Friday, November 25, 2016

Thanksgiving in California: Pena Adobe Regional Park, Vacaville

I was up early again to use the free wifi in front of the Starbucks on base.  It was a cool day again with the morning fog lingering.  I wasn't too sure what to do today, other than meeting Eric and Margaret for dinner in the evening.  My radiator was acting up again and I knew I couldn't drive far.  I didn't want to be stuck somewhere with no one nearby to help me.  I decided then to discover more of the Vacaville Creek Fitness trail that meanders for 1.5 miles through Old Town.  Minnie certainly enjoyed splashing in the creek, but I was aware that she was off-leash within town limits so I had to be careful.  We managed 2.29 miles out and back near and close to the creek.



 The trail isn't long enough to get a good enough workout, unless the trail is done several times.  I really didn't want to do that with the dogs off-leash.  I ate a mediocre lunch at the German Grain Bakery and Cafe in town, where I was overcharged for a hazelnut roll and coffee.  There really wasn't anything "German" about the cafe, either, so I didn't stick around. I decided to check out the Pena Adobe/Lagoon Valley regional park again, this time exploring a different angle of it. There were some trails to the west of the radio tower that I did not explore yesterday.

There is a small historic cabin, Pena Adobe, right inside the park and close to the interstate.  It's protected by mature trees. There really wasn't much there for me to do with the dogs on leashes, though, so I went with them back to the main road to another trail head that I discovered yesterday, close to the dog park and off the main road through the park, inside the adjacent Lagoon Valley Regional park.  I started at an elevation of 121' at the cabin to 277' on the tallest hill. This trail was on the closest hill to the interstate.  No one else was here; people stayed on the pavement below.  Once I was away from the crowds, I let the dogs off-leash again.  The cold morning fog made the trails slippery and muddy.




The views from the lake from this perspective were of a remote, quiet lagoon.  One would have to get closer to the water to see that it isn't so; there are plenty of people along the shore just relaxing.  This little park is such a godsend to the Vacaville-Fairfield area.  If I lived here, I'd be coming by several times a week.  The live oaks, green grass and gentle hills make this an attractive park.  But one must be careful of one's dogs.



From the pavement we climbed up one hill with views of the lake and a picnic area on the hilltop.  From there we took a single track that went along a gentle ridge going mostly north, with views of the interstate traffic below.  Across the interstate were more naked hills, so one can see how this land was before it was "developed."  I went from a muddy, steep hill trail back down to pavement, around a small water reservoir , looping around that, then coming back toward the main road where I walked through a disc park before stopping at the dog park a bit before leaving. This 3.23 mile loop took me an hour.  It was a nice way to give the dogs some exercise before being stuck in the van during the dinner hours.
http://www.mapmyhike.com/workout/1884026333
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We had a good time so far, considering there had been rain forecasted for today.  Instead, we had a thick overcast that kept us cool (and damp).  With now close to 5.5 miles under our feet, it was time to relax and get some rest in a nearby hotel where we could stay warm overnight.  Again this was a wise decision because it did finally rain at night. 

My hotel of choice was the Motel6 in Vacaville, right off the interstate again.  Dogs are allowed at Motel6s (many limit it to just one), but this one allowed two dogs.  It was just past 4pm when we checked in.  I showered, watched cable news.  Florence Henderson, 82, TV mom from the Brady Bunch, a corny 1970s show that I watched in my preteen years, died of heart failure.  I was now spending time until I heard from Eric.  I let him decide where we would meet up again for dinner.

Eric and Margaret decided on a family diner in Vacaville, the Bear Diner.  The place was huge!  It was a good choice as I took some food with me later back to the hotel.  It's so nice to see Eric happy with a good woman.  When we hugged our good-byes, I knew that this time it would be a while before I saw him again. I had a long drive back to Arizona again and needed to be fresh. The hotel was surprisingly quiet for being a Motel6 and right off the interstate.   



Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanksgiving in California, Part II


The sun seems to take forever to rise in the Bay Area, thanks to the morning fog.  I wanted to get some exercise in before meeting Eric's girlfriend's friends later in the day.  I arrived at the Lagoon Valley Regional Park in Vacaville (right off I-80) and started my hike at 9:42am.  The parking lot was surprisingly busy with lots of other hikers, but this being California where people are more exercise-conscious, this should not have been a surprise.  It still felt very fog-fresh and cool.




Both dogs were on their leash and did very well.  Not knowing the trails of this park, I opted to taste it all.  I started the Eagle loop trail around the lagoon.  Morning dew glistened in the grass.  Parts of the wide trail was muddied by recent rains, and goose poop littered the path.  Joggers, other dog walkers and even an equestrian greeted me.

