©Bert Gildart: One of our coolest excursions during our stay in San Diego was a trip to upscale La Jolla to see the seals. During our weekday visit, parking was not a problem, after which we followed our ears to an overlook where the intensity of barking and roaring increased dramatically and became distinct — and recognizable.

Before us, on a horseshoe prominence overlooking the Pacific Ocean, herds of sea lions had gathered, all onto a piece of real estate that spanned but a few hundred yards.

Seals and cormorants occupy a small section of real estate along a beach in La Jolla

Some of the seals were lounging, and were doing so by simply plopping on a neighbor.  But there was other activity as well.  Apparently mating season was winding down for several males were lunging at one another, attempting to claim an area for themselves.  Nearby females slept, occasionally peering up, trying to observe the grappling of the foolish males.  Sometimes females would open both eyes, but generally it seemed an effort for them to simply open just one eye.

SEAL LION OR HARBOR SEAL?

Surrounding the seals were hundreds of cormorants and dozens of brown pelicans.  Further mixed into the group were a few harbor seals, and when we could see their heads in entirety, we could differentiate.  Seal lions have external ear flaps while harbor seals have an external orifice where you would expect there to be an ear.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

L TO R:  Bull sea lion warns intruders to stay off his turf;  not all interaction consists of sea lion battles (last two).

We could also differentiate between the two species when they moved on land.  Sea lions can rotate their flippers backward and forward and they often use them in this manner to accelerate over a beach or over a pile of rocks.  Harbor seals simply flop themselves in what appears to be a simple undulation of their bodies.

TWO WOMEN KICKING THE SEALS

We were drawn to this area in La Jolla specifically to observe the seals, and so were hundreds of other animal lovers.  Because of its geographical configuration the area has always served as a natural sanctuary for seals, bur recently a group in this upscale neighborhood say the odor created by all these animals undermines their quality of living.  Some miscreants have even parlayed words into animal cruelty.  A surveillance camera installed to monitor the beach – day and night – shows two women sitting on the seals and kicking them.

Male sea lions seem to battle for every piece of land that might be available.

Mitt Romney lives in the area and his residence typifies other area homes.  To facilitate parking of his several vehicles the former presidential candidate has installed elevators so he can park his vehicles one over the other.  Residents of La Jolla are loaded.

COURT RULES FOR THE SEALS

Nevertheless, in the recent battle over seal smells, a local court ruled in favor of the seals, but in the long run big money always seems to win, so if you want a bird’s eye view of seals, a view that can acquaint you with seal behavior, better take advantage of the opportunity while you can.  You might also consider writing city fathers, but only, of course, if you agree people should go before the seals.

Remember, this small horse-shoe shaped section of beach has been a sanctuary for seals through the ages, and that should count for something.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Does V-Bar-V Ranch Preserve A Solar Marker

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©Bert Gildart:  April 8^th, 2013 – this past Tuesday – marked a milestone in the history of both the California Condor and in the role the San Diego Zoo.

Thirty years ago four California condors hatched in the zoo and soon came to form the foundation of a breeding program.  The fate of one of the condors remains a mystery, but officials named the other three Sespe, Sisquoc and Almiyi.  However, Sespe is still exhibited at the San Diego Safari Park, which is located in Escondido.  This facility is huge and is an affiliate of the San Diego Zoo.  In addition to exhibiting a variety of animals in realistic habitats, Safari Park conducts much research and engages in various experimental programs to include a condor breeding program. The park is joined in their condor research efforts by several other wildlife centers, to include the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Though I have no way of knowing which of the several condors I photographed this past week, I have to assume that one of the birds might have been a descendent of this original group.  The bird shown here appears to be relatively young, but it really makes no difference to me which I photographed, for all are magnificent – and their presence represents the best of qualities in humans. Just a few years ago, the species was extinct from the wild.  Apparently not a single bird remained from a land in which it had once been prominent.

L to R:  Immature California Condor; condors have a wing span that approaches 10 feet, largest of any North American
birds; mature — or breeding — plumage of adult condor, showing light red head.

