07-26-2021, 03:39 PM
Day 5 Hike to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
9.24 Miles
449’ Up
2844’ Down
After the exciting hike to Laurel Lake and all it’s adventures, the hike to Hetch Hetchy reservoir was a bit of a letdown. Or a comedown. The hike back to civilization. We had two choices on the hike back we could do a short route of 7 miles or a longer route of 10 miles. The consensus was for the short route.
The group started off the day in the usual fashion. I was packed and ready to go by the time the rest of the camp stirred. There was the usual debate about whether to have the coffee at camp or further down the trail. Coffee at camp won.
There wouldn’t be any water on the trail until we got to the potable tap on the other side of the dam. Conservation was the key word for the day. But truth be told. It was a pretty easy hike. The majority of it was down hill. The app on my watch says there was a bit of uphill, but I don’t remember any of that. The biggest problem we had was losing the trail. Our path wasn’t very well traveled. Usually, if you are going to Laurel Lake you go through the BeeHive. There were lots of weeds obscuring the trail. Hopefully we did our part by defining the path a bit more. DM and I led for a little bit, but we were quickly overtaken by the Younglings.
I had been breaking trail up until I was overtaken and the first thing the Younglings encountered was a giant tree that completely obliterated all signs of the trail. It took us a good ten minutes of hunting before finding the trail again.
After a couple miles of hiking, the Younglings were far ahead of me and Mrs. DM and DM were far behind me. I looked off to my left and I spotted a beautiful buck coming down the hill. Fortunately, this time I had all the cameras with me. I had proof that I had seen him. He was coming down the bank and looked to cross the trail I was on. I tried to get to that point so I could get a better picture but he spotted me and wanted nothing to do with me. He turned around and went back up the hill.
The hike was going really well but I noticed something disconcerting about the mile markers. There was about a two mile discrepancy between how long the trail was supposed to be and how long it actually was. According to the signs, the hike was going to be two miles farther than advertised, even though we took the shorter route. Sigh.
After hiking a beautiful dirt path through the forest, I finally made it to the top of the switchbacks leading down to the reservoir. I had spectacular views of the valley as I made it down the granite path. The sun started to peak out from the cloud cover I had been enjoying for the majority of the hike. The hike became a quest to seek shade on the exposed trail. DM and I again were relegated to back of the pack. We stopped to take selfies. We remarked on the various paved portions of the trail where someone in the long distant past had paved part of the trail.
When we got to the bottom of the trail, I quickly realized where the 2 mile discrepancy in the hike came from. When the hike down the mountain reached the trail around the lake, it was exactly 7.5 miles. We just never figured in the mileage to the end of the dam, which which was what the trail markers indicated. Stupid maps. We continued on. I think the pace picked up a bit because everyone wanted to stand in the cool tunnel at the end of the trail but before the dam.
I made it there right after the Younglings. DM and Mrs. DM brought up the rear. The male Youngling was still bouncing around with some energy. At one point, he jumped up on the side wall of the tunnel. DM almost took out his ankle with his walking staff.
As we walked across the dam, a group of surveyors were checking the dam to make sure it hadn’t shifted too much from the earthquake. They also gave us all the information about the quake. Finally, I convinced them to take our final group picture.
The discussion arose about who was going to get the car. It wasn’t much of a discussion for me since I had to get my own car. But Mrs. DM wanted her group to wait at the end of the O’Shaunnessy Dam at the road while she went to go get the car. I had been thinking I would like to drop my pack there but think anybody else would be game for that idea. Well, the Younglings wanted to continue to go get water. DM wanted to get the car because he had hidden some hand sanitizer in one of the bear boxes at the campground near the car park. Exasperated, Mrs. DM said she would stay with the packs as we all hiked off.
The Younglings were happy to get some water. I was happy to go into the bathroom and rinse off some of the trail grime. DM and I then walked to the carpark. DM almost didn’t make it. We had to make plenty of stops in the shade of the trees along the road. I think the walk was farther than he had anticipated. Eventually, we made. My car started right up. I was afraid the battery would have died in the intervening week since my car has a tendency to do that. I put on fresh clothes. I put on my tennis shoes. I felt like a brand new boy.
I picked up my pack and my goodbyes to Mrs. DM and DM. I stopped twice on the way back. Once to get some snacks and the other time to get a pizza for my end of hike reward. I was tired. My neck had a glorious sunburn. There were mosquito bites all over my body.
