Yolohiker - the outdoors blog

2010-10-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Scouting New Trails on the Cold Canyon Headwaters

Annie's Trail, our first trail on the property, to be built in memory of our friend and fellow board member, Anne Schneider, was scouted in September, 2010.

The trail will take you to the southernmost part of the property, with fantastic views along the Blue Ridge and of Lake Berryessa.

Trail building is tough stuff. We were pushing through chamise, poison oak, and dead tree branches.

We'll start building as the weather gets cooler.

Andrew Fulks

2010-03-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Finally Building First Segment of the Berryessa Peak Trail

On March 24-25, 2010, I’ll be leading a trip above Lake Berryessa on the new Berryessa Peak Trail easement, to start constructing the half-mile length of the easement. So, if you’re like me and you are on a furlough from UC Davis, or you want to be with the first members of the public to see this amazing private ranch that has so graciously donated a public trail easement, bring your backpacking gear and come out for two days of trail construction. Total distance is 10 miles, round trip, with 2000-foot elevation gain. I have enough tools for 16 people.

When completed, this trail will offer the first open public access to the 9,100-acre Berryessa Peak BLM public lands. Located in Yolo and Napa Counties, this public land was previously inaccessible. I’d been working for 15 years to raise awareness of these lands and to get agency and landowner approvals for this project, and the time has finally come. We can build it!

Photos of the hike can be seen here: http://picasaweb.google.com/yolohiker/BlueRidgeTrailScouting#

We’ll camp in a lovely grove of ridge-top oak trees, with endless views of Lake Berryessa on one side, and the central valley on the other. If you are interested in going, email me at yolohiker@yolohiker.org.

Andrew Fulks

2009-06-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

It's Kayaking Time on Cache Creek

With the drought we had in the 2008-2009 rain year, there is only enough water for the District to release for about 6 weeks. Normally I'm used to a 4-month kayaking season, but given the drought I'm just happy to have ANY season at all. You can check the release flows here. If the combined flows are 500cfs or above, you are good to go on the Wilderness run, provided you have a minimum of 120cfs on the North Fork of Cache Creek.

Flows will be over the second week of July, so get out there!

Andrew Fulks

2009-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Last Trail Building Date Finished First Trail Segment

We finished the first mile and a half of the trail at Yolo County's Otis Ranch! I posted photos online, so take a look.

Next fall we'll keep heading back into the hills...so until then, stay cool and enjoy the outdoors!

Andrew Fulks

2009-03-16T21:38:00.000-07:00

First Two Trailbuilding Dates Were Successful!

Volunteers came out to help build the first half of the Otis Ranch's first official trail on March 13th and 15th. I've posted photos online, so check them out and come out to build on our next two dates, March 27th and April 11th.

Andrew Fulks

2009-03-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

It's Trailbuilding Time

Working with Yolo County Parks, Tuleyome is working to build the first trail on Yolo County's Otis Ranch Open Space Area, located upstream from Rumsey!

We have posted work party dates online, so come out and help build trails on your public lands!
Andrew Fulks

2008-12-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

Trip report - Camping on Blue Ridge 12-12-08

The nice thing about camping in the inner Coast Range in the winter is that, well...you can actually camp in the winter. I love it. Sure, it's a little cold, but with a mylar tube tent (lightweight), mylar blanket, and sleeping bag, you can easily stay warm in 30 to 40 degree farenheight weather.

We were scouting an easement route for a new trail which will allow hiking up to Berryessa Peak. While it will take a couple years to get the trail completed and open, we need to start now by identifying the route before beginning the process to build it. So, this was the first trip.

The trip was pretty easy at the beginning, but the final hundred feet to the ridge was pretty steep with lots of chemise to bust through. The area had burned in the 2003 Rumsey fire so at least the brush was short. Once at the top, we continued south until we reached a nice clearing to set up camp. At that point we began scouting the easement route.

After finishing, we got dinner going, started a nice campfire, and enjoyed the sunset over Lake Berryessa. This is why we work so hard to protect the region.

You can see more photos from the trip, here.

Andrew Fulks

2008-12-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

Congressman Mike Thompson Should Be Secretary Of Interior

Mike Thompson is my Congressman. He became my Congressman when Davis was added to District 1, but his environmental record is what makes him MY Congressman, regardless of in what District I happen to live in the future. I guess that makes him my Congressman-for-life. Why? Because Mike fought for the Cache Creek Wilderness.

The Cache Creek Wilderness is one of my most favorite places on Earth. It's no understatement. It's fantastic and Mike protected it. He fought hard for it, he battled Richard Pombo to get a hearing in committee so it could get moved to the House to get voted on. He got the bill protecting Cache Creek signed by President Bush, which is no small feat considering Bush's dismal record on Wilderness issues. He spent years pushing the bill through, with a tireless resolve.

He's a hunter. He camps. He backpacks. So does his family. He knows what it means to be on the land, to be part of the land, and how to protect the land. He's smart, pragmatic, and gets things done.

Mike has given me, my children, and all those that come after us the greatest gift you can imagine; protected wild land for us to enjoy in perpetuity. That's the kind of person we need at the Interior Department.

He's my Congressman. He should be Secretary of Interior.

Protected, thanks to Mike!

Falls on Trout Creek, protected, thanks to Mike!

Andrew Fulks

2008-07-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Video Clips of Cache Creek Kayaking and Wildlife

The last few seasons of adventure down the Cache Creek Wilderness kayak run have left me with some nice video clips. The first is running a rapid in the middle of the wilderness (with 'helpful' assistants willing to drench said boater).
The second is of a Killdeer egg hatching. This was pretty cool, since we just happened to land on the sandbar right when the egg started to hatch. Once it was hatched, we launched and let momma bird take over. She wasn't happy with us, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Very random, but very cool...

