Our friend Melynda pointed out on facebook this morning that the newest episode of Yosemite Nature Notes is all about Yosemite’s big trees.

I’ve been a fan of Nature Notes since episode 6 (maps) and am continuously impressed by the camera work, editing, and interviews.  I’ve tried my hand at the youtube video and I didn’t find it easy.  Steven Bumgardner and his colleagues make it look like a walk in the park (sorry for the pun, that wasn’t really necessary).

So why do I love Nature Notes?  This series is like fuel for parents who are looking for an adventure in Yosemite.  Wondering what to explore in the park?  Jump on over to the Nature Notes page on youtube and take your pick or choose a random video in the series.  As long as you aren’t looking for frazil ice in the summer, you can’t really go wrong.

As you watch the episode, fill up on ideas and information and then set a goal to visit a place in the video to explore the topic experientially.

The Big Trees video provides the perfect example:  It’s one thing to see a photograph of a tree with a 100 ft circumference.  It is quite another to hike in with the kids and photograph it yourself.  This is truly Kids Outdoor Activity Television and the opportunity to create adventures and memories that will last a lifetime abound.

If you haven’t already, check out the most recent episode of Yosemite Nature Notes and learn all about the big trees in Yosemite.  I think that this series is a gold mine for parents who visit the park for educational purposes.  Leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts…..

Wacky Wild Wednesdays in the Woods is our weekly activity this summer. Every Wednesday, the kids and I are picking a different hike around Northern California to explore.

Our hike requirements (in part due to our 2 year old who is hoofin’ it) are as follows:

1. Roughly 3 miles total distance.
2. Ample shade for resting spots.
3. Set a goal. Our goals are:
   1. Find a waterfall, big trees, or wildlife.
   2. Walk farther than we did the week before.
   3. Go somewhere we have never been before.
4. Have fun!
5. Create good memories.

After leaving the Big Trees Interpretive Trail, we headed west down Mosquito Ridge Road to Peavine Road.  Turning right, we drove five and half miles down the dirt road to the trailhead of Grouse Falls Viewing Deck.  There are some great views as you weave your way to the end of the road and the drive over was just enough rest time for the little ones before we headed out for the 1/2 mile hike to the viewing deck.

Viewing deck at Grouse Falls

It may be a short hike, but is well worth the little side trip to stop here. The viewing deck is 1000 ft. off the canyon floor and across from the 530 ft waterfall cascading down the other side of the canyon.

Grouse Falls, Tahoe National Forest

We sat in the afternoon sun, enjoying a quiet moment on a bench perched high on a mountainside, gazing across a canyon to a roaring waterfall disappearing into the trees below. We were alone, 3 children, their mother and our faithful furry friend. This was the perfect ending to a day of hiking that makes me love being in the woods and a memory I will cherish sharing with my children for many years.

Leaving Grouse Falls

We took our time hiking back to the truck and enjoyed a stop in Foresthill to wave goodbye to the mountains until our next adventure.

Goodbye Tahoe National Forest. See you next time!

Wacky Wild Wednesdays in the Woods is our weekly activity this summer. Every Wednesday, the kids and I are picking a different hike around Northern California to explore.

Our hike requirements (in part due to our 2 year old who is hoofin’ it) are as follows:

1. Roughly 3 miles total distance.
2. Ample shade for resting spots.
3. Set a goal. Our goals are:
   1. Find a waterfall, big trees, or wildlife.
   2. Walk farther than we did the week before.
   3. Go somewhere we have never been before.
4. Have fun!
5. Create good memories.

Wacky Wild Wednesday on June 16^th led us to the northernmost grove of Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum and Grouse Falls (which will be the next post in this series).  The first hikes, Forest View Trail and Big Trees Interpretive Trail can be found 23 miles from Foresthill off Mosquito Ridge Road. Big Tree Grove is a ½ mile loop with an intersection mid-way to Forest View Trail, a mile loop that takes you through an old growth forest.   We found these hikes in our book California Hiking from Foghorn Press. (We have an extensive collection of hikng books in the store, but I could not find this hike in any of them. We will be ordering this title soon.) There were no interpretive brochures and so we made do with a picture taken of the map.  Check out Tahoe National Forest for current information and ranger station numbers.  Here’s the tale of this week’s trail…

We were off again, leaving the house a little earlier this week in hopes of getting to the trailhead before lunch time.  I have found a hidden blessing in my 7 year old on our recent adventures, her ability to read is very helpful. She gives me the directions to the trailhead and watches for the correct street signs. We include the younger two (4 and 2 years old) by spelling the street name and having them look for the letters in the name. As a result of her newfound skill, she read Mosquito Ridge Road and said to me in a panicked voice, “Mommy does this mean there will be mosquitoes there?” UH OH… forgot the mosquito repellant again and yes, the name is appropriate.  The drive from Sacramento is especially breathtaking as you curve your way around Mosquito Ridge Road feeling as if you are driving on the edge of the earth and enjoying views of pine capped mountains and luscious green valley below.

