Yuba River Hike -- April 4, 1999
(Posted April 22)
(Updated August 18 to give more blossom names, from Bert & Pat Hall)


On this beautiful Easter Sunday, easter baskets, presents, and the egg hunt were just the beginning. After lunch we headed out to the South Fork of the Yuba River and hiked about 1.5 miles east along the river, starting near the old covered bridge at Bridgeport. This is about five miles north of our house as the crow flies, and about twice that by car along the windy roads through the countryside. Mary, Dave, Micki and the kids hiked at a steady pace to the trail terminus and then down to the river to play. I stopped and pondered many times along the trail, taking pictures (about 40) of the flowers. Together with the 1.5-mile hike back to the car it was a nice 3-mile outing over a leisurely hour and a half.

The weather had turned warm after two weeks of bitter cold Alaskan air (and snow), so the pent-up wild flowers were bursting out. Most of what follows are pictures of some of the more colorful flowers. Almost all of the hike is along what used to be a mining flume about fifty feet above the water level. The flume was built by a fellow named Colley to carry water to the mines. He also built his beautiful Queen Anne Victorian home in Nevada City in 1860. The home has been kept in mint condition as Deer Creek Inn , which Mary and I reviewed in an earlier web page in this site (the destination of the preceding hyperlink).
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Yukon pulls the group along not far from the trail head, before the flume.

Looking east along the river, toward Buttermilk Bend.
This was taken with the telephoto lens fully zoomed, to resolve detail.
The view is much more complete and spectacular in person,
with a blue sky forming a backdrop to the rugged gorge.

When you zoom straight down to river level you can see it's
not a gentle stream. It's too rugged here for river rafting.

There were lots of poppies, sometimes in fields extending to the river.
(I'm told by Bert & Pat Hall that they are not California Poppies,
but are 'Tufted Poppies'. Maybe so?)

The Blue Dicks made a good showing, but mainly as isolated plants.
These blooms are about an inch across in life size.

Field of Gilia (Birds Eye) surrounding a lonely Poppy.

Bridge over an inlet stream and pond about half way along the trail.
(Again, Bert & Pat Hall inform me that the bridge crosses French Corral Creek.)

Poison Oak is ever present, but not draping over the trail.

I've labeled these "pretty purple." They may be violets.
(Bert & Pat Hall tell me they are 'Red Maids'.)

There were many trees in bloom, like this one.
(Bert & Pat tell me they are 'RedBud'.)

These wild iris are my favorites. There were only a few patches of them.

Looking west along the river, on the way back to the trail head.

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