Training, Training

This year we will again be working diligently with the Old Rag Mountain Steward program and the park service, to help out, educate, and keep folks safe on a place we hold dear.

Over the weekend this years ORMS volunteers gathered at the Pinnacles research station for some pre-season training. The high intensity teaching was lead by SOLO's school of wilderness medicine along with the NPS and quick words now and again from us. Saturday was misty, with likely accident weather on Old Rag. Sunday we basked in the intermittent sun and when it was all over and the lights dimmed, a few SMG guides worked high angle rescue scenarios till the light was no more.

Old Rag, as seen from the Skyline Drive.

If they are blooming, they will come.

The round-lobed Liverleaf is up! It's spring, and soon the people will come, but they don't seem to be out much yet.  Yesterday, 3-26, was a rainy day for a hike with a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle and we didn't see another hiker.  It was yet another great day which felt nothing like work but rather a walk in the woods with an old climbing buddy.  We did notice some of these spring bloomers alongside the trail, but it was too wet to pull out the camera. This picture was taken a few days ago on Sunday the 22nd's guided hike. 

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If your first time rock climbing looked like this, and the weather was perfect, would you choose to go again? Where do you go when you start at the top? Do you just call it quits, or do you dig a little deeper, and risk getting buried? 

Falling Waters

It's amazing how much ice a few cold days can bring to Whiteoak Canyon. Dad, the dog and I took the opportunity to check it out and were not disappointed. Here, the water hits an ice speed bump on its cascading path.

Hardy Mountain Life

Another rainy winter day on Old Rag leaves me with wet feet and sore from carrying a pack full of useless climbing gear. Warming up for the coming season I guess. It was good to see Jr. the dog, guardian of the mountain, high at his summit. I think he, like many animals before will care about this mountain far more than any of us ever will. Jr. must be out for his morning constitutional from his home at the mountain base or maybe he's up for the day waiting for some hikers to walk down in the dark. I know I appreciated his company the last time he accompanied me down the dark trail.



Had to take notice of some pretty diverse mountain moss while looking for a little dry rock to climb.