All posts by DanaMite

Gen-X Camp diva DanaMite, founder of Total Escape. California, off the Beaten Path [est. 1996]
California Rivers, California Waterfalls, Hiking, Trailheads

Footbridge Hike to Kaweah River

Mineral King Footbridge – Atwell Mill

The Kaweah River skirts about a mile south of Atwell Mill campground on the Mineral King Road inside Sequoia National Park. From the Atwell Mill campground, this well traveled trail leads down to a footbridge for a nice half day hike destination. There are a few waterfalls & creek crossings along the way. A few pools & waterfalls await you at the river. Pack a picnic & spent the day here.

This area is popular for backpackers also. A few Sierra Nevada back country destinations lead from this point into Tar Gap & East Fork Grove. Prescribed fires or ‘controlled burns’ by Forest & Park Services help keep the underlying brush fuel down to a minimum; which helps the forest with carbon in the soil and for decreasing future wild fires.

Western Sierra Nevada river hiking near
SILVER CITY CA

MINERAL KING California

Sierra Nevada Hikes

Groves, Hiking, Trailheads

Heaps Arboretum

Big Bear Sequoias

Sequoia Trees in Big Bear? You find it hard to imagine that these famed trees exist in Southern California , but here they are tucked right on Hwy.18 in between Running Springs & Lake Arrowhead. This small redwood grove will be your treat after a short clockwise hike around Heaps Arboretum trail. It is located just inside the San Bernardino National Forest area.

A variety of pines trees grow in this park & there are plenty of small signs to inform you of each species. Benches are places along the path for a leisurely stroll. Great family hike on the way to Big Bear or Arrowhead. It is an easy hike for grandma too.

Wildflowers only last a short season, so get up there before the heat of summer kicks in. Early summer still has greenery, even though all the flowering plants have ceased.

Big Bear HikingA few miles east Lake Arrowhead on Hwy. 18 is a parking area for Heaps Peak Trailhead & the Arboretum. This small hike takes less than an hour & is the easiest nature trail around. Educational brochures are available & a small donation is requested.

Campgrounds, Campsites, Creeks

Tuttle Creek Campground

Tuttle Way

There she sits, above Lone Pine California, right next to the High Sierra. Above the Alabama Hills….. at the base of Whitney, on an alluvial fan overlooking the Owens Valley & US Hwy 395.

Tuttle Creek Campground is perfect stop for RVers traveling the Eastern Sierra, beginner mountain bikers needing to explore & test their skills, or the avid backpackers waiting to acclimate & get a good nights rest in reasonable temperatures, before attempting the tallest Mount Whitney.

Tuttle Creek is a BLM Campground w/ picnic tables, fire rings or BBQs. Awesome creek camping at the base of Mount Whitney. Hear the water rushing over the boulders; soothing for bedtime or stargazing. The fishing is decent. Wildflowers like indian paintbrush & lupine can be found here in spring and summer, in the high desert sage lands of the Eastern Sierra.

• Elevation: 5120′
• Number of Sites: 85
• Vehicle Accessibility: RVs okay
• Camp Fee: No
• Campsites Reservation: No
• Length of Stay: 14 Days
• Season: March – October
• Trailheads: John Muir Wilderness

From Lone Pine CA, head West 3 miles on Whitney Portal Rd, turn LEFT on Horseshoe Meadow Road, within 2 miles, turn right on a dirt road that leads to the campground.

Tuttle Creek flows past campground; No drinking water.
Pit toilets; Some shade.

BLM Lone Pine
760-872-4881

LONE PINE CA

HINT: On the dirt back roads, on the slopes of the Eastern Sierra, between Lone Pine & Bishop, you can find & fishing holes & primitive camps (free camping) on any numerous of creeks; some you can park so close that you don’t have to leave your vehicle to fish. You may need a high clearance vehicle to reach some.

August, Events, Festivals

San Jose Jazz Festival

SJ-Jazz-Fest-people

San Jose Jazz Fest

Live jazz festival in South Bay. 1 weekend, 80+ performances, 10 stages located downtown San Jose CA Come experience all flavors of jazz: Blues, Latin, Salsa, big band, jazz and more. International & homegrown favorites, jazz legends , plus rising stars.

Annual event; August

SAN JOSE CA

sanjosejazz.org

San Jose Jazz 2012

August, Celestial, Events, Nature

Perseid Meteor Shower

Sierra Nevada Mountains

This Summertime meteor shower is usually the best show of the year, if the new moon is near. High Sierra destinations are wonderful. Especially Eastern Sierra destinations, well away from the big city lights & urbanization of California.

