This hike completes my list of hikes to do in Fresno. Time to go...
I visited McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve back in April of 2017 during the Open Preserve Day. I went on a docent-led Discovery hike then, and did not end up going to the top of Table Mountain. I knew I had to do it before my departure. Luckily, one of the Meetup groups was going there, so I decided to join them.
The hike was scheduled at 9 AM, and parking was free outside the gate since we took Wellbarn Road Trail instead of going through McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve. The weather was rather cool, a bit foggy with moderate air quality - not too bad. The hike started out relatively flat, but very quickly we were going downhill.
Not to worry, the uphill was coming since we were going all the way to the top. I wore at least five layers, so I knew I could easily undress a few if I got hot. It was 45 degrees Fahrenheit as the ascend began, and soon enough I took my first layer off. I paced myself so that I would not need to take off more layers (yes, I am lazy to stop). The uphill was steep, but not very long, only a mile or so.
As we reached the top, we spent some time walking the perimeter of the Table Mountain, taking pictures and videos, chatting with cows and finally stopping at a small picnic area for a short lunch. I had my Kind bar since I was not very hungry (all this food over holidays and lazy days lounging on the couch just don't do any good and make you plump). Shortly after, we got up and headed back.
The way back was rather peaceful and warm, although the air quality continued to deteriorate. The hike took about 4.5 hrs with multiple stops and breaks, 8 miles and about 1,600 ft elevation gain. After several months of no hiking I consider this a success.
Hart Tree, Fallen Goliath, Redwood Creek Loop Trail (heck, this is a long name for a trail!) is located in Kings Canyon National Park, only 4 miles from the entrance. The last 2 miles of driving happens on a gravel road that becomes inaccessible to low clearance cars in the winter and probably early spring as well. In fact, the description of the trail on AllTrails says that even high clearance vehicles must have 4x4 and chains on tires. I can see why... Even when it was dry, the road has multiple switchbacks with change of elevation and twists and turns. In my Civic, I was doing at best 10 miles per hour. Bumpy ride!
I am surprised how many people in the reviews on Hikespeak did not think this trail was good. I can see how it could be buggy in the summer, but in the beginning of November it is perfect! The trail is almost completely shaded. While there are only a few overlook spots, the entire hike you are surrounded by sequoia trees. In the fall, the leaves change colors, and it's absolutely beautiful. Not very strenuous and has a few streams and a little waterfall.
The group I hikes with was relatively slow this time, so the last part of the hike I decided to finish by myself keeping a steady pace uphill.
My Italy trip was the first group trip I booked with a travel agency. Intrepid was one of the main agencies that cater specifically to solo travelers. On their website, I did quite a bit of research about different types of Italy trips, and chose the cycling trip in Tuscany. Indeed, this was going to be fun!
As I finished writing my blogposts about Italy, I look back on my whole experience and wonder, what could have I done better? While I enjoyed the trip for the most part, there were aspects that I was not thrilled about:
1) accommodations were basic at best. A shared room in a hotel was expected, but the quality of hotels was not always the best. I have stayed at basic hotels like Holiday Inn and Choice Hotels and was quite satisfied with their rooms and cleanliness. Accommodations in Italy were not as good. Maybe it is the European lack of space or musty smell in some of the rooms, but even some of the AirBnb rooms were better.
2) my guide. He was pushy and intimidating. As I mentioned in my prior post, the main guide was quite mean with me at times rushing me to keep up with the group. Yes, I get it, as part of the group you have to stay in close proximity, but I was on my vacation and really should not have heard that I needed to rush because I was "making the trip longer for everyone else".
3) equipment. Bikes were older with worn handles, the rubber on which came off on my hands leaving them black and dirty. The saddles were very uncomfortable and the tires were almost bare. Also, when I needed to get an adjustment to prevent from brakes rubbing against the rotors, the guides was not too successful in accomplishing that (should that be in the "guide" section?).
4) feedback. I submitted a 3-star review for the trip on Intrepid website providing specific tips on what I would improve. Guess what? The review was not posted. In fact, only positive reviews are posted on their website, which makes me wonder just how honest the ratings of trips are.
I think next time I am traveling with G Adventures, another agency that designs trips all around the world and accommodates solo travelers.
I could not believe that having done so many hikes in Yosemite, I have not completed Vernal and Nevada Falls! Known for its giant staircase and the Mist trail, this hike offers not only beautiful views (hey, it's Yosemite!) but also decent exercise.
The weather was perfect for a hike of this nature, uphill and close to 10 miles (although originally it was not planned to be that long). We started out a bit later than usually, around 10 AM, but with the weather cooling down, middle-of-the-day heat would not be an issue.
The first part of the trail is just a climb with minimal views, but when you get a bit higher, what you are about to see fully unfolds in front of you. The giant staircase isn't just a name, it's many steps (many, many, many steps) lined up right next to the first waterfall, Vernal Falls, which at the end of the dry season does not stand up to rumors of being so strong, that it creates mist (hence, the name of the Mist trail). This time it was quite mellow and peaceful allowing us a safe and steady climb up the stairs.