I hiked 1.6 miles around the lagoon and pavement.  There were many picnickers here. Then I opted to hike up the gravel service road to the highest of three radio towers in the park.  This road seems to be the park's busiest trail.  Here more joggers, dog walkers and mountain bikers joined me.  The highest radio tower is only at 923' high, but for being in the Bay Area, a nice place to see across the nearby hills, including Mount Diablo.




Cyclists rest on top and I left them alone.  I took the dogs on a more secluded single track near the top, where I took them off leash for the duration of this scenic trail as it switchbacked down the northern slopes of the hill, pass elegant California Live Oak and California buckeyes.  Only one hiker passed me here.  A small creek with water welcomed the dogs with cool refreshment, which both dogs enjoyed.  I never had to open my own water bottles for them.

We were now back near pavement and parking lot and more hikers, so the dogs went back onleash to finish the 6.77-mile loop in 2:07 hours.  I was very impressed with the trails of this regional park that is right off the interstate and easy to get to.  I would do the service road-single track loop again!  There are many more remote trails in this park.  It was almost noon when I got back to the van.  The dogs were happy to relax in the van.

I now had to drive toward Sacramento, since that is where the gathering was.  Traffic was stop-and-go in parts, especially around Dixon on the west side.  Weather was warm and sunny; a lovely Thanksgiving day.

But I had more time to spare.  I was told the dinner started at 4pm and here it was 1:30 pm and I had time to walk around the State Capitol (I last was here in 2000 when I was stationed in Monterey with the US Army), and then walked around Old Sacramento.  Both times I kept the dogs in the van, parked in the shade with the windows down.  They napped while I walked around, adored the many trees around the capital.  I was able to photograph the beautiful landscape around the capitol, admiring trees I had never seen before but which grow well in the state.  Australian and Asian natives seem to thrive here.  The only flaw about the Capitol Grounds is the high number of transients.  Some blend in with the landscape in their olive green clothes, others sit as still as statues.

Old Sacramento is a nice place to visit once, but it's mostly a tourist trap near the Sacramento River.  I had been here before as well and it hasn't changed much.  Some of the restaurants charge valet parking, other places enforce a strict dress code.  The Riverside Tavern charges $6 for their cheapest draft beer.  So no, it's not a place I'd feel comfortable with.  At least it's a nice walking area being near the river, and had I had more time, I could have walked farther.

I had now walked over nine miles before my meal, which turned out to be a lovely gathering of six people and five dogs in a small California home in Elk Grove, a suburb of Sacramento.  Minnie and Zeke got along with the host dogs, a Labradoodle named Georgia, a Pit Bull and a more reclusive Husky-pit bull-heeler who was mostly locked up in a room due to her anti-social behavior.  Everyone at the dinner table was a bona fide animal lover, which made all the dogs more tolerable and not unusual for me.    Margaret really outdid herself preparing the whole meal.  All I added was the Arizona beer.  I will forget the names of these lovely women, but I won't forget this memorial feast of thanks.


Thanksgiving in California

I can never leave for a road trip promptly at sunrise.  I find delaying tactics like cleaning, and this time I tidied up the kitchen, which desperately needed it. I finally drove off from town at 1:30pm Tuesday after stopping to get beer and rib bones for the dogs at Fry's in Sierra Vista.   All four dogs were walked briefly in the morning. The drive was uneventful.

I spent the first night at the free dry campsite behind the General Patton museum at Chiriaco Pass, 30 miles east of Indio, CA off I-10. I discovered this free campsite the last time I drove though, on my roadtrip earlier this summer.  I wasn't tired when I pulled over, but there is nothing affordable or free going westward.  Once past Indio, traffic congests and driving becomes stressful.  At least stopping here at the free site allowed me to rest for the bigger drive in the morning.

There were several camper vans already parked, with the vehicles spread out for privacy.   The campsite manager had solar lights around several small pine trees around his camper. Dark, with just the light of a waning gibbous moon, I took the dogs on a short walk on the dirt trails going north.   I didn't want to go too far away from the town's lights as I didn't want to meet any nocturnal predators out hunting. There wasn't much ambient light and the only light I had was the small light on my smart phone.  We only walked up to the water tank and back down to the back of the museum where many World War II tanks are resting.  The dogs got several local dogs excited with a short barkfest but no harm was done. We got .8 miles in.

