked from my shoulder harness and went flying over the cliff face. I’ll miss those glasses, but it was the only mishap of the whole day so I won’t complain… too much. From here we hiked up to view the base of Upper Yosemite Falls. You get a little wet here. It felt nice and cool on this warm afternoon.

Oh my gosh! Point with the double rainbow.

This is a little higher than Oh my gosh! Point. Right at the base of the falls.

View of Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley from Upper Yosemite Trail 5,413ft elevation

We continued to climb higher than the base of Upper Yosemite Fall for another hour. After we reached the hour more mark we took stock of our situation. To make it all the way to the top of the mountain it would have taken another hour of climbing and from here the terrain gets rougher. I was nearly out of water, and we were beginning to get hungry. I had brought along a little treat for us both, 2 mini chocolate cupcakes that I purchased at the coffee shop in the morning, but they were really mini, and were totally empty of good calories. It was after 3PM; we’d been climbing for more than 3 hours by then, and we knew the trip down would be slow since the terrain was so rough and rugged. We decided to head down.

Half Dome, Upper Yosemite Fall, and the top of the rainbow. The highest point I went.

I didn’t think I’d need my poles. Was I ever wrong… I really could have used them to help pull myself up the huge rocks, and coming down they would have helped ease the pressure on my knees. One does a lot heavy landing coming down from this trail as so many of the rocks are big so the steps down are hard in the sense that you’re landing hard on your feet.

Biggest surprise of the hike. How crowded this trail was! For a Thurs. in early May the park was very busy. This trail is Single track all the way so passing and being passed was tight. I was stunned that this trail was so popular.

I’m counting this hike as a “strengthening hike” for my training to Cloud’s Rest. I definitely worked harder than I thought I would.

The views of the valley, and falls are spectacular! It’s worth the effort. Take plenty of water, snacks, and your trekking poles.

This was a birthday I won’t soon forget.

Hiking Stats

Hike elevation at start 3,772 ft

Hike elevation at End 5,413 ft

Total elevation climbed 2,119 ft

Average Speed 2.4 mph

Total Miles hiked 6.63m

Total time: 5h40m

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 17-35mm & Nikkor 70-300mmVR| Induro C213 tripod

A Mother’s Day Hike

May 10, 2011May 10, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, PhotographyTagged Photography; hikes; Nikon; Santa Clara County; California3 Comments

Stepping up my game last week I added a longer trail to my training routine. I hiked up the PG&E trail in Rancho San Antonio Open Space Reserve in Santa Clara County.

This trail is called the PG&E trail because huge power-towers run up the canyon that the trail follows. The last time I hiked up this trail was back in the 1990’s it was mid summer and hot. I was also very out of shape. I didn’t make it up 1 mile. I hoped My Mother’s Day hike would be the opposite of that hike. My goal was to try to make it up to Vista Point at the top of the PG&E trail; a 4 mile hike. The day was perfect for hiking. It was overcast, and cool, with a breeze.

I made it to the first ridge after some steep climbing. The view up here is nice. The clouds were above the mountains and the breeze blew out the fog. I could see Hoover Tower at Stanford University, and in the far distance I could make out San Francisco’s skyline.

There were wildflowers lining the trail. I saw Wild Radish; Parsley, Thistle was everywhere, ivy, wild berries; Poison Oak; buttercups; bindweed; Monkey flower; and under the canopy there was wild Iris! It was the first time I’ve seen it anywhere this year.

Climbing higher Blue Dicks, and Clover were abundant. This week was the week for a variety of wildflowers along this trail. I’ve made it a lot farther than the last time I hiked here. Here I can see Vista Point. There’s no stopping me now the goal is in sight. There are the power-towers that the trail is named for. The last one is my goal.

I made it! 4 miles to this point in 2 hours. Here’s the view looking down the canyon, and out to the valley below. I was feeling really good.

Rather than turn around and head down the way I’d come up I followed the ridge on Upper Meadow trail where I saw more wildflowers then I turned down Upper Wildcat Canyon Trail then caught the Farm Bypass Trail then Canyon trail where I saw these sweet Globe Lilies.

…and a little further down I was following Permanente Creek, and had to stop to photograph this little spill over fall.

Finally I connected to the PG&E trail again and headed down to the parking lot. My legs were tired, but I felt great. Baby Girl treated me to lunch for Mother’s Day after this hike. It’s not often I can say the day was perfect, but this Mother’s Day was.

Total hike 9.3 miles

Total elevation gain 1800 ft.

Total time 4 hours

Nikon D300s, Nikkor 17-35mm lens, Induro C213 tripod

A morning hike in Uvas Canyon

April 29, 2011April 29, 2011Posted in California, Flowers, hikes, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, PhotographyTagged hiking, Photography; Nikon, Uvas Canyon County Park; California; Waterfalls2 Comments

Myself and the Cheeky Monkey hiked in Uvas Canyon County Park this morning. To stretch out my legs, and continue training for a hike up to Cloud’s Rest in Yosemite this summer.

