Hotter Than Hell

Who in their right mind ventures into the Mojave Desert during the summer? Based on the number of cars bound for Las Vegas on I-15, quite a few. A stop in Baker, California led to a visit to the World’s Largest Thermometer. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the reading today was 111° F.

Elevation above sea level makes a difference. We camped in the Mojave National Preserve at 5,000 ft. and had a pleasant evening after the sun went down.

Kern River

One of California’s major rivers in the Kern. Its drop is very steep and it can be quite dangerous during high water. The headwaters start on the western slopes of Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.), the highest peak in the contiguous United States. To be precise, that area feeds the South Fork. We were on the North Fork, but we don’t want to get too technical about it.

Merle Haggard wrote a rather grim song of the same title that recalled the story of his girlfriend drowning in the Kern. Very sad, but it’s also a reminder to be very cautious around swift water.

Land Of The Giants

Did you know that there’s a Giant Sequoia National Monument? It lies in the southern Sierra Nevada and was created by President Bill Clinton’s proclamation in 2000.

We stayed in a nice campground near a grove of these giant trees. They are very big indeed.

Something that advocates for folks with disabilities will appreciate is that the trail through the grove is paved. Two reasons for this. The sequoias have shallow roots which can be damaged by too many feet treading nearby. Secondly, the pathway is accessible to wheelchairs, which means everyone can enjoy the outdoors (at least here).

Marvelous Marble Falls

Sequoia National Park. Many folks don’t realize that this park includes relatively low elevation foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. We thought we’d sample one of trails in this region. Alas, we didn’t make it all the way to the falls due to extreme heat and poor trail conditions.

If I were king of the world I would make sure that our national parks are always fully funded. The reality is that money to maintain these treasures is chronically limited. This leads to a Catch-22. A poorly maintained trail tends to be unpopular with the hiking public. The authorities notice this and put these trails on the deferred maintenance list, further entrenching their unpopularity. We didn’t see a single soul on this hike.

Here In California

Kate Wolf wrote a song in which she pointed out the fact that the hills in California turn brown in the summertime. We found this to be true in our exploration of the Coast Ranges in June.

Family

Family is very important to me. A good way to start out this year’s summer road trip was taking my dad out for a Father’s Day brunch. We followed up with a visit with my paternal grandmother in Berkeley, California.

I hadn’t seen her in ages. I think she was happy to see me and Dad, too.

I love you, Grandmummy.

Praying Hands

Chico, California is kind of an alt-Davis for me and Dad. It has that same college town vibe with really nice creekside hiking opportunities. We took advantage of that yesterday since Dad is back in town for a few days.

We also took care of some business. My passport is up for renewal (I can’t believe it’s been ten years), so we had my picture taken. It’s strange because you’re not supposed to smile, and I always smile for photos. It was hard to change the habit. The guy at the store was very patient with me.

The “praying hands” you see in the picture here are the Chico equivalent of the UC Davis “eggheads.” We visited them too (my old friends).