Frozen Waterfall

Frozen waterfall,

how appropriate to see

on a lonely day.

Your grand beauty chills

even the softest of hearts

when they stand by you.

Frozen Taughannock Falls - person in lower right for  scale.

Horsetooth Mountain Birthday

For Daisy's 8th birthday, I took the day off of work and we hit the Horsetooth Mountain Falls Hike on a early Monday morning.  This little shelter pup was only adopted earlier this summer so I felt she needed a fun day to help celebrate.  The photo above may look like a complacent furball but she had a good hike, waded in the waterfall pool, and slept hard on the way home in the car.

Horsetooth Mountain Park trailhead has a couple of options, the Falls Trail or the Mountain trail.  We took the easier, more gentle one to the falls.  Round-trip it was 2-3 hours long.  The path went up and down and up and around the gentle foothills outside of Fort Collins.  After the first turn from the trailhead the rest of the trip was without human disturbances on the landscape.

There is a web of trails in Horsetooth Mountain Park and you can travel from this park to Lory State Park if you continue down the web.

After a pleasant morning on the trail, the sun broke free and it warmed up.  Daisy and I were pretty thirsty on our return and I was happy to find a water fountain that meets all needs: kids, adults, and dogs.  I'll be back to Horsetooth Mountain and maybe Daisy and I will make this an annual celebration!

Costa Rica bound

Emily and I are heading to Costa Rica for a fun-filled week!  We will be staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and hope to do some birding, some waterfall swimming, and some hiking.  

Taking Mom to the Waterfalls

My mother is one of my biggest supporters, a dear friend, and someone whom I love very much.  So when I invited her to join Emily and I in Puerto Rico this year I was delighted when she said yes.  Of course I was a little apprehensive of her hiking but I had faith that she could get down the mountain and enjoy the waterfalls.

My mom was in a car accident a couple of years ago that has left her with a few nuts, bolts, and a metal plate which restricts her foot mobility but she navigated the switch backs with her trusty cane.  I thought she was quite inventive and I'm glad to say didn't suffer any injuries on the way up or down.

It was great to travel with my mom and I'm proud that she made it down to the falls.  It's always nice when you can share a beautiful place with someone you care for and admire.  Mom, you're my hero.  Thanks for being a great travel companion. 

El Yunque At A Glance

I can't tell you enough how beautiful and peaceful El Yunque National Forest was in Puerto Rico.  The best part about this portion of the trip was how we spent our days.  Each day consisted of lounging in the pools, scrambling over rocks, eating delicious Puerto Rican dinners in an outdoor restaurant with the sounds of the night around us, and having serene morning of coffee and rainforest sights.  I have to also mention that our hosts at Casa Cubuy Ecolodge were very friendly and the family style breakfasts gave us a nice chance to meet all the lovely people that were sharing our space.  Even though the place was booked, we rarely encountered anyone on the trails or in the waterfall pools.  If a family was nearby, we just walked to the next pool that was hidden behind the boulders.  Truly, this was my favorite part of Puerto Rico and I can't wait to go back.   

California Day 5: Moro Rock and General Sherman Tree

After the Grove of the Giants we headed to Moro Rock. We took our time climbing up and up and up the many stone steps until we finally reached the peak. Moro Rock is a large granite dome located in the center of Sequoia National Park. It sits at a elevation of 6,725 feet and has a 400-step stairway cut into the rock. It's a steep climb but managable for anyone that is willing to tackle the heights. The guardrails are ample and there are plenty of spots to stop and rest if needed.

From the top you have an amazing aerial view of the park. Looking towards the east you can see the peaks that make out the Great Western Divide (seen above) and looking to the west you can see the Middle Fork Canyon (seen below) which is almost as deep as the Grand Canyon.

After leaving Moro Rock we stopped at the Parker Group, a beautiful stand of sequoias named for the Parker family. These were some of the prettiest trees in the park and Geraldine and took our time weaving in and out of the stand.

