Trading Redwoods for Pine Trees
After returning from the Grand Canyon adventure we still had a couple of weeks left at Samuel P Taylor State Park as Campground hosts. Our commitment to the park was through the end of April, but because there was no new host scheduled to arrive until July, the park was happy to have us stay as long as we were able. It was our first May in the park and we found the weather beautiful and flowers blooming that we had not seen earlier. We left Camp Taylor on May 28 and headed to our Colfax area home where we would park the RV until June 4 when we headed to Emerald Bay State Park at Lake Tahoe. During that week we went to Napa for an overnight Endowment Board "retreat" and meeting. Rob has been a member of the Conference Claimants' Endowment Board for several years. Their sole purpose is to provide assistance to the Retired Clergy of the California Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in a variety of ways including helping to pay for retirees' health care costs.
On June 4 we headed to Tahoe in time for the opening of Eagle Point Campground at Emerald Bay on June 6. I left Rob with the other camp host couple from June 6 to the 10th while I attended the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Sacramento. It's the first full Annual Conference I have attended since before retirement and before pandemic. It was good to be with colleagues, to worship together and to walk with friends in the early mornings. And it was good to settle into our camp host duties at Emerald Bay when I returned. I will never tire of this place, nor of the beautiful Redwoods and open spaces of West Marin County. This migratory lifestyle continues to please both Rob and me.
Seen on the back of an RV at Samuel P Taylor.
Of course the bears referred to here are not the American Black Bears of Lake Tahoe.
Before leaving Camp Taylor daughters Erin and Ruth treated Rob and me to a San Francisco Giants Game as a Mothers' and Fathers' Day gift to us. On May 18 Rob and I drove to the Larkspur Fairy Terminal to head to San Francisco for the game.
The Golden Gate Bridge as seen from the ferry.
Passing Angel Island.
On the streets of San Francisco, headed to the stadium.
Arriving at Oracle Park.
Rob waiting under the statue of Willie Mays.
We got there early, so the stadium looked pretty deserted at this point.
Looks like we're the only fans there.
All of us: Erin, Rob, me, Ruth Jody and Orion.
Ruth and Jody, her fiancé.
The stadium filled in nicely by the time the game got under way, and the Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 14 to 4. Rob and I were able to get the ferry back to Larkspur right by the stadium - a very sweet way to commute to the game!
On the way back to Marin County on the ferry we saw a fire boat putting out a fire on Yerba Buena Island.
What little bird do you think this is?
No, it is not a duck, nor a chicken. It is a wild turkey! On my way up the driveway to the house in the Colfax area a mama turkey with lots of little babies ran across the driveway in front of me and then she managed to chase her brood through the front yard fence where she couldn't follow. They ran up on the deck and Ruth captured this one for a photo op while mama turkey was frantically calling her brood to come out of the area she had chased them into. They all managed to rejoin her, including this itty bitty one. They couldn't have hatched very long before we saw them.
Arriving at beautiful Lake Tahoe, May 20.
This Snow Flower was evidence that the snows had receded not too long before.
After the training at Sugar Pine Point State Park Theresa and I headed to Emerald Bay.
The view into Emerald Bay from the Overlook Trail in Eagle Point Campground.
Theresa and me with the previous view behind us.
Mount Tallac still showing a bunch of snow on May 20.
This truck was trying to go from Highway 50 to Highway 80 via Highway 89 around Emerald Bay.
It was not an appropriate route for such a long rig.
Notice the mangled wheel and the log caught between two wheels.
The driver said this happened on one of the two hair pin turns before he got to this location right in front of Eagle Point Campground. He was waiting for parked cars to clear from the area before he attempted to turn his rig around and head back to South Lake Tahoe. We wished him luck, though we both wanted to stick around to see how he managed the turn around. I headed back to Samuel P Taylor in Marin County while Theresa went back to the west shore of Lake Tahoe where she had a cabin for the night.
This fox came out from under the bridge over Lagunitas Creek at Camp Taylor.
It posed briefly for me before scurrying off.
A Western Star Flower at Camp Taylor.
This sign warning of a large Redwood Tree across Pioneer Tree Trail greeting me on Tuesday May 21.
I felt compelled to see the large tree.
This was it!
Rather underwhelming - I could step across it.
A Columbine.
Notice the Stash and Latch Sign with the bear picture?
This sign at Samuel P Taylor was amusing to us because of our bear experience at Lake Tahoe. Apparently last summer there was a bear in the campground and employee area for a couple of weeks and so these signs were posted on the dumpsters to keep the bears out. We were amused because we know that even with the bar securely latched a bear, and the raccoons, could still manage to get in the dumpsters with these flimsy divided tops.
Finally, the firewood to sell arrive - one week before we left!
Four hats I made for Park Staff.
From left to right they represent, Sequoia National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and the California Pacific Coast Highway. All places were named by the various employees as their favorite places in California.
Sticky Monkey Flower
Field Bindweed
Shawn, and his girls Sophia and Naomi and Shawn's significant other Cheryl and her sons came to camp over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Naomi sliding down a Redwood slide while Sophia prepares to.
Naomi with some charcoal "paint."
Sophia looking mean with some as well.
Shawn demonstrating how a magnifying glass can ignite a fire.
See the new spring growth?
There had been signs of spring for months, but now it was in full swing.
Still some water in the seasonal Wild Cat Canyon Creek.
May 28, 2024, our last day at Camp Taylor until November.
