Random bits of me

Woohoo, first backpacking trip of the year and it was awesome. =)  “V” was the official lead for this trip and because it was intended as an “Intro to Backpacking” he also mentored a number of us on how to lead the rest of the crew.  Speaking of, here we all are just before getting started on our trek.

Our crew before hitting the trail on Saturday

This was actually the first backpacking trip I had done without Ksenya (she already had plans for that weekend and wasn’t really interested in an intro backpacking trip) so I was eager to meet new people and see how the whole experience went going into it without knowing anyone (except “V” of course).  =)

One of the girls I really clicked with and ended up sharing my new tent with was Magda.  Magda’s been on several day hikes that I’ve been on however we’ve never really chatted much.  Turns out she is super cool, very outgoing and happens to play ultimate frisbee (I had brought my frisbee) so we had a lot of fun on this trip.  Magda also provided much entertainment for the rest of us as she thoroughly tested her hypothesis that a frisbee could be skipped over a smooth water surface.  For the record it can’t but it was sure funny to watch her try to get it to obey her wishes.  =)

Super cool chick and killer ultimate frisbee player, Magda, relaxing at the edge of China Hole

One of the coolest things about this trip was the amount of wildflowers in bloom along the trail and filling every meadow.  It was difficult not to stop every two seconds to stop and take a picture.  The nearly 30lb pack on my back made that a bit easier to resist as it is incredibly difficult to keep kneeling down and getting back up with that kind of weight trying to pull you over.  I think that’s probably how I strained my knee but it’s all good.  =)

A bug's eye view of some beautiful purple flowers and the blue cloudless sky in the background.

Super cool wildflowers (star lilies) in varying states of bloom

After the hike I worked to identify the flowers I had seen on the trip and came up with this link which is super helpful.  I had been trying to identify the Star Lilies for quite awhile and hadn’t been able to until now.  A very friendly ranger at the station told us we could bring our pictures to them to identify after our hike but by the time we were done, I was ready to head home to see Marshall.  I love the hikes but it’s great to get home to my family.  =)

I’m not sure when the next backpacking trip is or where it will be scheduled for.  Ilya is going to lead a hike to Henry Coe on Easter weekend so I won’t be able to make that.  “V” is also leading a trip to Yellowstone which would be awesome but it’s already full.  Maybe later in April or early May.  We’ll see.  Until then, here are some links to the photo albums from the trip.  They will have to sustain me until the next backpacking trip.  😉

• My photos
• Sam’s photos
• Saurabh’s photos – (really awesome photos)
• Magda’s photos – (awesome pictures of red-headed woodpecker)
• Video of Saurabh, Magda and me playing frisbee

After playing frisbee with Shaurabh, Magda and Justin I took the opportunity to snap a shot of me on the flower covered abandoned airstrip.

About a month ago, Marshall’s best friend since grade school and best man at our wedding, Darrel, invited us to go on an 8.5 mile hike in Inverness called the Estero Trail.  That trip had to be postponed once already due to rain so this Saturday was the new date for that trip.

The plan was to meet at the trailhead at 10am (just over 2 hour drive from Livermore) which we were on schedule to make except that we woke up to a dead battery and had to jump that before leaving.  We did take the Jetta so I was able to make up about 20 minutes of the trip but then got stuck behind a charter bus and a bunch of cyclists.  I know, share the road but geez, that’s really tough when you have to drive ~10-20MPH for miles.  Cleansing breaths..  =P

Group photo before the hike.

Once we arrived at the trailhead there were some quick introductions, a couple of timed photographs and then we hit the trail.

The trail was incredibly beautiful and because it was overcast, it was perfect for taking pictures.  Speaking of, how about a picture of Marshall and me.  =)

Marshall and me. I'm always happy to see him still smiling on the hike. Guess he had a good time. =)

We saw a bunch of cool things on this trip including leopard sharks, oyster farms and a green and red-sided gartersnake just to name a few.  There were also a number of beautiful flowers and because this was a short hike (comparatively speaking) I took my time taking pictures.  Check out the Picasa album for all the pictures (see link below).

Awesome snake (red-sided gartersnake) that several people mistook for a fake rubber snake. It was definitely real and quickly slithered out of the way after I got this picture. =)

Cool maze-like waterways that were revealed after the tide went out. Sweet!

Although the trip was a lot shorter than the other hikes I’ve been doing lately, it was well worth it.  Everyone was super nice and it was fun listening to Marshall talk with Darrel and his friends about the anime shows they’re into (Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and several others).  It was also funny listening to Marshall, Lio, and Darrel recall the storylines and characters from old-school cartoons like Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Gobots, and nearly every other action cartoon from the 80s.  No FOTC fans on this trip so I left the tv series talk to the others.  😉

So all in all another great trip.  Thanks to Darrel for getting us all together.  Marshall and I had a great time and are looking forward to the next one (well at least I am).  😉

Best friends for life, Marshall and Darrel. =)

For all the pictures from this trip (and there are some really nice ones), check out my Picasa album.

Oh man, I could really get used to this.  Can you believe that another 20 mile hike was scheduled for this Saturday and better than that, it was going to be led by my favorite trail guide, “V.”  Kick-ass…  =)

At first I wasn’t sure whether I was going to go because Marshall’s 30th birthday (yep 30th!) was on Friday and I knew it might be a late night.  I had also gone to see “Wicked” in the city and didn’t get home till 12:30am that night so I was already tired.  However Ksenya e-mailed me and was interested in going too so of course I was going to go.  Come on, I live for this stuff!  😉

When we got to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, we saw a number of familiar faces (Marek and his Jetta, Lothar, Elena, Magdalena, Tiffany and Andrew) but no “V.”  We learned this was because he had fallen ill and wasn’t going to be able to make it.  =(  Fortunately he had chosen a super awesome replacement named Valerie so we were set to go.  After shuttling Valerie’s Vanagon (seats 5 with some room) and a Toyota Camry (seats 5) to the end point we hit the trail at 10:45, an hour later than we thought and now with 17 people instead of 13.  Do the math, this is going to be fun coming back.  =)

All of us just before starting the hike. =)

As always there were amazing views, scenery and conversation to be enjoyed every step of the way.  Towards the beginning of the hike I hiked slower so I could talk to people, take pictures and hear all the great stories Valerie had to tell about the history of the area we were hiking.  Let me take the opportunity now to saw Valerie was so awesome and I’m really glad I had the chance to get to know her better.  As Ksenya pointed out, “Hey, she’s another “V”,” which is to say her name starts with “V” AND she’s also uniquely kick-ass just like “V.”  I’m definitely adding her to my list of people I like to hike with.  =)

Ok, so now on to the pictures.  First up, I found bones!  Yeah, a whole bunch of them.  This was just off the road so the animal had probably been hit by a car (or bike as there were tons of cyclists on that road).  I wonder what happens to the skulls of these animals.  I can never seem to find them except in the case of that seal at Marina State Beach.