We picked the Alec Canyon Trail with a side trip up to Triple Falls. The trail is steep in places, and there were a few fallen trees blocking the trail as we climbed higher. We had to crouch so low to get under one tree our backpacks got caught. I’ll feel that tomorrow in my quads I’m sure!

We saw a Common Star Lily about a mile up the trail. I don’t think it’s very common. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this wildflower!

Other wildflowers we spotted along the trail were; Wild lilac, Monkey Flower, Thistle, I think I spotted some Trillium, Miner’s lettuce, and Leafystem Coreopsis that a Variable Checkerspot was warming up on. I used my Canon 500 D close up filter to try and get a good shot of him. I really do need to spend some more time playing with this. It’s neat, but does require some practice. The Depth of Field is very shallow as you can see on the butterfly, but I did manage a good close up the Leafystem Coreopsis.

Up at Triple Falls I worked a couple of areas, and nearly ended up in the creek when I slid down the embankment while on my way down to the photograph closer to the creek. The soil was loser than I thought it was.Thankfully it was a soft landing.

There wasn’t much color down where I was so I pulled myself back up the embankment after taking several shots of a little fall and pool. I moved over to photograph Triple Falls. It doesn’t look that big at first, but then you get to the observation fence and Whoa! It’s pretty high. It must fall 35 feet at least, but I liked the base the best today and the way it cascaded down a huge boulder.

After we left Triple Falls we headed back up to the end of Alec Canyon Trail. There were groves of Redwood trees, and the sound of the water cascading down the mountain, and chirping bird were lovely. I tried to mimic one bird. I can do a Finch fairly well. We hiked up past the end of the trail deep into the canopy and found ourselves right on the creek, and to our delight there were lots of beautiful moss covered rocks and little spill overs to photograph. We worked this area for quite a while. I chose to use my B+W 3 stop Neutral Density filter today because it wasn’t too bright under the canopy, and I knew with that light it would be enough to slow down the shutter speed to get the look I was going for.

It was the first time I’d been to these sections of the park. I am looking forward to returning to them again in the future.

The hike details:

Total miles 3.54

Elevation gain: 900 ft

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 17-35mm & Nikkor 80-200mm| Canon 500D close up filter| B+W 3 Stop ND filter| Handheld and Tripod

Hiking- Training for Cloud’s Rest

April 21, 2011April 21, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, WildlifeTagged Mission Peak Trail, Training Hike1 Comment

It was a tough hike up the Peak Trail this morning. I fought leg fatigue the whole way, and was nauseous 3/4 of the way up. I set goals to reach along the way so I would make it a little farther after each rest. I told myself make it to the pond, then the open field, then just to the spot with the view of the red barn, and when I made it to the “Sub Peak” at the top where the bathrooms, and picnic tables are I stopped climbing. The last 300 feet of a killer steep grade to reach the Pole I left for another day.

The leg fatigue has me rethinking my training strategy. I’m going to climb shorter steep mountains/hills working up to doing reps of those. I believe by doing reps I’ll build my endurance and stamina. Hopefully I won’t suffer from the leg fatigue I’m feeling today. My legs still feel weak, and tired hours after finishing the hike.

When I stopped to rest my legs and settle my queasy stomach I did take some photos. This view is near the top. The View is Northwest. We had overcast skies with afternoon showers in the forecast. I did get sprinkled on while waiting for my hiking companions.
I saw a variety of wildflowers today. Lupine, California Poppies, buttercups, Phlox, a few Blue Dicks, Chamomile; Fiddlenecks; Miner’s lettuce, Spring Vetch, Clover, and some Foxtail Barley grass. A great hike for wildflower viewing and photographing!

Just about 100 ft to the “Sub Peak”, and picnic tables there were a lot of cows here grazing today. That’s the Peak on the right.

While waiting for my friends to come down from the peak I did have plenty to keep me amused. The ground squirrels were very industrious digging new holes. They’re so cute!

…and a cow walked up the hillside to taste the grass near these rocks covered in beautiful orange Lichen.

I’m already planning my first training hike. If it doesn’t rain on Saturday I’ll be hiking and beginning the new plan. Cloud’s Rest or Bust!

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 18-200mmVR| Induro CF Tripod| B+W Circular Polarizer w/81A warming

Scenic Peak Trail-Training for Cloud’s Rest

April 12, 2011April 14, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, PhotographyTagged Mission Peak Trail; Summit2 Comments

Myself and two friends hiked up to Mission Peak yesterday afternoon. I’m in training for a hike up to Cloud’s Rest in Yosemite this summer, and my friend Rachael is hiking to both Cloud’s Rest and Half Dome in early summer. This was the first time hiking up to Mission Peak for my friend Dali.

The Peak trail is considered a good training hike because the ascent is steep and fast. You start at 500 feet and climb to 2,517ft in just about 3 miles. The route is quite pretty filled with wildlife and great views. Here is some of what I saw yesterday.

I spotted several wildflowers along the trail yesterday; Spring Vetch; California Poppies; and Buttercups, but the flower I liked the best was this Coulter’s Matilija Poppy growing along the road near Ohlone College. I love the big billowy pedals, and wonderful yellow center. It’s a show stopper!

