For eleven years I have been taking the new interns of the University of California Medical Center, Emergency Department whitewater rafting. I welcome them to their first year as physicians in our residency program by telling them how not to miss out on their experiences here. And I share with them all sorts of fun, historical or explanatory information as we go blasting down the American River.
Well a few of them and several of my friends suggested I write a book. ... As if I had time to write a book!
So this is it! ... Whenever my muse and time converge, I add more to my working draft of a book, this blog.
I am shamelessly also pomoting my friend Roz Savage at www.RozSavage.com because she ties in the ecological message so much better than I ever could. The confluence of me writing a book about my Northern Califonia adventures and meeting and planning Roz's events in the US resulted in what you have now.
I write sporadically and according to the season so please see past posts to find the "chapter" or season of adventure that you would like to plan for. Please feel free to share any information you find enlightening. I believe the better we understand our world/planet/earth, the better we cultivate our relationship with her.
Recently, I have turned some of my blogs into video: Here is one about going to Hawaii!
http://youtu.be/A3IuPxW2fcU
Cheers, Enjoy and Share. More to come...
Mahalo
Jay Gosuico
OutsideJay
Jay Go on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/outsidejay
24 February 2012
06 December 2011
Snowboarding 101, the intro...
First learn if you are "goofy" or regular "footed"
It is kind of like finding out if you are left handed or right handed...there
are several ways to do this. The easiest is to jump on a
skateboard and see which foot you like to have up front and which foot
you kick or "pump" with. Another good way is to put a tennis ball (or smaller size) ball
in front of you, aim for a target, and see which foot you kick it with. Write it down!
There are other ways but most require a lack of concentration. IE Have a friend note
which foot you climb steps first.. Or pretend you are boxing or surfing, because
you almost always put your stronger foot forward to catch your balance. Btw this term
came from surfing cos most riders are regular footed(right foot forward). Remember
to write it down first.
NEXT do sit-ups and some push ups. Like 20 and 10 respectively per
day...work up to it slowly if you must. Most people get up from bed once or twice a day.
Beginner snowboarders get up 50 to 100 times the first day...most beginner
snowboarders will have sore necks and shoulders from the multiple raises.
Get good equipment and padding, wear appropriate clothes
Cotton is NOT good. it stays wet and wicks heat from you. NO Cotton at altitude.
Get BOOTS that fit. Walk around in them for 20 min. If they hurt
return them. Too loose and you will get blisters or lack of turning
control. (Boots and Bindings may not be compatible)
Get Good BINDINGS...I recommend "Flow" bindings for beginners...
(google Flow bindings or ask me)
RENT a board, but usually this requires bindings. So buy a board that
fits...a board when stood up, comes up somewhere between chin and top
of forehead. You will probably out grow this board in two seasons.
Sometimes I recommend a boots/bindings/board package but a small
mistake in buying this could lead to big headaches later. Not a lot of
technology in these...so buying new but last years model will save a
buck or two. Watch for wear and tear if your buying used...if it shows
on the outside it's probably bad off in the inside.
PAD up. You'll want a helmet for day two and three. not going that fast
on day one. You'll want to pad up knees elbows. BUTT/HIP pads are
highly recommended and available at most stores as padded shorts for
inliners and snowboarders.
If you are self conscious about looking like a beginner, wear muted
colors your first three days. All black or all blue are excellent
choices. Padded, they'll never recognise you. When you get better you
start wearing the purples and greens to go with your eyes!
Padding is insulation so layer the rest. thin under garments or rash
guard. The middle layer should be thicker. And a thick outer layer that is wind
and water resistant but BREATHABLE outer shell is highly recommended.
PICK the right weather...
Not too late in the season...too icy and hard. Too "fluffy" after a
really big storm is great for the buttocks but(t) you'll never get
enough speed to learn for day two or three. And it makes it tough to get
up in because you are always sinking. Too cold and you spend all your energy
trying to get or stay warm. Too hot and it's raining or icing up for
tomorrow, or worse, you are all wet and melting icicles keep dripping on
you making your mascara run.
I am assuming you are not independently wealthy or you would get
yourself a personal trainer and personal instructor instead of reading
this: So find a deal...WWW.SLIDINGONTHECHEAP.COM Yes, sliding on the
cheap all in one spell.
I patrol at Sierra at Tahoe on a snowboard. I recommend the three day
pass. (For one person three days consecutive or not consecutive) 149
or 50 dollars per day. www.sierraattahoe.com
Paying more is ridiculous on your first days as 4/5 of the mountain will
be out of your reach of your ability.
Devote three days in a given month to get good. Consecutive days may
require IB800 but too far apart and you lose what you learned.
Remember, its mostly muscle memory. Take rest stops and enjoy the
mountains often. It will allow your muscles to rest for the next lesson.
Practice FALLING or wear wrist splints. Martial artists do this for
many years: Falling forward: bend at the knees and pelvis land on
knees first roll forward onto elbows and forearms! Falling backwards:
bend at the knees and pelvis and roll over a curved back using elbows
to soften the blow to the lower back.
My classes always start with about 1.5 hours of this in the am of day
one AND if you fall wrong, I make you fall right and get up again. If
you are a friend of mine you probably use your hands for a living and
prefer not to dangle them at the wrists helplessly, so this is really
important for me!
If you have your own gear: put them on, go to grass(lawn) or old
carpet and jump around in them. First taking small tiny jumps and then
doing "x"'s and 180's and for overachievers; 360's. This is what it
feels like to have a board strapped to your feet, and your muscles
learn pretty quickly: "oh yeah!" so it's absolutely not strange when
you put a little snow under it. Plus it's a good quad exercise. Be
careful of your equipment and knees. Fall right, if you fall at all.
If you get really good at that try it on a balance disc. Then with one
binding only and then the other binding only.
When you are learning to carve or link turns remember to be cognisant
of your instructors stance. A good instructor will be able to show you
what he or she means by demonstration. That demo should be
in the goofy or regular stance that you are in.
