Saw a Bear Hiking Near Auburn and the North Fork of the American River

Auburn State Recreation Area

Just outside of Auburn, take 49 South in the direction of Cool and Placerville. Park your car as soon as you cross the North Fork of the American River on the right side of the road. You'll see a road sized trail heading off to the south west toward an old bridge. That is No Hands bridge, and it is a great place from which to take pictures. On the East side of the bridge, opposite from Auburn side, is the trail to Cool. Take that trail up into the woods. The whole area is very well signposted, but the signs are very confusing if you're trying to find the Western States Trail. So, my advice is don't. I recommend the route I took. Take the Training Hill Trail until you see the sign for the Quarry Trail. Take it until you see the sign for the Short Cut Trail. This will take you back to Highway 49 and you can walk back down to your car. This loop is about 6 miles, and it is mostly shaded. It is steep at first, but it is well worth it. Just look at the pictures.

Guide Book Critique

This hike is number 19 in my book, 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California. Though I like this book for finding hikes, it is not so good in staying on the recommended trail route. One major complaint that I have about this book are the maps. The maps only show the trails that the author intends for you to take, and other trails are indicated with stubs that end in an arrow. So, should you want to extend your trip, or if you wonder where any of these trails go to, or if you become lost, you will need another map that shows all the trails. On this hike, I seemed to miss my turnoff to stay on the route recommended by the book, but it doesn't matter. I still had a great hike.

Signs Don't Make Sense

When you take your turn onto the Quarry Trail, you'll see the sign says, “Western States Tr. 2.3 M.” The very next sign says, “Western States Tr. 1.6 M.” back the way you came! So, trust me, don't trust the signs. This section of the trail is just to the side of Highway 49 by about 50 yards, and you hear the traffic. So, this is not the hike for those who want to feel completely removed from civilization. In fact, this hike is surrounded on three sides by the highway, though most of the time you don't hear it, or see it. There are also power lines and signs indicated buried cables throughout this hike, so take that into consideration if you are really trying to get away from the touch of humans.

Saw A Bear

As I was making my way down the Short Cut Trail, I looked across the valley and saw a big black bear on the other side of the valley. He was in the middle of a grassy area, and I could see him clearly through the branches on my hillside opposite him. He didn't hear or see me, and was just slowly making his way up the hill. It was 4PM and this was the best bear sighting I've ever had in broad daylight. I stood still and watched him walk up the hill until he disappeared into the manzanita. After that the trail switched back and passed just beneath the grassy place that the bear had been. I kept my eye out for him, but didn't see him again.

Great Swim

At the end of my hike, I was quite warm and dusty. I wasn't sweaty anymore, though I had broken a sweat on the first steep uphill part. I took a swim in the American River north of the bridge that I drove over to get to the trail. There are signs warning of currents, so be careful and know your limits. Make sure it is deep enough before you jump or dive in. I took three swims and lay out on the sunny rocks enjoying the warm breeze. This was definitely one of the better days.

Fine Day in Desolation Wilderness

Just two and a half hours drive from Vallejo, I found myself at Wrights Lake, starting a hike that I will not soon forget. Thanks to my guide book, "100 Classic Hikes in Northern California" I found hike 8 on page 28, to Grouse, Hemlock and Smith Lakes. This amazing hike is just 2.8 miles to the end at Smith Lake, but at the destination, you will find yourself completely removed from everything. It is such a remote feeling and inspiring, beautiful place. My hike was on a Thursday, and I was the only person at Smith Lake, where I lingered for an hour or so, without interruption.



Between Kyburz and Strawberry on Highway 50, Wrights Rd travels North for about 8 miles. Follow the signs to Twin Lakes trail head. Fill out a tag to let the rangers know who is on the trail, and off you go. There is no part of this trail that is not photo worthy. I filled my memory card with pictures, because I couldn't stop taking pictures. I've chosen the best for sharing.

The trail is well signposted, and most of it is sheltered by trees. Where the trail passes over granite, look for cairns. The guide book calls them rock ducks, but I've never heard that term before. The wonderful thing about this hike is that there is always a gorgeous view. If you bring a camera, bring plenty of film/memory.

