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Tonight is a little warm and muggy. I know that 80 degrees and 52 percent humidity at nine in the evening is not much compared to other places on the planet. However, a few clouds in the sky make for a nice sunset. The humidity just makes the evening walk a little more dampening.
It was a beautiful evening to be out on a walk with Stevie the dog. Tonight we headed to the Fairmont Park. Stevie likes to look at the ducks. Tonight she got eye to eye with a duck. Stevie looked at the duck curiously as she began hissing at her. Later in the evening we came across a small raccoon. Stevie got excited and sniffed around the tree as the raccoon headed up. Then there was the baby skink. I am just glad the skunk could run away quickly without leaving any odor behind. But the most memorable part of the evening was the beautiful sunset. It was just an evening with some beasts and some beauty.
For Operation On Target one must wake up early. To get to the tip of any peak, it requires a little time. We needed to be on the top of the mountain by ten. Operation On Target, if you did not click on the link, is where scouts flash mirrors from peak to peak and communicate with HAM radios. Here is Southern California, we do it every third weekend in July and September.
As we left Fish Creek Saddle campground and hike along the Fish Creek Trail we looked down towards Dry Lake. As I have only been hiking in the San Gorgonio Wilderness the last few years I have never seen the lake empty.
We met up with the Sky Line trail headed in a southerly direction. As we gained elevation on the trail we could see out towards the low desert and down the drainage of the Whitewater River. It does not look like sunshine will be in the cards for Palm Springs this morning.
I also had someone take my picture at the switchback. So often I go hiking and do not get my picture into my blog. You can see that there is some cloud cover in the north.
One of these days I am going to go climb Drangons Head. It just looks so irresistible standing there at the end of The Tarn. How often can you say that you have been on top of a “Dragons Head”.
We climbed to the peak where I took a picture of Big Bear Lake. Not a lot of clouds ominous in the North West.
Then there is the picture from the top. Last time I was up here it was sunny and the person that took my picture said he would email it to me. He did, it was a very small photo. In case you do not know, you can click on any of the photos and make them bigger, much bigger.
We were flashing Mt Baldy which was in the haze of the clouds. It did not even show up on this photo. If you look close where the rocks and vegetation meet, about the center of the photo you can see a light purple coloration. It is just barely above the rocks. I took the picture to highlight the clouds between Mt. Baldy and us.
We usually have someone on Mt. San Jacinto. However, they could not get there due to the fire. In the picture, if you make it bigger you can see the smoke rising and moving towards the west.
There were people on Keller Peak, which has no line of sight to San Gorgonio as wall as Mt. Baldy and Box Springs in Riverside. We saw flashes from Mt Baldy only. We only were able to send flashes intermittently (only about three times with almost full sun) as we were under cloud cover most of the morning. Mt. Baldy saw our flashes on one occasion. All the flashing was done by scout Jared from Arizona. He came on this trip with his grandfather Ron.
It was becoming longer and longer between possible openings for sunlight to do any signaling. The cloud cover was getting thicker. We started to head off the top of the mountain. In the photo below, several of the other peaks can be seen. I believe they are Shields, Anderson, San Bernardino East and San Bernardino peaks.
A little further down the trail we noticed that it was definitely raining towards Yucaipa and Beaumont. As thunderstorms were forecast after 11 am and it was 11:30, it was no surprise that the possibility of rain was picking up.
We passed several people who were headed up to the top while we were headed down. After about an hour of leaving the top we stopped to have lunch. I thought I would rather eat before it rained. During lunch people kept coming past us. Many had no day packs to carry rain gear. The average was t shirts or tank tops, shorts, a liter of water and a fanny pack. Others were well prepared. Perhaps the ones that looked unprepared had the 99 cent ponchos stuffed in their pockets. The highlight was the young man carrying a gallon of water in one hand and walking barefoot. He also had a day pack so he may have been prepared with raingear and possibly a pair of shoes. No sooner had we finished lunch and the rain began. We also found ourselves in cloud cover.
About 2 hours off the top we heard thunder coming from over the peak. It kept raining on us until we got close to camp at Fish Creek Saddle. Dry Lake was still dry. However, there was a little moisture on the ground that could be seen.
We shook the water off our tents and cleaned up camp. Much to the disappointment of the local crowd, we are Leave no Trace campers. I always hang a “mini-bear” bag with my trail food. The last thing I need is a mini-bear eating into my pack for a snack. I have watched them tear up packs and food packaging over time just to get a snack.