Current studies show that most sporting injuries occur with poor
nutritional intake and/or poor hydration. Eat well AND pee twice
before getting to the mountain, once at lunch, once at stop, once at
the bar, and once before dreamland,,,at least.
There is a reason why Scandinavians have a mistrust of
pepper and equatorial countries eat hot, juicy and spicy...so
don't go all equatorial and then head up to the summit.
Eat early to avoid crowds at noon to two pm.
Tell someone that your going AND(best) go with another person.
"Winterize" your car. The more you can not worry about the better fun
you'll have:) Tune your gear. Doing so is cheap($5-10), but poor gear
will make poor performance in this gear-condition dependent sport.
If you fall toe side when getting off the lift crawl with knuckles and
knees laterally and out of the way. If you fall heelside when getting off
the lift crawl with knuckles and butt laterally and out of the way.
Remember that EVERYBODY Falls. EVERYBODY!
Snowboarding 102
Now it's time to see if you like turning and spinning and jumping or
if you like just some damn good carving! "Freestyle" is all the
spinning and parks stuff...and in a nut shell "Slalom" is just getting
down as fast as possible. How this pertains to you is your "stance".
My free style stance is 30 degrees toe out on both feet in a "duck" stance
(yes I know I am bowlegged). My slalom stance is 20 degrees toe out on
my front foot and 15 degrees toe in on my rear foot (both feet facing
nose of board). I also have slalom (hard plastic, similar to ski,
-boots and a board that only goes forward). My freestyle board is
completely symmetrical and rounded on both ends and is long enough to
patrol in. My park board is super short and I've dulled the edges so
that it does not catch on rails, however I would sink in any condition
other than park groomies because it's so short and the dull edges will
not carve a turn well in ice. My slalom board bindings(both front and back)
are set a little back so that my body weight is centered more on the back portion.
Remember, this is the board that never goes "fakey". In skateboarding the
opposite is riding "nollie" or riding with your body weight to the nose of your board.
FAKEY:
Since I am ambidextrous I like to go "fakey" a lot. My
goofy(right) foot is my stronger side and I "fake" my friends out by
doing a 180 and riding with my left foot forward. This is also
commonly but wrongly called switch or switch stance. It is probably now a
mute point: So I go ahead and call it "riding switch". And as of this
writing most people consider switch and fakey synonyms. The term came
from surfing (where the nose of the board stayed the same, but because you
were not bound in as in snowboarding, you were able to "switch" into fakey. The
big difference is that the surf board continued to go forward. In snowboarding, you
spin the board with your stance. Semantics fo sho!:)
Dude, if you are still reading this, then I am assuming I did you some
good, so I would appreciate you clicking on the link below as a return favor.
It is a link to a petition to make the London 2012 Olympics plastic bag free.
As of this writing, Roz and Five Gyres are helping spread the word to an international
crowd. Even if you are in the beginning of your evolution to minimize the
plastic in your life, this ban on the plastic bag on the international scene would
do wonders and make it easier for all of us to reduce consumption. 1/3 of the 500 million
tons of plastic produced every year is used for 20 seconds and then thrown in landfills or
oceans forever. Plastic does not biodegrade, it photodegrades which means we
leach the chemicals into the plants and animals eventually haunting us and our
grandchildren.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/2012-plastic-bag-free-olympics.html
http://www.rozsavage.com/
Mahalo and much Aloha
~Jay
It is kind of like finding out if you are left handed or right handed...there
are several ways to do this. The easiest is to jump on a
skateboard and see which foot you like to have up front and which foot
you kick or "pump" with. Another good way is to put a tennis ball (or smaller size) ball
in front of you, aim for a target, and see which foot you kick it with. Write it down!
There are other ways but most require a lack of concentration. IE Have a friend note
which foot you climb steps first.. Or pretend you are boxing or surfing, because
you almost always put your stronger foot forward to catch your balance. Btw this term
came from surfing cos most riders are regular footed(right foot forward). Remember
to write it down first.
NEXT do sit-ups and some push ups. Like 20 and 10 respectively per
day...work up to it slowly if you must. Most people get up from bed once or twice a day.
Beginner snowboarders get up 50 to 100 times the first day...most beginner
snowboarders will have sore necks and shoulders from the multiple raises.
Get good equipment and padding, wear appropriate clothes
Cotton is NOT good. it stays wet and wicks heat from you. NO Cotton at altitude.
Get BOOTS that fit. Walk around in them for 20 min. If they hurt
return them. Too loose and you will get blisters or lack of turning
control. (Boots and Bindings may not be compatible)
Get Good BINDINGS...I recommend "Flow" bindings for beginners...
(google Flow bindings or ask me)
RENT a board, but usually this requires bindings. So buy a board that
fits...a board when stood up, comes up somewhere between chin and top
of forehead. You will probably out grow this board in two seasons.
Sometimes I recommend a boots/bindings/board package but a small
mistake in buying this could lead to big headaches later. Not a lot of
technology in these...so buying new but last years model will save a
buck or two. Watch for wear and tear if your buying used...if it shows
on the outside it's probably bad off in the inside.
PAD up. You'll want a helmet for day two and three. not going that fast
on day one. You'll want to pad up knees elbows. BUTT/HIP pads are
highly recommended and available at most stores as padded shorts for
inliners and snowboarders.
If you are self conscious about looking like a beginner, wear muted
colors your first three days. All black or all blue are excellent
choices. Padded, they'll never recognise you. When you get better you
start wearing the purples and greens to go with your eyes!
Padding is insulation so layer the rest. thin under garments or rash
guard. The middle layer should be thicker. And a thick outer layer that is wind
and water resistant but BREATHABLE outer shell is highly recommended.
PICK the right weather...
Not too late in the season...too icy and hard. Too "fluffy" after a
really big storm is great for the buttocks but(t) you'll never get
enough speed to learn for day two or three. And it makes it tough to get
up in because you are always sinking. Too cold and you spend all your energy
trying to get or stay warm. Too hot and it's raining or icing up for
tomorrow, or worse, you are all wet and melting icicles keep dripping on
you making your mascara run.