Grouse Lake, which is as beautiful a lake as I have ever seen, is just 2 miles in. You could stop here and make a day of it exploring around the shores, swimming, and snoozing in the sun. I had lunch here, and took plenty of pictures. There were two other groups of people here at the time, but they didn't go further, so the rest of the time I was on my own.

The guide book says to look over your shoulder at 2.2 miles, and you can see a view back to Wrights Lake. Then Hemlock Lake is at 2.4 miles. This is a small lake, and compared to Grouse Lake, it seemed very small. But the rocky hillsides around it are amazing. Just after passing Hemlock Lake, you're still alongside it in fact, there is the most serene little meadow. I took several photos of it.

Then you scale a rocky mountainside up to Smith Lake. I had it all to myself, and I lingered for over an hour. First I explored around the rock wall that I assume is a dam. The water level wasn't up to it, and I'd like to see it in the Spring. I'll bet there are plenty of wildflowers early in the season, because I saw many here in late Summer. Then I explored up around the tree line on the Northwest side. The book says that there are views to the North, but the views are actually to the West. Smith Lake is surrounded by mountains to the North, East and South. If I had more time, I would love to have hiked to the top of this rim to see the views beyond. But I left that for another time. As I was exploring the South shore, I noticed beautifully colored fish in the water. I took some poor pictures, but noted the orange fins with a black stripe, and white on the leading edge. This identifies them as brook trout. It is very hard to find a good picture of one, most show them after they've been caught by anglers, and they look much happier in the water. These were very small, maybe five inches.

On this hike, I saw chipmunks, blue jays, robins, woodpeckers, brook trout and a marmot. Though this is bear country, I didn't see any bears or signs of them. I kept my eye out for Mountain Lions, too, but didn't see any.

This is a beautiful area, and there is so much reward for hiking such a short distance. There are also many other hikes in the area to explore, and I know I'll be back.

Wildcat Canyon Regional Park

Yesterday I took a hike very close to home in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. If you live in the Bay Area and haven't been here, you have to get out there to experience the amazing views. They are very easy to get to, but you can take a full day's hike if you want. Here is a Google map.

It can be a little confusing to find the trail head, so a little advice is in order. Drive up McBryde Ave. in the left lane. There will be a sign that says, for Wildcat Canyon stay in the left lane. Go straight, then look for a left turn into the staging area. There's free parking, porta potties, and a notice board with excellent free maps.

I recommend the route I took for excellent landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities, but it was a long hike. I added up the mileage when I arrived at home, and it came to 9.28 miles. There are two other options for shorter loops.

Longest Loop (9.28 miles) - Take Wildcat Creek Trail to Conlon Trail to Nimitz Way to San Pablo Ridge Trail to Belgum Trail, then back down Wildcat Creek Trail to the trail head.

Shortest Loop (5.88 miles) - Take Wildcat Creek Trail to Mezue Trail to San Pablo Ridge Trail to Belgum Trail, then back down Wildcat Creek Trail to the trail head.

Medium Loop (7.04 miles) - Take Wildcat Creek Trail to Havey Canyon Trail to Nimitz Way to San Pablo Ridge Trail to Belgum Trail, then back down Wildcat Creek Trail to the trail head.

I prefer loops, but if you prefer shorter mileage, you can simply walk in to any halfway point, then turn around and retrace your steps back to the beginning. Even a one mile hike in this park is rewarding! I saw bicycles, joggers, even women pushing trail strollers. I started my hike in the early afternoon, and it was a hot day. I recommend starting earlier in the morning, or in the evening if it is going to be a hot day. The park is open 5am to 10pm, but I saw a sign on the entrance to the staging area parking lot that made me think they closed the lot at 6pm, so that's when I planned to get out of there. It would be possible to park on city streets closeby to avoid getting locked up in the lot.

There is drinking water available at the junction of Wildcat Creek Trail and Mezue Trails. I filled up my water bottle here, but make sure to carry enough water and snacks to keep your hike enjoyable.

A Visit to John Muir National Historic Site

Since I live within 16 miles of John Muir's home in Martinez, California, I decided to pay it a visit on his birthday. I could have driven, but in the spirit of preserving the Earth, I rode a bike. It wasn't an easy ride. It was a beautiful sunny day, though windy, but the best bike available to me is heavy with no low end gears. That's it in the picture. Easy on the eyes, not on the hills. Not the kind of bike that you want to ride up steep hills that lie between my home in Vallejo and Martinez. There was some walking of the bike up some hills. On my way, I imagined that I would be welcomed to an ongoing party in John Muir's honor. I imagined lectures about John Muir's achievements, tours of his home and orchards, inspirational talks about the importance of protecting our public lands from exploitation and destruction. Maybe there would be cake?

