Blink of an eye

Another NPS Yosemite blog post in the books!  Enjoy!

Eating lunch at Taft Point (a lovely overlook reached by a trail leaving from Glacier Point Road), my favorite bird paid me a visit. A large, black bird with an inquisitive nature, the common raven (Corvus corax) is a frequent visitor to campgrounds, picnic areas, and picturesque overlooks. While the raven kept an eye on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I caught the raven's eye on film.

Like most vertebrates, birds have eyelids that they close while preening or sleeping. But their eyes also have another protective shield, a nictitating membrane! This additional "eyelid" sweeps over the eye sideways, from the corner of the eye closet to the beak across to the outside corner, functioning to keep the eyeball moist and clear of dust. The membrane can also be useful during flying as it is translucent, still allowing the bird to see!

You know the little pink nub in the corner of your eye? It's actually an evolutionary remnant of the nictitating membrane, no longer functioning as it does for birds.

Although dust may get into our eyes, these ravens are set for a patient perch at a blustery overlook, staying on the look out for leftover lunch. So keep your food close, or it may disappear in the blink of an eye!

Orange Peels in the Forest?

On my recent excursion up to the high country, I went hiking to Harden Lake and found a familiar fungus, Orange Peel fungus.  I first identified these little gems in Northern Minnesota and was happy to see a familiar sight here in California.  I wrote up the following note which was posted on the NPS Ranger Note website for Yosemite National Park.  Find below the written post or click the following link to take you to the official Yosemite blog website:

Yosemite Ranger Notes

Hiking along a trail in the White Wolf area, to my surprise I saw an orange peel on the forest floor! Did someone litter? No, it wasn't the discarded shell from a delicious fruit we know well, but a cup-shaped fungus growing upward from the ground.

Orange peel fungus (Aleuria aurantia) usually grows in clusters on the ground, often in wooded areas near rotting trees and dead matter. They can be easy to miss, generally ranging in size from 1 to 2.5 inches (3-6 cm), but can reach up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. They are found throughout North America, and are common during summer and fall. This fungus is a decomposer of dead organic material, returning nutrients such as hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen back into the soil to be used by other plants.

The forest floor is "littered" with a variety of mushrooms/fungus, colorful gems dotting the ground, helping to recycle nutrients. So while out hiking, be sure to Leave No Trace, and pack out all of what you packed in, and let it be that the only orange peels in the forest will be of the fungus variety.

The beauty of Brick Stitch!

Once again, I saw a pair of earrings online (these were beaded), and decided to make myself a pair. Welcome to the new hobby of creating Brick Stich beaded earrings!

Open up 10+ windows of step by step instructions on E-how.com and off to the races! (no internet at home, so if I want to view a website… need to open them ALL up).  The first earring was a little rough, but the second one to complete the pair went much smoother, and looks much better (to my eye at least).  Point to remember: glass beads will break if you try to jam through a needle and thread that aren’t meant for such tiny work.  Where is the closest bead/craft store to Yosemite?

And the following, obviously not Brick Stitch, but another recently made, wire woven pair of Dream Catcher earrings:

Without access to internet, lack of TV, limited cell service, it is amazing at the level of creativity that can spring forth.  Between hiking, crafting, and work, it has been an enriching first month here in California! 

Life elevated

First multi-pitch of my life!  Holdless Horror on Dozier Dome, just east of Tenya Lake.  WOW.  All together a 500’ route, with 4 pitches, listed as 5.6★★★★  (given 4 stars for being an epic 'must do' climb) Now the climbing guide book did say to take the Yosemite route ratings with a grain of salt, but I would agree with the 5.6 rating.  However, the difficulties that I faced...

I danced along the edge of the comfort/panic zone.  First time climbing with a backpack (food, water, shoes, climbing guide, etc.): Not a big difference, and to some extent I forgot it was even there.  First time cleaning the route: My partner would lead the climb, and as he went up, he would place gear (protection such as cams, chocks) into the crack on the rock wall and then clip his rope in, thus attaching himself to the rock and protecting him in case of a fall.  At the end of the ‘pitch’, he would build an anchor, and then belay me as I climbed up that same pitch (follower), and removed all the protection gear that he placed. (see below!)

First time climbing a fair distance out of sight of the belayer (no one to help point out hand holds, provide encouragement, etc.): I had my moments of panic, knowing that that only way out was up, no one was watching, and being stuck wasn’t an option.  It forced myself to choose a hold, go for it, and head up.  The rock face was a mix of smallish knobs to grasp and crack to wedge in feet/hands.  (Also didn’t help that the clouds were beginning to join forces in the sky, still had to keep going up!)

Hanging out mid-climb, hooked into the anchor. Tenaya Lake
is over my shoulder (the road winds around the lake edge, we're up high!!)

In general, the biggest aspect of climbing that made itself very apparent is: Trust.  Trust that your partner is competent (placement of protection, building of anchors, an overall awareness of what’s safe).  Trusting my partner on this climb wasn’t an issue; he’s worked as a Search and Rescue Climber in a past career.  Trust in the situation and becoming comfortable leaning back while supported by a built anchor 245’ off the ground.  Oh how small the trees looked!  Trust in the rock and in my shoes… they will stick! And if not, I am on belay and my partner will catch my fall  (yes, I did slip once, and yes, my fall was caught).

An amazing day of personal challenge, growth, and a bit of fear to keep things exciting and fun!

View from the top!

All the gear (minus people) that provided us with a safe adventure!

Oh, and on the walk off and down the dome, we may have had to cross a stream via wet, slick granite. “If you fall, sprawl!”