"Lucille," our three year old Subaru Forester turned over 50,000 miles on May 29.
Lots of developing Ponderosa pine cones in Colfax.
A riddle at the Starbucks in Napa.
The spouses of the Endowment Board members were treated to a Gondola ride on the Napa River.
Canada Geese on the Napa River.
Arrived at Lake Tahoe, June 4.
An early morning kayak paddle, June 5.
Looking at Emerald Point.
The water was smooth as glass!
One Common Merganser duck.
My morning resting beach just outside Emerald Bay.
Momma Merganser and her ducklings.
Mount Tallac on my way back to Eagle Point.
Early morning sky, June 6.
Sky above "my" mountain.
Sky looking north form our Overlook and Eagle Point Campground.
Looking east to where the sun would come up.
More sky over "my" mountain.
Eagle Falls is quite visible to the right of the tree in the center.
Looking through the dead trees to the ridge near Dick's Peak.
Tallac is on the left, South Maggie's Peak is on the right.
Fannette Island, and the water fall, and "my" mountain behind.
Early morning, June 11.
On the evening of June 11 I did a short kayak paddle in the bay scouting for a beach to land on in the future. Lake Tahoe is pretty much at its legal limit this year as a result of the last two years of good snowfall so all the beaches are smaller, and some are non existent. Lake Tahoe is of course a natural lake, but there is a dam at Tahoe City that allows the lake to fill 6 feet above its natural rim. That six feet is the Lake Tahoe "reservoir" which helps to ensure a water supply down stream along the Truckee River, including the Reno area. There are pros and cons to all dams, but modern urbanization has put high demands on finite water sources.
This is an area where I managed to beach my kayak last year - no place for it this year.
Wednesday morning, June 12, I hiked down the Rubicon Trail between camp check rounds. I only had time to get to Eagle Creek where it crosses under a bridge not far from the Visitor Center, beach and Vikingsholm at the south end of Emerald Bay.
The water was running high in the creek.
Still lots of melting snow.
Me with the creek behind me.
Thursday morning, June 13.
I saw this bear on the road between the lower and upper campgrounds at Eagle Point after delivering the John Deere Gator to the other camp hosts. I heard some rustling in the bushes above the road, and when I looked up I saw this fellow. When he saw me he stopped and diverted his trajectory a bit and then came down onto the road below me. This was the first bear I would see this season. Rob had already seen one in the campground.
Here is "Big Boy" on the road.
Without a tag I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but I named this one Big Boy because he was pretty good sized and the males are generally bigger than the females.
An impressive carving on an old tree that had died.
A closeup showing a bear on the left and a raccoon peaking out on the right.
This "Penny" bear is covered with many thousands of pennies.
Looking across Commons Beach in Tahoe City.
Looking North from our campground, June 15.
Early morning, June 17 from the Overlook.
Early morning, June 17 looking north.
Lower Eagle Falls on June 17 - still lots of melting snow coming down.
Me with the falls behind.
Look at all those babies!
A Merganser family near the Vikingsholm visitor center.
On June 18 I would take my first hike to Eagle Lake. Eagle Lake is reached by a mile long trail from Highway 89 above Emerald Bay, but I like to walk out the door of our RV, then down the Rubicon Trail to the back of Emerald Bay, then up to the highway and across to the trail. It makes for about a 9 1/2 mile round trip.
Looking down on Emerald Bay from the trail going up from Vikingsholm.
Eagle Falls Trail Head.
Upper Eagle Falls.
Eagle Creek above the bridge over Upper Eagle Falls.
Looking back at Lake Tahoe as I climb the trail to Eagle Lake.
Another view.
My mountain!
One of the beautiful rock gardens.
A first glimpse of Eagle Lake.
Another view of Eagle Lake.
The view of the lake from my resting spot.
Me on my resting log.
The Eagle Falls Trail to Eagle Lake is probably just about the most popular hike at Lake Tahoe, but when I hike early I don't see too many people on the way up, and though many people congregate at the first part of the lake, not many travel back on the little trail I take back to where there are a couple of backpack camping spots so I do get some solitude. This lake and "my" mountain above it became dear to me when I backpacked there with the Girl Scouts when I was 13 or 14. It always feels like going home when I go there. I need to keep in good enough shape to be able to keep visiting this special spot at least until I'm 80!
On the way back down.
This little squirrel "posed" for me on a rock on my way back down.
It sat like this for quite awhile like it was waiting for me to take its picture.
As soon as I did it scampered off.
A profile of the squirrel as it ran away.
A view of Emerald Bay from the trail between Highway 89 and Vikingsholm.
A closeup view of Fannette Island on my way down the trail.
Another early morning kayak paddle, June 19.
Not as glassy as my last paddle across the bay, but still pretty reflections.
A Merganser family.
Notice the baby riding on the back of mama.
My resting spot around the corner from Emerald Point.
Mama Merganser with her hitchhiking baby.
Other babies were nearby.
Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe on June 19.
The peak in the background is Mt. Tallac just beyond south shore.
Beautiful evening sky over Emerald Bay, June 20.
As I write this, it is already July 16. I'll need to catch up later. Getting the blog written is a challenge because our connectivity is sporadic. More bear stories in the next post!
In Roseville.
Yes, Elsie has moved - along with Ruth, Avi and Joy (the dog) to Roseville with Ruth's fiancé Jody. The horse and goats remain in Colfax as Ruth and Jody and children plan to use Colfax as a weekend retreat.
Comments
Post a Comment