Elton with foster volunteer Diana Luce. The elderly Chihuahua was left in the night drop box at Animal Control

Improving the quality of life for both people and pets is the aim of a new program matching Tuolumne County Meals on Wheels clients with dogs and cats needing homes.

Under the program, willing seniors will provide foster homes for pets from the county Animal Control shelter until permanent owners are found.

“They would provide care instead of just receiving it,” says Christine Brockmire, treasurer of Friends of the Animal Community (FOAC), a nonprofit group that matches shelter pets with new homes. The new Senior Pet Assistance Program will likely begin in January.

FOAC has already lined up six to eight animals to pair with Meals on Wheels clients, who are often homebound due to age, illness or disability. “These are older, mellower cats and dogs,” Brockmire says. “We think they’d be perfect companions.”

The idea came from Mike Ruggles, CEO of Sierra Senior Providers, which operates the Sonora-based Meals on Wheels program. After a client’s RV was destroyed by fire in mid-2012, the meal delivery driver volunteered to temporarily care for the displaced man’s dog.

“We thought, ‘What would happen if our clients fostered pets that needed a home?’” says Ruggles, adding that caring for a pet can provide seniors with companionship, added motivation to get out of bed in the morning, and incentive to stay physically active.

But with that friendship comes expense. For some seniors receiving Meals on Wheels, the cost of caring for a pet – especially an older one needing medical care – is too much. As a result, FOAC plans to pay veterinary expenses while pets in this program are in a senior’s care, says Darlene Mathews, the group’s founder. Spaying, neutering, microchips, vaccinations, medicines, and other veterinary costs – an average $220 per pet before placement – will be covered.

Sinbad, age 7 or 8, was left behind at an empty house

Meals on Wheels, which already provides dog and cat food to clients who need it, will continue to do so for seniors providing pets with foster homes. Cost typically runs from $30-$40 a month.

If a foster owner becomes ill or is otherwise unable to care for a dog or cat, FOAC will take the animal back and care for it until the senior recovers and is willing to resume caring for the pet.

Formerly Friends of Animal Control, FOAC, since its inception in 2001, has helped place more than 2,000 cats and dogs – half from Animal Control and half from the community at large.

Thanks to FOAC and other rescue groups, most adoptable dogs brought to the shelter are spared, says Animal Control Manager Jennifer Clarke. Only dogs that are very old, sick or have severe behavioral problems are euthanized – 166 of the 677 dogs impounded in 2011.

The kill rate for cats, by contrast, has risen. Nine out of 10 cats admitted to the shelter are euthanized. In 2011, that meant the deaths of 857 of 980 cats impounded; of those, 263 were kittens, Clarke said.

“Many of these were perfectly healthy, socialized animals – there’s simply no place for them,” she says. “The take-home message is, spay and neuter your pets.”

She sees the senior-pet program as a positive, helping some people determine if they can manage a pet full-time. “The only downside may be giving an animal up,” says Clarke, “which is why I ‘fostered’ my dog for 17 years.”

That sounds good to Mathews. Ideally, she says, seniors will want to permanently adopt their foster pet. Careful consideration will go into placing the proper pet in each home, with hopes it will be a good fit.

Financed by donations, fundraising and grants, FOAC’s annual budget varies year to year but typically tops $50,000 annually, according to Brockmire. The group has applied to be part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), a program under which federal employees help fund charities with voluntary payroll deductions.

If cleared by the Animal Welfare Fund, which screens animal-related charities applying to be part of the campaign, FOAC in 2014 could begin collecting those donations from local employees of the Forest Service, Social Security Administration, Postal Service and other federal offices. The amount it might receive is uncertain, but federal employees give nearly $15 million to animal-related charities annually. Part of any funding received would help pay for the new senior-pet program.

FOAC has also applied for a grant from the Sonora-based Black Hat Foundation, which is expected to make a decision by late spring, Brockmire says. The senior-pet program, she adds, will begin in 2013 nevertheless. “We’ll just use our regular resources to carry it until we get more help,” she says.

According to a recent count, 76 of Meals on Wheels’ 235 clients already own dogs, and 38 have cats. Questions on an October survey of clients included “What are the barriers for owning a pet today?” and “Would you consider fostering a pet if the cost of the food and medical care were paid for?”

“About eight to 10 percent of our respondents say they’d be interested in having a pet,” says Ruggles. Next, FOAC will prescreen the most likely foster-care candidates with in-home visits.

Once a dog or cat is permanently adopted, she notes, FOAC will not continue paying medical expenses. And just how long a senior can provide a pet with foster care without committing to ownership, Mathews adds, “is something we’ll have to determine on a case-by-case basis.”

There are now about a dozen FOAC foster homes in addition to area businesses that board former shelter animals. The need for more foster homes is great, Mathews says, and the goal of the new senior pet program is to inspire at least 10 potential caregivers to volunteer.

The Meals on Wheels pilot program could possibly expand to seniors using other services, including those provided by the Area 12 Agency on Aging and the local Veterans Affairs office in East Sonora.

“The sooner the program starts, the better,” says Ruggles. “I’ve seen how a pet can improve a senior’s attitude, and it’s remarkable. Sometimes depression can just disappear.”

Twain Harte resident Diana Luce, 67, a retired veterinary nurse, has been fostering older dogs for FOAC for the past seven years. She encourages other seniors to do the same.

“The old guys are the best guys,” says Luce of the three older dogs she is now fostering. “They’re the most grateful and least needy. All they need is a warm place to sleep, a good senior diet, and lots of love and affection.”

Contact Darlene Mathews at (209) 768-3630.

Copyright © 2013 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

“Secret” isn’t a word often associated with Yosemite National Park.

After all, more than four million people from across the globe visit the park each year.

But amid Yosemite’s 1,169 square miles (it’s a bit larger than Rhode Island), there are some lesser-known spots – places not full of tourists snapping pictures or cars cramming into parking lots.

For starters, it helps to go during the off-season. And there’s no better time to fall in love with Yosemite than autumn, when the leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and the hordes of summer tourists have come and gone.

It also helps to think beyond Yosemite Valley, the park’s bustling main hub, complete with grocery store, post office, hotels and even a courthouse. According to the National Park Service, 80 percent of the park’s visitors pay a visit to Yosemite Valley at some point during their stay.

The valley may have Half Dome and El Capitan as backdrops, but the park’s Highway 120 corridor offers some spectacular scenery that includes giant sequoias, alpine meadows and peaceful lakes.

Below are four alternatives to Yosemite Valley. Activities at these out-of-the-way gems can range from picnic hikes to overnight backpacking. Keep in mind that some of these outings are off-limits during the winter months due to road closures and snow.

A weeklong Yosemite pass costs $20 or an annual pass $40. Those 62 and older can get a lifetime pass for Yosemite and all other national parks and federal recreation areas for just $10 at any park gate. Free entry days for everyone this fall include Sept. 29 for National Public Lands Day and Nov. 10-12 for Veterans Day Weekend.

A few of the hikes mentioned below, including the first one, involve walking into the park, so there is no entry fee.

Lake Eleanor

Sticking to the park’s edges is a great way to see some of Yosemite’s hidden gems.

Lake Eleanor, at 4,657 feet, is in the northwest corner of the park. You can fish along the shoreline, hike surrounding trails and even camp near the lake.

Because Eleanor is not accessible by any major road or highway, visitors don’t often have much company.

Eleanor Creek was dammed in 1918 to form this reservoir, part of the Hetch Hetchy Water & Power System supplying water to the San Francisco area.

It’s easily accessible via another reservoir, Cherry Lake, which is on the adjoining Stanislaus National Forest.

Getting there

You can get to Cherry Lake by driving from the town of Tuolumne or from Highway 120 east of Groveland.

From just east of Tuolumne, take winding Buchanan Road (turns into Forest Road 1N04 and Cottonwood Rd.) about 34 miles to Cherry.

East of Groveland, turn left off Highway 120 onto Cherry Lake Road just after the bridge over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River and continue 24 miles.

Drive across the dam at Cherry Lake (the gate is closed Dec. 15 until April 15) and continue to a T intersection. Turn right toward the Lake Eleanor Dam trailhead and take the short walk to the lake.

Want more of an adventure? Turn left at the intersection and continue 1.6 miles on 1N04 to a small parking area on your left. The Eleanor trail  is on the right.

