PINNACLES BIKE AND HIKE

Mar. 30 – Apr. 1, 2007

 

 

This time there WERE bats in the caves at Pinnacles National Monument.  And we did not have to wade/slosh through ankle deep water to see them!  The talus caves were due to close on Sunday so we got there just in time.

 


Starting in Coalinga (which arrives at its name as Train refueling station A or Coaling A -- Coaling B and C are abandoned) we ride out beautiful Los Gatos Canyon, a winding road that, as it winds, goes steadily upward.  There were not as many wildflowers as I remember due to the lack of rain, but there were plenty of huge oak trees, and birds, and ground squirrels, and lizards, and cattle, and even a couple of errant horses.

 

Friday evening we spent attending a ranger talk in the campground amphitheater about the wildlife in the area.  I was hoping for lots on the condors but most of it was on minimizing our impact to the area.  "Leave no trace" and what happens in a large public campground is not the same thing.

 

Sat morning most of us broke camp and went into the park to hike.  Our intrepid leader Mike bowed to our pleading and led us through the talus caves to see the bats.

 

I particularly like this ride.  There are very few cars on the well-paved roads and I get to see California condors.  The Monument is a release site for them (one of the only ones I know of not on the coast). And the birds can sometimes be seen from hiking trails throughout the park.  A neighboring camper came over Friday evening and pointed one out that was soaring effortlessly in the blue, blue sky.

 

After the hike we loaded up and rode 35-40 miles to King City and free hot showers.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

A great night's sleep and the trip is almost gone, as it is Sunday morning.  A pleasant ride through the fog and suddenly the sun pops through.  Lunch under one of the biggest oak trees I have seen in a long time and then the long climb back to civilization.  I am sure that it cannot be ALL uphill back to Coalinga, maybe it is just that my mind and legs want so badly to turn around and stay out a while longer.

 


What a trip!  Fantastic weather, excellent scenery, the best company.  Those who enjoyed the ride along with me are Philip Conmy, Jim Meyer, Larry Moore, Gloria Nafel, Don Porter, Kathy Shapiro, Jerry Tate, Fu-Ping Yao, Linda Goff, Mike Wolfe, and Ellie Antonio. 

 

 



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