Andrew Fulks

2008-05-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Review of the Blastmatch Fire Starter

I'd been looking for a waterproof fire starter. While I already had a butane lighter, but needed something while boating. The Blastmatch was attractive for a couple reasons. First, it contained the flint inside a plastic housing that was integrated with the striker. Second, you use a single hand to ignite your tinder. This is nice, because if you have to shield your tinder from the wind, or you need to hold a bear at bay while you light a signal fire...you know, your average outing.

While I didn't make the below video, it demostrates the product very well. I'd recommend it.

Andrew Fulks

2008-04-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

4-12-08 Lynch Canyon to High Bridge Trail Hike

A large group went out to the Cache Creek Natural Area, to hike on the Bear Creek Unit. I'd wanted to do a through-hike, but a little shorter than what we had done the past few hikes. After looking over the trail map, I'd decided on a 7-mile hike down Lynch Canyon, past the Roadkill Cafe, and up and out via the High Bridge Trail.

The weather was great. The wildflowers were not as great as they have been in previous years, perhaps as as a result of the dry weather. They seem to be hard to time for each location, especially when they seem so good in other parts of the mountains.

But still, these are great mountains, and the day was perfect.

Andrew Fulks

2008-03-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Trip Report - 3-8-08 Zim Zim Falls Hike

Last year, I didn't get to enjoy this hike. It wasn't due to my lack of wanting to, but due to lack of rain. Zim Zim falls, located in the Napa Ranch addition to the Knoxville State Wildlife Area north of Lake Berryessa, is entirely fed by rain run-off. It was purchased by the Department of Fish and Game, with help from other non-profit and State agencies. For a history of the Zim Zim name, click here, and scroll to the bottom of the page to 'Zem Zem'.

This vast landscape is wonderful. Ok, so I'll win the award for oversimplification for that statement. Let's try again.

I like the subtlety of the Zim Zim valley. I think it's that subtlety that makes the falls so impressive. For the first 3.5 miles of the hike, you walk up a valley, following and crossing Zim Zim creek. The ridges on each side aren't terribly high, so it isn't like you are walking up some spectacular canyon, knowing you will ultimately meet a fabulous waterfall. No, you just gently wind up the valley, passing through blue oak woodlands. The falls are hidden around a bend in the river, so you have to climb up the hill (on a path of course) in order to view them.

After we had lunch on a rock outcropping overlooking the falls, we took the trail up behind the falls and climbed onto the western ridge above Zim Zim valley. From the ridge, we could see down onto Zim Zim and Nevada creeks, epic views of Lake Berryessa, and a fantastic panorama of Blue Ridge.

Great weather, great people, great place. More photos are posted here.

Andrew Fulks

2008-03-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Gear Review - Zodi Outback Portable Hot Shower

Granted, this is a total luxury. But, if you are car-camping with your family for more than a day, and you have kids that think dirt is the best playground ever invented, this thing is for you.

There are several models of this heater available. Some have dual burners, a soft case instead of a hard case, and some are industrial in size to use a larger propane tank.

Prices vary as well, but a basic model at Wal Mart is about $100. You can also find the occasional used model (as I did) on Ebay for about half that.

So, how does it work? It is actually so simple that I'm surprised it hasn't been made before. It's just a propane burner, with a copper coil wrapped around it. A small 6v pump pushes water through the coils, heating it before it comes out the shower head. If you want the water to be hotter, just put the shower head into the water source and let it cycle through again. The container that holds everything also doubles as a water source and stand for the propane container.

This is a really great product. Made in the USA, and built rock-solid. The body is all metal, and the pump, battery case, and container/water box are all very rugged. If you car camp and want the luxury of a hot shower, this is the gear for you.

Andrew Fulks

2008-02-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

2-10-08 Walker Ridge Trip Report

I love California. I love being able to hike in early February, in shorts and short sleeves. Incredible.

So we went to Walker Ridge, which is a remote ridge on the border of Colusa and Lake Counties. It gets some use by off-road motorcycles, but the area is otherwise very lightly visited. It has some amazing vistas, and on a clear day you can see the Sutter Buttes and dthe Sierra Nevada. On this hike, we saw the Sierra very clear, but an inversion layer trapped all the valley smog/smoke/fog and obscured the Buttes.

The views of Snow Mountain were pretty fabulous, and the mountain lived up to it's name. We started off the hike with great views of the snow-capped peaks. We start at the highest point of the hike, so downhill we went toward Signal Rock. Along the way, we looked at an old chimney from a long-forgotten homestead. With mining, came the houses. When mining left, the harsh landscape left nothing else for the residents of the Sulphur Creek mining area. Only Wilbur Hot Springs remains in the watershed. From work to leisure, human uses of the region have changed greatly in 150 years.

This hike was a loop, looking at two large rock formations and the old Clyde mine. I've done this loop for many years now, and each time I am more astounded at the landscape. An entire pygmy forest of cedars, a grove of oaks in a sea of chemise, serpentine slabs with emerald green gloss and white veins.

I posted pictures on the images section of the Yolohiker website.

Andrew Fulks

2008-01-29T21:04:00.000-08:00

Gear Review - Ka-bar hobo classic knife combo

I'd been wanting an all-in-one knife/fork/spoon combo for a while. I used to have a cheap plastic one when I was a kid, so I got to thinking about how I'd like one when camping now. So, I started searching around online for something. A few companies make different kinds, and Ka-bar makes several 'hobo' versions. The classic version is the best, in my opinion. It comes apart, so you can use the fork, knife, and spoon separately. There is another version that does not detach each item, but in my opinion, it's best to be able to use each utensil separately.

