Talusdancers

***Los Gatos to New Almaden Grand Winter Traverse

Dan posted a narrative of the “Grand Traverse” that he and Owen and Caroline did in the local hills last weekend.
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***Remember summer?

Shooting star flowers south of Mather Pass. July 13, 2004.

From last summer’s South Lake to Onion Valley 2004 trip.
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Shooting star flowers south of Mather Pass. July 13, 2004.
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***Winter Solstice (or Thereabouts) Grand Traverse and Dinner
- We are putting together plans for a longish hike in the South Bay next weekend. The sketchy outline goes something like this.

Drive a car to downtown Los Gatos and leave it there, then head over the the Hacienda entrance to Almaden Quicksilver Park.

Leave the parking lot and head up toward English Camp, most likely on the Deep Gulch Trail. Continue up to the ridge and pick up the Wood Road Trail to Hicks Road.

Leave Almaden Quicksilver Park, cross Hicks Road, and enter the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve, still on Wood Road. Continue up to the ridge and eventually over El Sombroso.

Descend on Limekiln Trail to Alma Bridge Road and follow the road to Lexington Dam.

Join the cyclists and joggers on the short trail from the reservoir down to Los Gatos. Locate suitable eating and drinking establishment for a well-deserved post-hike dinner.

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This site will be offline for as long as a few hours today.
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***Whew!
Reading the news reports today (two climbers die on El Cap, 3 backpacking parties rescued from snow), it looks like we can be glad that all of the talusdancers completed their fall trips safely. Read Owen’s Twenty Lakes Basin 2004 Trip Report for a taste of the early winter storm that came through the Sierra last weekend.

Now I’m wondering if it might be possible to find a place to cross-country ski this weekend. By my calculations, a quick trip this weekend might allow me to ski during eight different months this season!

- Dan
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Friday evening – drove to Okuye Farm in Livingston CA, discussed gear with Mo and Alan, jacuzzi.

Saturday morning – Jean (Alan’s mom, age 67) arrives home from birdwatching in Belize, pack gear, drive through Yosemite. Entire park is choked with smoke from fires.

Saturday afternoon – at Mono Visitor’s Center we check weather and roads: chance of snow after midnight, 4″ accumulation Sunday, Tioga Pass Rd. and Saddlebag Lake Rd. to close Sunday afternoon. We determine that a hike to 20 Lakes Basin is too risky (what if the storm is early, they don’t plow Saddlebag Lake Rd. you know, they just lock the gate!). We pick up extra wine, beer, and firewood, grab campsite at Tioga Lake campground, go on a 3 mile loop hike to the Bennetville mine and ‘ghost town’ and back via a closed TPR and Tioga Lake dam, make fabulous dinner (Caesar’s Salad, Tabouli, Falafel, Pita, Shrimp Scampi, hot chocolate with Yuk).

Sunday 12:01am – with Jean in her Mountain Hardwear tent, Mo/Alan in a bomber TNF Talus tent, and me in my TNF Soloist bivy (never again in a blizzard), the storm hits with unforecasted ferocity: strong winds, heavy snow – some campers take-off, but we are just too warm. cozy and sleepy. I hear the traffic on highway 120: cars zooming by on dry pavement, cars moving along in wet slush, then cars inching along on snowy roads, at least a plow goes by, the wind is picking up and it is snowing harder – time to evacuate…

Sunday 6am – we pack up in a blizzard with 4 inches of snow on the ground, drive up to the pass in a blustery snowscape (good thing we took my 4×4 SUV with monster tread tires) to find the gate shut. We turn around and head into Lee Vining, take Monitor Pass and Ebbetts Pass (just before it closed) over the Sierra. This was my first time through Ebbetts…very beautiful. Brunch at ‘The Grounds’ in Murphy, drive through torrential rain with a funnel cloud in the distance. Arrive back at Okuye Farm mid-afternoon, quick visit with office-mate Monte at his parent’s farm a few miles away (Monte and Alan played together in the Atwater H.S. marching band – it’s a small world), then drive home in heavy traffic and heavy rain.

…We experienced the exact point of transition from fall to winter in the high Sierra. All along 120 (eastside), 395, 89 and 4, the fall colors were EXPLODING.

TPR was in the process of setting up for winter. The store area had the lights on and the windows open…with the sofas and rugs, it looked very cozy. Alan and Mo want to go for 3-4 days this winter/spring with a bunch of us (you, me, George and Co.).

Posted by Owen. October 17, 2004.
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***Trip reports
- Dan has posted the Cathedral Lakes 2004 Trip Report and Owen has posted the Twenty Lakes Basin 2004 Trip Report.

There’s nothing left of 2004 now… except for skiing!
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Cathedral Lake. October 10, 2004.
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Cathedral Peak. October 9, 2004.
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