Next we took a drive through the Tunnel Log. The 275 ft. tree fell from natural causes in 1937 and the following year a crew cut an 8 by 17 ft. tunnel through the center, making the road passable again.

Next we only had one more important stop before heading back to our campsite and that was to pay a visit to the largest tree on Earth, the General Sherman Tree. This giant sequoia has a height of 275 ft. and a volume of 52,513 cu. ft which makes it the largest known non-colonial tree by volume. The tree is believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

When you're walking around all these groves and stands it's hard to pinpoint which tree is bigger than the rest. I loved seeing the General Sherman Tree but I must admit that I didn't find it was any bigger than some of the others we had seen. Regardless it was nice to see and I even digibinned a view of the top of the tree. You will notice that it's been struck by lightning and no longer growing taller, only wider.

After hiking and looking upwards all day at large trees we decided to end the day with a dip in Hume Lake. This a small little lake found in the eastern part of Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park. It was busy with children laughing and swimming. We retreated to the quiet areas of the waterfall and managed to keep busy with our wading.

It was the end to a perfect day and exactly the kind of adventure I wanted from my vacation. Nothing could be better than checking out the largest organisms on Earth and then retreating to the cool waters of a lake.

Skywatch Friday: Julia Pfiefer State Park

The sky was slightly hazy around Big Sur but the sun was bright, the rocky coastline was stunning, and this waterfall at Julia Pfiefer State Park topped it all off. I had an excellent time taking photos with Geraldine and hiking around the area. We even found an amazing campsite just on the southern trail of this overlook. I can only imagine it's windy and cold at night but the sunset views must be gorgeous. Make sure to check out other Skywatch Friday posts today.

Next up on the California adventure: BIG trees.

My Top 10 Nature Moments of 2007

2007 was a year full of many changes for me. I finally settled down and lived in only one state (compared to 3 states in 2008). I also took another full-time job and actually made the majority of my trips this year in my new home state of Florida. Here is a breakdown of my top 10 nature moments of 2007 (meme from Earth, Wind & Water):


10. Wekiwa State Park Camping (December 7-9) - I love camping and all of my camping adventures of this year make it on my top 10. This is a sign that I need to go camping more and it will certainly be one of my resolutions for the New Year. This was my first time holding a scorpian.


9. West Coast Florida Trip (February) - This was only my 3rd time seeing the Gulf Coast and with the help of my friend Kim, I hit all the hotspots in the Fort Myers area. I really enjoyed seeing hundreds of bats leave their bridge roost at sunset near Pine Island. And of course visiting Sanibel Island was great, along with the Red Egret feeding at Ding Darling N.W.R. I picked up a few lifer birds including a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.



8. Seminole State Park Camping (May 4-7) - My Tallahassee friends took me to a great little park in Georgia where we enjoyed swimming in the lake and birding the trails. I even saw my first Blue Grosbeak. On the way, we stopped at Bird Song, the best viewing station for feeder birds I have ever seen. It was a great trip and I even slept outside on a wooden platform with just my sleeping bag, which was a first for me, platform in below picture.


7. Paynes Prairie State Park Camping (May 25-27) - Another camping adventure but this time it afforded me a chance to see bison grazing. Other than the ticks and deer flies, the hike in to our campsite was fun and we saw a few nice birds along the way.


6. Florida Trail: Ocean to Lake Trail (August 4th) - This was my first time hiking the Florida Trail. As promised the trail was flooded at times and the rest of the time my feet were covered in sand. I loved this all day hike that took me through Jonathon Dickinson State Park. I did the East Loop Trail that winds through the park. One day I would love to hike the whole Ocean to Lake Trail.



5. Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge Backcountry Camping (November 12-13) - There's no better way to experience the outdoors than by canoeing through a wildlife refuge. As always, the Okefenokee didn't let me down. We saw alligators, Sandhill Cranes, and lots of migrating American Robins. We also had a lot of fun singing songs and enjoying the peaceful swamp.


