Tanzanian Adventures

A 10-day safari in Tanzania  was a highlight of our year this month. Son Paul and daughter-in-law Katie met us in Amsterdam to proceed to Kilimanjaro Airport with a group of 10 others on an Overseas Adventure Trip (OAT). It was Katie's first strip to Africa and a blockbuster event for us all.

We wanted to see cats and we did--big time--lion kills, lion sex, cheetah chases, leopards lunching (on a Thompson's gazelle),etc. It was the closest we have ever gotten to game in any of our African trips. The cats just ignore the safari vans. A highlight was to see three leopards in one tree (mom and two youngsters) feasting on a gazelle right by a picnic area where tourists usually get out for a stand up break. Needless to say, no one was stepping out for a picnic on this particular day! At one point one of the youngsters lept out of the tree right on to a picnic table--definitely a Kodak moment.

We saw all of the Big Five and Norma added up about 110 bird sightings, many of them new species for her. The two guides, George and Samson, had fonts of knowledge about all the game and added much depth to our observations. The plains of the Serengeti allow for easy game viewing compared to the bush of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The only negative may be the number of tourists. The day we saw the leopards at the picnic site, more than 30 vans pulled up over the course of the hour! However, most of the time we traveled in our own two-van group with only an occasional sight of another van. We stayed in a tent camp in the Serengeti with the comforts of a 5-gallon bucket warm shower, great beds and good food.

There were cultural experiences in a Maasai village.
Katie and I had trouble balancing thatching grass on our heads, so I'm not sure we'd make it as good wives in the Maasai culture. A school visit to a 5th grade class was memorable as kids shared one or more of their text books with us and practiced their English. We even attended part of an evengelical church service in a small village. Katie and Paul even learned a few words of Swahili.

For more photos go to

https://plus.google.com/photos/117619508186210444760/albums/5947025522365037073?sort=1

That's it for now!

Summer Backpacking Adventures

Summer 2013 was a dry year for backpacking in the Sierras. A mid-July trip to Alta Meadow and Peak with friends went well with little water in the creeks, but some marvelous garden displays. We counted 21 species by the Alta Meadow creek along including Lewis' Monkey Flower and Monkshood.

 August 7 began a 9-day backpack via Sequoia Natural History Association with "groupies" I have hiked with for 10+ seasons. We headed to the Middle Fork of the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park on a little used, unmaintained trail--how true! Hiking around fallen trees, slipping on slippery oak leaves and brushy obstacles were the name of the game as we descended 3,700' in four miles. Chuck actually broke a rib when he fell getting around a fallen tree. So we learned about Sequoia/Kings medical evacuation services the next morning as a yellow wasp of a helicopter flew into the canyon next to Tehipite Dome with two EMTs to evacuate Chuck.                                                                      photo courtesy of Bob Early

We carried on the next day following the Middle Fork but up and down the mountain side past avalanche chutes. After 12 miles we made a hasty camp at 6 p.m. since we couldn't seem to find the Simpson Meadow campsite--next morning we learned it was right across the river and idyllic!  A day of rest and then up out of the river valley, climbing up 4,000' in 6 miles and then the real fun began going cross-country past Volcano Lakes. What looked like an easy route on the topo maps suddenly took on new dimensions. A tough climb up 800' in two miles, then the descent from hell to E. Kennedy Lake only made possible because we took our backpacks off twice, passed them down a 6' boulder to the guys and then carefully slipped down ourselves. Well, we survived and here's a photo of the group on top of Kennedy Pass (just under 11,000') to prove it! (I'm third from the right.) Photo courtesy of Lu Plauzoles

We'll pick an easier trail next summer.

Pinnacles National Park in Spring

The newest National Park--Pinnacles is an old friend (a National Monument) with a new name. I have made a  trek there with friends to look at spring wildflowers for more than a decade. This year was a bit dry, but still enabled us to find 40+ species  in two days. A favorite hard-to-spot flower is Bitterroot. It hides in gravelly soil in full sun and with almost no basal leaves it strains the eyes to find it. One was in full bloom (see left). Once we found that one our eyes suddenly found a dozen plants with tightly closed buds.

If you have never been to Pinnacles be prepared to climb to the High Peaks which are part of an ancient volcano, that slowly rode the Pacific Plate about 195 north, leaving a trace of the same rock behind in Los Angeles County near Lancaster. The Civilian Conservaton Corps (CCC) built trails, tunnels and a dam in the 1930s that are still in use today. The staircase shown at left with steps blasted out of the distinctive rhyolite rock aids your ascent to the  High Peaks.

With a little luck you may see adult condors warming up to start their day's gliding as thermals rise in the late morning. We saw four adults on a ledge as we hiked up Condor Gulch trail and then suddenly they rose at once, spreading their 9' wings to circle above us and take off over the peaks. All 30+ condors now in the Pinnacles wear tracking devices. We ran into a biologist with his signal receiving gear who told us that the Pinnacles group and the Ventana group of Condors visit each other regularly. No sweat to travel more than 100 miles when you have a 9' wingspan!

Our visit was over the spring vacation break so there were many  students rock climbing and hiking. It was great to see young people enjoying the outdoors. If you're anywhere in the area of San Benito County--not far from San Jose or Monterey--stop to visit this incredible jewel in the National Park system.

Nature's Treasures in Kaua'i

Peter and I enjoyed eight days in Kaua'i recently...great weather..good birding and hiking and more. We headquartered in Kapaa on the eastside coconut coast and enjoyed the hometown atmosphere and less crowded conditions compared to Poipu. There is a beautiful seaside paved path from Kapaa toward Anahola Beach that is wonderful for cycling and walking. A three mile hike up the east trail to the top of Sleeping Giant afforded great views of the coastal plain from Lihue north. For more photos go to the link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/117619508186210444760/Kauai2013

Birding at Kauai's National Wildlife Refuges at Kilauea Point showed the Red-footed Boobies looking for nesting material while the Laysan Albatross were busy courting. At  the Hanalei wetlands native NeNe geese were gathered in great numbers along with lots of waterfowl.

Limahuli Gardens (left) near Ha'ena are part of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens (NTBG) focusing on native Hawaiian agricultural practices. Original terracing for taro-growing and native plants are featured in part of the garden. Another section includes plantation-era plants and an archaeological site. Threatened and endangered species feature in another section--less than 50 specimens of some species exist in the world, so the NTBG is doing its part to preserve these rare plants.The garden is on 17 acres, but a total of 985 acres is in the preserve and continues to be studied for cultural sites and rare plants. Don't miss this learning experience if you are on Kaua'i!