Category: hike reports

Hello Hikers!

Fabulous afternoon get-together at Twin Ponds

hot out on the big lawn but just right in the shade  —  no bugs  —  the rain and lightning in the forecast passed us by

a bit cooler than usual in the pond, thanks to the chilly nights this month

but it was gorgeous once you managed to ease in

I didn’t eat a single bite of dish-to-pass, but everyone else was all over it and I guess it was a big success as usual

We had some kids with us for the first time  –  they really add a fun touch  —  that’s Emmie, who last hiked with us into our famous mid-February cook-out in 15-degree weather in Danby SF

No official head count but we had at least 80 people, the most ever

My yearly moment of truth:

If you start to follow our weekly hiking adventures, you’ll soon realize I never show photos of myself.  To make up for that, I have to undergo a close-up shot of myself in my bathing suit at every cook-out, diligently enforced by Liz.  This year it went one better  —  Liz chased me down in the pond as I was trying to get in gradually, while Hobit took photos:

I knew what’s coming so I dieted this time in hopes I could whittle down my puffy middle in time for the photo ordeal

Liz was pretty aggressive

at the end, she was strutting

So how did I do with the diet?

For whatever reason, we have a wonderful time at this cook-out every year  –  this has left me with a deep pool of great memories, and very strong affection for our group

We all owe thanks especially to Roger and Gunilla, and Liz for the food operation, and her daughter Nicole for doing far more than her share of the grilling

Click here to see 12 more shots online

Hello Hikers!

another great morning on the trail, warm but not hot, almost no mud or bugs, a sweet smell in the air from autumn olive  —

and dazzling sunshine everywhere, sparkling in the creek and lighting up the woods

Official head count:  37 hikers, 11 dogs

we fractured into sub-groups as soon as we turned uphill away from the creek bank, and there were hikers scattered all over for the rest of the walk  —  at Potter’s Falls, a surprisingly large group decided to keep going, along the frightening cliff-face walk that drops right into the creek 100 feet below  —  I didn’t realize we have so many daredevils

everything out in the open looked fresh and wonderful in the intense light  —  in the deep woods, it was dark and lovely  —  too gloomy for any good shots, alas

 

I got back to the parking lot in precisely two hours flat  — those of you who know my minor O-C tendencies will know this made it into a super-perfect walk for me.

You can see 11 more shots online  — click here.

Hello Hikers!

another gorgeous sunny mild morning  —  mud galore  —  a festive holiday spirit in the air  —

 

great walk up a fabulous trail!

I really love three things about this walk ….

…. one is the wet boggy glen full of little streams and wildly tumbled-up fallen trees where a tributary of Michigan Creek starts ….

….  another is the way you get an intense green glow year round from all the evergreens that grow here in abundance  —  especially beautiful when the sun is shining through …

….  and the last is the fantastic terrain all along the way, at its best when there are no leaves

official head count:  24 hikers, five dogs

as promised, it was extremely muddy  —  you need to be ready to fall at any time, and several hikers took big arsers   —  I like mud myself so I had a ball

on the way back we ran into regular hiker Katharine, who broke her spine in a dog-leash accident in early March and who’s been knocked off the trail since  — we were all so happy to see her back in the woods, although she had to proceed very slowly, especially in the mud.

Click here to see eight shots online of the stretch from Bald Hill Road to The Pinnacles look-out, including the obligatory group portrait.

Click here to see 10 shots of the stretch from Michigan Hollow Road to Bald Hill Road.

Hello Hikers!

gorgeous balmy morning along upper Six Mile Creek

an adventure!  the creek we always walk down was too full, so we had to climb the infamous steep hill right away, in a spot where it’s quite a bit longer and steeper  —  extremely slick mud under the perpetual dead leaves  —  I had on clunky stiff-soled shoes  — couldn’t get traction  —  periodically sliding backwards  — I ended up crawling on my hands and knees and clawing my way up by my fingertips  —  the toughest hill climb I’ve had to do in many years  —  fun!

official head count:  16 hikers, eight dogs

20 of us also hiked up this watershed Saturday, on the other side of the creek  —  walking here two days in a row really makes you realize what an amazingly varied, delightful, beautiful and wild place this is

Click here to see 10 more shots online.

Hello Hikers!

Fantastic morning along Lick Brook

we lucked out with the weather and hit a snow squall at the trail head  —  gorgeous atmospheric conditions while it was snowing hard

and the squall left just enough snow cover to really light up the woods and show them off at their best

There was some tricky ice along the trail  —  but it was doable with a little effort even without YakTrax

Official head count:  21 hikers, five dogs

As I’ve said, I love everything about this trail  —  and I’m a big believer that atmospheric conditions can really make a hike  —  I’d say we had a case of a perfect snowstorm Sunday.

Click here to see 14 more shots online.