Big Basin Quick Hike Today
This afternoon I headed over to Big Basin for a few hours of hiking and photography. (This evening it occurred to me that I’m, well, lucky to be able to drive a bit more than an hour and hike among coastal redwoods.) I arrived at the park in the early afternoon to find that a) it was quite crowded, and b) it was quite cold. Although the rest of the Bay Area is experiencing unusual (and record) warmth, in the bottom of the “basin” it was cold enough that gloves and a hat were called for.
I parked and headed up the trail through the “creeping forest,” where I stopped a few times to photograph various sights in the forest. After hiking in the outbound direction for about an hour and a half, I reversed course and headed back to the trailhead and then home.
One Final Thumb in the Eye from the Bush Administration
Reported in SFGate today:
US tells plan to drill of California coast
The U.S. Interior Department, acting in President Bush’s final days in office, proposed on Friday opening up 130 million acres off of California’s coast to drilling for oil and natural gas, including areas off Humboldt and Mendocino counties and from San Luis Obispo south to San Diego.
After a hands-off policy for a quarter-century, the administration submitted plans to sell oil and gas leases for most of the U.S. coast, from the Gulf of Maine to Chesapeake Bay and the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Coast…[and in many other sensitive areas.]
…
“President Bush’s last-ditch effort to open our coasts to new drilling is nothing more than a parting gift to his buddies in the oil and gas industry,” said Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee.
I’ll say.
Fortunately, the article also suggests that this part of the “Bush Legacy” may be reversed by the incoming administration.
Good News Resuming for Wilderness?
After an eight year drought, it appears that we may start to see some good news regarding our wild lands. SF Gate reports that the Senate has just passed a bill protecting many important wild areas, including some significant examples here in California. Some important areas in the Sierra received protection, and areas of the White Mountains were also included.
(There were some unfortunate trade-offs, including a 11, 000 acre snow mobile area near Sonora pass.)
What's Happening in the Yosemite High Country?
I always look forward to reading the Tuolumne Meadows Winter Report from the rangers who spend the off-season generally keeping an eye on this part of the high country. There is a summary at Yosemite blog right now.
By the way… Happy New Year!
I’ve been focusing more on my photography blog than on this one recently. My bad! I’ve been out hiking less – though I have been out – and photographing more. Things should pick up again here before much longer, and by spring and summer the posts will likely be just as frequent as they have been in the past.
I’ll leave it to you to decide whether that is a good thing or not… :-)
SFGate: Tracking Mountain Lions
There is a very interesting article at SFGate describing how UCSC researchers are tracking mountain lions in the Santa Cruz mountains and the surrounding areas:
Led by researchers from UC Santa Cruz, the project is the first attempt to track Bay Area mountain lions, which are being seen in greater numbers as urban areas spread into the region’s wildlands.
For the next three years, the team will track their behavior and movements in the Santa Cruz Mountains – including mating habits, favored prey, survival needs and travel routes. Researchers hope to expand the study for several more years after that to include the Diablo Range and the North Bay.
Given the close proximity of these magnificent animals to the human population of the Bay Area (not to mention the proximity to a number of university research programs) it is very surprising that no one has done this in the past.
Muir Woods Winter Solstice 2008
Winter Solstice at Muir Woods. Muir Woods National Monument, California. December 21, 2007. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
Last December I first found out about this wonderful annual event at Muir Woods – a winter solstice festival. Although the event starts in the afternoon (officially at 3:00 p.m.), the real fun at sunset and after dark when the trails are lined with luminaria. (Or “candles in paper bags” to those who don’t speak Latin.)
Depending upon the weather, this could be a good day for SF Bay Area photographers to combine winter photography at Muir Woods with a bit of night photography.
The following information is summarized from the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy events listing:
Celebrate the longest night of the year with the tallest trees on earth!
Sunday, December 21, 2008, 3 PM – 8 PM, Muir Woods. Cost: Free
This outdoor program is suitable for all ages and will begin at the Visitor Center…rain or shine. Activities and events include the making of solstice crowns, a stage performance of songs, stories, and puppetry, and walking the trails of Muir Woods lit by luminaria. No reservations required.
This evening can be dark and chilly; we ask visitors to bring a flashlight, dress warmly (layers/blankets), and bring a mug for warm drinks. For details, please call the hotline at (415) 388-2596 as the date approaches.
Unless the weather is really, really awful I plan to be there.
Finally…
… winter comes to California!
Egret Alights, Whalers' Cove
Reposted here, just because…
Egret Alights, Whalers’ Cove. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. November 30, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved. (large)
An egret flies close to the kelp covered surface of Whaler’s Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.
As I arrived at Whaler’s Cove I was hoping to perhaps be able to photograph sea otters up close. Although this was a high surf day along the coast, Whalers Cove is sheltered and I had heard that it is a good place to look for wildlife. After parking my car I did not see any otters, but I immediately saw this egret hunting in the kelp right next to the road. I grabbed the long lens and found a comfortable spot close by and began observing and photographing. The bird was apparently hunting for small fish in the kelp bed. It stood on top of the kelp and would occasionally make a lunch into the water, on one occasion coming up with a fish in its bill.
One of the things I like most about this photograph is the shadow of the bird’s curving neck cast on the translucent feathers of its wing.
This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
(Second try to post this… sorry if you got it twice in your RSS. :-)
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Dan's Outside 
Another Spring, uh, Winter Hike
Today’s hike was at one of the usual places, Calero County Park, where I mostly spent a couple hours off of the trails investigating and photographing oak trees on one large ridge. It was a beautiful morning, but in a slightly worrisome and perverse way. It really should be raining now, and the trail should be muddy. Instead it was brilliantly sunny, relatively warm, the ground was dry, and I didn’t seen any running water in any of the creeks or streams. After two previous years of below normal precipitation, this is not the kind of day we need right now.
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January 18, 2009 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary, Trips | 1 Comment