88.29 m Up We capped off our evening with some wine and a rainstorm, watching what we dubbed the Kibbie Creek waterfall (I imagine this quickly dries up into a creek, then perhaps nothing in the summer). Never be more than an arm's length away from food out of the bear box. Great debris fields lay compressed in small and confined areas, speaking of glorious floods in their past. Following this is probably not quicker than taking the road (which we did on our return hike), but more fun as long as you dont get turned around easily. Head north along the trail and make your way through mixed pine forest and wildflowers. From here, you will be granted lovely views of Lake Eleanor and the granite bluffs that hem the glittering waters. The USFS and the Hetch Hetchy Water and Power didn't always agree on the policies and requirements. Learn to get back on your kayak BEFORE YOU FLIP!
If you want some additional details about this trail, check this out. As we approached the falls the land took on a contrasted mix of high badlands cliffs, windswept granite, and pockets of both evergreen and perennial trees. Lake Eleanor (Yosemite) in California - Weekend Trip Report, Shop REI's Massive Sale to Gear Up for All of Your Summer Paddling Trips. Twisted branches of Manzanita and old lightning struck trees peppered the pallet with their own form of spices. by Robert M. Price, reporting on the 1911 Sierra Club Outing 1,207' Down
Other day trips from here could include a walk down to the historic dam, and carrying on from there to Frog Creek and Hetch Hetchys backcountry. Soda Lake Road and Carrizo Plain National Monument. Due to our over packing, it took several trips up the road. Follow the winding cherry lake road for 23 miles until arriving at Cherry Lake. 3,990' Up On my way back I crossed the tracks of a bear cub on the trail. More than anything, this meant a minimum of 100 feet from water in any direction, bring your own bear box, and no campfires. Not really gentle, and not really strong, they are another pair of comfortable jeans. To my right and about 20 feet away a yearling brother and sister bounded by my wife. I returned to camp and the sun was a full finger width above the east canyon peaks. Great history of the railroad.one minor correction, the railroad did not have switchbacks above the Moccasin powerhouse area. Eagle watches tourists take out camera and point at eagle. However, we eventually made it to the trail head. Large and roomy campsites with fire rings and bear boxes. The visual pallet was filled with granite of all sizes, downed trees, water pools, and all sorts of color plugged into the landscape here and there. On our hike from Cherry Lake Dam into Eleanor, Curtis and I attempted following some little trails that popped up on our topo map. We stayed at the bottom of Eleanor Falls taking pictures and marveling at how the water really battles its way down the falls, cascading around and over boulders and flats. This first stage of the Hetch Hetchy project was built for year-round hydroelectric power generation, which was then sold to help finance construction of the larger O'Shaughnessy Dam, completed in 1923.[2]. I sought to hike to the Wapama Fall Bridge which took me through some of the path of the former Hetch Hetchy Valley Railroad and abandoned Lake Eleanor Road. Perhaps it was its history of being supremely bold. The lake was fed by three streams, Kibbie Creek, Eleanor Creek, and Frog Creek. Ultimately, we were met by a small clearing with gates, cars, bear boxes, and signs. we visited a few years ago for a brief visit to the dam. Off topic, but anyone curious about these reservoirs and the surrounding water projects can check out this schematic (downloaded from the Lake Don Pedro relicensing public information).
Curtis and I took this mini-backpacking trip out to Lake Eleanor 2 months ago (May 5th). It's inviting and well fitted to its surroundings. Here there is a small pullout with bear boxes where summer hikers can start from. One of the most potent opponents was the Sierra Club and its founding President, John Muir. As the sun was already setting, weve setup our tents and ate some snacks for dinner. The nearest actual town is Groveland. The next day we explored off trail to find the outlet of Kibbie Creek and a closer view of the rapids and cascades. I never figured it out, and my wife never let it stop us from having a great time in the woods or on the lake.
