Day Hike To Rancheria Falls: Sierra National Forest

Dale Matson

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Trailhead elevation: 7,550’

Overall elevation gain 322’ uphill outbound

Trail condition: excellent

Distance 2.0 miles round trip

Location: Huntington Lake area on right just before Kaiser Pass Road.If you see

a sign for the “Kokanee Work Center”, you are already past the turnoff.

From Fresno CA it is about a 1.5 hour drive on Highway 168.

This is a trail that is actually smoother than the drive in on the road to the trailhead. I recommend a high clearance vehicle for the one-mile drive to the trailhead. There is a potty at the parking area. The trail ends at the falls and climbing higher requires careful footwork and hands. The overspray from the falls makes the surrounding steep terrain and rocks slippery.

This year is an exceptional time to do this hike with a lot of bang for the buck so to speak. If you drive on Kaiser Pass Road (now open) you can see the falls looking south from one of the pull outs and actually hear it in the distance this year because there is so much water in Rancheria Creek. The creek eventually flows into Huntington Lake. 

Snow Plant

Falls From Kaiser Pass Road

400m

Huntington Lake From Kaiser Pass Road

I have a YouTube film of this with video clips included:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-53d5SEnSo&t=22s

Lost Lake Park 2017 Friant California

Dale Matson

I wrote about Lost Lake Park before (2016) and it includes some of the particulars about the park. http://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/search?q=lost+lake The photographs I took at that time can be compared with what the park is like now.

 My purpose for writing again is that the high waters of the San Joaquin River have caused Fresno County to close the park and to keep this park closed for months. The park is located below and not far south of the dam at Millerton Lake. When the water is released from Millerton Lake, the flow can fluctuate considerably. As of this writing, Millerton Lake is only about 80% of its half million-acre foot capacity. There is still concern about rapid snowmelt and that is why Millerton Lake remains below capacity.

While the park gate is just off Friant Road, the park itself and the river are a considerable walk from there if the gate is closed. I took the opportunity yesterday morning to take some photographs that demonstrate how much park flooding has occurred.

I took the photographs with the Sony A7R2 and the 24-70 f 2.8 GM lens. 

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Friant Dam Visible To The North

Ospreys

Dale Matson

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I first noticed the Ospreys about 20 years ago at the Forebay above Shaver Lake CA. There has been a nesting pair there every year and this year is not different. They have changed their nest location since the original nest tree died. This is not a nesting area with a long history since the dam was completed in 1986 and the only water source is Shaver Lake. The water is pumped up to the Forebay and flows back down through an underground tunnel to make electricity. Part of the feeding territory for the Ospreys is the fish in the Forebay.

If you didn’t know where the nest was, you wouldn’t be able to locate it unless you saw the Ospreys land in the nesting tree. When I set up my tripod and camera, the fishermen who have fished the lake for years are surprised to learn there are Ospreys nesting by the Forebay. They come up to me to ask what I am photographing and look up to see the birds flying from the nest. They don’t seem to be concerned by the presence of humans and we are a long way below them.

The Ospreys are sometimes called Fish Hawks but are not members of the hawk family nor are they eagles. They are their own class of bird nearly as big as a bald eagle and have about a 6’ wingspan. They could be easily confused with a bald eagle with their white heads but their beaks are much smaller. They are distributed throughout the world. They are great fishermen and dive into the water to get their fish. Bald Eagles sometimes steal their fish from them. Eagles don’t dive for fish but do catch fish if the fish are close to the waters surface.

It was difficult for me to photograph them in flight so the photos are not as sharp. They have beautiful plumage when seen from underneath. I used my Sony A7R2 and an adapted Canon 400mm f4 D.O. lens for the inflight shots and added a 2X extender for the nest and landing shots. Hope you enjoy these beautiful birds. Most of the photographs are uncropped.

 Juvenile Offspring Testing His Wings

Closer View Of Talons