Eastern Sierra Hikes

The Sacramento County Hikers Annual Eastern Sierra trip was based in June Lake this year.  Twelve hikers participated in the hikes spread over 5 days.  Per his usual method, Rich Blackmarr planned and organized an excellent variety of hikes mostly in close driving distance of June Lake.

Dick Fraschetti, Rick Kallet and I arrived a day later and stayed a day longer than the rest of the group.

The four hikes we participated in were:

1. Mt. Dana - 6 mile RT with 3,000' of climbing
2. Parker Lake - 3 miles RT with 650' of vertical
3. Granite Peak - 4 miles RT with 1,500' of climbing
4. Walker Lake to Sardine Lake - 7 miles RT with 2,500' of vertical

Being on the dramatic east-slope of the Sierra Crest, all the hikes were incredibly breathtaking and knee-whacking gnarly.  The beauty of the Eastern Sierra is unmatched in terms of views and awesomeness.

The potential problem could have been the poor air quality caused by the massive Rim Fire burning near the west boundary of Yosemite National Park.  Fortunately the winds were blowing the smoke north along the Sierra Crest sparing the June Lake area of any visibility issues.  The skies were clear and bright in the areas we hiked.

To view the complete album, click on "Eastern Sierra Hikes" below the photo:

From Eastern Sierra Hikes

Mt. Rose Hike

Mt. Rose, located on the north shore of Lake Tahoe,  at 10,776' is the second highest peak on the Tahoe Rim.  It is big, beautiful and formidable.

The trailhead is located at the 8,811' summit of Hwy 431 connecting Incline Village and Reno. The 5 mile trail (one way) is rated strenuous with nearly 2,000' of elevation gain, mostly in the last 2 1/2 miles.

We took the Mt. Rose Summit Trail to the top of the mountain and diverted to the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), a portion of the Relay Peak Road, on the return leg.

The total distance of the hike was 11+ miles with about 2,400' of elevation gain as well as loss.

Dick Fraschetti, Frank Gerace and Rick Kallet joined me on today's fantastical hike.

To view hike album, click on "Mt. Rose Hike" below the photo:

From Mt. Rose Hike

Color Run

A phenomenal event took place today.  A fun run named The Color Run, an event billed as the happiest 5K on the planet.  This remarkable run drew more that 13,000 participants to Capitol Mall, almost twice the number as the CIM.

This unique paint race celebrates healthiness, happiness, individuality, and giving back.  The exuberance on the runners faces were overwhelming.  There was so much positive energy and fun in the air.

There are only two rules:

1. Wear white to the starting line
2. Finish plastered in color

Now the single largest event series in the nation, The Color Run has exploded since it's debut in 2012 to over 100 events and over a million participants in 2013.

There are no winners or official times.  Having fun and celebrating healthiness is what it's all about.

To view the photo album, click on "Color Run" below the photo below:

From Color Run

Lakes Winnemucca and Round Top Hike

One word describes this day hike - Exemplary!

Another gorgeous day in the high Sierra.  Today's hike of the Sacramento County Hikers hit two alpine lakes - Winnemucca and Round Top - near Carson Pass.  The moderately easy 5 mile trail with about 1,200' of elevation gain started at a trailhead at Woods Lake and climbed clockwise to both lakes.

What made this hike special were the proliferation of wildflowers lining the slopes, spectacular alpine scenery, great weather, and dogs.  Many hikers were taking advantage of the beautiful weather and taking their pooches out for a walk in the woods.

About a dozen hikers led by Rich Blackmarr participated in today's excellent hike.

To view photo album, click on "Winnemucca and Round Top Lakes Hike" below photo:

From Winnemucca and Round Top Lakes Hike

Rinko Radonneur - Tour of the California Coast

Rinko is a Japanese word for touring by train and bicycle.  Completing a tour without a car and utilizing public transit is fun, stress-free, and green.

Peter Saucerman and I designed a tour where we began and ended a tour using the Capitol Corridor Trains for a seven day tour of the California coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz.

At the front end, we rode our bikes to the Sacramento Valley Station less than two miles from our respective homes and took the train to Oakland's Jack London Square.  We transferred to the ferry by riding four blocks to catch the boat to the Ferry Building in SF where we began the bike leg of the tour.

At the back end, we rode from Santa Cruz to San Jose to catch the train back to Sacramento.

The itinerary for the seven day tour included two days in San Francisco staying at the Fort Mason Hostel, single overnights at the lighthouse hostels in Montara and Pigeon Point, and two nights at the Days Inn in Santa Cruz.

This also was a "credit card" tour where we ate all our meals in restaurants and spent nights indoors, thus eliminating the weight of camping, food and cooking gear of a fully loaded tour. We got by using only two panniers and rack pack.

The route we laid out was perfect for such a tour with overnight destinations approximately 30 miles apart.  With short distances, we had the flexibility of starting late, linger in interesting locations, and have numerous coffee/snack breaks and long lunches.

The sites and scenery of the entire tour were beyond great.  Food was outstanding and we met some interesting people at the hostels and cities.  Traveling by bicycles with a couple panniers becomes a natural ice-breaker with curious folks approaching us to ask questions about what we were doing.

Saxon Sigerson joined our tour for a long weekend in SF and accompanied us to Montara.  He also did the Rinko Tour by taking the train/ferry between SF and Sacramento.

Both Peter and Saxon are architects so a major emphasis of the tour was visiting interesting design projects.  Being a retired urban planner and art nut, it was a fabulous "bus men's holiday" for the three of us.

To view photo album of the tour, click on "Rinko Radonneur - Tour of the California Coast" below the photo:

From Rinko Radonneur - Tour of the California Coast

Caples Creek Hike

The Sacramento County Hikers led by Rich Blackmarr tackled a beautiful trail along Caples Creek in the High Sierra Mountains.  There were two options - a 6 mile out and back along Caples Creek or a 10 mile loop trail (about 1400' of elevation gain) that takes in both Caples and Silver Fork Creeks.

The day was warm and sunny so it was no surprise when 23 hikers turned out for today's hike.

The trailhead is located at the bridge crossing Silver Fork Creek south of Kyburz on Silver Fork Road between Hwy 50 and Mormon Immigrant Road.

To view the hike album, click on "Caples Creek Hike" below the photo.

From Caples Creek Hike

Doggy Dash 2013

The Doggy Dash sponsored by the Sacramento SPCA took place in Wm. Land Park.  About 2,000 dogs participated in this year's Dash and is the marquee fund raising event for the SPCA raising more than $250,000.

The Dash is not race but a 5 K stroll through the shady streets of the park.  It's a fantastical event of happy and proud owners showing off their pet pooches.

Peter, Susan and their little pooch, Sophie, and I rode our bikes to the park to catch the Dash festivities.

Click on "Doggie Dash 2013" below the photo below to view album of the Dash.

From Doggie Dash 2013