Hetch Hetchy - Big City Mountaineers

Hetch Hetchy
BCM Course Area Guide
Backcountry
Trip Code ________________________
Team Leader ________________________
Table of Contents
Trail Summary ...................................................... 3
Trail Information .............................................................. 3
Trail Description .............................................................. 4
Route Description............................................................ 5
Trail Distances ................................................................ 5
Trail Elevation Profile ...................................................... 5
Map....................................................................... 6
Key to Trail Map.................................................... 8
Camp Site Information .................................................... 8
Map Legend .................................................................... 9
Hazards ........................................................................... 9
Recommended Destinations ......................................... 10
Fishing ........................................................................... 10
Summits ........................................................................ 11
Daily Outline ....................................................... 12
Curriculum Checklist ........................................... 13
Team Leader Recommendations ....................... 14
Team Leader Comments .............................................. 14
Team Leader Feedback Form ...................................... 15
Emergency Information....................................... 16
BCM Phone Numbers ......................................... 16
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Trail Information
Trailhead Name:
Beehive Meadows Trailhead (Rancheria Falls)
Trailhead Camp:
Hetch Hetchy Campground
Permit (Expiration): PWA-YOSE-5300-10-328 (2010)
Permit Pick-Up:
Special Use Permit is provided in the Trip Binder.
Team Leaders: Copies of your CPR/WFR cards
need to be available upon request.
Wilderness Permit: Wilderness Permit Control information is in your
binder.
Permit Pick-Up:
Go to any of the Ranger Stations listed in binder.
Please have a printed permit confirmation letter
with you (it will be in your binder).
Trail Name(s):
Rancheria Falls Trail
Beehive Meadows Trail
Type of Trail:
Loop (Lake Vernon)
Mileage:
15.9 miles
Alternate Routes:
Frog Creek/Miguel Meadows Loop
Alternate Mileage:
20.9 miles
Trail Location:
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Wilderness
Maps:
BCM provides USGS &Trails Illustrated Maps:
T.I. #307 (Yosemite NW/Hetch Hetchy)
Flora/Fauna:
The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Birds: A Hiker's Guide by John Muir Laws
Weather Trends:
Average High 90°F / Average Low 53°F
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Trail Description
The trails leaving Hetch Hetchy Reservoir are only appropriate for
the early season, because of the hot summer weather in the area.
Hiking in California is dry and fast. Beautiful granite slabs make for
an easier terrain, great picnic areas and flat, smooth campsites.
Expect to hike through pine forests and fields of Manzanita brush.
Manzanita, which literally means "little apple" in Spanish, is characterized by orange or red bark and twisting branches. Sometimes
Manzanita grow to the height of small trees.
The mountain ranges of California are known for their excellent light
quality, referred to as alpenglow. When the sun is just below the
horizon, a red glow can sometimes be seen on the opposite horizon.
Look for alpenglow after sunset or before sunrise, when there is no
direct sunlight. Instead, light reflects off airborne snow, water, or ice
particles low in the atmosphere. At any time of day, the views above
tree line are stunning.
During wildflower season, late spring through early summer, expect
lots of lupins, paintbrush, columbine, and California poppies. Watch
for marmots and pikas--they are everywhere.
Lake Vernon and Laurel Lakes are both worthwhile destinations.
The area along Moraine Ridge is pretty and has lots of water for dipping and cooling off. You could summit a peak along the Moraine
Ridge.
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Route Description
Overview
From Hetch Hetchy Reservoir head east along the reservoir for a 21
-mile loop with about 3,000 feet of elevation gain between Rancheria
Falls and Lake Vernon. Do a midday summit of Mount Gibson, or
wait for an easier summit above Laurel Lake.
Details
Hiking east to Rancheria Falls makes for a nice, fairly easy, flat first
day of backpacking. The majority of the elevation gain is between
Rancheria Falls and the Mount Gibson drainage. Break up the elevation gain by camping at Tiltill Valley. On summit day, backpack
from Tiltill Valley to the Mount Gibson drainage. Drop packs and
hike to Mount Gibson for lunch. Camp at the drainage or continue to
Lake Vernon for a nicer camping area. This is a long summit day,
so be prepared. Return to Hetch Hetchy via Beehive Meadows.
