California sea kayakers are getting up-close and personal with humpback and grey whales, Tom Stienstra reports for SFGate:
The kayakers floated on a calm sea, quiet and nearly motionless – and yet were edgy at what might happen next.
In the next moment, a 40-foot humpback whale rose up through the surface alongside the paddlers, its open mouth gushing with seawater and dripping with anchovies. The whale then crashed into the water with a giant splash that drenched the paddlers.
Jeep Jamborees are two-day, family oriented four-wheel-drive adventures. They’re for every level of expertise from novice to veteran and everyone in between.
From Jeep Jamboree’s website:
Any Jeep vehicle with a 4-LO transfer case can participate – that includes everything from showroom stock all the way up to highly modified rigs. Experienced guides help navigate you through scenic switchbacks and some of the most challenging off-highway situations you never thought your Jeep vehicle was capable of. And, perhaps best of all, you’ll be meeting and making new friends along the way.
This year’s registration opens on Sunday, December 1st at 12:00am (EST) (that’s 9:00pm (PST) for us west coast folks!). These events can fill up fast, so DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR ALARM!
Pam LeBlanc has penned a story in the Miami Herald about her adventures along the High Sierra Trail. If you’re thinking about venturing out for a nice long walk, make sure you read about her adventures! From the Miami Herald:
The Pacific Southwest Region of the US Forest Service has released a statement of its Leadership Intent for Ecological Restoration, which laid out the Region’s guiding vision and goals for its stewardship of wildland and forests for the next 15-20 years. The following draft document reflects the Regional leadership’s current thinking on how the Leadership Intent will be implemented. This draft is a beginning point for discussions with employees, partners, tribes, agencies, communities of place and interest and those who care about the future of their National Forests.
Like the Leadership Intent the Implementation Plan is fluid and we expect that adjustments will be made over time as the Region continues to collaborate; follow new science; and seek out and form new alliances. These ongoing processes will reveal new and smarter ways to increase the pace and scale of restoration work while balancing the ecological, social and economic benefits of our restoration actions. Regional leadership has committed to editing and improving this document following these discussions and then reviewing and updating it at least annually in the future years. Hence we invite discussion, input and insight to ensure that the Implementation Plan reflects and is responsive to new information, partnerships, and conditions.
The U.S. Forest Service has proposed changes that would allow public access to an additional 30,000 acres of the Cleveland National Forest for free.
The changes to Recreation Fee Areas would eliminate or reduce the size of six existing recreation areas where visitors are now required to have Adventure Passes.
The public comments period is open now through December 13, 2013. Comments may be submitted to:
Cleveland National Forest
Trabuco Ranger District
1147 East Sixth Street
Corona, CA 92879
or by email to: jfrodriguez@fs.fed.us
The full press release follows (you may also view it HERE):
