Ranger Dave Blog - Yosemite

I love being a Ranger!

2011-06-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

This young man and his family attended one of my campfire bear lectures and he fell in love with bears. On the way home from Yosemite, he spotted this stuffed bear in a store and he brought it home. I learned from his mom that the two are now inseparable. The young man has decided that he now wants to be a Park Ranger. I love being a Ranger!

I met this kind lady in the campground and learned that she makes custom dolls. She made a Ranger Dave doll. My doll is the one on the right. Her plan is to mass produce it and market it as a Ranger Dave Doll. Watch for it in your local Wally World someday. I love being a Ranger!

Magazine Article

2011-06-09T06:42:00.000-07:00

The Northern California Vacations ezine interviewed me recently. Here is the article they wrote.

Newspaper Articles

2011-04-23T13:45:00.000-07:00

Newspaper articles from my home town in Chattanooga, Tennessee

My Trip Home

2010-10-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

This is a panorama photo of the White Mountains. I have no idea why they are called the White Mountains. The peak with the clouds over it is a 14er. I will be hiking to the top of it next spring. The oldest trees in the world are on this mountain. The Bristlecone Pine. 4,600 years old.

I climbed to the top of a big rock to get the some shots of the mountains.I decided to shoot an elevated shot of my rig.

Can you guess what this is? Nope. It's not a sunrise. Nope. It's not a sunset. Nope. It's not a forest fire. Nope. It's not a hydrogen bomb exploding. Out in the middle of the Nevada desert at midnight, I set my camera on the hood of my truck and did a 30 second time exposure of the city of Las Vegas from 200 miles away. The light even reflects on my hood in the bottom of the image from 200 miles away. That is some serious light polution.

A cool tree at sunset in Utah

The fall colors in Rifle, Colorado were amazing.

More Rifle color.

Ready to Roll

2010-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

My rig is packed and I am ready to go cross country starting October 12. I am headed home to Tennessee. I plan to stop and do some hiking and canoeing along the way. Hammer down!

Season Recap

2010-10-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

And so comes an end to another successful season in Yosemite as a Ranger. I refer to it as “successful” because I am still alive and I survived it. I learned a lot this summer and experienced some interesting adventures. I even observed some rare and extraordinary wildlife activity.

All of my stuff is packed into my rig and I am ready to travel. I start a class in a couple of days before I leave the park, so I am sitting in my empty cabin writing a wrap-up of the season for you.

I arrived in Yosemite two months early, April 1st. I had been accepted into Horse Patrol School, a six week long course that started April 4. I was the oldest guy and only the second interpretive Ranger to be accepted into the school. The instructor knew she was taking a chance with me. Things were going very well until week two when I got out of sink with the horse. I came down as the horse went up and we met in the saddle. I felt a sudden extreme muscle scamp in my back and I immediately knew what happened. I fired up an old injury from decades ago. No more horse school for old Dave. Bummer.

It was a good summer. I learned a lot and had fun too. It does get lonely up here in the mountains alone in my cabin. It will be good to return home to see my little family. I will be back next year though.

April and May brought big snow storms each week. We tried to open Glacier Point Road on time Memorial weekend but we had 8 inches of new snow the Thursday night before. It took us two more days to open the road and then there were 8 foot walls of snow on each side of the road. The scene was impressive.

The following are some high points of my summer. My two favorite categories of high points are wildlife contact and hiking to mountain tops.

  • I experienced several close wildlife contacts. One in particular was extreme. The most extreme was Bear Kill. My Bear Buddy hike was pretty cool too and I will never forget the Golden Eagle who followed me for days.

• Mountains…lots of mountains. I climbed a few but not as many as I wanted to this summer. It’s difficult to say which mountain was my favorite. They all have their redeeming characteristics.

    o Mount Dana was the highest 13,057 feet. It was amazing. I also spent some time with a rare animal, the Pica.

    o Mount Hoffmann, 10,850 feet, was special because it is located in the center of the park and you can see everything.

    o Half Dome, 8826 feet, was the most popular hike, but I was disappointed so I came down. This is an insanely dangerous hike.

    o Clouds Rest, 10,000 feet, was incredible. That was an extreme 15 mile day. I will never forget looking down the barrel of the path of the glaciers in Tenaya Canyon from Pluto’s Point. This hike was special too because I was able to perform a memorial service for a family who lost a daughter last year on a tricky section of this mountain.

    o Voglesang, 12,500 feet, was my longest hike, 25 miles. I almost turned back after about 4 hours, but I kept going. I’m glad I did. This hike really tested me. I learned what I can do on this hike.

    o Ostrander Lake, 10,000 feet. I survived “Heart Attach Hill”. The lake was beautiful.

    o Mount Whitney, 14,491 feet, will have to wait until next for ole Ranger Dave.

    o Tenaya Peak will have to wait until next year. I got snookered on my first attempt. I have researched another approach and I think I can make it next time.
Other interesting high points of the summer:

• I met many interesting people from all over the world.

• I really enjoy the formal presentations I do in the evenings, the Sunset Talks. I wear my class A uniform and talk to between 200 and 600 people at Glacier Point. It’s fun.

• I made some improvements and added some new topics to the five trails I guide. I enjoy watching the light go on when I teach people about nature.

• I did a little touring of my own.

    o I visited Bodie. In 1870, a 12 year old girl wrote in a letter…”Goodbye God, I am moving to Bodie.”

    o I visited Death Valley, the lowest point in the USA.

    o I visited the Bristlecone Pine forest. The oldest tree in the world lives here. 4,600 years old.

    o Mono Lake

• I expanded my bear talks outside the park to include Camp Wawona and Tenaya Lodge.

• I was first on the scene to several medical and trauma incidents and made a difference in people’s lives.

Life is good! ;-)

Fall in Yosemite

2010-10-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

This little guy lives around my cabin. This scene is a good indicator that winter is not far away. For the past couple of weeks I was frequently awakened early in the morning by large heavy Fir cones hitting the ground. This little squirrel goes up 150 feet into the top of the trees and cuts down the cones. They make a huge noise when they hit the ground. I moved my truck to another location so he wouldn't hit it. After he drops a dozen cones or so, he moves all of them to a central location close to his underground den, disects them like you see in this photo and carries the good stuff down to his den. This is the same squirrel that ripped up my chair.

Here are more pictures that indicate fall is here.

Lots of snow already on October 3rd.

Glacier Point

2010-10-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

Glacier Point is my work place. There are no glaciers here anymore. They have been gone for a while. Glacier Point received it's name because glaciers formed this point by moving around the mountain and carving out the point. I rove these sidewalks almost every day just talking to people, answering questions, performing short talks and formal evening presentations. Glacier Point enjoys about a million visitors a year. That is a lot of people to greet. It's fun. I like it. Here are some pictures of the point.

Panorama view of Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park

The Geology Hut with lots of interpretive geology information.

There are usually hundreds of people out at the point each night for sunset.

Redtailed Hawk

2010-10-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

This handson gentleman lives around Glacier Point where I live and work. I have the privelage of seeing him almost every day. I think he is a poor hunter but he sure is healthy. Maybe I am wrong. I've never seen him catch anything. When he is around all of the other small animals vanish.

