This Pilgrim's Progress

Ian Woodall - man of honor

This article brought tears to my eyes: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=451798&in_page_id=1770

A famous mountaineer and climber, Ian Woodall, is going back to Mt. Everest for one last expedition to the Holy Grail of mountaineering. But this time it's not the mountain he is trying to conquer, but rather to fulfill the request of a woman climber he had to leave there to die. It's quite a touching story, and I think Ian Woodall is one of those rare individuals who manages to rise above his own self interest and strive for what is truly noble.  I hope he is successful and is able to fulfill his promise to Francys Arsentiev, and give her remains the burial and respect it deserves. He is going to try to do the same for 2 other climber's bodies. I've always wondered how people could continue up the mountain past these tragic remains, and I thought it was quite barbaric how the bodies were left wherever they happen to fall.  Of course, most of the time there is nothing more climbers can do without risking their own lives. So, I hope Ian is given the opportunity to do this small kindness without undue risk to himself and his sherpas.

Daughter off to the Sierras

Our daughter left for a 10 day backpack trip yesterday. She will be with a group of about 15 hikers led by a pastor and his wife. They are hiking in the eastern Sierra's and will be climbing up Bishop pass sometime today or tomorrow. When she gets back it will be just a few more days and she'll be off on a trip up Whitney. It seems like she's gone off to college already and we are struggling to cope.  We have labored long to reach this point, but it's hard to let our precious child jump out of the nest and fly!! We'll survive, but it just isn't very easy right now.

Bear Update

Here's the latest on the brown bear that's rampaging through Bavaria: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2195755,00.html

Apparently the bear got the hint that the Bavarian's didn't appreciate him and headed back to Italy.  Why the Italian's decided to re-introduce the brown bear to the Italian Alps is anyone's guess. Probably the same mis-guided fuzzy-thinking that the tree-huggers here used to justify re-introducing the wolf to Southern Arizona. Some links about the Arizona wolves in case you are not aware of that situation:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/science/20060525-1238-wst-wolfdeaths.html

and

http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/sep/stories/wolf.html

Bear (Not Beer) in Bavaria

Browsing the news on the internet today I found some interesting articles about a brown bear roaming the forests of Bavaria, Germany and snacking on the local livestock. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2029545,00.html

A few months ago there were reports that brown bears (close relative to our own brown bears or "grizzlies") had moved into Switzerland from Italy, causing some concern from farmers and hikers.

To understand why the big uproar, picture the situation here in California if the "tree-huggers" re-introduced the grizzly into the Sierra's!!  The Californian brown bear has been extinct for about 100 years.  John Muir wrote about them terrorizing some herdsman and a flock that he was helping with near Yosemite.  On the other hand, it might not be that far fetched. Look at how they've re-introduced wolves in Southern Arizona!!

Anyways, I'm in full sympathy with the Germans and Austrians who have given orders to have the bear killed when it's next sighted. I don't like being displaced from the top of the food-chain by a big furry predator!!  Apparently some Germans want to capture the bear and put him in the Berlin Zoo, and save him from being killed by government hunters! http://bz.berlin1.de/aktuell/news/060524/baer.html

Hiking for Dummies

This article from the San Diego Union-Tribune relates the successful rescue efforts of 50 people to find 2 hikers who got separated from their group of 12. They were hiking in the Anza-Borrego desert in very challenging terrain. Not only did they get separated from the larger group, but then compounded the error by not staying together and went their separate ways. This was a tragedy waiting to happen and they were fortunate to get out with nothing more than a rough night out in the desert cold.

As I have taught my children and the young boys in our cadets ministry, the wilderness does not forgive mistakes, and stupid mistakes least of all. 

The back-country of Southern California often seems benign and safe to outdoor neophytes. But many people have died from not taking it seriously and getting into situations they couldn't handle.  Read the article and learn from their errors.

More Anza-Borrego photos posted

I uploaded the rest of the Anza-Borrego photos I took this Thanksgiving. They are listed on the side in the Photo Album section.  So now you can see photos of Canyon Sin Nombre,  Torote Canyon, Mtn. Palm Springs, and Little Blair Valley (Motreros and Pictographs).

Enjoy!

Anza-Borrego Desert

November 11, 2005 our family drove to the Anza-Borrego desert and did a couple of nice hikes. We hiked Palm Canyon which was a very pleasant hike. The weather was perfect in the low 80's.  I've lived in San Diego 41 years and this was my first time to Palm Canyon.  We then headed to "The Slot" on the recommendation of a volunteer at the visitor's center. The Slot is a slot canyon located at Borrego Mountain Wash. We had fun doing that hike too.  On the way home we stopped in Julian and bought some apple pie (of course). Click on the photo to go to the complete photo album.

Mono Lake - South Tufa

I've posted the photos I took at South Tufa, Mono Lake, CA.  Click on the picture to access the album.

Devil's Postpile National Monument

This September I visited the Devil's Postpile National Monument near Mammoth, CA. This is a fascinating geological  feature of  a  wall of  6-sided basaltic columns.  It is rare to find such a feature and I believe this the only one that's visible and intact.

I took a number of photos and I've posted them in the photo album section.  Click on the picture to access the album.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest

September 15 of this year I hiked the Methuselah grove at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. The forest is located in the White Mountains just east of Bishop, CA.

These trees are some of the oldest living organisms on the planet.  I had fun taking pictures and I've posted the best ones in a new photo album. Click on the photo to go to the album.

The bristlecone pine actually grows quite tall in normal fertile soil,  and is a very beautiful but normal looking pine tree. In poor rocky soil the genetics of the tree slows its growth and water needs to the bare minimum. So the tall, good looking trees only last about 100 years before they succumb to insects or disease, while the gnarly little stunted trees can last 1000 or more years because they are very resinous and their thick bark and wood is very resistant to disease and insects.

I highly recommend a trip to this forest if you love nature and it's beauty. These trees are really incredible, and these photos don't really do them justice.