EXPLORE WITH PATHFINDER WEST

Duck Lake I went up early Friday(June 21) afternoon to camp at the Rancheria Trailhead so I could get an early start to this trip. There were a few cars in the parking lot but I would not see anyone until Sunday (June 23) when I hiked out. I have hiked to this lake many times before but this would be my first time backpacking there and staying the night. This would be my last test trip before I hike the Dusy-Ershim OHV trail July 5th - 9th. The weather was perfect up here especially when it was forecasted to be 107 in the Fresno/Clovis are for the next couple of days. The trail was in good shape and I didn’t come across any big obstacles on the trail. The wildflowers were starting to really pop and it was great to see them and all the butterflies dancing around them. Once I got to the lake I found a good spot to camp on the southeast side of the lake. While I was setting up my tent I heard a big splash and then noticed an Osprey coming out of the lake with a trout! I wish I caught it on video but it was still a great thing to experience. Once I was set up I did some fishing and on my first cast I caught trout! The fish were really biting you probably could have used anything and caught a fish. I was using a small mepps spinner that worked well. I ended up catching three of four fish before deciding to explore around the lake. From camp I headed in a counterclockwise direction around the lake but I went up high so I could get some views. Along the way I came across a deer and many different types of beautiful flowers. The views from above the lake didn’t disappoint and I could see the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness Peaks, plus’s Hoffman Mountain and Finger Peak which were close by. It was an uneventful night listening to the frogs and the birds that are active at night, just what I needed. The hike out the next day was great and I only ran into two hikers. There were still some cars in the parking lot but they must have went on other adventures in the Forest. I would definitely recommend this hike to any beginners with good fitness as the trail is nearly all up hill (1916 ft in elevation gain over 5.4 miles according to my Garmin watch). The trail is in great shape usually and well traveled so you shouldn’t have any issues following the trail, but I always recommend taking a map and GPS device and or App that you are comfortable using. (All Trails, Garmin Earthmate, CalTopo are all a few I would recommend) Make sure to check out my website www.pathfinderwest.com 📍Duck Lake, John Muir Wilderness - Sierra National Forest- Fresno County - Home of the Western Mono/Monache Music: Packed by Density & Time Gold and Crawfish by Density & Time Believe by NEFFEX #hikecalifornia #getoutside #hiking #sierranationalforest #ducklake #johnmuirwilderness #pathfinderwest

Hobler Lake Once I heard that the road to Courtright Reservoir was open, I knew I needed to do a hike out of the Maxson Trailhead. Hobler Lake was perfect for a day hike and to gauge the trail conditions. It was a warm day in the Central Valley so this was a perfect getaway for the day. The trail was in good shape with only a few trees down and the creeks were all easy to cross without getting your feet wet. I stopped by Chamberlain Camp and signed the log book in the outhouse. I was the first to sign it for the 2024 season. ( I would sign it two more times in the coming months.) I did’t see anyone on the trail other than two hikers that were coming from Voyager Campground area. Hobler Lake was peaceful and full to the brim. I took my lunch there and took in the beauty of the area. On the way back I took a small detour to get some views of part of the Sierra and John Muir Wilderness I would hike later that summer. It was a great trip to test my fitness and get accustomed to higher elevations. I will be back again I’m sure. Music: Mulholland by Kings Canyon

I took a group out to hike to Stevenson Creek Falls on Mother’s Day. There were 7 of us on this hike and a 4 had never hiked it before. It was great to see their faces light up when coming to the waterfall. You start the hike on Million Dollar Road hiking about 3.5 miles to the waterfall. It is a 7 mile roundtrip hike on a paved road. You need to be aware of Southern California Edison and they could be coming down the road at anytime (they drive really slow). Reach out if you have any questions about the trail.