Yosemitescapes

2010-10-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Panorama view of Half Dome

This is not in Yosemite but it is close by in Sequoia National Park. Mount Whitney is the peak in the background to the right.

My Ranger Duties

2010-09-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Ranger Dave overlooking Half Dome.

I Love Korea.

John Kim - Me - Ester and Andy

Ranger Dave guiding a nature hike to Sentinel Dome.

Ranger Dave interpreting a Jeffrey Pine tree to a group on my hike.

That is Sentinel Dome in the background. We are almost there.

I am walking and talking with one of the visitors on my hike.

Ranger Dave decending from Sentinel Dome.

I Love Germany.

A few days ago The Travel Channel photographed and video taped my sunset talk so watch for me on TV someday.

Sunset Talk Video

2010-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Glacier Point where I am stationed is a very popular location in Yosemite to view a sunset. From the point we can't see the actual sun set because a large mountain is in the way, so everyone sits on the granite rocks of Glacier Point looking at the sunset color on Half Dome. There will be hundreds of people at Glacier Point each evening. We Rangers do sunset talks almost each evening while standing among all of the people. The evening of this video I am talking about "The History of Glacier Point". I have broken the presentation up into two sections, introduction and the talk in order to reduce file size of each. Enjoy.

The Introduction

"The History of Glacier Point" Sunset Talk

My Ranger Duties

2010-09-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

I spotted this young man walking toward me on the sidewalk. Before I saw him, I saw his spirit, his cleanliness, his aura of pure white light. He surprised me and I was drawn to him. I learned quickly that he had severe brain motor disfunction from a traumatic injury. I had seen this injury before. I instantly felt close to him. I am not sure why yet but he was a real blessing to me. He is a loving person with a very supportive family. I was impressed. Mario's family has written a book about Mario and his injury recovery. I have purchased the book and started reading it. I will write again about Mario. In the meantime, go here. http://raisingmariotwice.com Thanks Mario for finding me.

Mario and his therapy dog

I have expanded outside that park to lecture to school groups. I usually talk about bears. Everybody loves the bears and everybody needs to learn about the bears when they live close to Yosemite. It's fun for me. These fifth graders were fantastic.

More bear talk

These hikers from Germany are really impressive. They hiked a long distance over many mountains in record pace time. This is the one time I asked a visitor if I could have my picture taken with them.

This year Yosemite will experience about 4 million visitors to the park. 95% of those visitors never venture out to leave the valley which is about 0.5% of the park. Some visitors never leave their car.

I love LA

I love Japan

I love Spain

Bristlecone Pines

2010-09-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Bristlecone Pine grows at a very high elevation (12,500 feet) in very specific soil and growing conditions. Unlike most other pines, these trees grow high enough to avoid glaciation effects so some of these trees are over 4,000 years old. One is 4,600 years old. I haven't seen the oldest tree yet, but I have seen the largest Bristlecone Pine in the world. I will find the oldest next summer. Enjoy. They are amazing trees. I really enjoyed walking through the ancient forest taking these pictures. It is a quiet sacred place. I was moved and blessed by spending time there. Gods angels are there in the forest. You should all experience this place. I was the only human in the forest. It was a special time with nature. I will never forget it.

The largest Bristlecone Pine in the world.

Just a cool Bristlecone Pine tree

The reason these trees seem dwarfed is because they survive in high wind conditions on the top of mountains. Since the wind is so high, it is difficult for the dropping seeds to take hold because the wind blows them away. There is a bird that has a symbiotic relationship with the tree called the Clarks Nutcracker that harvests the pine cone seeds, digs a hole in the ground and burys the nuts for later consumption in the winter.
How does that help the tree? Well, the bird has a 70% memory effeciency. Nature is so cool!

The wood is beautiful.

A big storm blew this tree over centuries ago. It still has one root in the ground and one living branch. Even though it is lying on the ground, it is still holding on to life. Even trees want to survive. Life lesson here is: "Never give up".

Climate Change

2010-09-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

These ancient Bristlecone Pines died when the tree line moved down the mountain. Today with the climate changing, the tree line is moving back up with new growth back up into the old tree line.

More evidence.

Cool Trees

2010-09-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Giant Sequoias

Lodgepole Pine

Insence Cedar

Lodgepole Pine

Jeffrey Pine

Insence Cedar

Critters

2010-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Black Bear

Muletail Deer

Raven

OK OK... here is another deer picture for you.

Death Valley

2010-09-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Death Valley just a few hours before sunset. I hiked a few miles up the Golden Canyon to try to capture the deep setting sun colors on the red and yellow rocks. This is a panorama photo of Red Cathedral rocks.

Sunset in Death Valley

9000 square miles of desert minerals sheds into this low level basin. You can see many of the minerals here.

Mount Whitney Hike

2010-09-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Mount Whitney at Sunrise.

Yeah, I had big plans of hiking the highest point in the lower 48. I had been hiking all summer to as high as 13,000 feet and as long as 15 miles in one day. I was now ready to hit the big one...Mount Whitney 14,491 feet. Two days before my scheduled assent, I got sick. I couldn't believe it. I made the trip anyway, just in case I started to feel better. I didn't. I got worse. I went through the process of acquiring my permit and driving to the trailhead portal. I hiked up the trail for a while to just check my strength and endurance. It was not good at all. I was too weak from my illness. I arrived at the portal a day early to acclement to the altitude so I just hung out for the day to see if my health would improve. Bummer. I felt terrible. I decided to about the hike. Mount Whitney is nothing to play around with. I need all of my horse power to attempt Whitney. 66% of the people who attempt Whitney fail even when they are healthy. I certainly didn't want to get up there and get into trouble, so instead of hiking to the highest point, I decided to hike to the lowest point in the lower 48 states...Badwater Death Valley.

Since Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain, it receives the rising suns light first of all of the mountains.

These are the walls around the Whitney portal. It's rather intimidating to look up and know that is where you have to go.

This looks high above the valley doesn't it? If you said "Yes"...wrong. It is just the starting point to Mount Whitney.

Here I am a day prior to my scheduled hike to Mount Whitney. I am hydrating myself and acclementing to the altitude. I'm sitting next to a creek reading about how to pack light and hoping to get healthy. It didn't work. Shortly after this picture was taken I decided to head for Death Valley.

Tenaya Peak Hike

2010-09-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

There is no trail to Tenaya Peak. My plan was to hike cross country and climb this peak. I climbed about half way up and got snookered below a large rock ledge. I almost got into trouble. I was able to slowly work my way safely down. When I summit a mountain top I usually yell "Yahoo!". Today I yelled "Yahoo!" when I reached the bottom. I will try again from another approach.

This is the near verticle wall I worked my way up and down. eeeeeek! :-0

Yosemitescapes

2010-09-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Tenaya Lake and Tenaya Peak

Quarter Domes, Sub-Dome and Half Dome at sun set.

Clouds Rest and Half Dome at sun set.

Mount Florence - 12,500 feet

Just an interesting picture in Yosemite

Clouds Rest and Half Dome

Half Dome at sunset.

Sunset over the coastal mountain range as viewed from Yosemite

View of the Sierra Nevadas from the east side at about 12,500 feet. There is a lot of smoke in the air in the valley but one range is peaking out the top. The snow on the mountains are ancient glaciers.