I found mine for a good price on ebay. It comes with a sheath, and is stainless steel. A great way to replace all your separate eating utensils.

Andrew Fulks

2008-01-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

1-26-08 Trip Report, Pierce Canyon Falls, Road 53

I had planned on leading a hike up to the Otis Ranch today, but the weather had been so bad the night before, Road 16 was closed at Rumsey. This would have meant we would have had to hike a few extra miles. Ordinarily that's not a problem, but while standing there in the Post Office parking lot in Guinda, we realized this would be the perfect time to hike Road 53, to see the falls. We guessed they must be running, and were they ever!

On the way up, there were still patches of snow. The snow had been so heavy, numerous tree branches had broken off, under the weight.

On the drive to the trailhead, Road 31, among others, was flooded.

The creek on the hike up was roaring.

The falls looked great. Lots of flow.

A wider view of the falls, with the side channel on the right.

Video of the falls.

Andrew Fulks

2008-01-22T19:40:00.000-08:00

Snow in the Yolo Mountains

Oh, boy, I wish I wasn't working and could have gone up to Rumsey or the Ireland Ranch. I was doing work near Winters, and stopped to take these shots. There must have been at least 6 inches in the mountains further up towards Rumsey...(BTW, I was using a high zoom to get this close).

Andrew Fulks

2008-01-13T22:27:00.001-08:00

Otis Ranch Hike Map Now Up

I've added Yolo County's Otis Ranch hike to the trails available on the website. It's a great hike with views of the Capay Valley and Rumsey. The Capay Valley Hiking Club will be doing this hike on January 26th.

Andrew Fulks

2008-01-06T19:38:00.000-08:00

Rain Means Waterfalls

I could have done without the power outages and general landscaping damage, but it was nice to have some rain to replenish the creeks. When we get enough rain that it starts to run off the hills, we can enjoy visits to two of our local waterfalls.

The first is the Zim Zim falls, in Napa County on DFG's Napa Ranch. This waterfall is over 100-feet high, and roars between a notch of rock into the Zim Zim valley. Last year's meager rainfall didn't get this waterfall really going, so I'm hoping for better things this year. This fall drains a large valley, so if it gets going, it usually lasts through spring as a pretty big flow.

The second is the Pierce Canyon falls, in Yolo County. This waterfall is viewable from a public dirt road (Road 53) that leads out of Guinda, and only runs once Casey Flats begins draining water. This fall is best after a heavy storm, so be sure to time your hike accordingly. I've seen it roaring and I've seen it as a trickle. Dave Pratt has the best photo of it, which I've posted below. He loves this hike and is great about timing it.

2007-12-31T22:20:00.000-08:00

Newest Version of Yolohiker is Now Up!

It took a Christmas break and a cold to give me enough time to finish the revisions to the website. You'll notice a few new things, so feel free to look around.

New maps in .pdf format for easy printing, to scale
GPS track logs you can download and put on your GPS unit to guide you on the hikes.
New trails navigation menu, using Google Maps, so you can get directions to each trailhead from your home address
Google Earth files so you can see the trails in 3-D using Google Earth.
A sitemap for easy navigation direct to each page
More local trails, including the Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area

2007-11-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Updates on Yolohiker.org

I've been working feverishly on the newest version of the site, so you've likely noticed the lack of news updates and the like. I'm making great progress, and have most of the pages converted over to the new design. What people will be most interested in are the new features, such as downloadable .pdf trail maps, GPS track files, and Google Earth trails and placemarks.

I hope to have the revised site up in January, 2008!

2007-06-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Cache Creek Weed Control Project - Results Are Great

On May 25th, I went down the Wilderness Run of Cache Creek, to look at how Tuleyome's work was holding up from last year. It was nice to see that the invasive tamarisk and arundo plants we had treated last year were nice and dead. Only a few re-sprouts!

By the end of this year, we should be done with over 90% of the weeds on this 19-mile stretch of river. Feels good. Tired...but good.

A large arundo clump, now dead. Notice the slash from out cutting, on the left of the photo.

Another Arundo clump at Kennedy Flats. This was huge and took part of the evening and the next morning to cut, last year.

A large tamarisk clump at the confluence with Trout Creek. It's brown because it's dying. The center wasn't sprayed last year so we got it this year.

Andrew Fulks

2007-05-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Fremont Weir State Wildlife Area – Road 16 Access Threatened

This has been the hot topic here at Yolohiker. Wildlands, inc., a landowner out next to the State Wildlife Area, has been having problems with trespassing, vandalism, poaching, etc. So they are looking to abandon a portion of the public road, thus turning it private and (so the thinking goes) reducing their problems. I understand their problems, being a property manager myself, and deal with these issues daily.

Only problem is that if the public abandons Road 16, we will have no access to the Wildlife Area from the east. This will mean if you live in West Sacramento, you’ll have a lot further to drive to get to the other side. And those who want to fish in Tule Canal on the Wildlife Area will have to walk quite a ways to get there. We ought to be encouraging responsible public use of our lands, not closing them off.

I think the solution is for the landowner to put up ‘No Trespassing’ signs (didn’t see any out there), a fence along the road (right now it’s open onto their fields), gates on their farm roads (they are open to the road so anyone can drive on the private roads), and that the County should put in a real parking area/trailhead/formal entry area for the Wildlife Area at the end of Road 16. Then you’d make it an amenity; give better access to over a thousand acres of public open space (only 22 minutes from Davis and 11 minutes from Woodland)!

Closing the public out of the public land isn’t the option. And no, once the road is abandoned, you can’t just hike it. It becomes private and closed to everyone. This would mean no access from the east, north, and south. Why give up our eastern access, for no public benefit?

You can find a sample letter to protest the closing, at www.tuleyome.org.

Image of the Wildlife Area from the end of Road 16, looking west.