No dogs or bicycles are allowed in the Yosemite Wilderness, which you enter at the start of the 1.2-mile descent to Lake Eleanor (you have to come back up, so pace yourself and bring plenty of water).

Explore coves

As you go descend, follow the “Lake Shore Camping” sign to the water, where there are numerous coves to explore. Soak up some solitude as you gaze at stunning islands with towering pines on them in the middle of the lake.

Cherry Lake is also worth checking out. The sheer size of the reservoir—about four miles long and a mile at its widest—makes you feel like you have it all to yourself.

Boating, swimming and leashed pets are allowed at Cherry Lake. To protect water quality, you must camp 100 feet above the high-water mark, the lake level at its springtime peak.

As for Lake Eleanor, free wilderness permits (call 372-0740) are required year-round for all overnight trips into Yosemite Wilderness.

Disabled access:  Restrooms, water faucets and some sites at Cherry Valley Campground are wheelchair accessible; the Eleanor trail is not accessible.   

Dogs: Allowed leashed at Cherry Valley Campground, but not on the Eleanor trail.

Nearest restrooms: Cherry Valley Campground, Stanislaus National Forest.

Drive time, mileage from Sonora: Two hours, about 48 miles (watch for deer and the occasional cow on the road). The road is narrow and a bit rough for the last mile or so.

The Raker Act of 1913 not only authorized construction of Lake Eleanor’s dam, but the flooding of Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley. At eight miles long, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is now the largest body of water in the park.Congress passed the legislation to provide San Francisco a reliable water source following a destructive earthquake and fire in 1906. Today, the Hetch Hetchy system provides water for 2.4 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, an association of municipal customers.Famed naturalist and Raker Act foe John Muir once said the Hetch Hetchy Valley is a twin to world-famous Yosemite Valley.

“Dam Hetch Hetchy!” Muir thundered in 1912. “As well dam for water tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.”

The decision to build O’Shaughnessy Dam at the head of Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is debated to this day, and some have urged that it be torn down.

Getting there

To get to Hetch Hetchy, turn left (north) onto Evergreen Road off Highway 120, about 27 miles east of Groveland and a mile west of Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat Entrance Station, then drive 16 more miles to

the reservoir. About halfway there, you’ll come to the park’s Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station, where you must pay or show a pass.Last year, according to the National Park Service, nearly 29,000 vehicles passed through the Hetch Hetchy entrance. In contrast, the park’s busy South Entrance Station on Highway 41 near Wawona received nearly 446,000 vehicles.

The Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. most of the year. In November, the hours are reduced to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until the end of March.

After checking out the top of the dam, continue walking through a dimly lit tunnel leading to Hetch Hetchy’s trailhead—otherwise known as “the gateway to the northern canyons of Yosemite’s wilderness.”

Day hikes, backpacking

From there it’s a pleasant five-mile roundtrip hike to Wapama Falls, where footbridges were recently rebuilt. Remember that waterfalls are strongest during the spring and can be just a trickle toward the end of the year.

For more experienced hikers, the roundtrip hike to Rancheria Falls is 13 miles. This can be done as an ambitious day hike or an overnight trek. From the Rancheria area, backpackers can access the northwest wilderness of Yosemite, including Tiltill Valley and Mountain. A free backpacking permit must be obtained at the Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station.

According to a National Park Service brochure and map, visitors to Hetch Hetchy have “easy access to a vast wilderness filled with high-country lakes, streams and wildlife.”

Since the reservoir supplies unfiltered drinking water to millions of people, no swimming or boating is allowed.

If you’re looking for a shorter drive and hike, consider the trail to Carlon Falls off Evergreen Road. The trailhead is at the Tuolumne River Bridge about a mile down the road from Highway 120. Shortly after starting the four-mile roundtrip trek you’ll enter Yosemite, and, like Lake Eleanor, this is a free way to enter the park.

Disabled access: Trails beyond the dam area are not accessible.

Dogs: Not permitted on the dam or trails, but allowed in day-use area at Hetch Hetchy if leashed.

Nearest restrooms: At dam parking lot.

Drive time, mileage from Sonora:  Two hours, 65 miles.

Giant Sequoias

The smallest of Yosemite’s three giant sequoia groves, the Merced Grove is “perhaps the best opportunity for a solitary experience among these colossal giants,” reads a sign at the trailhead.

A good way to see these magnificent trees – which can tower above 300 feet, grow to 12 feet in diameter and live more than 2,000 years – is to take the three-mile round-trip hike, which follows the roadbed of the historic and now-abandoned Coulterville Road.

A small parking area for the Merced Grove of Giant Sequoias is on your right, roughly five  miles east of Big Oak Flat Entrance Station at the park’s western edge.

Walk the flat, wide dirt trail a half-mile to a gate on the left that warns no bicycles or dogs are permitted. The trail gets slightly rougher as it leads downhill to the grove of 20 impressive trees. You’ll also see a historic cabin, built in 1934 as a summer retreat for park superintendents.

The grove is only 1.5 miles from the parking lot, and another mile will take you to Twin Bridges–which, as the name implies, is two bridges over a creek.

Tuolumne Grove

If the Merced Grove doesn’t give you your fix of big trees, continue down the highway to Crane Flat, turn left on Highway 120 (Tioga Road), and look for a large parking lot on the left for the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias.

This hike is a little more than two miles roundtrip, as the first giant sequoia is only a mile from the parking lot. A highlight is walking through the Dead Giant Tunnel Tree.

The trail follows the historic and now abandoned Big Oak Flat Road through the 24-tree Tuolumne Grove. For a longer hike, continue another 4.2 miles to Hodgdon Meadow.

Both the Merced and Tuolumne grove hikes are moderately strenuous. The uphill return for the Merced Grove is a 600-foot gain and the Tuolumne Grove has a 400-foot gain.

Plan a picnic

The groves are ideal picnic hikes, as there are restrooms and picnic tables at the trailheads. The trails are marked for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.

The park’s third stand of big trees, the Mariposa is near the park’s southern entrance, boasts fully 500 giant sequoias, but is often crowded with visitors.

Disabled access: Tram tours provide access to Mariposa Grove. Tuolumne Grove trail is paved, but includes some steep grades. Merced Grove trail is dirt and includes climbs.

Dogs: Permitted leashed at picnic areas near trailheads; not allowed on trails.

Nearest restrooms: At Merced, Tuolumne and Mariposa Grove trailheads, also just below the museum in the Mariposa’s upper grove.

Drive time, mileage from Sonora: Merced Grove, 53 miles (1 hr., 15 min.); Tuolumne Grove, 56.5 miles (1 hr., 15 min.); Mariposa Grove, 89.5 miles (2 hr., 15 min.).

Tioga Pass

Continuing east on Tioga Road from the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias will take you to a high-country wonderland.

As the highway leads to Tioga Pass – 54 miles from the Big Oak Flat entrance station – there’s something for everyone. Olmsted Point lookout offers great pictures. Cathedral Lakes has the spectacular 10,940-foot Cathedral Peak as a backdrop. And from Tuolumne Meadows you can take an easy stroll along the John Muir Trail to explore the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River.

Tuolumne Meadows Pack Station, one of three stables in the park, offers summer horseback or mule rides ranging from two-hours ($64) to a full day ($128).  Contact the stable at 372-8427.

While the Tuolumne Meadows area is typically associated with summertime activities, it can be a great place to check out fall foliage or, on rare occasions such as last winter, to walk on frozen lakes and streams.

Eight miles northeast of Tuolumne Meadows is 9,945-foot Tioga Pass, the highest mountain pass you can drive over in the Sierra.

Near the pass is a trailhead for Mount Dana

At 13,057 feet on the eastern edge of both Yosemite and Tuolumne County, Mount Dana is the highest point in the county. Although not a technical climb, the trek to the top of Dana is steep and difficult. Even experienced hikers have difficulty due to the altitude.

If you’d prefer to look at 13,000-foot peaks from your, continue down Tioga Pass for a road trip into the eastern Sierra. Check out the tiny town of Lee Vining, an area that features brilliantly colored aspens in fall, along with Mono and Mammoth lakes to the south.

Or head north on U.S. Highway 395 through Bridgeport and take Sonora Pass to make a giant loop back into the foothills.

That scenery and solitude just can’t be found in Yosemite Valley.