Still, the California Condor remains one of the world’s rarest bird species. In May 2012 population counts put the number of known condors at 405, including 226 living in the wild and 179 in captivity.  The successful reintroduction derives from the cooperative – and successful – work of four wildlife organizations working together, which is the reason we are now seeing the magnificent California Condor in the Grand Canyon and Zion national parks.

CONDOR CHARACTERISTICS

As you can see Condors are quite large, and at well over nine feet, the species has the greatest wingspan of any North American bird.  Typically, the head of young birds is grey while that of older breeding birds range from yellow to bright orange.  Several other birds were displayed at Safari Park and one of them had a head that was colored a bright orange.

DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH

Though the Safari Park provides a huge enclosure for their condors, they are confined by a mesh cage which makes photography difficult.  The secret is to use a telephoto lens and then open it to the widest f-stop your camera will allow.  You must then position yourself so the eyes of the bird are not covered by the mesh, then selectively focus on the bird’s eyes.  Everything else will most likely have a soft focus appearance, but no matter.  Just so long as the eyes of the bird are clear there will be no clue that the bird is caged – and not wild and free.

Condors are long lived and may reach the age of 60, but because of the history of successful reintroduction, this birthday was special. In commemoration of the bird’s birthdays a local newspaper reported that handlers at Safari Park filled a cardboard box with treats for the birds to tear open and enjoy.  Tidbits included mice, rats, meatballs and beef spleen.  Kudos should also go to the dedicated wildlife managers for without them, the world would now be bereft of this magnificent bird.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:

*Lower Antelope Canyon

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart:  Last week Janie and I made a speedy three-day trip to San Diego essentially to see our good friends Don and Nancy, whom we met about six years ago. We left our Airstream parked at our site in Springs at Borrego, drove two hours, checked into a motel at Chula Vista and then drove one more mile to where Don and Nancy were camped in their Airstream.

To look at Don you wouldn’t know he has been fighting cancer for almost a decade.  Don has a full crop of Irish red-blonde  hair and he is in excellent physical shape.  He jogs, hikes, climbs mountains – and most recently, led (along with his wife Nancy) Janie and me on a full, day-long excursion through the world-renowned San Diego Zoo.  And that, folks, is the subject of this posting, not Don’s incredible demeanor and resilience — or his excellent physical shape, despite a chronological age that surely must getting close to mine.  (I’m staying the same!)

MOST GOOD IMAGES IN A SINGLE DAY!

At the outset I want to say that  seldom have I augmented my photo library to the extent I did during our single-day eight-hour visit. And that is because of the incredible displays zoo keepers provide at their 100-acre tract of land.  Here, managers exhibit over 3,700 animals.

San Diego grizzly bear, showing reasons the species is so formidable. This particular bear was transported from Montana where it had been plaguing campers. The choice was to euthanize or move to zoo.

First to attract our attention was the flamingo exhibit, logically as it was located near the zoo’s entrance.   We were charmed by the species’s beautiful orange-red color but also by their behavior antics, which included displacement, aggression and warning gestures, the latter of which were created when the birds  extended their necks. — fully!

Like everyone else, we wanted to see the pandas, and specifically, we wanted to see Xiao Liwu (meaning “little gift”).  Five others have been born in the zoo, several of which were shipped to China to assist in its breeding program.

Xiao Liwu – OR “LITTLE GIFT”

Little Gift was born on July 29th, 2012 and was first let outside for visitors to see on January 9, 2013.  In addition to being able to view this rare animal species, the zoo’s “Giant Panda Discovery Center” has interactive exhibits that let visitors experience just how the animals smell and sound.

L to R: Flamingos exhibiting group behavior; cormorants nesting; more flamingos, again displaying what may be a warning gesture.

Of course photography is dependent on activities at the moment you visit, meaning that you’ll need more than just a single day to document a species’ behavior.  Our challenge was great as we wanted to see everything, meaning as Don said, that you’ll have to come back.  Nevertheless because the zoo has created various types of aviaries we saw dozens of tropical birds and many colorful birds from other habitats including the tinkerbirds and the sociable weaver.  Outside the aviaries we also saw (in addition to the flamingos) cormorants and a bird migratory harlequin, which migrants to Glacier National Park, where we first met Don and Nancy — hiking the Highline.