I am ready for next.
9.24 Miles
449’ Up
2844’ Down
After the exciting hike to Laurel Lake and all it’s adventures, the hike to Hetch Hetchy reservoir was a bit of a letdown. Or a comedown. The hike back to civilization. We had two choices on the hike back we could do a short route of 7 miles or a longer route of 10 miles. The consensus was for the short route.
The group started off the day in the usual fashion. I was packed and ready to go by the time the rest of the camp stirred. There was the usual debate about whether to have the coffee at camp or further down the trail. Coffee at camp won.
There wouldn’t be any water on the trail until we got to the potable tap on the other side of the dam. Conservation was the key word for the day. But truth be told. It was a pretty easy hike. The majority of it was down hill. The app on my watch says there was a bit of uphill, but I don’t remember any of that. The biggest problem we had was losing the trail. Our path wasn’t very well traveled. Usually, if you are going to Laurel Lake you go through the BeeHive. There were lots of weeds obscuring the trail. Hopefully we did our part by defining the path a bit more. DM and I led for a little bit, but we were quickly overtaken by the Younglings.
I had been breaking trail up until I was overtaken and the first thing the Younglings encountered was a giant tree that completely obliterated all signs of the trail. It took us a good ten minutes of hunting before finding the trail again.
After a couple miles of hiking, the Younglings were far ahead of me and Mrs. DM and DM were far behind me. I looked off to my left and I spotted a beautiful buck coming down the hill. Fortunately, this time I had all the cameras with me. I had proof that I had seen him. He was coming down the bank and looked to cross the trail I was on. I tried to get to that point so I could get a better picture but he spotted me and wanted nothing to do with me. He turned around and went back up the hill.
The hike was going really well but I noticed something disconcerting about the mile markers. There was about a two mile discrepancy between how long the trail was supposed to be and how long it actually was. According to the signs, the hike was going to be two miles farther than advertised, even though we took the shorter route. Sigh.
After hiking a beautiful dirt path through the forest, I finally made it to the top of the switchbacks leading down to the reservoir. I had spectacular views of the valley as I made it down the granite path. The sun started to peak out from the cloud cover I had been enjoying for the majority of the hike. The hike became a quest to seek shade on the exposed trail. DM and I again were relegated to back of the pack. We stopped to take selfies. We remarked on the various paved portions of the trail where someone in the long distant past had paved part of the trail.
When we got to the bottom of the trail, I quickly realized where the 2 mile discrepancy in the hike came from. When the hike down the mountain reached the trail around the lake, it was exactly 7.5 miles. We just never figured in the mileage to the end of the dam, which which was what the trail markers indicated. Stupid maps. We continued on. I think the pace picked up a bit because everyone wanted to stand in the cool tunnel at the end of the trail but before the dam.
I made it there right after the Younglings. DM and Mrs. DM brought up the rear. The male Youngling was still bouncing around with some energy. At one point, he jumped up on the side wall of the tunnel. DM almost took out his ankle with his walking staff.
As we walked across the dam, a group of surveyors were checking the dam to make sure it hadn’t shifted too much from the earthquake. They also gave us all the information about the quake. Finally, I convinced them to take our final group picture.
The discussion arose about who was going to get the car. It wasn’t much of a discussion for me since I had to get my own car. But Mrs. DM wanted her group to wait at the end of the O’Shaunnessy Dam at the road while she went to go get the car. I had been thinking I would like to drop my pack there but think anybody else would be game for that idea. Well, the Younglings wanted to continue to go get water. DM wanted to get the car because he had hidden some hand sanitizer in one of the bear boxes at the campground near the car park. Exasperated, Mrs. DM said she would stay with the packs as we all hiked off.
The Younglings were happy to get some water. I was happy to go into the bathroom and rinse off some of the trail grime. DM and I then walked to the carpark. DM almost didn’t make it. We had to make plenty of stops in the shade of the trees along the road. I think the walk was farther than he had anticipated. Eventually, we made. My car started right up. I was afraid the battery would have died in the intervening week since my car has a tendency to do that. I put on fresh clothes. I put on my tennis shoes. I felt like a brand new boy.
I picked up my pack and my goodbyes to Mrs. DM and DM. I stopped twice on the way back. Once to get some snacks and the other time to get a pizza for my end of hike reward. I was tired. My neck had a glorious sunburn. There were mosquito bites all over my body.
I am ready for next.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm