Rivers of Living Water

Lyell Fork of the Tuolemne River, Yosemite National Park

When I was making the bed this morning, one of Simon and Garfunkle's old songs popped into my head and I started singing..."When she goes, she gone...." So I decided to see if I could find the song on youtube and remind myself of all the lyrics. Ahh, the song's called "Fakin' It".

I watched the version they did in Central Park, 1981...It was wonderful...Next I listened to "American Tune". Why don't people write songs like that anymore? There was a comment under the video...

"The day after the 9/11 attacks, I went to work, and plugged this CD into my player, not thinking about this song at all. When it began to play, I burst into tears. Without a word, and without knowing what I was listening to, the woman sitting across from me moved to sit next to me, and hugged me until she had to get off the bus. A song that will live in my heart forever"

Her words made me realize how much music touches the deepest part of us. How we seem to have a built in mechanism for wanting to let music in to feed and move us.  Because it does. Her experience of being comforted by a stranger reminded me of how much we need each other and can change a life just by being there. Anyway, this is what I was thinking after watching the concert and reading the special comment ...

"God knows how to make us a symphony. A sweet, deep healing song...that's what he can make of us. 

If only we could allow ourselves to listen to the voice that could put us in synch, in time with his timing and each other. 

God knows how to make us flow together so that our lives look like the river of living water that quenches and cools the aching need that parches every soul. 

God knows how to help us play a note that matters and catches hold so that we know it by heart and sing it easily. 

I'd like to listen long enough to learn how to play my part in the symphony and stop trying to conduct the music of the universe."

Here is the link if you want to watch...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTZkk66pd1I

Summer Skies

Clouds Over Angel's Landing, Grand Canyon

A prime mover for me? Any opportunity to be outside. The other day, I was surprised by a sky that made me come inside and write...

Streaky clouds stretch thinly overhead, like a tattered veil of ancient white linen. 

Nothing, not a thing about them is permanent.

They constantly shift into spaces once held by baby blue as if they had wings to sway and fly away.

For me, a mesmerizing comfort...
to watch them glide,
to know they are but white water, untouchable, silent vapor, body surfing on distant wind waves.

More Clouds

And more...clouds...never once the same, ethereal, like we are

Hot Times on the High Sierra Trail

A really big guy with a really big back pack rounded a bend on the High Sierra trail with two interesting bits of info: "Bear up ahead." and " Yup, It's hot. This is the hottest day in the valley since 1898." 

The big guy, his buddies, Dave and I were all sweating buckets. It must have been 95 degrees at 8,200 feet elevation and 7 miles into the 73 mile High Sierra Trail. Unheard of. VERY Uncomfortable. Crazy!

He was headed to Whitney, doing the whole 72 mile trail in a week. We had a different plan and destination: we would start the trail at Crescent Meadow (in Sequoia National Park) like most folks but stop halfway to explore the 9 Lakes Basin, just beyond Kaweah (ka-wee-ah) Gap at 10,500 feet.

Even though we've been backpacking for 10 years, until last year I had never heard the words "High Sierra Trail" ...didn't have a clue where it was or what kind of territory it traversed. But something drew me to the words...The Great Western Divide. The High Sierra Trail it seemed would give me a chance to cross the heretofore unknown Great Western Divide. Had to do it. Here's a look at our venture into the divide.

Day 1: Overnight at Wuksachi Lodge, just about 5 miles from the trailhead. Can't say enough for this Sequoia Park lodging, big-friendly-comfortable...the alternative was a crowded crummy campground with far too much noise and bustle. We needed space to recheck our backpacks, a quick breakfast (the rooms have fridge and coffee makers) and the chance to get in one last shower before hitting the trail.

Our suite at the Wuksachi Lodge

Day 2: From the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, it's about 6 miles to Mehrten Creek, our first day's destination. Just a few camp sites here with a rusted out bear box. Well I'm telling you it was HOT and the heat was exhausting. The weirdest thing was this...we put up the tent, went down to the water to cool off, came back to the tent and the ground was baking. The ground temperature was SO hot it turned the tent into a oven. Even throughout the night, the ground was SO hot--I'm guessing 80 degrees to the touch, that made sleeping nearly impossible especially with a down bag. Oh yeah, I even bought NEW puffy down pants for this trip because I was expecting it to be VERY COLD. Wanted to burn them pants at this point. Next day, Next Stop, Bear Paw Meadow. We have heard campsites are cramped with no views here so we plan to stay at Lone Pine Creek.