THE WORLD’S BEST

Energetic as ever, Don insisted we see everything we could squeeze in and before the day was over we had seen various species of bears (I have a personal interest, shamelessly linked here to national coverage — Night of the Grizzly), hiked the monkey trail, seen the polar bear plunge, made the elephant walk, visited the exhibit known as “Absolutely Aps, “visited” the Australian Outback… seen the bonobos.

L to R: Sadly as this naturalist explains, the world’s cats are diminishing.

Middle image is one taken along the “Monkey Walk” and represents my SON-IN-LAW.  Will is a reasonably intelligent man, but he is seen here 
contemplating the  zoo’s repeat message and display that THE WORLD COULD ACTUALLY BE WARMING — and that MAN could be influencing that warming.

Last image: Xiao Liwu – OR, “LITTLE GIFT,” perhaps the zoo’s most popular attraction. 

We’d also listened to talks on global warming in which they quote world famous climatologists, noting the world is warming because carbon in the atmosphere is increasing at never-before experienced rates. Their exhibit is convincing – and retired college professor Don Dennis knew we’d enjoy seeing THAT exhibit. I trust my son-in-law (shown just above — Ha!) will too.

Our only disappointment is that we needed more time, but as Don said, “you’ll have to come back.”

Maintaining welfare of zoo animals necessitates skilled professionals. Here, caretaker cleans hooves of an elephant.

We hope to do just that, because, yes, we do believe (We’ve seen dozens, to include the National Zoo in D.C.) that the San Diego Zoo may certainly be among the world’s best — if not actually the world’s best.

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THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Burrowing Owls & Bizarre Nests Needed to Survive

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

©Bert Gildart: Last year Time Magazine described a funky area of southeastern California famously — and infamously –  known as The Slabs.  Writers there  called it “…a squatters’ camp deep in the badlands of California’s poorest county where the road ends and the sun reigns.”  They said [It] “attracts fugitives of all stripes, [who] demand that prospective residents respect their neighbor “or stay the hell away.”

Salvation Mountain -- and Leonard Knight's old home -- provide an entree to "The Slabs."

By implication the story seems to imply that residents are a cloistered group of life’s survivors, but that is not the impression we’ve gotten over the years, and this past weekend was no exception.  True, there are souls inhabiting the area who are not perfectly balanced; but there is also a group who seem willing to pick up the pieces and help everyone move forward.  Consider, as examples, Solar Mike, Radio Mike, Fireman Peter, and Leonard Knight.

OUR FIRST VISIT

About five years ago Janie and I made our first of many trips to The Slabs, an expanse of hard scrabble desert land which takes its name from an abandoned military base featuring concrete slabs on which the Marines mounted artillery  .  Initially, we went there to conduct business with “Solar Mike,” the Guru of solar energy.  We stayed a week and during that time Mike outfitted our Airstream with panels, inverters and batteries so that we could boondock  as long as we might want — anywhere, of course, where there was sun.

“Fireman” Peter enters “The Range,” location for Saturday night dances; sign declaring that
you have, in fact, reached “Slab City;” Leonard Knight’s religious art work. (Click images to enlarge.)

But Solar Mike is not the first person you’ll most likely meet on the rutted road to Slab City.  Backtrack about a mile and here is where you’ll satisfy your curiosity about a hill featuring a kaleidoscope of colors.  Known as Salvation Mountain,  Leonard Knight built the hill with his own two hands.

THE MAN HAD A VISION

Most will agree the man had a vision, but of greater significance is that he found purpose to his life and then stuck to his objective.  He built a hill that expresses his transformation from that of  a “sinful man” to one who now inspires others, and he does so in various ways.

Several years ago Knight befriended “Alexander Supertramp” just months before this drifter perished in a remote Alaskan school bus.  “Supertramp’s real name was Christopher McCandless and he was featured in John Krakauer’s book Into the Wild, later made into a movie.

