 More 2011 Adventures |
Glendale → Pinnacles National Monument 264 mi (424.9 km) |
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Yodelay yodelay yodel-hey, everyone!
There are two things in the world that really scare me: kimchi and mountain lions. I’ll save kimchi for another post, but mountain lions were all too relevant to this trip to Pinnacles National Monument!
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Why am I afraid of mountain lions when I am so well-versed in the Five Deadly Arts? Well, you see, none of the Deadly Arts work when you’re crushed between the jaws of an apex predator! The problem with mountain lions (though they might argue otherwise) is that they hunt by stealth, and a happily hiking beaver might find himself in aforementioned jaws without a single warning! So, needless to say, I was a little unnerved by the campground ranger’s comments while I set up my tent. First, she invited me to her presentation on mountain lions at the amphitheater after dark. Then she observed that I was the only one camping in this loop, making it “pretty dead tonight.” Then (and I’m not making this up) the biggest flock of vultures I have ever seen flew down and settled into a tree right across from my tent! I was suddenly not so sure that hiking in Pinnacles would be a great idea, or that there could be any chance of finding George alive here. However…
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The ranger assured me that, in 16 years of living and working in the park, she had only seen four mountain lions. The trick to keeping them away, she said, is to make noise while hiking and thus seem less like prey. The next morning, I put that idea to the test and made a general ruckus of clapping and tail slapping as I set off up the High Peaks Trail in search of Pinnacles’ namesake rock formations and the California condors that live on them!
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Pinnacles became a National Monument after a proclamation by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1908, but it had been around long before. The namesake pinnacles are the remains of an ancient volcano that has actually moved up the San Andreas fault all the way from where Lancaster is now! That’s a huge journey! Now, the spires are darn cool to see and even better to climb. As it just so happened, I found some rope up by the restrooms. It is one thing to frolic on foot, but quite another to frolic on belay!
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The total hike was about six miles with some harrowing, narrowing walkways squished into the cliff faces. Though the position was perilous, the views were extraordinary, especially in the early morning light! The air was surprisingly cool despite the complete absence of clouds. I guess that means winter is coming again. Fall and winter are the best times to travel, in my honest opinion, because cold-leery crowds dwindle and hotels drop their rates a bundle! That, and a good romp in the leaves and/or snow is good for the ol’ ticker too!
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Once I had descended Condor Gulch, without spotting a single condor, I took a detour through Bear Gulch Cave! Pinnacles has two talus caves, which were formed when boulders, hurled into the air by volcanoes, landed on top of ravines, creating caves! These caves are too young and exposed to the air to have stalactites, but it was still neat crawling through the tunnels. Luckily there were some folks with flashlights since there’s no lighting at all inside. If I hadn’t followed them, I would have been lost for sure! Or, I wouldn’t have gone into the cave in the first place. No adventurer should be without common sense!
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Crawling back out into the light, I found myself at a small reservoir, pristine and cool, but totally lacking in signs of beaverly brothers! It still looked pretty inviting for a swim, though! The moment I hit the water, where mountain lions dare not tread, I realized that, after all the fuss, I had not seen, heard, or smelt a single mountain lion. Maybe they were intimidated by me after all! Then, again, I better not get cocky. No one likes a cocky beaver. Thanks for the advice, helpful Ranger!
Splashing away,
More 2011 Adventures |
Total Ground Covered: 264 mi (424.9 km) |
Next Day |