They have enough room to let you work, but you still can't pull them off over your boots. In search of the perfect campsite, we walked through the Kibbie Creek to get to the west of the lake. Something else? Box 577 The campsite however, was still in dark forest, as were the deer when I stepped inand they scattered. No power boats allowed (save for the rangers'). The reservoir has a capacity of 26,100 acre-feet (32,200,000m3) and a surface area of 953 acres (3.9km). Bear Cans required. Though parking is limited, from the sidewalks to the restrooms, all is comfortably sized. 2016 Summer Mountain Trip Part 32 (Finale); former Former US Route 101 on Newton B. Drury Scenic Park Chris Allen's Series Of Web-Based Articles. We also needed a bear canister, which we rented at the Big Oak Flat Information Station ($5 per week, details here). For Lake Eleanor in Ventura County, California, see, Lake Eleanor's eastern shore in 2016, as viewed from a small peninsula, Building the Ultimate Dam: John S. Eastwood And the Control of Water in the West, by Donald Conrad Jackson, page 297, Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Volume 48, Part 1, by American Society of Civil Engineers, February, 1922, "Underwater but Not All Wet: The 1985 Lake Eleanor Archaeological Survey", "Lake Eleanor, California - Climate Summary - Temperature", "Lake Eleanor, California - Climate Summary - Precipitation", California Department of Water Resources: Lake Eleanor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Eleanor&oldid=1020059719, Reservoirs in Tuolumne County, California, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 April 2021, at 23:21. So let me see if I can remember this right. 4.4 km [2], An archeological survey done of the valley in 1985 while the reservoir was drained for maintenance provided evidence of prehistoric occupation of the valley. Photograph by Herbert W. Gleason The bridge was constructed in 1937 when a gentleman by the name of Mr. Carpenter obtained the proper permits to build the Bridge through an Act of Congress. The trail was well traveled up to the Cherry-Eleanor Tunnel. Leaving Cherry Lake to our left side, we continued on the barely visible trail and lost it. Shade didn't come until you were on the top third of the trail. However, these fancy forest friendly bags cost about $3.50 each, so cheaper accommodations were always a welcome option. [4] Chief designer for the San Francisco Board of Public Works Michael O'Shaughnessy, along with hydraulic structural engineer R.P. Yosemite, CA 95389 California Division of Highways plans would have seen Interstate 480 continue from the end of the Embarcadero Freeway to the Golden Gate Bridge as the so-called Golden Gate Freeway. This one has things to buy, stuff to look at, and a counter manned by Forest Service Employees. We've been camping in bear country for decades, but for some reason this walking rug really unnerved my wife. Most likely know of the Embarcadero from the former double deck Embarcadero Freeway which once served as Interstate 480 and later California State Route 480. Being a jerk / offensive? 290' Up Yosemite National Park We filled most of our morning taking pictures of flies that looked like bees, reading books, sorting supplies, and checking out the lake with the Itasca canoe between us and the water. Sierra Club Bulletin, Vol. The trail to Beehive Meadow and Lake Vernon isn't easy (especially the switchbacks at the reservoir), but it's so worth the effort to get out into that part of the park for backpacking. I had a difficult time deciding whether or not I wanted my sunglasses on or off. It certainly gave me a chance to revisit one of the most intriguing highways in the state with various substantial alignment changes since it was added as a Signed State Route in 1934. Camping permit required. So after I armed her with one of my cameras, we spent the next 45 minutes to an hour close quarter stalking the youngsters with cameras. That will take you to parking at the trailhead. Pit toilets near main campground, but said to be pretty nasty. They only allow 25 people per day to enter Lake Eleanor, so crowds are rare, but so is getting a spot on the weekends. It turned out to be only accessible via gravel roads, partially in quite bad conditions. There is a community park and playground, some places to stay, and several places to eat. Give us a follow if you want to be kept up to date about whats happening! A little bonus was essentially a tour of the Southern California Edison Big Creek Project along the infamous Kaiser Pass Road. The experience was worth the effort. True to form, next morning my wife slept in and I headed for a photo shoot adventure. We took the site nearest the lake, site #80. It took 40+ minutes of travel on a twisted paved road, followed by another 40+ minutes on a twisted dirt road to get to the trailhead. It was so heavily forested between the lake and the campsite, at night from the beach you couldnt see the campsite lantern. Before being clearcut, the valley floor was moderately to densely forested with a yellow pine forest consisting primarily of Jeffrey and ponderosa pines, with scatterings of incense cedar, white fir, and black oak. Trail to the right, road to Cherry Lake on the left. Trailhead: Access is from the National Forest, not the park. Connect with travelers planning a visit to Yosemite National Park. 3,374' Down We did however, find several colored and laminated wanted posters of the local outlaw. White #80 is the local black bear. "From Rancheria Mountain,in one morning, we droppped down six thousand feet to Hetch Hethcy Valley, where we spent two days in luxurious idleness, renewing acquaintance with its rocks, walls, cascades, trees, and flowers -- old friends whom many of us had known, but had not seen for years, and for whome we found time had not loosened our ties of affection. 1,206' Up A brief moment of enjoying the splendor before the skies opened up. McIntosh, were primarily responsible for the design.