California crowd

“Opie - I will be car camping up in the Ebbitts Pass area above Markleeville that week-end. If you are in the neighborhood let me know. About 25 miles from South Lake Tahoe.”

“You should connect with Jerber. He is looking for people to hike with. I'll tell him when I see him this weekend. Depending on where or what, I may be able to meet up, if for anything, to meet the famous OPIE.”

“I'll be working in Chico that coming Monday, so as long as I can make the drive in to there,....I'll go anywhere.

I can pack most of my gear, but would need to share a stove. If not I'll hit the Hostel at Point Reyes...it was nice!”

“OPIE, I have Sat, Sun, Mon off July 16-18, may do the July 4th aborted trip up by Graeagle which is a mile off of 70, east of Chico. Quincy is less than two hours from Chico.”

“Wish I was joining you guys... getting ready for reunionpalooza, though... should be great trip”

“holy #&%!$ reservations are no joke in yosemite. I hope Jerbear has some ideas and I can hook up with him.

I think right now I'll haul ass from the airport into the Park and stay at the backpackers campsite and try to score a TH permit if any are left for Saturday, or be there first thing Saturday morning.

Now to compile a list of options to try.”

“Opie,

I believe Jerbear is hoping to score some first come first serve permits catching trailheads off of Glacier Point. Lots of options up there. Getting a permit out of the Valley is virtually impossible this time of year unless you are the one of the FIRST people in line.

Camp 4 is the campground that does not take reservations and is first come basis. You will be sharing a site withup to four other people but at least you are in the vicinity of the permit office. Good Luck!”

“Do Pt. Reyes, go to the Pt Reyes Nat'l Seashore site for contact #'s. They get booked up months in advance at the more popular cg's. The less popular will still get you hiking distance from the sites to see. Pavla (Mt Strawberry) had some great photos of a trip she did with great views of the ocean for a long time. Up north past Shasta, by Ukiah, there is the Marble Mt. Wilderness and the Trinity Alps to the west of Redding. Lake Tahoe or Lassen Park for a quick drive by. Touristy at Tahoe though, but worth the views on the west side around Emerald Bay and north.”

“Point Reyes is my backup---

I was going to stealth Point Reyes last time I was out there, but turned out the Hostel had a bunk open. Went out at night to the beach and had a good relaxing time. The next day was spent driving to the beach and lighthouse before the tourist showed at 6am..so no hiking, but got to see alot of the area. The hostel has spots open for this window...so it's in the back of my mind, or I may hit the "backcountry" this time.

I really want to try for at least one night in Yosemite's backcountry.
I'm worried about losing time on the road from San Fran -> Yosemite Friday morning. My luck it will be after lunch on Friday getting into the park. I'm going to see how early I can get into the park and try to find a walk-in spot at #4, or beg a corner from someone already set up. Then assault the permit office at at sunup.

I'll try to hook up with Jerry...It would be awesome to hike with him again. YO BEAR!”

“Yo Bear! Jerry has a cell. Email or call me if you need it.”

“A few years ago when I did a bp trip with Eric from High Sierra Topix, I stayed at a site in Tuolume Meadows with a bper, just had to pay for an extra body after asking if I could set up in his site. $5. Nice.”

“Headed out Aug. 4 I hope over Kearsarge Pass, for nine solo days or so. Any CA or TT'ers be out and about over Forester or Kaweah Basin area?”

“Sounds like fun. I wish I was headed that way.”

“...So they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly....”

“Actually when I moved/transferred back to CA from Nevada, I had my new Ford F-100, back in '79. Still have all my teeth too!:) Truck still runs, but someone else owns it.”

“Hi hikerduane... remember I'm CANatureLover but I'm David, CABackpacker@yahoo.com! :) I'd like to schedule a Desolation Wilderness BP weekend... would you like to join me in scheduling / BPing out there?”

“David, Sept. for a weekend trip? I'm off to Diamond Lake in OR Labor Day weekend for a stovies meeting.”

“I'm pretty flexible in September so far, I can probably do any weekend you'd like!”

“k”

“Duane,
Where is Kaweah Basin? Anywhere close to the Big Arroyo?”

“Hi Rick, NW of Whitney, SW of Forester Pass.”

“Looks like some snow maybe, talking snow level of 7,000'. Vacation next week, we'll see if the Yosemite trip works. If not, do stuff at home.
What's happening Sandyann?”

“Duane - I'm trying to recover from all of my adventures this summer. Did the North Rim in Yosemite at the beginning of September. On the second day I fell and broke my 'wrist'. Spent the next two days/nights finishing up the trip before heading out to the doctor. Only two more weeks and I get this off my arm.

Considering a winter trip but I really want to wait until the snow cover is consistent. What is your plan for Yosemite?”

“I got invited to go up Lyell Fork with a XC route to a few lakes and a peak, with five others after I sent an email out a few weeks back, asking if anyone had a trip planned. This is just a two night trip unless the snow is bad. A hardy group I'm sure, so I made plans to be in the Lee Vining area a few days early to hike around and car camp until Friday. With bp stuff. That otta be fun. I think I can camp by Mono Lake like Cori has and a few others and check out formations. Maybe Thursday night at TM bpers cg. I'm like you, either no snow or deep snow.
Duane”

“That area below Donohue Pass is absolutely stunning! some really nice areas to camp up there. Hope the weather cooperates with you.”

“Last night looked like 60% chance of snow in the Yosemite Valley, we'll be much higher of course. I've had snow a number of years now down there in early Oct. Had a flyer on my Civic one year after a trip, stating Tioga Pass was closed. Of course after being out five nights, no trace of snow, I had to laugh at the flyer.”

