Fun Finder at site A32 in Pinecrest

2014 will see two group camping week/weekend, as we were able to get multiple sites together at Pinecrest! Many weeks and much planning in the making (thank you Kristina for all the organizing) have led to a large group including several Pinecrest Newbies this summer.

The 3 Anderson’s plus Emma, the 5 Coble’s (Alisa and Miles have to leave come Friday), the Bryan’s (Michelle, John & JW), the 4 Rosellini’s, the 4 Alexanders, the 3 Stewart’s and the 2 Sylvester’s (+ J.T.). Spread out over 5 sites at the end of the A loop, we have the perfect set up. Weather is good, and company is great. Even a rain shower on Saturday afternoon can’t stop us.

Friday gets everyone in camping mood, with Jeff’s breakfast, lunch at the beach and campfire at night.
Saturday has the hike around the lake on the agenda. Most of the group are going, and so are all the tourists & campers today! The trail is packed! But by the time we stop for lunch in our private little spot at the river inlet at the far side of the lake, we can hear the thunder rolling in … and the trail is getting less and less hikers. The heat stays on, and the rain won’t come until well after we get back to camp. Everyone makes it back, even when a bit of dehydration slows down the group. (Longer & hotter walk than expected.)

While we’re awaiting dinner to be ready, the kids gather around Weston, who is on his back on the big rock, waiting for his tooth to be pulled … yikes!

Sunday is mostly rained out, but we’re prepared: shades are up, tarps are on, playing cards are out and snacks are good. The sky clears up just in time for dinner and a movie under the stars, before it’s almost time to leave again on Sunday morning.

A great group camping weekend comes to an end … let’s do this again!

4th of July holiday in South Lake Tahoe brings a great fireworks show – sitting at the beach near the Anderson’s Cabin, we can watch the main show from the casinos in Stateline, but also see the far away fireworks from Incline Village and Tahoe City!

Kristina, Clae and Kody brought cousin Giovanna up for the weekend, and Kirk & I get to claim the cabin’s guest room for the weekend. Nobody’s up early, but we’re lucky and still get a parking spot near our hiking trail for today – Inspiration Point, above Cascade Lake. A beautiful hike through the rocky mountains around Tahoe, ending at a gushing waterfall straight down the face of the mountain.

Sunday’s hike gets a last minute detour, as there is absolutely no parking near Emerald Bay … it’s a tourist mayhem this sunny holiday weekend. We end up parking near the closed Eagle Point campground between Camp Richardson and Vikingsholm “castle”, and explore the campground loop … supposedly reopening in the next year(s). While the campground is not the highlight, a little gravel trail off towards the lake is. It leads to an outlook point, overlooking the entire Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay! Definitely worth the detour.

Andrea, J.T. and Kody

It’s J.T.’s birthday weekend, and we’re heading into the sierras for a long weekend
in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, just outside of Arnold, CA on Hwy 4.

Unlike 3 years ago in our 2nd Fun Finder season, this Memorial Day weekend does NOT have snow in the forecast. Or rain.Or anything in between. Season 5 is so much better … although the elevation is comparable to Pinecrest, CA, the winter was nowhere near the same (drought!), making for a nice and dry trip.

Friday evening is arrival, and site #32 is ours, while the Kristina, Clae & Kody park the Cougar up in the next loop at site #59. They have brought cousin Weston along, and Emma & family are staying at their cabin in Arnold this weekend, so they will come visit, too.

Saturday, Teri & Greg drop off Emma and pick up J.T. in return, as dogs are not allowed on the park trails. Our little group sets off to the Big Stump to get the walk through the North Grove started. The Giant Sequoias in this mixed conifer forest are impressive, the ones standing tall as well as the ones long fallen over.

This holiday weekend is even busier than normal, due to the 150th anniversary of the California State Parks, and the opening of the new Visitor Center here at Calaveras Big Trees. But even with so many people and screaming kids all around, the forest is calm and calming.