Disabled access: Tuolumne Meadows stables can tailor rides to the needs of handicapped visitors. Exhibits at Olmsted Point are fully accessible. Newer trail to Tenaya Lake is accessible, as are  portions of the viewing area along the north side of Tenaya Lake.

Dogs: Permitted in picnic areas and campgrounds when leashed. Not allowed on trails or beaches like those at Tenaya Lake.

Restrooms: At Tuolumne Meadows campground and visitor center (indoor plumbing) and at both ends of Tenaya Lake.

Drive time, mileage from Sonora: 102 miles, about 2 hours.

For general park information: Online at nps.gov/yose or call 372-0200.

 Copyright © 2012 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Even if you’re not a hiker – in fact, even if you use a cane, walker or wheelchair, or have young grandchildren in tow – you can still enjoy one of the world’s great wonders.

Our top 10 outings include picnics, photo outings and much more throughout Yosemite National Park. Most are in the valley due to its accessibility. Call the park’s main number, 372-0200, for visitor information on weather and road conditions, which can change suddenly.

1. Enjoy fall foliage

Along with the brilliant aspens in Lee Vining Canyon on the east side of Tioga Pass, there are oak trees scattered throughout Yosemite Valley and a single sugar maple across from the Yosemite Chapel, which park spokeswoman Kari Cobb calls “the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen in fall.” While it’s difficult to determine when peak color will occur, as it’s based on precipitation, leaves usually start turning in mid-to-late October.

2. Take photos at Glacier Point

Drive to this popular overlook for an impressive view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and the park’s backcountry. A short, paved and wheelchair-accessible path takes you from the parking area to the overlook. To get there from Yosemite Valley, take Wawona Road (Highway 41) to Glacier Point Road, which is typically open to cars from late May through October or November. On the 31-mile, hour-long drive there, make sure to stop by Tunnel View – another lookout with stunning views. The drive from Sonora to Glacier is 91 miles and takes two and a half hours.

3. Share a picnic

Take the grandkids for a picnic at Tenaya Lake, an alpine wonder along Tioga Road (Highway 120). The lake received a $1.7 million upgrade this summer, including new parking and picnic areas. A new path provides easy access to the beach for those in wheelchairs or pushing strollers. The sandy beach is a great spot to relax and dip your toes in the chilly, snowmelt water.

4. Marvel at the Museum

While in Yosemite Village, stop by the Yosemite Museum — the first building constructed specifically as a museum in the national park system and a model for parks nationwide. If you’re lucky, you might get to chat with 83-year-old Julia Parker, a Native American basket weaver who works as a cultural specialist at the museum. Admission is free. Through Oct. 31, the museum  features “Yosemite Viewed: Landscape Paintings of the 19^th and 20^th Centuries.” The exhibit features iconic Yosemite landscapes by Thomas Ayres, Albert Bierstadt, Tomas Moran, Chiura Obata as well as other works from the park collection. The park’s Indian Cultural Museum is also on display in the same building year-round.

5. People watch at Yosemite Village    

Visitors from throughout the country and around the world congregate at Yosemite Village, the valley’s most developed area. It offers a variety of restaurants, gift shops and a convenience store – not to mention excellent people watching. The complex also boasts the Ansel Adams Gallery, showcasing the famed photographer’s prints. You can also hop on the free Yosemite Valley Shuttle or pay for a two-hour, ranger-guided valley tram tour ($23 for those 62 and older). Info: 372-4FUN.

6. Dine at the Ahwahnee

Enjoy an upscale lunch or sip a cocktail in the lounge of this historic hotel. Over the past 85 years, movie stars, musicians, presidents and royalty have slept and dined at the six-story hotel — one of the country’s grandest.  Among guests have been Charlie Chaplin, Robert Redford,  Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II. Speaking of grand, the hotel hosts its annual Bracebridge Dinner, a 17^th Century English Christmas celebration complete with carolers, costumed  players and a sumptuous feast, on select dates in December. Tickets cost a small fortune (adult $325, children 13 and under $244), but the experience would definitely be something to check off your bucket list. Info: (801) 559-5000, yosemitepark.com/bracebridge.

7. Volunteer for a facelift     

Ask not what Yosemite can do for you, but what you can do for Yosemite. In partnership with  The National Park Service, the Yosemite Climbing Association puts on a five-day Yosemite Facelift each fall. This year’s dates: Sept. 25-30.  According to the Climbing Association’s website, the efforts have paid off.  The association reported after last year’s Facelift that “Yosemite appears to be getting cleaner every year.” Info: 379-2650, yosemiteclimbing.org.

8. Go for a stroll – wheelchairs welcome

In addition to Glacier Point and Tenaya Lake, those in wheelchairs can soak up some scenery on the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail and the boardwalk around Cook’s Meadow, both mile-long Yosemite Valley loop trails. Many other areas are easily accessed. The park offers a free 30-page guide detailing disability access to campsites, lodging, shuttles, recreation activities and more. Copies are available at the Yosemite Visitor Center, by calling 372-0200 to have a copy mailed to your home, or online at nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.

9. Attend a workshop

Want to learn more about the park in a personal way? Consider taking a guided tour. Groveland-based Y explore Yosemite Adventures offers tours lead by professional naturalists, and photography workshops, including one led by Sonoran, Phil Schermeister, contributing photographer to National Geographic. On the Transect Birding Tour participants spend the day on a car caravan tour learning about the park’s avian habitats. Half-day tours start at $125 per person, and full-day outings start at $150. Those 65 and older receive a 5 percent discount.  Info: (800) 886-8009, yexplore.com.

10. Take a class

The National Park Service offers free programs on topics ranging from geology to wildlife. Programs are listed in the Yosemite Guide distributed at the entrance gate, or visitors can access the latest information online at nps.gov/yose. The nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy also offers a variety of fall-themed courses, including photography, painting and personal journaling. Prices vary. Info: 379-2317, yosemiteconservancy.org.

More than three-quarters of those age 65-74 say they are happy, as do more than 70 percent of those over 80.

But only half those in the 50-54 age group report leading happy lives – of those, 37 percent say they’re only “getting by” and 13 percent admit they are unhappy.

The general contentment revealed by the survey does not mean area seniors are trouble free. The top concern: having enough money to live on.

Other key issues: paying for health care, dental work and prescriptions, making home repairs, and being able to continue driving. Many seniors worry that taking care of themselves and their homes may become difficult or impossible in the next three or four years.

Social Security, pensions, savings and investments are the main sources of income. Medicare is their most common health insurance, and arthritis is the region’s most pervasive health problem, with 40 percent affected.

Commissioned for $28,750, the survey – required by the state every four years – was conducted in 2011 by Decisionwise of Provo, Utah, for the Area 12 Agency on Aging.

The Sonora-based agency will use the survey results to decide which programs to offer in the coming years, and to draw new funding to meet the most pressing needs of the region’s elderly.

“The rate the senior population is growing, and the lack of funds to meet those needs, is the biggest problem we have,” says Pauline White, Area 12’s executive director. “We use this to put our money in the right spot, based on data-driven decisions.”

Established in 1988, Area 12 provides services to 11,000 of the nearly 49,000 seniors in Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, Alpine and Mariposa counties. Governed by a Joint Powers Authority, it is one of 33 such agencies in the state and 675 nationwide, has a $2.4 million budget of mostly federal funds, and employs a staff of 15.

In all, 1,410 respondents completed the 45-question survey, more than three times the number who participated in Area 12’s 2008 survey.

Thirty-two percent of those responding live in Tuolumne County, with lesser amounts in Amador (30 percent), Calaveras (20), Mariposa (16) and Stanislaus (2, residents of the Area 12-covered Don Pedro area).

Although sparsely populated Alpine County is in Area 12’s territory, survey forms sent to Markleeville were never distributed because of “miscommunication,” says White. Neighboring counties’ results will be used to determine which programs to offer Alpine seniors.

Key concerns

Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents are women and half those who answered are married. Three-fourths are retired, while the rest are working, disabled, or seeking work. Two-thirds have some college education, with a third earning a bachelor’s degree or higher. Half have paid off their homes, while 26 percent pay mortgages and 21 percent rent, the survey found.

Those who answered ranged from 47 to 85 and older. That eldest group accounted for about 15 percent of all respondents.

Finding help with home repairs is the main concern in Calaveras and Mariposa counties, the survey found. Paying for dental care is a key issue in Tuolumne County, and being able to continue driving worries many in Amador County.