[5]. Copyright 2022 10Adventures Inc. All rights reserved. After reaching the road again we quickly made our way to the Lake Eleanor Trailhead. Everything was substantial, brutal, and powerful, but scaled down (except for the rocks). Here is where we filled out our permit. Lake Eleanors attraction is its remoteness and its splendid views. At times it even changes directions, being forced upward a bit and then races back to the lake. A cub means mommy is nearby and would probably go beyond "supremely bold" I'm glad we didn't see this at our campsite because this is a dangerous situation. Turned out that they underestimated how cold it would be at night. 3,840' Down There was also a Forest Service Line Cabin there, but it was boarded shut and out of service. Only take what you really need on the lake, and then plan ahead on trash and food storage. Spam? Additionally,a dozen concrete pedestals have been secured in the Potomac River in order to support the bridge and wooden deck. She had been trying to get pictures with her cell phone. 7 miles round trip from dam. Trailhead Location. Little more than a breeze to stir the air most of the day, but come afternoon that breeze would start to fray the water atop their waves. Soon enough the landscape turned into the dead and burned one that we started at and we reached our car at the trail head. Actually, I think it spotted us because it made a huge ruckus while watching us from some 50 feet above. Impressive because of its size and architecture. The landscape changed quickly, showing more rocks and less signs of wildfires. My sleeping bag had a minimum comfort temperature of -5C (23F), Marvins 15C (59F) and Roberts didnt even say. It's a simple bridge by design, as the 318 foot long Oldtown Toll Bridge is alow water bridge. Explore one of the more secluded trails in Yosemite National Park along the Chain Lakes Hike. Also the early sunlight lid the landscape in a very beautiful way.
After reading the signs, we headed for the trail. Campers, on the other hand, are to respond accordingly. All other is dispersed camping at least 100 feet from water. 13.9 km We also camped in the forest. Limited to 25 people per day, and must call 24 hours in advance. It was hot and dry outside and the trail was dusty. It began in 1914. With those objectives in mind May I suggest Lake Eleanor? The freeway segment of CA 168 West is only 9, 1874 California Geological Survey sketch map, 1874 Whitney Map of the Sierra Nevada Mountains adjacent to Yosemite Valley, 1924 Rand McNally Railroad Map of California, 1935 Division of Highways Map of Tuolumne County, Old California State Route 140 California State Route 120 entrances into Yosemite National Park, Oldtown Toll Bridge - Maryland and West Virginia, The Embarcadero Freeway and planned Golden Gate Freeway, Tale of CA 168 West and the failed Piute Pass Highway; the climb to Kaiser Pass on the modern highway and the descent on the 1934 highway, Golden State Highways and California Travel Directory, California's Rogue Sign State Route Shields. Hiking the Lake Eleanor Trail is a relaxing and incredibly scenic adventure. 88.22 m Down. No fees. But thats part of another story: Thanks for reading along. 
When you are ready, retrace your footing along the path back to the trailhead. Please feel free to comment if you have any questions or suggestions. Podcaster Actively Supports National Stuttering Awareness Week. And yes, reaching it requires driving long and windy forest service roads. We were a one minute bird's glide almost due south from Eleanor Falls, but a 1.2 mile paddle from the back seat of a canoe. After reaching the peak, we continued north-east towards the Kibbie Lake. Tourists stare at eagle in tree. Yell, scream, gang up, wave sticks, and make hollow threats. Some remnant damage from the Rim Fire is apparent on the hike into Eleanor, but lucky the many campsites we visited down by the lake were protected from the hottest part of the burn. The posters named her, gave a brief psychological profileAnd explained how to handle her. Boulders the size of cars were perched upon stacks of smaller boulders, so high I could stand beneath them. You can expect this little reservoir to not be as popular as many of Yosemites other trail heads. Walking along the Cherry Creek trail, we got rewarded with a nice view over the Cherry Lake. After filling up our backpacks, we started hiking towards Lake Eleanor, a reservoir that was formed as part of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir system, constructed to supply water and power to San Francisco. Topo map of Cherry Lake to Lake Eleanor Backpacking. This is about an injury or accident I took pictures nearly the entire way. Click to see full size. Originally CA 168 ran through downtown Clovis on an alignment that stayed in use into fairly modern times. From here, hike northeast along the southern shoreline of Lake Eleanor via Forest Road 1N14 and past the ranger station. Frog Creek had two spots, but neither was taken. This June I took a trip out to Yosemite National Park upon receiving my COVID-19 Day Use Reservation. Upon first entering the wood and glass sided building, you find yourself in the equivalent of a well kept visitors mud room. Frog Creek marks your turnaround point. They seemed to be fascinated with the flashes. The trail begins by winding up through some very dry terrain. It is reached by driving to the Cherry Lake Dam, taking the trailhead there east to the lake. Water, beach, driftwood, and then we vanished into the trees. So far, the vast majority of the shoreline was steep forest covered hills with occasional rock outcroppings. 2.5 miles walking to trailhead from dam in, only a mile from trailhead on the road to the established campsites. I had been particularly interested in checking it out because it was supposed to have pit toilets. No iconic granite cliffs here. NOT OKAY! Using Mr. Carpenter's blueprints, the Army Corp of Engineers and a number of local laborers constructed the bridge and it remained under the, The Embarcadero in the City of San Francisco is a historic waterfront road corridor along San Francisco Bay. 