When I arrived at John Muir National Historic Site I took the picture below:

Very nice scene, isn't it? The California Poppies are in bloom on the landscaping planted with natives. It is a beautiful sunny day with just a few clouds in the sky. The air is cool and the breeze is perfect for a hike in John Muir's own backyard. But wait.

Do you see that little sign on the left of the path? Let me zoom in on it for you.


Yes, that's right. The park was closed on John Muir's birthday. :)

There is irony in the fact that Highway 4, named the John Muir Parkway, now speeds past within feet of his home (see it on the map). The good news is that John Muir's legacy lives in the National Park system.

Soon, I will show you a backpacking trip to Kings Canyon, and you will be inspired to get yourselves out there to a National Park, but before you do... Be sure to check the hours.

Happy Birthday John Muir

Today is John Muir's birthday, and what better day to begin the blog about hiking and backpacking that I've planned for so long? My goal is to share my love of the outdoors that I experience through hiking and backpacking. I starting backpacking when I was ten years old and joined the Boy Scouts. Our troop wasn't much on uniforms, merit badges, and attaining ranks (at least at first), but our troop leaders planned and took us on the most amazing backpacking trips. We hiked to San Jacinto, Arroyo Seco, and once a year the highlight of my year, the 9 day Sierra Trek. The Sierra Trek was a voyage into John Muir's wilderness. Every year was different, but we always backpacked about fifty miles beginning in the High Sierra, and usually ending up in Yosemite Valley. These were the best days of my life, and imprinted me with a love for the unspoiled wilderness, which I would like to share with you.

John Muir wrote, "You may be a little cold some nights, on mountain tops above the timber-line, but you will see the stars, and by and by you can sleep enough in your town bed, or at least in your grave." I agree with him completely, but with the equipment available today, it is possible to enjoy the great outdoors and remain mostly comfortable. :)

I will use this blog to write about and share pictures of my experiences, but also to share knowledge about how to plan and prepare for a trip. I will tell you what equipment you need, and recommend books that you can read to prepare and inspire you. I hope that you find this blog so interesting and useful that you bookmark it, and come back often.

In January, I quit my job. :) Boy did that feel great! I have always "worked" for a living, but I have heard it time and again, do what you love, and the money will come. I love hiking and backpacking, so I'm going to try to blog about it, and see if they money does come. To help it along, here and there, you will see ads. They should be relevant to what I'm writing about, so hopefully, you'll be curious, and click on them to support my sponsors. I will also recommend books and equipment, the purchase of which will earn me a small percentage. I will only recommend books and equipment that are excellent, and you need a good sleeping bag, tent and stove to go backpacking. If enough people find it convenient to buy these things through the product links on my blog, then I may get to keep doing this.

I also love sea kayaking, and I have a blog called Dipping and Tipping (get it?). Sea kayaking is another great way, like hiking and backpacking, to see the natural world. It is even more amazing in that the trail vanishes behind you, and you don't leave a trace. Sea kayak touring is like backpacking except that your camping equipment goes into the holds of your kayak. You can travel with a lot more, but the skills you need and the risks you take are greater. Backpacking is easier to get started, but it is not without risks. The unprepared still risk getting lost and succumbing to hypothermia, so prepare.

I will leave you with the a quote from the man of the hour. From it you may get an idea of the reason why you should try backpacking. Now, backpacking is just hiking where you stay one or more nights out in the land, but only by backpacking can you get in far enough to achieve the truly transcendent experience. When I was boy, I did not enjoy the first couple of days of a backpacking trip, mostly because my body was soft, and it was hard work to carry that heavy pack down the trail. But by the time the trip was over, I didn't want to go back! Perhaps you can relate to the similar effect experienced when you go on vacation. It takes a few days before you start to unwind.

"Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain-passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action. Even the sick should try these so-called dangerous passes, because for every unfortunate they kill, they cure a thousand." John Muir