California Wanderings - Rafting, Backpacking & Sightseeing

My list of adventures & places to see is growing at a never ending rate. Maybe some of you readers have found this page looking for some of your goals

Like any good city escape we are leaving Los Angeles in the late afternoon, only to arrive north of Sacramento along the American River well after dark. The rafting company, over the phone, didn't recommend this b/c they mentioned it would be hard to set up our camp. Seemed odd, but upon arriving we saw that their camping was huge lawns that were more an "any free place was a campsite" style. Alas, we made the best excited for our rafting trip in the morning.

It had been years since I had been rafting & this was Melissa's first time. We stole glances of the rapids below on the bus ride through the rolling golden California hills.  After settling in with all the gear & meeting our guide we were off in the morning sun.

With only one other couple in the boat it was a wonderful morning of paddling & splashing through the Class 3 rapids. We rode a few rapids backwards for kicks & tried to surf one standing up to no avail. Around lunch time we had floated roughly ten miles & stopped for lunch. Beer & BBQ. Not too shabby.

Hopping back in the boats, another nine or so miles were ahead of us. At times the American River would narrow & be comprised of large rocks walls, while at other times, large sandy banks invited a quiet rest on their shores. Topping off the fun experience, we passed the site of the second large gold discovery that kicked off the 1849 gold rush. 

That evening the camp cleared out & we had the place almost to ourselves, the river passing the time just below camp with a warm meal on the stove. No need for a care in the world.

Melissa & I have a deep love for the mining era of California history & couldn't leave Coloma without exploring their wonderful state park that lays tribute to some of the more important discoveries. Like any tale in history, both good & bad came from the gold influx of wealth seekers. All on display.

Back on the road we stuck to small highways that wandered through the foothills of California. Aiming now to drive the north rim of Yosemite on Hwy 120, we paid our fees with the hoards & picked up our backcountry permit for the fun that would begin soon.

Stopping at various tourist sites along the way, snapping photos & doing the usual Yosemite stuff. At one of the 'day use' areas we packed our backpack for a three day hike we were about to set off on. Eventually with the fading hours of the day, we drove to our trailhead & hiked off to get the obligatory mile away from the highway to legally camp. Melissa found a wonderful flat spot amongst the huge pine forest & we called it a day.

The next morning a ranger stopped by to make sure we had our bear canister/permits, then we were on the move. Our goal is to sleep out on North Dome, an idea I had read about many years ago & always wanted to give a shot. The views in photos always attracted me. 

 

We had the option to do the hike as a lollipop style which was nice to not have to backtrack too much. Wildflowers were in full bloom & the creeks were crystal clear. We met a few backpackers doing various trips & many day hikers that made the long drive up to this section of the park. None took away from the experience of finally getting out on this long awaited trip.

After several hours we made the final climb up to Indian Ridge. Topping out we were staring directly at the iconic rock monolith that is Half Dome. Almost so close we could reach out & touch it. Hiking now on open bald granite shelves, the views all the way down into Yosemite Valley are superb. 

 

 

We stumble down steeply to the beginning portion of North Dome to find a protected place to set up our camp. Not a soul around. We have plenty of time before the magic hour of the day & we spend it lounging. 

  

Light & color begin to transform our surroundings. Walking up to the edge of North Dome, all of Yosemite is laid out below us. Wonderful to be here with my special lady. Just as the cold wind creeps through our warm layers, sleeping bags become the answer after a hot meal.

I wake early on our backpacking trips & usually spend the first hour taking photos & enjoy the world around coming to life. Coffee boiling on the pot can always bring Melissa out of the down covered warmth. Normal backpacking chores ensue as we clear our makeshift home from the earth. We are hiking with one stop left on trail, Indian Arch. Perched high on the north rim of Yosemite, the unusual rock formation looks over large swaths of high country. After playing around in, on & near the arch we hit the final miles back to the car.

Feeling wonderful back in the car with plush backrests, we head East on Hwy 120 towards the Owens Valley. No big hurry now, we stop in Lee Vining for the most delicious city meal in a while. Putting more miles behind us we land ourselves in the small historical town of Bridgeport.

Quaint & beautiful, Bridgeport has a bit different vibe than all the old highway towns south of Mammoth. We kick around town; grab food, down some drinks & wander every street in one afternoon. There is an outstanding museum in this town with history from all California eras.

The next day we grab an easy tent site outside Bridgeport & head for the hills. Our objective is to check out the famous mining town of Bodie. A popular tourist attraction, for good reason, this 1800's era town has been well preserved & feels the part. Absolutely worth a visit if you have an afternoon or a couple hours to kill. I tried to imagine the harsh winters in this open treeless area below zero degrees. Tough living.

(From Wikipedia)

Bodie began as a mining camp of little note, following the discovery of gold in 1859 by a group of prospectors, including W.S. Bodey. In 1876, the Standard Company discovered a profitable deposit of gold-bearing ore, which transformed Bodie from an isolated mining camp comprising a few prospectors and company employees to a boomtown. By 1879, Bodie had a population of approximately 5,000–7,000 people and around 2,000 buildings. Bodie boomed from late 1877 through mid– to late 1880.

The last couple days of our Summer vacation were a much slower pace. Our sights were set on relaxing. Cruising on beautiful sections of Hwy 120, heading east towards Nevada. Pulling into the tiny town of Benton our reservations were for their private hot springs resort. After milling about, the sun began to set on glorious Boundary Peak while we started to dip into our own perfect hot oasis.