Most respondents throughout the survey region say transportation is not always available, or is too difficult to obtain.

Graying region

As baby boomers age, Area 12’s constituency continues to grow in this already gray region, where more than half the residents are 45 or older. Those 60 and older now number about 33 percent of Tuolumne County’s population, and 35 percent of Calaveras County’s population, compared to 16 percent statewide.

According to a California Department of Finance 2011 estimate, 18,317 people 60 and older live in Tuolumne County and 15,663 in Calaveras County. (A 2010 census summary shows the 60-plus population in Amador County as 11,256; Mariposa County, 5,411; and Alpine County, 276.)

By 2020, seniors will comprise about 36 percent of the region’s population, the state’s departments of finance and aging project – but Calaveras County, for example, may see a much higher figure given its present percentage.

State cuts of programs for seniors, White says, have created higher demand for services, while Area 12’s budget and staff has been reduced, with cuts to two key programs in recent years.

“It’s a big challenge – the needs are exceeding the dollars,” she says. “We have to constantly reassess and partner with other stakeholders in the community.”

Prior survey results

Providing free minor home repairs and help with utility-bill payment programs are among ways the agency helps. This leaves clients with more money for medications and groceries and other day-to-day expenditures, says Kristin Millhoff, the agency’s assistant director.

The agency’s Minor Home Repair Program started more than two years ago as a result of the 2008 survey, White says. Those answering the new survey report having difficulty with home repairs, maintenance and heavy housework. Family members help with these jobs, but 58 percent are not paid.

Those who live in their own homes and are over 60 could be eligible for the repair program, which fixes problems such as leaky toilets and installs safety items such as grab bars.

Another of Area 12′s programs supports caregivers, and more than 80 answered 15 questions specifically tailored to them in the 2011 survey. Most are caring for a family member, such as a spouse, parent, or child –most for at least 20 hours a week.

Darlene Pennel, who takes care of her 76-year-old husband, says Area 12′s Family Caregiver Support Program has helped her. She gets supplies, attended a caregiver seminar, and a professional care provider comes to her house twice a week to help her husband.

“And they offer a lot of moral support,” adds the 70-year-old Groveland woman.

Area 12 also sponsors “Lunch and Learn” sessions in which caregivers get information on issues of concern, including in-home care, legal problems, finances, and dealing with dementia. And, it offers free “caregiver tool kits” with essential information.

Public hearing planned

The new survey, required under rules set by the California Department of Aging, was commissioned last year, and paid for over two years, White says.

“We narrowed the list to three and chose Decisionwise, which conducted our 2008 survey,” says White. “The firm has been very involved in the process, provided great service, and its price was competitive.”

The agency is using the new data to prepare its Area Plan, due in May, outlining programs and services the agency intends to fund through 2015. A public hearing will be held in Sonora in early April to receive community comment.

“We use the survey as a road map of what we are going to do – our goals and objectives,” White says.

Area 12 connected with commissions on aging, veterans groups, senior centers, county governments, community groups, and media outlets to get the word on the survey out.

Copies of the 82-page survey report are available free by calling Area 12 at (209) 532-6272.

“We’d like everyone to have a copy,” says White. “Anyone involved with seniors will find it valuable.”

Chris Bateman contributed to this report.

Baby Boomers

Survey questions directed specifically at baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – who have not retired found that:

• 41 percent feel their standard of living will worsen after retirement, and 86 percent are worried about not having enough money.
• 63 percent think they will need to work after retirement; nearly as many say they would like to work at least part time after retiring.

• More than half are concerned about poor health as they age, and a quarter are worried they won’t be able to afford needed medical care. 
• 22 percent are concerned about higher costs and inflation, 20 percent worry about housing and 18 percent fear being unable to care for themselves.

• Surprisingly, the group with the highest percentage of people who say they forget things completely is age 55-59.

© 2012 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

That’s the beauty of this popular wintertime sport. Unlike skiing or ice skating, there’s not much of a learning curve.

“It’s easy to learn and takes almost no skill,” says Irene Patton, 65. “Plus, you’d sink in the snow without them.”

Snowshoes, which are attached to the boots, distribute the wearer’s weight over a larger area, keeping his or her feet on the surface of the snow.

Traditional snowshoes have wooden frames and latticework lacings, while newer models are lightweight and aluminum or molded plastic.

Irene Patton

Snowshoes vary in price from as little as $50 for youth shoes, to $100 to $200 or more for adult styles, and are available from local shops and area ski resort shops, and also from large retailers such as Costco and Cabela’s.

Patton, who lives in the Cedar Ridge area, recently purchased a new pair of snowshoes from REI for $200.

“People used to think of snowshoes as these giant tennis rackets, but that’s not true anymore,” she says.

Marie Malo, an interpretive specialist with the Stanislaus National Forest, recommends renting snowshoes before buying them to make sure you enjoy the sport.

She offers these tips for first-time snowshoers:

• Use a wider stance than if you were walking in regular shoes.

• Use poles if you need help with stability or to ease knee pain going downhill.

• Dress warmly and in layers, and make sure to wear waterproof boots.

When in the mountains, Malo says, it’s important to use snowshoes with crampons on the bottom to help with going both uphill and downhill.

“They look like little metal teeth,” she says.

Women’s snowshoes tend to be narrower, while men’s snowshoes are designed to fit larger boots and heavier weight. The heavier the person, the larger the snowshoe.

Patton says when carrying a backpack in the snow, snowshoes provide agility that skis don’t.

She uses poles, mostly because it helps with her stability while carrying a pack, especially uphill.

Patton has a passion for the outdoors: Her day job is helping visitors at the Summit Ranger Station near Pinecrest. In her free time, she volunteers for the Pinecrest Nordic Ski Patrol and Stanislaus Wilderness Volunteers.

She began snowshoeing in 1994, after taking a snow camping class from the Sierra Club.  She has been a volunteer assistant leader with the club’s Snowcamping Training Section since 1996.

“You can get to places you can’t get to with just boots,” Patton says.

While snowshoeing can be a fun way to stay in shape during the winter, it’s also practical: Patton has strapped them on to check her Cedar Ridge mailbox when snow has piled up on her front yard.

Long Barn resident Patricia O’Gara brings her dogs to the high country for snowshoe outings.

“They’re perfect for walking dogs. Skis are too fast,” the 70-year-old says. “It’s great exercise, and it’s fun to be outside, especially when it’s snowing.”

Snowshoeing is relatively safe, although there’s always the potential of tripping on something like a tree root or rock. You could also trip on your snowshoes as you adjust to your new, and at first awkward, form of transportation, experts say.

If you do fall, chances are there will be plenty of snow on the ground to make for a softer landing, Malo says.

Carol Crouch, who is in her early 70s, enjoys trekking in snowshoes in the backcountry off Calaveras County’s Highway 4 corridor.

“What I love about it most, I think, is that you’re outside at a beautiful time of year when snow’s on the ground,” she says.

Another advantage to the sport? Snowshoeing burns more calories than walking.

“It’s more difficult than just hiking,” Malo says, “because you’re using more muscles.”

Where to Snowshoe

Tuolumne County

Marie Malo, an interpretive specialist with the Stanislaus National Forest, will lead free morning snowshoe hikes in the Pinecrest area on these days: January 7, 14, 15, 21 and 28; February 4, 11, 18, 19 and 25; and March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.

The hikes, lasting for one to two hours, will start at Dodge Ridge Wintersports Area.

For information about the guided hikes or specific snowshoe routes in the Pinecrest area, such as Crabtree and Gooseberry, call Summit Ranger District, 965-3434.

Snowshoes can be rented from Dodge Ridge from 8am-5pm daily for $15 per pair.

They can also be rented from Heidi’s Ski Shop along Highway 108 in Cold Springs, as well as Sierra Nevada Adventure Co. in downtown Sonora.

Calaveras County

Calaveras Big Trees State Park offers guided snowshoe walks each winter Saturday at 1pm. The park, off Highway 4 just east of Arnold, offers snowshoeing trails among giant sequoias; there’s also a warming hut open on weekends. Day-use fee is $8 per vehicle. 795-2334.

Farther east, check out Bear Valley Cross Country & Adventure Co. along Bear Valley Road. The resort offers 35 groomed trails for snowshoeing, from flat meadows to steep hillsides. Trail passes ($10-22 per day, depending on age; $1 for 8 and under) include amenities such as warming huts and stations to pick up water and tissues. Call 753-2834.