Also looking west.

Aerial view of the State Wildlife Area. Most folks don't know this part of Yolo County. I think that should change...

2007-04-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Kayaking Season is upon us

This winter had very little rain. So why, you might ask, would we be talking about kayaking? In Yolo County, our agricultural water supply comes from inner-coast range lakes; Clear lake and Indian Valley reservoir. These are rainfall-fed lakes and while there wasn't a lot of rain this year, last year had enough to carry over. This season the irrigation has started earlier so a 'benefit' is that boating season is also earlier. I've talked with the District and it looks like it will last through August, meaning we get more boating than usual. But before you jump up and down too much, remember that if we don't get a good winter this coming season, next season may be a bad kayaking year. So it all kind of evens out....

This year, Tuleyome's Cache Creek Weed Eradication project will have three overnight kayak trips. You are invited. Send an email to yolohiker@yolohiker.org if you want to help out. Bring your own kayak!

Trips are:
June 9-10, 2007
July 7-8, 2007
August 18-19, 2007

I will also be leading 4 or so trips on various Fridays during May through July. If you can get off on the second or fourth Fridays of each month, and want to come with us, let me know.

2007-04-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tuleyome Earth Day Event

Come on out! It benefits our teen rafting program

2007-01-08T21:58:00.000-08:00

Exploring Bear Canyon, off Rayhouse Road

I'd been laid up with a sinus infection for 8 weeks during November/December (seriously, it wasn't cool), so as soon as the cold was gone, I was more eager to get outside than a kid with homework on a sunny Saturday. Didn't care if it was raining, so this hike was done in pouring rain. Irony being, of course, that it hasn't really rained much since then....This hike was in late December.

So, we started off hiking up Rayhouse Road, until we got to Bear Canyon. Then it was cross-country rock-scrambling up the canyon. Great waterfalls up there, including one which was at least 50-feet in a three-stair step. I just wish it had rained more beforehand, since the falls were pretty meager. Still, now that I've seen it, I'll be sure to go back during higher flows.

After getting above the falls, we headed cross-country to the 'Langs' USGS marker (ok, really it was a California Department of Transportation marker). Great hike through oak woodlands, including some of the largest stands of Black Oak I've seen in the county. After getting to Langs, I snapped a photo of the brass marker, then we headed downhill to intersect the Frog Pond trail and head back to the car. Well worth the rain soak!

2007-01-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

Finally Hiked Up Wildhorse Canyon

For quite some time, I've been dying to hike up Wildhorse Canyon, which is connected and to the east of Cold Canyon. It's a cross-country rock scramble, but well worth the effort. We haven't had much rain this year, so the flow was non-existent at the upper end and only a few small pools were located along the watercourse. However, I found numerous rock formations that will be wonderful waterfalls and swimming holes in the springtime. Can't wait to go back. It's BLM-managed public land, and quite extensive. Lots of exploring to do. Further up the canyon were some plastic tubes from the marijuana growers that were busted up there in 2005. I'd like to lead some cleanups back there in the future.

2006-10-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

Hiking Club info - aka. What's going on with the hiking club?

A number of people have asked about the fall 2006 schedule. There are several things going on...

Sam and I want to make the program more sustainable. When we started this, it was small, just the two of us as leaders, and few members. That was six years ago. Since then, I've had kids and Sam's knees are feeling the effects of hikes from days past. And our membership is huge...

Also, with the hiking club adopted as a Tuleyome project, we now have the capability to use our non-profit sponsor's organizational abilities to help recruit hike leaders (docents). This, coupled with Tuleyome's acquisition of the Ireland Ranch, makes this even more important, as we will be seeking docents to lead hikes on that property as well.

Sam has suggested the following, in an email to our hiking list:

The Yolohiker web site Calendar of Hikes is not updated for 2006-7, mainly because we don't yet have a schedule.

The problem is that we leaders, mainly Andy and myself plus Carol, Herb and Andrea, need to expand our inventory of hike leaders-- so listen up, here's the plan:

We will have hikes on the second Sunday and fourth Saturday (with exceptions-- see calendar below) of each month through early next June. As usual, they will all start with a 9am rendezvous at either the Guinda Post Office or the Winters public parking lot at the intersection of Railroad and Russell. We have a large inventory of past hikes and a similar inventory of able-bodied hikers who know them and are capable of leading others on these hikes.

All we need to do is match-up the dates, hikes and leaders. The Trail maps page of Yolohiker shows 15 hikes and Cross-country page shows 6 more. And there are a half-dozen or so additional, eg, Long Canyon, Zim-Zim Falls, etc., not yet on the website.

Here's the bottom line: If you know one of these hikes (or a new one, not yet in our repertoire) and want to see it on the list, then pick a date and email me volunteering to lead the hike. If you've been on a hike with me or Andy, you know how it's done and we'll be happy to provide pointers, guidance etc. As these come in, Andy will replace To Be Announced on each date with the hike title and leader. I'll include it in this newsletter writeup and schedule.

But we need to make Yolohikers and the Capay Valley Hiking Club into more of a DIY adventure (instead of a DIMyself venture). Several people have already volunteered but now is the time to get the specifics to me-- where will we be going on Oct 28??

So, if you are interested in leading a hike and getting involved, let me know!

