Saturday 28 July 2018

We learned at the campfire last night that this is an “epic” weekend here at Tuolumne. The theme is Natural History. So, rather than drive all the way to Lee Vining and then north for birdwatching, we discover there is a bird walk which begins at the Lembert Dome parking area which is practically across the street from our campground. O and I arrive shortly after 7 am to find a sizable and enthusiastic group has already assembled there. Many of the group are very knowledgeable about birding. While we are standing in the parking lot we spy yellow rump warblers (fondly called ‘butter-butts’ by the ranger.) We catch a glimpse of a flycatcher, hear pine siskins and red-breasted nuthatches, and see several Stellar’s jays, and a robin.

The ranger leads us into the woods to show us a brown creeper nest from which young birds recently fledged. While we are trying to find that nest, another birder spies two brown creepers flying to a different tree. Sure enough, it is another active nest. The nest itself looks like a bunch of grass and pine needles has been stuffed under a loose piece of bark. We wander a bit further with the group. One of the participants points out that Jon Young, who has been doing research at Point Reyes National Seashore, discovered that crows and jays had learned to follow researchers to nests that they could then raid for eggs and young. The researchers have now become much more careful as to how they approach nests.

By 9 am, O and I abandon the bird walk to seek breakfast. We are both starving. We find a restaurant in Lee Vining, then stock up on fruit at the grocery store and return to the Mono Lake Committee building where I upload blog.

Now we head back up Tioga Road and follow it for almost its entire length to the Tuolumne Grove of giant sequoias. Along the way we stop at Olmstead Point, one of Yosemite’s iconic view points. Today the view is lost in a smoky haze. On the west side of the park the smoke is bad enough that O breaks out our masks. They are hot to wear, but they are very helpful at filtering the air. The big trees are a mile from the trailhead. We walk the route slowly, admiring the ancient giants. Some of them are more than 2000 years old. By the time we walk back to the parking area, the sky has turned a dark grey. The sun is a dull red ball, and ash is falling like snow flurries. We see the same orange glow we saw when driving past the Eagle fire in Colorado. On the bright side, we spy two more brown creepers as we walk, picking their way up a tall lodgepole pine.

We return to camp for dinner, wash up, journal and prepare for tonight’s campfire which the rangers have promised will be epic! As we are preparing dinner, a pick-up truck carrying two rangers in the back, one playing guitar and one fiddle, drives slowly past to publicize the campfire. Their music briefly interrupts our neighbors’ cheery Hispanic tunes.

The campfire is indeed epic. There are probably a dozen rangers participating – in costume – as mountain lion, butterfly, glacier, wind, lodgepole pine, marmot, pica, coyote and ant king, not to mention a human (with cell phone in hand.) All are needed for the “council of all creatures.” There is a flute for birdsong, a euphonium for the shaking of the earth, a drum, and of course, fiddle and guitar for singing. All in all – well done and entertaining – asking the question in the end as to what we can do to return humans to harmony with nature.