Jackpot! Ah, we've hit the motherload, a full backbone and scattered ribs of some deceased animal. A small deer or coyote perhaps?

Next we saw some amazing wildflowers. I was especially excited when I found a big fat bumblebee clinging to the stem of this purple Douglas Iris.  Why?  Well because my buddy Mike has an extreme aversion to bees/wasps and his involuntary freakout reaction to “bee”ing in the same vicinity as a buzzing bee is downright hilarious (sorry, it so is).  I knew I had to get like 6 inches from this bee and flower to get the perfect shot.  Enjoy.  =)

Mike, this one's for you. A bumblebee on a wild iris. I had to get down REAL close to get this shot. 😉

After enjoying the wildflower meadows and additional information from Valerie on how the beautiful yellow flowering shrubs known as Scotch Broom are actually non-native invasive species that are nearly impossible to eradicate, we came down to our next junction.  Dogtown, USA – Population: 30.  Had I known I would have brought Sierra and made it 31.  😉

Dogtown - Population: 30. Compare that with Strongbadia - Population: Tire. Dogtown is still ahead. 😉

From Dogtown we headed into the Point Reyes park land our lowest elevation which meant lots of swampy muckiness to wade through.  I’ll admit, I squealed like a little piggy upon having my shoes sink down into the bog.  Although my feet were already wet from having to walk through a really cold creek, the sucky sensation of having your shoe sink into the mud is quite a different feeling altogether.  I still love it.  =)

After navigating through swampy waters Ksenyacat expresses her true feelings about that experience. Yuck! =)

After traipsing through the swamp land we headed back into the hills.  Here I found my next forest friend.  A little froggy.  Hey froggy!

A frog! Hey new frog friend. How about a close up. =)

Amazingly enough, even with us leaving an hour late we still finished the hike at 7pm.  Now we had to figure out how to get back to our cars.  Remember how I said two cars, 17 people?  Yeah, it was a very cozy ride back to the park.  Somehow we managed to fit 11 people into the Vanagon and 6 into the Camry.  Valerie was a little worried about the weight and getting up this one hill but come on, it’s a VW, it can do anything!  And it did.  =)

Valerie drove her totally kickin' VW Vanagon to shuttle all 11 (yes 11) of us back to Samuel Taylor SP. Go VW!!

Of course with Marek and me both being Jetta owners and totally obsessed with our vehicles, even though it was getting dark, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to show our love for these super sexy vehicles.  I had to laugh because I think Marek was almost as much in love with his car as I am with mine.  I mean who wouldn’t be, that’s a dang good looking Jetta (don’t be jealous white Jetta).  I actually think my Jetta was sad to leave at the end of the day.  It really liked Marek’s Jet.  Don’t worry Jetta, we’ll see them at a future hike.  😉

Two very proud Jetta owners. =)

So that’s pretty much if for this hike post.  We had an awesome time and I can’t wait for the next one.  Thanks to Valerie for her excellent leadership of this hike and for shuttling us all back in her awesome Vanagon.  I had a blast!

For all the pictures from this hike, check out my Picasa album.  Note: A lot of the pictures are out of focus but I still thought they helped tell the story so I left them in.  =)

So the original plan for this Saturday was for Marshall and I to join our friend Darrel and a couple of his buddies for a hike north of Mt. Tamalpais.  Due to the recent heavy rains, that trip was canceled (hopefully just postponed cause it sounds like a lot of fun).

Thankfully one of the girls I’ve hiked and backpacked with before scheduled a 20 mile hike from Del Valle (perfect) to Sunol so I was still able to get out of the house and get some exercise.  Sweet!  Thank you Rachel.  =)

The plan was to have half the group start at Del Valle and the other from Sunol.  We’d meet half-way through and then do a key exchange and have all cars meet near the 680/84 interchange.  I wasn’t sure who would be coming to meet me at the Del Valle Ohlone Wilderness Trail trailhead and was happy to see it was Rachel with her sister and a new girl from Stanford.  After introductions we hit the trail.

Rachel, Lauren and Rachel's sister Sarah

About 1/4 of the way through the hike and tons of steep uphill climbs (one section is called the “Big Burn”) we reached Murietta Falls.  Because of all the recent rainfall the waterfall was probably at peak flow and was absolutely beautiful.

We almost missed the trail down to the falls. Fortuntaly some other hikers directed us to the unmarked path. It was totally worth the steep hike down (and then back up) the hill. =)

I love the fact that there is such beautiful scenery and hiking experiences to be had so close to home.  Awesome.  =)

We hiked for another several hours and then finally met up with the guys.  We chatted briefly, took a few pictures including a group photo that didn’t come out so great (my camera kinda sucks sometimes), exchanged keys and then had to keep moving.  We still had a lot of distance to cover.  Next stop, Rose Peak!   =)

Me, Lauren, Sarah and Rachel (A.K.A. "The Girls")

Lothar, Brooks and Steven (A.K.A. "The Guys")

Let me take the opportunity to mention that this was an incredibly challenging and exhausting trip which made it that much more rewarding.  Thankfully I was hiking with some really cool people so it was also a lot of fun.  =)

We got to Rose Peak around 3 (I believe) and had more dark chocolate M&Ms, trail mix, apples and oranges.  I also made sure to add a rock to the “Rock Registry” at the peak before heading back down.  This is the second rock I’ve been able to add to the pile and I’ll keep on adding more as long as there are more hikes scheduled to that location.  =)

Adding a rock to the top of the pile on Rose Peak. Call it the hiker's version of a guestbook. =)

At this point we were pretty much home free.  There were still about 9 miles between us and the car parked at the bottom however we had already done the majority of the uphill part so it only took us about 3 hours to do the remainder of the hike.  I know, total cake right?  😉

We were nearing the end of the trail when Lauren suddenly stopped to point out a California Newt that was walking quite deliberately along the trail.  A newt!!