Sunset Talk Video

2010-09-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite tasks as a Ranger is to perform Sunset Ranger Talks at Glacier Point. Most every evening about 30 minutes before sundown one of us Rangers will do a talk about the subject of our choice. Glacier Point is a very popular location for visitors to come view a sunset because of the points open views and close proximity to Half Dome. At any given night, there can be between 200 and 600 people sitting on the rocks to view sunset. It's fun to stand among them and converse with them. My entire talk is too long to place on this blog so I have included just my 7 minute introduction. Enjoy. View the full talk here.

My Ranger Duties

2010-09-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Me during on of my nature hikes on Sentinel Dome.

McGurk Meadow hike talking about a trail blaze on this tree.

I love Spain.

I love Sweden.

I love Brazil.

This 86 year old lady from Brazil had difficulty pulling the inclines to access Glacier Point so I offered her a Ranger powered wheel chair. I gave her a personal 30 minute one on one Ranger tour of the point. I think I learned more from her than she learned from me. She told me about her trip to the Amazon. We had fun. I like my job.

I love Japan

Critters

2010-09-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Black Bear sow and cub.

Cub feeding on wild rasberries.

This is a wilderness squirrel that eats squirrel food.

This is a squirrel that lives around humans and eats human food. I think we can learn something from this.

Blue Grouse

This is the way things move and get done in the high country.

Full Moon Walk

2010-09-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Every full moon evening I host a Full Moon Walk up to Sentinel Dome. I lug up a spotting scope, tripod and other visual aids. I talk about moon facts, myths and phrases. It's a lot of fun for me.

Here I am utilizing audience volunteers to illustrate the phases of the moon.

Lecturing about the moon.

Clouds Rest Hike

2010-09-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Clouds Rest. Not Mount Clouds Rest or Clouds Rest Mountain...just Clouds Rest. This is my destination for the day. 14 miles and thousands of feet elevation change. I'm getting an early predawn start here.

This is not a good image but it all I could get. This pix illustrates how glaciers opened up the canyon to make a huge bowl shape. This was an OMG experience for me to view this perspective of the glacial action.

Here is the summit of Clouds Rest. Glacier Point where I work and live is in the background.

Yahoo! I made it!

Here I am on the summit of Clouds Rest looking back at the trail head on the side of Tenaya Lake. It seems like a very long ways away.

Half Dome from Clouds Rest. Look closely and you can see hikers going up the cables to the summit.

Vogelsang Hike

2010-09-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here it is...Vogelsang...my destination.

Vogelsang Lake.

Vogelsang Lake from near the Vogelsang Pass.

Mount Florence from Vogelsang Pass.

Mount Florence, Mount McClure and Mount Lylle from Vogelsang Pass.

Fletcher Peak and Fletcher Lake.

Vogelsang High Sierra Camp.

Fletcher Peak.

Evelyn Lake. This is where I camped for the night.

My camp.

Sunrise in the alpine sierra high country.

Yosemitescapes

2010-09-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Half Dome from Olmsted Point at sunset.

Clouds Rest from Olmsted Point at sunset.

Mount Hoffmann from Clouds Rest trail at sunrise.

The alpine high sierra at sunrise.

High Sierra tundra at Ireland Lake.

In the high country, don't forget to look up. Even the sky is interesting here.

Glacial Evidences

2010-09-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

This is an eratic field. An eratic is a rock that was picked up and carried by a glacier. When the glacier melted, the rocks were gently lowered to the mountain surface below as is pictured here.

This is an interesting eratic. It was dropped on the top of this ridge and it is very out of place.

As the glacier moves over the bed rock it polishes the rock from it's extreme weight plus the surface of the glacier is like sandpaper from all of the rock and debris it collects along the journey. This image illustrates glacier polish and an eratic that was dropped on top of the polish. Interesting.

Another polish and eratic example.

As the glacier moves, it conforms to the rock surface under it as illustrated in this photo.

Mt. Dana Hike

2010-08-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here is an early morning photo of the task ahead of me. Mount Dana. 13,054 feet. I am starting at 10,000 feet.

Belding's Ground Squirrel

Pika

These guys are in trouble. They require cool temps to survive. As the Earth warms they are pushed higher and higher in elevation. This Pika couple was at 12,500 feet. The mountain is only 13,000. I guess they look up and say "Oh boy". This speces may not last much longer. They also have to go down to gather grasses. The more they travel, the greater the risk being caught by preditors.

Well, there it is, but it keeps going and going and going...

I finally made it. It was awesome. Only 47 feet below the highest point in Yosemite. Mount Dana summit. 13,054 feet. Yahoo! I love it. The reward is amazing. This is the closest I will be to an Eagle.

13,054 feet.

I desended as quickly as possible because this was all I could think about. I made a bee line for Bodie Mikes BBQ to get a Garden Burger and iced tea.

Oh yeah, and this.

It's OK. I burned 5,000 calories today.

My Ranger Duties

2010-08-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have started to intigrate Miwok lectures into my naturalist hikes. I will soon do a complete post on Miwok information.

This is my friend Julia Parker, a local Miwok who works at the Yosemite Museum. I have learned a lot from her.

One of my duties is bear management. I am not a formal bear manager, but in Glacier Point we are quite remote so we Rangers are called upon to do more then most Rangers because we are out here alone. This is the same bear that took down a deer about 50 feet from me. Read that story here. On this day she and her two cubs entered a heavily human populated Glacier Point area. She approached a man and his dog. The man picked up his dog in his arms, the dogs food and his food and ran to me to tell me of the bear. I approached the bear and ran her and her two cubs up into the mountains away from people. This was a very important moment for the cubs. It was my goal to adverse condition the cubs so they will be afraid of me and this place.

Things didn't go so well for the owner of this truck. The bear easily broke in. She bit into a cold gel-pack, dropped it and quit. No food was acquired. Yahoo!

This plane flew about 2,000 feet above the valley floor and 1,000 feet below the valley rim. A visitor shot this picture and sent it to me. I thought he was on a suicide run because he was flying directly for Half Dome. He turned right just at the last second.

I love Italy.

Climbers

2010-08-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Climbing Yosemite is like the World Series of mountain climbing. We have world class climbers and world class walls to climb. I really admire climbers and their abilities. I can barely hike muchless climb.

Yosemite Views

2010-08-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Wildflowers

2010-08-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

The base of Mount Dana offers a wildflower paradise around the snow melt runoff.

Bloadleaf Lupin

Corn Lilly

Old Man's Beard

Shepherd Art

2010-08-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Back in 1860 to 1890, sheep were grazed in what is now Yosemite. The shepherds had a practice of creating art on the trees. 500 art trees similar to this have been identified in Yosemite. They must have been bored and lonely guys. I think I am beginning to understand their mindset.

Valley Smog

2010-08-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a sunset picture of the valley as viewed at 8,000 feet in Yosemite. Those are not clouds. That is smog in the central valley of California. I drove in it recently and visibility was about 100 yards and breathing was no fun. Some of this smog is working it's way to the high country in Yosemite and is affecting life. It's nasty stuff.