Kody’s school bear gets to spend this weekend with us – and as a project for class reports back on its adventures.
Saturday afternoon we pick up J.T. from the cabin and enjoy dinner around the fire.
On Sunday, we all pile into the Tundra and head up a bit further, reaching peak elevation along Hwy 4 at Lake Alpine, where we are off for another little hike along the lake. And we find snow! (but it’s almost gone).

Monday comes way too fast, but not without all of us wishing J.T. a very happy birthday! 2 years with us today (Memorial Day), and about 4 years old now!

The jeep!

For Christmas last year,Kirk’s mom Pat got 4 tickets to Safari West in the hills of Santa Rosa, and Mother’s Day Sunday seems like the perfect day to redeem them!

The weather is perfect on this spring day, as Pat, Adam, Kirk & I arrive for our fascinating three-hour riding and walking adventure in Safari West’s 400-acre preserve.

On the drive, we will get to come in contact with giraffes, gazelles, zebras, oryx, antelopes, cape buffalo, wildebeests and many other of the 700 animals in an exotic African Savannah setting.

What a treat …

If you’re into wildlife, Safari West is highly recommended!

Given the severe drought situation in California this year, the snow in Heavenly is remarkably good, only th every last run down to the valley is not open.

Fun, fun, fun in the sun & snow!

Three days after the big day in late February, we’ve got the trailer packed & truck going. With J.T. in tow, we head south on Hwy 101 towards Soledad, CA. There is no campground on the west side of Pinnacles National Park, so we decide to scratch that idea and go off the grid. On the other side of the freeway we head into the hills to Arroyo Seco. Here in California’s westernmost National forest, the campground offers views of the Ventana Wilderness mountain peaks and one small lake … a very green one!

During our 3 1/2 days in the woods, we have a full 3 days of rain. The heavy, drenching, pouring type. But the propane heater in our trailer works and being the only campers in the entire park (the one camp host guy not considered) is kinda romantic.

Relaxing, enjoying a sunny afternoon walk along the Arroyo Seco River gorge trail and dinner in town (at a little Mexican restaurant in Soledad, 25 min from the camp) as well as listening to the rain for the most part is our program for this trip.
Plus: hoping for some more excursion-friendly weather for our big honeymoon trip in April!

The (almost) whole gang!

Day 4 – 08/16/2012
After packing up the trailer at Lake Spaulding this morning (see “Backpacking Tahoe National Forest”) we’re heading back to civilization – taking I-80 west to Colfax, where we stock up with groceries for the weekend, before heading around the reservoir, to the Peninsula campground for our annual Rollins Lake camping weekend!

2,000 ft lower in elevation than our last site, we certainly feel the difference in heat … it’s a hot 97 degrees in the shade and feels even hotter!

While the Hydricks are already set up at site 49, the Yelawichs arrive (also at 49) while we are just setting up (at site 52). Kristina, Clae & Kody are coming in a few hours later that afternoon, claiming site 50 for the Cougar. The first part of the group is complete and everyone is ready to enjoy the quiet, the water and later the campfire.

Day 5 – 08/17/2012
Today. most of the remaining campers arrive, with the Cobles (Wes, ALisa, Westin, Miles and Giovanna and their 2 dogs Shome and Zoey) plus their friend Frank from NY earlier and the Rosellinis (Jeff, Marie, Mia, Mark and a cousin Audrey from WA) later.

Sun, fun, beach, water, rope swing, campfire, marshmallows, smores, and more … what else could you ask for! Oh, right: food. Well, as always, there was plenty of that!

Day 6 – 08/18/2012
The Alexanders (Abe, Laura, Nick and Ben plus the 2 guinea pigs Chocolate & Vanilla) have joined the crowd just in time for breakfast, after having spent the night “in the wild” due to late arrival.

It is Saturday, and as expected we start the day with food, continue eating throughout, and wrap up with some more. In between, there is more time in & on the water (Wes brought a boat), relaxing (if you can tune out the kids screaming) and fun in the sun.

While the Hydricks and Yelawichs are leaving today already, Clae’s friend Don joins the group this morning, refreshing his childhood camping skills.