Aw, I finally got to see a California Newt on the trail. So cute. =)

I was really excited to see this little guy, at the same time I was kind of bummed that I hadn’t spotted him first.  I mean even though it was awesome to finally see a newt on the trail, technically I didn’t find him, someone else did.  Not to worry though, after hiking a bit further I found two other newts so I finally fulfilled my quest to find a sallymander/newt on one of my hikes.  =)

So that was our trip.  All in all it was pretty awesome.  I’m thoroughly exhausted now but in a good way.  Can’t wait until the next one and hopefully my buddy Mike will be able to make it out on that one.  =)

For all pictures from the trip, check out my Picasa album.  Until next time…

After several days of rain and freezing temperatures, an impressive amount of snow had built up on the mountains around our house.  Because Marshall had to work and I was kind of bored (I didn’t want to clean the house) I decided to take a drive out to Del Valle with Sierra.  I figured we’d see how close we could get to the snow and I’d get in some relaxation by driving the Jetta and enjoying a super strong coffee and spinach and mushroom piadini from Starbucks.

After stopping at Starbucks I cranked up my newly acquired Crystal Castles album and headed out in the direction of Del Valle.  Once we got to Del Valle I decided to purchase a backpackers permit (good for a year) so I could get the map that shows distances to Rose Peak on the Ohlone Wilderness trail.  Apparently it is 10 miles from the Del Valle starting point.  I’m game, anyone else?

After entering the park I decided to head to the west end of the reservoir and park so I could eat my food and check out the map.  Sierra was happy to curl up in the passenger seat and with the heater turned up and my music playing I too melted into the seat and became lost in thought as I watched the rain come down.  After about 15 minutes I figured it was time to move on to the next thing but I wasn’t ready to go home yet so on a whim I decided to drive to Mt. Diablo and see if we could get to snow from there.

Upon entering the park I learned that dogs are actually allowed in, they just have to be on leash and can’t go on the trails.  Sweet!  So even though I hadn’t intended on doing any hiking and it was totally pouring, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hike to the summit with Sierra.  Fortunately I had my tennis shoes and extra layers of clothes in my gym bag so I was reasonably dressed for the ascent.  Did I mention it was POURING!?  😉

Sierra looks to the summit with slight apprehension. It was a lot rainy and windier than makes for a good hike but we were going to go for it. =)

We're getting closer. Look there's a lot more snow here.

Almost there! This is the sign at the "Y" below the summit.

We did it!! And managed not to get blown off the side of the mountain. It was crazy windy!

So we did it.  It was super cold, super wet, and super windy but we made it despite all that.  I was so glad that I actually followed through on this impulse and did the hike.  It was totally worth it.  I think Sierra enjoyed herself too although I think she was starting to get really tired of all the pictures.  Look, she wouldn’t even look at the camera.  😉

Best buddies Sierra and me at the summit of Mt. Diablo. =)

For the rest of the pictures check out my Picasa album.  Until next time…

Man, “V” is on a roll with planning and leading totally kick-ass hikes.  =)  Last Saturday was an awesome hike to Mt. Diablo (3849′) and this Saturday we hit Sunol/Ohlone park and hiked to Rose Peak (3817′) and back for a total distance of 20.1 miles.

We started the hike at 9am with “V” true to tradition, laying out his carefully folded map and tracing the route we planned to take with his finger.  It’s always good to know where you’re going.  I forget shortly after being shown (stupid short-term memory) however it is exciting to know for the two seconds that it sticks.  😉

Hikers (21 of us in all) gathered around "V" as he traces our planned route on a map

I’ve hiked Sunol/Ohlone a number of times and am familiar with the backpackers trail junction however I always start in a  slightly different location so when we encountered a trail marker saying “Ohlone Wilderness Trail” which pointed up the hill, I followed even though it was a different path than I thought we would have taken.  “V” never leads us wrong, we sometimes just take detours to our final destination. 😉

We had hiked about half a mile up a rather steep set of hills when “V” stopped us to check his map again.  Apparently we took the left fork when we should have taken the right fork and were headed in the opposite direction of Rose Peak.  Doh!  No worries though, at least in retracing our steps we got to go downhill which evenly warmed up our legs for the intense hike we had in front of us.  =)

After consulting the map we realized we needed to turn around so everyone packed up their maps and prepared to head back down.

Once we got on the right track it was pretty much power hiking for me until we got to the backpackers junction.  We then did a very steep climb for about 2 miles that took us past the backpackers campsites and past the last stop for water before you get to Rose Peak.  Along the way I saw some wildlife which was very exciting although I’m sorry to say it was dead.  I’m also guessing that whatever ate the upper half of it’s body wasn’t in too good of shape either considering that I believe newts are toxic.  Anywho it was cool to see the newt up close (sorry if anyone was grossed out by this picture).

I would have preferred this newt been whole and live however I'll take what I can get (didn't literally take it, just took a picture).

The rest of the hike consisted of hills and more hills.  There were very few “flat” spots so our legs got an incredible workout.  Oh wait, here’s one.  Oh but not really.  That was still downhill but it was a slight enough grade to where we could stretch out our legs a bit.  =)

One of the few "flat" spots. It was great to be able to stretch our legs on these parts.

Unfortunately I failed to take any pictures from Rose Peak.  I was super hungry and my smashed peanut butter and jelly sandwhich (yep, it still got smashed even without getting punched) distracted me from my usual picture taking flurry.  One of the guys on the hike took a group photo of everyone which I’m hoping he’ll share.  It’s always nice to remember the people you hike with.