When camp was policed, we grabbed our packs and prepared to head on down the trail. My pack was much lighter. I started out at the trail head with eight and a half liters of water. Now I had at the most three. I like water and do not like being thirsty. I also figure carrying a little extra just makes me stronger and helps with loosing the weight over time.
As we headed down from the saddle we met another scout troop headed up. They had been rained on as well. They said they were hit by a good downpour. However, the sky was blue in the east and by this time the sun was out towards the east.
We had sunshine the remainder of the hike down. There were just a few nice and friendly white clouds to be seen. Of course that led me to thinking. Do the trees and plants like nice fluffy white clouds or do they prefer those dark clouds that are considered angry? If I was a tree in the forest, give me more dark angry clouds that dump water on me. Just do not plant me in a ridge and let the lightning that comes with those dark clouds get me.
It was a good day and a nice hike. I look forward to the third weekend in September for another trip to the top. Tonight I made the trek to Fish Cree Saddle. It is a 5.5 mile uphill trip with no water at the top. So for the trip I took 8 liters of water so that I would have plenty for tomorrow. One the the places I like is Fish Creek Meadows. it is usually nice and green except late in the season.
As I got closer to the saddle I could see Mt. San Gorgonio off in the distance. That is the goal for tomorrow.
Once I reached the Fish Creek Saddle camp, I set up camp and went to bed early as tomorrow would be a long day.
I have passed Kolob Canyons for years and never stopped by to take a look. The canyons are just off Interstate 15 and the road is only about 5 miles long. I have seen Kolob Canyons Road on the map of Zion Zion National Park and wondered what the big attraction was. A coworker told me about visiting the canyons and said that they were stunning red cliffs and canyons. With that in mind, and the need to take a break from driving, we drove up the road, got out of the car and took a look. Our first stop was the Visitors Center and the location of the first earthcache, The Hurricane Fault Who knew that there was an active fault in Southern Utah? An active fault is nothing new being from Southern California. The Kolob Canyons were formed by being pushed up along a fault line over a long period of time. Our first stop was the Taylor Creek trailhead. There is an earthcache Taylor Creek Folding, but that required a hike and I did not get a permit for hiking. So what is folding? It is where the is so much pressure on the layers of rock that they fold like silly putty. I will put this on my list of future hikes. A little further up the road give us the opportunity to take a look up South Fork canyon. You can click on the pictures to make them bigger.
Our next stop was the earthcache Hanging Valleys of Kolob Canyon. What is a hanging valley? Dark mineral stains give away the Hanging Valley. Originally the side canyon was a tributary connected to the main canyon’s stream. Uplift along the main canyon wall separated the side canyon. In time the side canyon was marooned, hanging a thousand feet above the main canyon floor. So can you find the Hanging Valley in the picture below?
In case you missed it, click on the picture to make it bigger. It is on the left half of the picture. After visiting the stop for Hanging Canyons we then drove up the road to the Kolob Canyons Viewpoint where I took a few pictures.
Did you catch the Hanging Valley in the picture above? The amazing thing was a person does not even have to walk 10 feet from the car to see all of this. If you want to know the names of the different points, mountains and buttes, there is information below.
Today we traveled several miles. One of the highlights was Pizza at Heap’s Brick Oven Pizza. It was good fun to catch up on the happenings of my brothers and their children.
Today we started out on a geocaching adventure. The first stop was in the town of Monroe Utah for a geocache called Monroe Creamery. When I was a little boy I remember going to the creamery in Monroe. My grandfather gave me a tour. I remember a large boiler because it had fire in it. I also remember some apparatus that was used to make some cheese product. What I remember most of all was the ice cream bar I received at the end of my tour. From Monroe, we headed east up the canyon. The road was dirt and not very wide. We stopped for a geocache named Devils Dutch Oven. There were many photo opportunities along the way.
We continued our trip up the top grabbing Monroe Mountain Cache where I was rained on a lot. From there it was to the other side of the peak and the Rabit Ears Overlook II geocache. A look from near the geocache shows that there is a little rain in the sky.
As I was making my way to the cache there was a group of ATV riders wrapping themselves in blankets and anything warm they could find. One of then asked if we were from Moreno Valley as the license plate frame had that name on it. We stated that we were from Riverside. Many of the group were from Southern California as well. With the inclement weather we chose to use a vehicle with a heater and windshield. Of course I was out running around on the peak of a mountain in a rainstorm looking for geocaches in shorts and a rain-gear jacket. Did someone say something about lightning and thunder? We made our way down the east side of the mountain towards Koosharem. There were many beautiful sights. We saw several deer along the way as well.