My friend Alan (IG: @blazingtrail.cali) and I headed up past Oakhurst and to the South trailhead of the Lewis Creek NRT. We took the trail to Corlieu Falls and decided to follow it until we got to the area where the bridge washed away last year. This is a great hike that can be enjoyed by all levels of hikers. Corlieu Falls is the main attraction but there are many other great spots along this trail to hang out and have snack. Have you hiked this trail before? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for watching! Don Veatch Pathfinder West

Hiked along Garnet Dike Road from where it is closed to the Kings River Trailhead and from there to 2nd Pines Camp. There road is closed the last three miles before the end of the road and is still blocked at 1.75 miles in due to a large rockslide and wash out of the road. Even though it has not been maintained the trail is passable to 2nd Pines Camp. I ventured past 2nd Pines camp about a .25 miles before I decided to turn around. If I had more time I probably could have made it to Spring Creek. I will save that for another time. Hope you enjoy the video!

This was my 2023 Scouting trip of the Dusy-Ershim OHV trail. I did over five days from Aug 4th - 8th. I counted 218 trees or branches across the trail, plus 50 other points of interest. I do this trip as a volunteer scouting trip for the US Forest Service - Sierra National Forest- before they go in to clear the trail so they know what they are getting into. You can check out my scouting report at following link https://www.pathfinderwest.com/post/dusy-ershim-ohv-trail-scouting-report-august-2023 This is one of my favorite trips of the year. The Dusy runs between the John Muir Wilderness and the Dinkey Lakes Wilderness and delivers beautiful meadows, lakes and views. Also this time of year when I go the trail is not open yet, so no 4wd drive vehicles are around. If you have any questions about the trail please contact me through the socials or at pathfinderwest2021@gmail.com . #sierranationalforest #fresnocounty #dusyershimohv #dusy #hiking #hikecalifornia #johnmuirwilderness #dinkeylakeswilderness #pathfinderwest #shaverlake #courtrightreservoir #ohv #volunteer #volunteering

The trail starts across the street at the dispersed camping area known as Cliff Camp that overlooks the Wishon Reservoir spillway. This trail is not currently maintained but the trail is easy to follow and there are not too many trees down across the trail. Once you make your way down about One mile you come to a creek crossing to hit the main Cliff Camp Trail. If you make a left you can head towards Granite Gorge or towards the Crown Valley Trailhead if you stay on trail. Make a right and you head down towards the North Fork of the Kings River. When the River is high, crossing the river is not possible due to the Cliff Camp Footbridge being permanently closed. This is a great area to fish, explore and see wildlife. On this trip we saw two Osprey nests and at least three Ospreys. The Kings River was Running high due to the Wishon Spillway needing to be open due to the amount of water coming into the lake. The wildflowers were also just popping out as well and were beautiful. Hope to show more of this area in the future.

June 3 2023 I went with my buddy Steven to his cabin in Groveland to help him check it out and fix a TV and before we headed back the next day we took the opportunity to check out Hetch Hetchy. It was the first time for both of us and we were excited for the hike. The waterfalls were epic and we got their early enough that there was not a lot of people in the park yet! Can't wait to go back and spend some more time. Let me know how the video was and your experience at Hetch Hetchy and if you have ever been there before.

I got the privilege of scouting the Kings River Trail(NRT) for the Forest Service through the group I do volunteer trail work for (Mountain Warriors) . Since the area is closed due to US Forest Service Order and damage to Garnet Dike Road I had to get a special permit to be able to access the area. With Garnet Dike Road being closed I had to hike the road (7 miles) to get to the trailhead. The road already had a report done but I documented this as well since I was passing through. Kings River Expedition has already hired a contractor to clear the road to a certain point agreed upon with the Forest Service and that work Started as of April 11th. I noted 48 points of interest on road that need attention with a few major ones in the last 2.5 miles. Here is the link to my report where you can see all the issues with Garnet Dike Road and The Kings River Trail. Link: https://www.pathfinderwest.com/post/scouting-garnet-dike-road-and-the-kings-river-trail-nrt-report I took three days scouting this area hiking in Friday evening on April 7th to Garnet Dike and setting up base camp, scouting the Kings River Trail on Saturday April 8th and hiking out Sunday April 9th. The Kings River Trail had 79 points interest that needed attention with two major ones affecting the trail with the last one stopping me before I could reach Garlic Meadow Creek and Garlic Falls. Let me know what you think of this video and hopefully the report gets this trail some funding when road gets repaired so that the trail can be reached easily.