Mother’s Day at Pinnacles National Park
I knew the plane would help us keep in contact with our kids at college and it has. On Mother’s Day Betsy and I flew to Watsonville (closest airport to UCSC) to pick up our son, and then on to King City where our daughter had driven up from San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). We then all drove up to Pinnacles National Park for the day. It sure doesn’t seem like a national park on the way up – there is just lowland brush and oak. But the Pinnacles themselves are indeed very beautiful.
Ney-J, Betsy and Belyn at Pinnacles
Belyn has to climb something
YAGFPP (Yet Another Grant Family Peak Photo)
My neighbor Lynn is a caver, and he invited me caving at a unique granite cave that had been scoured out much like the canyons of the southwest (whereas most caves are dissolved out of limestone). Usually I’m the one figuring out the logistics of these trips, but Lynn knew the best time of year (when the water level is just right) and one day he called and said, “its time”.
The weather wasn’t the best and we flew IFR in and out of clouds and through some rain to Fresno Chandler field, where we rented a car and drove an hour east. Lynn was excited because he usually has to drive 4-5 hours down the day before. This time we did it in a day and were back for dinner. We hiked in the one or two miles, put our wetsuits on and dropped into the caves. I was amazed. It was just like the southwest slot canyons, only granite! There were potholes to negotiate, waterfalls to climb, even rattlesnakes to evade. Overall, it was a heck of a lot of fun!
Think about moving through without getting wet. Its a lot of fun.
Interesting photo, but look to the left of the stick. A rattlesnake.
In case you didn’t believe me.
Slithering through mud? Not in this cave.
Lynn swinging across a large pothole. There is a rope there for that purpose.
Well, maybe not an expedition, but it felt like one. I’ve ridden up Tioga Pass road in the spring before the road opens up higher through Yosemite. It is a nice ride and I’ve noticed the beautiful bowl at the top of the pass that looks like great fun to ski. But if you fly into Lee Vining airport, how to do you get your skis up to the bowl? The video tells the story…
Lee Vining Airport
Betsy in Ellery Bowl
Around Mt. Shasta in 60 Seconds
I wanted to do something big, and I had a few ideas:
1. Around the Word in 60 Days : Its been done in 80, and in 60
2. Around California in 60 Minutes: My plane isn’t that fast
3. Around Mt. Shasta in 60 Seconds: OK, I can do that!
(The real story is that I was returning home from Oregon from a meeting, flying above the clouds. I saw Mt. Shasta from around 100 miles out, and flew straight towards it. The photo came later when I dropped below the cloud deck near Redding somewhere.)
Doing 360s enjoying the view
Fly-in Backpacking at Shelter Cove
Shelter Cove is a unique place for flying backpackers. There are not many places you can pull your backpack out of the plane, put it on, and start walking. There is even ramp space for parking at the end of the runway nearest the trailhead. Within 15 minutes you are on the famous Black Sand Beach and you can hike for days on the lost coast. (or you can hit a Bed and Breakfast a few hundred feet from your plane)
We decided to spend the weekend there in March because the skiing was just plain lousy, with no fresh snow for several weeks. What was surprising is that I thought I would need my winter gear for hiking on the beach in March, but I ended up in shorts. What a beautiful weekend. My wonderful wife, our energetic and motivating dogs, and an unforgettable sunset.
Shelter Cove is probably the most spectacular place to land on the California coast. Check out the video for a landing and takeoff!
Black Sand Beach
The Lost Coast
A camera in one hand, a glass of wine in the other
At least someone was appreciating the sunset