I am assuming you are not independently wealthy or you would get
yourself a personal trainer and personal instructor instead of reading
this: So find a deal...WWW.SLIDINGONTHECHEAP.COM Yes, sliding on the
cheap all in one spell.
I patrol at Sierra at Tahoe on a snowboard. I recommend the three day
pass. (For one person three days consecutive or not consecutive) 149
or 50 dollars per day. www.sierraattahoe.com
Paying more is ridiculous on your first days as 4/5 of the mountain will
be out of your reach of your ability.
Devote three days in a given month to get good. Consecutive days may
require IB800 but too far apart and you lose what you learned.
Remember, its mostly muscle memory. Take rest stops and enjoy the
mountains often. It will allow your muscles to rest for the next lesson.
Practice FALLING or wear wrist splints. Martial artists do this for
many years: Falling forward: bend at the knees and pelvis land on
knees first roll forward onto elbows and forearms! Falling backwards:
bend at the knees and pelvis and roll over a curved back using elbows
to soften the blow to the lower back.
My classes always start with about 1.5 hours of this in the am of day
one AND if you fall wrong, I make you fall right and get up again. If
you are a friend of mine you probably use your hands for a living and
prefer not to dangle them at the wrists helplessly, so this is really
important for me!
If you have your own gear: put them on, go to grass(lawn) or old
carpet and jump around in them. First taking small tiny jumps and then
doing "x"'s and 180's and for overachievers; 360's. This is what it
feels like to have a board strapped to your feet, and your muscles
learn pretty quickly: "oh yeah!" so it's absolutely not strange when
you put a little snow under it. Plus it's a good quad exercise. Be
careful of your equipment and knees. Fall right, if you fall at all.
If you get really good at that try it on a balance disc. Then with one
binding only and then the other binding only.
When you are learning to carve or link turns remember to be cognisant
of your instructors stance. A good instructor will be able to show you
what he or she means by demonstration. That demo should be
in the goofy or regular stance that you are in.
Current studies show that most sporting injuries occur with poor
nutritional intake and/or poor hydration. Eat well AND pee twice
before getting to the mountain, once at lunch, once at stop, once at
the bar, and once before dreamland,,,at least.
There is a reason why Scandinavians have a mistrust of
pepper and equatorial countries eat hot, juicy and spicy...so
don't go all equatorial and then head up to the summit.
Eat early to avoid crowds at noon to two pm.
Tell someone that your going AND(best) go with another person.
"Winterize" your car. The more you can not worry about the better fun
you'll have:) Tune your gear. Doing so is cheap($5-10), but poor gear
will make poor performance in this gear-condition dependent sport.
If you fall toe side when getting off the lift crawl with knuckles and
knees laterally and out of the way. If you fall heelside when getting off
the lift crawl with knuckles and butt laterally and out of the way.
Remember that EVERYBODY Falls. EVERYBODY!
Snowboarding 102
Now it's time to see if you like turning and spinning and jumping or
if you like just some damn good carving! "Freestyle" is all the
spinning and parks stuff...and in a nut shell "Slalom" is just getting
down as fast as possible. How this pertains to you is your "stance".
My free style stance is 30 degrees toe out on both feet in a "duck" stance
(yes I know I am bowlegged). My slalom stance is 20 degrees toe out on
my front foot and 15 degrees toe in on my rear foot (both feet facing
nose of board). I also have slalom (hard plastic, similar to ski,
-boots and a board that only goes forward). My freestyle board is
completely symmetrical and rounded on both ends and is long enough to
patrol in. My park board is super short and I've dulled the edges so
that it does not catch on rails, however I would sink in any condition
other than park groomies because it's so short and the dull edges will
not carve a turn well in ice. My slalom board bindings(both front and back)
are set a little back so that my body weight is centered more on the back portion.
Remember, this is the board that never goes "fakey". In skateboarding the
opposite is riding "nollie" or riding with your body weight to the nose of your board.
FAKEY:
Since I am ambidextrous I like to go "fakey" a lot. My
goofy(right) foot is my stronger side and I "fake" my friends out by
doing a 180 and riding with my left foot forward. This is also
commonly but wrongly called switch or switch stance. It is probably now a
mute point: So I go ahead and call it "riding switch". And as of this
writing most people consider switch and fakey synonyms. The term came
from surfing (where the nose of the board stayed the same, but because you
were not bound in as in snowboarding, you were able to "switch" into fakey. The
big difference is that the surf board continued to go forward. In snowboarding, you
spin the board with your stance. Semantics fo sho!:)
Dude, if you are still reading this, then I am assuming I did you some
good, so I would appreciate you clicking on the link below as a return favor.
It is a link to a petition to make the London 2012 Olympics plastic bag free.
As of this writing, Roz and Five Gyres are helping spread the word to an international
crowd. Even if you are in the beginning of your evolution to minimize the
plastic in your life, this ban on the plastic bag on the international scene would
do wonders and make it easier for all of us to reduce consumption. 1/3 of the 500 million
tons of plastic produced every year is used for 20 seconds and then thrown in landfills or
oceans forever. Plastic does not biodegrade, it photodegrades which means we
leach the chemicals into the plants and animals eventually haunting us and our
grandchildren.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/2012-plastic-bag-free-olympics.html
http://www.rozsavage.com/
Mahalo and much Aloha
~Jay
07 October 2011
Avatar Kayaking! October 27th 2011 is the next new moon
SHE DID IT! On October fourth Roz Savage became the first woman to row a 23 foot rowboat across three oceans! She did it solo and unsupported. She slept in a bunk just big enough to sit her lying down with her ankles hanging off the edge. She grew her own bean sprouts, at Larabars and broke two of her four oars during two capsizes!
more information at www.RozSavage.com
This is about how you can go Avatar Kayaking in Tomales Bay on October 27th during a no moon night.
Watch this video first:
http://youtu.be/tQX3yK8aw3Y
For fifteen years I have been taking people kayaking in these waters in Tomales Bay! Video has finally caught up with me and my ability to describe what you can expect to see. Just pay your $5 to park at Miller's Cove boat Launch at Nick's Cove and head South past the lights of the restaurant.
