Family Camping on the Mokelumne

[lambertiana]

This weekend was our annual camping trip with my wife's family just below Salt Springs Reservoir on the Mokelumne River. I don't like going on a holiday weekend because it is crowded, but I was not part of the committee that chose the date. At least we got a spot on the river (you'll have to excuse my son, he has been working out and likes to pose for pictures now)

The river is running high, and is coming over the spillway on the dam at Salt Springs Reservoir upstream. The flow fluctuates about two feet over the course of the day, with the peak snowmelt water reaching us around 10PM or so (we were about eight miles from the snow, and the water was very cold).

The forest there is typical lower-middle elevation ponderosa pine and incense cedar, with the occasional California Black Oak, Bigleaf Maple, and alders and douglas fir near water

One of my favorite spots is a small creek that comes down near camp, and I usually have it all to myself:

I was going to go up Garnet Hill for my annual pilgrimage (lots of really nice garnet to be found there), but my son was looking at a topo map and saw that there was a mine about a mile up that small creek, so we set out to find it. The lower, larger mine was sealed off with a steel gate, but the upper mine was not. It was a tight squeeze to get in

But once we were inside it had plenty of room (my son and son-in-law)

I'm pretty sure this mine was for garnet (for use as emery).

 

[lambertiana]

During our search for the mine we came across a really nice waterfall. We first saw it from above

Then as we dropped down, from the side

And finally from below

This is a very high water year, here is a spot where we normally hop boulders on the river (half of the flow, it is split around an island here)

And this is a creek that normally runs like the first creek above, but drains an area that is higher and still has active snowmelt

On Garnet Hill there is a lot of quartz, and my son found evidence that it was used by the original inhabitants

I only wish we could have stayed longer, after all of the crowds left today. Although I'm not a big fan of car camping (I much prefer backpacking into true wilderness) I still like this area a lot.

 

[XxdrpxX]

Awesome beautiful country, and quality family time. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Great Photos!!!!

Looks like a fun trip

 

[raylaconico]

Ian looks pretty big in that first picture. Nice little adventure there.

 

[tonym]

I knew if I opened this thread I would see some excellent pictures. Thank you for not disappointing me!