Rutherford Lake/Fernandez Pass

Rutherford Lake/Fernandez Pass

BCM Course Area Guide

Base Camps

Furthering Youth Inspirations

July 26, 2011

BCM San Francisco Bay Area Office

Camp Mather Base Camp

General Information
BCM Headquarters
1667 Vine St.
Denver, CO 80206
303.271.9200
www.bigcitymountainers.org / BCM CA Office
c/o Mountain Hardwear
1414 Harbour Way South
Suite 1005
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 558-2795 / BCM “cage” at The North Face
2013 Farallon Drive
San Leandro, CA 94577
(back of building, 3rd drive way, just past basketball hoop)
Day 1 Camp
Clover Meadow Campground
Sierra National Forest
Latitude: 37.52861
Longitude: -119.27972
Timber Knob Quad / Day 6 Base Camp – Camp Mather
35250 Mather Road
Groveland, CA 95321
(209) 379-2284
Gear Pick Up: Pick up gear at BCM’s “cage” at The North Face in San Leandro on Day 1 at 9am.
Permit Pick Up: BCM special use and wilderness permits are provided in the instructor binder. Make sure you have copies--they are available at the Regional Office. Additional wilderness permits may need to be picked up at a ranger station on your way to the trail. Refer to the trip binder (section 1) for permit instructions. The Backcountry CAG lists wilderness permits if they are needed.
Grocery Store: / Raley's Supermarkets
40041 Highway 49
Oakhurst, CA
559.683.8300 / Save Mart Supermarket
1504 Howard Rd.
Madera, CA
559.661.1982 / Save Mart Supermarket
1449 E F St (CA 120)
Oakdale, CA 95361
209.847.7044
Pharmacy/
Hospital: / Groveland Pharmacy
18638 Main Street, Groveland, CA
209.962.5211 / Yosemite Pharmacy
136 East Yosemite Avenue
Madera, CA (E. of CA-99)
559.674.8583
(Walgreens near SaveMart) / Sonora Regional Medical Ctr.
1000 Greenley Road
Sonora, CA
209.532.5000
General Store: / Walmart
1977 W. Cleveland Ave.
Exit 155 on CA-99
Madera, CA
559.675.9212 / Yosemite Village Store
Tecoya Rd
Yosemite National Park
209.372.1227 / Camp Mather General Store
35250 Mather Rd
Groveland, CA 95321
209.379.2284
Camping Gear: / REI-Fresno
7810 N. Blackstone Ave.
Exit 135 on CA-41
12 miles south of CA-145
559.261.4168 / Miller's Mountain Sports
40343 Highway 41
Oakhurst, CA 93644
559.683.7946 / Yosemite Mountain Shop
At Curry Village
Yosemite National Park
209.372.8396
Laundromat: / Camp Mather
35250 Mather Rd
Groveland, CA 95321
209.379.2284 / Alternative:
Housekeeping Camp
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite National Park
Celebration Dinner: / Stan’s Que – Catering to Camp Mather @ 4pm
18745 Back St, Groveland, CA 95321 Pam Morgan:
209.403.2826 / Alternative, only if Stan’s Que cancels:
Camp Mather Dining Hall
($18 per dinner) / Alternative, only if Stan’s Que cancels:
Priest Station Café
16756 Old Priest Grade
Groveland, CA 95305
209.962.1888
Gas Stations: / Chevron
1103 S. Main St.
Exit 5 on CA-120
Manteca, CA
209.825.0174 / Oakhurst Chevron
40219 Highway 41
Oakhurst, CA
559.683.5511 / Groveland Gas
18707 Main Street
Groveland, CA
209.962.6234

Pre-Expedition Diving Directions

Day 1

Directions from BCM office to Clover Meadow Campground

Start: BCM cage / The North Face, 2013 Farallon Dr, San Leandro, CA 94577

·  Turn left out of parking lot towards Wicks Blvd (0.3 mile)

·  Turn right onto Wicks Blvd (0.2 mile)

·  Turn left onto Manor Blvd (1.2 miles)

·  Manor Blvd turns right into Kesterson St (0.1 mile)

·  Turn left onto Beatrice St (171 ft)

·  Turn left onto I-880 S ramp towards I-238 S (0.7 mile)

·  Merge onto I-238 S (2.2 miles)

·  Merge onto I-580 E (29.3 miles)

·  Continue on I-205 E (14.6 miles)

·  Merge onto I-5 N (0.8 mile)

·  Take Exit 461 onto CA-120 E toward Manteca/Sonora (6.4 miles)

·  Take the exit onto CA-99 S toward Modesto/Fresno (86.6 miles)

·  Take exit 154 toward Central Madera and turn left at N I St (0.4 miles)

·  Turn the 3rd left on W Yosemite Ave (0.2 mile)

·  Continue onto CA-145/E Yosemite Ave (15.7 miles)

·  Turn left at CA-41 toward Oakhurst, CA (29.7 miles)

·  Turn Right at Road 222 / Bass Lake Rd (3.4 miles)

·  Continue onto Rd 274 / Malum Ridge Rd (2.4 miles)

·  Turn left on Beasore Road, (Forest Road 7, or 5 S07) and continue north on Beasore Road for approximately 20 miles.