4. Keys Trip (July) - This was my first time to the Keys and I was more than happy. My mother and aunt accompanied me for a little snorkeling and a lot of driving. We took lots of silly pictures with large mermaids and road signs. From Key Largo to Key West it was quite an adventure.



3. Everglades National Park Trip (April 16-17) - My first time in the Everglades was a great experience. I loved the expansive river of grass and the breathtaking scenery of the bay at Flamingo. I saw quite a few life birds, Summer Tanager and Blue-headed Vireo, and even made a new friend at the Everglades Hostel.



2. Green Cay Nature Center (January 22) - After a whirlwind year of traveling and change I moved to Palm Beach County and started working at Green Cay. The bird life is amazing. I have had numerous experiences with our resident bobcats and of course, there is always something new to see in the marsh. We had a few unusual birds this year including: Eared Grebe, Shiny Cowbird, Bronzed Cowbird and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. In the last month we have had visits from a Bufflehead, American Wigeon, and a Gadwall. Green Cay continues to amaze me.


1. Bolivia, South America (October 6-21) - The first time out of the country for me in almost 10 years proved to be the best experience of my life. Bolivia deserves its own Top 10 list. The highlights include hiking up mountains, swimming in waterfalls, soaking in natural springs, birding in the Chaco, and enjoying the city of Santa Cruz. I loved every minute of my time there and I had a great traveling companion to see me through the experience. I saw many life animals including a Spectacled Caiman and 53 new life birds.

The Condor Hike and La Pajcha

On our last full day in Samaipata we hired a guide and our trusty taxi driver to take us on an all day adventure. We woke up early, grabbed some bananas, and found our taxi waiting outside. I love the taxi drivers in Bolivia because they will drive you anywhere. They will ford through rivers, go straight up dusty mountain roads, and of course, they will avoid potholes and speed bumps by swerving and going off-road. Most of the drivers are very friendly and our driver in Samaipata would even hike with us all day providing useful information. Below is a picture of the inside our Samaipata taxi. The Bolivians like to decorate their vehicles. Almost all of them have this plush dash guard, fringe optional, and all of them hang teddy bears or hearts or something from the mirror. I think it's perfect that the speedometer is on the opposite side from the driver.


The first thing on the agenda was The Condor Hike. There are few times in life that I have felt like my body will die but this was one of them. On the way up to the top of the 2500M mountain my lungs decided to rebel against me. The hike is straight up and the whole thing is very rocky and dry. I tried chewing coca to help with the altitude but the fact that my asthma was kicking in required that I spit the coca out and just concentrate on breathing. Our guide was very understanding and somehow Rupp coached me to the top. Like all great things in life, the battle may be hard but the reward is sweet. We settled into our spot to eat lunch and watch the Andean Condors bathe below.

Our seats were literally on the side of a mountain. Our feet dangled off the edge and if we leaned over we could see the Condors perched on a rock below bathing in a waterfall. The Andean Condor is considered to be the largest flying bird in the world with a 10 foot wingspan, 4 foot height, and a weight of up to 30 pounds. They belong in the vulture family and usually soar in the thermals looking for carrion. The trick we used to get them close was to lie back and wait for them to circle by. At one point we saw 30 Condors either bathing or circling the valley. Our guide and taxi driver left us to get a different view and that's when the show got even better.

We decided that since our 3 hour hike up to the top left us both exhausted the Condors must have smelled death in the air. This female (above) came within 6 feet of us. Her red-eye gaze was piercing as she swiveled her head at us to get a better view. A mixed group of males and females started circling us as we lay motionless on the mountainside. Our guide would later tell us that we were very lucky to see so many at one time. The whole hike up I thought that we would miss them because we stopped so often to rest but the birds came through and gave us a show that neither of us will forget.