I slept here for the night and got up at 4am to repeat another walk down the dirt road, this time walking 1.6 miles before taking off for the long road trip.   The trails are on the far east side of Joshua Tree National Park. By early Wednesday there was already a lot of traffic westbound on I-10 and then I-210 as I got near San Bernadino.  There were several slo-gos but I was moving.

Weather was cool as I drove across the Los Padres National Forest.   At a rest stop near Lebec I let the dogs walk with me on a maintenance trail that I thought would take us up a small hill.  The hill was on private land and protected by a rusty barbed wire.  The cool marine layer added the morning's coolness, with a slight aroma of soot and later cow manure as I entered the vast valley of farm fields and dairy farms.

At least the cooler weather this time made this more tolerable for the dogs, who suffered earlier this summer in the heat when I drove through.  It never got above 62F.  The hills were looking parched, just like they looked earlier this year.  I didn't see any green grass until I got north of Los Banos.

Traffic became congested as I reached central California and Los Banos.  My estimated time on Google Maps kept getting postponed due to traffic accidents.  By the time I got on I-680 in the North Day, I had passed three accidents, with one serious one near Tracy.  Traffic crawled along, I was getting restless and my radiator was stressing out.  Frustrated that I missed the Ygnacio Road exit near Walnut Creek, where an open space park would allow me to walk the dogs off leash, I pulled on CA24 west, then Pleasant Hill Road to continue driving north and parallel to congested I-680.  It was here that I found a parking area for the East Briones Regional Park, a part of the East Bay Park District.  There was no parking fee and dogs were allowed.  Walking these hills was a godsend and a great way to give the dogs and me some much-needed stress relief.

The East Briones park is nestled in an oppulent neighborhood of hillside homes and solar roofs.  Several other dog walkers were starting with me, so I followed them.  I had grabbed a map but had no idea of what I would find.  What I did find were pleasant views of the surrounding towns, lush green grass and mature California Live Oaks hugging steep slopes, the Sacramento River glistening in the afternoon sun, and Mount Diablo, the tallest hill in the area, reaching high in the east.  Mount Diablo's trails are off limit to dogs since it's part of the state park system, and no dogs are allowed on state park trails in California.

I hiked most of the Lafayette Ridge trail, a switchback and in parts muddy trail.  I turned around when I reached a small summit as the trails continue for several more hills. Other dogs were off leash so I let my dogs run off-leash as well.  They met a nine-month-old white Lab who was excited to get out.  I tried to keep my distance from the other dogs.  Only later did I read online that not all trails are open to dogs.  The Lafayette Ridge trail is on the east side of the park, but there are other entrances to this park that are off limits to the dogs.  I would come back to this place again with more time to explore!

I could have hiked some more, but I didn't want to keep Eric waiting.  I found an auto parts store where I picked up some radiator fluid, showered at the base gym and by 8pm Eric and I met at Mountain Mike's Pizza off N Texas Street in Fairfield, a gourmet pizza chain with stores in both California and Nevada.  It was very tasty pizza but also pricey pizza.  After dinner we departed, as Eric had other friends to visit.  I took the dogs on one more 1.5-mile loop around the base's duck pond and fitness trail.  That made our total miles hiked to over six miles; not bad for a long road trip.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Last walk with the dogs before my Thanksgiving road trip


I woke up to howling winds outside.  Dark, ominous clouds over the mountains threatened with rain.  Since I didn't work today, I opted to take the dogs out for a short walk in the late morning, in case it rained later.  All four dogs were happy to join me.  Only Sammy stayed behind to guard the back yard.  It was 11 am when we drove off.  Minnie was beside herself with joy, as usual.  Sweetie, as expected, ran ahead of everyone. and only came back to me when she realized I wasn't following her.

There was no one else around, but I still stayed mostly in the grassy area.  The dogs enjoyed the cool 60F-degree weather.  The gusty wind, however, required me to wear a hat and rain jacket to stay warm.  We managed a 2.3-mile loop on both pavement, dry drainage and trail.  I could have gone longer, but I didn't want to get caught in a rain storm.  I've done the trails in this 'hood now for over a year and the dogs know them all.

It briefly drizzled on the walk, but that didn't stop us.  The rain was over the mountains, but the sun shone in the east.  The wind prevented most of the birds to venture out.  I like coming out here to walk the dogs, but with one more 4-acre lot mowed (perhaps for prepping for construction), this may be the end of the leash-free area for the dogs.  By the afternoon, the dark clouds had moved on.

