Kings Canyon to Pinnacles 25 - 28

June 25
In the morning, we dropped into the ranger station to see if they could recommend a good birding hike. We totally lucked out when we met Ranger David Rolfsema. He was getting ready to lead a birding hike so we immediately signed up and he took us on a great two hour hike through the forest.

The birding highlights included: 70) *Cassin's Vireo, 71) Red-breasted Sapsucker, 72) Mountain Chickadee, Black Phoebe and more White-headed Woodpeckers. As usual most of the birds bolted at the sight of my camera.

Black Phoebe

As we hiked along with our guide we spotted the nest of a Cassin's Vireo by the side of the trail. It was tucked under the branches of a cedar tree with the parents flashing in and out as they fed their young.

70) *Nest of a Cassin's Vireo

Following our birding tour we inquired about a nice nearby hike in the national forest where we could walk with Sonaa. Ranger Rolfsema recommended the Indian Basin Grove Interpretive Trail as a great little hike which was quite close but not well known.

Indian Basin Grove Interpretive Trail 

The three of us (Jim, Emma and Sonaa) enjoyed a nice hike through fairly open meadows surrounded by pine forests. There were lots of  flowers blooming in the meadows. In the pine trees, we saw two  75) *Hermit Warblers. I got a couple of good  looks but no pictures as they remained shy and illusive.

At times like that I appreciated flower photography. Finding specific flowers was often a challenge but once you saw one you could always get picture.

Pretty Face (Triteleia ixioides)

Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa)

The open meadows were the result of logging that occurred during the beginning of the 20th century. This interpretive walk was a poignant reminder of how easy it was to cut down a big tree and how many centuries it took to grow one.

June 25
We awoke at sunrise. Our goal was to drive west from Kings Canyon across the California Central Valley to Pinnacles National Park. Before leaving the Sierra Nevada we needed to gas up and the only nearby station was in the Giant Sequoia National Forest at a quaint Christian Summer Camp by Hume Lake.

We realized we were in heavy duty "Praise the Lord" country when we encountered the following sign. Had Emma packed her hijab she would have quickly gotten into the spirit of this ordinance.

Sonaa was oblivious to the local protocol and proceeded to flip on her back and roll lasciviously on the grass. Concerned that our dog's lack of decorum might cause a scene we packed up and left.

Sonaa at Hume Lake

Three hours later we were sweltering as we drove around Fresno looking for a specialty bookstore so Emma could replenish her supply. Magellan was not helping as it got us driving in circles for an hour or two. Fortunately, my reading tastes were not as exacting as Emma's and the local Walmart had me topped up in no time.

As a consolation prize we had a great lunch at I-Hop. Fortified, we headed back into the heat waves and continued west to Coalinga. 

A local gas station was packed with Harley Davidson motorcycles and we had to weave our way through to the gas pumps. I saw an opening and slide between two immaculate bikes with inches to spare. This did draw the attention of the owners but I didn't give it much thought until I hopped out of the RV.

Hells Angels jackets are really impressive, particularly when you see a couple of dozen of them from a few feet away. Their owners came in all shapes and sizes but mostly big, burly and bearded. Fortunately, everyone was in a pretty good mood as they had congregated for a group photo and not a smack down.

To regroup, we parked for a short afternoon siesta then continued onward to Pinnacles. The irrigated orchards gave way to golden grasslands with a sprinkling of green oak trees as we moved into the rolling hills on the west side of the California Central Valley.

It was a slow windy scenic drive to the east entrance to Pinnacles National Park. As we approached the entrance I finally saw a 76)* Yellow-billed Magpie. Sad to say it didn't stick around for a photo op.

The hillsides surrounding the park were covered with a beautiful golden blanket of grasses dotted like a pin cushion with green oak trees.

The temperature rose to a toasty 100 degrees and the fire danger reflected the baked dry nature of the terrain.

The Pinnacles campground was nestled 400 meters (1,000 ft) below a pine covered ridge line.

  Ridge Line 300 metres above Pinnacles Campground

 It was a beautiful ridge and much more significant than it seemed. For California Condors, it was the ideal roosting site to spend the night. As the sun settled low in the west large black dots started to descend from the stratosphere. As they glided lower it became clear that they were very large birds, much bigger than the ubiquitous Turkey Vultures.

 California Condors

I set up my tripod and 600 mm lens to photograph theses magnificent birds as they silently descended to their roosting perches in the pine trees at the top of the ridge line.

The sun was slowly setting under the horizon as a dozen California Condors circled downward. At no time did they flap their wings instead they expertly used the air currents to soar silently to their nighttime roosts.

