Sitting Now in Dayton, Nevada

As a typical move day, we packed up and hooked up and got on the road before 9am.  Got Buddy drugged up about an hour before - was quite a bit of a chore this time, he spit out the first pill and acted like he swallowed it, then I found it on the table.  So, down the hatch again, this time with success.

As we traveled down California Route 41 (one of 2 ways to get into Yosemite from the west) heading away from Yosemite, the traffic was constant.  Made a quick jog due west and got on Route 99 and headed north towards Sacramento, traveled past Modesto, Stockton, Rancho Cordova.  Lots, lots of traffic.  We were about 10 miles from the city of Sacramento and turned east on the Lincoln Highway (often called the loneliest road) Route 50 and headed up and over the Sierra Nevadas.

Traffic coming to Yosemite while we were going away - one after the other!

Wait - where are we?  Back in Cleveland?

First made a stop in Placerville (the heart of the original Comstock Lode - gold - discovery) and switched drivers, me taking over for Dave after him battling the constant traffic.  People are crazy - the ones in motorhomes did not care about the speed limit (55) but just zoomed by us.  And the 5th wheels and travel trailer boxes - zoom!  Wow.  Little did we know that I would be driving in the mountains, twisty, turn road, having to pull off to let others go by.  Steep grades up then dropped down and then back up.  Nerve wracking driving the RV and pulling the car.

Oleanders were just beautiful, lined Route 99

Weaved in and out of small towns into the Sierras we climbed and road along at about 7000 feet elevation which still snow pack on the ground.  The South Fork of the American River just gushing by on one side.  Then came around a corner and there was Lake Tahoe in the distance.  Dropped quickly down to the heart of Tahoe and was just slammed with people.  Crawled through the city, many casinos and lots of touristy businesses. We had not seen the south side of Lake Tahoe, only been in Truckee and Reno (north of the lake).  Bazillion people!!!!!

Route 50, Lincoln Highway, about 7000 feet. Lonely.

Still very lonely!

At some point (never saw the sign to say welcome) got into Nevada - good bye California!  We were both glad to be gone of that state.  Prices are so much higher, when we filled up the RV in Carson City, Nevada the price of gas was $1.50 cheaper than in California.  Too many people, too expensive!

First glimpse of Lake Tahoe, looking north

Very pretty

We are now in Dayton, Nevada.  About 10 miles from Carson City and 15 miles southeast of Reno.  Dayton is claiming to be Nevada's first settlement.  In 1844 John C. Fremont explored this area and blazed a trail along the Carson River where emigrants prodded along to California's goldfields.  There is a walking tour in town of old original buildings still standing from the mid 1800's.  Today the town boasts of 17,000 people, has a number of amenities, and a quilt shop!  Woot, woot!  Will stay here through the weekend just relaxing and catching up, then head out on Tuesday morning for Wells, NV for a quick 2 day stay then on to Idaho.  We cannot move day to day because of drugging up Buddy - want to give his body a break from the drug.

Very busy South Tahoe, that's Harrah's Casino (large building)

Dave was excited about this

Yep, we will stay in our lane

Welcome to the capital of Nevada

Pony Express and the Emigrants came through this town

Speaking of Buddy - go figure.  We were on the road over 7 hours, drove 304 miles, and he did not have any accidents.  Not sick, not pooping, no foaming at the mouth.  As soon as we turned off the engine and parked at the campground, he came out bright eyed and bushy tail (well, not so bushy since his tail was broken when he was a baby and it's much shorter). Can't figure the pattern out.

Millerton Lake State Park

Again, we were blocked from heading up to Yosemite National Park, some of the roads are still closed due to ice and snow.  Instead we headed to a state park called Millerton where back in 1944 California built a dam on the San Joaquin River to reclaim the land that gets flooded every spring due to the river running wild.  Once the dam was constructed, water backed up in a small canyon and Lake Millerton was created.  Its about 15 miles south of where we are in Coarsegold. It is a bigger lake than Bass Lake, but it is so tucked back in the rolling hills that you had no idea it was there.

Very hilly type country, about 30 miles west of Sierra Nevadas

First glimpse of the lake

Today there is boating, fishing, any kind of water sport (unlimited horsepower), swimming, hiking, horseback riding, day use picnicking, and camping. We followed the trail (once we found it) for a couple miles.  Nice walk, leisurely.  When we decided to turn back and get back down to the roadway, we followed it back to the boat launch area where our car was parked.

Nice little picnic areas set up along the lake

We walked passed the campground and was surprised that a number of sights were full-hookup.  And paved lots, and big enough to have 3 vehicles on your spot.  We will definitely have to keep state parks in our radar in the future.

These smelled like lavender

Love this deep purple color

Nice little walk.  Nothing to brag about, but very peaceful.  Very little flowers were out, it looked like the area had no rain for some time, very very dry conditions.  But the lake was at 95% full, must have been a good snow winter in the Sierra Nevadas, the San Joaquin River has it's origin somewhere up in the high Sierras. The lake gets drained off during the summer months in the San Joaquin Valley for agriculture and for generating power usage.

Had to step around this area, hiked up way to left to avoid water

And then 2 girls in this black jeep wanted to cross that water -
they chickened out

2 guys up on top (campground area) were yelling at them to 'go for it!'

