The Mountains Are Calling and Nerdy Birders Must Go

It has been a couple weeks since our return from California. After having a some time to digest the trip I have to say that it was amazing. As usual we spent a lot of time on the road but that is what you have to do if you want to see the world while sticking to a budget.

Our trip began early Friday morning. We caught an early flight in Detroit. By the time we landed in LA it was 3pm Ohio time but still morning on the west coast. We had very little time to waste because we had a four hour drive to Sequoia State Forest were our cabin awaited. We jumped on the 405 and quickly made our way out of LA.



Most of the drive was uneventful although with the drought that California is going through we were both shocked to see the impact it was having on the landscape. It looked like we were back in Arizona driving through the desert. We traveled over bridges that should have been over rivers but they were completely dry. There were reservoirs with water that no longer reached the boat ramps and docks that stretched out into emptiness. It was truly heartbreaking.

As we began to climb our way out of the valley and into the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, some life began to return. There was obviously more water, the trees were greener, and there were signs of animals and birds. We drove through the town of Springville a mere 10 miles from our destination of Ponderosa. The ten miles took us over an hour to drive! There were wicked switchbacks and we were increasing our elevation very quickly. Below is a a map of 190 from Springville to Ponderosa.

After this drive we were both car sick and ready for some sleep. We sat outside our one room cabin and drank a beer. While we sat there we spotted a White Headed Woodpecker (picture to come later). Below is a time lapse of a small portion of the drive on 190 near Ponderosa.

The following day was amazing. We got up in the morning and drove a couple miles to Dome Rock. We climbed (really just a short stroll) to the top. It was seven in the morning, we were the only ones up there, and the view was amazing. We couldn't have hoped for a better first adventure. Below are a couple pictures of us in this beautiful spot. During this time we spotted a Rock Wren, Mountain Chickadee, Canyon Wren, and a Western Tanager.

After our moment of nature atop Dome Rock we decided to head into Ponderosa for breakfast. Ponderosa is a small mountain town with a meager population of 94. Many of the homes in the area are owned by people from the valleys. These people come up during the summers to escape the heat and vacation with family. For us this was a great spot to be on our first couple nights. It was close to Dome Rock, Trail of A Hundred Giants, and Bar and Grille where we would later have drinks.

After breakfast we set out for the Trail of A Hundred Giants. The trail starts in a parking lot just off of 190. As you walk on the trail you cross over 190 and within a hundred feet you come to the first Sequoia. These trees are massive. They are not the tallest trees nor are they the thickest but they are the biggest trees by volume in the world. Consequently they are very old, in fact one specimen reached 3,266 years old. The trail is flat which was nice for a couple Ohioans that are not only trying to get used to the elevation but also trying to adjust to trails that are not flat. Most of the trees on the trail were listed on the trail map. They displayed information about the tree, how they grew, their root system, and a number of other interesting facts. Below are a few pictures of the trees that we saw on this trail. I have also attached a video of two trees that fell back in 2011. There was a few seconds of video of the incident captured by a German tourist. The trees are still laying over the trail (also pictured).

The picture above is a little Sequoia sapling estimated at 50 to 75 years old. 

White Headed Woodpecker spotted near the end of the trail. 

After finishing the trail we were ready for a cold drink and some rest. We went back to Brewers Family Ponderosa Lodge for drinks and dinner. Perhaps we had too much to drink and maybe a little too much fun but we were on vacation damnit.

The next morning we set out for Sequoia National Park. We made our way back down the ten miles of windy roads. This coupled with the fact that we had drank a little too much the night before ended in both of us being car sick. The drive to Sequoia National Park was only a couple hours. One of those hours was driving down the mountain and the other was driving back up that same mountain!

Our main goal at Sequoia National Park was to see General Sherman. General Sherman is the name of a Sequoia tree. Not just any tree however, it is the largest tree in the world by volume. It is calculated at 52,500 cubic feet and that does not factor in branches. This is half the volume of an Olympic sized swimming pool. Some of the branches diameters measure 6.8 feet. The diameter of General Sherman at his base is over 32 feet. Needless to say we were floored and amazed by its size and girth. Below is a picture of "the Shermster" as I dubbed it. I have a panoramic setting on my iPhone that allowed me to pan up and get the entire tree. The picture does not d oit justice.

After a two mile hike and a stop at the visitor center for our National Park Passport Stamp we had to get back on the road. Our next stop was the cabin we rented just outside Yosemite National Park. Below is a time lapse of our drive out of Sequoia National Park. There is quite a glare on the window but if you look close you can see some of the massive trees that we drove through.

The drive to our Yosemite Cabin was another three hours plus we needed to stop to get groceries. We were both tired of eating out and were ready to cook something for ourselves. On our way back down the mountain we stopped at a farmers stand for some fresh fruits and vegetables. The highlight for me was the fresh squeezed orange juice. It was delicious. A short two hours and a trip to the grocery store and we pulled into the driveway of our house. This is just what we were looking for. The kitchen and living room were a large open space and there was room for us to spread out. There was also a wonderful screened in porch/deck. The coolest thing was the humming bird feeder they set out. We knew we were going to see a different hummer then back home because the Ruby Throat is not on the west side of the country.