The next part looked sketchy, primarily because of my fear of heights. The stairs went up to the beginning of the waterfall, and were rather narrow. Even with a safety railing and mesh fence, I felt pretty nervous, but since it was no a long lasting climb on that section, I safely ended up on top of the waterfall.
After taking a few pictures, we continued to Nevada Falls, another 1.5 miles straight uphill, also involving some stairs, but this time wider ones and not as intimidating. We were getting a bit tired. When we reached the top, we had a short lunch looking over Nevada Falls and just enjoying the beautiful weather.
On the way up, we found out that one section of the John Muir Trail that we were supposed to take back on the way down was closed, and were rerouted to take a detour. Little did we know that the detour also involved more uphill. Much more... On the other hand, we got a chance to see an adolescent bear peacefully eating something off a tree. I got a bad photo of him, but this is a proof that I saw another bear! So exciting!
We hiked another 4 miles, but all downhill from there on. The section we ended up on was not crowded at all. In fact, we barely saw a person. We safely returned to the parking lot, tired and quite satisfied with views we have seen and wildlife. I think I would repeat this trail or at least a section of it to see the falls in full power in the spring. Let's just hope for rain!
After almost 2 months of hiking-free activities, I finally was on my way to Hotel Creek Trail. Together with two other people, we were to start at the Hotel Creek Trailhead, visit Cedar Grove Overlook and return via Lewis Creek Trail.
I arrived at the trailhead at 8.30 AM, and not knowing whether my hiking partners had already started the ascend or not, I decided to slowly go uphill. As I conquered several switchbacks, I heard a noise. Brrr... Brrr.. I was not sure what that was and continued. Brrr... Brrr... was coming from the same spot again. I thought that there was an animal, but could not figure out who would be making this noise. I decided to go down a bit to search for my hiking partners. It was a bit unnerving to continue the hike by myself, yet I was not ready to give up just yet. Indeed, "It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live" (Marcus Aurelius).
I saw two figures in the distance and took a deep breath, it was my hiking partners! I explained to them what happened, and they just laughed at me. "It's a bird flapping its wings, you silly!" they told me... Lo and behold, I heard the sound again and saw a larger bird flying from where the sound originated. I wondered how much more I could do if it were not for fear...
The hike finally continued. The climb was steep, but moderately difficult. The views opened up since the very beginning.
We reached the Cedar Grove overlook pretty quickly. Looking down, you could see the river, and on the other side - vast meadows.
The size of some of these trees is insane. The picture above just shows how little we are (or I am...) compared to one of them.
The weather was absolutely perfect until the end of the hike when it got hot and buggy. I luckily had my headnet!
Overall, we ended up hiking around 8.5 miles with 2,350 ft elevation gain.
After another 24 hour travel day, I was finally home. I must say this trip was exhausting. I ended up packing in too much in my schedule during the days I traveled solo, and too much exercise on a cycling tour with Intrepid.
You would really like Italy if you like:
1) Food. It is incredible! Although I primarily ate high carbs foods, like pizza, pasta, and lasagna, I could order other dishes, I just chose not to. Italians have pride in their food and most of the time the servings are generous, especially if you go to a family run restaurant. Salads made with fresh vegetables, I have not found anything that was not fresh (unless you go to a touristy place).
2) Art and history. There is a never ending supply of spots where you can enjoy art. From galleries to street art, Italian cities (and even small villages) are full with diverse forms of art. History is embedded in so many buildings and streets, that you soon will take it for granted. I would do some research prior to visiting a site of attraction or have Internet available to do research while visiting it. Alternatively, you can join a tour, so that the guide becomes your storyteller.
3) Nature. While I did not do any hiking, cycling through the mountains and forests provided incredible views. Stay away from big cities if you would like to fully enjoy the nature, go to towns that may not be well-known to avoid tourists.
What I didn't like was:
1) Service. Many places just lack it. Grumpy waiters, long wait time for food to arrive (in some restaurants) and lack of attentiveness to detail is a normal thing in Italy, or at least in places I have been to. Maybe it's because waiters don't work for tips like here in the US, so they don't have to be really nice to their customers. Maybe it's difference in culture...
2) Mosquitos. There are no screens on any windows, and air conditioning is a hit or miss novelty. Hence, if you are hot in your room and want to open the windows, you will probably enjoy some buzzing insects at night.
3) Smoking. I am not sure what the percentage of people is who smoke in Italy, but it is by far much higher than in the US. Smoking is allowed in outdoor areas of restaurants, and since many restaurants don't have much indoor space, you end up puffing together with your neighbor. Second hand smoking is not a joke there.