Speaking of, it was cool to see and chat with my buddies Ilya, Yin and Jackie and get to know a couple other people better (Michael and Rajesh) who I had met on past hikes but hadn’t had a chance to get to know very well.  Michael is a professor at Stanford who has the longest commute I’ve ever heard of.  His wife and family all live in Isreal so he travels there regularly to see them.  Rajesh works for Sun Microsystems.  Rajesh is a swimmer but also smokes so when we ran up a hill to get to Rose Peak within the 6 minutes “V” estimated it would take to get there we were both equally out of breath.  Anyway two very cool people who were a lot of fun to chat with and I look forward to hiking with again in the future.  =)

After we finished our lunch it was pretty much a race to the finish line.  We needed to get back by 6pm since they apparently lock the gates in and out of the park at that time.  Fortunately since the majority of the hike back was downhill we made it back in about 4 hours instead of 5.  By 5:15 we were passing Little Yosemite so as long as we kept up the pace I knew we’d be ok.  I took a second to look back and saw an incredible view of the moon rising over a tree lined hill.  Even though I knew my camera couldn’t adequately capture the beauty of that scene, I still had to give it a try.  Michael and Ilya both attempted to help me figure out the manual setting on my camera and then gave up.  Michael politely suggested I RTFM when I get home.  😉

Taken from the Ohlone Trail as we neared our initial starting point (5:30pm).

All in all this trip was awesome.  I got to get out, breathe clean air, work out my legs and chat with some very cool people.  I also had some time to hike by myself and get lost in my own thoughts which is always nice.  So basically, it was exactly what I needed this weekend.  =)

I guess the next trip will be a hike in Big Sur so I’m going to start making plans for that now.  Hopefully we’ll be able to start doing backpacking trips as well.  I’ve missed the satisfaction of sleeping under the stars after a hard days hike.  And yes Ilya I would consider Irkutsk, “V” just has to actually get it on the calendar.  😉

Yay, so I was able to go on another awesome hike with “V”, my buddy Mike, and 24 other people from the Society of Outdoor Cardinals (formally Stanford Outing Club) this Saturday.  =)

The plan was to start at Mitchell Canyon Road ranger station and then hike to the summit for a total distance of around 14 miles.  Well originally it was supposed to be 16+ miles however “V” was helping to mentor a new trail leader and so the new guy chose to do the more direct route.  I like “V”s meandering hikes a lot better although this one was definitely still very enjoyable.

Beginning of the hike

We started the hike at 10am and although it was a bit chilly to start with, we warmed up quick.  I totally dug the great climbs.  Ah, me quads and hammies were loving the workout.  Thank you Jerry for all the lunge and squat workouts in bodypump.  😉

By 1:30 we had reached a point where we could see the summit but still had a ways to go.  See the stone building with a blue roof?  That’s the summit station.

View of the summit from Prospector's Trail

Once we got to the summit we took some time to go through the visitors center and enjoy the view.  Mike also asked one of the curators if they were familiar with the story of an anchor getting launched and lodged into the side of Mt. Diablo after a munitions explosion at Port Chicago in 1944.  They were not.  We were disappointed.  After the hike I searched for more information on that story and all I could come up with regarding the anchor was this.  Oh well, I’m still willing to believe the story.  =)

Mike, "V", and me at the summit observation deck.

From the observation deck we saw a sleek white glider that buzzed us several times (very impressive) and a few hang gliders who fortunately did not “find each other” even though they were doing loops within close proximity of each other.  We then had lunch and relaxed a bit before preparing for the trip back down.  Oh yeah, we also took a group photo and fortunately for me this nice cyclist woman offered to take the picture so I could be in it this time.  Yeah!  =)

Group photo from the parking lot at the summit

On the way back the sun was significantly less glary so I could see the mountains and scenery a lot better.  Off in the distance I noticed a large cave which sparked my curiosity as to what might be living there.  Mike and I probably spent 15-20 minutes hypothesizing on whether the cave was habitable and whether you could actually burn a fire inside the cave without succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning when all of a sudden he interrupted to point out a deep cave just to the left of us on the trail.  I had to take the opportunity to climb in and check it out.  Very cool.  =)

Super cool cave... I like it. =)

We finished the hike almost perfectly on time (~6pm) just when we were starting to lose the light.  This was the first SOC organized hike I’ve done for 2009 and it set the tone for an awesome year.  “V” said he would be organizing a hike from Sunol/Ohlone to Mt. Rose and back next Saturday that should be about 21 miles.  I’m totally in!  Guess I’ll be doing that one on my own though since Marshall can think of about 12 better things to do on his days off (which he said includes root canals, I don’t think he really means that) and I want a happy husband.  😉

For the rest of the pictures check out my Picasa album.  Until next time, this is Jettagirl signing out.  =)

So for the last couple of months my friend Laura has been telling me about all these awesome hikes she’s done out at Morgan Territory in Livermore.  Marshall and I had driven up there once two years ago and although it looked cool, I didn’t like the 5 miles of winding one-lane road you have to travel to get there.  The Jetta does not like pulling off the road as its belly tends to scrape on the road.  =P

Well as luck would have it Morgan Territory was featured as one of the winter hikes for the East Bay Trails Challenge and was just under 10 miles so despite the slightly treacherous trip there, I decided it was perfect for a Sunday hike with Marshall and Sierra.  =)  Fortunately for the Jetta, the road had been repaved so I only needed to pull off to the side of the road once to let another car by and even though the belly scraped, it wasn’t too bad so no trip to the mechanics this time.  😉

We started the hike at around 10am under blue skies and a slight chill in the air.  Perfect weather for hiking.  =)

Happy family (minus Lotus) at the beginning of the hike

I was so excited to be going on a hike and I could tell Sierra was too.  We were both checking out all the new scenery and I swear she had a smile on her face when she looked back at me every so often.  =)

Pupperann and me

Marshall was a bit less enthusiastic but still had a smile on his face.  Ever since we purchased a nice pair of hiking poles from REI, he’s enjoyed the hikes a lot more.  See, he’s smiling.  =)

Marshall still smiling at the beginning of the hike

The rest of the hike was really cool.  I found a naturally bleached cow hip bone (and left it there, just thought it was cool to check out), a very cool gnarly leafless tree, and a baby cow that could have been Sierra’s twin.  So cute!

Sweet! It's an animal bone. =)

Very cool tree towards the end of the hike

Sierra's cow twin (isn't she cute?)