Dates we have set aside, but still need leaders If we don't get a leader, there won't be a hike on the day posted:

Calendar: 2006-7 Hike Schedule (If I've made a mistake in picking 2nd Sun and 4th Sat, make an adjustment-- suggest an alternative date for your hike, as appropriate --sam)
Oct 8 Sam Redbud Trail
Oct 28 TBA
Nov 12 TBA
Dec 2 (because 25 Nov is Thanksgiving) TBA
Dec 10 TBA
Dec 23 TBA
Jan 1 TBA (Third annual New Years Day excursion)
Jan 14 TBA
Jan 27 TBA
Feb 11 TBA
Feb 24 TBA
Mar 11 TBA
Mar 24 TBA
Apr 8 TBA
Apr 28 TBA
May 13 TBA
May 26 TBA
Jun 10 TBA
*Rendezvous in Winters, not Guinda

2006-10-03T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ireland Ranch Sneak Peak

I recently went up to Tuleyome's Ireland Ranch, to beat through the brush to get to the BLM public lands Berryessa Peak unit. Here are some photos of the area, located in western Yolo County, along the ridge, between Winters and Esparto. Tuleyome is working on a management plan for their ranch, which will cover how to provide access (docent-hikes) to the ranch and publc lands beyond. Until that's completed and underway, enjoy these photos.....

Image of Rocky Ridge (BLM)

Looking east, from the ridge, across the ranch.

Our group on one of the grassy knolls on the ranch, looking east.

One of the outstanding rock formations on Rocky Ridge/Blue Ridge public lands.

Me sitting on the ridge.

Lake Berryessa as seen from the ridge.

Some of the oak woodlands on the ranch.

View of the ranch from on one of the knolls.

2006-09-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ireland Ranch Acquisition, other news

In case you haven't heard, Tuleyome acquired the Ireland Ranch in western Yolo County. This 640-acre ranch abuts the 9,100-acre BLM public lands along Blue Ridge. It has long been a personal goal of mine to have public access to the public lands, so this is welcome news that our organization has been successful. You can see the full press release at the Tuleyome webpage.

Volunteers needed. Tuleyome is getting our volunteer program going. If you'd like to be a docent on the new ranch, leading hikes and such, please let our executive director, Debra Chase, know. If you have a 4x4, even better, as they are needed to get to the property. It's fabulous up there, and presents lots of opportunity for hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing. I was there yesterday and saw a wild boar and bald eagle. Amazing.

Another volunteer opportunity is to help lead outings with the Capay Valley Hiking Club. Sam and I have been the only ones doing it for years, and that isn't sustainable forever. In order for the program to grow, we need you help. Have a favorite hike and are willing to show up to lead people? We need you!

I'm busy leading the charge on developing tee management plan with our sub-committee, for the Ireland Ranch. So much to consider, including recreation access and wildlife protection, and how best to manage the both. We have a solemn responsibility to preserve the land, and I'm honored the Irelands sold to us.

Lastly, be sure to come out to the Cache Creek celebration September 16th! Details at www.tuleyome.org.

2006-06-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

Tuleyome initiates weed eradication project on Cache Creek

As most people who visit this site know, Tuleyome is a watershed-wide non-profit of which I'm heavily involved. One of our projects was to protect Cache Creek as a State Wild and Scenic River. After we were successful, we began work with the Bureau of Land Management and state Department of Fish and Game on an eradication of invasive Tamarisk and Arundo plants along the stretch of Cache Creek known as the 'Wilderness Run'. This section of the creek is only easily accessible by kayak. So, volunteer teams of 'weed-yakers' float down the creek, stopping at the invasive plants and cutting them down. We have a certified pesticide applicator who then brushes the cut stumps with herbicide to kill the plants. Retreatments will occur as necesary to kill resprouts.

Luckily, there are only 58 or so plants along the 19 miles of the Wilderness Run. This means we can manage the plants using our volunteer crews, before they get out of control!

After cutting the huge Tamarisk clump

Before cutting that same clump

A big cump of Arundo

Cutting the arundo down and passing the stalks up to a crew, who will spread them to dry.

Finished with the arundo clump removal. The bare spot to the right of one of our weed-yakers is where the cluster was growing.

If you have a kayak and want to help out, let me know!

2006-06-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Lynch Canyon to Cache Creek Ridge hike

The final hike of our 2005-2006 season was a long one. Our ten-mile hike progressed through the oak woodlands of the Cache Creek Natural area, starting at Lynch Canyon off of Highway 20, heading through the heart of the Bear Creek Unit, past the Roadkill Café, and up the Dunfield Springs cutoff, to intersect with Cache Creek Ridge. From Cache Creek Ridge we headed southeast to Bear Creek.

I’d never taken the Dunfield Spring Cutoff before, so I was interested in seeing this route. It was fantastic, as expected, and provides a great way to get to Cache Creek Ridge from the valley at the end of Lynch Canyon.

The weather was fabulous, with temperatures in the 70’s until after lunch. It’s been a real mild summer, thus far.

This concluded our hiking season, but expect updates on Cache Creek kayaking this summer.

2006-05-31T18:52:00.000-07:00

Brophy Canyon to Cache Creek Ridge Trip Report

Unseasonably cool weather was the order of the day, as 17 of our intrepid hikers opted to go the full route. This meant they had to brave two creek crossings, moo-cows, moo-cow-patties, unbridled scenery, and spending the day with me. Adventurous lot!

We parked at the pull-out at the mouth of Brophy Canyon, off of Highway 16, and began our trek down to Bear Creek, where we would have to cross. Sam brought the plank-o-matic, which is only version 1.0b, Douglas fir edition. Unfortunately, the plank wasn’t long enough to reach across the creek, so we opted to wade across, with some removing shoes and others deciding that wet shoes wouldn’t be a big deal. I was with the former.

We began our ascent out of Brophy Canyon, enjoying the views of Cortina Ridge. It was one of those blue-sky-big-fluffy-clouds days, so we got some great pictures. Visibility was excellent and the air was clear. We hiked our way up past the cows grazing, said our obligatory ‘moo’s’, and moooved on. Lunch was at the ruins of the old stage stop. During lunch we saw a few pieces of heavy equipment grading the trail/farm road, as well as carrying out some car bodies and other trash left over by the previous owners. We gave a healthy round of applause. They didn’t notice.

