WITM: Pleasants Ridge Trail

 

If I had to use one word to describe this hike, that word would be "up."  If I got to choose another, it would be "rocks."  I don't, however, believe I would choose the word pleasant.  However, this being a blog requires that I use more than one or even two words, so I'll expand on things a bit.  It is still sure to be short and sweet.  

 

Like this little guy!

 

For starters, the trail was without a doubt the steepest I have ever been on.  In one mile the trail climbs 1500 feet over dirt and large rocks.  It finally ends up at the top of a mountain.  That is where most of the photos were taken due to the simple fact that it was impossible to manipulate a camera while struggling to pull myself up the trail.  Yes, pull - we had to scramble on our hands and knees at some parts (okay, mostly me because I'm the one with short legs).  

This hike, although tough, did have a reward.  The view from the top was amazing.  We could see several peaks, Monticello Dam and Lake Berryessa, and a few valleys scattered in between.  As we sat on our mountain (I said our - for that bit of time it was ours - we'd earned it) we saw three military planes circling the area a few times, and a handful of vultures.  Had they not been flying lower down the mountain, we may have thought they were considering us, the way that we felt.  

The dam and the lake

A mountain we were happy not to climb

Another one we were content to just look at



And then the descent.  It was tricky heading down such a steep slope.  For the most part it wasn't too bad, so long as we went slow.  The dirt was loose and rocks the size of my fist would dislodge themselves on occasion and hurtle downhill, inspiring a feeling of foreboding within me.  I slowed down a bit more.  Someone as clumsy as I am shouldn't take chances.  

 

At one point I needed a breather so I stopped just as I hit some shade from an oak tree.  As I peered down the trail and glanced at the trees roots, one stood out and seemed different from the others.  When I realized that the difference was that one root was shiny, it dawned on me that it wasn't a root at all.  It was a snake.  A pretty good sized one at that.  And he was stretched out across our path.  Crap.    

Do you SEE that thing!?

Luckily I had decided to bring my walking stick for the first time and gently nudged the snake to move it out of our way.  Apparently he didn't take too kindly to that and doubled back toward his tail and hissed loudly and shook his tail.  It was our good fortune that he was not a rattlesnake but just a gopher snake pretending to be one.  After he gave us what-for, he decided we weren't worth the trouble and took off down a nearby hole and that was the end of him.   

No fish.  At least it was pretty.



Soon enough, we were back at the gate and hot-footing it to the car.  We did a little fishing before coming up empty and heading for home (along with some mac n' cheese and a nap).  

 

Not too worse for wear

 

 

 

WITM: Pinecrest National Recreation Trail

This weekend was my first hike since my birthday that was not done by the book.  Instead of staying near the Sacramento area, we headed somewhat southeast on Highway 108 to Pinecrest, near Dodge Ridge Ski Resort.  

Our hike was part of a day trip we took to get away for a few hours.  Pinecrest is a popular man-made lake, with a campground, cabins, and even motel accommodations for the less wilderness-loving folks.  On the lake is a marina that offers rentals for the day to those who want to enjoy the lake by being in it.    

After a short spin around the lake on a rented pontoon boat (where we enjoyed beers and snacks), we set out on the trail.  Beginning at the beach area near the marina, we followed a short sidewalk which soon turned into a dirt path.  There were quite a few people walking along the trail along with us, though the farther we went the thinner the crowds became.  

We crossed the dam and ascended a stone staircase.  We then followed the trail as it wound around above the lake's shoreline.  Looking down we saw swimmers in small coves and their lonely kayaks sitting on the rocks nearby.  Farther out we saw fishing boats, and the occasional pontoon boats full of people.  We even saw a handful of sailboats drifting along.  

As we came around a turn in the trail, we saw something I'd never seen on any hike: a lemonade stand.  Two or three boys had set it up and we all lamented not bringing any cash with us.  When we asked how much they had earned so far, they replied with "about fifteen dollars."  Their profits were undoubtedly lower than they ought to have been simply because most people were surely like us, and didn't think to carry cash.  I hope that with their next stand, they think to put up a sign at the beginning of the trail.  In fact, we saw a few interesting sights on the way.