Halfway through the hike we stopped near a watering hole to eat.  I had packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dark chocolate M&Ms and beef jerky for Marshall (Sierra got some beef jerky too).  Marshall had fun taunting the cows by eating beef jerky in front of them.  Hmm, it’s a little cruel but they’re cows, I don’t think they got the joke.  😉

Marshall enjoys some lunch while Sierra patiently waits for a treat

Our last cool sighting before we headed down the final trail was a super wooly bully who was chilling just to the right of the cattle gate.  I thought he was pretty neat looking.  I kind of wanted to try and pet his face but realized the likelihood of that happening was: A) unlikely and B) potentially hazardous to my health.  😉

Super cool, super wooly bully

All in all this hike was absolutely amazing.  The views were incredible and the terrain was great for a weekend workout.  I also liked that the trails were wide enough to where we could walk side by side with the dog(s) and not be pushed into the brush (minimizes the chance of anyone getting tick bites.. yep, I’ve been bitten twice now).  =P

Even though Marshall and I had a bit of an issue when I challenged him on something (beware of dizzy hulk) I think we all still ended up having a great time.  I can’t wait for the next hike and Laura was right, Morgan Territory is definitely worth the one-lane winding road drive.  😉

Sierra and me overlooking an amazing mountain range

For all the picutres check out my Picasa Album.  Until next time, this is Sierra and Jenny, signing out…  =)

So this last Saturday I got to go on another hike led by “V” and even better, Marshall joined me on the hike!  The hike was at Pinnacles National Monument about 30 miles south of Hollister and promised to be “strenuous yet soothing for the sole” (according to “V”).

The first challenge of the day was getting to the park by 10:30 which is about 2.5 hours from Livermore.  Marshall and I needed to pick up a rain resistant jacket and pants and because Target didn’t open until 8, we knew we’d be pressed for time.  Fortunately we were able to find what we were looking for quickly and after grabbing a 5 shot pumpkin spiced latte and scone for me and a java chip frappacino for Marshall from Starbucks we were ready to hit the road.  Even with the delay of stopping at the store and having to slow for some light rain that had begun to fall, we were on target to get to the park by 10:30 and then this happened.

About 10 miles from the turnoff to the park a small animal ran into the road.  It took me a few seconds to realize that the animal was actually a small dog and appeared to be lost and scared.  I pulled over, called to the dog and was amazed when she bounded up to me and immediately started licking my hand.  I looked at Marshall and told him that I was going to try and find the dogs owner.  I couldn’t leave her on the road and fortunately Marshall was completely supportive of me doing what I could to help the dog.

There were only two houses on this stretch of road so I decided to jog down a long driveway to see if the homeowner was also the owner of the dog.  After knocking on the door I was greeted by a wonderfully warm woman named Beth who invited me in and immediately volunteered to call her neighbors to try and find the dogs owner.  She said in advance that by the looks of the dog (dirty nose, matted fur) and the fact that it had a collar but no tags that the dog had very likely been dumped on the road by someone who no longer wanted the responsibility of taking care of the animal.  My stomach turned when she said that and I immediately felt a lump in my throat at the thought of such cruelty.

Fortunately for this dog, when we couldn’t locate an owner, Beth offered to take her in.  She had already adopted 7 cats that had been discarded the same way.  She said she would also watch the newspaper and would ask other members of the community about the animal as they are a very close-knit group of people.  As much it hurt to think that someone could have abandoned this animal, it warmed my heart knowing that there are people like Beth who will open their hearts and homes to animals in need.  I am so grateful that of all the people that could have answered that door I found someone who is an obvious animal lover and was able to help me find a safe place for this dog.  =)

So with the dog safe and sound with Beth, Marshall and I hit the road again.  However not more than 5 minutes after we had left Beth’s house Marshall and I would be stopping again so I could get a picture of this.  Yep, that’s a tarantula corssing the road.  Super cool yeah?  =)  We’d see at least 20 more before the end of the day but it was still cool to see them up close and in person.  They’re amazingly fast and seem pretty friendly.  Not that I’d pick one up although I was kind of tempted to.  Leave it!  😉

Why did the tarantula cross the road?

Luckily even with stopping for Starbucks, the spider and the loose dog we still made it to the visitor center by 10:30.  We were joined on the hike by 6 other people including “V” and a really nice woman named Yin who my mom and I had met on the hike at Castlerock State Park.

The first thing that struck me about Pinnacles was how beautiful the plants and rock formations were.  There wasn’t too much time to admire the scenery however because we had a full day of hiking and weren’t able to hit the trail until about 11:00.

Some beautiful dried flowers along the trail

I was looking forward to the hike and was happy to see that Marshall was keeping a positive attitude even though we would be doing about 4,000ft of elevation change over 15 miles.  The game plan was to do a loop for the first part and then head out to the North Chalone peak and return back the same way.  Sweet.  Let’s go!  =)

Marshall smiling at the begginning of the hike. That

On the move. No time to stop for a picture.

Marshall, Jackie and Sam climb a steep and narrow passage

Marshall and me overlooking the pinnacles

After we had hiked for about 2.5 hours we stopped for lunch.  We then made the relatively quick descent down to the lake which was the starting point for the trail to the N. Chalone Peak.

Me sitting on the bridge overlooking the lake

Marshall and the group take a breather before continuing on up the peak

Marshall taking on the climb to the summit

Yeah!  We finally made it to the top.  It was windy, rainy and cold but we made it.

Taking a break at the N. Chalone Peak summit. No, there was no hot chocolate.

Marshall and me at the N. Chalone Peak summit

Although the view was incredible, we didn’t hang out on the summit too long because it was super windy and super chilly so it was better to keep moving.  Fortunately the rest of the hike was downhill so we were able to get back to the lake within an hour of starting the descent from the summit nearly 4.5 miles away.

Marshall relaxing at the lake before our final 20 minute hike to the cars

Rock'n the lion mane

Once the entire group got to the lake we had about a mile to go to get to the cars and that included heading through one of the bat caves.  No, not like “Batman” bat caves, actually caves where bats live.  =)

Descending slippery stone steps to the bat caves

Marshall navigates the caves without a headlamp

The caves were cool, the hike was awesome but by 6:00pm I was ready to head home.  All that was left was to get a group photo and then load up in the cars to head home.  Normally my friend Ilya would take the group photo but because he wasn’t there I stood in as the “official” trip photographer.  =)

The group (minus Jackie) at the end of the day

So once again, thanks to “V” for another great hike and to the group for making this such an enjoyable experience for Marshall and me.  I can’t wait for the next one.  =)

Oh and on the way back home we had to slow for a wild pig that was running down the middle of the road.  Sorry, I couldn’t really think of a good way to lead into that.  😉  For all the trip photos check out my gallery on Picasaweb.