Summer mild temperatures make higher altitude & mountain destinations favorable. The air is thinner, the sky clearer and the stars are closer at high elevations.

Perseids peaks in mid-August every summer. Perfect timing for planning a summer vacation or camping trip around this annual anticipated event. Look in the northeast part of the nights sky for grazers & numerous shootings stars, up to 60 per hour. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers.

Annual event; August

How to best view a Meteor Shower

High Sierra Destinations

Celestial, Events, July, Nature

Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower

Sequoia Dome Rock

Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower

This annual meteor shower peaks in late July, close to the infamous summer show of the Perseids. Higher elevations w. clear skies are favored. Granite domes such as this one called “DomeRock” are common in the granite range of the Sierra Nevada. Dome Rock is near the infamous climbing spot, the Needles & near the small, cabin community of Ponderosa, CA in the Giant Sequoia region.

Look in the southern part of the nights sky for these shootings stars, up to 20 per hour. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers.

Annual event; July

How to best view a Meteor Shower

Celestial, Events, May, Nature

Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

What in the hell is an “Eta Aquarid”? It’s a meteor shower in the Springtime; This annual meteor shower peaks in early May. Look in the northeast part of the nights sky for these shootings stars, up to 20 per hour – if you can handle the chilly nights. Most California deserts are prime star gazing spots. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers.

Annual event; May

How to best view a Meteor Shower

Anza Borrego Stargazing
This is one of Jan Alexander’s photos from the Hollywood & Vine of Anza Borrego Desert State Park

April, California Deserts, Celestial, Events, Nature

Lyrid Meteor Shower

Anza Borrego DesertsThis annual meteor shower peaks in late April, one of the few shooting star shows in the Springtime. Look in the east part of the nights sky for the grazers or shootings stars, up to 12 per hour. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers. Most deserts are prime star gazing spots. Spring blooms wildflowers in the California deserts at this time of year.

This photos is taken at the heights of Mortero Canyon Wash in the southern portion of Anza Borrego Desert State Park. County Road S2 leads out to some great back road camping options. Morterro Wash has big boulder campsites – back behind the abandon rail road tracks. These desert dirt roads are not recommended for RV or motorhome travel. Deep sand is common. Passenger cars can make it – if they do not slow or stop in the soft sandy spots.

Annual event; April

How to best view a Meteor Shower

California Desert Destinations
California Desert Camping
California Hot Springs Resorts

CURRENT MOON

Celestial, Events, January, Nature

Quadrantid Meteor Shower

Anza Borrego Desert State ParkThis annual meteor shower peaks in early January, right after the New Years celebrations. Look in the northeast part of the nights sky for these shootings stars, up to 40 per hour – if you can handle the chilly nights. Pre-dawn viewing is always best for meteor showers.

Most California deserts are prime star gazing spots. This photo is open camping on back roads, in Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Plenty hiking near here; Desert wildflowers start as early as February, depending (of course) on the seasonal rains.

Annual event; January

How to best view a Meteor Shower

California Desert Destinations
California Desert Camping
California Hot Springs Resorts

CURRENT MOON

Events, Festivals, May

Cinco de Mayo

Mexican celebration of the 5th of May. This seems like another pseudo-holiday that got taken over by the beer manufacturers & their marketing departments. In California you’ll see poster advertisements on every cantina window months in advance. This is not Mexico’s Independence Day, as many so erroneously think. More information on the holiday Cinco de Mayo, see below –

http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

Various Cities & Towns in California
Some of the events to mention –

Los Angeles @ Olvera Street; 213-628-1274
http://www.cincodemayolosangeles.com

San Diego Old Town – Fiesta Cinco de Mayo
http://www.fiestacincodemayo.com

Santa Barbara  Festival
http://www.cincodemayosb.com

Back Roads, California Deserts, Creeks, Hiking, Historic Site, Mountain Biking, Native American, Off Road, Petroglyphs, Picnic Areas, Primitive Hot Springs, Sightseeing, Trailheads, Volcano, Wilderness, Wind Caves

Fish Slough

On the north end of Bishop CA, running parallel to & on the west side of Hwy 6, is a long dirt road called Fish Slough Rd. Indian petroglyphs can be found out here & also on the ridges along Chalk Bluff Rd (to the south). The entire region is called a volcanic tableland & hot springs are very common in this region. The Owens River Gorge & Lake Crowley are to the west. High clearance vehicles are recommended for traveling these back roads, but 4×4 is rarely needed.

Read & see more on Fish Slough Petroglyphs

BISHOP CA

LAKE CROWLEY

BENTON HOT SPRINGS

Visit Hwy 395 Hot Springs

Indian Art Eastern Sierra

Fish Slough

Dave Explains