Ready For The Snow

2010-08-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

Well here it is the middle of August again, summer is almost over here in the high country and we are getting ready for the new snow. A couple of nights ago I was out in the Tioga country and it went down to the 20's at night. The snow plow is installed on my truck and I am ready to go. Who needs a massive 6X6 diesel snow plow truck. My little supercharged Toyota will do just fine. ;-)

Mono Lake Tufa

2010-08-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Mono Lake is just outside the Yosemite National Park boundry but we still do some interpretive programs around the lake. Here is an interesting feature of the lake I thought you might appreciate. These vertical columns are called Tufa. Tufa forms under Mono Lake's waters. When fresh water springs rich in calcium bubble up through the cabonate rich lake water, the calcium and carbonates react to form a calcium-carbonate salt deposit called Tufa. This solid limestone-like material continues to develop, eventually forming vertical towers with spring waters persolating up through them. The city of LA robbed water from the lake causing the water level to drastically receed to expose these Tufa. The lake is now in a state of restoration so hopefully the Tufa will one day be submerged again and functioning properly.

Mt. Hoffmann Hike

2010-08-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ranger Dave on the summit of Mt. Hoffmann 10,850 feet.

Mt. Hoffmann as photographed from several miles away near North Dome and Indian Rock.

Mt. Hoffmann was named after Charles Hoffmann who was part of the California Geological Survey Team in the 1870's. The lake next to Mt. Hoffmann is named May Lake. It may be just a coinsidence, but Charles Hoffmann's wifes name happens to be May. Now they rest side by side forever. Everybody say...ahhhhhhhhhh.

As I was hiking the mountain a large thunder storm blew by and dropped a lot of hail on me. It got really cold too. The storm didn't last long so I was able to proceed on soon. My Hoffmann is in the geographic center of the park so the views of the park are amazing. This mountain may be Yosemite's best kept secret. The trail is not on any map and there are no signs to the trailhead.

May Lake

The thunderhead in the distance is the storm that ran over me on the hike.

Ranger Dave on the summit of Mt. Hoffmann. Yahoo!

Next is Mt. Dana 13,000 + feet.

My Work Place

2010-08-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is a good long view of where I live and work. This photo was taken just east of the Sierra Nevadas looking west to the high country. These mountains are 13 to 14 thousdand feet high. This is truely a beautiful place.

Bodie

2010-08-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Recently I took a break from Yosemite and traveled east to the desert to discover Bodie. Bodie is an old ghost town that has been preserved by the state of California. Only about 5% of the original building still remain but the town is still quite interesting to tour and photograph. Even though it is not Yosemite I thought you might enjoy it.

Rainbows

2010-08-02T12:22:00.000-07:00

On one of my recent hikes, I hiked to a beautiful waterfall in Hetch Hetchey. The mist from the fall created this beautiful rainbow.

My Ranger Duties

2010-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

I guide five different trails around Glacier Point and discuss natural things with visitors. It's a lot of fun for me and the visitors. I have anywhere from 2 to 50 people on my hikes. It's educational and fun.

Part of my duties is to rove the sidewalk at the point to answer questions and perform mini talks. Occationally I will break out my spotting scope to show visitors climbers and hikers on the walls and domes around the point. Most people are blown away to see what all is out there that can't be seen by the unaided eye. The two pictures below were taken through the scope so you can view what the visitors view.

Hikers who have summited Half Dome. (2.7 miles away)

Mountain climbers on the shoulder of Half Dome. This course is called Snake Dyke. It's about 1800 feet of prominant quartz vein. Experienced climbers can climb it in four to five hours. The record climb time is 17 minutes. Awesome.

My favorite duty is to perform "Sunset Talks" at Glacier Point. I start about 30 minutes before sundown and talk for 30 minutes. The sunset color is projected behind me on the face of Half Dome as I talk. Each night we typically have between 200 and 500 people here for the talk and sunset. It's a lot of fun. I talk about the "History of Glacier Point", "Rivers, Waterfalls and Mountains" and "Some Rocks Have It and Some Rocks Don't" (Half Dome).

I like to have visitors ask to have their picture taken with me. Sometimes I feel like Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, but in this particular case...I love France. The best part of my day right here. ;-)

Bad Squirrel

2010-08-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

There are lots of squirrels and chipmonks living with me around my cabin in the forest. Most are very good, but there is one particular squirrel that likes to get in trouble. He chewed my little travel trailer to pieces. One day recently I caught him eyeing my truck. I approached him and made a deal with him. I gave him my folding chair if he would leave my truck alone. So far it's working, but my folding chair is trashed too.

Squirrel damage on my trailer.

Squirrel eating my folding chair in exchange for not eating my truck.

Bear Kill

2010-07-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

I witnessed a most awesome natural event today. I observed a bear taking down a deer. Please read my story.

I had read in all of my Black Bear text books and I had been teaching for years that Black Bears were not good hunters. I taught that they were mostly lazy opportunists who would eat meat when they discovered some carrion. Today I learned differently first hand.

I had just returned to my cabin from guiding a hike to prepare some lunch for myself. As I walked from the government vehicle to my cabin I had to have walked very close to these animals but I never saw them. I opened the door to my cabin to let some fresh air in like I frequently do. As I opened my door I noticed a local resident deer that I had not seen in a while. She had her new offspring with her. The new deer was larger than a fawn but was not yet full grown either. I thought I would get a picture so I went for my camera. I always keep it close by.

About that time, I noticed a bear with two cubs that I knew. They were sneaking around my partners’ cabin stalking the deer. I could see that the bear was teaching its cubs to stalk. The mother bear would look at her cubs as if to say, “Watch this.”

Then suddenly the bear made a fast mad charge for the young deer. This bear was really moving fast. It must have gone from a stand still to 35 MPH in no time. The bear charged the deer and hit it in its flank with its head, raising its head as it hit the deer. On impact the deer made a horrible sound. The wind was knocked out of the deer and many bones were instantly broken. The deer was thrown 15 to 20 feet up in the air and the bear moved under the deer and just waited for it to come down out of the air. The bear caught the door at the shoulder and dragged it off into the forest. The captured deer was crying, the mother deer was crying frantically and the cubs were screaming. It was a dramatic moment for everyone, including myself. The mamma bear was the only calm one.

The deer didn’t have a chance. The deer’s mother was running around screaming like a human woman. I had never heard a deer cry like that before. When the captured deer stopped crying, the mother deer exited the scene never to be seen again.

The bears settled in and began to consume the deer just yards from my cabin. I began taking pictures. They ate eagerly for 90 minutes. The cubs fought over the meal like wolves competing for position. They made little bear cub sounds as they ate.

They seemed to be eating every part of the deer. I could hear them breaking bones and I could see them tearing skin and fur. Once the bears had each had their fill, they rambled off into the forest to go do other bear stuff.

After the coast was way clear, I moved in to the consumption site. I discovered nothing. There was not a drop of blood, not a bone, not a tooth and not a hoof left behind. Every part of the deer was consumed by the bears. I was amazed. It would be interesting to see the bears scat in a day or so to see how much of the deer was actually digested.

Then I moved back to the kill site to track the event on the ground. I found no bear tracks except when the bear was running the last 20 feet to hit the deer. I photographed a couple of tracks but there was literally nothing remaining anywhere from the entire event. No blood, no body parts, just a couple of bear tracks in the sand and they are probably gone by now. Gone without a trace.