Rentals are available in Bear Valley or at Sierra Nevada Adventure Co. in Arnold.

Yosemite National Park

Any trail in Yosemite with snow on it is considered open to snowshoeing.

Each winter day, park rangers lead free snowshoe hikes starting at the Badger Pass A-frame. A $5 donation is requested for snowshoe use. Call 372-0200 (this is also the number for snow conditions and chain control information).

DNC Parks and Resorts, the park’s concessionaire, offers a variety of guided snowshoe treks to places such as Dewey Point and Crane Flat. They include guided full-moon walks ($18.50, includes snowshoe rental). Reservations required, 372-1240.

Snowshoes can be rented from the Badger Pass Nordic Ski Center, Crane Flat Gas Station and Mountain Sage in Groveland.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

“He says, ‘You’re too old to be teaching,’ and I said, ‘Maybe so – I’m not going to argue that – but we both know you’re much too old to be acting the way you are,’ ” says Lemon, who is now 80 and continues to substitute.

“After that, he straightened right up. He became my advocate, and got others quiet when I needed them to be.”

Indeed, when life has handed Max Lemon lemons, he’s made lemonade.

Just as he has his whole life, Lemon walks with a cane. Born and raised on a Utah dairy farm, he caught a high fever when he was 6 months old. As a result, he developed a lifelong limp from what he later learned was brain scarring.

“I never learned to walk,” he says. “I learned to waddle.”

His mother, a schoolteacher, sent him to school despite a doctor’s decree that he would be unable to learn or even attend classes.

Still, you won’t hear a single complaint come out of his mouth.

“I have a hard time being serious,” he continues. “I believe God put us here to enjoy life — not to worry or whine. You have to accept what you got and move forward.”

Not only is he an optimist, but Lemon is a jokester. He credits his sense of humor with allowing him to last as long as he has in the public school system. Lemon taught chemistry at Sonora High for 38 years before retiring in 2001. During that time, he also taught physics, biology, and algebra. For the past 10 years, he’s been substitute teaching there — and not just the sciences.

“I’ve taught them all — physical education, chorus, art, all the subjects,” he says. “I am a believer that you have to be serious about teaching, but you have to have some humor or it’s not going to work.”

Lemon’s teaching style seems to be working for Justine Abbott, a 17-year-old senior who’s had “Mr. Lemon,” as she calls him, for subjects including history and anatomy.

“He is my favorite substitute teacher ever,” she says. “He’s so fun, he’s just darling. He tells jokes and everyone laughs, but he also knows how to get down to business and make us do our work.”

That’s not to say every student — all of whom are more than 60 years his junior — understand his sense of humor.

A common joke of Lemon’s goes like this: “Two hydrogen atoms are talking to each other and the first one said, ‘I think I lost my electron,’ and the second one said, ‘Are you sure?’ and the first one said, ‘I am positive.’ ”

Some students will laugh, others will roll their eyes and “some get it three days later,” Lemon says.

Still, Lemon says that substituting, which he does an average of three days a week, keeps him sharp. He adds that “99 percent” of students are respectful of him, although if he had his way those students would dress more modestly and use less profanity. “I am of the opinion schools need to demand civil language,” he says.

A devout Mormon, Lemon is active with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints   in East Sonora. And for further proof he can’t get teaching out of his system, he teaches  Sunday school.

As a young man, he worked on his father’s dairy farm. He then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dairy husbandry, a teaching degree in zoology and physiology, and later completed advanced courses in chemistry and physics.

While teaching science class at a public high school in Utah, Lemon was offered a chemistry teaching position at Sonora High.

“California teachers made more money than Utah teachers, yet the cost of living was about the same at that time,” he recalls.

Lemon moved to Tuolumne County in 1963 with his wife, Janet, and four of their nine children (a tenth child died in infancy). Their children now live throughout the country and work a variety of occupations.

Max and Janet married on Valentine’s Day 1957. “I talked her out of a four-year college scholarship to marry me,” he says with a laugh.

So did she make the right decision?

“If I had it to do all over again, I would have made the same choice,” Janet says.

In 1965, after living in what Lemon calls a “dilapidated shack” in Columbia for two years, he and his family moved into the home that he and Janet now share on Orchard Avenue, a short walk from the high school.

“I’m a lemon so I have to live on an orchard,” he jokes.

During his days as a full-time teacher, Lemon often worked from 6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. He supervised after-school detention, taught adult school in the evenings and tutored students at all hours.

Lemon says his philosophy is that he was “hired to teach, not to fail.” He says if a student failed his class it was by their choice as he gave ample opportunity for tutoring, which he referred to as “Lemon-aid.”

Over the decades, he has shown compassion to students who came from difficult home environments. Lemon estimates he’s loaned out thousands of dollars to students in need of things like school lunches (he says he’s recovered all but about $50).

“For some, home is a war zone and school is their refuge,” he says.

Students he taught in the early 1960s are now the grandparents of his current students. He’s also taught many current and former teachers at Sonora High.

One of them is Yvonne Denton (class of 1990), who teaches music and directs the school’s Golden Regiment Band. Denton was a chemistry student of Lemon’s, as was her dad (class of 1967), her uncle (class of 1966), her cousin (class of 1989) and her sister (class of 1994).

“He cares immensely about students, staff, everyone,” she says. “I am so impressed that after so many students, he remembers names and faces of individuals. He still talks about teaching my dad and uncle.”

Denton, 39, says she’s glad her oldest son was able to have Lemon as a substitute teacher, and she hopes that her middle son – now a freshman at Sonora High – will have the opportunity to have Lemon as a substitute.

“I am always thrilled when Max subs for me for band and music classes,” says Denton, who teaches choir, guitar, band and jazz band. “He’s an inspiration and a wonderful, wonderful person.”

If he has his way, Lemon will be inspiring students for many years to come. Asked how long he plans to teach, he answers instantly, “Till I die. You want to die? Quit working.”

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors Magazine

Chris McKenzie walks Table Mountain trail with her grandson

One of the greatest benefits of living in the Mother Lode is the natural beauty that surrounds us.

And there’s no better way to enjoy the great outdoors than with family – both young and old.

Below are eight one-day outings, suitable for  both grandparents and children. Most are free, or at least low cost, and can include walks, picnics and photo outings. We’ve included directions from Sonora and mileage from both Sonora and Angels Camp.

Our list includes trips that appeal to avid hikers as well as to those who are less active or simply looking for a scenic drive with a few short stops.

That said, the list is hardly comprehensive – it’s just a sampling of what Calaveras and Tuolumne County have to offer. Dozens of day trips in all corners of the area wait discovery by the energetic and adventurous.

So set aside a summer day for a multigenerational adventure. Get out there and explore:

IN TUOLUMNE COUNTY

1. Table Mountain

Frequented by hikers of all ages, Table Mountain is visible from Highway 108 near Jamestown. It’s a long, flat lava flow that’s popular for viewing spring wildflowers.

At the top, hikers can see New Melones Reservoir on one side and the Sierra Nevada mountains on the other. On a clear day, you can even see snowcapped peaks in the distance.

The 1.5-mile roundtrip trail, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, is considered challenging as it’s steep and rocky toward the top. Allow about an hour for the trip up and back.

Sturdy boots and hiking poles are recommended, as is water – particularly in the summer, when temperatures on the un-shaded trail can be extremely hot. A restroom is near the trailhead. Dogs must be leashed.

How to get there: From Sonora (6.4 miles, 10.5 from Angels), take Highway 108 west, turn right on Rawhide Road in Jamestown, and follow it for about three miles. Turn left on Shell Road and stay to the left. Visitors can park at the first cattle gate and walk a mile-long path to the beginning of the trail up the mountain. Or, those with high-clearance 4WD vehicles can drive the rugged road to the trailhead. Please close both cattle gates behind you.

Also check out: After your hike, shop the historic stores in downtown Jamestown or, on the weekends, ride a steam train at Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (984-3953, railtown1897.org).

Info: Call the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Sonora-area office at 536-9094.

Extra Tip: Remember that walking from the gates will add time to your hike. Also, don’t forget to close those gates behind you.

