Sagehen Creek Trail: Tahoe National Forest, Truckee area

7 miles north on highway 89 from the I-80/89 interchange is a little bridge-let over Sagehen Creek and a parking lot (unsigned) on the right after the bridge.

It is an easy and pleasant 2.5 miles (or so I've been told) to the meadow by Stampede Reservoir. It took me 2 hours 15 minute round trip so I think that's about right.

Flowers. Lots of flowers.

People, lots of people on a weekday morning. All looking for the camas lily, I suppose.

The Famous Lily

Whole field of 'em

I have had trouble finding a good flower book. I had a useful conversation with the only other single hiker I met, who was more than glad to whip out 2 books from her knapsack and give the plus and minus for each. We even looked up flowers together. I took photos of the covers so I can look for them later.

On to the flowers! (and a few scenic shots)

One of four kinds of flowering shrubs I saw

Squaw Carpet

Stampede Reservoir

Pretty sure this is yarrow

Bassi Falls, Crystal Basin Recreation Area, Eldorado Nat'l Forest

The falls are roaring today, but I'd bet they were even rowdier a few weeks ago.

This is my second trip to these 109 foot falls; last time was several years ago with my (then boyfriend now) husband and our dog. It was later in the year and it was possible to get closer to the falls that time of year than I did today.

Today I played it safe and only walked through water less than 1" deep.

Bassi Falls are a longish drive and a shortish hike away from the Sacramento, CA area: US 50 past Pollock Pines, then Icehouse Road, then the forest access road about 16 miles further, across from Silver something group camp. The 1.7 mile forest access road is - interesting - in a Toyota Prius, but perfectly doable.

I had the place to myself today, seeing only one other car as I was leaving the access road.

The hike from the trailhead is really easy, fairly flat, then gently down hill.

After the shady pine section, wander across some granite slabs with interesting water-erosion patterns on them.

There are random trail ducts but I'd rely more on distinctive trees and a good sense of direction when finding your way back from the falls.

Apparently, there are some other ways to get to the falls, as this sign indicates.

Youtube video here (short and sweet)

Greenwood Creek Trailhead, South Fork American River/BLM

 I can finally say that I've hiked from all 4 trailheads on this sprawling property: Cronan Ranch, Magnolia Ranch, Skunk Hollow, and today, Greenwood Creek.

Greenwood Creek is mostly a place for kayakers to put in or maybe take out. The parking is free, which is not the case at any of the boat areas in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. And there is a pit toilet. It is off of Hwy 47 downstream from Lotus.

I had read that there was a 1 mile trail here suitable for families. So a friend and I went exploring.

As we hiked along, the trail eventually became quite familiar-looking. Which made sense when I realized that we had hooked up with the loop trail that starts from the Magnolia Ranch trailhead.

We kept on until we came to a large rock covered with interesting flowers.

 Admired a 3 ft long garter snake (beautiful!), then decided we were tired and turned around. I think we hiked for about an hour total. I'm slowly gaining fitness and my friend has not been doing a lot of hiking lately so this was good for both of us.

The only thing marring the lovely landscape was Scotch Broom - a non-native extremely aggressive weedy blight.

My flower identification book still has not arrived, so here's some more pictures of flowers-that-shall-remain-nameless. Ok ok. Lupin, poppies, some asters lurking about.

New York Creek, again

New York Creek, again

I've strolled on this trail before (post here), and today I decided to give the dog a treat and take a very short walk on the trail again.

Bonnie-the-Dog is elderly and has quite a bit of arthritis so she does not come hiking with me any more. We do walk every day around the neighborhood - steep hills but nice flat asphalt. So, a flat dirt trail is a nice change.

Like last week's hike it was pretty muddy since we got more rain yesterday. Not that I'm complaining - I really don't want a summer of severe drought and early fire restrictions.

We had the trail absolutely to ourselves, just some scattered shoe-prints in the mud.

I let the dog tow me along until she stopped pulling so hard, taking that as my cue to turn around.

Now, sitting at home, listening to the wind howl outside (high wind advisory today - gust to 50mph (no, I'm not kidding) possible) I'm glad The Dog and I got out for even a short walk.

Folsom Lake SRA: Pioneer Express and other trails

Monday, April 1st

Usually, I title my post little-big, but today I sort of wandered around on the north shore of Lake Natoma, so we'll just say I was hiking in Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and big-little.

Sadly, due to budget problems, several of the park access points are closed for good. The Nimbus Dam Overlook is one.

However, it is possible to park nearby and walk in. Your choices are the Fish Hatchery, crossing Hazel Blvd at the bottom of the bridge, then walking up the upstream side to the entrance road, just past the end of the bridge. Or you can find some parking in a nearby neighborhood off of Hazel and try that. (This is Hazel Blvd., off of US 50, east of Sacramento).

There is one trash can left up in the parking lot, and this informational sign

By peering through the chainlink fence, you can get a great view down to the Nimbus Dam.

I started today near the bottom left corner of this map. eventually walking quite far up the second green vertical blob, then back along the river's edge.

From the top of the bluffs, you can get views!

and on trails you can see signs of critters:

Deer on the right and my shoe print on the left

It is pretty easy to imagine the area uninhabited.

After winding my way down the bluffs and to river level.

The ghostly smudges are a effect of the sun hitting my lense at an angle. I kind of like it.




A lot of the trails on the bluffs are in shade, like this wide spot coming down from the closed overlook parking lot.

I did another youtube video (linky linky linky here)