Then we were off to Cortina Ridge, where we finally saw Cache Creek and enjoyed our views of it the rest of the way back down to Bear Creek. A quick car shuttle and we were back at the trailhead.

Fabulous time!

2006-05-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Good tent for summer camping

Ok, is this really a tent? Given that camping in California is pretty mild, the REI Bug Hut 2 is pretty much all you need for most seasons. In the Putah and Cache Creek area, this is perfect for early Fall, Spring, and Summer camping. It doesn't weigh much, has a full floor, is free-standing, and can sleep two comfortably.

I made a rainfly out of 4-mil plastic, with grommets attached so it can attach firmly to the tent.
Overall, it's a great value, and keeps the bugs out.

It's become part of my lightweight backpacking setup.

2006-05-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

What kayaks to buy?

I know this blog has been pretty gear-focused of late, but this time of year I always get the request as to what types of things to get for backpacking/boating/general recreation.

Since it's now kayaking season on Cache Creek (and yes, I've already gone this year), people often ask what boat I have. Those who know me know I like good gear, but also like inexpensive gear. Why pay more than you have to for the same amount of fun?

My boat is the good-old Sevylor K79SB, aka. Orange Torpedo, or as I call it, the Disposaboat. It's a self-bailing version of the classic Sevylor 'Tahiti', originally made for Orange Torpedo raft trips; a company that runs whitewater tours in the pacific northwest. The boats go for under $150, and have plenty of room for you and your gear, especially on overnight trips. Despite what they say, they do not work with 2 people. I've tried it. It's not great.
But, for one person, these boats can't be beat at their price point.

Another good, relatively inexpensive boat is the Aire 'Tomcat'. A two-person version of this will run about $399, lightly used at www.gravityplay.com. That's the best price I've seen.

Whatever boat you choose, remember you life vest. In Yolo County, it's a County ordinance that you wear one while boating.

The image above is from last Wednesday, on my Orange Torpedo on Cache Creek.

2006-05-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Finally got a flashlight I will use

Though for ultralight backpacking purposes, a tiny coin-cell LED light is preferred, I also like this one. You can find numerous sellers on Ebay. Don't pay over $8 total, including shipping. Search for 'Squeeze light'.

Here's the problem: Most of the time when you own a flashlight, you use it for a while and then the batteries die. Ok, sure, you can get rechargables, but that means you need to plan ahead before a trip. I'm usually just making sure I have food.

So with this one, you squeeze the dynamo to charge a capacitor (some have onboard batteries which are recharged by the dynamo) which then gives you power to run the light. You never have to worry about batteries again. Perfect.

Reviews of the 'shake lights' were poor, but these dynamo lights really work. I bought a few for camping and for home use. Since my kids like to play with flashlights, this solves the battery problem for them as well. They've also learned to squeeze it....

2006-05-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Trip Report on the Bear Creek/Craig Canyon Hike

Winter turned to summer with little time for spring. This, of course, meant it would be hot, or at least really warm. I don't really mind hiking in the heat and I always pack lots of water. I ran through it on this trip. The hike was short. Surely no longer than 5 miles, but most was cross-country. I'd wanted to hike up to the 'other' Blue Ridge, shown on USGS maps south of Highway 20 and west of Highway 16.

So, leading a small group, we hiked directly west of the BLM 'Cowboy Camp' parking area and trailhead, fording Bear Creek and starting directly up the grassy serpentine hills. The hills west of the trailhead have grass slopes, with a nice covering of chapparal on the top. Elk had blazed a trail that was easy to follow through the thick brush.

At the top of the hill, we were greeted by a barren rocky surface with large rock buttes which served as vista points. Continuing south along the ridge, we saw a nice herd of elk snaking their way across the slope. After several minutes of photos, we continued on to a nice rock butte for lunch. My hydration pack still had a large block of ice contained within, so though it was 95 degrees, I still felt cool.

Lunch over, we trekked down to Craig Canyon, pausing to look at an old hunting camp site, complete with rusty stove. Though it hasn't rained in quite some time, the creeks were all flowing substantially, including those coming out of the dry hillsides. Most impressive!

The trip concluded with another crossing of Bear Creek, and a nice one-mile flat hike back to the Cowboy Camp. I'm increasingly fond of Bear Creek. Lots of ancient sea-bed outcroppings and gorgeous plunge-pools. Numerous ledges form waterfalls and cool, green pools beneath. One of these days I need to map them all....

2006-05-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

Kayaking season has begun on Cache Creek

Flows started going up for irrigation last week, so now through August it will be sweet!

For current flow conditions, check out Yolo County Flood's website, and click on Water Releases.

I plan on doing the Rumsey run next week....the wilderness run from Highway 20 will have to wait until I get more free time....

The Rumsey Run is great in that you can do the run in 2.5 hours, then be back home in time for lunch.

2006-05-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Low Water Bridge Now Passable

It seems like Rayhouse Road and all the trails beyond (Blue Ridge, Frog pond, Fiske Creek, etc.) have been off limits forever, what with so much flow coming down Cache Creek and crossing over the low-water bridge. My normal rule of thumb is that if it is 1500cfs or under, you can cross. Most all of march it's been over 3000.

Well, I checked this morning and the river is running under 600cfs at Rumsey, so if you are planning a hike this weekend, try out the frog pond or blue ridge, as the bridge is now passable!

Next up: irrigation releases and rafting season!

2006-04-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Zim Zim falls trip report – 4-10-2006.

Wet. Really wet. Soooo wet.

