Trail Patrol

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some other animals that I frequently see on the trails.

Bear Buddy

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

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

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.