There is no layover day on this 21-mile loop.
If summiting Mount Gibson makes for too long of a day, hiking to a
peak above Laurel Lake (the next day) is a good alternative. These
peaks are lower, but the views and Laurel Lake are nice. If you plan
to summit above Laurel Lake, hike directly from Tiltill Valley to Lake
Vernon. The next day, hike from Lake Vernon to Beehive Meadows,
drop packs, and day hike to Laurel Lake and summit a peak. Camp
near Beehive Meadows.
Trailhead to Rancheria-1: 5 miles
Tiltill-2 to Creek-3: 3.7 miles
Tiltill-2 to Lake Vernon-4: 5 miles
Lake Vernon-4 to Drainage-6: 3.5 miles
Drainage-6 to Trailhead: 4.6 miles
Trail Elevation Profile*
Elevation Gain: Min. Elevation:
Elevation Loss: Max. Elevation:
* The elevation details and corresponding graphic pertain to the main route
only—not alternate routes.
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6
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Camp Site Information
Favorites
2- Tiltill Valley - UTM 263113E 4206477N
4- Lake Vernon- UTM 260475E 4210535N
6-Drainage- UTM 255617E 4208487N
Good Alternative
1- Rancheria- UTM 261395E 4204330N
3- Creek- UTM 260966E 4208975N
5- Beehive Meadows- UTM 256201E 4209132N
7- Pond- UTM 255265E 4207419N
8- Laurel Lake- UTM 255050E 4209050N
Not Recommended
No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Refer to trail map for corresponding numbered campsites.
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Map Legend
Campsites (Not all sites are recommended.)
Kitchen area
Reported Water Source (River, Pond, Creek, Spring)
---
Portages
Point of Interest
Hazards
Fishing
Main Route
Alternate Routes
Points of Interest
No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Fishing
No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Refer to trail map for corresponding hazards.
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Hazards
The biggest hazards are afternoon storms and the public. Keep hydrated, wear sunscreen, and be self-aware, taking care of problems
immediately. Sprains, strains, blisters, and river crossings are all
possible hazards.
Animals
• Black bears are common; especially in campgrounds.
• Rattlesnakes are uncommon though present.
• Bees, wasps, and spiders are all possible hazards.
• Animals are wild. Do not approach any animal.
Poisonous • Poison Oak
Plants
Weather
Hazards
• Can be hot an dry. Keep hydrated!
Lightning
• No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Exposures
No Water
Between
• No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Scree
Slopes
• No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
Refer to trail map for corresponding locations.
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Summit
Neither of the summit options are exceptional, but accomplishing a
summit is important to the teens.
MOUNT GIBSON- UTM 262878E 4209060N
The hike to Mount Gibson is completely tree-covered, but there is an
opening in the trees at the top allowing for nice views of the Tiltill
Creek Valley.
PEAK ABOVE LAUREL LAKE- UTM 253452E 4209567N
The summit above Laurel Lake will hopefully have views of Eleanor
Lake and Laurel Lake. Laurel Lake in itself a nice visit.
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
Refer to trail map for corresponding locations.
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Area History
These trails travel through national forest and a wilderness area,
both public lands, owned by the federal U.S. government and protected from private commerical development, but for different purposes. The initial and continued mission of the National Forest Service, established in 1905 (within the Department of Agriculture), is:
"...the greatest good of the greatest number of people in the long
run.” Focused on conservation, timber and mineral deposits are
managed in a manner similar to agriculture or farmed crops.
Wilderness Areas were established with preservation in mind. The
Congressional Wilderness Act of 1964 was approved to “secure for
the American people of present and future generations the benefits
of an enduring resource of wilderness.” As such, Wilderness designation protects the area from roads, logging, oil and gas drilling, and
any commercial enterprises. In part, to retain the quiet, motorized
and mechanical vehicles and motorized equipment are not allowed.
Local Environment
The Sierra Nevada Mountains are an uplifted, tilted block of granite
400 miles long by 100 miles wide; the result of fault-line tectonic
plate activity. Subsequent erosion, due to streams and glaciers,
carved out U-shaped valleys, lakes, rugged peaks and cliffs. Sediment fills lakes creating meadows.