Roz is currently in Mauritius basking in her glory! But on Friday, October 14th in San Francisco, She will be at a welcome back party that I am hosting for her at Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason Center... This is your invite!
October 27th plus or minus two days is the time to be out on the water!
Cheers all!
OutsideJay
more information at www.RozSavage.com
This is about how you can go Avatar Kayaking in Tomales Bay on October 27th during a no moon night.
Watch this video first:
http://youtu.be/tQX3yK8aw3Y
For fifteen years I have been taking people kayaking in these waters in Tomales Bay! Video has finally caught up with me and my ability to describe what you can expect to see. Just pay your $5 to park at Miller's Cove boat Launch at Nick's Cove and head South past the lights of the restaurant.
Roz is currently in Mauritius basking in her glory! But on Friday, October 14th in San Francisco, She will be at a welcome back party that I am hosting for her at Greens Restaurant in Fort Mason Center... This is your invite!
October 27th plus or minus two days is the time to be out on the water!
Cheers all!
OutsideJay
13 September 2011
Point Montara Lighthouse
Point Montara Lighthouse is now a hostel, for 28 dollars, you can spend the night there. Take the kids tidepooling, rent the hot tub on the cliff and watch the sunset with cassiopeia smiling above! Many lighthouses and fire lookouts are now rentable in some way as we use satellites to watch for forest fires and for ship navigation. They are not only historic but offer a commanding view! see my previous blogs for more details.
http://www.hihostels.com/
Roz is trying to get her mom, Rita flown to where she will make landfall. She will become the first woman to row the big three oceans. Please share this information so that we are able to be a par of bringing the two together. They have such a rich story to offer to the rest of the world. I know, I have seen it :)
Cheers,
Jay
OutsideJay@gmail.com
http://www.hihostels.com/
Roz is trying to get her mom, Rita flown to where she will make landfall. She will become the first woman to row the big three oceans. Please share this information so that we are able to be a par of bringing the two together. They have such a rich story to offer to the rest of the world. I know, I have seen it :)
Cheers,
Jay
OutsideJay@gmail.com
11 September 2011
Auburn/ Foresthill Bridge/ Confluence and more
This is one of my favorite hikes of all times. I would take Kasey here when she was only a few months old and would let her walk as much as she wanted to and then picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. Boating-wise, the confluence of the two rivers has somehow always been sacred to me...
Just on the east side of Auburn spanning over the North Fork of the American River looms the Foresthill Bridge. Erected in 1973 at 731 feet tall, it was then, the second tallest bridge in the world and today, is only dwarfed by four other bridges in the US. It remains the tallest bridge in California and stars in the opening sequence with Vin Diesel in the movie XXX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresthill_Bridge
http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Auburn-Foresthill_Bridge
http://www.maps.google.com/ and cut and paste this coordinate in the search prompt field: 38.922441,-121.038716
Hiking, biking, boating and swimming activities abound here. This is how I recommend your day.
Start your day off by heading over to Auburn and exiting Maple Street to enjoy a brunch (closed on Monday and Tuesday) at Latitudes Organic restaurant: http://latitudesrestaurant.com/ They change the menu every year to reflect a chosen latitude of a country serving organic good stuff from menus around the world. It is always a fresh idea full with flavor and never a question for your artfully colorful, discerning, taster's pallette.
Then dust off the sneakers and go for a sight seeing tour by heading over to Foresthill Road, driving across the bridge and parking on the other side. Take a brief walk over the bridge for some spectacular sight seeing. Note all of the hiking and mountain biking trails that meander through the canyon below.
Then keep going in the same direction away from Auburn toward Foresthill and make the first turn to the right. You just turned off Foresthill Road and onto Old Forest Hill Road. Had the Auburn Dam been built, much of the confluence and valley of the North and Middle forks of the American River would have been drowned, taking the older road, bridge and trails with it. Follow the Old Foresthill Road down into the canyon where you will cross the older but still commanding bridge. The easier path is to the east of the bridge following the banks of the river upstream under the Foresthill Bridge and further upstream yet to more beaches, swimming holes and eventually Lake Clementine.
Lake Clementine is accessible via road also ( 38.920288,-121.003611 ) and the springtime overflow is not to be missed! http://www.waterfallswest.com/ . Upper Lake Clementine Road ends in a very big beach along side the river. I have come here on weekends and it is packed. The gravel roads will give you an excuse to find an ecologically friendly way to wash your car ( 38.967751,-120.974536 ).
Alternatively, you can just hike on either side of the bridge to go under the bridge and relax in the cool waters as it flows between the spans. The bridge itself provides a parasol for those that seek shade. The demarcation is obvious and those that worship the sun can sit on the other side of the line. All of these trails are clearly marked and difficult to get lost. (38.916268,-121.035495)
There is plenty of parking on either side of the bridge and overflow parking all the way to the Highway 49 (the third bridge in the area). There are more easy and difficult hiking trails here. Consult google maps for other nearby trails.
I also recommend Ikeda's in Auburn. http://www.yelp.com/biz/ikedas-california-country-market-auburn They always have the right hot sauces in the summer and the most perfect pies this side of the Atlantic.
Another nearby hike is Hidden Falls http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/Facility/parks/hiddenfalls.aspx
it is a park near Auburn (38.956022,-121.16405)
A large Mountain Biking and Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) or all terrain, mostly dirt bikes area is very nearby, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1343 , ( 38.920288,-121.003611 )
Hikes in and around Auburn are easy look-ups with google and maps.google.com as well as images.google.com and of coarse via emailing me...
Have a great day! Get out there. Bring the kids!
~Jay
OutsideJay@gmail.com
Roz is two to three weeks from finishing her Indian Ocean Row. She will be the first woman to row across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. She will be making a guest appearance in mid-October in San Francisco Bay Area for a welcome back home party! Go to http://www.rozsavage.com/ and stay tuned.
