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http://www.privilege.csides.net/myprivilege.html
Monday, August 2, 2010
Woodchuck Country, July 21-27, 2010
On Wednesday, the first day of our tour, Lorrie the mule didn't look quite right, so Micki stayed back and mule-sat while Alison and I packed the tools and some gear up the trail to the first tree blocking the trail. Me on Frank, Coco carrying the gear, and Jesse carrying the tools.
Me and Alison cutting the tree blocking the trail:
Thursday Micki packed our gear, me, and Alison, to Woodchuck Lake, then rode back out. Frank, my mount, government horse extraordinaire:
For the rest of the trip, I backpacked. I know! Me! Can you believe it? Proof of my backpacking prowess, on the shore of Woodchuck Lake, where we base-camped:
Friday we cleared more trail. Shooting stars in the meadow near Chimney Lake:
The trail to Chimney Lake, where we inventoried campsites on Saturday, went way up, down, and around, so we hiked cross country down the talus slope below instead. I am not a fan of this stuff - I ride horses and stay on the trail. I was terrified, crawling on my hands and knees and making everyone wait forever for me, but I made it eventually and it WAS way shorter than the trail:
Chapo calling us in to service:
Sunday and Monday we inventoried and obliterated illegal campsites on Woodchuck Lake:
Applying soothing Chapo compresses after a hard day of hiking and obliterating:
Neat tree with twisty bark, caused by a lightning strike:
Woodchuck Country: 
It was a great trip for creepy crawly things: 1. the mosquitoes were absolutely epic, 2. Zach, one of the interns, found an endangered Yosemite toad on Monday night, and 3. on our hike out Tuesday, Micki and I spotted this rubber boa:
Me and Alison cutting the tree blocking the trail:
Thursday Micki packed our gear, me, and Alison, to Woodchuck Lake, then rode back out. Frank, my mount, government horse extraordinaire:
For the rest of the trip, I backpacked. I know! Me! Can you believe it? Proof of my backpacking prowess, on the shore of Woodchuck Lake, where we base-camped:
Friday we cleared more trail. Shooting stars in the meadow near Chimney Lake:
The trail to Chimney Lake, where we inventoried campsites on Saturday, went way up, down, and around, so we hiked cross country down the talus slope below instead. I am not a fan of this stuff - I ride horses and stay on the trail. I was terrified, crawling on my hands and knees and making everyone wait forever for me, but I made it eventually and it WAS way shorter than the trail:
Chapo calling us in to service:
Sunday and Monday we inventoried and obliterated illegal campsites on Woodchuck Lake:
Applying soothing Chapo compresses after a hard day of hiking and obliterating:
Neat tree with twisty bark, caused by a lightning strike:
Woodchuck Country: 
It was a great trip for creepy crawly things: 1. the mosquitoes were absolutely epic, 2. Zach, one of the interns, found an endangered Yosemite toad on Monday night, and 3. on our hike out Tuesday, Micki and I spotted this rubber boa:
Monday, July 19, 2010
Crown Valley, Sierra National Forest, July 18, 2010
To me, this is what summer looks like:
That is the back of Micki, my wilderness ranger friend, who I volunteer with in the Sierra National Forest. I helped her pack in some tools for a volunteer trail crew from the Backcountry Horsemen of California. Here I am, very proud, in my forest service uniform (also known as "the pickle suit"):
Loaded up and ready to go:
View into Sequoia National Park from a forest service cabin in Crown Valley:
Stopping for a drink at a private in-holding surrounded by the John Muir Wilderness, where the volunteer trail crew camped:
That is the back of Micki, my wilderness ranger friend, who I volunteer with in the Sierra National Forest. I helped her pack in some tools for a volunteer trail crew from the Backcountry Horsemen of California. Here I am, very proud, in my forest service uniform (also known as "the pickle suit"):
Loaded up and ready to go:
View into Sequoia National Park from a forest service cabin in Crown Valley:
Stopping for a drink at a private in-holding surrounded by the John Muir Wilderness, where the volunteer trail crew camped:
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Chester, CA July 1-5, 2010
Kerry and I drove to Angela's house in Chester on Thursday afternoon. Mark left on Thursday night, drove all night, took a wrong turn up a super curvy and not-recommended-for-trailers road, and arrived at 5 AM. Kerry didn't sleep much anticipating his arrival. Angela worked all night, got home at 3 AM. As a result, everyone except me was a little groggy on Friday. No matter, I did some work, then practiced "chillaxing," which I am not very good at. At the end of the day I dragged Kerry into the truck and up Warner Valley road to scope out a trailhead, which we loved so much we went back and picked up the horses. The Pacific Crest Trail near the Domingo Springs trailhead:
Domingo Springs on Warner Valley Road:
Columbine near Domingo Springs:
On Saturday, Noam drove up with Tom and Joelle and two more horses. They lost the turbo on the truck at the bottom of the mountains (don't buy a Ford Powerstroke, apparently they tend to have problems with the turbocharger), but managed to get it fixed before Angela and I got there with a replacement truck. Tom reports much chest thumping ensued. Noam, Tom, and Joelle were a little groggy from getting up at the crack so we limited our riding to swimming with our horses in a little pond on the property where Angela lives. The pond is really a spot where a creek running through the property pools. It was perfectly clear before we got in and stirred everything up. Holly the Beagle went first:
Attack of the pond scum!