We briefly spoke to the ranger and she said if we were planning on camping this weekend there, forget it.  Everything is booked up.  I could see why.  Seemed to be a very nice park, seeing the sailboats gently moving on the water made me nostalgic for our sailing days on Lake Erie.

So peaceful looking, sailboat in distance

Could see a storm coming so we ended our walk after 2 1/2 miles and headed back to campground.

Path meandered around lake

Did you know horses have the right-of-way?

Evening primrose - about 3 inches wide

Trail was definitely used but needed some TLC

Boat ramp - very steep incline down to water

Just a pretty serene lake - and storm coming - heading back to campground

Lewis Creek Hike, Sorta

We have been avoiding going to Yosemite National Park for a couple of reasons:  the amount of people visiting has greatly increased and therefore traffic jams, no place to park, a zoo; and second, the weather has not been kind.  There are 2 roads we wanted to travel on within in the park, to get to hiking areas, and they have been closed since this past Friday due to snow and ice.  Too dangerous driving on the edge of a canyon with ice under your tires.  So, no go there.

We did find another trail to go to, just east of Oakhurst which is the largest town south of Yosemite and 7 miles from where we are camping.  The Lewis Trail was rated as easy 1/2 mile down to the Corlieu Falls and another 3 miles round trip to the Red Rock Waterfalls.  Lets do it!

I will avoid hiking alone!

Decided to first walk to the Corlieu and see it since it was so close.  Could hear it, at times glimpse it, and it was many downhill sets to get to a viewing area.  Pretty. It's about an 80 foot drop.  Did the lung-wrenching hike back up, and then came back to the trail break and headed towards the Red Rock Falls. That falls was rated as only 20 feet drop but the creek is narrower and the power of the water coming through it is supposed to be more intense.

Very wide pathway, easy to walk

A glimpse of Lewis Creek from above

Just a quick way into that hike and we were stopped at Lewis Creek.  How in the world do you get across it?  Noticed up stream a bit someone strung a rope along a downed tree, but I could never grab that rope - too far away.  Dave tried to walk across where many branches were laid across the creek but he almost fell in.  So we gave up and walked back up to the car.  What a bummer.  Regardless, very pretty area inside Sierra National Forest.  Too bad we did not get to hike any further.

Going down, gotta come back 

Did not want to get any closer - the granite cliffs were something else

I did not want to shimmy across the creek on my butt, used to be a
bridge here

Hearing the water rush over the rocks, birds singing  - lovely

Found out later that the bridge that had spanned the creek had been destroyed this past winter and that the park service has plans to build another one, just waiting on permits to do so.  The last couple of times we had driven by the parking lot to Lewis Creek we saw many cars.  Bet they all got wet crossing the creek to continue on the hike.  Saw pictures of Red Rock Falls and it looks lovely.  Oh well.

Walking In the Sierra National Forest

A bit disappointing today, we were going to go back to Yosemite and to the Glacier Point Drive to go to McGurk Meadows and hike.  We broke down the other day and I bought a new pair of hiking boots.  Not shoes, but boots.  Wanted to see if getting more support around my ankles would help me hike where I would not think about where I put my left foot.  Drove into Fresno, went to REI,  and did the dead, now just had to test them out.

Woot, Woot!  New boots!!!

Due to the snow the last couple of days in the high Sierras (Yosemite), Glacier Point was closed.  Bummer.  So, turned right around because we did not want to deal with all the traffic in the park and drove back towards Coarsegold and turned off to go to Bass Lake.  This is a man-made lake formed by damming the Willow Creek back in 1910 and today the water provides electricity downstream to the San Joaquin Valley near Fresno.

Waiting to enter Yosemite - lots of people

Bummer

Did a U turn right after entrance station and left

Glimpse of Bass Lake from parking lot

Lovely walk

Trail went almost straight up before coming to a great view point

Only 1/2 mile wide by 4 miles long, is a pretty lake none the less.  Boating, swimming, fishing, camping, water-skiing, picnicking. Stopped at a rangers station and got information about where to hike.  Unfortunately last year's fire has many areas still closed, as well as campgrounds and day-use picnic areas.  Suggested we hike the Way Of The Mono trail.  Was very impressed.  Because of the fire last year the wild flowers are so abundant.  Wow!  Beautiful!  The small and dainty ones blew us away.  Heard the birds chirping.  Every now and then could get a strong wiff of last year's fire.

Fire means wild flowers the next spring

Right out of the rocks!

I like the contrast of this tree to the water below

I can see little faces in this flower

View from the top of the granite hill

And, my boots got a good workout, the trail was a bit steep in some areas, climbing across granite rocks and down along a small stream.  They will do the trick.  My ankles seem to be quite stable in them, I did not think about where my left foot was going to be.  Lets hope things continue like this - I like them!

Good test for boots

In the forest, then out in the burned area, then back into forest

And back down towards the car

Took a lot of pictures of flowers.  So many different kids, the colors just gorgeous.  Off in the distance was a nest high in a burned out tree, maybe an osprey nesting? Could still see snow in the higher elevations, a lovely day to be outside and to test out my boots.

Maybe an osprey in there?

Not sure if we will be able to get back to Yosemite, snow is forecast for the park for the next couple of days.  We leave Friday for Reno/Carson City, Nevada and not sure if we can get- hope so.