We passed through Koosharem and headed up to Fish Lake, our destination for Dinner. Janet and I had a nice dinner at the Bowry Haven Resort. It would have been a better dinner with fresh green beans rather than canned green beans. What are they thinking? Fish Lake has always had a place in my heart. As a child, our family went fishing there with Grandma and Grandpa Rogers. There were two memorable events from my childhood that I clearly remember. The first was that I was fishing with two hooks on my line. I had a fish on and was reeling it in. It seemed a little difficult as I was a young boy. I kept working the reel to get the fish closer to shore. i got a little help from my grandfather and much to my surprise, there were two trout on the line, one on each hook. As for the other event, it was my grandma Rogers and her cast. She prepared to launch her bait into the lake and as she flipped her rod out Alan my brother began to scream. She had firmly placed the hook in his ear. It was serious business at that time. However, it brings a chuckle and smile to my face as I have grown older.
I also spent an afternoon fishing several years ago with my oldest son Scott at Fish Lake. Before we got to Fish Lake, we picked up worms in Koosharem at the self serve bait station.
It was then off to Fish Lake where we had a good time. For the day we caught a couple of trout and Scott caught many yellow perch.
When we got back to grandma and grandpa Rogers, Scott tied one of the perch on his line and cast it out into the backyard of their home. There was a feral cat that lived on the property that would chase the little perch. We called that cat fishing. As for the day, it was great. There is nothing like getting outdoors and seeing a little bit of nature and God’s creations, creating memories, as well as looking back on fond memories as well. Going to a small town for the Independence Day is a little different. When the town only has a little more than one hundred people, someone is put in charge of the celebration. As for this year, I do not know who that person is, but they did a great job.
First on the itinerary was the Fun Run. It started at 7:00 in the morning and there were a few different distances that you could run. I heard it was one, two three or four miles depending on your choice. For me, I slept through the Fun Run. However, I saw the Finish Line painted on the asphalt as well as an encouraging sentence a hundred yards or so before the finish line.
At nine we gathered around the flag pole. First up was the raising of a flag for the last time. The flag was brought down the flag pole as its destination was going to be a retirement ceremony. Next was the raising of the flag for the festivities.
The flag retirement came next. As the flags burned there was a script read talking about our flag, our freedom and the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom.
At nine thirty the parade was to start. It was a little late starting, possibly due to logistics problem. However, it was a great parade that had several participants. The thing I liked about the parade was the number of children in the parade. They are the ones that need to be taught the importance of the Fourth of July so they will remember why we celebrate the Fourth. The local scouts presented the colors via an ATV.
A parade would not be a parade without some horses.
Then there is Roxy on her bike followed by Echo her bike with Gerta following as a clown. We are staying with Gerta and her husband Orval while we are in Alton. The two youngsters on bikes are their grandchildren. Their mother, Susan is a cousin. Not being good in genealogy, I am not sure if it is a first, second, third or some other designation. I can say Susan and I had the same last name before she was married.
A parade also needs a train with children in it.
As his grandchildren and wife are in the parade, that leaves Orval holding the bag, the bag to collect the candy that is thrown during the parade.
One of my favorites is the “float” with the singing young ladies that were not singing when they past.
Even better than that is the large truck with the children on it as well as the dogs.
All parades need a pony.
They also need goats with a little color.
A riding tractor is very important as well.
And of course, the last one in the parade is the fire truck. We were lucky enough to not get the business end of the nozzle as it released a little water on the crowd further down the street.
After the parade there was a Fourth of July assembly at Town Hall. There was singing, a skit, a couple of historical presentations and a song from the children for the veterans that were present. The children rang colored bells on cue as music played in the background.
After the presentation there was a lunch fundraiser that raises funds for money for the 11th graders at the local high school so that they can take a trip to Washington D.C. After lunch were several different games. Everything from running and sack races to a branding competition as well as bunny and chicken races. As for me, I did a little geocaching and waited for dinner. Dinner was great. There is nothing like a hamburger smothered with lettuce, tomato cheese and onions, mushrooms and bell peppers that had been prepared in a Dutch Oven. A little more sunshine and a little less rain would have made it better. However, now I can say that this is the second year in a row that I have been rained on during Independence Day in Utah.