If you like what you see on this blog, please share it with your friends. Or better yet, call up a friend and go for a hike!
Just on the east side of Auburn spanning over the North Fork of the American River looms the Foresthill Bridge. Erected in 1973 at 731 feet tall, it was then, the second tallest bridge in the world and today, is only dwarfed by four other bridges in the US. It remains the tallest bridge in California and stars in the opening sequence with Vin Diesel in the movie XXX
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foresthill_Bridge
http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Auburn-Foresthill_Bridge
http://www.maps.google.com/ and cut and paste this coordinate in the search prompt field: 38.922441,-121.038716
Hiking, biking, boating and swimming activities abound here. This is how I recommend your day.
Start your day off by heading over to Auburn and exiting Maple Street to enjoy a brunch (closed on Monday and Tuesday) at Latitudes Organic restaurant: http://latitudesrestaurant.com/ They change the menu every year to reflect a chosen latitude of a country serving organic good stuff from menus around the world. It is always a fresh idea full with flavor and never a question for your artfully colorful, discerning, taster's pallette.
Then dust off the sneakers and go for a sight seeing tour by heading over to Foresthill Road, driving across the bridge and parking on the other side. Take a brief walk over the bridge for some spectacular sight seeing. Note all of the hiking and mountain biking trails that meander through the canyon below.
Then keep going in the same direction away from Auburn toward Foresthill and make the first turn to the right. You just turned off Foresthill Road and onto Old Forest Hill Road. Had the Auburn Dam been built, much of the confluence and valley of the North and Middle forks of the American River would have been drowned, taking the older road, bridge and trails with it. Follow the Old Foresthill Road down into the canyon where you will cross the older but still commanding bridge. The easier path is to the east of the bridge following the banks of the river upstream under the Foresthill Bridge and further upstream yet to more beaches, swimming holes and eventually Lake Clementine.
Lake Clementine is accessible via road also ( 38.920288,-121.003611 ) and the springtime overflow is not to be missed! http://www.waterfallswest.com/ . Upper Lake Clementine Road ends in a very big beach along side the river. I have come here on weekends and it is packed. The gravel roads will give you an excuse to find an ecologically friendly way to wash your car ( 38.967751,-120.974536 ).
Alternatively, you can just hike on either side of the bridge to go under the bridge and relax in the cool waters as it flows between the spans. The bridge itself provides a parasol for those that seek shade. The demarcation is obvious and those that worship the sun can sit on the other side of the line. All of these trails are clearly marked and difficult to get lost. (38.916268,-121.035495)
There is plenty of parking on either side of the bridge and overflow parking all the way to the Highway 49 (the third bridge in the area). There are more easy and difficult hiking trails here. Consult google maps for other nearby trails.
I also recommend Ikeda's in Auburn. http://www.yelp.com/biz/ikedas-california-country-market-auburn They always have the right hot sauces in the summer and the most perfect pies this side of the Atlantic.
Another nearby hike is Hidden Falls http://www.placer.ca.gov/Departments/Facility/parks/hiddenfalls.aspx
it is a park near Auburn (38.956022,-121.16405)
A large Mountain Biking and Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) or all terrain, mostly dirt bikes area is very nearby, http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1343 , ( 38.920288,-121.003611 )
Hikes in and around Auburn are easy look-ups with google and maps.google.com as well as images.google.com and of coarse via emailing me...
Have a great day! Get out there. Bring the kids!
~Jay
OutsideJay@gmail.com
Roz is two to three weeks from finishing her Indian Ocean Row. She will be the first woman to row across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. She will be making a guest appearance in mid-October in San Francisco Bay Area for a welcome back home party! Go to http://www.rozsavage.com/ and stay tuned.
If you like what you see on this blog, please share it with your friends. Or better yet, call up a friend and go for a hike!
03 September 2011
How to get to my favorite hiking spots!
How to get to my favorite hiking/boating spots:
Just past Meyer's Grade, a curve going up and away from Twin Bridges and Strawberry is a little private family camp facility on the out skirts of National Forest Land. Large road signs give you input on where you are... past the town of Apple Hill all the way to Meyers. Keep your eyes peeled!
Horsetail Falls and Pyramid Creek:
Horsetail Falls (not to be confused with the one in Yosemite is a dramatic waterfall leaving Desolation Wilderness and flowing under the freeway before it joins the South Fork of the American River. Just past the Twin Bridges Townnship sign, is a large and well kept parking lot ($5, 2011 prices) with large well maintained concrete outhouses. The upper reaches of Horsetail Falls and entering wilderness country can be exciting if you are prepared and dangerous bouldering if you are not. But you don't have to go all the way to the top to be up close and personal. Infact, only a 1/2 mile walk toward the water will allow you to visit the biggest parts of the falls as the decrease in steepness allows the water to spread out into a dramatic, wide whitewater slide. If you choose to go up, remember to leave yourself a trail, or follow someone else's, on the granite parts by leaving rock piles called cairns or duckies. Ask me if you are going in the off-season as some rules change with weather and time of year. This is a there-and-back-again hike so go as far in as you would like. It is almost impossible to get lost as the valley empties down and out across Highway 50. If you keep going down... you will eventually see the highway if not cross over it.
Pyramid Creek and Bryant Road and Mount Huckleberry
I have three secret hikes nearby here for people that would like that information, please let me know... I will tell you over the telephone or if I ever get a chance to type the specific markers for you or note the exact coordinates.
Strawberry Lodge is one of the oldest establishments in Northern California. Ask Mike or Robin for a brief tour of the historic lodge and rest stop for the Pony express. Stawberry Lodge was a trading post for hunters, trappers, and mountain men. It sits ideally under Lover's Leap and across from another beautiful hike for the agile adventurer not afraid of heights, called Sugarloaf. Kasey and I stop in Strawberry Lodge as an adventure tradition. For her and I, there is ice cream. You may be more interested in the bar!
