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Home is a Darn Nice Place
Fall is an exciting time here at home as we feel the weather cool and see the fall colors build.
The Redbud along the back driveway.
The Dogwood
On Saturday 7 October we hiked the Thunder Mountain Trail.
It is an easy hike for us that only takes part of a day. Unfortunately, a large part of the area was burned in 2021’s Caldor Fire.
Hiking in this area provides an interesting study of fire behavior. A corridor has been cut through the burned, dead trees along the trail as it switchbacks up to the ridge.
This section is also along the edge of the Carson Spur, an avalanche prone piece of highway 88. There are snow fences, deflectors, and weather stations on the ridge.
When we reached the main ridgeline, much of it was unburned and the vistas opened up.
Kirkwood Valley below to the east. The views, in places, were affected by smoke filtering in from prescribed burns and a couple small wildland fires around northern California.
We continued southeast along the ridge.
This ridge is also the west boundary of the Kirkwood Ski Resort.
We have spent more time up on this ridge in the winter (than in summer) because of our backcountry ski patrol days with the USFS. We did many out of bounds orientation skis with Kirkwood’s professional patrollers to know the area when we’d be called to participate in winter search and rescue incidents. There are a lot of memories up in these mountains. It, indeed, feels like home up here, especially when wrapped in winter’s snow.
Here's a view back along our route.
And continuing up the ridge.
The terrain out to Thunder Mountain, a westward point, is rough volcanics.
The summit point is small. There was one fellow on top when we arrived. The Lady asked if he minded if we joined him or he’d like privacy; a polite and classy gesture. The fellow invited us up and said he was heading down soon.
The primary view is to the west and down to Silver Lake nestled in classic Sierra Nevada granite.
We were not alone on the summit for very long. A young couple (at least from our perspective) came up with their large black lab dog. The man carried the dog on his shoulder up the last scramble to the top. Without saying a word, he put the dog down, partially on my lap. They both dropped their packs at our feet and started jabbering away with each other. I was instantly reminded of the line from Robert Service’s classic poem, The Shooting of Dan McGrew – “The lust arose to kill, to kill!” Knowing that these inconsiderate asses lacked the ability to comprehend anything I might say to them, it was best to just leave, and avoid a warrant for my arrest.
Because of our quick departure, we took no additional summit photos except for this one of the Lady, already down below the summit.
We enjoyed our time hiking alone back down the ridge to the trailhead.
The sound of wind blowing through the dry leaves of Mule Ears is the song of Fall in our local high country.
The next weekend we enjoyed a wonderful hike with our friend Amy, a former middle school student of Julie’s from back in the 1980’s. Amy is an avid hiker, backpacker, has completed the majority of the Pacific Crest Trail, and is an absolutely delightful young woman.
Back in July the Lady and Amy attempted to hike the trail to Emigrant Lake but were turned back by snow, high water, and dangerous creek crossings. Neither of these women do well with things left undone. On this cold Fall day. I was lucky enough to be asked to join them. The Lady and I have been to Emigrant Lake many times – mostly on skis. This was Amy's first trip.
The trail intersects with the historic Carson River Route of the California Trail.
I believe it’s a little under 4 miles to Emigrant Lake.
The snow patches remain from last winter’s record snows.
Beautiful mares’ tails soared in the sky. It was windy and cold.
Another sure sign of Fall.
The two girls insisted we needed to explore over to the far end of the lake.
On our hike out is when this story got really interesting……
We were met by a young couple with two frisky dogs. They anxiously asked us, “Did you find a wedding ring on the trail?”
We answered, “No” and they hurried back up the trail. After returning to the car, they discovered the ring missing and were now retracing their steps.
I could not help myself and mentioned, “Wow, I hope that’s not a bad omen for their marriage.”
We left the trail and took a break along the shore of Caples Lake. Returning to the trail, we again ran into the couple. They were at the first spot they had stopped to take pictures of their dogs. They had not found the ring.
“Is this it?” the Lady asked as she bent over and picked up a ring.
“Oh my god! It’s one of them!”
“One of them?”
“Yes,” we were told. “This is the band, the other is a ring with small diamonds around the circumference.”
We were all now on our hands and knees searching.
Since we had so many searching this area, the wife said she would run down to the next spot where they photographed the dogs. She was using the photos for reference to find the locations.
The three of us along with the husband were giving up on the search of the area the Lady found the first ring when the wife and dogs came running back down the trail. “I found it!” she cried.
The story – this was their fifth wedding anniversary. Their hike was in celebration of the special day. They are from the Bay Area. Her hands swell when hiking and she takes off her rings. She put them in the same pocket she keeps her cell phone in, the cell phone she pulled out multiple times to take photos of the dogs.
We wished them a happy anniversary. What a damn lucky couple. Now I'm thinking, "Wow, is this a good omen for their marriage?"
On the 17th of October the weather was clear and cool, a stellar Fall day, far too nice of a day for the Lady to stay home.
“I want to go to the top of Ralston!” the Lady announced. “Is that okay?”
“We’ve never been there in the summer and without snow.” I noted. “You’ll have to follow the trail.”
“You know how many times we’ve been up there. I can find the top of Ralston!”
She could find the top of Ralston at night in a snowstorm. Been there. Done that.
I received a few emailed photos she took from the summit. She was on top by 1130 hrs.
Note: The burned trees up against Upper Echo Lake are from the Caldor Fire.
Then I received a phone call from Julie. She had suddenly seen a smoke column appear in the west.
Could I find out what it was? She gave me a compass bearing from the summit of Ralston to the column. I quickly determined the Forest Service had just lit off the Wharf Whale Prescribed Burn. Good job Julie!
Here's a few photos out the front window here at home the morning of October 29th. Julie said "her boys" were back. This refers to when blacktail bucks are going through the yard.
A nice 4x3 small rack
And a simple fork on the second of the Lady’s “boys.”
Eyes get big and the ears go back. You know what's coming.
A cropped shot from Julie's phone.
So, there you have it, Fall here at home – pretty leaves, three hikes, and bucks in the yard.
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