Late in the evening we left town. It was a very enjoyable day. It was great to talk to Orval and Gerta as well as meet more cousin types. As for some parting words, you know you are in a small town when stop is not the operative word at an intersection.
It was off to Utah for a trip to celebrate the 4th of July. Janet had pneumonia and was advised by her doctor to not go to higher elevations. We were headed for Alton Utah, which is a upper middle altitude around 7,000 feet above sea level. However, after driving a long way it was time for a side trip. We were off to Point Supreme at 10,350 feet. A casual walk at that elevation is not much of a big deal if you have been hiking at elevation. It was a destination that I thought Janet would enjoy seeing as she had never seen Cedar Breaks before. We walked slowly down the paved path. She was a little short on air and thought she stop halfway and peer out and take a look. She was intrigued by what she saw and ventured even further, to the end of the trail to take in the view.
After viewing the beauty, we made our way back to the truck. Janet mentioned that she needed her inhaler. I asked her where it was. She answered, in my suitcase. I thought to myself, before any adventure with someone that may need an inhaler, I need to make sure they have it with them on the trail. Even if the trail is only about 100 yards long. We made it back to a lower elevation and everyone was better. Elizabeth in the sprinklersBecause it has been so hot this past week I tur4ned on the sprinklers tonight. A few minutes later Elizabeth was out front and she discovered what sprinklers mean to a kid. She had a great time.
She went out on the lawn and was soaked by the time she was finished. I have a feeling she will be playing in the sprinklers in the future. If she truly has Palmer blood in her, she will be digging holes, filling them with water and playing in the mud. We will just have to see if mom gets this surprise sometime in the future. As for pictures, they are great. But even better is video, because the video has the smiles.
Elizabeth in the sprinklers from gdpalmer on Vimeo. It is amazing how fast time flies. Today Elizabeth is 11 months old. It seems summer is in full press and it is not even July. Things out West have been dry this past winter so there is not a lot of moisture in the forests or deserts around us. When it is hot and dry, we sometimes get what I call Shake and Bake weather. That is where it is hot and there is a lot of seismic activity. As for the seismic activity, it is slow as seen below.
As for the weather, the graph is moving up. The past week days have been inching towards the 100’s or better. It was 100 yesterday and 101 today.
There is no doubt that we are baking. The forecast shows that the baking will be continuing. It even look like the position for the next couple of days is up into the broiler. Yes, that is 110 degrees in the fine print. Click on the pictures for an up and close look.
One can only hope that we do not have any forest fires and that things will cool down soon. We will have to see how the 4th of July goes. It is difficult to celebrate anything when you are ready to melt. Several months have passed from that last time I sailed in Lake Evans. Tonight was the Thursday evening summer sail. I decided at the last minute to go down to the park and sail. The last three days I have commuted into Orange County for work which constituted one and a half hours in and another one and a half hours out. Not much time to do anything. However, tonight we left a couple of hours early. Therefore, I found myself on the water.
The wind was light and there was one other task for the evening, the evening walk with Stevie the dog. We had a good walk. I almost took her sailing. However, last time we walked around the lake, she jumped in several times to chase the ducks. The vision of being in a small boat, fishing a dog out of the water and then having it shake all over spraying lake water does not sit well in my mind. Maybe someday.
Just thinking of Dad on his birthday. He passed away the 24 of June, 2009 just days away from his 75th birthday. Tonight I took my typical evening walk with Stevie the dog. I also included Elizabeth in the child backpack. It is nowhere near as comfortable as my regular backpack. However it is a pleasure to have her along. Elizabeth enjoys watching the dog walk as well as watching the landscape from a different perspective. Tonight we saw a pair of skunks. Stevie was particularly interested in the two skunks. We decided to stalk the skunks as best a man, a dog and a young child could. We moved toward their location and stayed at a safe distance of 20 to 30 yards. They meandered past the car on the other side of the street and down the block. Elizabeth pointed and gave her best description of stinky. At least that is my story of what she did.
We continued on our walk and were into our second mile when I noticed my messenger was getting quiet. Then there was a bump, bump, and another bump as I walked with my quick stride. I thought to myself that sounds like someone’s head against the backpack. I had to resort to taking another picture of my passenger to determine her status. Sure enough, Elizabeth was a sleep.
I needed to shorten and smooth my stride out. She slept all the way home where I took of the backpack and she continued to nap there. |
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