I will never again teach that bears are not good hunters. I have witnessed for myself first hand that they are indeed superb and swift hunters. I will share this story with many people in my bear lectures in Yosemite. Bears are amazing animals. I learn a lot from the bears.

The message in this story is… “Always clean your plate.” “You snooze, you loose.” “May the best man win.” “No mercy.”

That was a truly awesome experience for me. I will never forget it.

PS As I thought about this event, I believe the bear hit the deer with its head instead of biting the deer in hopes that the bear could kill the deer with no blood shed. The bear was planning on the impact killing the deer. The reason a bear wants no bloodshed is because there could be other bears in the area and the other bears could easily smell the spilled blood and quickly become competitors for the kill. Also the bear could have just as easily killed the doe instead of the does offspring. The doe was really more than the bear and two cubs could eat at one sitting. Bears are great conservationists so they won't kill more than they can eat and waste it. Also by sparing the doe, she will give birth to another deer in the spring whick will be another opportunity for the bears.

Two bear cubs consuming the deer. while the mother bear watches.

Poor picture. Sorry. This is a area where the bears consumed the deer. There is not a drop of blood, a bone, a tooth or a hoof left to be seen.

Footprint of the bear as it was running for the kill. The foot print is about 7 inches wide.

Indian Rock

2010-07-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is the only arch in Yosemite. It is a few hours hike to access it, but it is worth it.

Canoe Trip

2010-07-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Canoeing an alpine lake is awesome when you can enjoy the remote views and catch supper too. Things can change quicking though when the wind comes up and blows your canoe across the lake and you have to hike back to the truck. Next time I will start earlier and finish earlier before the winds come up.

New Record

2010-07-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

I broke a new personal record today and I am proud of it. I went out in the mountains this week on a multi day hike. It was boring. I didn’t see any wildlife. It didn’t take long to learn why. The mosquitoes were out in full force. Since I was the only idiot in the area, all of the mosquitoes easily located me. I was very murderous today. I killed hundreds of mosquitoes and let them drop to the ground. That’s ok. The ants have to eat too. The ants had a feast today.
My personal record of killing 5 mosquitoes in one swat is now history. Today I killed 8 in one deadly swing of the hand. OK OK. It was a slow day in the wilderness. I had to do something to occupy myself. The insects are taking over the world.

Swearing In

2010-07-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

Swearing In

I have experienced a couple of opportunities to swear people in recently in special ways that I want to share with you.

Yosemite Junior Ranger

Part of my duties as a Ranger is to train and award badges to Junior Rangers. Last year I had a family from Israel attend on of my guided nature walks. During the walk their children fulfilled all of the requirements to become a Yosemite Junior Ranger. When I award the Junior Ranger badges and swear in the new Junior Rangers, I like to draw a big crowd and invite all of the visitors on the sidewalks in the area to participate. I sometimes can draw in over a hundred visitors or so to listen to the proceedings. We had a very large crowd when I swore in the Israeli family children. The mother was taking lots of pictures as I swore them in.

Well, this year the family returned to Yosemite and they looked me up. It was great to see them again. The mother who took all of the pictures told me that she entered the best picture into a national photo contest. She said many Israeli people viewed our picture. I thought that was cool.

Swearing in a new military officer

I was roving the point one day in my class “A” uniform when a couple of military officers entered the point in their class “A” uniforms. They approached me to ask where they could conduct a short military ceremony. I lead them to an ideal location and asked them what they were planning to do. A USAF Captain was going to swear in his brother as a new second lieutenant in the US Army. I asked it I could participate in some manner so they asked me to hold the US flag for them as a back drop. I was eager to assist in any way I could.

The ceremony was short but very professional and definitely military quality. Many hundreds of people had gathered to listen to the proceedings. Following the ceremony I announced the new officer to the observing crowd and the officer received a huge and lengthy ovation. It was a very special impromptu event that was very well received. I was just proud to be part of it. I love my work as a Park Ranger.

Yosemitescapes

2010-07-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

Half Dome, Yosemite as viewed from North Dome.

North Dome and Illilouette Fall, Yosemite

More Yosemitescapes

2010-07-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Mount Conness, Yosemite. Named after a politician who was instramental in developing Yosemite National Park.

North Peak, Yosemite

Still More

2010-07-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Tenaya Lake in Toulumne of Yosemite National Park. Notice the smooth glaciation on the mountains.

Toulomne Meadows near Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet.

Tioga Lake, Yosemite

Trail Patrol

2010-07-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Part of my duties as a Ranger is to patrol hiking trails. We do this for many reasons. We look for repairs that need to be made, we make visitor contacts and we offer medical aid when necessary and more. It is always interesting going out for a few days, because you never know what adventure lies just ahead around the corner. Things can get crazy sometimes.

This last patrol took me up the 9,000 feet. It’s a different world at that elevation from even 7500 feet where I live. It is just now the beginning of spring at 9,000 feet. I saw little wild flowers everywhere. Check the wild flowers post if you like wild flowers. I have posted several pictures from my patrol trip.

I travel light. I don’t carry a tent and many other common camping items that you might think necessary. I sleep in a hammock off the ground. Usually, I don’t even carry a sleeping bag, but this trip the temp was supposed to be in the 30’s at night at 9,000 feet so I thought I had better this trip. I filter my own water as necessary from creeks and lakes so I carry almost no fluids. I cut a lot of other corners to trim down the weight and then I pack in a big heavy high resolution digital camera and all that I just gained is lost. Oh well, at least you have some pictures to view.

My campsite at Ostrander Lake on night number one.

This is some of the area that I patrol.

Eagle Friend

2010-07-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

While on my four day trail patrol I kept hearing an eagle calling. It sounded like a young eagle because it didn’t have that deep guttural sound that mature eagles have. I noticed that the eagle seemed to be staying close to me and out in front of me. I looked for him with my binoculars but I could never spot him. I thought he might be preceding me in hopes that I would stir up a meal for him. When I was cutting a lot of grass years ago, a hawk would hover behind my bush hog waiting for me to stir up a mouse or snake or some tasty morsel. I was already familiar with this strategy.

On the morning of my last day out, my walking on the trail caused a little chipmunk to run for home. This was the eagles cue. I didn’t hear it coming and I didn’t see it until the last second. The chipmunk didn’t hear or see it coming either. The eagle swooped down and snatched the little guy off his feet and they were both gone. Not a sound was made. It was amazing.

I didn’t see or hear the eagle for the rest of the day until about 30 minutes from the completion of my itinerary. The eagle spoke very loudly and perched on a tree top just in front of me. He just sat there looking around and occasionally looking at me. We talked to each other for a few minutes then he spoke very loudly and silently few away. I’ll never forget it.

Wild Flowers

2010-07-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have included some pix of a few wild flowers for those of you who may be interested. There are over 1,000 speces of wild flowers in Yosemite. Everywhere I look, I see something new.

Manzanita - A hardy chaparelle that is named after the spanish word "manzana" meaning "little apple". In the spring after the flowers fade away fruit resembling little apples appear. Local Miwak indians used to use the leaves to quense their thurst as the traveled the mountains.

I know it's difficult for most of you to imagine it, but it is just now early spring here at 10,000 feet. The flowers are beginning to pop.

