Category Archives: California

National Parks

Yosemite National Park Expecting Extremely Busy Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Visitors are urged to avoid arriving at park mid-day, due to anticipated high visitation

From The National Park Service:

Yosemite National Park anticipates an extremely busy Memorial Day weekend. Its been a very busy year so far and the park expects high visitation, especially from Friday afternoon until Sunday. Visitors are strongly urged to avoid arriving at the park during the peak hours of 10:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m. Arriving early in the day or late in the afternoon are the best ways to enjoy the park. Once in the park, visitors are urged to park their vehicles, and enjoy the park utilizing the free shuttle bus service, bike paths, and hiking trails.

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Interesting Places, News

Orange County Park Ranger Badge

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

When you visit an OC Park, you’re greeted by Park Rangers and members of the Ranger Reserves.  They’re special group of men and women who serve our county and help visitors enjoy our beautiful spaces.  One aspect of the Park Ranger uniform is the unique badge that identifies the individual.

Throughout the history of the Orange County Ranger program, there has only been on official department issued badge.  It is a gold-tone solid-back “pinched” shield with a reverse blue ribbon cloisonne across the top with the words “PARK RANGER” in raised letters.  Below that, the county seal appears in reverse cloisonne, and a reverse blue ribbon with the words “PARKS – BEACHES” below that.  There is a small raised square to engrave the badge number.  If the number is proceeded by an “R” the badge was issued to a Reserve Park Ranger.  The back of the badge is hallmarked “Entenmann-Rovin.”

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News

What hikers do and do NOT do…

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the CHP has rescued a “hiker” from the Pacific Crest Trail.  The guy they rescued was only 12 hours into his hike when young Dartagnan ran out of water “due to the drought” and became lost.

There are a number of things that I find questionable about this story.  Not that the guy wandering around was named Dartagnan, not the silliness about the drought causing him to run out of water, and not even that he became lost after 12 hours of hiking (at night) on a part of the trail that is fairly easy to see.

From the article:

“He scampered into the open beyond the tree line where pilot Souza was able to make a landing at the edge of a cliff.”

Just so that we’re clear: Hikers hike.  They don’t “scamper.”  Ever.

You can read the whole strange tale HERE.

National Parks

Merced River in Yosemite National Park now open to paddlers!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Merced Wild and Scenic River Final Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement was released in February 2014.  The plan covers the more than 80 miles of Merced River that is within the Yosemite National Park and El Portal Administrative Site and is to serve as the framework to protect and manage river usage over then next 20 years.

From American Whitewater:

Late last week, the Merced River in Yosemite National Park was officially reopened to paddlers! Even though the new Wild and Scenic River Plan was finalized a year ago, the actual rules and regulations for the Park (the Superintendent’s Compendium) still needed to be updated. This finally happened on Friday, April 24, 2015, and is the culmination of seven years of sustained engagement by American Whitewater with the National Park Service and other stakeholders in this process. Allowing paddling was a tiny, yet important component of the grander plan to preserve the outstandingly remarkable values of the Wild and Scenic Merced River.

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Inspiration, Interesting Places

Photography in the Eastern Sierras by Cat Connor

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I dearly love the State of California; it is one of the most picturesque places in all of the world, with many varied and extraordinary landscapes and vistas. It truly does have something for everyone.

I grew up, primarily, at the beach. I saw many a sunset. Oddly, though, I’ve never really cared for ’em. I’ve never found them particularly romantic. Maybe I’ve seen too many of them, or maybe I just don’t like to throw anything away. And that’s what a sunset is. Sunset is the end of a friendship you had with the day. It’s – as I’ve written before – “the part of the relationship where all the little things you thought were cute grate on you like fingers down a chalkboard and you can’t wait for it to be over so you can go back inside.”

Personally, I believe I’ve got the soul of a cowboy. To this day I love all the great westerns; the panoramas, the wide open spaces. And – even though two of my most favorite cowboy films (Silverado and Tombstone) weren’t filmed there – I’ve had a deep and abiding love for the Sierra Nevadas. I love Yosemite, Kings Canyon, the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails, Death Valley and Mount Whitney. Being alone in the open cathedrals made of forests, rock, light, water, and stone makes me feel at peace within the magnificent machine built by our great Creator. I am a solitary wayfarer experiencing a world created just for me.

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