Five dorks on horses flanked by two dogs:
Noam and I hanging out with the gorgeous Herefords that live on the property with Angela:
Sunday we drove to a different PCT trailhead from which Jim, Angela's landlord, said we could ride to some great views and the midpoint of the PCT, where we could sign a ledger. I am all about signing ledgers and demanded we take this trail, which unfortunately quickly turned into a rats nest of down trees in that direction, so we had to turn around and ride north instead. Timer shot:
Juliet, Lukka, Cygan, and Tommy having a convention at the turnaround spot:
Tom and Angela jumped some logs across the trail and a good time was had by all. After a few hours we headed back to the trailers and into Chester for some ice cream, then amazing cornish game hens prepared by Angela. Angela took us hiking in the evening. We heard fireworks over Lake Almanor, it was an amazing hike in the woods in the dark. Monday morning Kerry, Noam, and I took another ride on the PCT from Domingo Springs, then packed up and headed home.
Domingo Springs on Warner Valley Road:
Columbine near Domingo Springs:
On Saturday, Noam drove up with Tom and Joelle and two more horses. They lost the turbo on the truck at the bottom of the mountains (don't buy a Ford Powerstroke, apparently they tend to have problems with the turbocharger), but managed to get it fixed before Angela and I got there with a replacement truck. Tom reports much chest thumping ensued. Noam, Tom, and Joelle were a little groggy from getting up at the crack so we limited our riding to swimming with our horses in a little pond on the property where Angela lives. The pond is really a spot where a creek running through the property pools. It was perfectly clear before we got in and stirred everything up. Holly the Beagle went first:
Attack of the pond scum!
Five dorks on horses flanked by two dogs:
Noam and I hanging out with the gorgeous Herefords that live on the property with Angela:
Sunday we drove to a different PCT trailhead from which Jim, Angela's landlord, said we could ride to some great views and the midpoint of the PCT, where we could sign a ledger. I am all about signing ledgers and demanded we take this trail, which unfortunately quickly turned into a rats nest of down trees in that direction, so we had to turn around and ride north instead. Timer shot:
Juliet, Lukka, Cygan, and Tommy having a convention at the turnaround spot:
Tom and Angela jumped some logs across the trail and a good time was had by all. After a few hours we headed back to the trailers and into Chester for some ice cream, then amazing cornish game hens prepared by Angela. Angela took us hiking in the evening. We heard fireworks over Lake Almanor, it was an amazing hike in the woods in the dark. Monday morning Kerry, Noam, and I took another ride on the PCT from Domingo Springs, then packed up and headed home. Monday, July 12, 2010
Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, June 23, 2010
On Tuesday I attended the horse-and-mule training for the uninitiated put on by my pals at the High Sierra Ranger District of the Sierra National Forest. The three work centers where my Wilderness buddies are stationed are Wishon (woot!), High Sierra, and Clover Meadow. I had never seen Clover Meadow so on my way home on Wednesday, I drove up there via the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway, to take a look. Our tour begins in North Fork, the exact center of California (apparently, according to the sign):
First stop was the Jesse Ross cabin, built in the late 1860s and the oldest known residence still standing in Madera county:
Lots of flowers:
View of the Minarets and Mammoth Pool Reservoir from the Mile High Vista:
I think this is Sierra Penstemon:
Arch Rock, formed by wind and water erosion of the granite:
First stop was the Jesse Ross cabin, built in the late 1860s and the oldest known residence still standing in Madera county:
Lots of flowers:
View of the Minarets and Mammoth Pool Reservoir from the Mile High Vista:
I think this is Sierra Penstemon:
Arch Rock, formed by wind and water erosion of the granite:
Butano State Park, June 19-20, 2010
Jane Huber, one of the bay area's A-list hiking bloggers, describes Butano State Park as meh - nice enough, but not as great as other parks in the area. I have no idea what she is talking about - Butano is amazing, big trees, banana slugs, and coastal fog like Big Basin, without the traffic jams and crush of humanity. We stayed with Mark, Yu-Chen, and Ellie in the park's one campground. On Saturday, Noam and I hiked a loop including the Goat Hill trail to the Ano Nuevo trail. This is a banner year for banana slugs, we saw about four million of them during the weekend at Butano. Above is a mama banana slug shepherding her baby to safety. Or maybe not.Deer being cute:
Noam with the view from Ano Nuevo trail:
Sunday we hiked the Butano Creek Trail with Mark and Yu-Chen, who carried Ellie the entire time, probably three or four miles - holy feats of strength! That kid is almost four! Butano Creek:
Noam with the view from Ano Nuevo trail:
Sunday we hiked the Butano Creek Trail with Mark and Yu-Chen, who carried Ellie the entire time, probably three or four miles - holy feats of strength! That kid is almost four! Butano Creek:
Big trees:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Baby Mule! Auberry, CA June 16, 2010
While I was in Prather attending firefighter training for the Forest Service, my friend Debbie invited me over to meet Maya, her month old mule. So cute!
She is not the least bit shy, she ditched her mom and came bounding up to us demanding scratches when she heard the cars in the driveway. Here she is, running around and showing off:
She is not the least bit shy, she ditched her mom and came bounding up to us demanding scratches when she heard the cars in the driveway. Here she is, running around and showing off:
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