Some of the things...



...we saw along the way.



Hey, anybody got a quarter?

We made our way toward the far side of the lake, alternately in the sunshine or under the shade of pine trees.  Once there, we climbed up and over the hills of granite and a wooden bridge spanning the creek that feeds into the lake.  The creek was moving at a pretty good pace, sending water splashing down the rocks at breakneck speeds only to end up in a calm cove full of more swimmers and boaters. 

The last leg of our hike was an easy walk with little up or down.  The only real difficult part was that much of the trail was soggy with small trickles flowing across here and there.  More than once I found myself struggling for balance after the ground shifted under my feet.  Shockingly I never did fall down completely - maybe I'm becoming more graceful, who knows?  

Soon we returned to the beach where we had started and settled in to enjoy some barbecue before heading back home.  



That, folks, is how you finish a hike.



To see a map of this hike, click here.

Writing in the Margins

The best part about the great outdoors is that it is too great (in size and experiences) to be contained in any book or collection of books.  No matter how wonderful a guide book may be, it is never going to contain enough to satisfy someone indefinitely.  Eventually, one has to venture out into the world armed with nothing but their own wits and determination (and maybe a topo map). 

Writing in the Margins (WitM) features are hikes that I do that are not prompted by any of my hiking books.  While this blog is in large part about hikes I learn of in assorted books and guides, it is primarily about sharing my outdoor experiences.  To limit myself to places I read about would be to miss out on some great places.  So I choose to write in the margins of my books, so I can add to my ever expanding library of nature.  

In these features, whose titles will be preceded by WITM (and tagged the same), I will be sure to give more detailed directions to trailheads, trail descriptions, and include links to trail maps, even if I have to create them myself.  This, I hope, will ensure that the trails can be easily found and enjoyed if anyone wants to take part.  

 

 

Avery's Pond Trail





Avery's Pond trail sounded like the perfect hike for a warm summer day.  Our hope was to find a good spot to swim along the way since the map showed the trail winding along the outside of Folsom Lake.  Surely we'd find a nice spot for a dip, so we grabbed our swimsuits and headed out. 

And, it seemed, we weren't the only ones who thought so.  We crossed paths with a handful of other hikers and a few folks on horseback as well.  The trail is seemingly very popular with equestrians, as we had to carefully pick our way through the evidence of their travels at several points along our walk.   

Two of the culprits can be spotted in this photo

No tigers. No bears. Oh my!  We did spot a deer, though.

For the first part of our walk, we stayed under a canopy of trees.  The trail was well traveled, bordered on each side by blackberry bushes and other shrubbery and punctuated every so often with wooden bridges.  All in all, it was a very pretty walk when not having to watch one's feet (as members of our group mentioned a couple times).  

Not sure what flower this is, but it's pretty.

Several bridges span dry ravines throughout the trail.

After about a mile or so of walking, we reached the pond.  Small and a bit stagnant, it had a strange sort of prettiness.  Not ideal for swimming, but great for a few photos.  Our hike, though, was not even close to being finished. 

Gotta get a picture with the sign...

...its a must.

We continued on up the trail and reached the power station where the lake meets the stream.  While we probably could have jumped into the lake at this point, we were a bit unsure of how we would climb back out afterwards.  Instead, we continued on up the trail and reached the stream and a bridge spanning across it.  

Soon after crossing the bridge, we noticed a change in the nature of our trail.  Instead of humid, comfortable shade, we were in the dry sunshine, and instead of flowering shrubs, our path was becoming crowded by increasingly encroaching star thistle.  Walking through it was an obstacle course, requiring quick dodging and side-stepping, especially if one was walking behind another hiker.  I learned quickly to back up a few steps so as to avoid the stems that swung back to hit me.  

Amber waves of pain

It didn't take long (but it can be argued that any amount of time was too long in that field) for us to realize that we weren't getting any closer to the water and decided to turn around.  A few more scrapes on our legs and we were back to the stream and the shade.  



No point of access.  How sad.

