Tom Grundy's Sonora and the Gold Wall Page
Finally we left Flagstaff and headed west. Things came to a screeching halt along I-40 when a fire turned it into a parking lot. Soon enough we were back on our way to stop for the night by Tehachapi pass and then on towards Sonora, CA where we set up camp at the New Melones Lake. There was an osprey nest on a pole by our camp, so we got to watch them come and go.
We were here to climb, and the next day we met Ted, Tim, and Jake at the Gold Wall where we did a number of climbs and watched the vultures before it got too hot in the sun. We came back a few more times and climbed a number of steep basalt sport climbs before we headed north again. Other activities included panning for gold (none found), paddling around the lake in the packraft, and a side trip to town.
Following mini trailer into the sunset
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New Melones Lake from our camp
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osprey and nest
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Vulture at the gold wall
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I paddle on the lake (Julie pic)
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The Gold Wall
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