There are several threats to the natural condition of the Sierras: air
pollution, light pollution, and global warming, evident in the thinning
snowpacks. Stray light, particularly from San Joaquin Valley, brightens the night sky. Darkness allows vistors views of the stars, while
nocturnal animals depend on darkness to hunt, conceal their location, navigate, and reproduce. Artificial light can disrupt plant cycles.
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Daily Outline
Recommendations
• Expedition Preparation and Planning
Day
1
Mariposa
Schl.
Day
2
Day
3
Day
4
IN
THE
FIELD
Day
5
Day
6
Tioga
High
Schl.
Day
7
HOME
Meet at BCM Office
Issue Individual Gear
Pre-trip teen surveys
Duffle Shuffle
Issue BCM Group Gear
Camp at Mariposa Unified Yosemite Valley
School Campground.
Camp at Rancheria Falls (5 miles)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hike three miles uphill. Camp at Tiltill Creek Valley. Or hike up six miles to the trail high point, and
camp alogn a drainage, below Mount Gibson.
Long day. Camp at Lake Vernon.
Summit Mt. Gibson on the way to Lake Vernon, or
wait for a smaller peak above Laurel Lake. Lunch
on Mt. Gibson if you decide to summit.
Lunch at Laurel Lake, (2.5 miles). Camp at a
creek south of Beehive Meadows. If you plan to
summit a peak above Laurel Lake, drop packs and
camp near Beehive Meadows.
• Hike out this morning (six miles downhill from
Beehive)
• Clean gear
• Laundry
• Showers
• Pick up breakfast for Day 7
• Evaluations & Surveys (D/A Profile)
• Celebration Dinner
• Call office with ETA
• Coordinate with Youth Leader for how to get
teens home.
• Team Leader debrief with RPM (volunteers not
required to join.)
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Curriculum Checklist
Day 1
Welcome
Introductions & Ice Breaker
Expectations
Policies
7-Day Overview
Day 2
Trust Activity
Policies Review
Daily Activities
Quote of the Day
Reflection Roundtable
Journaling
Lessons
Lost & Alone
Camp Craft 101
LNT
Group Travel
Food Waste Disposal
Campsite Selection
Health & Hygiene 201
Cat-Holes
Pack Packing
Food Protection
Water Treatment
Lightning Safety
Outcomes
Set expectations, roles & responsibilities.
Establish structure & daily routine.
Build Trust.
Establish common understanding of trip purpose.
Reflect on physical and emotional stresses.
Understand one is capable of overcoming & learning from challenges.
Work as a team to overcome challenges.
Support and encourage each other to overcome challenges.
Peak hike: overcome challenges, reflect, and learn from experiences.
Celebrate achievement.
Create Meaning: How did we overcome challenges?
Create Meaning: What are our strengths and weaknesses?
Create Meaning: How do we transfer what we have learned
home?
Setting individual goals for the future.
Record learning and achievement in something tactile that teens
can take home with them as a reminder of their experience.
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Team Leader Comments
This area will be used for free form comments from Team Leaders
to future Team Leaders. Please use the Field Journal for feedback and comments.
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Emergency Information
Location
Base Camp
Backcountry (On-Trail)
Hospital
Yosemite Medical Clinic
Ahwahnee Drive, Yose Valley 8am-7pm drop-in
209.372.4637
911 Services?
Yes
Local Contact
Yosemite National Park
209.372.0200
Cell Phone Coverage?
No
BCM Phone Numbers
Emergency Phone Number
800.208.2483
If an emergency arises on trip that needs immediate assistance, call the
emergency number first to reach a BCM staff member. If you do not
receive a return call within 20 minutes, refer to the emergency contact
sheet you received at the beginning of your trip or directly reach out to
BCM staff. Regional BCM office numbers are listed below.
Denver Office
303.271.9200
Chicago Office
847.636.0422 (cell)
Pacific NW Office
310.871.7557 (cell)
San Francisco Office
510.457.5743 (cell)
Additional Emergency Information: Yosemite Medical Clinic: 24 hour
emergency, drop in 8am - 7pm
Cell Phone Coverage: No information is available. Feedback is appreciated!
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