Lover's Leap Campsite near Strawberry Lodge:
There is a campsite that climbers congregate to at the base of Lover's Leap. To find this.. go down the road on the back side of Strawberry Lodge. Just past the bridge, there is a T intersection with a white house with a steep roof line reminicscent of a church. Make that left turn and it will end in less than a mile at the campground. I have always called it Lover's Leap Climber's Campground... I don't know of the official name.
Lover's Leap Hike:
Park on the outside of Camp Sacramento. (There is also parking/camping on the north side of Highway 50) Walk into Camp Sacramento while smiling. As you enter the front guest parking area for the Main Lodge, pass it and go toward the side and front of the Lodge. It is quite ok for you to ask directions to the trailhead. There are signs to it, but other signs and the apprehension of feeling that you are trespassing can be overwhelming. If you are well behaved, the locals will more than welcome you and set your coarse and heading. From the start, it is a moderate 45 minute hike on a gravel trail to the top to dramatic vistas. Kasey did it when she was six and enjoyed every minute of it. We did it one year with a group of people to watch the Persied Meteor Showers on a new moon night hike!
Echo Lake:
Just past my favorite place to ski and snowboard, Sierra at Tahoe(Not coincidentally, also where I ski patrol), is a road called Johnson Pass. Make a left here before passing Little Norway and Echo Summit.
After making that left turn (North of Highway 50) make another left turn onto Atwood Road which will also be Echo Lake Road. Keep driving until you see the Echo Lake Chalet and marina. Boat rides are available here for about $10 on demand of three or more. They are a very friendly lot with kind hearts and peaceful tidings. This place is boating and swimming friendly so bring your floaty toys! http://www.echochalet.com/
Lake Angora:
Possibly the coolest and most tucked in little known lake is Lake Angora. Cliff Jumping, children swimming and splashing. SUP and kayaks and row boats available for rental. And the best lemonade stand in the world!
Drive past Echo Summit into South Lake Tahoe and at the "Y" of Hwy 89 (Emerald Bay Road) and Hwy 50 (drifting rightwards towards downtown South Lake Tahoe) is a sharp left turn onto Lake Tahoe Blvd. Travel on this road for a little over one mile passing the road on the left, called Sawmill Blvd. Make a well marked right turn onto Tahoe Mountain Road. It ends in a T intersection, make a quick right onto Glenmore Way Road and then a quick left onto Dundee Circle and another left onto Tahoe Mountain Road once more... These roads are either circular or without an outlet, so getting lost may happen... for about two minutes... but you will easily find yourself again. About 500 feet into the Tahoe Mountain Road is a small hidden left turn that is easily missed. (Turn on GPS unit here!) < plug in this longitude and latitude on www.maps.google.com 38.903625,-120.038295 > or continue until you see a Y in the road which leads to Fallen Leaf Road (Left to Fallen Leaf Marina, Right to Camp Richardson/South Lake Tahoe.) This Y intersection is about 700 feet away from the turn that you missed! The road is called Angora Ridge Road. It starts as a gravel track for about 500 feet complete with pot holes and rugged turnouts. Keep going! The road soon becomes well paved and climbs out of the forest and onto a ridge that separates Tahoe Basin to the left and Fallen Leaf to the right. If it is safe, stop and have a walk for a quick peek at the vistas. You will pass the historic Angora Fire Lookout Station. We use satellites now, so see earlier post to rent similar lookouts for star studded dramatic wilderness vistas. Keep going until you get to the large parking area of Angora Lake. It is $7 to park. (2011 prices). At the far end of the second parking lot is a small (Lower Angora) Lake and the trail head to your destination (Upper) Angora Lake. It is wide, sandy and about one mile with a few easily stepped parts. Welcome! and kick your feet up and chill in the wonderful gift of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Due to the sandy path, bikes and strollers are not optimal
Fallen Leaf Lake:
Just past Camp Richardson from South Lake Tahoe, is a well marked road to the left called Fallen Leaf Road. There is a large campground here as well as many trails leading onto the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake. The road is one lane. See the bottom of this posts for hints about driving on one lane roads. The road ends at a marina just after the volunteer fire station. The market and marina are perfect little places to chill and relax. I take Kasey crawdad fishing here! It is as easy as a small 1/4 slice of bacon, kite string and a rock. Google it or ask me via email. One year, a group of friends went kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding here during the Perseid Meteor Showers.
Wright's Lake
Wright's Lake is an idealic shallow and beautifully placed lake.
From Highway 50 pass Pollock Pines, Whitehall and Kyburz. The road is a well maked left turn onto Wright's Lake Road. Follow the road up to Wright's lake! Bring mosquito repellant, Kasey and I were attacked the last time! The loop trail and small waterfall should not be missed. Dark Lake and Beauty Lake are also great nearby destinations for you to walk to and enjoy.
Icehouse Reservoir and Union Valley Reservoir, Loon Lake
Past Pollack Pines is a very long and scenic road going up to Ice House and Union Valley Reservoir. Combined with Loon Lake and several smaller lakes and reservoirs, this area is home to many spring time waterfalls and wild flower hikes and meadows. Stay on paved and well maintained roads here unless you have a detailed map of the area. The ranger stations and visitors' centers offer a host of good insider information. also see http://www.waterfallswest.com/
Bassi Falls:
Warranting it's own write-up, Bassi Falls is a very easy and incredibly beautiful waterfall to hike to. The way to get there is best described by pictures on my facebook photo album of the same name... feel free to friend me or google this information. (Terrain maps and regular maps are equally suggested as well as checking in with the ranger station.) The hidden turn off is immediately on the opposite side of Big Silver Campground. The last time I was here, there were about twenty tents set up. It would have been an ideal area for a first-time and or a family backpacking trip! You will really feel that you got away from the hustle and bustle of city life. When I lead a group here several years ago, several families brought children's umbrella strollers. There is another trail here that leads you to the top of Bassi Falls.
and this is my album of beautiful pictures in and around Sacramento
"Within 150 miles from home"
OK.. that's all for now... that should get you started... remember to time your hikes with constellations, migrations and berry picking for cobler...oh, and winetasting (Placerville and Gold Country).