We exhaled, unpacked, fixed dinner, and sat on the deck. It did not take long for the hummers to come in. They must have been used to people setting on the deck because they came up and drank from the feeder while we were setting less than four feet away. We quickly realized that they were Anna's Hummingbirds. Most of them were female but there were a couple males. Real blinging males too, with iridescent red or pinkish heads and necks. It was a perfect end to a long day.

The following day we set out for Yosemite. We anticipated that the drive would be like all of our drives had been so far, which were up and down mountains with boundless curves and switchbacks. We were pleasantly surprised to figure out that we were going to be following the Merced River all the way into Yosemite Valley. The river was amazing. All of a sudden Grand Rapids rapids didn't look all that rapidy anymore. Don't get me wrong I love my river but this was spectacular. As we got closer and closer to the valley we got more and more excited. Our first stop would be Tunnel View.

Tunnel View is the view of Yosemite Valley popularized by Ansel Adam's photographs. For some lucky visitors it is their first view of the park. There are three entrances to the park one of which takes travelers through a tunnel and as they emerge from the tunnel the valley is the first thing they see. Unfortunately we were not on the Tunnel View entrance so we had to take a specific route around to head up to this spot. We stopped at the scenic stop off and marveled at the site of Yosemite Valley. I was coming down with a cold so I was not completely with it at this point but it was still amazing to see. Later in the trip we went back up to this spot and went through the tunnel just so we could come back and view it like so many have before us. There is a time lapse below of our drive through the tunnel. If you pause it with five seconds remaining you get a great view of the valley.

Next we decided to park at the visitors lot and take the free shuttle over to the Mirror Lake trail head. This was one of the easier hikes in the valley; only a two mile round trip and relatively flat. Since are trip was so early in the spring we expected the lake to still be there. Later in the summer Mirror lake actually drys up and it is just a meadow. The earlier in the spring you go the more likely you are to have lake. The shuttle was relatively easy to navigate and we made it to the trail head rather quickly. We started our hike and very quickly stumbled upon a new bird. We were convinced at the time that it was a new Oriole but we figured out that it was actually a Black Headed Grosbeak. Still very beautiful and sounded spectacular. It was nesting and we managed to get a bit of audio of the female singing while in her nest, enjoy. This bird became a regular on almost every trail we were on the rest of the trip.

We continued on our path and about a mile in we approached the lake. It was not nearly what it should have been at this time of the year. This was due to the historically low snow pack that this region had seen over the course of the winter. However it was still amazing to see the reflection of the granite walls in the still water of the lake. The pictures do not do it justice. We decided that this would be a great place to have a snack and we contemplated life's meanings.

Half Dome from Mirror Lake

Duck in clear mountain water

About half way back to the shuttle pickup as we followed the river that sprung from Mirror Lake I was distracted by something that flew by. Probably a Robin or something. As I looked in the canopy over the river JoAnna approached from behind me and began to look in the same direction and said "There is a Dipper!" She was right. Sitting out on the river sat a grey bird with virtually no tail just staring into the water. This bird was very special to us. We had seen multiple Dippers on nature shows exploring parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone. Did we want to see one? Hell yes we wanted to see one but we never thought that we would. There we were staring at the bird that we had been lusting after ever since we had booked the trip, and even before that. John Muir's favorite bird sat on this rock for several minutes while we walked around and got multiple pictures of it. She did bounce a few times. They do this to help them see through the water but she never dove in. The Dipper will dive in and out of the water searching for things to eat no matter the temperature. They just need open water so they typically are hanging out near fast moving water. We were ecstatic about this find and it all happened by chance.

Next we hopped back on the shuttle and took it to Yosemite Falls. Again this was an easier trail. It is about a half mile round trip and it is all paved. There are breathtaking views of the upper, middle, and lower Yosemite Falls. The Yosemite falls are actually three falls. If looked at or photographed at a certain angle they can be confused for one. Below are some of the better pictures we were able to get. We then found a nice quite place to set and eat our lunch. During our lunch we are pretty sure was a Black Throated Gray Warbler..

The following day we decided to go to Wawona Valley. This is still in Yosemite National Park but it is further out of Yosemite valley. This is more of a meadow, is less busy, and is very peaceful. We decided to do the meadow loop. This loop was an old fire wagon trail that circled the meadow. The meadow, which contained a golf course (booooo), was an old airport runway that had been restored to its more natural origins if you don't include the golf course.