Old Bear Box at Mehrten...you have to climb up from the creek to find it!

The porch at Bear Paw Meadow...a great spot for a breather

This is the manager at the Bear Paw High Sierra Camp. He will sell you a brownie and a glass of lemonade and let you sit on the porch for a blessed rest.

Lone Pine Creek offers no campsites but a great place to cool down.

Day 3: Past Bear Paw Meadow, Past Lone Pine Creek, All the way to Lake Hamilton...about 8.5 miles. We had planned to camp at Lone Pine Creek but there are NO possible sites here no matter what you read anywhere to the contrary. Instead, we got in the water here, cooled down and packed it to Hamilton.

Past Bear Paw and Lone Pine...Lake Hamilton was packed when we arrived about 6 pm. The rangers were great and helped us locate a decent campsite up and away from the hustle bustle of the lake population. 

The water is very warm here. We watched one woman swim in the lake for over an hour!

Lake Hamilton...we camped at the top of the lake and a bit to the right

We got an early start the next am...we were going to be climbing out of Hamilton at 8,235 feet up to the Nine Lakes Basin at 10,420..in the heat, exposed much of the way.

The first noteworthy destination past Hamilton--the tunnel. Everyone takes a picture of the renowned tunnel blasted through the rock...the rangers were working just beyond it preparing to blast out a big hunk of rock to make a bigger area for pack horses to navigate.

Dave talking to a Ranger about the "Big Blast"

 Scenery past the tunnel...The Angel's Wings.

A great view back down towards Hamilton on the way up to Precipice lake

Next incredible site: Precipice Lake (10,200 feet)...you can camp near this lake but it is exposed and could be pretty windy. This lake is just gorgeous...but you can only get this view in the afternoon...don't expect much at all before noon if you are looking for a photo op. The background looks like snow or ice, but it is just shadows on the granite and different colors of granite. The lake only looks this color in the afternoon.

We had lunch here...it was so peaceful...but we needed to press on over the gap to the 9 Lakes Basin to set up camp for the next two nights.

Here we are at the Gap above tree line, looking down to the Heart Shaped lake where we plan to camp.

Nine lakes Basin...we camped up by the red looking trees on the right

 Day 4 and 5...Day Hiking around the Nine Lakes Basin is peaceful and starkly beautiful. We saw maybe 2 other campers up here.

the heart shaped lake

Our Campsite at the Nine Lakes Basin...I loved it here!

We headed back down to Hamilton for the return trip...I could have stayed longer in the Nine Lakes Basin. Our trip was about 50 miles total and except for the heat, one of my favorites in that it turned out to be a very social trip. Lots of people and lots of conversations with great, friendly rangers. In the end, it was nothing like I expected and something I'll never forget.

Setting up camp at Hamilton on the return trip.

Sitting inside the tent for shelter from the HOT sun. Great view huh?

End of trip.
End of story.
 "Hot Times on the High Sierra Trail 8/2012"

TRUE BLUE HAWAII...off the beaten path on the Big Island

Travels always involve a path of one sort or another...our newest travel tale comes from the north shore of the Big Big Island of Hawaii. In Hawaii, you get the distinct joy of traveling beneath the surface to glide on underwater trails with the fishies and giant sea turtles...WOW, it's wonderful to feel so free and weightless!

Off the beaten path in Wiapio....on the north shore....

The path in this case is a road that leads 800 feet down a steep tropical canyon...it ends up in an ancient valley with waters and walls of epic and kingly proportions...it's the path down to Waipio Valley. Waipio and Waimanu Valleys are the growing up place of King Kamehameha....they are also the places destroyed by the 1946 Tsunami, and the place just down the road from the place we stay on the Big Island called "Cliff House". 