We would have been better off with some kind of SUV and felt very sorry for our city car. Not without some more uphill sections, though. It created so hard shadows that you could confuse it with the sun. Eleanor Falls enters at the tip. Yea right, like I'm going to fight off a bear that's grabbing my sandwich. But we didn't find the toilets. The water was only a foot or two below the high water mark, and it was warm. In the late 1800s, two homestead patents were taken out in the valley, one by Hermann Wolfe on the south shore and another by Horace J. Kibbe on the north shore,[2] which he occupied until 1913.[3]. The cold crossing turned out to be worth it, we found a very nice place for the night. Lake Eleanor is located on the northwestern edge of Yosemite National Park, northwest of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. [2], Settlement of Lake Eleanor valley by Europeans began in the mid 1800s. The start of our trail is the middle of Forest Route 1N14, which leads straight to Lake Eleanor. If you havent done so yet, please start reading the overview post: This was the first hike on our backpacking trip through Yosemite. As we moved down the north side of the lake, we encountered a Golden Eagle and later, two Bald Eagles (one probably being the first one we saw). We had a rental car for our trip.
This is a privilege to keep in mind. The HHWP ranger told us there was a map of the lake at trailhead that showed all the campsites. Eagle stares at tourists in canoe. Either way, communication between them was minimal here.
151.09 m Down, 8.7 mi Climbing out of the creek and up on top, I found harsh and stunning vistas. The original smaller, natural lake was also named "Eleanor"[2] after the daughter of Josiah Whitney, leader of the California Geological Survey in the 1860s. In this blog we will examine the history of the Embarcadero, Embarcadero Freeway and planned Golden Gate Free, Back in 2017 I decided that I would get my mountain highway fix for the week out of the way with a route clinch of the western segment California State Route 168 from the Fresno eastward up to Huntington Lake. I hiked from our campsite to Frog Creek Falls (about 1 mile), up the sides, over the canyon walls, around the forest (about 3 miles total), and past some bear scat (a couple of days old).
Trail. Severe winter road damage out here will likely mean that the road will be closed all summer. That worked out alright for me, but not for Marvin and Robert. On the gps it was simply 0.4 miles both ways, but Im sure the gps was wrong. If the campsite had a fire ring and a bear box, then it was an official campsite. She's persistent. We arrived before the dam opened, instead parking near the gate and walking to the trailhead. Take the I-120 from the Groveland USFS station to Cherry Lake Road.
Since 1995, we've built travel guides that promote great outdoor destinations. Although Yosemite National Park is open all year, and fishing is permitted year-round in the park, the best time to come to Lake Eleanor is in the summer months. This ranger station however, is located between Buck Flat and Groveland about 200 yards off of Highway I-120, down a small asphalt road. Kayak Jewelry - Kayak Inspired Pendants, Bracelets, and More, Canoe Jewelry - Canoe Inspired Necklaces, Rings, and More, Paddle Board Jewelry - SUP Inspired Necklaces, Rings, and More. However, wed enter the Yosemite wilderness during the hike, so all wilderness regulations applied. These falls are popular because backpackers have to pass them to get to their camp. Since we had no facilities out here, and we practice "No Trace" camping, we go in bio degradable/eco friendly/no spill in canoe waste disposal bags. 3,374' Up The Embarcadero Freeway was completed from Interstate 80 to Broadway by 1959 and generally came to be seen as a blight on the San Francisco Bay waterfront.