·  Continue North onto 5 S030 (1.8 miles)

·  Veer left (north west) onto 5 S047 (0.1 mile)

·  End: Clover Meadow Campground in Sierra National Forest

Estimated Time: 5 hours

Estimated Distance: 226 miles

Day 2

Directions from Clover Meadow Campground to Norris Creek Trailhead and Fernandez Access Trail

·  Turn right (south) onto 5 S030

·  Continue west on Beasore Rd

·  Take the 3rd right onto 5 S86

·  End: Norris Creek, Fernandez Access Trail.

OR for extra mileage, keep your cars at Clover Meadow Campground and hike the unnamed trail to Norris Creek Trailhead.

Post-Expedition Diving Directions

Day 6

Directions from Trail head to Tioga Camp Mather: 35250 Mather Rd, Groveland, CA 95321

·  Head south on 5 S86 to Beasore Rd.

·  Turn right on Beasore Rd, and continue on Beasore / Forest Road 7 (road makes many turns) (27.1 miles)

·  Slight right at Rd 274 / Government Un High Rd / Malum Ridge Rd (2.4 miles)

·  Continue straight onto Rd 222 / Bass Lake Rd (3.4 miles)

·  Turn right at CA-41 N (12.4 miles)

·  Turn left at CA-41 N / Wawona Rd (26.2 miles)

·  Continue onto CA-140 E / Southside Dr (1.4 miles)

·  Turn left toward El Capitan Dr (171 feet)

·  Turn left onto El Capitan Dr (0.4 mile) *Enjoy the views of Yosemite Valley

·  Continue onto CA-140 W / Northside Dr (2.9 miles)

·  Turn right onto Big Oak Flat Rd / CA-120 W through the park exit and continue (18.2 miles)

·  Turn right at Evergreen Rd (7.4 miles)

·  Turn right onto Hetch Hetchy Rd

End: Look for signs for Camp Mather Office

Estimated Time: 3 hours and 36 minutes

Estimated Distance: 107 miles

Day 7

Directions from Camp Mather to BCM cage at TNF / HOME

·  Head southwest on Hetch Hetchy Rd

·  Turn left onto Evergreen Rd (7.4 miles)

·  Turn right onto CA-120 W / Big Oak Flat Rd (25.9 miles)

·  Veer right to stay on CA-120 W down New Priests Grade (13.7 miles)

·  Slight left to stay on CA-120 W (sighs for Oakdale) (3.5 miles)

·  Turn left at CA-108 W / CA-120 W (25 miles)

·  Turn right at CA-120 W / N Yosemite Ave (also called California St and Main St in Eacalon). Continue to follow CA-120 W (19.9 miles)

·  Turn left to merge onto CA-120 W / CA-99 S towards San Francisco 0.4 mile)

·  Stay right and take the exit into CA-120 W (6.3 miles)

·  Take the I-5 S exit toward San Francisco (2.3 miles)

·  Follow signs for I-205 W toward I-580 W, San Francisco) (14 miles)

·  Merge onto I-580 W on the right (29.5 miles)

·  Slight left onto I-238 N (signs for I-880) (2 miles)

·  Keep left at the fork, follow signs for Washington Ave (0.6 mile)

·  Turn left onto Washington Ave (0.2 mile)

·  Take the 1st right onto Beatrice St ( signs for I-880 S, San Jose, Washington Manor)

·  Turn right onto Kesterson St (0.1 mile)

·  Kesterson St turns left and becomes Manor Blvd. Continue for 1.2 miles

·  Turn right onto Wicks Blvd (0.2 mile)

·  Turn left onto Farallon Dr.

·  The North Face will be on your right

Estimated Time: 3 hours

Estimated Distance: 153 miles

Getting Acquainted with Camp Mather

Upon Arrival & Parking

Park at the main office located near the general store. Check in at the office, telling them you’re a Big City Mountaineers group and ask for the camp manager, Claudia Reinhart. Claudia will show you were you can set up camp.