...the first time we walked down the 23% grade road to the Waipio valley in 2005, we found a sign that made me smile and put me in mind of Jimmy Buffet and his Coral Reefer Band...I think he'd love this sign!

The bottom of the valley is a place that "regular" old folks like us feel out of place...all you hear is the sound of the waves crashing...all you feel is the wind whipping the sweat off your skin...it feels like a place with secrets...most people who live down in the valley now are squatters, farmers who live off the land, dread locked kids and people who want to disappear. We hiked down to the bottom of the road through jungle, crossed the river, and walked over the black sand beach and up the "Z" trail to the top of the cliff where we met local man named Kliekay and his two dogs--one of which had been blinded by a wild pig, the other wore fresh wounds from another fight with a pig.

The super steep road down to the Waipio Valley

Crossing the river to get to the Z Trail Head at the bottom

 Once at the bottom of the road, you still have a long ways to trudge through muck and humidity and mosquitoes until you reach the enormous black sand beach. Once you cross the river, you get to walk across the sand that was once hot lava. 

A Death in the Valley

The waves are big and the currents here are treacherous. While on our trip this year, a 62 year old man went out for a swim at night and never returned. A helicopter, a huge airplane and boats swarmed over the area for three days. No body was recovered. 

A Path through the Valley

The walk up the Z trail takes a couple of hours with incredible views.

Off the Beaten Path...in a crater!

Even more other worldly than the path into the Wiapio Valley is the hike into the belly of a crater...the whole time you are walking in the Kilauea Iki crater, you can't help thinking you are walking right through the past during the creation of the earth. While we were there, a giant bench of earth broke off into the sea, sending up new fresh fire and steam a mile into the air. Dry lightening and/or a shooting star blasted right through the middle of the steam cloud. The rangers were beside themselves -- It was historic! The earth was still "in the making".

 From Wiapio and Honokaa, it is a 3 hour drive to get to the Volcanoes National Park so we stayed overnight in Hilo in order to spend 2 days in the Volcanoes area. There is a lodge with cute cabins and a restaurant right in the park. I almost wished we had stayed there...even a golf course there! 

The Kilauea Iki trail head is easy to find of the main park road.

Before you reach the lava, you walk through a rain forest...of course it used to be lava!

Life growing in the middle of black death is what this reminded me of...

It's a feeling like no other to walk over folded, crumpled lava with the earth giving up it's steamy breath all around

I learned lava comes in many colors, shapes and sizes too!

Our bed and breakfast lodging in Hilo had this wonderful pool and view of the ocean

 Walking through the Garden of Eden?

Another path we love on the Big Island wanders through the Hilo Botanical Gardens. At every turn, you feel wonder at the outrageous creativity in form, size and color of the planet earth. It makes you wonder about the original Garden in Eden. (The garden is found off the "4 mile scenic road" just north of Hilo -- open 7 days a week)

This flower is HUGE...see Dave's arm on the left for scale.

A final off the beaten path adventure lead to the Kapoho Tide Pools just south of Hilo...use the Big Island Revealed "Blue Book" to find your way here through a sleepy residential area. The snorkling is remarkable because of the presence of sulfur in the water...it has contributed to an underwater world of coral and critters that looks like the colorful glass ceiling in the Bellagio Hotel

A happy puppy"surfing"  at Kapoho

The sun sets on the West Shore of the Big Island

17 Days on the Benson Lake Loop

The "Benson Riviera"

the first 8 days....
No matter how much research and preparation goes into a backpack trip, the unexpected always happens. In part, this is why you backpack...to discover wonderous places you never expected to find. On the other hand, the unexpected can turn a trip upside down. Like this... 

September 2010, my husband Dave and I set off on a 50 mile backpack of the Benson Lake Loop in the Eastern Sierra only to get 3 miles in when Dave said, "You'll never believe what I've done." I stopped breathing for a minute and then asked "What?"  "Forgot my orthotics." Well, I think to myself, he has insoles. Somewhere. But then he said, "No insoles either."