Views from Mosquito Ridge Road

We were a little distracted by all the beauty surrounding us and I kept stopping Gerty (the truck) so we all could get out to take pictures.

Entering Tahoe National Forest

We kept seeing these beautiful flowers growing out of the rocks.

They were an amazing peach color.

Distractions aside, we finally found the turn to the Big Tree Grove.  There is a nice parking area and we were the only ones in it at the time. Our dog was extremely excited to get out of the truck and took off down the road to investigate. The kids geared up with their hydration packs and lunches and chased after the dog.  After I rounded up the group, we were off on Big Trees Trail. I like interpretive trails with the kids because the numbers on the posts keep the little guy searching for the next. He likes to trace his finger in the number and repeat it back to me. In my mind, this is an excellent way to learn how to count, meandering through the woods with trees older and larger than you can imagine, breathing in the earthy smells of dirt and pine.

As you walk down the gentle path of crunchy pine needles you are surrounded by trees and almost miss the magnitude of how big some of the trees really are, standing like still, wise giants watching over the smaller trees. There are several sequoias that have fallen down over the years that make great opportunities for some exploration. We were able to climb up on the root end of one of the fallen trees for some fun. 

Being a little wacky on Wednesday

We also crossed bridges, found a miniature waterfall (it was only about 4 inches high, but it made my little ones smile), ate lunch on a bench looking at a giant sequoia and walked along a fallen tree so large that one of the kids thought it was a train.

We were on our way to marker #13

Stop 13 on Big Trees Interpretive Trail

when there was a fork in the road. I asked the kids which way they wanted to go and they all chose the Forest View Trail. The path is well maintained and had just enough elevation gain to challenge them.  We found some incredibly large pinecones that were fascinating. We stopped to  see if any were as tall as the 2 year old while our dog enjoyed being off leash  and was happily running ahead to check the trail and then running back to make sure his people were all accounted for and still following him.

Giant Pinecones in a Giant Forest

One of the other highlights of this trail was the “rainbow tunnels”, otherwise known as a fallen tree that makes an arch over the path. This provided endless entertainment trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the bark covered rainbow. We finished the Forest View Trail exiting near where we parked, so we missed about half of the Big Tree Loop. We were having so much fun we decided to walk the rest of the Big Tree Loop. Good thing we did because we found the mid section of the tree we had climbed earlier. It had a section cut out for the trail and continued past us on up the hill.

We were able to climb up and see where we had started our adventure on the roots below.  This really puts the size of the trees into perspective; we were like little ants on a twig that had fallen to the forest floor. Having satisfied our curiosity about the missing ¼ mile, we retraced our steps and  jumped back in Gerty and headed to Grouse Falls.

Until next time, Happy Hiking!!

This hike sponsored by the letter "T" found while hiking Forest View Trail

Our hike requirements (in part due to our 2 year old who is hoofin’ it) are as follows:

1. Roughly 3 miles total distance.
2. Ample shade for resting spots.
3. Set a goal. Our goals are: a. Find a waterfall, big trees, or wildlife; b. Walk farther than we did the week before;  c.  Go somewhere we have never been before.
4. Have fun!
5. Create good memories.

This week’s Wacky Wild Adventure took us to Codfish Falls Trail in the Auburn State Recreation Area. There are two ways to get to the trailhead, one from Foresthill Road and another from Weimar exit (off I-80) and Ponderosa Way. We chose the Weimar way and bumped our way down the dirt road in our truck, Gerty, to the trailhead. Four-wheel drive is recommended as the ruts can get quite large.  We parked before crossing the bridge

Bridge over North Fork of the American River

and headed out on the trail. Unfortunately there were no interpretive brochures stocked, so we used our imagination and inspiration from our surroundings to interpret the area. Further trail notes can be found on “Hike #41” in the book, 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Sacramento by Jordan Summers. Here is the tale of our trail…

First things first, the night before we prepared our packs, lunch was made, hydration packs filled, sunhats, sweaters, and first aid kit ready to go, hiking boots still fit…. Oh NO! Someone’s feet grew, off to get new boots and back home…  hiking boots fit, socks found and  both set out ready to go, hiking clothes ready. Ok, time for bed.