Not too far up the trail I saw this little Chipping Sparrow. I was so surprised he didn’t fly away when I stopped to take his photo.

At the pond where the cows hang out I lose time taking photo after photo.

I saw a Killdeer up here for the first time.

In the woodland a Bitter Cherry (I think) was blooming.

About halfway to the top we come to my favorite view. You have to turn around to see this lovely Red barn nestled in the trees.

Yesterday we spotted a Red Tailed Hawk flying from one side of the trail to the other. He would circle awhile then land on a rock and watch his territory. I travel light when hiking up here so I didn’t have my longer lens with me, but wished I did.

Looking back – Fremont and the Bay

Only 300 feet from the top now! This part of the trail is brutal. It’s the steepest, and very rocky the higher you get.

Rachael is a great hiker she moves a lot faster than I do. She made it to the top about 20 minutes before me. Dali not far behind Rachael peaked about 10 minutes before me. I knew he wouldn’t have any trouble making it to the top.

Dali

…and here’s me. I made it!

This was the 7th time I’ve hiked this trail and 4th time peaking. I have a goal of climbing up here 4 times this year I’m halfway there! I’ll probably have to step it up and come up here more if I hope to make it to Cloud’s Rest this August.

One thing is for sure. The hike up is always beautiful, and I see something different each time I come.

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 18-200mmVR| Handheld and Tripod

Bucolic Sunday

March 1, 2011March 1, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, PhotographyLeave a comment

Last Sunday I had a wonderful day hiking with a friend whom I share two hobbies; photography and hiking. We met to hike up Mission Peak.

We chose the less steep but slightly longer route. This route meanders through verdant pastures in the Winter and Spring months. Cows roam free munching on grass throughout the park.

Rachael loves cows, and was very excited to be so close to them, but was more comfortable with them behind a fence. This is my favorite photo of Rachael taking photos of the cows on this hike. This was taken on the way up.

Two times we came across cows near or beside the trail. On one occasion a calf was on the opposite side of the trail of its Mother, and the Mother cow Mooed at a passing hiker. So we hiked up the side of the mountain and gave them a wide berth, but I watched cyclists and other hikers walk or ride right past them without any trouble. Here’s a Happy California Cow munching on the new grass just beside the trail. She totally ignored us.

I turned around to look back and could see way out in the distant horizon San Francisco’s skyline. Can you see it? There was little to no haze today, and the colors were wonderful.

We ran into lots of hikers on the way up. I even met a neighbor when I was nearly at the top. He was just starting his descent. The para-gliders were out enjoying the day too.

Their parasails looked gorgeous against the blue sky. Here are two sailing the Thermals. Just look at that sky! We couldn’t have asked for a better sky!

On my hikes up here before I’ve froze at the Summit. Today it was warm by comparison. My ski pants, long-johns, parka, gloves, and fleece jacket were not needed. The last time I was up here I set up my tripod, snapped my photo and headed down as quickly as I could. It was a little chilly, and windy but not uncomfortable waiting my turn to take my photo at the pole. For the Gear Heads:

I packed really light for this hike. The Nikon D300s, one lens the Nikkor 18-200mm VR, the B+W Circular Polarizer w/warming, one Singh-Ray 3 stop Graduated Neutral Density filter w/holder and adapter ring, spare battery, and my Carbon Fiber tripod with Really Right Stuff BH-40 ball head. I use the L-plates with my cameras. I packed it in my Lowepro Flipside 300 back pack. That’s it! It was the right kit for this steep of a climb.

I even stopped long enough to take this shot of the view to the east.This is Sunol Wilderness, and in the distance the snow capped Sierra Mountains.

Passing the pond once again we were treated to great reflections, and a picture perfect scene.

We finished our hike tired, dirty, and hungry. Time to get lunch! The perfect ending to a wonderful day of hiking.

Begin at 500ft

Total climb 2,017 ft

Total Elevation 2,517 ft

Total miles 3.4 up to the top- 6.8 miles round trip

(Click a photo to see it large)

‘I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds.”~ Mary Oliver

February 9, 2011February 9, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, Nikon D90Leave a comment

‘I thought the earth remembered me,she took me back so tenderly,arranging her dark skirts, her pocketsfull of lichens and seeds.”~ Mary Oliver, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Click the photo to view it large.

The falls, and creeks were so low the rich mossy rocks and lush creek-sides were farther away from the actual water flow.
This was one of the best running falls of the day. It wasn’t very deep here at all. I was standing in the water with my feet, boots and all in the water. I love these hiking boots! I had my feet completely immersed a couple of times on this day and my feet were dry and warm.

My new Induro CF tripod seems to be holding up to the abuse I’ve been giving it this last month too.
(knock on wood!)

Here’s the whole poem by Mary Oliver. She is one of my all time favorite poets.

Sleeping in the Forest
I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms
breathing around me, the insects,
and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell, as if in water,
grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.
~Mary Oliver

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