Yay!  So another Sunday, another hike with the Stanf…uh, well it’s no longer the Stanford Outing Group actually.  Apparently there was some lame reason why Stanford wouldn’t allow the club to continue as a sanctioned group so they’ve now formed the Outing group on Google groups.  Hmm, perhaps not the best choice of a name for a club about hiking but rest assured we’re still all about hiking and the outdoors.  =)

This hike was especially cool because my mom came with me.  I had to laugh because there were so many things that she did during the hike that made me say “Like mother, like daughter.”  The first similarity was our appearance.  We both wore the same black workout pants and a thermal shirt layered over a tank-top.  The second similarity was the amount of pictures my mom took.  I always take lots of pictures to document my trips and unless someone is nice enough to offer to take a picture of me you’ll see a lot of pictures of other people and head shots of me (as much as I can get into the frame at arms length).  With my mom and I trading off with the camera we both got lots of great shots.  Like this one..

Hiking down the Saratoga Gap trail

And this one of “V” and me checking out the view from the Saratoga Gap ridge trail.

Admiring the view

Next it was my turn to take pictures.  Ah Meems looks like she’s having such a great time.  And she’s so photogenic.  =)

Meemers posing by a tree

The next similarity was how quickly we both hike.  Even as fast as “V” hikes my mom was right on his tail.  That’s my mom.  =)

Keeping up with "V"

So everything was going great until we hit this section where we had to hike uphill after we were already getting a bit fatigued.  Despite my moms affinity for nature that didn’t stop a tree from jumping out and biting her on the foot thus tripping her and causing her to “eat it.”  Uh-oh, that looks painful.  Since when did trees start “felling” people?

Oh snap! That's a good looking cut.

Ok, now you're getting the idea. Battlescars are cool! =)

Even with a cut arm and knee my mom kept on hiking at an amazing pace and didn’t complain once.  Aw, what a trooper!  Way to go Meemers.  As “V” said, “You’re a toughie.”  😉

The hike was completely awesome and we both had a great time.  We had planned on a 12-13 mile hike but according to Ilya and his GPS we hiked a total of 17.1 miles.  Totally worth it.

Meemers and me at the finish

During the hike my mom also met some really nice people including a scientist named Yin who works with polymers used for medical diagnostic tests.  Pretty incredible stuff.

Yin and Meems chat while the sun goes down

By the end of the day, Meems had made a great friend and hopefully we’ll meet up on some other trip in the future.

Yin and Meemers

We got back to the parking lot around 6:30pm and after some quick pictures and we shuttled back to the park entrance and then prepared to head home.  Ilya brought his GPS which showed our total mileage to be 17.1 miles.  I’ll take it!  =)

Trip totals

For more pictures, check out my Google photo album.  Thanks for a great trip “V”.  Can’t wait for the next one.  =)

Ilya, Ksenya, Lachy, Marek, V, Me, Uraib, Jose, Govi

We started out at the Soda Springs trailhead near Lembert Dome and hiked to Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.  “V” had intended to hike further however there is apparently a rule on Labor Day weekend (and other big holidays) that you have to hike out of the location where you reserved your permit.  Since Glen Aulin was only 6 miles away we did a few detours before getting there and also took advantage of some photo ops.

We also decided to climb this random granite mountain before the thunderstorms rolled in and that was really cool.  It doesn’t look like that much of a climb but check out the views once we got to the top.

From the bottom of the mountain it doesn't look like much

But check out the view!

After fighting the wind to quickly scale the mountain we had lunch.

After hiking back down the mountain we encountered this really cool mountain man who led a pack of mules on horseback through the dusty winding trails.  The mules are used to pack in supplies and pack out garbage from the high sierra camps where for a fee, you too can live like a pioneer (complete with flushing toilets and warm showers I’m sure).  😉

Mountain man (See Marshall, that's a beard)

Mule train

Once we got to Glen Aulin we found a beautiful waterfall and cold river to swim in there.  Even though I tend to dislike cold water, these backpacking trips have gotten me used to it and I jumped right in with Marek, Govi, Ilya and Lachy.

Chillin' (literally) under a waterfall

We spent the rest of day 1 sitting around our stoves cooking food for dinner, sharing stories and talking religion and politics.  Yes, religion and politics!  Definitely some interesting discussions had that day.

On day 2 we packed up and prepared for a long day of hiking (I believe about 16-17 miles).  Before we got too tired, Marek and Govi play fought and then Marek made nice with the camera.  =)

Marek and Govi play fighting (yeah I know, normally that's me)

Marek and me hamming it up. Supastar!

We kept hiking and arrived at Tanaya Lake around noon.  We stopped there for a bit and had lunch.  Not exactly sure which direction I was going from the position of my feet but one thing was certain, I was ready to go!  =)

Tanaya Lake, ready to go!!

Now for the tough part, a steep hill climb and poor Govi Bear all loaded up like a pack mule.  I gotta say the guy did extremely well for never doing an overnight backpacking trip.  Very impressive indeed.

Govi A.K.A. Govi Bear A.K.A. Pack Mule

Once we reached the top we realized how tired and sweaty we were.  Uraib and “V” were a ways behind us (at least an hour) because Uraib was having problems with the altitude so we decided to lay out and dry out.  Ah the sun felt so good and I found the best natural recliner in the whole place, footstool and all.  😉

Relaxing in the sun

But all good things must come to an end so once Uraib and “V” joined us, we continued on our journey.  We decided to head to Sunrise High Sierra camp instead of Lake Merced so that we could all stick together.  This campsite had very few locations for backpackers to settle down into so we had to make the best of it.  It was also extremely cold and all our water ended up freezing that night.  We had to wait until about 9am before we could get water from the faucet (there were no other water sources here).

Frozen Nalgene bottle

From Sunrise we headed out to Cathedral Lakes.  There were two lakes, the first absolutely amazing.

Cathedral Peak

The second lake was even bigger and more magnificent than the first.

Cathedral Lake (campsite)

Once we found a location to camp we pumped some water.

Pumping water from Cathedral Lake

Smile!

And then a group of us hiked up a mountain to find Bristlecone Pine and lots of amazing views.