Dave after he discovered he forgot his insoles at a lake on the way to Peeler

I couldn't believe it...He would be hiking on flat feet and hammer toes, with 55 lbs on his back looking at  2,500 feet elevation gain on the first day of an 8 day-50 mile trip with no insoles, no orthotics and a repeat of the last time he hiked with no orthotics...foot destruction. 

During the entire year I had been planning our Benson Lake trip, I never expected, never dreamed this would happen. No insoles. End of trip I thought. Well, not exactly. We changed our plan...instead of doing the entire loop we decided to do just half of it with extended layover days to reduce the likelihood of injury. It worked! We were able to complete an out-and-back trip on the western half of the famed Benson Lake Loop leaving the eastern half until 2011. 

Kerrick Canyon...hiking is downhill and fast through this flat terrain on the way to Benson.

Trip Summary
(I used "Sierra North" by Kathy Morey and Mike White to help plan my trip...highly recommended.)

Days #1 & 2-- Destination Peeler Lake, 8 miles from the trailhead with 2500 feet elevation gain. This trip starts from the Twin Lakes Trailhead near Bridgeport CA and Hwy 395. The hike is stiff, beautiful and you'll be bushed after you make the last 500 feet to the far side of Peeler. The lake has good but few campsites all congregated in the same area. No campfires although a huge fire pit is used by renegade hikers. Some people make the 11 miles to Benson from Peeler in one day, but this is a long haul through Kerrick Canyon...we saw a guy with the biggest bloody blister on his heel which didn't look worth the 11 miles to me...we laid over here to keep Dave's feet healthy and did a short day 3 to Arndt Lake...

Night 1 on the Benson Lake Loop takes you to the
the still waters of Peeler Lake, 8 miles and 2,500 feet in elevation gain
from the Twin Lakes trailhead

Fly fishing at Peeler Lake...you can see the fish but we had no success

layover day at Peeler

Day #3: Destination Arndt Lake, 5.6 miles from Peeler. This day's hike is far easier than Day 1 as you virtually stroll through Kerrick Canyon on pretty flat, easy terrain. To camp, we went a little cross country and stayed at Arndt Lake 4.5 miles before Benson, but there is really only one campsite and it is just as easy to forego the cross country to Arndt and set up camp in the flat, accessible canyon. 

Unremarkable Arndt Lake...I'd take a pass.

Fall colors of Kerirck Canyon on the way to Benson Lake

Days #4 & 5...4.5 miles and a big dive into Benson which sits at 7,600 feet (down from Peeler's 9,500 feet). You know you are almost there when you cross a swampy area with a shallow stream and soon set your eyes on the prize--Benson Lake, HUGE and warm. Set in a bowl. Swimming is a must. My first look at this lake made me want to stay a week. Fishing is fantastic. The kids next to us caught 20 fish and shared 4 with us.Campsites are obvious and sparse. Not much privacy really. We stayed at the far end of the lake where there were the fewest people. One really nice thing--fires permitted. Our layover day here helped give Dave's feet much needed rest. Peaceful. Warm. Perfect.

We camped at the left side of this picture...the swampy entrance is to the right of this pic

We never expected to run into backpackers
from Livermore and Pleasanton, our hometown! They shared their catch of trout with us.
One of their friends had the monster blister from the 11 mile hike from Peelr.

Days #6, 7, 8: Hiked back the way we came except we skipped Arndt and just found a nice sheltered, sandy spot in Kerrick Canyon. On the way out we pondered the idea of staying near a beautiful little creek (see photo below) which sits at the beginning of Kerrick Canyon..fish visible...shallow water...maybe someday.

You'll see this enticing stream just after a fence and a big rock on the way to Benson..

Benson Lake Take 2...

September 2011--The plan this year was to be out 8 nights and 9 days to do last year's "undone half" of the Benson Lake Loop...It would take us from Twin Lakes eastward to Crown Lake instead of Peeler, then to Upper Piute Creek, to Matterhorn Canyon, to beautiful Smedberg Lake and back. We would be humping our much too heavy (60 and 44 lb) backpacks over three mighty passes-- Mule (10,470 feet), Burro (10,650 feet), and Benson (10,140 feet). I was especially looking forward to fly-fishing at Smedberg Lake, working up a sweat and washing it off with cold, high country water, and gazing at brilliant star light. Back at the trail head, we planned to restock and then head out for a second 4 day trip to East Lake for more fly fishing. I couldn't wait!