Wacky Wild Wednesday morning arrived, we waved goodbye to Daddy as he headed to the store, packed our gear, loaded our dog and were off to find Codfish Falls Trail.  On the road in we spotted a Momma turkey with all her little ones marching off into the bushes for their lesson of the day. The kids loved trying to count all the babies as they shuffled along around their Momma.

Mini rock climbing opportunity

We were at the trailhead by 11 a.m. Good to know the trail offers several opportunities for bathroom breaks, one at the trailhead and two outhouses along the trail. The 7 and 4 year old started off while the 2 year old stayed with me, getting his hiking legs ready to go on his first hike without being in the child carrying backpack. The trail starts out along the North Fork of the American River, with a nice little beach area. We walked past and the kids enjoyed a little incline in the trail that allowed them to do some rock climbing, mini-style.

We soon discovered we were walking down Lizard Lane, aptly named by the kids because little lizards would run out onto the trail and rush ahead of us to duck  into some brush and then reappear about 5 feet later.  We really enjoyed watching them and it kept the 2 year old moving, giggling at how fast a lizard could move.  Due to their rapid running skills, I wasn’t able to get a picture of them.

The trail makes a turn onto Mosquito Meadow (there really isn’t a meadow, but there were lots of mosquitoes), where we quickly learned, while enjoying the less exposed trail and the abundance of shade, that we forgot to pack one very important thing… bug repellant. Lesson learned, we will take it next time. We had a slight pause when the little guy decided it was better to sit in the shade and draw in the dirt rather than walk down the trail. No worries, it wouldn’t be a trip to the woods without getting some dirt on you. Thanks to the ladies who came along and informed us the waterfall was not far off and there were lots of butterflies flying around it. This got him back on his feet as he walked down the trail telling me, “Mommy, we go see butterflies and maybe a tiger and an elephant and a lion.” I replied, “You never know what you will see in the woods, so let’s go find out.  Your sister found an elephant in the woods once.” (The “elephant” was the base of a sequoia tree that looked like the profile of an elephant (trunk, eye and all) in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.)

Through Mosquito Meadow we went and soon arrived at Butterfly Avenue (otherwise known as Codfish Falls), much to the delight of the kids who were ready to take a rest and have some lunch. We sat down with butterflies fluttering around us, our dog enjoying the running water a nice view of the 40 ft. waterfall

Codfish Creek Falls

and a good lunch.

Lunch at Codfish Creek Falls

There are definitely some further exploration opportunities, weather permitting, if you want to climb the large rocks to the top of the falls or go downstream to some of the pools, depending on the season and abilities of those with you.  Always remember to practice water safety first.

After a nice relaxing lunch, basking in the sun and a little exploration and photo shoot,

Wacky Wild Wednesday Photo Fun

we retraced our steps back to our truck. We took our time, talking about what we had seen, laughing at the lizards again and bumping our way back up the road to home. All in all, a successful hiking trip, we found a beautiful waterfall, the youngest walked 3 miles (the farthest he has ever hiked on his own) and we saw wild turkeys, lizards, mosquitoes, butterflies, our happy hiking dog, and one happy lab swimming in the river while his owners enjoyed sitting in some beach chairs in the afternoon sun.

Lizard Lane on the North Fork of the American River

We are looking forward to where our next Wacky Wild Wednesday in the Woods takes us and hoping to remember the mosquito repellant.

Walking back through Mosquito Meadow

Happy Hiking to all of you! Remember to Educate, Explore and discover wherever you go!

The best way to avoid a Poison Oak rash is to learn how to identify and avoid poison oak on the trail.  Our free online seminar does just that.

Back before we did workshops in our store, we experimented with using flash e-learning to teach backcountry skills to parents with children.  Our “How to Identify Poison Oak” seminar is a flash based learning module that will show you how to identify poison oak, how to avoid exposure, and what to do if you are exposed to poison oak. 

We have used this module and the interactive quiz at the end to teach several children how to identify and avoid poison oak.  All you need is a web browser capable of playing Adobe Flash. Check it out here.

We’re giving away free Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunts for the rest of June (2009).

What is does for you:
The Yosemite National Park Scavenger Hunt is an educational expedition that will lead your family on an unforgettable adventure in the Yosemite Valley.  By the time you are finished, your kids will learn a little bit about the park’s history, geology, wildlife, and even pick up a photography tip.

