Moments in Dirt and Ink

San Juan National Forest Click for map. I really want to go on the high trail, so I decided to just drive up as far as I could and thumb it and let the chips fall where they may. The chips are definitely going to fall. I have a 20 mile loop planned, which is getting a late start. I will definitely be getting back out after dark and almost certainly not be able to get a ride down. (That's nearly 6 miles.) Up is easy. Everyone is only going about 5 MPH so they don't see much problem with stopping a moment. Unfortunately, I decided to just park where I parked before and then was insufficiently clear, saying "the top" when I meant to say "the observation point", so I missed out on the first ride when they thought I wanted to go up 124A. They don't know I've already been. I would have arrived 30 minutes earlier and 2 miles fresher. Instead, I found a ride up with a wedding party that decided a bit of steep and wet wasn't something they want...

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Forest DAY 1  |  DAY 2  |  DAY 3 The rain overnight was not so bad as we feared it might be. It was actually stopping as we set up and cleared off overnight only to cloud up and rain again shortly before morning. None of the rain was particularly hard. It is clearing again as we get up and everything is drying quickly. First, we have to finish what was supposed to happen yesterday, a short jaunt up and over Coyote Lakes Pass. Trail wraps around the edge of the meadow to a well established campsite, then gets headed toward the pass. It seems to make perfectly straight lines as it switchbacks up the last couple hundred feet. Water can flow here, but currently it is a dry meadow moistened by rain. Coming up to the north side of Coyote Lakes Pass, which is not so big, especially if starting out at around 10,000 feet. Looking back over the bowl that is the headwaters of Coyote Creek.

Los Padres National Forest Little Pine Mountain is on the Sierra Club's "Great Lower Peaks", a list of peaks that do not reach the height of 5000 feet, but are nonetheless notable. The mountain has multiple peaks that ring Happy Hollow and the peak height listed indicates that they consider a shorter grassy one to be the peak. I have been there, but today I want to go to the highest peak, a chaparral covered mound east of Happy Hollow. This one is actually labeled as the mountain on the map. It is a fee free three day weekend, so there is no troll guarding the ford. Upper Oso is full of people making breakfast but there are only three cars in the lot by the gated road. The little gate is open, so there will be motorcycles. The air is cold enough to make my elbows hurt, but that will not last long. Past time to get moving. An hour of daylight has already been burned. Getting to the trail. The creek is flowing below, but crossing it will but just ...

Los Padres National Forest Map link. I'm looking at going down the Sespe for a hike, but there's just more and more trail that looks interesting to hit to the point it can't be done in a day. Not too far off, and a good one for a cool day rather than a warm one, is Chief Peak. I decided to head to it. Although the news was saying things about possible rain (only 20% chance), the cloud cover was only predicted to be about 68% and temperatures were also heading for a high of 68F. I got to Rose Valley Campground to start just after 8 and headed up the road past the gate. Nearly all of this route may be driven by special permit which is obtained simply by having a 4 wheel drive vehicle and an adventure pass, in season. The road is currently open and there were plenty of tire prints, but no one came while I was hiking it. The upper falls of Rose Valley is a damp, dark spot on the cliff. So far it looks like a brilliant day for peak climbing. The bleak white ...

Los Padres National Forest Map link. A few years back, I hiked out of Upper Oso for a short evening hike up to 19 Oaks, a campground that is just about 2 miles from the parking lot and is downright delightful. Since then, I have not returned to the area even though the trail continues from there and makes a wonderful entry point into the deeper wilderness areas. I decided to hike a bit further along this route and Little Pine Mountain and Happy Hollow Campground seemed to be perfectly reasonable destinations for such a hike. I also decided I better do it before the end of May because my Adventure Pass is expiring and I really, really don't want to hand any money over to a concessionaire such as the one operating the entrance booth just before the river crossing. Asked for $5 for day use, I showed my pass and was told to be sure to hang it. Yes, yes, I know. Then I pulled up to the river crossing. Ah yes, the river crossing. The road has just recently been opened. That...