Sacramento Area Hang June 11-12

[GregB]

Hammockforum user Acacia PM'd me with a good question : Do we need permits?

No, we don't need any sort of wilderness permit to backpack in either our primary or backup location. However, we should each have a valid fire permit, especially if you're using an alcohol stove. I have one so we can have a camp fire provided we're not in fire restrictions by next month.

The fire permits are free and available here : http://www.preventwildfireca.org/Campfire-Permit/

You just have to watch a very short video and answer a few easy questions. Then print out your permit and sign it. Easy!

Also, my wife will also be joining us! Cool!

[Acacia]

Hi all,
I'm attempting to make my own rainfly with a winter12 kit from Ripstopbytheroll. If my sewing turns out to be disastrous, I'm wondering if anyone on this trip has an extra rainfly I can borrow?
Thanks!
Acacia

[Scarecrow]

Wish I did, but unfortunately I only have one tarp, and it's the one that's being delivered to me this Saturday from Warbonnet. Only other one I have hanging out is a 5x7, and that's way too small for a hammock.

Sent from my SM-G386T1 using Tapatalk

[Acacia]

Okay, no worries. Thanks, Scarecrow.

[natemeister]

Okay, no worries. Thanks, Scarecrow.

I have a ENO Profly tarp if you'd like to borrow one. Also, I'd like to go on this outing I'll be taking 8 beginners backpacking this Memorial Day Weekend to Cache Creek Wilderess. Originally planned to go to Desolation Wilderness for 3 days, but the snow is not something I want to introduce to beginners.


If anyone wants the permit, it is yours Permit for 8, Desolation Wilderness (1st night camp at Gilmore Lake), 3 days (Sat - Mon).

[GregB]

First of all, thank you all for supporting Acacia in her gear quest. We've already PM'd and I'm loaning her a hammock, tree straps, bug net and insulated pad. I think it's cool that we're all coming together to help out a hammock newbie. It looks like my wife will be joining us and she may be bringing a friend as well. We may have 6 to 8 people on this trip.

Also, I'll be doing at least a day hike this weekend in the area we'll be going to. I'll find out what the snow situation is and I'll bring a camera to get a few shots of the area. Expect a report on Monday or Tuesday.

[natemeister]

First of all, thank you all for supporting Acacia in her gear quest. We've already PM'd and I'm loaning her a hammock, tree straps, bug net and insulated pad. I think it's cool that we're all coming together to help out a hammock newbie. It looks like my wife will be joining us and she may be bringing a friend as well. We may have 6 to 8 people on this trip.

Also, I'll be doing at least a day hike this weekend in the area we'll be going to. I'll find out what the snow situation is and I'll bring a camera to get a few shots of the area. Expect a report on Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks for putting everything together Greg.

[kodepop]

I went up to the Car/Feeley lake area out there on Thursday, and there was some snow, but that was way higher than our other locations. Also is there a time we're all meeting?

[Acacia]

I have a ENO Profly tarp if you'd like to borrow one. Also, I'd like to go on this outing .

Much appreciated!! Thank you! As well as to Greg for the hammock and net loan. Looking forward to the trip!

[GregB]

I went up to the Car/Feeley lake area out there on Thursday, and there was some snow, but that was way higher than our other locations. Also is there a time we're all meeting?

Executive Summary: I think we should select the Lake Spaulding hike as our trip. I think Grouse Ridge may still be snowed in in 2 weeks and the exit hike may be too much because of the giant hill at the end.

Schedule: I'd like to have people meet at my house no later than 10 am on Saturday June 11th. We can carpool from my house and we should be at the trail head by 11:00. Kodepop. I know you live in Nevada City so it's probably easier to meet us at the Lake Spaulding trail head. We can easily start earlier if we want to. You folks should let me know how early you want to get started. By the way, I will be PMing people my address as the date gets closer.

Too Long Didnt' Read Report:

I drove up to the site today. I started up the Grouse Ridge road which is 6 miles of moderately rough road. My low clearance Honda Civic made it just fine with some careful driving.

The road has not been cleared for the season. At one point there was a big tree down but I could carefully drive around it.
trip1.jpg

As I was driving up I could see more snow than I expected. I talked to some people driving back down the road and they said that the road is snowed in at least a mile from the camp site and there's a car stuck in the snow right now. I drove up a bit until the snow was too deep for my car and I turned around. I didn't see a stuck car but they may have only been a quarter mile or so away from me. I'm familiar with that road and there was at least another mile and a half to go before the trail head.

This was the snow lower down.
trip2.jpg


So I came down and drove to the Carr Lake/Feely Lake road. The road was clear of snow all the way to the parking lot/trail head.
Here's the view from the start of the trail
trip3.jpg

As soon as I got to Feely Lake there were more patches of snow to navigate. There were 50 to 80 foot stretches of trail which were on snow rather than ground.
trip4.jpg

At the end of Feely lake I could see that as the trail gains in elevation there was more and more snow.
trip5.jpg

Our trail would be going up quite a bit from there. Although it's warm and in 2 weeks this could easily melt down quite a bit, there could still be a lot of snow up at our goal of Glacier Lake.

Suggestion:
I think we should just do the Lake Spaulding trail. That trail gives us these advantages:

• Little to no snow on the trail or in the camp site.
• Lower elevation. I was certainly feeling my lack of conditioning today.
• More trees with more campsite choices
• The trail follows Forcyth Creek which is a very nice little trout stream with fun fly fishing.
• No dirt road access. You park at a turnout of a paved road.
• The Lake Spaulding trail is flatter and less traveled. Once you're more than a mile away from the cars you notice a significant lack of people. Grouse Ridge and Carr/Feely lake are always very crowded.

It's up to you folks though. We have a mix of newbies and experienced hikers. Some young and in shape, some older and less athletic. I'd like it to to be fun for everyone and I think switching to Lake Spaulding (which is still off of Bowman Lake road just a few miles from both Grouse Ridge and Feely Lake) is probably the best idea.

Your thoughts?

Greg