back. It took us about 4 hours to including rest stops and lunch at the Lookout. It's an easy to moderate hike according to the guidebooks. There were some up hill parts that seemed to go on forever but just when I thought I couldn't go on anymore, the trail flattened out and allowed me to catch my breath and enjoy the view again. 
The view from the Lookout
US Forest Service Ranger Margee inside the Lookout. She lives there during fire season. There is a stove and refrigerator but no running water.
6 Degrees of Separation Dept, part one...
While talking with Margee, I mentioned that my grandfather, Wes Snider had been a District Ranger in the USFS. Margee knew the name and pointed to a photograph hanging on the wall. She asked if the man in the photograph was him. It looks alot like him to me and I took a photo of the photo to send to Aunt Marge for confirmation. She couldn't be sure but thinks it might be. David and Uncle Tom, however, think the hat is wrong. I think it's Grampa Wes.
Dome Rock from the Lookout Tower
The Needles.
Although you can't see it on this photo, there were a couple of climbers on the face of the rock. We could just barely see them moving up the rock from the tower.
Looking down the stairs that we climbed up to the tower. 
Quaking Aspens
We got back to Nancy's cabin and had a great dinner to celebrate her birthday and officially christen her cabin/garage.
Katy & Kathy helping Nancy blow out the candles
Linda and Katy
6 Degrees of Separation Dept, part two...
Katy gave Nancy a book on the early days of Camp Nelson writen by Porterville local Jeff Edwards. 
Among the typos and historical inaccuracies in the book is an uncredited photograph of three kids on Dome Rock with the caption that reads "This view of Kern Canyon is an impressive sight as these children are enjoying". This photograph was taken by Bill Rodgers and the children enjoying the view are David Richardson and Mary Kay and Susan Rodgers. Bill Rodgers was mayor of Porterville in the 60's and was the owner/editor of the Farm Tribune. When Bill died, Susan and Mary Kay gave Jeff Edwards his archives. Bill was Mayor of Porterville when the Hell's Angels came to town in 1963. He led a group of locals who turned the firehoses on the bikers and ran them out of town. Author Hunter S. Thompson wrote about it in his book "Hell's Angel's" Anyway, my point was thatJeff should have credited the photo and named the kids....
l to r, David Richardson, Mary Kay and Susan Rodgers; photo by Bill Rodgers
6 Degrees of Separation Dept, part three...
After Nancy's Party, Annie, Katy and I went to Pierpoint to check out the nightlife. The Dukes of Rhthym were playing and the joint was a rockin'
This nice old gentleman comes up and asks Annie to dance. Since we had just finished a 5 mile
hike she declined but we started chatting with him. Turns out he is a grape farmer from the Delano area...Katy and I look at each other and I start asking him if he knows, the Perelli Minetti's and of course he does. He says his name is Dick Kramer and that he is from an old family in Delano. Well, Katy and I come from an old Delano family named Quinn (more about the Quinns in the next chapter). Now I knew that the Quinns and Kramers were old friends so I asked him if he had heard of the Quinns and he said of course he had, one of his relatives had married one of the relatives of Nelson Smith who was a relative of Harry Quinn. Nelson Smith is the father of Katy's and my 2nd cousin Lonon Smith. Then Dick says he remembers many years ago attending an Edison Company Christmas party with his first wife. She worked as a receptionist at the Edison Company Substation in Delano. Anyway, he remembered meeting another a man at the party who was also related to the Quinn Family of Delano...turns out it was my Dad, who worked at as a Service Planner for the Edison Company.
The Stagg Tree
The next day we hiked out to the Stagg Tree. The Stagg Tree is either the 4th largest or 6th largest tree in the world depending on who you talk to. Either way it is a pretty spectacular hike to the tree and the tree itself is awesome.
More Quaking Aspen
We had such a great time we didn't want to go home...