After soaking our bones till content, we pulled out of Benton and headed for Bishop. We have close friend that lives just north of town & has the entire Sierra at his door step. After spending the day catching up & the usual things you do with old friends we planned for a day on the lake. Heading up to South Lake, we hoped into some rental kayaks and mashed across the lake. Still in mid September we couldn't shake the mosquito on land so we had beers & snacks while floating in the middle of the lake below snow capped peaks. Not a bad way to wrap up this Calfornia road trip.

Sespe Creek Loop - Los Padres Natl Forest

 

 

Leaving the trail head at sunrise on a day that would touch in the mid 90's was the best we could do to cover the 8 miles of open land before anything that resembled shade would come available. Cruising on the upper rolling hills of Los Padres National Forest the terrain was mellow with loads of plants slowly creeping onto the trail. We passed a few Scouts hiking out & two other ultralight hikers that had come from Piedra Blanca trail head. Nice work.

After several sunny hours passing fantastically shaped sandstone rock formations, we grew closer to a huge cut in the mountains. Losing altitude switchback after switchback all four of us grew anxious for the shade & water the creek held below.

Resting up at an old trail camp, complete with broken down NPS ice can stove, we all looked forward to jumping off trail soon. Fast forward an hour of pretty standard SoCal chaparral canyon walking, we came to a definitive bend in the trail & canyon we were following. Thus the fun begins...

A narrow gateway of massive boulders & towering cliffs was our entrance to what would be roughly the next two days of travel. Weaving side to side, rock shelf to the next, we finally emerged out into a wide stream bed with all that cacophony behind us.

The terrible heat of the day never really caught up to us, a strong breeze blew upstream that carried the cool surface of the water almost to your face. Everyone sort of chose their own best path forward now. After about a mile our major tributary creek merged with the longest continuously flowing river in Southern California.

 

 

Now we were traveling down a much wider & deeper canyon, mountains all around guarded any exit. After many twists in the fractured canyon walls, miles of  boulder strew riverbed we pulled up camp on a small sandy beach near the river. The usual frisbee, lounge, beer, nap & stories ensued till the stars took over our attention that night. Especially dazzling with little too no moon that eve.

The next morning coffee was brewing around 6am & things were getting packed away in the dry bags. We shouldered our living essentials & set off in the same direction, down canyon. Within minutes we came to the first bend in the river that took up the entire floor of the canyon. Slowly wading through the early morning still waters deep in this wild place was the thrill of a lifetime.

 

Moving into much more rugged & rocky sections of the gorge navigation became consistently full on climbing moves. Smooth sandstone pathways would emerge, leading to another connecting set of boulders & more scrambling. Perfectly untouched in the morning calm, our reflections passed swiftly down canyon.

Every twenty minutes a turn in the canyon would reveal huge cuts in the cliff of stacked layed rock. Geology like no other canyon I had seen up close. Other portions of the LPNF had these type of mountains/formations, but nothing I had walked right up to & touched. 

 

Moving further down the canyon we encountered larger & larger boulders that had at one time fallen from the sheer cliffs above. Pulling up to stop on a prominent flat rock, we snacked & sat in total awe of the place our feet had brought us too. Spires of sandstone just out of reach overlooked pools of pure flowing water. Morning light still sinking into deep corners of the canyon. 

Preparing our things for another dip in the water. We have come to a full on swim with our gear. Tiddying up our stuff, Sam plunges in with his cuben/dyneema pack, waterproof no problem. Three of us follow suit with our various versions of keeping our things dry, I used a 50L cheap silnylon dry sack. The sandstone spires are looming directly overhead now. I float slowly on my back in the water between the narrow canyon walls, everything is right in the world.

Still hours of rock hopping are in front of us & a few more chances to dip into the water. The record high rainfall has really done a wonder from the whole river. Large sections are waist deep or more & are a welcome temperature from the outside heat. 

During the early afternoon, we reached the largest obstructing pool yet that embodied the whole canyon floor. Some sediment remaining allowed for semi-dry travel to a point. Another swim was in order. Everything was so perfect out, it felt great to jump in. It would be easy to spend several days relaxing along the river anywhere in this lower portion. 

Still more hours of gorgeous off trail travel ensued, in the water, on the rocks, climbing the sandstone & bushwhacking river banks. The boulders somehow became larger than anything previous in the trip, taking on all shapes & textures. This place was putting on a real show for us. The path in the river had become a mix of take the plunge OR climb some serious small house sized rocks.

After navigating some of the more difficult moments around the large rock arrays, we sat exhausted high on a sandy plateau. Positioning ourselves best to take advantage of the minimal shade in the afternoon heat. All agreeing that 4pm would be our "pack up" time. 

One last full body dunk in the river & filter loads of water for the hot exit out of the canyon were the last tasks before setting out into the unknown. We started & lost what we could only know was the trail because our GPS told us so (we had other methods of navigation as well, never fear). Obliterated & non-existent come to mind when thinking of this "trail". After loosing our way for a bit less than two hours, we all had a new definition of what bushwhacking meant. Keep thinking Type 2 fun. 

Still miles from the car we thankfully re-locate the game trail. Now only a few hundred feet above the river, even with the aggressive effort we just put in. Nevertheless, several hours of busting through walls of vegetation uphill commence. Swearing, silent cursing, visual consternation are all found here. A couple well needed rest breaks later up the cliff side bring us to the upper rolling plateau that we were familiar with. The inkling of night had begun to take over when the circuitous path dropped us at our car a bit before 9pm that Sunday eve.