California 2016 – Not Your Average Engineer

July 8, 2016August 16, 2016

Making Lumber

Back on the property at Forked Meadow, great stacks of sugar pine and white pine lumber are laying around. The pine beetle infestation and drought have killed off almost all of the stately pines in the area. To reduce fire danger, we cut them down and turn them into lumber for building projects.

At one of the landings where we stage the wood. The blue stain from the fungus that the pine beetles carry makes pretty wood but also kills the trees.

Just look at that beautiful wood.

Heading down with another set of corral boards.

These big slabs will make great countertops.

There is that blue stain.

July 6, 2016August 16, 2016

Out of the Backcountry

After almost a week in the deep backcountry of the John Muir Wilderness, we emerged at the trailhead at Courtright Reservoir. Our feet were sore (mine much more than my dad’s) and we were dirty, but very happy. My mom and grandma drove up from Dinkey Creek to pick us up.

Heading across the dam at Courtright. This is the most full the reservoir has been in several years.

It is almost up to the top!

Looking down the canyon from the dam. We finished another great trip into the backcountry and I’m already itching to go back in again.

July 6, 2016August 16, 2016

Post Corral Meadow

Post Corral Meadow holds a special place in my heart. Many years, this was the first or last place we camped as we went into or out of the backcountry. Today we were just passing through. The meadow has grown in with trees over the years but the core of the grass remains. Across Post Corral Creek we saw the first people we had encountered in five days of hiking through the wilderness. This is why the John Muir Wilderness is special: you can go places where no other people will go for months or years. You can get away from everything and never see any signs of humans as long as you wish. You can be alone and utterly happy.