Mariposa Lilly - This is one of my favorite flowers in the mountains.

These are called "Shooting Stars". That's becuase they look like shooting stars.

Marmots

2010-07-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Marmots are friendly little guys. Every Marmot I have ever seen allowed me to get very close. Those of you who live in the east may have never seen a Marmot. They are a very large rodent, like a really big ground squirrel. They eat whatever they can find, but really like trail mix. There is a Marmot on Half Dome that will steal your bag of trail mix right out of your pack if you turn your back for a moment. There are Marmots in Mineral King, a remote village in the Sierra Nevada’s that will eat through your radiator hose with their big beaver like teeth and drink the antifreeze. It doesn’t kill them because their metabolic rate is so fast and they burn it up before it becomes toxic. I always thought if they could drink enough antifreeze they wouldn’t have to hibernate. Here are a few pix for you.

Pesty Insects

2010-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Mosquitoes
Just like every other place in the world, there are lots of mosquitoes in the high country. Except, these mosquitoes don’t have as much opportunity to draw blood as other mosquitoes that live near more warm blooded creatures. So when I hike in the mountains many times I am swarmed by mosquitoes. Sometimes I have layers of dead mosquitoes on my arms.

Now if you were a mosquito and you saw layers of dead mosquitoes on my arms, wouldn’t you stop and think? “Whoa. Maybe I shouldn’t bite this guy. Look what happened to all of those other mosquitoes.” It doesn’t work that way for a mosquito. Their instinct to draw blood in order the breed overwhelms any logical rational thinking, even if it means sudden and certain death. They are all like kamikaze pilots. It won’t hurt long.

Ear Bugs
What’s up with these big noisy bugs flying into my ears? Do they just like small cavities? Do they like the smell of ear wax, or are they just really bad drivers. That’s not right!

The Bee Fly
As I was hiking through a meadow, I heard what sounded like a thousand little micro chain saws. After closer inspection, I realized it was many little Bee Flies. They were everywhere gathering pollen from the little flowers in the meadow. In the high country, flowers are too small for the hummingbirds so God made a smaller version of the hummingbird, the Bee Fly. They have a very long proboscis, a large body for counter balance and wings that move like a hummingbirds wings. Up in the high country, the life is small…small flowers and small insects.

Ostrander Lake

2010-07-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

I overnighted here at the lake one night. It was beautiful and quiet.

This is an old ski hut that is used during the winter only.

Wildlife Pix

2010-07-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Some other animals that I frequently see on the trails.

Bear Buddy

2010-07-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

As I was hiking on trail patrol during my recent journey, I encountered a Black Bear off to my right flank. I slowed down my pace until I learned of the bears intentions. It kept walking in my direction and soon joined me on the trail. She walked in front of me at about a 100 foot distance for maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Once in a while she would look back at me, she would pause and smell around but then continue walking with me. Finally she discovered a big rotten log with lots of grubs in it so she stopped walking with me to eat. I made a wide bearth around her and continued on while she had supper. It was fun. I kept talking to her the entire time we walked together. Awesome.

Interesting Events

2010-07-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Sorry for the lag in my postings. It won’t happen again I promise. Some interesting events have happened since my last post. I will try to bring you up to date.

I am a grandfather. Caden Tristan Rose was born in March of this year in Denver, CO.
My son Derek reenlisted into the United States Air Force and will be transferred to Vandenberg AFB in California later this summer. That will be nice because he and his family will be only a few hours drive from me here in Yosemite. He will be a professor, teaching Space Systems Operations. That’s a sweet gig for him in a beautiful location.
Next month I am going to digitize my 1984 classical guitar recording with Myrna Closser on flute and re-release it. I will be adding hymn selections to the album.
Over the winter I published several books. Go here: http://eagleswingpublishing.com/
This spring I was in-processing for another year in Yosemite when a young lady approached me. She asked, “Are you Ranger David Rose?” “Yes.” “I purchased your book last fall, followed your instructions in detail and here I am starting my first year as a new Ranger. Thank you.” We hugged and laughed and cried at the same time together. It was a special moment that I will never forget.
As an Interpretive Ranger at Glacier Point, part of my duties is to present lectures during sunset at the point. We have between 200 and 600 people present each night. One evening National Graphic showed up for my talk. National Graphic is in Yosemite all summer developing material for print and their cable channel. The print photographer said he took about 500 images of me and the video photographer taped my entire presentation. So watch for me on the cover of National Geographic this winter.
Over the winter I completed my Wilderness EMT course. I am now nationally certified. I participate in many medical and trauma emergencies in Yosemite. I am also trained in search and rescue.
I have also recently completed university level courses in astronomy, geology and climate change.
Courses that I plan to take this winter include: “Leave No Trace” master educator and Astronomical master educator for Park Rangers.
I am trying to put together a trip this fall in Tennessee. I am trying to find sponsorship for a solo single leg canoe trip over the entire length of the Tennessee River (654 miles). I want to raise money to complete the Tennessee River Gorge Blueway in Chattanooga.
I have added a new guided hike to my repertoire of events. Last month I did my first Full Moon Guided Hike to Sentinel Dome. It was awesome. The summit of the dome offers you a 360 degree view of a large percentage of the park. From there you can view the sun setting and the moon rising at the same time. I discuss sunsets, the moon, the mountains and water falls. I also pack my giant binoculars and tripod up so everyone can view the moon up close. It’s fun.
I am doing a lot of hiking this summer. So far I have hiked Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. See separate postings for pictures from those hikes. Coming up soon will be hikes to Clouds Rest, the entire northern rim of the valley, Mount Hoffman and I want to climb 13,000 feet to Mount Lyell to walk on a glacier. Next year I want to climb Mount Whitney. 14,491 feet. The highest point in the contiguous United States.
You aught to see me when I am hiking. I use two trekking poles and gloves, my knees are wrapped up, my ankles are wrapped and I walk at a snails pace. I sometimes feel like a giant insect trekking through the mountains. Today when I was on the Yosemite Falls trail, a young man asked me…”Sir, are you out here alone?” I said “Yes, I frequently wander off. They usually find me by the end of the day though. Don’t worry.” Isn’t getting old great.

Half Dome Hike

2010-07-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

As a Ranger at Glacier Point I have a perfect close-on view of Half Dome and I talk to many people each day regarding the safe technique of hiking there. The hike is about 18 miles round trip, but more important than distance, it is a 10,000 foot elevation gain and loss. The hike is rated "Very Strenuous". Most hikers do the hike to Half Dome in one extreme day. I just hiked it in 3 days. I was comfortable, my knees survived and I had the opportunity to camp out in the wilderness and develop relationships with a couple of new bear friends. I had a lot of fun. The last 440 feet of the distance, the hiker has to pull himself up on cables to the summit. The reward is worth the effort. I have included a few pictures from my hike to Half Dome. Enjoy.

Season End

2009-10-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well the season is over now. The summer went by very fast. I really enjoyed myself and I am looking forward to returning next season. I actually left a couple of days early because of a big winter storm coming in. I have included a few snow pix for you.

Over the course of the season I spent many hours roving the sidewalk talking to people and answering questions. At the end of the year, television shows show bloopers and highlights of the year. My season is over now, so I have a list of the dumbest questions asked of me this year. Here are the top 12 dumbest questions. I know that some of you will not understand these questions. I have explained some of them.

