Holy Helicopter!

[Sally]

When I was near Round Valley during my C2C last week I saw some workers and a backhoe. I asked them how the backhoe got there and they said by helicopter.

Well, on my Wednesday stroll to the Peak via Devil's Slide Trail I heard a lot of helicopter activity. Right past Wellman's Junction I saw what the commotion was about. One of those big helicopters - the kind with 2 sets of blades - was lifting off from Round Valley. Attached to it with long cables was a huge container. My guess is that the container was holding the backhoe. It was a sight to watch!

I continued up to the Peak and had lunch. As I was starting back down I met "jasinner" and his friend.

I really enjoyed the fall colors along the trail. Although I go up there almost every week, it always looks different.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sallymorley ... directlink

[Andy]

Sally, looks like you had a nice hike...crazy stuff with those helicopters. You asked about a plant in your photo album and to me it looks like a type of mountain currant.
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species ... 1287405067

[jfr]

Yes, those berries look like Gooseberries. I ate some in Yosemite earlier this summer and survived. These berries are some of the "proper" food that bears should eat. Your plant may be a related species to the one I saw:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/_jfr_/5092986035/sizes/l/in/set-72157624396308360/
The ones we ate had some thorns on the stems of the plants. Goodies in the wilderness are usually protected. You might think about trying those berries out (very carefully) using the Universal Edibility Test

[Florian]

The universal edibility test on the survival page made me laugh. Step #4: don't eat anything for 8 hours prior. Step #6: drink only purified water. Step #12: wait another 8 hours afterward. I could have walked home by then.

Hi John, good to see you posting.

°Florian

[Sally]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I thought they might be currants or gooseberries.

Cool website, Andy.

jfr, the Universal Edibility Test was interesting. ( I laughed too, Florian!)

Many years ago when I was young and dumber than I am now, I took the tiniest bite of a wild mushroom that I thought was edible. I got really sick within 1/2 hour and spent the day getting my stomach pumped. Never again!

[Hikin_Jim]

Helicopters and backhoes. Man, I love these nice quiet wilderness areas.

HJ

[Nick-SJM]

Sally- To my knowledge the only berry you should not eat in the San Jacinto Mountains are the white snowberries. Always avoid white berries. The currants and gooseberries (in the San Jacintos, currants do not have thorns and the gooseberries do) are ok to eat. Thimble berries are ok also. The manzanitas have very little fleshy part to eat but you could eat them. Actually, I think I would avoid them all and have a strawberry margarita.