2. Westside Railroad Grade

This grade, a mile east of downtown Tuolumne, was once plied by logging trains and is the perfect walk for all ages. Not only is it easy, but it offers spectacular views of the North Fork of the Tuolumne River, and has two picnic tables and benches along the trail.

The first section of the trail is part of the Tuolumne Parks and Recreation District. It then crosses some Bureau of Land Management property before entering the Stanislaus National Forest’s Mi-Wok Ranger District. A March landslide closed the seven-mile trail – which leads to River Ranch Campground – 2.3 miles in, so the round-trip walk is now about 4.6 miles until repairs are completed.

The trail is wide enough to bike or push a stroller. It’s also popular for walking dogs.

How to get there: The trailhead is 10.5 miles from Sonora and 26 from Angels Camp. From Sonora, take Tuolumne Road until it ends at Carter Street in Tuolumne. Turn left onto Carter, then make a right onto Buchanan Road. A parking turnoff can be found shortly on the left, and the trailhead is posted.

Also check out: If the kids still have energy after the walk, stop by the new Tot Lot in Tuolumne; its entrance is near the library on Main Street. Or drive northeast along Tuolumne Road North up to Twain Harte’s Eproson Park (about 5½ miles), which features one of the nicest playgrounds in Tuolumne County.

Info: Mi-Wok Ranger District, 586-3234.

Extra Tip: This trail is best in the fall and spring, when wildflowers are in bloom. Winter brings mud and the summer is scorching in the river canyon (not to mention the trail can be overrun with prickly yellow star thistle). During warm weather, go early or later in the day. As always when hiking in the foothills, watch for rattlesnakes.

3. Pinecrest

Pinecrest Lake – at 5,600 feet – features hiking, swimming, boating and a day-use area perfect for an afternoon picnic. The lake, part of the Stanislaus National Forest’s Summit Ranger District, is owned by PG&E.

Starting at the Pinecrest Marina, there’s a four-mile trail that loops around the lake. The trail can be rocky, and granite areas slippery at times, so it may not be the best walk for young children or the elderly.

Afterward, relax in the shade of the towering pines at the picnic area, where many of the tables have grills nearby. There’s also a sandy beach area and a roped-off swimming section where boats can’t go.

Dogs are not allowed in the day-use picnic area from May 15-Sept. 15. Outside of that area, they are allowed on a leash.

How to get there: Take Highway 108 about 30 miles east of Sonora to the Summit Ranger Station, where you’ll turn off the highway to the right and travel down Pinecrest Lake Road for about a mile. Mileage from Angels Camp is 46.

Also check out: Pinecrest Lake Resort (965-3411, pinecrestlakeresort.com) offers a full-service marina, restaurant, coffee bar, ice cream shack, bicycle rentals and a sport shop that sells fishing licenses.

Info: Summit Ranger District, 965-3434.

Extra Tip: Stay until the evening to catch a movie under the stars. During the summer, family-themed outdoor movies are shown at the Pinecrest Theater near the lake. For movie schedules, visit pinecresttheater.com.

4. Highway 108 High Country

Continuing east on Highway 108 from Pinecrest will take you to many treasures of the Stanislaus National Forest.

Among them is Donnell Vista, a well-known overlook and picnic area that provides sweeping views of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River, Donnell Reservoir and the Dardanelles.

A new handicapped-accessible trail is expected to open this summer. The new trail will allow those wheelchairs to go from the parking lot to the lookout, forest officials say.

Donnell Vista is ideal for all ages as it combines a short walk with amazing photo opportunities and a picnic area with restrooms. Leashed pets are allowed on the quarter-mile trail.

Donnell is 46 miles from Sonora and 62 from Angels Camp.

Farther east on Highway 108 will bring you to Columns of the Giants, accessed by an easy half-mile trail. Awaiting hikers is a striking rock formation similar to Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Lakes. The columns were formed by a volcano and sculpted by glaciers thousands of years ago.

Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station – just three miles farther east on Highway 108 – is a gateway into the Emigrant Wilderness, either by foot or horseback. The high-country resort also has a general store, saloon and restaurant. Call 965-3900 or visit kennedymeadows.com.

How to get there: Donnell Vista is 16 miles east of Pinecrest along Highway 108. The trail to Columns of the Giants is eight miles farther east along Highway 108, next to the Pigeon Flat Campground.

Also check out: Enjoying the drive? Continue east on Highway 108 to 9,624-foot Sonora Pass, where a parking area with restrooms provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail, running from Mexico to Canada.

Info: Summit Ranger District, 965-3434.

Extra Tip: Fill up on gas before venturing to the high country, where gas stations are sparse and fuel much more costly.

5. Yosemite National Park

This world-renowned park is known for its towering granite cliffs and booming waterfalls. It’s also the ultimate day outing: abeautiful drive, plenty of places to soak up the scenery, and potential photos just about everywhere you look.

Yosemite features all types of hikes – ranging from difficult, such as Half Dome and Upper Yosemite Fall, to easy walks, including those to Bridalveil Fall and the Lower Yosemite Fall Loop Trail.

A paved trail leads from the Bridalveil Fall parking area to the waterfall’s base. Leashed dogs are allowed on this short, easy walk. Lower Yosemite Fall Loop Trail is a mile-long paved path that gives incredible views of both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. It’s also open to leashed dogs.

Across from Yosemite Falls, there’s a wheelchair-accessible wooden boardwalk at Cook’s Meadow as well as at Stoneman Meadow near Curry Village.

How to get there: Drive east on Highway 120 through Groveland and to the park’s Big Oak Flat Entrance Station. From there, it’s about a 40-minute drive to Yosemite Valley (72 miles from Sonora and 82 from Angels Camp).

Also check out: For those wanting to avoid the summertime crowds of Yosemite Valley, drive to breathtaking Tuolumne Meadows and the Tioga Pass area of the park instead.

Info: A weeklong vehicle pass to enter Yosemite costs $20. An unlimited annual pass costs $40. For those 62 and older, a $10 national parks’ lifetime pass is available at the entrance station. Free park entry will be offered June 21 (the first day of summer), Sept. 24 (National Public Lands Day) and Nov. 11-13 (Veterans Day weekend). For more information, call 372-0200 or visit www.nps.gov/yose.

Extra Tip: Stop in Groveland on the way to or from Yosemite. Groveland’s Mary Laveroni Community Park, along Highway 120, is a great place to let the kids play or use the restroom. Visit nearby Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum to learn about the area’s history and wildlife; kids will enjoy the “please pet” display of animal pelts.

IN CALAVERAS COUNTY

6. Natural Bridges

Kristen Gilbert relaxes at Natural Bridges

This summertime hot spot near the Tuolumne-Calaveras county line rewards hikers with a swim in ice-cold water through limestone and marble caves.

Just 10 miles from Sonora (nine from Angels Camp), Natural Bridges gives the experience of being in an exotic locale, with dripping waterfalls and moss-covered rocks.

The round-trip hike to and from the popular swimming hole is only 1.4 miles. Once at the bottom of the canyon, hikers are rewarded with a refreshing dip in Coyote Creek. The walk is considered moderately difficult because heading back, it’s all uphill. Pets and bicycles are not permitted.

Picnic tables are near the creek, but on crowded days they can be snatched up quickly. A restroom is near the trailhead off Parrotts Ferry Road.

How to get there: From Sonora, take Parrotts Ferry Road through Columbia and across New Melones Reservoir toward Vallecito. Shortly after entering Calaveras County there will be a Natural Bridges sign and parking to the left.

Also check out: On the way to Natural Bridges, stop at Columbia State Historic Park, which has a variety of shops and charming Gold Rush era displays. On the Calaveras side, visit Murphys for wine tasting (without kids) or take the kids to Murphys Community Park, which has a great playground, charming gazebo and Murphys Creek running through.

Info: Natural Bridges is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The bureau’s Sonora-area office can be reached at 536-9094.

Extra Tip: Those who may find the water temps too chilly — kids and adults alike — should bring a float or raft to guide through the cave.

7. Calaveras Big Trees State Park

What makes this 6,500-acre park remarkable are the majestic trees for which it’s named.

Big Trees offers five hiking trails, including walks through two groves of giant sequoias.  The heavily traveled North Grove trail is an easy 1.5-mile loop, while the more remote South Grove offers a more isolated experience.

Guided hikes of the North Grove start at 1pm every Saturday year-round (in the winter, free snowshoes are available on a first-come, first-served basis).