We met at the usual 9am time in Winters. Sam was the designated leader for this one, so I didn’t do my usual head count. I think there were about 13 to 15 people. Not bad, considering it was raining. I suspect the promise of a 100-foot waterfall in our own watershed was just the motivation people needed to brave the weather. We carpooled up to the trailhead, dodging the landslides and fallen rocks on the road. These storms have done a number on the slopes, and erosion was everywhere.

We finally made it up to the trailhead, parked, and got ready to slog up the trail to the falls. Eticuera creek had been extremely high recently, as was evidenced by the debris line, which was the highest I’ve ever seen it. Walking up the trail, we passed the small grove of (currently dormant) Osage orange trees. They are a remnant of the old hotel and ranch grounds, now long gone. After crossing Zim Zim creek the first time, we could smell the sulphur from Zim Zim spring.

The valley looked really nice, and the wildflowers are trying, desperately, to get going. Just too wet, cold and overcast to really start the show, but if we get a break, they are sure to just go nuts, and for quite a while with all that soil moisture. We meandered, talking, up to the final split, where we began the ascent toward the vista of the falls. Slowly they came into view, as well as becoming audible. The falls were spectacular, given the volume of water pouring through the narrow gap between the mountains.

After lunch on a nice rock outcropping, located about halfway down the slope, directly across from the falls, we headed up to look at the valley above. Feeling adventurous, I talked most of the group into making this hike a loop, by passing into the Nevada openings, following Nevada creek, then looping back to Zim Zim. I’d never taken this route before, but given that I’d studied the maps beforehand, and had my GPS (with the car’s location entered) I felt confident we’d have no problems.

The loop added a hair over a mile to our trip, but was well worth it. The lands along Nevada creek are pretty stunning. Jagged rocks rise up to cap small knolls, hidden waterfalls drop down side-canyons, and blue oaks dot the grasslands that mix between the brush-covered mountains. One other hiker and I described the place as having a really good ‘vibe’. Hard to describe, but some places just feel nice, and this was one of those places. I’d love to do an overnight here sometime.

We followed the creek downstream, then wound a bit up the side of the hill, eventually finding our way back down to the creek and around the mountains that separate Nevada creek from Zim Zim creek. Along the way, several small waterfalls were visible in side canyons. I’m going to have to explore these one day.

Once back at Zim Zim, we walked the half-mile back to the cars where Sam was waiting. Huge kudos to Sam for waiting the hour and ten minutes longer it took us to do the loop. Sam had headed back with Carol and Andrea, from the falls, and since he had carpooled with several in my group, he had to wait. Yet, he was just as enthusiastic about the trip as our group, since this was the first time he had seen the falls!

Overall, another fabulous and beautiful trip in our local watershed.

2006-04-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Alcohol stove

When I started getting into lightweight backpacking, one of the first items I researched was how to lighten my stove. This was a little hard, since I really love my Coleman Peak 1 Multi-fuel. It's a great design, has fabulous simmer control, and few parts. It also weighs a ton.

So then I read online about all these alcohol stoves people make themselves. If you know me, you know I love to make my own stuff, so this seemed interesting. Plus you get to play with fire, so, you know, even better, right?

The best design I found was at this link. It works fabulously. I used it on an overnighter last year with Mark Abildgaard, up on Cortina Ridge. It boiled water real quick, and the thing is super lightweight. It's become my new backpacking stove for all my trips. It's even light enough for day hiking use, if you want a hot lunch. When you buy the JB Weld and aluminum tape, you'll have enough for at least a dozen stoves. Gifts, perhaps?

2006-04-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Kids in Nature

I love bringing my kids outdoors. One of the best trips you can make with small kids is to go to Cold Canyon, find a path to the creek, and just let them spend a few hours splashing in the water and climbing rocks. In fact, on the main page of Yolohiker you'll see a link to a series of hikes at Cold Canyon, sponsored by UC Davis. Several are for parents and kids. Check it out!

Also, bring your kids on some of the Capay Valley Hiking Club hikes.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2006/04/05/gree.DTL

Last month a Cornell University study reported that childhood wild-nature play -- unstructured time in nature like camping, hiking and playing in the woods -- has a profound influence on environmental attitudes and actions later in life.

But most kids these days are brought up in over-manicured suburbs with an abundance of electronic playthings and an ever diminishing exposure to nature.

According to Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," they are suffering from "nature deficit disorder." In his book, Louv describes a cycle of alienation: Kids who don't go out into nature aren't familiar enough with nature to want to go into nature and don't feel comfortable when they're there. And that's bad news for their future capacity to steward the environment.

2006-04-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Headlamps - not as useful as you'd think

I'd bought a headlamp, thinking it would be useful for two reasons. First, I love having my hands free when hiking, and second, I needed something for use when I'm doing construction work. For example, when fixing plumbing, it's great to be able to shine your headlamp on the work area and keep your hands free.

However, I discovered that when camping on Cache Creek, a headlamp does more than you'd think....Starting out on a night hike, I fitted the headlamp, turned it on, and was immediately surrounded by all manner of bugs which were attracted to the light. Turns out a handheld flashlight is the much better option when outdoors.

So now my headlamp sits in my tool bucket...
:-)
But my headlamp did come with a bonus micro LED light that uses coin cell batteries, so I use that when backpacking....

2006-04-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Lightweight (free) Walking Stick

Everyone is using walking sticks these days. Lots of the hikers have them on our hikes, and they do make it easier to cross creeks. Especially those with moss-covered rocks.

I've been looking at them, but quite frankly, can't find it to spend $150 on a pair of sticks. I know, they are useful...But come on....It's $150.

So I went looking for an alternative. Some people use bamboo, but again, you either have to have a source, or you have to buy it.