Riding the wave of adrenaline we quickly descended our mountaintop in just 2 hours (that's 1 hour quicker then our ascent). The views down were beautiful and I even enjoyed the hike though my chest was sore and my legs ached. On the way up we crossed through this farm and paid a small fee to access the mountain. On our return the whole family came out to greet us and brought a drink to share. Up to this point I had been avoiding leafy vegetables, the skins of tomatoes, and anything remotely unclean but here I was exhausted, thirsty, and when the little lady offered me the gourd to drink her Kool-aid like drink, I happily tipped the whole drink back. Surprisingly, I never got sick and it was just one more part of the day to remember.

The adventure wasn't over though. We scrambled back to the taxi and made our way to the base of La Pajcha. The 80M waterfall left us breatheless. We didn't hesitate to strip down and jump in the frigid waters. Normally, this would be a pool that I would just look at but with our sore muscles and hot bodies, we dove in and swam to the deepest part. Lying on our backs, looking up at the waterfall, I realized that this may be one of the best days of my life.

This is our group shot before leaving the waterfall. Carmelo is the young guy in the brown boots. I don't think he even broke a sweat on our hike up the mountain. He was an excellent guide, showing us not only where the Condors nest but also picking medicinal plants for us to use later. Our taxi driver, Pincillo?, is dressed in the jean outfit. We were loyal to him for our whole stay and he provided us with the best experiences that Samaipata had to offer. The whole day was amazing and one I will never forget in my life.

Ruppie's thoughts on the hike: It was a torturous hike up, but lying on our backs on the edge of a cliff, looking into the eyes of condors not 10 feet away and listening to the air rush under their wings made the hike more than worth it.

Samaipata

I think of the trip as divided into three sections: Samaipata, Ipita, and the Jesiut Missions. In each of these sections we spent around 4-5 days, with Santa Cruz as our stopover between each one. While exploring the Samipata area we stayed at the Andorina Hostel. The breakfast there was amazing. We would each get a plate overflowing with fresh cut fruit and then there was the bread and tea for the side. I wish I could wake up everyday to watermelon, oranges, papaya, pineapple, and bananas sliced on a plate. Plus the whole atmosphere there was relaxed and inviting. Samaipata itself was a charming city full of ex-pats and Bolivians alike. The PCV who live in this area are very lucky to have such a cool place to hang out.


After our morning hike at the Giant Fern Forest we decided to see El Fuerte for the afternoon. This would be my first time seeing a Pre-Incan archealogy site and my first time chewing coca. We were quite silly running around the large rock fortress. It's hard to grasp the time frame that this thing was built and even its size is hard to comprehend. The top is craved with animals and symbols, the sides have nooks and squares cut out for idols to be worshipped. The whole place is amazing to visit.


This is a view from the top. You can see how the site was cut literally right into the mountainside. El Fuerte is designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. It is believed that the Pre-Incans used it for religious purposes, then the Incans took it over, and finally, the Spanish used it as a military fort. It's called El Fuerte or The Fortress for this reason.

One of my favorite parts about Samaipata is the colorful streets. The buildings were all painted in reds, oranges, blues, and greens. And the main square was teeming with bird life. I wish all cities in the States could have plazas that were as beautiful as the one in Samaipata.

Rupp lives in the Chaco portion of Bolivia. It's hot and dry and there's very little water to swim. So it was decided that we would spend one afternoon hiking the short trails of Los Cuevas in search of the perfect swimming location. Los Cuevas is a series of three waterfalls. At the top of the one pictured above there is a dammed area for swimming. We spent quite awhile lounging about the pool and even took up some water wrestling.

And of course we birded at every availabe stop. By this waterfall we found a Black Phoebe. According to the book, they love mountain streams. This bird hung out for quite some time without showing any fear of us. A hummingbird also flew near but it was gone before we could pick up any field marks. It took us the whole 2 weeks before we would properly ID a hummer.