Tahoe National Forest
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Pioneer Trail, Lang Crossing Tahoe National Forest |
May 11, 2024
This is my first trip up Interstate-80 since last fall. Anxious to see how high up one can hike now without being stymied by snow drifts, I find the area near Bear Valley to be surprisingly dry.
Where Bowman Lake Road crosses the South Yuba River, two parking lots already are full
at 10 a.m.; but nearby overflow space remains available. Having passed though here
a couple dozen times en route to other hikes, I never have bothered to stop and check
out this highly popular area — not in 60+ years! Go figure.
At the kiosk
Starting out
Within a few minutes I spot bootprints heading over to the river, so I follow them.
Jordan Creek
Until I consulted the map, I had assumed that I would be following my beloved South Yuba up this trail; but it seems that I already have passed the confluence where that river plunges down from Lake Spaulding to the east.
Not much activity over here
Dead end
Obviously, the main trail veered left back there. I could of course backtrack
to it; but the 50-degree scree slope here looks doable, so I start up the slope as
per my normal habit. By the time I have climbed six feet, however, I already am
regretting my choice; for there is little secure footing, and a dearth of useful handholds
leaves me in a highly uncomfortable situation. Why is it that I never learn that
these steep ascents on loose rock always prove more difficult than they appear from
below?
Also as usual, attempting to climb down backwards is a singularly unattractive
option; so I continue upward, inching my way up with white knuckles on little rocks
and an occasional small branch to grab, with footing being virtually nonexistent.
A stressful 50-foot climb eventually gets me up to a gentler gradient where
I even am able to stand up occasionally. I am going to make it!
The scary part of the scramble is out of sight below
Well, I guess that that qualified as a forbidden "Don't tell my wife" scenario,
because a loose rock or the slip of a foot or failure of an aged body part could
well have resulted in disaster; and I had promised my sweetie that I wouldn't do
such things anymore. Nowadays, she won't even let me get on the 16-foot
ladder that I had used to paint the house some time ago.
Anyway, having once again survived a dangerous but easily avoidable maneuver, what should I do? Why, photograph some hillside residents, of course.
One-seeded Pussy Paws
Canyon Liveforever in the making
There's the road
And there's a real trail!
This is more like it
I hear voices across the meadow
The river water level clearly is higher than usual today
No beaches anywhere
Back at the trailhead, several groups of regulars were preparing to cart giant coolers to some nice sandy alcove, but there aren't any of those today. Too much water.
There's a section of the Lake Spaulding Dam
Crossing an unnamed creek
There's a nifty cascade just upstream
Detouring around a long fallen tree provides a better view.
My favorite spot of the day
This poison oak lookalike is White Alder
Suddenly I learn why there is so much water around today:
Lake Spaulding Spillway
Wow! The noise from the cataract is so great that I can barely hear myself wondering why I had not anticipated it.
The lake is 400 feet above
Water, water everywhere
Sublime
After deciding to continue somewhat farther up the trail, I turn back when the route degenerates into a dry series of switchbacks; there is better access to points beyond here. Meanwhile, I discover the source of my recent confusion.
The former (and perhaps alternate) spillway
For a long time after Interstate-80 was completed some sixty years ago, a vista point atop a ridge provided a view of a distant 'waterfall' that actually was this old spillway in action; but then the fall inexplicably disappeared for reasons unknown. Now, all is clear: the new spillway is not visible from the highway, nor can it be seen from anyplace on Bowman Lake Road. I am seeing it for the first time!
Sierra Mariposa Lily
Lambstongue Ragwort
Quite a show
Western Wallflower
Cobwebby Thistle
It's not a beach, but it is a spectacular picnic spot
I hear voices again in that direction
Investigating, I find not a river bank but another obstacle.
Another channel to scramble across
No creek access here
The voices must have come from across the river somewhere. There must be a trail over there as well.
Back in the tall trees
Black and Yellow Longhorn Beetle on Seep Monkeyflowers
Back at Ted's Traumatic Talus
Coming up that cliff was bad enough; going down it would be a fool's errand. I believe I'll stay on the trail from here.
This signpost was bypassed earlier
South Yuba River at the trailhead
Back on the freeway, I stop at the vista point. As expected, I can see the old Lake Spaulding Spillway back there, but no evidence of running water or anything else of special interest in the area. That's why one needs to explore.
Bear Valley and the hiking venue behind it
§: Well, I got quite a bit more than expected today, and have increased
the hike's rating because of it. My ill-advised scree shortcut was not factored in,
because no one else would rightly consider it. I will return in a month or so for
a marvelous swim, when the streamflow is but a small fraction of its present level.
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