Tips on driving on one lane roads:
Tail-gating and multiple cars make using turn-outs difficult. You will only get there twenty seconds before or after the next car... so turnout and enjoy the journey without the destination getting in the way. Give a lot of space when following other cars. Traffic going uphill have the right of way (therefore Downhill traffic should yeild) as vehicles going downhill have better control and view when backing up (UP the hill). You are probably not one of the locals... Please be cognicent of your dust and noise as you would not want someone blazing flames in your own neighborhood. Livestock doesn't know it is Saturday.
Always bring about $20 in one dollar bills (parking fees, ice cream, lemonade). Tell someone where you are and when to expect you back. Leave a map with a general location of your whereabouts under the front seat of your car. A supply list (I use the one that I used to prepare for my trip) of what I have also allows would-be rescuers some knowledge of who and what they are looking for and how prepared I am to spend the night or weather out a storm. Rescues generally happen the day after one is billed as missing. I realize that what will probably hamper my return is getting lost or an unforseen injury. If you are that prepared, think the next step: What would you do if you ran across an injured person on your hike?
Last year's (2010) blog has info about Santa Cruz/Big Sur Butterfly migration, Thule Elk Rutting in Pt Reyes and Biolumnenescent Paddling in Tomales Bay!
Please refer to last year's blogs for that information.
Much more to come... Pacific Crest Trail, Grover Hot Springs (near Kirkwood), Jenkinson Lake (at the end of Sly Park near Pollock Pines) and Iron Mountain (closed) Ski Area...That does not include all of the coastal destinations. Oh, I could go on and on and on...
Still want more pics? Here is my other working album...
Travelscape, Amazing places in the world:
www.outsidejay@gmail.com
Cheers!
OutsideJay
~Jay Gosuico
If you find this information useful, please click (and share!) this, and the link below...
http://www.rozsavage.com/
Just past Meyer's Grade, a curve going up and away from Twin Bridges and Strawberry is a little private family camp facility on the out skirts of National Forest Land. Large road signs give you input on where you are... past the town of Apple Hill all the way to Meyers. Keep your eyes peeled!
Horsetail Falls and Pyramid Creek:
Horsetail Falls (not to be confused with the one in Yosemite is a dramatic waterfall leaving Desolation Wilderness and flowing under the freeway before it joins the South Fork of the American River. Just past the Twin Bridges Townnship sign, is a large and well kept parking lot ($5, 2011 prices) with large well maintained concrete outhouses. The upper reaches of Horsetail Falls and entering wilderness country can be exciting if you are prepared and dangerous bouldering if you are not. But you don't have to go all the way to the top to be up close and personal. Infact, only a 1/2 mile walk toward the water will allow you to visit the biggest parts of the falls as the decrease in steepness allows the water to spread out into a dramatic, wide whitewater slide. If you choose to go up, remember to leave yourself a trail, or follow someone else's, on the granite parts by leaving rock piles called cairns or duckies. Ask me if you are going in the off-season as some rules change with weather and time of year. This is a there-and-back-again hike so go as far in as you would like. It is almost impossible to get lost as the valley empties down and out across Highway 50. If you keep going down... you will eventually see the highway if not cross over it.
Pyramid Creek and Bryant Road and Mount Huckleberry
I have three secret hikes nearby here for people that would like that information, please let me know... I will tell you over the telephone or if I ever get a chance to type the specific markers for you or note the exact coordinates.
Strawberry Lodge is one of the oldest establishments in Northern California. Ask Mike or Robin for a brief tour of the historic lodge and rest stop for the Pony express. Stawberry Lodge was a trading post for hunters, trappers, and mountain men. It sits ideally under Lover's Leap and across from another beautiful hike for the agile adventurer not afraid of heights, called Sugarloaf. Kasey and I stop in Strawberry Lodge as an adventure tradition. For her and I, there is ice cream. You may be more interested in the bar!
Lover's Leap Campsite near Strawberry Lodge:
There is a campsite that climbers congregate to at the base of Lover's Leap. To find this.. go down the road on the back side of Strawberry Lodge. Just past the bridge, there is a T intersection with a white house with a steep roof line reminicscent of a church. Make that left turn and it will end in less than a mile at the campground. I have always called it Lover's Leap Climber's Campground... I don't know of the official name.
Lover's Leap Hike:
Park on the outside of Camp Sacramento. (There is also parking/camping on the north side of Highway 50) Walk into Camp Sacramento while smiling. As you enter the front guest parking area for the Main Lodge, pass it and go toward the side and front of the Lodge. It is quite ok for you to ask directions to the trailhead. There are signs to it, but other signs and the apprehension of feeling that you are trespassing can be overwhelming. If you are well behaved, the locals will more than welcome you and set your coarse and heading. From the start, it is a moderate 45 minute hike on a gravel trail to the top to dramatic vistas. Kasey did it when she was six and enjoyed every minute of it. We did it one year with a group of people to watch the Persied Meteor Showers on a new moon night hike!
Echo Lake:
Just past my favorite place to ski and snowboard, Sierra at Tahoe(Not coincidentally, also where I ski patrol), is a road called Johnson Pass. Make a left here before passing Little Norway and Echo Summit.
After making that left turn (North of Highway 50) make another left turn onto Atwood Road which will also be Echo Lake Road. Keep driving until you see the Echo Lake Chalet and marina. Boat rides are available here for about $10 on demand of three or more. They are a very friendly lot with kind hearts and peaceful tidings. This place is boating and swimming friendly so bring your floaty toys! http://www.echochalet.com/
Lake Angora:
Possibly the coolest and most tucked in little known lake is Lake Angora. Cliff Jumping, children swimming and splashing. SUP and kayaks and row boats available for rental. And the best lemonade stand in the world!