So, what's like bamboo, infests all our local rivers, and is just begging for you to cut it down? That's right, arundo donax, the giant reed. It's evil, infests streams, and it's about time it got put to a beneficial use.

So, I cut off some nice stalks, let them dry, and now I have walking sticks that are extremely lightweight, flexible, but still strong, and great for walking. Even better, if they break or split, you can get some more for free.

2006-03-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

Upcoming trip to Zim Zim falls

April 9th, the hiking club is going to Zim Zim falls on the newly-public Napa Ranch, above Lake Berryessa. This will be the first time with the club, and the second time for me. You know, it's real satisfying to know this 12,575-acre ranch is now in the public domain. Not only is it a wonderful property, it connects more property along the blue ridge mountains. I look forward to exploring every square inch of this area. There are lots of cool spots back there, as well as nice spur ridges and knolls. Plus we can now hike portions of the old toll road, that used to lead from Moticello to the Capay valley. The falls are pretty spectacular. Getting this open to the public was a real coup. So enjoy it and come out with us on April 9th. (But be prepared for wet feet, since you have to cross Zim Zim creek 8 times...)

2006-03-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

Walker Ridge Trip Report 3-12-06

So the last trip I took was to Walker Ridge. The forecast called for rain, but since we never cancel, and since I was leading the hike, I got up to go. A new hiker, Paul, was meeting me for a ride, so that was some incentive. Another friend, Trevor, wimped-out (yes, totally wimped-out to stay at home and bake banana bread with his girlfriend, COME ON!) so it was just Paul and I. I've found people come on these hikes based on weather, whereas I'm just happy to be able to get out and have the time to do it, so I'll never cancel unless really ill, and even then have been known to do 7 miles (and suffer for it later). As expected, we only had three others at the meeting location in Guinda, so we caravanned up to Walker ridge, off highway 20. The hike is one that I'd initially taken last year, by piecing together a route from topo maps and aerial photos. Not all of the route is shown on the topos, but two segments of trail were shown to connect on the aerial, so I took a chance. Walker Ridge is one of those places I have not explored as much as I want to. Part of the reason is time, and the other part is distance. The first reason is best, since the distance isn't that much greater than other hikes in the region, even though it is hard to not stop the car at the closest hikes, just to get going. The trail route is hard to find. Like most of the hikes in the region, there are no signs, so you have to know the landmarks and the area in general. We pulled out at the intersection between walker ridge road and the road to Indian valley reservoir then started the hike. Now, I'm going to purposefully omit a couple of the places we went to. There are some natural and cultural features I know about that if I wrote too much about, would end up getting trashed. So those get left out, but rest assured, there are enough great places to see without getting the full scoop. You want to find the obscure places, you need to explore like I have. So, the first stop was signal rock. Signal rock is shown on USGS maps, above the freshwater branch of Sulphur creek. I've read in old mineralogist’s reports that these rocks could be remnants of mineral deposits, exposed when the surrounding rock was eroded way. Signal rock is about 20-feet high, and I climbed as usual to the top. My camera decided to leave early, and bounced down. It was interesting to shout "uh, oh!" Then watch as the camera bounced end over end, but took so long that I was able to continue...'here it comes', 'oops', and ' make sure you catch it' (to Paul waiting below) I was certain it would be destroyed, but it was no worse for wear (minus a few dents). I’ve taken to buying inexpensive Canon digital cameras, since I have a history of destroying them on these adventures. They either drown on the river or tumble off rocks.... Anyway, one thing I didn’t mention is that it wasn't raining on us, despite the heavy rain in the valley. No, it was snowing. I love it when it snows on Walker ridge. This time, the snow was light and fluffy, like walking through a room filled with chicken feathers. We ate lunch behind the rock, with the snow blowing around us. Surprisingly, it really didn't feel cold. After lunch, it was time to head out to Eagle rock and then back up to the cars via Oak cove. Eagle rock is a similar spire to Signal rock, but in this case, we just look at it from an unnamed rock formation across the canyon. Getting to Eagle rock would require quite a bit of elevation loss, then bushwhacking to get to the rock itself. Not this time. Having seen Eagle rock, we backtracked a little ways until we got the intersection that took us to oak cove. Oak cove is a hidden oasis in a sea of chemise chaparral and pygmy cypress. It has oaks that inhabit the small grassland area with a seasonal creek that runs through the middle. I first spotted it on a map, and it was a nice hidden area. Sometime I need to return to look for signs Native American inhabitation. Usually when you have oak woodlands in secluded openings, or the confluence of two creeks or rivers, you find signs of settlement. Sometimes, but not always. After passing through Oak cove, we began our ascent back up to Walker ridge road. The old track is pretty eroded, with extremely deep ruts in the trail. Water flowed down the center of the trail, eroding 3-foot deep chasms. Near the road, we stopped at the Clyde mine to look at the adits. Clyde mine has a number of adits (tunnels going straight back into the mountain) as well as surface excavations. We also saw an old drop for ore carts. Satisfied at our discoveries, we headed back up the road to the cars. After we were done, we headed into Williams, off I-5, to stop at Granzellas to eat garlic-stuffed olives and marinated garlic. The rain was pouring down in the valley, but we had memories of the snow.

2006-03-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

Great site for creating GPS maps

I'd been pondering buying some sort of mapping software. At least, something better than Garmin's Mapsource software. Mapsource is fine, but I wanted something with topo maps in the background. I'd considered shelling out the $99 for National Geographic's Topo! software, which is really good.

Then, I stumbled across www.gpsvisualizer.com and was hooked.
This site lets you not only create maps online, for free, it lets you choose any number of backgrounds for the maps, including aerial photos and satellite images.

Several of my hikes, including the Knoxville State Wildlife Area, as well as Zim Zim falls and Road 53, have used this to create the maps. Not too shabby!