This morning we headed south out of the path for the first time since we got here so we could visit Pinnacles National Monument. Rising out of the Gabilan Mountains are the remains of an ancient volcano that sit along the San Andreas Fault that was proclaimed a national monument in 1908.

It a pretty spectacular place, not because of its height but because the surrounding countryside is mostly rolling hills and it’s unexpected to see rock spires and crags; they look completely out of place here. The park is around 26,000 acres and much of it is green hills like the valley that surrounds it, but rising out of the green are magnificent peaks. 

Much of the park is wilderness, but there are also miles of hiking trails to explore. After parking the truck we embarked on the Condor Gulch Trail which was listed as moderate and just over a mile one way. It was a fairly easy trail to find, then it got steep and the weather got warmer the higher we climbed, but we persevered (and perspired) and eventually made it to the look out. I think the mile distance was as the condor flies not as the trail goes, as it was definitely longer, but it was very peaceful and the views were beautiful. It was actually a nice walk, not too strenuous at all providing we stopped now and then, and it was definitely worth the climb to look out over the tree tops. We might have seen a condor or two, but they fly so high that it’s hard to tell if they are really American Condors. The park is one of only a handful of places in the US and Mexico where the condors that are bred in captivity are released from, and they nest here in the peaks. They can weigh up to 20 pounds and have wing spans of over 9 ½ feet, but when they are soaring at upwards of 15,000 feet they look like sparrows and are hard to identify – I’m going to believe that I saw one or two anyway!

After resting at the look out and taking in the views (and relieving himself) we headed back down the trail and decided to walk one of the other trails that looked fairly easy. Silly us, this one was much more difficult, mostly because we had to scrabble up and down over rocks and stones. We made our way to one of the many Talus caves that are in the park; these are deep narrow gorges that boulders have fallen into thereby creating a roof and thus a cave. We couldn’t go in as we didn’t bring a flashlight with us but that was ok with me as several species of bat live in the Pinnacles’ caves. 

We hiked for quite a while over and around some very cool terrain and saw some splendid views. Other than birds and squirrels we didn’t see any other animals but the flowers and trees were just as interesting and worth the climb. I have a feeling that we are both going to sleep pretty good tonight.

Mike: Wus, bats have very sharp teeth so you don't feel a thing when they suck your blood!!!