Drive past Echo Summit into South Lake Tahoe and at the "Y" of Hwy 89 (Emerald Bay Road) and Hwy 50 (drifting rightwards towards downtown South Lake Tahoe) is a sharp left turn onto Lake Tahoe Blvd. Travel on this road for a little over one mile passing the road on the left, called Sawmill Blvd. Make a well marked right turn onto Tahoe Mountain Road. It ends in a T intersection, make a quick right onto Glenmore Way Road and then a quick left onto Dundee Circle and another left onto Tahoe Mountain Road once more... These roads are either circular or without an outlet, so getting lost may happen... for about two minutes... but you will easily find yourself again. About 500 feet into the Tahoe Mountain Road is a small hidden left turn that is easily missed. (Turn on GPS unit here!) < plug in this longitude and latitude on www.maps.google.com 38.903625,-120.038295 > or continue until you see a Y in the road which leads to Fallen Leaf Road (Left to Fallen Leaf Marina, Right to Camp Richardson/South Lake Tahoe.) This Y intersection is about 700 feet away from the turn that you missed! The road is called Angora Ridge Road. It starts as a gravel track for about 500 feet complete with pot holes and rugged turnouts. Keep going! The road soon becomes well paved and climbs out of the forest and onto a ridge that separates Tahoe Basin to the left and Fallen Leaf to the right. If it is safe, stop and have a walk for a quick peek at the vistas. You will pass the historic Angora Fire Lookout Station. We use satellites now, so see earlier post to rent similar lookouts for star studded dramatic wilderness vistas. Keep going until you get to the large parking area of Angora Lake. It is $7 to park. (2011 prices). At the far end of the second parking lot is a small (Lower Angora) Lake and the trail head to your destination (Upper) Angora Lake. It is wide, sandy and about one mile with a few easily stepped parts. Welcome! and kick your feet up and chill in the wonderful gift of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Due to the sandy path, bikes and strollers are not optimal
Fallen Leaf Lake:
Just past Camp Richardson from South Lake Tahoe, is a well marked road to the left called Fallen Leaf Road. There is a large campground here as well as many trails leading onto the shores of Fallen Leaf Lake. The road is one lane. See the bottom of this posts for hints about driving on one lane roads. The road ends at a marina just after the volunteer fire station. The market and marina are perfect little places to chill and relax. I take Kasey crawdad fishing here! It is as easy as a small 1/4 slice of bacon, kite string and a rock. Google it or ask me via email. One year, a group of friends went kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding here during the Perseid Meteor Showers.
Wright's Lake
Wright's Lake is an idealic shallow and beautifully placed lake.
From Highway 50 pass Pollock Pines, Whitehall and Kyburz. The road is a well maked left turn onto Wright's Lake Road. Follow the road up to Wright's lake! Bring mosquito repellant, Kasey and I were attacked the last time! The loop trail and small waterfall should not be missed. Dark Lake and Beauty Lake are also great nearby destinations for you to walk to and enjoy.
Icehouse Reservoir and Union Valley Reservoir, Loon Lake
Past Pollack Pines is a very long and scenic road going up to Ice House and Union Valley Reservoir. Combined with Loon Lake and several smaller lakes and reservoirs, this area is home to many spring time waterfalls and wild flower hikes and meadows. Stay on paved and well maintained roads here unless you have a detailed map of the area. The ranger stations and visitors' centers offer a host of good insider information. also see http://www.waterfallswest.com/
Bassi Falls:
Warranting it's own write-up, Bassi Falls is a very easy and incredibly beautiful waterfall to hike to. The way to get there is best described by pictures on my facebook photo album of the same name... feel free to friend me or google this information. (Terrain maps and regular maps are equally suggested as well as checking in with the ranger station.) The hidden turn off is immediately on the opposite side of Big Silver Campground. The last time I was here, there were about twenty tents set up. It would have been an ideal area for a first-time and or a family backpacking trip! You will really feel that you got away from the hustle and bustle of city life. When I lead a group here several years ago, several families brought children's umbrella strollers. There is another trail here that leads you to the top of Bassi Falls.
and this is my album of beautiful pictures in and around Sacramento
"Within 150 miles from home"
OK.. that's all for now... that should get you started... remember to time your hikes with constellations, migrations and berry picking for cobler...oh, and winetasting (Placerville and Gold Country).
Tips on driving on one lane roads:
Tail-gating and multiple cars make using turn-outs difficult. You will only get there twenty seconds before or after the next car... so turnout and enjoy the journey without the destination getting in the way. Give a lot of space when following other cars. Traffic going uphill have the right of way (therefore Downhill traffic should yeild) as vehicles going downhill have better control and view when backing up (UP the hill). You are probably not one of the locals... Please be cognicent of your dust and noise as you would not want someone blazing flames in your own neighborhood. Livestock doesn't know it is Saturday.
Always bring about $20 in one dollar bills (parking fees, ice cream, lemonade). Tell someone where you are and when to expect you back. Leave a map with a general location of your whereabouts under the front seat of your car. A supply list (I use the one that I used to prepare for my trip) of what I have also allows would-be rescuers some knowledge of who and what they are looking for and how prepared I am to spend the night or weather out a storm. Rescues generally happen the day after one is billed as missing. I realize that what will probably hamper my return is getting lost or an unforseen injury. If you are that prepared, think the next step: What would you do if you ran across an injured person on your hike?
Last year's (2010) blog has info about Santa Cruz/Big Sur Butterfly migration, Thule Elk Rutting in Pt Reyes and Biolumnenescent Paddling in Tomales Bay!
Please refer to last year's blogs for that information.
Much more to come... Pacific Crest Trail, Grover Hot Springs (near Kirkwood), Jenkinson Lake (at the end of Sly Park near Pollock Pines) and Iron Mountain (closed) Ski Area...That does not include all of the coastal destinations. Oh, I could go on and on and on...
Still want more pics? Here is my other working album...
Travelscape, Amazing places in the world:
www.outsidejay@gmail.com
Cheers!
OutsideJay
~Jay Gosuico
If you find this information useful, please click (and share!) this, and the link below...
http://www.rozsavage.com/
23 August 2011
just a reminder:
I post with the changing seasons, so scroll down to last year's August 2010 posts for other ideas. Have fun. Roz is still looking for sponsors at http://www.rozsavage.com/
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