When we reached the pond again, we decided to walk along the other side of it in hopes (the last of them) of finding a place to swim.  Still no luck, however.  We continued back to the car and decided to drive around to find a place to barbecue and paddle our feet in the lake.  Down to the boat launch was our first try, and that turned out to just be a parking lot.  So off we drove to check out a few more spots here and there, but we kept coming up empty.  And so was our gas tank.  Instead of continuing the search for a spot, we began a new search for a gas station.  We left the recreation area and drove into Loomis, found a gas station and drove home, opting to barbecue in the comfort of the backyard, with couches just a few steps away.

Lodi Lake Nature Trail

As I sat down at my computer today, I found this hike a bit more difficult to write about.  Finally it hit me - Lodi Lake is far too familiar.  I have walked this trail many, many times.  Growing up in Lodi and being the daughter of a Lodi Parks & Recreation supervisor, it was impossible not to.  I know every twist and turn of the paths almost by heart. 

I can remember when the park was home to tepees (before vandals insisted on burning them down.  Repeatedly) and possibly before the outdoor theater was erected.  I remember as a kid thinking the small pond in the back of the nature area was called Hog Lake.  It's close - Pig Lake is the name.  I can recall a trip out to fish on the bank of the Mokelumne River and using chicken livers as bait, and several trips to have a picnic lunch and feed bread to the ducks and geese (often followed quickly by being chased by said ducks and geese after my sandwich was finished).  

This hike is actually pretty perfect for taking along kids.  When we grow up, we sometimes forget to see the wonder in things and see only the world as it is.  We stop seeing things as they might be, according to our imaginations.  Hiking with kids brings this lost wonder back.  



As my munchkin hikers and I walked through the all-too-familiar park, memories of my time there came back to me.  Walking on the hill bordering the park, then along the top of the concrete barrier - "Okay, but you have to hold my hand, alright?" - and finally being confronted by the "forest" that is the Lodi Lake Nature Trail.  

Starting out on the hike.

Questions, surely the same ones that I asked once upon a time, came flying in my direction: Is this the woods?  Are there skunks?  What's that noise - is it a snake?  Can I pick the flower?  Can we pet the squirrel?



Never pet the squirrels.



My answers to these questions were, for the most part, unimportant.  Except for the question about the squirrel, the questions were simply a means to expand their little imaginations, and soon there were stories made about what it might be like if a skunk DID come up to us, and for a little while, every vine became an imaginary snake slithering about.  I "saw" more on this hike than during any I have done in a long time.  

The kids show me something in the tree....



Turns out, cameras don't have
very good imaginations.

Kids get much more excited about things, too.  While we walked we came upon Pig Lake, covered in algae and muck.  Instead of being disgusted at the stagnant water, the kids delighted in throwing sticks and adding some movement to the motionless expanse of green, even for just a moment.  Looking over a small bridge to the water in a ditch below, tiny minnows became exciting fish whose movements enthralled the tiny onlookers.  Most adults we passed rarely took a second (or first) look at most of what they passed.  They were likely in a similar situation as I was, familiar with the area to such a degree that it held little intrigue any longer. 

One of the nooks we peered into

Hidden nooks and crannies have the best photo ops.

As I began to wonder how much I had missed over the years, the answer appeared in the form of a deer, standing yards away in the middle of a group of trees.  How many times had I been out here and never seen one?  I knew they occasionally made appearances, but of all the times throughout my visits, never once had I crossed paths with one.  That I knew of, anyhow.  As I stared at the buck, quietly signaling to the kids to take a look, I began to think that maybe I had.  I just probably didn't pay any attention.  



Yep, been here the whole time.  - Deer

 Our simple little walk turned into a near two-hour adventure due to our willingness to explore every side trail, each hidden nook and cranny, and all the trail signs (that weren't covered in graffiti).  The kids got to meander and learn about the local plant and wildlife, both through the placards I read to them as well as firsthand.  And I quite enjoyed myself as well.  In addition to seeing the world through fresh eyes, it is so unbelievably rewarding to hear a simple "This is so fun!" and have a bright little face smile up at you.


Mokelumne River

Yep, you should definitely take the kids out on this hike.  

For a map of this hike, click here.