The next 9 days on the BLL
Day #1...This year, Our day 1 destination was Crown Lake not Peeler. It turned out to be far more beautiful than expected. (8 miles in, 2,500 feet elevation gain, but not a tough hike)

Crown Lake, 8 miles from Twin Lakes trailhead

Well, the unexpected happened AGAIN on our second visit to Benson...except for the beautiful clear night at Crown Lake, we were hit with torrential rain, sleet, thunder, lightening and wind 7 days in a row. After making the first pass, we decided to do the WHOLE loop to avoid repeating the snow covered passes.

Quick Trip Summary...

Twin lakes to Crown Lake to Upper Piute Creek to Matterhorn Canyon, to Smedberg, to Benson to Kerrick Canyon to Peeler to Twin Lakes with as many lay over days as your bear cannister can afford. 

Looking back, this has now become our favorite trip although at the time it seemed so stressful to have to set up camp each day in a mad dash just before it started pelting rain. We would wake up to clear skies each morning, but by 1 pm each day the sky turned dark, and the rains came. Then we were stuck in the tent the rest of the day and night. We wore a whole in the floor of the tent!

Dave and I spent a lot of time in the tent looking at our elevation changes and next day's route

My greatest prayers were to avoid being wooshed away by the rising Rancheria creek and to be able to cook a hot meal. We ate alot of "dry" meals inside the tent which required no water or outdoor cooking...tuna packs, mayo, buns, cheese, cookies. But the drama made it unforgettable and it felt like quite an accomplishment...oh yeah, and after going over the first 11,000 foot pass covered in snow...we decided to do the entire loop instead of back track over the passes again. It took us 6 hours to go 3.5 miles over the first pass.

Day #2- up and over Mule Pass

The Sierra snow pack in 2011 was 170% of normal so the snow in the passes lasted far into September. I wouldn't have been so anxious if I hadn't learned that a Ranger had just discovered the body of a hiker who had disappeared 7 years ago...he was the husband of a woman we knew from Livermore. They think he slipped on the snow and fell to his death with all his equipment. Pretty scary for us as novice ice hikers to be in the same place with the same opportunity to fall.

You see the Sawtooth Range behind Dave...the views are truly spectacular. The snow was mostly chunky and easy to slam your toes into as a way to anchor yourself...we didn't have crampons. We used our trekking poles to determine how deep the snow was...didn't want to crash through it.

We met these two hikers as we were coming into the snow...they just wore tennis shoes and gaiters and seemed to have no fear. I guess they had done the snow thing many times before.

 We were able to fly fish at Smedberg Lake on day 3...I had my first High Sierra fish on the line after just a few casts. This is a beautiful, fish filled lake but there are only a few campsites --we had the lake to ourselves. It started raining in the afternoon and misted long into the evening letting up just long enough to start a fire and cook our fish.

When we hit Benson for the second year in a row, it was sunny, then within a few minutes, the sky turned black and it began to pour. We had rolling thunder that lasted for minutes at a time. Deafening thunder. Quite spectacular. 

We trenched but eventually the water came pretty close to the tent door. I know it doesn't look like much in the photo, but it rained for 5 hours so we were concerned!

About 7 pm, the rain stopped for a beautiful sunset at Benson Lake. 

Our trip gave us day after day of threatening skies...

but it was exhilarating  to be right in the center of mother nature doing her thing...

Our kitchen in Kerrick Canyon next to Rancheria Creek...we lost our water pump here and I thought I was going to be wooshed away by the rising creek.

This is Peeler Lake at night 8...we got into camp, trenched and prepared for heavy rain, but it was more like sprinkles and wind. 

Our Campsite at Peeler  on the last night...room for about 10 campers here

The next day we headed back to Twin Lakes passing Barney Lake and lots of aspen. September really is a great time to do this loop...few people, dramatic landscape, unpredictable weather--the stuff that brings you back again and again.

Aspen colors on the way back to Twin Lakes Trail Head