The park, with elevations ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 feet, has shaded picnic areas and a visitor center with a museum and gift shop. Leashed dogs are allowed in developed areas like picnic and camp sites, but not on trails.

How to get there: The park is off Highway 4, 37 miles from Sonora and 30 from Angels Camp.

Also check out: Arnold features shopping, dining and golfing. White Pines Lake, a mile off Highway 4 in Arnold, offers fishing, swimming and boating. Restrooms are close by, along with a beautiful new children’s playground and an exercise area.

Info: Big Trees’ day-use fee – from sunrise to sunset – is $8 per vehicle ($7 for drivers 62 and over). Park information is available at 795-2334, 795-3840 (visitor center) or www.parks.ca.gov.

Extra Tip: Make sure to get your picture at two of the most photographed spots in the park. They both happen to be on the North Grove trail: a huge tree-stump platform at the beginning of the trail, and the Pioneer Cabin Tree, which you can walk through, toward the end of the trail.

8. Lake Alpine

Jerry Snyder and granddaughter Emma at Utica Reservoir, with dog Rafe.

From Arnold east over Ebbetts Pass and to Highway 89 near Markleeville, Highway 4 is a National Scenic Byway.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration gave this 56-mile stretch of highway such a designation for a reason: The narrow road curves through magnificent scenery ranging from valleys and canyons to peaks and rugged ridges.

One of the highlights is Lake Alpine, just east of Bear Valley in western Alpine County.  Like Pinecrest, Lake Alpine offers hiking, swimming, boating and fishing. A good resource to check out before heading there is lakealpine.com.

Lake Alpine is within the Stanislaus National Forest’s Calaveras Ranger District, with headquarters in Hathaway Pines (between Murphys and Arnold). Stop by the ranger station to pick up free information about the Lake Alpine area.

How to get there: Lake Alpine is 50 miles from Angels Camp and 58 from Sonora, via Parrotts Ferry Road.

Also check out: Keep going east on Highway 4 to 8,730-foot Ebbetts Pass — a much different mountain pass than Sonora Pass, but just as spectacular.

Info: Calaveras Ranger District, 795-1381.

Extra Tip: What better way to explore the lake than by canoe, kayak or boat? Lake Alpine Resort (753-6350, lakealpineresort.com) has all of those and more, including a restaurant, general store and bar. Kayakers will also enjoy a paddle on Spicer or Utica reservoirs, just six miles south of Alpine.

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors

]]> http://seniorfan.com/2011/06/8-great-day-outings/feed/ 0 http://seniorfan.com/2011/03/a-three-war-veteran%e2%80%99s-explosive-career/ http://seniorfan.com/2011/03/a-three-war-veteran%e2%80%99s-explosive-career/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:39:25 +0000 Mike Morris http://seniorfan.com/?p=3555 [continue reading...]]]>

Larry Singley

It was May 1943, and Larry Singley had just enlisted in the Navy – four days before his 18th birthday.

With World War II under way, Singley was immediately sent to Florida for boot camp. So quickly, in fact, that his mother had to pick up his high school diploma at a graduation ceremony the following month in Selma, Alabama.

“I chose to work on aviation ordnance,” says Singley, who now lives in Jamestown but still speaks with a Southern accent. “That was an interesting job because it wasn’t just sitting at a desk somewhere doing paperwork. I was up there loading bombs, missiles and torpedoes.”

From boot camp, Singley was sent to Norman, Oklahoma, for aviation ordnance schooling. From there, he went to Seattle, where he boarded a ship to Guam. Thus began a 21-year Naval career that spanned three wars — World War II, Korean and Vietnam.

He arrived on Guam after Americans had wrested control of the island from the Japanese in July of 1944, in a protracted battle in which 18,000 Japanese died. But even after the war had ended, it was a dangerous place. A Japanese soldier who had somehow eluded capture killed one of Singley’s fellow servicemen long after the empire had surrendered.

“It scared me,” he remembers. “I knew the guy real well and it was a shame to lose him. I was glad to get out of Guam. ”

Within a few years, Singley was at war again – in Korea.

For Singley, who will turn 86 on May 21, memories of the early 1950s conflict are the most vivid.

The war – a result of the division of Korea in the aftermath of World War II – found Singley and his fellow servicemen fighting against Communist North Korea.

He loaded arms and equipment aboard the USS Princeton, an aircraft carrier stationed off the coast of South Korea. He worked mainly with AD-1 Skyraiders, dive bombers which could hold several rockets and 2,000-pound bombs.

And, it turns out, at least one kitchen sink.

“Our captain said to us, ‘You boys are throwing everything at them but the kitchen sink,’ and that gave me an idea,” remembers Singley. “I went out and bought a kitchen sink in Yokosuka, Japan, and fastened it to the bottom of a 1,000-pound bomb that we dropped on North Korea in 1952.”

In Singley’s hallway photo gallery, a black-and-white picture shows a Navy admiral, the ship’s captain and the dive bomber’s pilot posing with Singley and the bomb-bearing sink. On it are scrawled words that drove home what was both obvious and hilarious: “THE KITCHEN SINK. ”

But four torpedoes brought Singley and his crew one of the war’s key victories. Carried by four bombers, those torpedoes knocked out the 240-foot thick Hwachon Dam, making headlines in American newspapers. The destruction of the dam was significant, as North Korea had manipulated its floodgates and spillways to flood downstream areas, disrupting U.S. attempts to advance northwards.

“All four planes hit that dam and they destroyed it,” says Singley. “We were the only Navy fleet that launched torpedoes in that war.”

Singley puts fuse in the nose of a 2,000-pound bomb aboard an AD Skyraider

As the Vietnam war began, Singley was assigned to the USS Ranger, the largest of 10 aircraft carriers on which he served during his Navy career. Sailing from ports in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines, the Ranger brought its fighters – which Singley’s squadron stocked with ammo – within range of North Vietnam.

Singley was born in Alabama shortly before the Great Depression to parents who struggled to provide for him and his younger brother, John Henry. Thanks in part to the grinding economy, Singley developed a strong work ethic early, delivering newspapers and working for a laundry service while in high school.

He carried that sense of enterprise into the Navy, where he took on extra jobs in his spare time. He ironed fellow sailors’ uniforms and took orders for corsages and bouquets to be sent home to their wives, girlfriends and mothers.

In 1999, he was inducted into the Naval Aviation Ordnance Hall of Fame. Aside from serving in three wars, this honor was largely the result of a pair of inventions – a device that fed ammunition to 20-millimeter aircraft guns and a bomb rack for trainer planes.

A lieutenant commander’s commendation for then-Chief Singley praised his “initiative, ambition and hard work.”

Wanting to return to civilian life, Singley retired from the Navy in December 1964 – and headed back to work just five days later, beginning his second 20-plus year career  with a hardware store in Fremont.

After a 34-year marriage that ended with divorce in 1983, Singley met his second wife, Shirley, when she came into the store to buy a mailbox.

“She looked so beautiful,” he recalls. “I didn’t say, ‘May I help you?’ I said, ‘Are you married?’ ”

“Those were the first words out of his mouth,” Shirley confirms. “On our first date he put up my mailbox.”

He and Shirley moved to Tuolumne County in 1987 after marrying two years earlier. They are among the original residents of Mill Villa Estates, a senior community off Highway 108 in the Jamestown area.

He credits daily exercise with helping him stay fit – and still able to fit into the Navy uniform he wore decades ago.

And Singley has a ready audience for his war stories: He has two daughters from his first marriage, as well as six grandsons and eight great-grandchildren.

Of Singley’s 21 years in the Navy, 17 were at sea. He entered with the rank of seaman and was promoted seven times, retiring as a chief petty officer who taught others how to load nuclear weapons.

Were those decades of service worth it? Grandson Lance Raby thought so.

“Thank you for fighting in the Vietnam War, World War II, and the Korean War,” wrote fourth-grader Lance 13 years ago. “Thank you for being in the wars so we can have freedom. When I come to your house, can you tell me about the wars you were in? I am very glad you didn’t die.”

Now a 22-year-old engineering student in San Diego, Raby still comes to his grandfather’s house and enjoys his recollections.

“I enjoyed it, and I consider it a wonderful part of my life,” Singley says of his Navy career. “I enjoyed working with bombs, rockets, missiles — seeing the big planes take off. I really was part of the war.”