My Crew (Ilya, "V", me, and Uraib) - Marek taking picture

"V" and his Bristlecone Pine throne

That evening we went out to the lake when it was dark and sat along the beach watching for satellites and counting stars.  It was freezing at first but seemed to warm the longer we were out there.  It is really amazing how many stars you can see without all the light pollution from the city.  I slept better this night because it wasn’t as cold although I had burned my face and shoulders from lack of adequate sunblock so that was a bit painful.  Apparently I still drove Ksenya crazy with tossing and turning (I can’t help it, my arm goes dead if I stay laying on one side for too long) so I bought my own one person tent at REI last weekend.  I can’t wait to use it.  It’s a Quarter Dome T1 (just like Ilya and Marek’s tent except for one person).  =)

After packing up for our final time, we hit a brief climb and then it was downhill until we reached the base of the mountain.  This was the last picture before we reached the car.  With only 2 miles to go, we were happy to be back safe and sound.  I think I may have skipped the rest of the way back.

Almost There

So thanks again for another great trip “V” and to Ilya Katsnelson for his incredible pictures.  My camera died just as we were preparing to hit the trail so these pictures are much appreciated.  Can’t wait to hike with you guys again.  =)

For the rest of Ilya’s pictures, check out his Flickr account.  Bye for now!

So it’s probably been at least 17 years since I was last in Yosemite and from what I remember, I was too petrified to step outside my parents vehicle to experience it’s beauty lest I get swept away by the rushing Tuolumne River.  As a kid my list of irrational fears was quite long and towards the top of that list was a fear of drowning (probably caused by all those Reader’s Digest survival articles I used to read or perhaps the label on the side of the tub of detergent my mom used to buy from Price Club that showed a baby could drown in a couple inches of water).  I was definitely a baby.  =P

Well fortunately I have overcome a number of those fears which has allowed me to start doing these overnight backpacking trips with Ksenya and random cool people we’ve met through the Stanford Outing Club.  =)  This last weekend we did a 3 day backpacking trip in Yosemite from White Wolf to Tuolumne Meadows.  The plan was 30 miles in 2 days plus some cool down hiking on Monday.  We started out by heading up Friday evening.  Ksenya and I slept in the Freestyle the first night since we didn’t have a campsite and where just parked along the side of the road.

We probably would have been better off sleeping on the ground.  The super hard and flat surface of the Freestyle wrecked havoc on my hips.  =(

Ok, gotta throw in an obligatory picture of the vehicle.  I mean it’s no Jetta but still, pretty good looking if you ask me.  😉

The next morning Rachel, Aaron and James figured out how to redistribute the food into bear cans for the trip.  Because there are a lot of bears in Yosemite we needed to make sure we stored all food and scented items like suntan lotion, chapstick, etc. in the bear cans which were then placed far away from our camp in case the bears actually found them.

After separating the food, picking up our backpacking permits, and dropping off the Freestyle on the side of the road above Tuolumne Meadows, it was time to get going.

We started out at the White Wolf camp ground and trailhead.  From left to right: Ishun, Aaron (not the same Aaron J. Swank guilty of manslaughter in Ohio although they are from the same state), me, James, Ksenya and our trip organizer, Rachel.

The first stretch was pretty easy going.  We had a small water crossing to do early on which was fun although it meant having dirty, wet socks for awhile.

I was totally in awe of the amazing scenery and the fact that I was actually taking on this ambitious of a hike.  I thought this natural spillway was really beautiful.

A water spillway

On the way down we ran into this guy.

We didn’t get as far along as we’d hoped to that first day.  It’s actually a lot easier to go uphill than downhill and the whole first day was going down the canyon.  By the time we got to our camp, we were all pretty exhausted.  Ksenya and I setup our tent and then set to preparing dinner.  I spent a lot of time down at the river taking in the scenery.  I loved looking at the rocks and then the deep green trees in the background.  It reminded me Bev Doolittle’s art “The Forest Has Eyes.”  See if you agree.  =)

After watching the moon rise above a darkened canyon wall we headed to bed.  We had nearly 17 miles to cover on day 2 and there was quite a bit of elevation gain to tackle so a good night’s sleep was imperative.  I woke up early and had a breakfast fit for champions (dark chocolate M&Ms and wheat thins).  We soon packed up and headed on to the trail.

Muir Gorge was one of the first fairly large waterfalls we saw on day two.  It looked really cool from this distance.  Little did I know we’d be crossing not too far beyond this point.

Muir Gorge

After Rachel crossed, Ksenya braved the cold, rushing water.  We had to make sure unbuckle our gear just in case we lost our footing and went down.  There was a waterfall just to our left and another one leading down the mountain to our right.  I was very happy to get to the other side of this crossing.  Rachel lent me one of her poles to get across.  I can’t imagine trying to cross without it.

Ksenya crossing river w/ help from Rachel

After that water crossing we headed along the river and then began our ascent up the canyon wall.

Stairway to heaven (via hell when you have problems with your feet)

I really liked this trail even though it was out in the sun and continued climbing for what seemed like forever.  The climb was well worth it though.  As we neared the top we came upon Waterwheel Falls.  Click on the picture to see the full size.  The “waterwheel” is caused by a large rock blockade in the middle of the river that causes the water to fan out in a large wheel of water.  Cool huh?  =)

Waterwheel Falls

Finally after miles and miles of hiking we finally reached the Tuolumne Meadows.  When this picture was taken I thought we were right there.  I was eager to get back to the car because I had two semi-injured feet and it was pretty painful to walk.  Even though Ksenya lent me a hiking pole which helped a ton, I was still compensating for my busted feet so I was super sore.  There were still about 4 miles to go but the climb wasn’t nearly as steep so it wasn’t bad at all.  I was so happy to get back to the car though.  =)

Me in front of Tuolumne Meadows

The next day we decided to do a cool down hike by hiking about 4 miles to Mirror Lake.  We were fortunate to avoid bears but I was kind of bummed because what’s a trip to Yosemite without a bear sighting?  Luckily I wouldn’t have to go home empty-handed so to speak.  Do you see what I see in the trees behind the Suburban (click on the picture to see a bigger image).  It’s a bee!  I mean it’s a bear!  😉

It's a bear! Cool!

When I heard that we would be hiking to Mirror Lake I thought they said Muir Lake so I was completely surprised when someone pointed out the near perfect reflection of the canyon walls in the distance.  To cool.

Mirror lake

On our way back down we saw this really cool bird and her babies.  I had never seen birds like this and so I waded into the freezing (and I mean FREEZING) water to get a good shot.  It was totally worth it.  The ducks were traveling across the lake and decided to hurry it up (guess they wanted a little more distance from me, hey, I had been hiking for two days in 80-90 degree weather, go figure) so the babies started hoping on mama ducks back to hitch a ride.  At one point there were 3.5 baby ducks happily sitting on her back.  It was pretty comical.  And no worries, no ducks were harmed in the process of booking from one end of the lake to the other.  😉

Piggyback on momma duck

After we completed the Mirror Lake trail loop we went to find the “secret” backpackers camp.  It was really nice and if we hike Yosemite again, we’ll definitely have to give that a shot.

And then there were 4...Finally finished.

We started out with 6 and finished with 4.  Ishun and James left when we got back to our cars on day 2.  Tired but happy we headed back to the Freestyle and began the trip home.

As a side note, if you ever have the opportunity to do a backbacking trip, I highly recommend going for it.  Getting away from the beaten path and into nature (real nature) is the most amazing experience.  I can’t wait for my next backpacking opportunity.  Until then, peace out!  =)

So this is truly awesome.  =)  As Marshall has been getting into better and better shape he’s been more receptive to going on hikes with me.  This Saturday I was extremely happy that with minimal prodding (come on, there had to be some) he agreed to do a 10.62 mile at Del Valle.  Woohoo!

The hike started at the Arroyo Staging area in Livermore off of Arroyo Road (right past Wente Winery and Restaurant).  Even though Marshall wasn’t as excited as I was to be doing this hike at least he was smiling.  =)

The hike was actually really challenging.  The first 2/3rds of a mile was straight uphill and I knew it was going to gonna push Marshall past his comfort zone however he didn’t stop once and and he didn’t complain.  By the time we got to the top we were feeling pretty good until we saw the huge hill that we had to walk down (which means we’d have to hike back up it at the end). It was pretty much like that for the rest of the 5.16 miles to the gate into Del Valle.

Thankfully despite the heat we didn’t run into rattlesnakes.  We did run into this little guy though.  Kinda cute eh?  No, I did not pick him up.

When we got to the gate leading into Del Valle we took a minute to chill and drink some more water.  It had taken 2 hours to get this far.  Not bad considering the trail was super hilly and Marshall actually walked Lotus the whole way.

Now it was time to head back.  It was 12:30 at this point and around 85 degrees (hot!).  We knew we needed to get back as soon as possible because the dogs were wearing out and we had run out of water.  Next time we’ll make sure to bring two camelbaks and a separate water bottle for the dogs.

Once we got to the summit before the final descent, we took some time to relax on a bench and look out over Lake Del Valle and the dam.  On the way back down Marshall even found the strength to strike an impressive pose with the dogs overlooking the Wente winery and golf course.  Nice!  😉

Finally we made it!  A whole 10.62 miles and very minimal b!tching about the length of the hike, temperature and excessive hill climbs involved.  Great job Marshall!  Keep it up.  =)

More pictures can be found on my Picasa album.

So as part of Marshall’s plan to lose weight and get in shape, he offered to take the dogs and me on a hike at Del Valle.  Woohoo!  =)

Before we headed to the park, we stopped off at Big 5 to get Marshall a nice water bottle and a new pair of shoes.  I hadn’t even thought about how painful these hikes must have been for him wearing his worn out “Vans” like shoes.

We totally lucked out by not only finding a pair of shoes that fit Marshall perfectly (even he had to admit that they felt amazing on the hike) but they were also on sale.  Sweet!

So now outfitted with a kick-A pair of shoes and a new water bottle, we set out for our hike at Del Valle.  It was 10:45am when we got to the park.  As we walked through the first cattle gate we saw a sign that said there would be a “special event” from 11-2 which turned out to be an off-road bike race that was set to take the same path as we were.  As a result, we walked a lot faster than we normally do and were thankfully able to avoid being caught in between a bunch of cyclists.

However this trip would not be without it’s own “special event.”  As Marshall and I were headed down the last hill, right past the water tower, I spotted a snake that Marshall and Lotus were headed right for.  They were literally two feet away from walking right over it and I screamed at Marshall “SNAKE!” and he stopped dead in his tracks and pulled Lotus back.  At first he was upset at me for scaring him and then I pointed out the snake right in front of him and it took him a second but then he realized it was a huge, HUGE, rattlesnake.

Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera but Marshall always has his iPhone so I was able to get a picture of it.  The snake was probably between 3.5-4ft (if not longer) with about 6 visible rattles on its tail.  I wanted to come in closer to get a better picture but then realized this thing likely has a very far-reaching strike distance so I settled with the picture I had and we continued on our way.  All in all it was pretty exciting and a bit scary at the same time.  I’ve never seen a snake that big in person before let alone one that could actually inflict some damage.  Glad I keep Sierra on lead now.  =)

Yay, so I got to go on another hike with the Stanford Outing group again tonight. This time it was a trip to Mission Peak at dusk led by Silviu. =)

We left the staging area at the end of Stanford Avenue at 6:45pm and began the 2.8 mile climb uphill. Sierra started off slow and a bit nervous but then relaxed and had a great time. Everyone was complimenting her on her unique color and eyes.

The climb was pretty steep but nothing compared to Pico Blanco in Big Sur. That was a summit. Because I had Sierra I was grateful for the wide trail and switchbacks as I was a little concerned she may have difficulty with the climb. She did excellent and when we got to the summit I gave her a big kiss and took a picture of us as the sun set (you’re right Ksenya, we do look alike). 😉

It’s too bad I couldn’t adequately capture the colors and overall impact of the sunset and rising moon. It was absolutely amazing and with a nice cool breeze blowing through, it was very relaxing as well.

One of the hikers was nice enough to take a picture of Ksenya, Sierra and me before we headed back down. Not so sure Ksenya appreciated that. Sierra tried to give her a kiss and she’s still not big on doggy kisses.

We hung out at the summit for awhile but then wanted to get through the really steep stuff before it got too dark. I brought my head lamp but the moon was so bright we were able to walk all the way down with just the moon to illuminate the way. It was so bright I was even able to see a meadow vole hanging out (I had to look it up as I originally thought it was a mole or gopher).

Well that about does it for this trip report. We got back to the parking lot around 9:30 so we did the whole trip in less than 3 hours. Mad props to Ksenya for running the Bay to Breakers this morning and still having energy for this hike. =)