Hoover Wilderness

This past weekend Laura and I went up to the Hoover Creek Wilderness. For a weekend trip the drive was pretty long and I'm not sure it was worth it for an overnight trip. A long weekend would have been better time frame for this trip.

Having stopped by the full-of-information and friendly Bridgeport Ranger station we headed up to Green Creek trail head. The hike in was a mild and leisurely climb. The combination of the altitude and hot sun by the middle of the hike neither of us were feeling super well. After reaching Green Lake we headed up to East Lake to find a site to camp. After a short search we found a beautiful spot on the southeast side of East Lake. It was comfortable and secluded - we didn't see another campsite within a few miles of our own.

After setting up camp we packed our dinner and warm clothes into a pack and headed up toward the pass. We were hoping to eat dinner at the pass and watch the sun go down. Again, the altitude got the best of us and we only made it up as far as Hoover Lakes. The spot was unbeatable. We saw a yellow-bellied marmot and thoroughly enjoyed the Alpine views all around us. Our burritos were quite tasty too. We ate more than we could stomach (in order to reduce weight for the return hike) and ended up having terrible farting problems all night long. And I mean the worst gas I've ever had in my entire life.

As the sun began to set and we finished dinner we headed back to the campsite where we drank hot chocolate and ate a small desert. An hour or so after night fall we climbed into our sleeping bags. Unfortunately the wind howled all night and we got very little sleep. There have only been a few times in my life when I was relieved to see the sun come up and this was one of them. In the early morning light we finally got a few hours of good REM sleep.

We hiked out directly after eating and headed for Yosemite. We took the Tioga Pass Road and decided, because of time, not to enter the Yosemite Valley. From the Olmsted Point though I got to see Half Dome for the first time. I cannot wait to get back to the park sometime in September or August to see the Valley in all of its splendor.

Hiking

Armstrong Redwoods State Recreation Area
and
Austin Creek State Recreation Area

My friend Whitney and I spent Saturday night in the Manning's Flat I campground about 4 miles from Bullfrog pond. We felt lucky to have the opportunity to hike into our campsite and leave the normal hustle and bustle of the family campground behind.

The Gilliam trail along the creekside was my favorite part of the trip. It reminded me of hiking trails in Kuna Yala, where I spent two years in Peace Corps, as the trail criss-crossed the creek a number of times.

I haven't hiked or camped since last September and I felt re-energized by the experience. The details of daily life that one is confronted by when hiking really does take ones mind off the minutia of daily life. I was happy to have my monkey brain quieted for awhile.

We didn't spend too much time in Armstrong Redwoods SR but during my short time there I came to love redwood groves more than I ever have before. Even two trips to Muir Woods didn't inspire me as much as twenty minutes in the Armstrong grove.

Thanks, Whitney for a great weekend. Being as unprepared as we were for hiking made it that much better.

Old Oakland Farmer's Market

The Old Oakland Farmer's Market at 9th and Broadway on Fridays:
This is my favorite local farmer's market. I don't know if I would make a special trip here on Friday's if I wasn't downtown already. But if you're here on a Friday this is a must see. I think it stands apart because it is a safe and friendly pedestrian oasis in downtown Oakland. Monday-Thursday when I leave the office to get some fresh air or buy lunch I am always struck by the seediness of the sidewalks that make up Oakland's urban core. While I like the authenticity of this seediness I must admit that I do not look forward to stepping into it each day - in many ways staying in the office for lunch can be more relaxing. In contract the Old Oakland Farmer's Market is warm, inviting, busy but not crowded, and always has pleasing music and food.