Out in the desert...

Went up Janesville Grade this morning to see how much snow there is. It had been plowed to the upper Clarks Loop road but impassable beyond there. The snow is so solid you can walk on it with no problem and it's not going to be melting very fast since its almost solid ice. It was nice to get up in the woods but I was heading for the desert today. I went out on the back side of Shaffer Mountain and did a loop ride that was pretty flat. There are many places where you can find artifacts out there and I found this grind stone and many more in various places. There is something kind of special to find stuff like this out in the areas where people used to live.

Here is an arrow head I found. After I was done photographing it I carefully replaced it where I had found it. I know it's illegal to pick these things up but I put this one back, honest. I'm sure anyone else who finds it will pick it up and take it.


I'm going to have to get out there a little more, I never saw a soul all day and it was good to be in the wide open spaces.

Gnarly..

What else can you say about a pine cone like that? You wouldn't want to get hit on the head with one of these. The Digger Pine, which is the name I know it by, has been renamed by the Forest Service or someone and my friend Bob tries unsuccessfully to correct me when I call them Diggers. I'll have to have him remind me of the illegal name again when we go fishing at the end of the month, I don't remember it.


There were a few more flowers today than there were last week, this one was new. I guess I should start carrying a flower book around with me so I can identify them. Not only were there more flowers, but the water has come up about 4 feet since last week and that made a difference. You have to drive way out at the place we usually camp to get to a place where it's deep enough to launch a boat.



This last picture is of my nemisis. That vile weed severely limits my cross country treking when I'm down here. One thing about it though is that it is absolutely stunning when it's just bursting out in the spring. It's bright red color makes it really easy to spot right now but eventually the leaves turn green and they blend in more. My last year firefighting I got into it down in southern California on a fire and got a great rash. I hate this shit but it sure is purdy!

Walkin' and thinkin'

I had a lot of things on my mind today and I took a long walk up the Bizz to think about them... as if I needed an excuse, huh? But the truth is I was deep in thought most of the time and before I knew it I was back at my truck.

I did manage to take a few pictures along the way though. The 3 mile marker was my turn around spot so I don't know what is beyond here but I passed a couple of rocks that had fallen down on the trail. They were within sight of the 3 mile post.


Nice and warm in the sun even though the old thermometer didn't get up to 50° at my house.

As for my deep thought, which way do I go at this fork in the road?

Blue bird day..

Well, I don't remember seeing any blue birds today, but some geese, pheasants, hawks, an eagle, and various other birds aquatic and terrestrial. But the day was very sunny and even though it was cool before noon, it warmed up nicely in the afternoon. That first picture is of the big town of Wendel. The mountain behind it is called Skedaddle.

It's wide open out here in the valley and flat so not much of a challenge for bike riding, but it was still the thing to do today. This picture is the hot water from the springs. You can stick your hand in it but you can't leave it in there long. Still lots of snow in the mountains, that won't be going away any time soon.

Ahhh, the taste of spring is in the air...

Rockin' out!

Yeah, rocking out, alright. I went for another walk up on the Bizz slogging through wet snow most of the way, rocking out to my mp3 player. In fact, I even found a nice rock to lay on while I tried to get warm in the sun. Needless to say it was less than a perfect weather but any time I can get out and go for a walk or bike ride has to go down as a good day. It's funny, this time of year I am just waiting for the weather to allow me to do all of my favorite things and then when it gets here I will be too busy to get them all done. Life is a funny thing, fleeting and nebulous in many ways, and way too short. In reading my Bible I find that life spans were much longer several thousand years ago, in the 900 year category. I can't help wondering if the translation is flawed or if human beings can actually live that long. If you look at someone who is old, say around 100 years, their bodies are usually frail and multiply that times 9 and you have to wonder. Well, at least that's one of my "wondering" subjects.

At the end of this month I am planning on being down in the Death Valley area again, meeting my friend Chris and doing a little camping. By then the warm stuff should be setting in down there, they have already had temps in the 80's at Furnace Creek. I can't wait!