© 2011 Friends and Neighbors

Nic Peterson and granddad Jim Gullion

On this team, softball runs in the family.

Each spring at Standard Park, not one but two grandfathers play on the same team as their decades-younger grandsons.

The age gap appears to work to their advantage, as the younger players learn from their more experienced teammates. Last year, their men’s slow-pitch softball team won the league championship, and this year they made the playoffs.

Manager Jim Gullion, who also hits and pitches, is 85. He has played baseball or softball every season since 1940, including the past 20 years at Standard Park at Tuolumne and Standard roads.

“I’ve always felt if I wasn’t productive I’d quit, but I still feel productive,” he says, noting that he pitched the doubleheader that propelled his team to last year’s championship.

This is the 14th consecutive year in which Gullion and his grandson, Nic Peterson, have played on the same team. At 28, Peterson has been playing ball half his life.

The left center fielder said he’s learned both catching and hitting skills from his grandfather. And, he says, “I’ve learned a lot about patience, not taking the first pitch every time.”

Inspired by Gullion and Peterson, another family joined the team last year.

“I thought it would be so cool to play with my grandson,” recalls 61-year-old Dave Serpa, who played with Gullion on another softball league for men 50 and older. “Then Jim invited us to play on his team.”

As a bonus, Serpa’s son, D.J., also joined the team – making three generations on the same team as Gullion and grandson Nic.

Serpa plays second base and his 35-year-old son is shortstop so they get to regularly interact throughout each game.

Both father and son live in Tuolumne County but commute to Stockton for work. Dave is a maintenance engineer at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, while D.J. teaches fifth grade at Monroe Elementary School. Dave’s grandson, Colten Vickers, 18, is a senior at Sonora High School.

“I’ve learned a lot of stuff from these guys,” Colten says.

That “stuff” includes everything from becoming a better catcher to improving his throwing and hitting skills.

Seventy years ago Gullion himself started playing ball, as a teenager in Indiana. Now, he proudly says he is the oldest player in Tuolumne County.

Retired from the Missile Systems Division of Lockheed Martin, Gullion lives in a Sonora-area mobile home park with his wife of 64 years, Nancy.

Off the softball field, he spends much of his time as a volunteer advocate for residents of mobile home parks. Active in the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners League, a nonprofit advocacy group, he represents mobile home park residents in 14 California counties, including Tuolumne and Calaveras.

Until his wife’s recent health problems, Gullion played in three softball leagues, putting in 45 to 55 games per season. “I’ve been blessed with super health,” he says.

His fitness philosophy is that action beats inaction every time.

“I’ve never understood why so many guys become couch potatoes rather than continuing doing what they enjoyed when they were young,” he says.

Wearing last year’s championship T-shirt, Gullion says his reflexes are still sharp and that playing softball is second nature to him. He goes so far as to say he could pitch with his eyes closed.

“Even as old as he is, you can still see that he has the moves,” Dave Serpa says of Gullion.

Because his speed is not what is used to be, when Gullion hits, his grandson or another player now runs the bases for him.

Peterson, who lives with his wife and two children in Cedar Ridge, is a personal trainer and owns CrossFit Sonora on Camage Avenue near Standard.

Standing next to his grandson, who is 57 years his junior, Gullion speaks of the importance of teamwork and how winning is only “frosting on the cake.”

“For me, it has been a real blessing to have played for these past 14 years with my grandson,” he says.

The Serpas enjoyed playing on Gullion’s spring team so much they plan to return next year. Speaking before a Friday night game at Standard Park, the trio laughs, recalling stories from the past two seasons of playing together.

Dave Serpa, in a San Francisco Giants baseball cap, says his family appreciates playing on a team where everyone, regardless of age, is out on the field for a good time.

“We’re competitive, but we want to have fun,” he says. “Everybody is trying to boost everyone up and be positive.”

The games attract many of their relatives, who create a loud cheering section for the team. One of their biggest fans is Dave Serpa’s 84-year-old mother, who travels to the games each week from her Jamestown home.

Serpa recently considered retiring from softball, but his mom talked him out of it. “She said I can’t do that, that it’s her weekly entertainment,” he says. “It’s her Friday night out ‒ dinner and a game.”

Son D.J. says the best part about the games is “that they give us a chance to get together every week.”

They also give him a chance at some role reversal. “After years of playing Little League and my dad telling me to keep my shoulder up, now I get to tell him.”

Copyright © 2010, Friends and Neighbors Magazine

The Cassinas at home/Ben Hicks photo

Step inside Dario Cassina’s house and classical music is playing on the stereo. A picture of a violin hangs above the piano in his living room.

To say music is Cassina’s passion would be an understatement. For years, he would delight people as he played his violin the week before Christmas at Sonora offices and businesses.

Now, at the age of 89, Cassina can’t play the instrument due to his arthritis, but his legacy of teaching music and inspiring his students lives on.

Fran Trout, who was one of Cassina’s music students at Sonora Elementary School, says he gave her and other students a lifelong appreciation of classical music.

“He loves music and he loves people,” the 75-year-old Sonora woman says. “He’s meant a lot to people throughout the community.”

Born and raised in San Francisco, Cassina earned his teaching degree from San Francisco State College. Immediately after college he joined the Marines, where he spent nearly two years in the South Pacific during World War II.

Once Cassina returned from overseas, he looked for a teaching job in the Bay Area, but was told he needed some experience. He found that opportunity when he received a phone call from Ted Bird, then principal of Sonora Elementary School, asking if he would like to teach music and physical education.

So in 1946, at the age of 25, he moved to Tuolumne County to teach at Sonora Elementary, which was at the Sonora Dome on Barretta Street.

New to town, Cassina remembers eating at a restaurant in downtown Sonora when a fellow teacher caught his eye. That lady would become his wife of 61 years, Lorraine. The pair share both a love of teaching and music: She taught English and music at Sonora High School and is a longtime pianist.

“I asked her out on a date and a couple of years later popped the question,” he says. “We were married in 1949. We call ourselves the ‘49ers.”

The couple has one daughter, Vivian, who lives with her husband in San Jose. They also have one grandson, Bryan.

After several years of teaching, Cassina was offered an administrative post at the Tuolumne County schools office. He was later elected county schools superintendent.

“At that time, there were 22 separate school districts and half of them were one-teacher, one-classroom schools,” he recalls.

His career took another direction when the Sonora Union High School Board of Trustees asked him to set up Tuolumne County’s first continuation high school, where more individualized attention was given to students who needed it.

Not only did he organize the curriculum, but he also taught there for 14 years. When he retired in 1980, the school board decided to name the school – now Dario Cassina High – after him.

Now, 30 years later, Cassina recalls success stories of so many students. To this day, parents stop him around town to thank him for helping their children in school. And he gets phone calls and notes from former students expressing appreciation.

“That’s what makes it a pleasure to have taught,” he says.

Cassina’s childhood helped shape who he was to become. Being a Boy Scout gave him structure,  and his appreciation of music deepened with an ushering job at the San Francisco Opera House.

“As a music student, I got to see these world-renowned singers, violinists, pianists and orchestras,” he says. “It was free music education and just a wonderful, wonderful experience.”

Cassina started playing the violin when he was just 9. In 1967, the president of Columbia College asked him to organize and conduct a community orchestra (now called the Symphony of the Sierra), in which he continued to perform until 2001. He lost part of the vision in his left eye, so he could no longer read the music. He was named to the college’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

Until a few years ago, he would stroll into downtown Sonora businesses, as well as doctors’  and school offices, playing the violin at Christmastime.

“I used to do that for my own pleasure and people really seemed to enjoy it so much,” he says. “I would love to still play, but I can’t.”

Along with arthritis, he also has some hearing, memory and vision loss.

But his ties to the community and education system remain strong. In fact, the Sonora High football field is visible from the back deck of his home of 54 years.

Even after his retirement, Cassina was instrumental in keeping Sonora High’s music program running. He garnered community support when there was talk of axing the school band. Not only did the school keep music, but the program went on to flourish, later blossoming under Pat Sieben’s tutelage into the Golden Regiment Marching Band.

Cassina is grateful that his original intention – to get some teaching experience in Sonora and then move back to San Francisco – didn’t go quite as planned.

“The biggest and best choice of my life was to come up to Sonora,” he says.

Copyright © 2010, Friends and Neighbors Magazine