Overall, I enjoyed my trip. It's good to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. I have never been abroad by myself, and now I can surely say I can do it again. Dining alone at restaurants is no longer an issue. My cycling roommate recommended a cycle-and-boat tour that she did right after our cycling trip. She said it was not as intense and allowed rest, something that I missed.
When traveling to other countries, I also realize how lucky I am living where I do. We take for granted so many luxuries we have in life. Traveling helps you look at life from a different perspective.
Today was the day I was supposed to see Vatican... This was a free Sunday at Vatican Museums, and I anticipated more people than usual waiting in line. I woke up with a crack of dawn, had my warm unrefrigerated yogurt (it was still delicious) and walked to the train station. For 1.50 Euro you get a 100 min ticket on public transportation in Rome. I only needed 20 min to get to Vatican.
I arrived at the destination train station together with many others who I thought knew the way to Vatican Museums. While I had my GPS that was showing me to go to a slightly different direction, I stupidly followed the crowd and ended up at the metal detector to see St. Peter's Basilica. It took about 20-30 minutes to get through security and until I realized I was at the wrong place. While I wanted to see St. Peter's Basilica, it was usually recommended to be the last stop after Vatican Museums. Disappointed by my "going with the crowd" mentality, I decided to continue with visiting the basilica. It was everything it was described to be - grand and majestically beautiful.
After the visit, I walked outside the gate past security and went towards where the REAL Vatican Museums were. The line was already very long. So long that it wrapped around so far, I could not see the end.
I made an executive decision not to wait, not to visit Vatican this time. Why? I guess I wanted to enjoy Rome away from the crowds today. Initially a bit frustrated, I ended up really enjoying the day as I walked along the quiet streets of Rome on an early Sunday morning. Everything was still closed, and people were sleeping. Is this what Rome like on a usual day away from touristic areas?
The bridge above interested me, so I went towards it. Right next to the bridge there was this huge castle. I had no idea what it was and looked at the sign. Castel Sant'Angelo... Sounded interesting. A few people gathered up by the entrance. The castle was to open in just a few minutes. I did not have a ticket, but I could buy one inside. A group of tourists with a guide came by. The guide was offering to sell tickets since some of her tourists did not come. I decided to just buy one at the ticket office. Finally, the door opened, and I headed to the ticket office. The guide and her group went to the other line since they already had tickets, and all of a sudden she approached me and two other people standing behind me in the other line and offered the tickets for free. She asked that we prayed for her group. Strange request, but a free ticket did not only save me 15 Euro, it also gave me hope that things happen at the right place and in time, if you just wait. I felt really good about what happened, and the castle itself turned out to be pretty amazing.
I didn't only like the castle because of it's history. The views from it were fantastic!
After the visit to Sant'Angelo Castle, I wanted to check on a couple of other, not as famous sites of attraction.
Largo Argentina was one of them. It is the remaining structure of Pompey's Theater. What was more interesting to me (I only found out about it after the trip) was that this is also a site for Torre Argentina no-kill cat shelter. Apparently, cats just roam around there, and given Italy's stray cat no-kill law, they can legally be there! Unfortunately, since I did not do enough research about this site beforehand, I did not know that there is a separate entry to the shelter. I don't remember seeing any cats, but in the hindsight, it was hot, so cats were probably hiding under ruins somewhere. Here is a video that one of the Italian TV channels made about this shelter (it's in Italian).
Can you see any cats on these pictures?
My next stop was Piazza Venezia. While it was really beautiful, it was filled with people. So so so many people. I left there very quickly.
It was getting time for lunch, so I went to Trasvestere, one of the trendiest areas in Rome where food is the center of attention. On the way there, I wanted to visit Jewish Ghetto, but for some reason I could not find where it is. What I found was a whole district of jewish restaurants, and as it turned out Jewish Ghetto was just another neighborhood!
To get to Trasvestere, I needed to cross the river. I decided to incorporate Tiber Island into my schedule since I was going to pass through it anyway. I expected a bit more of it. Yes, there are old bridges. Yes, there is a nice river. But besides that there was not much to see.
In Trasvestere I wanted to visit a certain restaurant for appertivi (as you might remember from my earlier post, appertivi are happy hour drinks that come with food), but there was such a long line to get in, I really didn't feel like waiting, so I continued walking. I found another restaurant that seemed to NOT cater to tourists, and walked in. I ordered some cold cuts with cheese, what turned out to be my last meal in Italy. It was really good, but not worth the price I paid.
It was 1.30pm and I was really getting tired. I decided to slowly head to the rental. I enjoyed walking along the river. It did not seem to be too crowded and was well-shaded by trees.
Before leaving Trasvestere, I stopped at another church, Basilica di Santa Maria. I sat there to rest for a while enjoying the last bits of my appreciation for art.
I was then on my way back to the room. I got back around 3 PM and went to take a nap. I was originally planned to take a final look at Roman streets after the nap, but decided to just stay in for the night. My trip was over, as far as I was concerned!