Dumbest Questions and Statements of 2009

#1 We are not finding "Old Faithful" on the map anywhere. Can you direct us to it? (Old Faithful is in Yellowstone National Park, not Yosemite.)

#2 We are thinking about hiking Half Dome this afternoon. How far is it? (Half Dome is a very strenuous hike that takes all day and extreme conditioning and planning.It is not something that you attempt in an afternoon.)

#3 What time do I need to be here in the morning to photograph sunrise color on the face of Half Dome? (The face of Half Dome faces west)

#4 We just hiked up the Four Mile Trail. Where do we catch the six o'clock shuttle bus back down to the valley? (There is no shuttle to Glacier Point. It is a very remote wilderness area.)

#5 I used to come here with my family as a child in the 50's. What did they put in the water of Yosemite Falls to make the Firefall?

#6 What time do you feed the bears?

#7 We're looking for Glacier Point.

#8 Will you call me a taxi?

#9 My car GPS says I have 10 miles left on this tank. How far is the closest gas station? (The closest gas is 35 miles)

#10 I think I'm supposed to get married here today. Do you know where my party is?

#11 What is the name of the bird I saw over there?

#12 How long is the Four Mile Trail?

Guided Hike Destinations

2009-09-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of guided hike destinations in my area of the park. I guide hikes on four trails, but these are two of my favorites. I stop once in a while and describe natural points to hikers on my guided hike. It's a lot of fun and educational too. One is Sentinel Dome and the other is McGurk Meadow.

Coming Back/Cabin Upgrades

2009-09-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lag in communications. I have been really busy and communication opportunities have been difficult. Well, I guess I am doing rather well. I have been extended this year from Labor Day to the end of October and I have been invited back next year. Yahoo! Since I know I will be continuing on for years to come at this location, I have made a few living upgrades to my cabin.

The flag hanging in the corner was given to me by my son. He was in Iraq earlier this year and he had the opportunity to participate in some way in flying a Predator. This flag was flown on the combat mission over Iraq in which my son participated. I am very proud of that gift. It means a lot to me.

Short Haul Out

2009-09-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

One of our duties as Rangers is to respond to Search and Rescue missions. A man fell from a standing position and hit his head on a rock. "He weren't doing too good" so we short hauled him out. That means we called in a medi-vac helicopter to fly him to the valley to a waiting ambulance. My partner was on the ground and I was spotting from above. Next year I will have the credentials to be directly involved in rescue missions.

The Little Guys

2009-09-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the little guys around where I live and work. They are small, but just as cool as the big guys. The Bobcat is not really a little guy. In fact he is quite large. Actually I missed the Bobcat. My partner Shannon took this picture.

More Pictures...

2009-07-14T10:57:00.001-07:00

Just a few new pictures...

The long view is a sunrise shot at 5 AM from my cabin area. The big dome is Half Dome, to the left are Echo Peaks, then Tenaya Peak.

That little pudgy critter is a Mountain Pocket Gopher. I was walking by and it came out of it's hole to say hello. It didn't like my camera lens much. He charged the lens a couple of times, then he covered the opening of his hole. I got the message and left the area.

This is a beautiful big buck that hangs around my cabin. I see him most every evening. He has grown accustomed to me being close to him.

My Cabin

2009-06-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends,

Well, I have finally arrived at my goal. I have finally been in-processed as a Yosemite National Park Ranger. Tomorrow I receive my badge. Yahoo! Some of you know how hard I have worked to get here. This is my dream job come true.

I am stationed at a prestigious location, have a great boss with 33 years experience, I am respected and liked and sought after by visitors. All of my jobs, professions and projects from the past have prepared me for this gig. I love it. I wish I could have done this since I was 18. Oh well, I will make the best of it now.

Here are a few pix of my little cabin. It is basically just a bachelor pad right now. Next years I will fix it up really cool.

I learned recently that my cabin used to be a toilet. The floor has been cemented over. Late at night I think I can still hear toilet type related sounds. Maybe there are toilet ghosts. I don't know. Also something is eating my cabin walls late at night. Many nights I am awakened by wood chewing sounds. I turn on the light and it stops. I can't locate the source. Mouse traps have caught nothing. It's deep subalpine forest. Anything could be out there. Ooooooooooo.

Wildlife Pix

2009-06-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Geology Pix

2009-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

The large stones on the mountain top came from a completely different area of the park. The glaciers picked them up and dropped them here when they melted.

The gouges in the rock are called glacier chatter crescents. The glacier couldn't pick up this rock so it skipped over it and made these markings.

Glacial polish is created when heavy glaciers move over the mountains for a very long period of time. It literally polishes the rocks as you see in this picture.

Wildflowers

2009-06-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

There are about 1,400 species of flora in the park. There are about 50 varieties of wildflowers at the elevation where I work. Here are just a few.

Misc Images

2009-06-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of my fun images.

Wildlife Everywhere

2009-06-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

The wildlife here is really kewl. The deer graze at the front door of my cabin. The bears literally come knocking at the front door. When I pass other wildlife in the forest we just stop and look at each other as if to say, "Hey man, what's happening?" Of course I don't feed any wildlife, but we all cohabitate very well together.

Guided Hikes

2009-06-18T11:42:00.000-07:00

Part of my duties is to guide hikes to local destinations. We have six trails originating from Glacier Point, five of which are used as guided hikes. Here are pictures of two of our guided hike destinations. One is Talf Point and the other is Sentinel Dome. The hikes are typically two to three hours long, cover one to four miles and hundreds of feet in elevation change. During the hikes we stop a points of interest and discuss the natural aspects of the resource. On my hikes I discuss geology, flora, history, wildlife and more. It's fun.

Subalpine Flora

2009-06-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

There are also some amazing flora specimens in the park. I have added only a select few here. I am in the process of photographing and cataloging as many of the different 1,400 flora specimens as I can find.

Half Dome

2009-06-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

The focal point of the park is Half Dome. From my work station at Glacier Point, Half Dome is quite the prominent feature. It really is an amazing structure. I have also thrown in a picture of the Clark Range and a hang glider.

Water Everywhere

2009-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

With all of the interesting granite mountain formations in the park, you would think that they would be the main focal point of the park. I guess the mountains are a favorite to most of the visitors, but the water is equally amazing. More visitors hike to view waterfalls than they do to view mountains. Here are a few of my favorite water pix.

Winter is Back

2009-06-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Being from the south, I am not used to such a late spring at 8,000 feet above sea level, much less a late winter. June 6 the temperatures dropped to 26 degrees and it snowed a couple of inches. It turned the forest and mountains into a winter wonderland. I got out an hiked in it all morning. It was all gone by the afternoon.

Yosemite National Park - Valley

2009-05-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

The valley of Yosemite is beautiful. There are waterfalls and tall granite cliffs all around you. Everywhere you turn in another photo opp. I will be adding more picture later, but here are a few in the mean-time.

The waterfall is Yosemite Falls. The tallest waterfall in North America. When I entered the valley I said, "Wow, look at this". I would walk a hundred yards and say, "Wow, look at this". It just gets better and better every time I turn around. What a place. This has to be the most interesting natural location on the earth.

