Album Berryessa Peak from Jeff Nicholson

BP - 32

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:39:49 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Down at the lake is a quaint little Italian restaurant that serves an ice cold Peroni beer.

BP - 31

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:55:58 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

The obligatory selfie.

BP - 30

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:54:52 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

The obligatory benchmark photo.

BP - 29

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:53:52 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

BP - 28

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:53:03 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

The top!

BP - 27

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:52:08 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

The trail mainly follows the ridges for a couple miles, and the last mile you drop on to a gravel access road before the peak.

BP - 26

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:51:14 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Really getting some elevation now!

BP - 25

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:50:25 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Lake Berryessa below. Our family used to water ski here when I was a kid.

BP - 24

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:49:07 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Getting up onto one of the first peaks.

BP - 23

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:48:47 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Close up of the cliff trail route behind me.

BP - 22

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:47:53 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Coming up through the chaparral, which is more navigable than it appeared from a distance, but the brush is choked in, so there is a lot of pressing through and getting caked in spring pollens.

BP - 21

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:47:01 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

A heavy burn zone. The trail is easy to lose. I completely relied on GPS in a few places to stay on course. The two ravine creek crossings were really bad, as the old rebar and railroad tie steps that were originally built were all burned away, and you just had to scramble it.

BP - 20

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:46:06 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Back again 6/20/19, and now the dry, shiny, chest high grasses have in places become slip slides. I fell on my ass twice, even with a trekking pole.

BP - 19

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:45:56 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

I looked ahead at the ridge and saw no signs of trail through that chaparral. I had read a few blogs but they were obviously older and closer to when the dozen year old trail was constructed. There had been a big fire and some heavy winters since then. I lost faith the trail was passable and gave up again. After I got home I watched this YouTube video (link below) by a guy who did it just a week prior, and late enough in the day that he walked out with a headlamp, so that confirmed I could do it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjx9O7R9M-Y&list=LLXl9nxfIYiMemApisysuYEg&index=2&t=877s

BP - 18

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:45:34 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Here the trail winds around a rock jumble amid sprouting brush, over a cliff. Sometimes I really like self navigating hikes. For some reason my head just wasn't in this one, even though I came all the way back here (it's a three hour round trip drive to the trailhead as well). I don't use trekking poles, but they seem like a must here.

BP - 17

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:45:15 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Looing back on the "trail" (if you can make it out, it's the slight discoloration of weeds winding along the cliff). A couple sections require you to jump over a washout, or hold on to rocks and slightly repel.

BP - 16

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:44:44 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Back again on 6/8/19, pleasantly drier and not too hot yet.

BP - 15

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:44:21 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Another rattlesnake on the way out.

BP - 14

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:43:58 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Here, only three miles in, the trail got closed in with wet, chest high lupins. My shoes were soaked. I decided to abort and come back in a few weeks when it was less dewy, and with jeans.

BP - 13

nobody@ipernity.com (Jeff Nicholson) — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 15:43:46 +0000

Jeff Nicholson has posted:

Series of peaks ahead, the far one with the towers being the high peak.