Sleeping Arrangements

You will need to use your BCM and personal tents, sleeping bags, and pads. Because we ask you to do laundry and clean the gear (clothes, sleeping bags, tents, etc) on day 6 of your expedition, we understand that you’ll need to use some of the gear after it is clean. This is ok! Please be very considerate of who will be using the gear after you; be sure to continue using the sleeping bag liners, as you are not supposed to wash the sleeping bags in the laundry machines. When you pack up the tents for the final time, please just be sure to shake them out completely and wipe off access dirt so the next group can use them. Let BCM staff know exactly what is returning to our warehouse dirty.

Water Source

You will be near one of Camp Mather’s 4 bath houses where you can use toilets, showers, and get drinking water. There is also a laundry facility near the bath house where you should do laundry. There is a deep wash bin in the laundry room where you can clean your cooking utensils, water bottles, and other gear.

Cooking and Dishes

Take a break from cooking on night 6! You’ll be having your celebration dinner catered to Camp Mather by Stan’s Que (bbq). Pam and Stan Morgan have been serving BCM meals for several years; Pam was born and raised in East Oakland and now manages their restaurant in the foothills of Groveland.

Please call Pam from the Camp Mather office phone no later than 4pm on day 6 to confirm where your group will be at 5pm; this is so she can deliver your celebration dinner. She can be reached at (209) 403-2826.

Please remember to wash your group dishes and utensils at Camp Mather before you depart on day 7. Breakfast on Day 7 should be picked up on the road home.

Gathering Locations

No specific information is available. The camp manager, Claudia, can give you some ideas for private meeting places. Feedback would be great!

How to Handle Garbage

There will be bear-proof garbage receptacles in the campground, as well as bear bins. Please be sure to store and dispose of food and garbage appropriately to protect the wildlife in the area.

See the included map of Camp Mather for a general layout of the facility.

Camp Mather Rules and Guidelines

Camp Mather is a family camp operated by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, and is a vacation spot for many. Please be extremely mindful of this environment while you’re staying at Camp Mather on Day 6. Keep in mind the challenges that arise when you’re in a new space with different people and lots of distractions, and remember the many objectives you need to reach with your group on the last days of the expedition. Keeping interactions with other campers to a minimum is a good idea. All of BCM’s policies still apply while at Camp Mather.

Camp quite hours are from 10:30 pm to 7:00 am. Please lower your voices and music after 10:30 pm. No basketball playing after 9:00 pm.

Camp Mather staff especially request you do not write or carve your name, poetry, or drawings, etc. on any surfaces, structures, or trees.

Organized activities put on by Camp Mather, including teen recreation events in the dining hall, are NOT for BCM participants.

At Camp Mather only (NOT during your backpacking expedition), swimming in the pool or lake is allowed when 2 Camp Mather lifeguards are on duty. Swimmers must pass the swimming test either in the pool (15 year olds and younger) or in the lake (16 year olds and older, including adults). The swim test schedule will be posted at the pool and the Office. The pool hours are posted at the pool and the Office. The hours are subject to change due to staffing and/or the weather conditions.

Please do not purchase meals in the Dining Hall, and monitor purchases in the General Store.

Wear close-toed shoes around the camp.

Watch out for poison oak, tent stakes, and wildlife (bears and rattlesnakes).

Do not feed wildlife.

Keep all food, drink and snack items in the bear canisters or lockers. Do not put food in tents.

Securing the screen door tent flap inside the tent each time you enter or depart will help reduce the number of bugs that come into the tent.

Please don’t smash mosquitoes or other bugs against the tent wall.

Keep tents DEET-Free. Check types of bug repellent brought by team members. DEET will deteriorate tent material. Please keep the following in mind if using it: Apply repellent to the back of your hands for applying to other parts of your body. This will keep the DEET off the palm of your hands and thus off the tents and gear.

Also, please apply DEET only when you are outside and away from the tents.

Wear sunscreen.

Please don’t use candles, stoves, or open flames in the tents.

Wash dishes in the laundry area wash bins if possible. Otherwise please wash dishes in the buckets provided by BCM at the tent site.

Make sure to “sweep” the camp area when you leave for home. Shake out the tents and ground tarps. Make sure everything is packed in an orderly fashion. Make sure all the trash is removed, and nothing is left behind. Remember that another group will be using the same gear after you, so please pack things neatly, the way you would want to receive them.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Post-Trip Responsibilities

Cleaning Gear

Please refer to the Backpacking Trip Gear Cleaning Instructions in the instructor binder.