No accidents, nobody getting hurt. I think the spell from the last few years is broken!

Day 7 – 08/19/2012
The weekend goes by way to fast, and after another big breakfast, we’re starting to pack up the trailer & site, as most others of our group are doing.

Almost a tradition by now, we get a group photo in before everybody heads on their own ways again. Great memories as usual, and we’ll be back in 2013!

Here are the photos!

Setting up the tent

Day 1 – 08/13/2012
Monday after work, Kirk and I take the truck & trailer back on the road – and J.T. is on board as well, of course! We’re heading into the Sierra mountains again, following I-80 to Yuba Gap and park the trailer at Lake Spaulding Campground, off Hwy-20 at 5,500 ft elevation. Out of the approx. 13 sites here, we find the perfect spot at site #3 (while using all blocks to level the trailer!).

And if it wasn’t for the trains we hear on and off throughout the night, you’d think we’ve gone off the grid!

Day 2 – 08/14/2012
After closing up the trailer in the morning, the 3 of us leave it behind on its site while we take the truck and our backpacks off-roading … up forest roads 18 and then 14 (rough, dirt, steep and 5 miles long), we cover another 2,000 ft elevation to get to Grouse Ridge Lookout & Trail-head.

We’re soon off to our 4.5 mi trek, down 600 ft elevation, through a meadow and back up again 600 ft elevation (phew, someone’s not all that in shape! or is it just the thin air up here?) and after about 2 1/4 hrs we reach our destination: Glacier Lake.

A family of 3 (plus 2 dogs) had passed us earlier and is now setting up camp on the south side of the lake, but we quickly find a spot for us as well. Not perfect, but good, so we take a quick break and then leaves our bags while we explore the surroundings for a potentially better site. And just a few steps down the rocks, right by the water, we find the perfect site! Suddenly re-energized we grab our gear from where we had left it and get ready to claim our site for the rest of the day and tonight!

It’s a beautiful, warm afternoon and after we set up the tent as well as our “kitchen”, we’re ready to relax, swim in the (chilly) Glacier Lake and relax some more.

Dinner is not all that great … when at 7,500 ft elevation, preparing backpakers food or MREs, you really have to follow the instructions. Otherwise it won’t taste right.

Despite the high elevation, it does not get too cold overnight and we’re fine in the tent without the raincover on. But we sure do miss the memory foam mattress pad we have in the trailer!

Day 3 – 08/15/2012
I’m up early,  and while everyone else around the lake is still asleep, J.T. and I go for a walk exploring the rocky areas around our site and enjoy the beautiful view over the 5 Lakes Basin as the sun is coming up.

Then it’s soon time for breakfast (following the instructions on the bags step by step!) and the site gets packed up again. No trails left behind – and by mid-morning we’re hiking back the way we came the day before.

Never happier to see the truck (it must be the thin air!), we reach the trailhead and climb in for a dirt road ride back to our trailer.

The afternoon is spent with cleaning up (thanks to the water spigot right by our site!) and getting some rest. Tonight we won’t hear any trains … just sound asleep on our soft bed!

(Continue reading – Day 4: Rollins Lake Camping 2012)

Here are the photos!

Best friends: J.T. and Kody

It’s time for just one more camping weekend this July (07/27-29, 2012) and we’re headed up through Gold Country and the Sierra Nevada Foothills to Scott’s Flat Lake, near Nevada City.

Kirk, J.T. and I set up on site 3A, and soon after the Cougar pulls in next door, at site 3 with Kristina, Clae and Kody on board. While the campground has no hook ups, it surely has tons and tons of campers on every site around us! It’s packed!

New best friends Kody & J.T. spend most of Saturday morning together before all 6 of us climb on board the little aluminum boat to ship around the lake for the afternoon! The day otherwise has lots of relaxation time and of course a campfire with dinner waiting!

Sunday has another slow start in store, before we pack up as the weekend is over sooner than anyone wanted!

Here are the photos!