Tomorrow  early in the afternoon I'm leaving for a few days to see Eric in California.  It's a 1000-mile drive. He asked me today to please bring Minnie, since she is his favorite.  I will also bring Zeke, since he hasn't been on a road trip with me in a few years.  Sadie this time will be staying behind due to space, but it's going to be odd not having her around.  I'm so glad this windy weather is not in tomorrow's forecast.

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Carr Peak with Zeke and Sadie


Ellen and I agreed to hike up Carr Peak today after her church service.  Meetup time was 12:30pm in the lower Perimeter parking area.  That late start gave me some time to putz around, although in the end that just meant watching a video online, rather than doing some yard work or cleaning out the van for my upcoming road trip.

Clouds lingered over the mountains all morning.  I worried about hiking in that weather, but by the time Ellen and I met, the winds had calmed down and the dark clouds around the peaks had mostly dissipated.  Ellen therefore inspired me to hike the peak.  We got to the Sawmill trail head at 12:58pm with two exuberant dogs.  To my surprise, I did well today.  Was it the cooler weather, the increase in stair workouts and powerwalks with the dogs?  Even Ellen noted my pace.  I stopped only twice to give the dogs some water, since there was none at the falls higher up.

My hiking app, MapMyHike, kept shutting down during the hike, which made me keep an eye on the phone so I could restart the app.  This somehow messed up with the accuracy of the time and tracking, because it read 1:07 hours for us to get to the top.   The trail is only 2.9 miles one-way. Ellen said her app read 1:30 hours, which seems more reasonable. Last month it took me 1:50 hours to reach the peak.

We were the only ones around today.  There were no cars in the parking lots, no cars in the campgrounds.  I put the leashes in my backpack where they stayed for the duration of the hike. Weather was calm, too, for the first two miles, but then we hit the high winds in the exposed last half mile. Temperatures dipped into the 50s on the peak and our hands were getting cold.  I'm so glad I had an old black fleece jacket in the truck, because I had left my red rain jacket in the bedroom!

We stayed on the peak only long enough to drink water, eat a snack, take a few photos and for the dogs to get their chicken jerky strips.  That didn't stop them from begging for more, though, when Ellen brought out her own jerky to munch on.

The wildflowers are now all gone.  The aspens are barren.  There were still some yellow ash in the higher elevation, and we spotted some reds in a few deep crevasses.  But we didn't see much else.  No birds, no deer, just some scat here and there.   The ridgeline was a dead brown. I noticed quite a few fallen trees since my last visit, mostly dead aspen across the higher trail.  Someone had also written some graffiti in a few rocks along the trail.

One thing we both noticed was the healthy growth of the young pines that have sprouted since our 2011 fire. Some of the pines are now six feet tall!  That is promising for the next generation of trees to shade the hikers passing through.

I was back home by 4:20pm, which allowed me to take the other dogs on a short walk before dark.  Sadie and Zeke went along anyway (so much for being tired!).  That added another 1.7 miles to the day's total.

Ellen posted some beautiful photos of our hike today.  I found her photos better than mine, so I will post hers here.  She captured some nice shots of the dogs walking right by my side.   Ellen and I have always done a winter hike up Miller peak after the first snow.  I hope we can do that in December before my road trip back to Chicagoland.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Thompson Ridge


It was a cool day, with overcast skies and a slight breeze.  I didn't work and wanted to take advantage of a short hike nearby, since I took a day off from walking the dogs yesterday.  The Thompson ridge, with an elevation gain of 1024' and a three-mile round-trip hike, was my choice today.   It's easy to get to once in Ash Canyon, as the trail head is the last parking area on the road before the steep trail uphill begins.   I took Sadie, Sweetie, Zeke and Minnie.   There was no one else around. This was Sweetie's fourth hike.  She is showing improvement in learning pack skills but still has the independent streak by going off on her own and not coming back to me until she feels she is ready.

We started the hike at 2:41pm.  It was a cool 65F.  I wore no jacket but wore a long-sleeved cotton t-shirt and jeans. The grasses are now dead, the seed heads are popping, and the vegetation is turning brown.  The wildflowers are gone for the season. A few deciduous trees are still in some color, but it's dry in the forest.   The one lone contrast was the dark grey sky coming from the southwest.  I witness a red-tailed hawk take flight near the start, watched a young tarantula scammer across the trail, and on my way back down, slowed down for a garter snake.


I felt good going uphill today.  Twice my hat nearly blew off from a strong gust, but I only stopped briefly. The cool air seemed to help the dogs as well, since I accidentally left my water in my backpack at home.  (I luckily had a bowl of ice water in the van that they got on their return).