Western Tanager

Female Black Headed Grosbeak

Hermit Warbler

MacGillivray's Warbler

Spotted Towhee

The Meadow

Covered Bridge

Wawona Hotel

Our last day in Yosemite Valley was a beautiful one. We began at Bridal Veil Falls where we parked our car. It was early in the morning and we were pumped to see a number of the parks attractions. Our plan was to walk the nearly six miles to the visitor center where we could pick up a shuttle that would take us to another shuttle that would take us back to our car at Bridal Veil Falls. The Yosemite Valley Loop Trail is one of the best trails we have ever been on. It included spectacular views of some of Yosemite's major attractions including Bridal Veil Falls, El Capitan, The Three Brothers, Cathedral Spires, Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Chapel, Half Dome, North Dome, and Sentinel Rock.

Beginning at Bridal Veil Falls was perfect. There were very few people here and none of them were starting on the Valley Loop Trail. As we walked up the short trail to the falls there was a deer next to the trail grazing. It didn't move as we approached it and observed it. Bridal Veil Falls was named after its resemblance to the veil of a bride. The falls were less intense than usual because of the dry winter. We found out later that this water fall was drying up and in a few days would no longer be running.

After spending a short time looking at the falls we began or hike toward the center of the valley. To our left was El Capitan towering over the valley. El Capitan is one of the main attractions at Yosemite National Park and I have to say it did not disappoint. Interestingly there are climbers all season scaling the Capitan's granite face. El Capitan is three times the size of the Empire State Building so climbing it takes multiple days to complete. We were warned not to attempt this without proper training. There was a high risk of death. I guess we looked like a couple people willing to try something like scaling the Empire State building three times over. It normally takes climbers three to five days to complete, unfortunately we didn't have that type of time. Maybe next time. The climbers not only have to pull themselves up the rock formation but also up to two hundred pounds of food, water, and gear.  

As we moved further down the trail El Capitan moved to our backs. To our immediate left we would have seen Horsetail Falls but this fall was already dry. Just in front of it however was the Three Brothers rock formation. This consist of Eagle Peak which is the upper brother followed by Middle Brother and Lower Brother. Both with less distinguished and interesting names because the oldest brother is always the most important of the brothers. 

In front of us rising over the trail sat Sentinel Rock. Sentinel Rock sets opposite Yosemite Falls. We didn't get great pictures of the rock formation due to the the large trees that surrounded us. However I did like one picture that I took of JoAnna walking toward Yosemite Falls.  

Sentinel Rock

JoAnna and Upper Yosemite Falls

Next we made our way down to the meadow that sets just below Yosemite Falls. Here we ate our lunch and enjoyed the views.

Yosemite Falls

Yosemite Falls
(look close and you can see all three falls)

While we stood at the meadow looking at the falls Yosemite Chapel was directly behind us. This church still holds mass every Sunday and also hosts a number of wedding ceremonies. JoAnna was unable to convince me to renew our vows here.

As we crossed the bridge over the Merced River we got a spectacular view of Half Dome and North Dome. A short walk was all that was left to our shuttle.

North Dome on the left and Half Dome on the right

We picked up our shuttle that dropped us off at another location where we picked up our other shuttle that dropped us off at Bridal Veil Falls and our car. We made the short drive back up to Tunnel View for our last look at Yosemite Valley. One thing to note in the first picture below is the number of brown dying trees. This is not typical in this part of the country. Unfortunately there are more and more trees looking this way.

Our last look at Yosemite Valley

This is a Chestnut Backed Chickadee. We didn't know we had gotten one until I was reviewing pictures for this blog post. 

Our last day in California was a relaxing one. The owner of the house we were staying in directed us to a lake and beach that was quite. There was only one other person on the beach fishing. We sat in the sand and read a book. Two Mallards came up to us and sat for a while. They had been feed by past beach goers and were looking for a treat. We did the right thing and didn't feed them. Wildlife can become too dependent on humans for food.

On our way back to the house we stopped at a wood carving shop/store. This is where we met Bilbo, the newest bear in our family.

Bilbo back home and stained

The next morning we made the long drive to San Francisco. Along the way we spotted a Western Meadowlark on a fence post. Other than that it was an uneventful drive. We made it to the airport safely. JoAnna was off to Los Vegas to gallivant around with a childhood friend while I made the long trip home with my new pal Bilbo.

Bilbo at a layover in Phoenix

Bilbo in the car back in Detroit

Bilbo meeting his new brother

Looking back on the trip it was rather eyeopening. It made me realize how lucky we are to have the resources that we do. Living next to one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world you grow up thinking that water is a never ending resource. We take long showers, communities require members to water their lawns, we hose off our decks, patios, and driveways. We poerform all of these tasks with some of the cleanest drinking water in the world. Meanwhile we do very little to conserve or protect this resource from pollutants and invasive species, while other parts of the country are under mandatory water restrictions. Farmers in California are drilling wells deeper and deeper to water their crops, crops that the rest of the country depends on. These wells do not re-fill once they are empty and there is no turning back. Coupling a vacation in drought stricken California in early June with the deserts of Arizona in early March was one of the best things we have done. It not only helped us to reflect on our day to day activities but also taught us to value the life giving resource of water. If you are interested in learning more about water conservation efforts in our area, or getting involved in efforts please visit Alliance for the Great Lakes.