6 recommendations |
Whiting hikeIn defiance of the gloomy "this place is dead" opinion of a certain Nevada resident, I'd like to share some pictures I took in Whiting Ranch the other day. There's a trail called Line Shack which affords great views of some of the park and has some special qualities in the morning light. Trading the mountain bike for legs and a backpack resulted in these pictures. I hope you enjoy. My first ever sighting of a California Thrasher. I didn't even know about this bird. It sounded like a mockingbird and, until I got close and saw the bill, that's what I thought it was. Once I got home, Petersen's Field Guide set me straight. 
Morning light imparts a glow to this bush, one of many planted as part of a restoration effort following a major fire in 2007. 
This plant is a succulent and looks a bit like a gray artichoke on the ground with a shoot like a yucca. The color alone always catches my eye. In this case, the bifurcated shoot was worthy of a capture. 
Line Shack trail, looking northwest. This area was burned to the dirt in 2007. The flora are indigenous and were planted to help restore the area. 
A solitary shoot of green grows from a prickly pear felled by fire 5 years ago. 
An immature red-tailed hawk, not yet displaying the namesake plumage, circles overhead. 
Mom shows the young 'un how to hunt. 
Aptly named Dreaded Hill trail. A solitary hiker provides scale. The bottom of the trail which drops into an oak-shaded canyon is obscured by a ridge in the foreground. 
Life for a bunny is tough in these parts. 
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actions · 2012-Sep-17 1:47 am · (locked) |
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 Postal8First pull up, then pull down.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-30
Simi Valley, CA |
Postal8
Premium Member
2012-Sep-17 11:14 am
What were the temps like? It's been too damn hot for my taste to do any hiking in the areas I usually go. |
actions · 2012-Sep-17 11:14 am · (locked) |
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It was 90-something by the time I got back. Leaving earlier would have been a good idea. We hit 110 according to my Rat Shack thermometer on Saturday. When it's that hot, the only place I hike to is the pool. |
actions · 2012-Sep-17 12:09 pm · (locked) |
| No_Strings |
Wish I'd taken my camera on this morning's ride. Saw a roadrunner perched in a dead prickly pear along the same stretch of trail featured above. Never saw one off the ground before.
Also saw a quail in a tree. Normally, they are also either on the ground or in flight when I see them. Quite a few deer out, including thee bucks - two four-point and one spike. Rare to see that many.
Best of all, it was still only 67 degrees when I got back. |
actions · 2012-Sep-18 12:31 pm · (locked) |
No_Strings
2 recommendations |
Last bump, but I got to see something this morning live and up close that I'd only seen on things like Wild Kingdom.
While deer are a common site, it's rare to see more than one buck in a group. An 8-point rack caught my attention, so I stopped the bike to watch and immediately saw a 6-pointer and a young spike. As you might guess, in the middle was a young doe getting more attention than she wanted.
The young buck was following her with increasing intensity until the largest buck had enough and charged him. There was a lot of snorting and posturing between the three males for a minute or so, the youngest backed off to a safe distance and the big guy took his place near the doe.
None of this was unusual behavior to be sure, but a first for me without narration. Meanwhile, have you thought about what would happen to your family if you were to get sick or hurt? Talk to your Mutual of Omaha agent today ... |
actions · 2012-Sep-21 1:37 pm · (locked) |
Postal8First pull up, then pull down.
Premium Member
join:2000-08-30
Simi Valley, CA |
Postal8
Premium Member
2012-Sep-21 2:54 pm
The important thing is to stay safe up in the chopper. Let Jim handle the scary shit.
We never missed those 'animal shows' when I was a kid. Wild Kingdom, Wild Wild World of Animals....good stuff. |
actions · 2012-Sep-21 2:54 pm · (locked) |
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to No_Strings
What the hell does a Nevadan know anyways.
Great shots and thanks for sharing. By the way, I think you should have run down and gave the little doe a helping hand. |
actions · 2012-Sep-22 10:56 pm · (locked) |
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Truth be told, I was keeping my distance. The deer were probably no more than 30 feet from me and the big guy was pretty agitated. I was not fearful, mostly I just wanted to not disturb them, but I kept a close eye on what was going on in case I needed to get out of Dodge. |
actions · 2012-Sep-22 11:05 pm · (locked) |
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Sounds like the right thing to do. |
actions · 2012-Sep-22 11:06 pm · (locked) |
 your moderator at work
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