Well, it was time for the annual MLK weekend snowshoe trip to Dewey Point, the problem being the obvious lack of snow. Instead, we decided to start at the Foresta Road trailhead (just up from the junction of 120 and the Foresta Road turnoff) and head east, camping in the Cascade Creek drainage a couple of nights and heading out to the valley floor via the OBOFR. I had been up the OBOFR as far as Rainbow View, but the rest of the hike was new territory for me. Thanks to the tremendous posts by wherever, basilbop, chickon and others for their helpful advice!
It was a good trip to take given the strange winter conditions. I wore my summer low top hiking shoes for the trip. We encountered a few spots where there was snow and ice on the trail for maybe 20 or 30 feet, not enough for me to worry about spikes, etc. (which I had left in the truck anyway). On the trip up to the Devils Dance Floor we did hit maybe a foot of old snow in the Tamarack Creek drainage where it was sheltered, and had some minor post holing, but it was nothing to worry about.
On Sunday we did a day hike from our camp over to the Devil's Dance Floor.
The view towards the Valley from the Devil's Dance Floor
An image on top:
Being as it's the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Grant we looked for, and found, the survey monument for one of the corners of the Grant (near Gentry's). Here is the reference marker for that point:
Cascade Creek is flowing where it is not frozen over
And the Old Big Oak Flat Road is still hanging in there...
In doing some research on the OBOFR, I found this quote..."one wall below Gentry and above Fireplace Creek is especially unique. The majority of rockwork was done by Italian stonemasons, but this particular wall was apparently built by Chinese labor. It is a high wall, eight or nine feet in places, built to hold the road around bedrock. Because the wall was built partially on a large tree, it was constructed with a sharp corner in it to allow the tree some room for growth. It affords an interesting illustration of the early construction methods and the care with which the road was hung on the side of the mountain. " Perhaps this was the spot?