How to get one:
Simply ask for a free copy with any $20 in-store or online purchase between now and July 1st…

The Stickman is a special tree that skiers and hikers in the Tahoe area stop to visit when driving up Highway 50. You can find him dressed up in ever-changing gear that visitors share with him. He is a great way keep your kids looking out the windows as you drive on Hwy 50…  And you never know what else you might discover while enjoying the views along the road.

Following my own advice of what I learned during my job training, I decided it was time to get out of the town and head back to the Lake Tahoe area for an educational expedition.  My goal for this trip was to meet the Stickman and see what kind of trees were growing in his backyard.  Some of the questions my travel companions and I wanted answered were:

• Would the trees have pinecones on them?
• Had Fall really began in the mountains?  Would we find evergreens or were there deciduous trees with fall colors on them as well?
• Would Stickman be surrounded with snow as my friends had seen him in the past?

Travelling with children, they were really excited to see Stickman again and I was curious to find out if we could be friends, he sounds so different than me, after all I am a bear and he is?? Hmm.. what is he?  As I added this question to my list of things to discover on our adventure up Highway 50 the children were looking at every turnout happily saying, “Is the Stickman here?”

Along the way, we began to see all the beautiful fall colors on the trees, mixed in with the evergreens as we went farther into the mountains. Ooohs and ahhs came from the kids as we gazed out the windows looking at big boulders in the river and neat little cabins. I had the best view enjoying the big window out the back of the car and waving at cars that passed us.

Not too long (about an hour and half) after being whisked away from my usual place, greeting customers outside the door of the Old Sacramento Store, we were pulling into a turnout and the children were ready to get out and introduce me to the Stickman. 

One of our questions was answered right away. There was no snow in the Stickman’s yard today. Perhaps we could find some a little later. Next, I was introduced to the Stickman. He is a quirky guy and has an interesting style of clothing. I discovered he likes to ski, as he was holding one and that he also likes to wear two different shoes at the same time. Today he had on a tennis shoe and a sandal.  We soon became friends as I figured out that he may look different than me, but we are, at our roots, made of the same thing (wood) and we like many of the same things.  This was obvious as he chooses to live in the mountains, and I love to visit them.

 After our introduction, Stickman allowed us to explore his backyard in search of answers to our other questions. First up, the pinecones. Are there pinecones in Stickman’s backyard? Why yes, there are, tons and tons and tons of them. Not to mention lots of pine needles that made a slight crunch under our feet as we hiked. The loudest crunches led us to the answer that Fall was in full swing in the mountains and the there were evergreens as well as deciduous trees at Stickman’s little corner of the world.

Having answered all of our questions we decided to take a little hike and explore some more.  I climbed tree stumps and rocks, watched the kids search for what was at the other end of a fallen tree, and took a minute to enjoy the views.

We found this great tree stump with a gorgeous view to have lunch.

Lunch was done, and it was time to get back on the road. The kids were having so much fun, they decided to see if we could find some snow before we left the mountains. We made it up to Echo Summit Lodge without any snow, but that was ok. I could tell by the wind blowing and the coolness of it that snowy days are not far away.

In fact, that chill in the air made me rather sleepy and wishing I could find a den to curl up in.  We took a few pictures at the summit and I was happy to get snuggled back in my seat for the ride back to Sacramento.  

I made it home just in time for the sunset. Until my next expedition, I hope you can come see me waving happily at all who come to I Street in Old Sacramento!

Due to my extreme sleepiness last fall, I am just now posting this hike. I have heard it’s snowing in Tahoe, so the Stickman’s yard must be covered in powder. The trees are blooming here in Old Sacramento. Spring is on the way. Please let me know if you stop by to see him and be sure to tell him “Hi” for me.

While we have been waiting for the rain clouds to break in Sacramento, long time friend of the Trailmix.Net blog Melynda Coble Harrison and family have been soaking in the hot springs in Yellowstone:

A couple weekends ago my family and I were soaking in the Boiling River in Yellowstone, as we like to do. It’s a great way for the kids to get in a little activity before we plop them in the ski trailer for a couple hours. Plus, soaking in hot springs is one of the greatest treats in the world….

After we emerged from our soak, the Billings CBS affiliate news team approached us….

Watch the video at Your Wild Child.

This scavenger hunt is the best way to introduce your children to the Yosemite Valley.  This guide book takes you on an educational adventure that is a fun experience for the whole family.  You can get a copy here.