Sweetie kept the lead the entire time.  Sadie and Zeke stayed closest to me.  Sweetie is slowly learning to stay on the trail, rather than explode in lightning speed off the trail.  As long as she does that with no one else around, I'm not so worried, but this behavior does not make me feel easy with her in public around larger groups of people.  This trail ten years ago saw heavy drug trafficking, just from the trash the narcos would leave behind or hide behind dark crevasses.  Today I saw no evidence of any trafficking, but I kept my ears and eyes open for any people and watched the dogs' body language closely.  They, too, gave no hint of any intrusion.



The trail switchbacks for 1.5 miles to the ridge.  The trail is also badly rutted, so watching one's footing is important.  I felt good today and even shaved off four minutes.  Once on the ridge, I sat down briefly to take some photographs, and then went back down.  The entire hike took me 1:19:45pm.

The dogs went straight to the van ahead of me, but Sweetie wanted to explore some more down the road.  She didn't come right away, but luckily calling her for water brought her back to me.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Walking along the San Pedro

Tonight and tomorrow are the Super Moon, the closest the moon has been to earth since the 1940s.  I had a short hike with Ellen, HollyW and Nina scheduled for 4:30pm around the Brown Canyon House.  I took all four dogs with me to the San Pedro River earlier to get them a five-miler in.  This was Sweetie's second hike and again she did very well.

The sycamores and cottonwoods along the river are losing their leaves, but there's still plenty of color.  The river north of the Palominas Bridge is very low because engineers have dammed the river just south of the bridge to make the repair work easier.  The water flows again a mile from the bridge, but at a low level.

The dogs enjoyed the refreshing walk in the shade.  I watched Sweetie closely again.  She stayed nearby.  At times she'd run up the banks to explore higher ground, but she generally stayed with the other dogs, especially Zeke.  I spotted several Great Horned Owls, a hawk and a falcon.  I even discovered a hidden shrine placed in the notch of a cottonwood along the banks.

I turned around at the 2.4 mile mark when the water covered the entire river bed and private property came up on both sides of the river.  Barking dogs from a nearby ranch also convinced me to turn around.  Five miles would be more than enough exercise.

The dogs did spook a birder and then later a lone Mexican.  I could tell the young man was Mexican by the scared look on his face.  All four dogs went nucking futs, ran toward the man and surrounded him.  Again it was Sadie who barked the loudest and did not back down.  Minnie also barked.  Zeke did his yipping.  Only Sweetie didn't bark, but did join the pack for support.  The man didn't flee or scream and let me approach him.

More later

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Mount Ballard, Mule Mtns, Bisbee AZ

Distance: 3.4 miles r/t
Elevation gain: 1355'
Significance: Tallest peak in the Mule Mtns; vistas


Mount Ballard is the tallest peak in the Mule Mountains at 7370.'  I had always wanted to hike it but trail reports  for this peak are hard to find since this is not an official trail on BLM or National Forest property.  While the public is allowed to hike to the peak, the trail straddles private property along a rusty barbed-wire fence.  It's an unmarked social trail that travels straight up the mountain to the tree-covered peak.

This was officially Sweetie's first hike away from the usual Oak Estates loop.  I knew I wouldn't meet anyone else on this trail and took the chance of taking her along with Sadie and Zeke.  She did fine, although she always wanted to explore things on her own.

I started late, not getting going until after noon.  I figured a 3.4-mile hike would take me two hours, but I did not calculate the steepness of the grade and the thickness of the flora.  This hike took me almost four hours!  I was totally dumbfounded at how slow I was, and yet I never felt slow or tired.


The trail begins behind the barbed wire fence at the Obelisk on Mule Pass.  I had to go under the fence to continue on the very visible social trail.  The trail starts out in grassland along the barbed-wire fence with constant views of Mule Pass and sounds of traffic.   Juniper Flats and the radio towers are to the north. At times all I saw of the dogs were their ears. The last 700 feet are the steepest and the terrain the most loose, with thick strands of cholla and other cacti and alligator junipers in the way.   At least there is shade here, but I had to be cognizant of cholla. Views toward Sierra Vista and nearby Bisbee were spotted.

The peak is marked by an iron-wrought cross and a fire ring, with a view of Fissure peak and views south into Mexico.  Fissure Peak is close by, but to access it one must traverse a saddle on private property.  I searched for the social trail but gave up, going down as cautiously as I went up.

I want to do this hike again, but hopefully with a local hiker who knows how to get to Fissure Peak.  The peak is within grabs of Mount Ballard; what a shame to have to turn back without bagging it.  I will also make sure I start earlier in the day, so that I don't have to worry about losing daylight.  Lessons learned today.