77) *California Condor

It was a magical moment to stand there watching these majestic birds effortlessly maneuvering through the sky as the sun set.

Pine Tree Roosting Site

Too quickly this performance ended with the condors discretely tucked into the branches of the pine trees. 

I packed up my gear and headed back to our RV. As dusk approached the stifling heat of the day diminished, and with the cooler temperatures, the local fauna started to emerge.

Lawrence's Goldfinch

A small flock of Lawrence's Goldfinch flew in to feed on the thistles by the roadside. I've been looking to see and photograph this bird for several years. I've seen thousands of American Goldfinches and dozens of Lesser Goldfinches but until now no Lawrence's Goldfinches. Funny how birds you have been actively searching for, suddenly appear when least expected.

Even the resident ground squirrel poked his head up to check out the arrival of this special goldfinch flock.

California Quail

Birding is fun. Some days the birds hide in the thickets and other days, like today, they hopped up on fence posts and posed in ideal light. You just never know what you are going to get.

June 26
Despite the 100 degree daytime temperatures it got cold enough at night that we had to find our quilt.
However, by early morning it was heating up toward another scorching hot day.

Black-tailed Deer,  Jackrabbits and Wild Turkeys were moving out of the meadows and back into the trees as we had breakfast.

Black-tailed Deer

81) Wild Turkey

A California Ground Squirrel joined us to watch the night time visitors slide back into the cover of the forest.

California Ground Squirrel

Today, we decided to drive over to the old Pinnacles trailhead

As usual Emma was good to go and led the charge up the Old Pinnacles trail.

It was a wide open scenic trail and a perfect hike for a cool overcast day. Unfortunately, today was bright blue skies and a temperature rapidly climbing toward 100 degrees.

Ridgeline above Old Pinnacles Trail

We hikes up the trail for a few kilometres and enjoyed the golden brushy terrain.

Bull Thistles

Buckwheat

82) Western Bluebird

We had this beautiful trail to ourselves. This was not surprising given the increasing temperature as the morning progressed.

By late morning, the temperature was approaching 100 degrees so we cut our hike short to return to the shade of the RV.

Bear Gulch Nature Center

We drove to nearby Bear Gulch and found a nice shade tree to nestle under. The broken air conditioner was sadly missed on this occasion. However, by lying still in the shade it was bearable. We spent the mid-day hours relaxing and reading in the RV.

Sheltering from the Sun

In the evening, we returned to our campsite and took a stroll to a nearby abandoned farm .

The golden sunset accentuated the golden slopes of the Pinnacle hills.


June 28
To hike in this heat you need to get up at the crack of dawn and hit the trails early. We were up before dawn and headed to Condor Gulch.

As the sun peaked over the mountains we were starting up the scenic Condor Gulch trail.

Emma on Condor Gulch Trail

High Peaks

Pacific Madrone

83) California Towhee

 Along the trail, we also saw 84) Hairy Woodpecker and 85) Canyon Wren.

Condor Gulch Trail 

The Condor Gulch  trail was a steady climb from the parking lot up to the High Peaks area.

View of our RV from the Condor Gulch Trail

As we climbed upward we got a nice view of the surrounding peaks.

Hawkins Peak

The view up to Hawkins Peak was particularly impressive.

Jim in front of Hawkins Peak

By mid morning, the air was rapidly warming and created a strong thermal by the high peaks. We realized how Condor Gulch got its name as we saw these magnificent birds spiraling up into the heavens. We stood and watched in awe as Condors rose steadily upward without flapping a wing.
Soon they were mere dots in the azure blue sky.

Tired and happy we retraced our steps before the full force of the mid-day sun descended.
Without air conditioning it was time to "get out of dodge".

We hopped in the RV and headed out of California back toward the cooler weather in the Pacific Northwest.

San Luis Reservior

We had lunch at San Luis Reservoir. Further evidence of the California drought was the low water level in the reservoir. A Rock Wren 86)  was busy foraging among the dry boulders.

Back on the I5 we headed to Sacramento.The smog in the California Central Valley was significant and the visible horizon was a hazy 10 miles when it should be 50 miles. Fortunately, as we got north of Sacramento the visibility steadily improved.

We stopped for dinner by Lake Shasta. The barren red banks by the lake were testament
to the ongoing California drought.

I was getting tired from driving but Emma helped keep me focused. She read volumes of James Herriot out loud to me. Time flew by as I listened to the amusing escapades of that intrepid Yorkshire veterinarian.

Finally, a view of Mount Shasta. The snowy slopes of this majestic mountain held a promise of cooler weather further north.