Yosemite National Park - Glacier Point

2009-05-21T12:20:00.001-07:00

This is the location in Yosemite where I will be posted. It is an elevation of about 7,500 feet with a huge panoramic view of the valley 3000 feet below and the mountains across the valley. Two thirds of the 12,000 square mile park can be seen from this vantage point. I did not take many pictures from the point because the lighting was not right and I will have plenty of time to get the pictures I want. I did put up a picture of Yosemite Falls from across the valley. Go to the valley section of the blog to view more pictures of this waterfall.

The stage picture is where I will be speaking most every night. What an amazing venue for a stage. I was really intimidated when I first saw the stage, but then I got into it and got excited. Also included is a picture of my new cabin at Glacier Point. I have two single beds, a table and chairs, frig and stove. I will probably use the fire pit and picnic table mostly though. I have electricity and water in the cabin, but I have to walk 50 yards to the pot and showers. There is an AT&T cell signal on the point so I will have phone and internet. Yahoo! More pictures from the point later.

Yosemite National Park - Mariposa Grove

2009-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yosemite is such an amazing place. It has been photographed and written about so many times by very creative people that doubt I can do it justice sitting out in my truck on the side of the highway stealing a WiFi connection to update my blog. During a more conducive moment I will write something really clever and creative that no one else has even thought of in the 120 year history of the park. You will be amazed at what I will come up with. In the mean time, I do have a few new picture of Yosemite park that I can put up for you. This is a wonderful grove of Giant Sequoia trees. I hiked in here starting at first light before anyone else was in the forest. It was a sacred experience. This is a holy place. Enjoy.

Sequoia National Park

2009-05-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

In 2007, Kimberly and I volunteered as campground hosts at Buckeye Flats in Sequoia National Park for the summer. I know it is not park of this trip, but I thought I would include it anyway since I have been describing other national parks. Sequoia National Park is in central eastern California in the Sierra Nevada's. The park in know for Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States and for the General Sherman Giant Sequoia Tree, the earths largest living thing.

This experience was my introduction to the National Park Service and all that it offers. Kimberly and I were campground hosts in a very remote wilderness campground that had not had hosts before. The clientele to the campground were used to having their own way and doing their own thing. The park service was very happy to have us move in and make some sort of order to things. I could tell you some amazing stories about our experiences there but I will same it for another time. We do have some close personal relationships with some bears in the park though. Kimberly also initiated an in-campground Junior Ranger training program. The rangers gave Kimberly the authority to train and induct Junior Rangers.

I have included a picture of Mineral King, one of my favorite places in Sequoia National Park and Sawtooth Mountain. The other pictures are of some of Kimberly's Junior Ranger graduating classes.

Whale Viewing

2009-05-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, whale viewing on the return trip to the mainland was the most memorable. We saw Humpback Whale and Killer Whales. There are only 20,000 Humpbacks left in the world so we were lucky to spot the three we observed. One was quite large. The captain moved the boat downwind from the whales and we smelled the most horrible smell...like a sewer or something. The captain said Humpback Whale have a terrible bad breath. That was good news. I thought it was the guy standing next to me.

The Killer Whale in the picture is a young female whale. Males have a straight dorsal fin that is about 6 feet tall. Killer Whales can live to be about 80 years old. Killer Whale have the best body size to brain size ratio of any mammal including humans. They are very smart. They prey on Humpback Whales. Even though they were in the same neighborhood as the Humpbacks, there was no threat today. Viewing these large animals up close was a thrill for me.

Channel Islands National Park

2009-05-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

I visited Channel Islands National Park yesterday. The Channel Islands are a small group of islands in the Pacific about 20 miles off the coast of southern California. There are species of plant and animal life here than exist nowhere else in the world. Two of the most interesting to me are the Blue Jay that is about 33% larger than the mainland specie and the Dwarf Fox. The Dwarf Fox is about the size of a house cat. I did not spot the Blue Jay, but I was lucky enough to find the Fox.

I was on the large island of Santa Cruz. It is 64 square miles in size and an elevation of about 2,400 feet. The largest sea cave in the world is here. The Painted Cave. It is 160 feet wide, 100 feet high and 1320 feet deep. The tour boats and dive boats can navigate into the cave for close looks. I did not see the cave this trip, but it is definitely on my agenda for later.

Golden Gate Bridge

2009-05-11T12:09:00.001-07:00

Jake Introduced to the Pacific

2009-05-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

More Redwood Pictures

2009-05-11T12:05:00.001-07:00

Redwoods National Park

2009-05-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Clear Water-Colored Rocks

2009-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

I thought these multi-colored rocks were cool. You are looking through about two feet of water in the McDonald Lake in Glacier National Park. Interesting place.

Glacier National Park

2009-05-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Most of the park was still closed because the roads had not been plowed yet. We still saw some amazing beauty.

Buffalo Stampede

2009-05-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

We were camping in Yellowstone and we had a buffalo stampede come through our campsite. Well OK, maybe it was a casual meander. It was amazing though.

Can't Get Up

2009-05-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

This old timer buffalo has fallen and it can't get up.

Buffalo Bus

2009-05-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to figure this out, but each morning the park loads all of the buffalo onto this old school bus after spending the night in the barn and they release them on the road to graze along the shoulder all day. Pretty cool.

Yellowstone National Park

2009-05-11T11:33:00.000-07:00

Tetons National Park

2009-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when you were a kid and your neighbors invited you over for popcorn and to view the slides of their recent vacation to Disneyland? Well this is my slide show of my vacation for you, except this time you can snack on whatever you want and you are not a captured audience. Enjoy as much as you like.

View From My Office Window

2009-04-23T18:21:00.001-07:00

32 years of surgery looking at cold hard tile walls all day and all night, working with grumpy old triple "A" personality surgeons and taking emergency call every night. What was I thinking?

I'm making up for lost time. I will be looking at this view all day every day. I love it.

Guided Hikes

2009-04-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

Another of my privileges is to host guided hikes. Each day I will guide a two mile hike around the trails of Glacier Point over looking the valley below. I will talk about the amazing trees there, the birds, geology, the mammals and history of the park. I will be hosting people from all over the world of all age groups and all cultures. Lots of people ask me if I am from the "south". I have never understood why.

My New Office

2009-04-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is the platform for my new office. One of my duties is to meet and greet visitors of the park in this area as they are viewing the valley below and Half Dome across on the other side of the valley. I will be talking to people one on one and in small groups. I will be talking about the geology of the park, history, Native American influence and what to see while here. My most frequently asked question though is, "Where is the rest room please?"

Almost Ready To Go

2009-04-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the first entry to my first blog. This blog will be an account of my super adventurous activities as a Ranger at Yosemite National Park. Don't get too excited yet though. I am still in Chattanooga today. I leave out Tuesday April the 28th at 1500 hours. I will be traveling "hammer down" across the country to northern Idaho to see a friend and then to Santa Maria, California to visit my dad. I report to the park June 8 for more training and orientation. You will hear from me again before then though.

I am not sure how the timing and frequency of this blog will work out yet. I will be stationed in a very remote area of the park. We do have electricity in the cabin, but no running water. To access the internet, I have to walk a ways to the closest ranger station to use a very slow dial up connection. I will keep you informed when I can. Talk to you again soon.