NEW YEAR'S DAY HIKE.

From Highway 49, Glory Hole Recreation District at New Mellones, a free hike was advertised for New Years Day, rain or shine. You can see people warmly dressed as we strangers met at the entrance station and introduced ourselves.

Dogs are allowed on the trails. We met two bikers and we saw evidence of horses using the trails. Walkers are asked to give way to horses, but we didn't meet any.

Ranger Josh, guided the group and pointed out the growth patterns of this type of forest and explained in some detail the various flora and fauna.
At the beginning of the Angels Creek Trail, the forest has a mixture of digger pines, black oak, live oak and thick underbrush.  Ranger Josh admitted the underbrush is a fire hazard with chemise and buck brush.

I was impressed by the girth of this giant manzanita specimen and the lichens and bright, green moss growing on it. Ranger Josh noted that the east side of the hills get most of the water. He told us that manzanita burns very hot and can burn up your stove, actually melt it if you use enough of it.

Angels Creek is low, in tune with the current drought situation. The trail is a 2.5 mile hike.

I looked at just about every mushroom, hoping to find a "buckskin". (Not it's scientific name.) The old Italians knew their mushrooms and would pick up large delicious mushrooms under manzanita habitat. I didn't find a one. Deer feed on these, as do various insects.

I didn't get many pictures of the hikers. Strung out in a line, it is hard to capture everyone. The trail is narrow in most places. Looking back and forth I believe we had about 30 people on the hike. The Calaveras side of the Recreation Area has seven trails of different lengths and are rated easy, moderate, challenging and so on. This trail is moderate.

When guided, Ranger Josh makes many stops and he even played a couple games with us. He formed us into a walking caterpillar, eyes closed, to just walk and tune your ears, nose and senses to the trail. If you are a lone hiker, you get the sense of quiet that being in a natural forest gives you.

The sun didn't come out during our 3 hour hike. This tree, etched against the overcast made a nice contrast, with the west side of the hill in the distance showing meadows; more barren than the brushy east hillside.

At the end of the trail was a pretty view of the lake with an island showing that isn't visible when the water level is normal. Drought conditions persist here in California though the recent rains are encouraging. The Calaveras side has seven trails and the  Tuolumne County, Tuttletown Recreation area also has seven trails.  Senior Citizens, with their pass can enter the hiking trails free at anytime of year. For most, there is a day use charge.

This was my first excursion with a new social singles group  and I got to meet the seven people at the end of the hike. Cindy is the key organizer and can be reached at this phone number if you are interested in joining. I didn't ask permission to print her phone number, (no addresses are given), but her number was published in the newspaper ad for this hike, so here goes. 209-559-8517. The only qualification, you must be 50 or older. We picked up two new members at this event.

A DESERT OVERLOOK.

Jim drove us to a canyon overlook with miles and miles of desert at a place he holds dear. He spent time here with the WINS, a singles group that would gather the wagons, so to speak, and light a huge bonfire and enjoy the beautiful skies, the peace the quiet and serenity that you find in special places.


He and others from the group would 4-wheel among the hillocks on the shallow canyon floor and to me it is just a desecration of nature. I don't appreciate the tracks or dust of such a sport, so while he looked fondly, I walked the canyon rim looking for pretty rocks and taking pictures.


What is nice about places like this, right off the California highway S 22, is there are multiple spots anyone can pull over to enjoy the views. Each canyon will be different. The Salton Sea is visible in the background, but barely since it was slightly hazy on this day.


The light doesn't do its magic as the sun moves across the crags and fissures as it does in the Grand Canyon, but these small, canyons have an appeal of their own. It surprised me that we didn't see a lizard, a bird or anything alive. I'm sure they exist, but not to any excess.


Had we had time, I think hiking the canyons would be interesting. The pictures are better in a full screen slide-show. I took 39 of them, if you'd like to see them.
https://picasaweb.google.com/106530979158681190260/201424TheOverlook


I like that our lifestyle allows us to seek out places like this and enjoy  dinner with a view. As night clamped down, the haze prevented any stars from showing. I got up twice during the night to see if it cleared, but only a sliver of a moon peeked through a gray haze.


Before light the next morning, some bright stars were out along with a heavy wind. I set my camera for night scene, but it just isn't good enough to capture a star.

MEET ANDGREET WITH WINS.

From Palacios, Texas, we drove north toward Wadsworth where a bunch of WINs were camping on the Colorado River for a few days to go kayaking. WINs  stands for Wandering Individuals Network, a singles group Jim  belonged to for ten years.

When we arrived, the WINs were out, but Jim recognized their rigs.


We wandered down by the fishing docks and watched people fish. This woman said she was fishing for catfish.


Her husband hoped to catch a bass. He got one earlier but had to throw it back because it was too small.

On the next dock, this group said they were hoping to catch trout.


While standing there, the wind blew a plastic container with potato chips off the railing and into the water.


This young woman managed to snag it and drag it back up.


These two guys said they were hoping to catch some time away from home.


When the WINs returned from their daily excursion, we met them for cocktails at 4:00. It is a tradition to bring your drink, and snacks, and have a chat. Ellie is an old-time pal of Jim's who has been on the road for over ten years full-time. Next to her is Paul, a newbie. Originally from Michigan, then a Californian from Modesto. Just retired and is a full timer.


Pat still keeps a house in Oakdale but travels in her rig for months at a time.


The group celebrated another Pat's birthday. She is trying the lifestyle out. She is on the left. Arlene, on the right  is from West Virginia.


Garth, at the end of the table, is a retired school teacher and also new to life on the road and enjoying it.


The WINs are huggers and in the mornings they meet with MUGS and HUGS.  They start every day together and end it together before reporting to the privacy of their rigs. No one is required to take part in any planned activities. Ellie is the volunteer leader of this group traveling together as they move East. They plan their stops together and figure out where to dump and water and stay. There is something for everyone in this type of travel. I admire these women who have the guts to go it alone on the road in their respective rigs. I don't know if I could do it by myself, even with the comfort of a group.