“I wonder if that is the same year we did entered at May Lake where it snowed pretty heavy. We went ahead and went to Glen Aulin and then exited out Toulomne. Parking lot was empty except my truck. Tioga Road was closed. The note on my truck said I had to leave via Crane Flat. NOBODY anywhere except the few lone cars of backpackers. Not a sign of snow on the ground. October.”

“I've never made it to May Lake, could not find that trail from the road. I enjoyed Polly Dome Lake where I dried out the year I hiked in my shorts thru 4" of snow to get to Sunrise Lakes from Merced Lake area.”

“May Lake is either strictly a beginner trip at 1.5 miles in, complete with pit toilet and bear boxes, or a connecting/starting point for other destinations. Although Mt. Hoffman is an excellent climb and has 360 degree views of Yosemite. You take a turn out and follow a very rutted dirt/paved road for about two miles. At the end is the TH. About ten ish miles north of Toulomne Meadows by highway.”

“Ah, the camo one. If I'm remeberating correctly, it looks like a road for your rig, not my car or Toy.”

“Nice weekend coming up, even up here. Snow on the ground, camping a few miles from home last weekend at Silver Lake, close to the Buck's Lake Wilderness amongst the hunters. Anyone headed out tomorrow? I'm gonna head out to either the Buck's Lake Wilderness or the other direction and hike a few miles down the PCT towards the Middle Fork of the Feather River to a spot I noticed a year ago when I went from Jamison Mine to Big Creek Road close to Bucks Lake, where I grabbed my mt bike and was home in 20 minutes.:) Too much snow in Yosemite a week ago, with the road closed and all. All those stoves, I have to get out and use them.”

“Checking in!”

“Hey WW, have not heard anything about you for quite a bit. Hope all has been well. Don't hear much from Carol anymore, marriage life must be keeping her busy, along with the house and new job responsibilities. Good for her. Naviguesser meets some of us now and then in Yosemite for winter trips, saw him less than a year ago. At mtsteve's Winterfest I believe, trying to recollect.
Duane”

“Hey Duane,
Carol and her hubby are expecting, it's a boy.
See her on Facebook from time to time.”

“Wow! She will be stoked along with her hubbie. I don't do FB any more. Thank you for the info.
Duane”

“Well, more snow predicted later this week up north here at least. Not much predicted, will try to get out somewhere, have my early '70's, second owner, Svea 123 lined up as the go to stove this trip.
Duane”

“Well, I work over here in Nevada during the week. The big fire in Reno has a few concerned, got the ok if needed to go home early. 395 is still open, so I can make my way back to Plumas County.”

“Good luck and stay safe. Hope you get a chance to get out with your 123R. When are you going to get a camera so I can enjoy the photos?

HJ”

“Hay HJ, I'll see if my camera will down load my few summer pics before it got dunked. It will take pics again, I havn't tried to see how much it will do. Between my 8-9 year old computer and slowest dialup you can get, it takes quite a while to post photos so I usually pass. A guy on TLB gave me some space on his puter to download stove pics to. Had no luck a week ago trying to move pics there. Just me I guess.
The fire in Reno burned 2,000 acres and I believe the radio said 32? homes, unlike what I heard earlier in the day of 40 homes. It was still going a little when I came thru Reno on my way home for the weekend.
I wonder if the group I bp with made the Angel Island trip this week? Really windy on the eastside last night and today.
Duane”

“Hi, Duane,

Sounds like you got home OK. Danged sorry to hear about those homes. :( Now you know why I don't review wood stoves. Too much fire danger in CA.

You might try your camera again. Sometimes after a while they start working again. Mine went for a swim, and was all wonky, but a couple of months later it was fine.

What's TLB?

HJ
Adventures in Stoving”

“Yo HJ, TLB=Thelightweightbackpacker

I had no issues driving home Friday, the fire was still going a little at the time closer to the top.
Yep, the camera has some functions, the record light or whatever stays on when batteries are in it.
Duane”

“That news item regarding the Reno fire really scarred me... I'm VERY GLAD your home wasn't one of those in flames!”

“Duane:

Weird suggestion from an engineer friend of mine: go down to the pharmacy and get some rubbing alcohol. Purer is better. Take the batteries out of the camera. Pour the alcohol into a pan deep enough to hold the camera. Soak the camera for a bit in the alcohol. Then let the camera dry for several days. When the camera is thoroughly dry, try it again. The alcohol may remove any salts that were in the water that may now be causing a short.

If the camera isn't working right, then you've got very little to lose, yes?

HJ
Adventures in Stoving”

“David, no danger to my place, it's in CA, got more snow Saturday night there. Thank you.

HJ, the camera sorta works, scared to expose it to anything else. It's been 3.5 mos now and it was taken apart I think by Canon to give me an estimate.
Duane”

“What did they say the problem was? And what was their estimate?

HJ
Adventures in Stoving”

“HJ, did not say what the issue was, about $240. Ouch? The shop where I bought it, sent it in for me, $25 up front. When it came back, they said the cameras are never the same after they get wet. Wish he would have told me before hand.
Duane”

“But you can basically take photos with it now? Or ?

Mine was in my shirt pocket and took a swim when I bent over to show my daughter the water. I fished it out pretty quickly, but it did not work at all for a while, then it was all screwy for a while. Now, it is working fine.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving
last edited: 11/21/11 8:31:02 PM”

“Yep, will take photos, I need to download them to see if the lenses is clear.”

“Yeah, if it's basically working, you may not want to mess with it. If it's really not working, then I'd try the trick my engineer friend is recommending.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving”

“Sandyann, ready to go snowcamping?”