A NATIONAL TREASURE

Knight’s creation is so unique that Senator  Barbara Boxer declared Salvation Mountain a “National Treasure.”  Sadly, age has outpaced Knight’s sturdy frame and the 80-plus year old man is now in a nursing home, but Dan, Samuel and Builder Bill are determined Salvation Mountain will provide an enduring legacy.  The three now head a committee devoted to the preservation of Salvation Mountain, and indeed, they are not shy about getting their own hands dirty.  Preservation Director Dan Westfall (see below) says that Knight is expected to visit this spring following  cataract surgery.

L to R:  Almost to the Slabs; Kim Olson, restoring roof and generally helping to restore
library; Dan Westfall, Samuel Farrell, Builder Bill. (Click images to enlarge.)

The disheartening news from The Slabs concerns the library, destroyed, as “Fireman Peter” says, by a man who “went mental.”  Translated, the man (whom everyone knows) burned a community creation that was years in the making.  But here enter Kim, Amy, and several others who are now devoting “free time” to restoring this treasured resource – the community library.  Donations are welcome and those can take the form of discarded books.  We met the pair when they were perched on ladders, pounding nails, trying to recreate order from havoc.

A WILL OF STEEL

The last person on my list is Radio Mike, an Airstreamer whom we first meet several years ago in Ohio.  Mike has a will forged from steel, and proved it last summer following a motorcycle accident in which he broke his tibia and fibula and several bones in his foot. Local medical practitioners applied a temporary cast, enabling him to direct a host of helpful friends in the Slabs to safeguard his Airstream and other belongings.

Michael Depraida, artist at large

Three days later he limped aboard a plane and flew to a hospital in New York near his sisters where he underwent reconstructive surgery.  Now recovered, “Radio Mike” is back where he wants to be – in The Slabs, entertaining friends, selling his various art creations as “Tee Shirt Mike,” and operating an FM radio station for community edification.

EAST OF JESUS

Because The Slabs may be an end of the road for some, a transitory community for others, an independent community where many demand a laissez faire life style, it nevertheless remains one where positive efforts generally dominate.  (We’re waiting to see what becomes of an offshoot assemblage now calling their artistic manifestations “East of Jesus.” Some of the graffiti is exceptional! )

Radio Mike and Chantal, Nitchi, and Karine

Locally known as “Radio Mike” and Tee-shirt Mike,” 
fans (Chantal, Nitchi, and Karine — all from Quebec ) are drawn to his Airstream curious to learn just how this man does so well in one of the most obscure parts of America.

In this way The Slabs seem typical of most other American communities in that The Slabs also attracts a majority who have a sense of compassion and drive to make things work – but make them work on their own terms.

Or so it seems that way to Janie and to me.

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THIS TIME FOUR YEARS AGO

*Amaragosa Oprera House

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BOOKS FOR SALE:

Goat Canyon Trestle, through Carrizo Gorge

©Bert Gildart:  I had hoped to post a more substantial blog but Janie and I are rushing off to see a friend in San Diego who has a few medical issues we hope will soon improve.  Our friend epitomizes bravery in the face of adversity.

We’ll be back this Friday, at which time I’ll be making a substantial post about several recent trips that were absolutely fantastic.

Solar windmills flank the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert State Park; grove of palm trees along route to Goat Canyon Trestle; bikes rest back dropped by freight cars once
used for movie, now in final resting spot.

In the meantime, enjoy these images which were made several days ago on a mountain bike trip through Carizzo Gorge.  They are intended to complement images from my last posting.     The one exception is the image of the solar windmills, which flank the southern part of Anza Borrego Desert State Park.  Everything, of course, is in the eye of the beholder, but to many the windmills are an eyesore.

So where ever you are, get out and enjoy the day – and live it as fully as you can live it.

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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:

Chiricahua-land-of-standing-up-rocks

©Bert Gildart:  Yesterday, Photographer Ron Niebrugge and I biked about six miles from the Indian Hill Trailhead to a point known as the Goat Canyon Trestle.  We followed a railroad work path that paralleled a set of historic tracks and railroad line. Our route took us through dark tunnels, over lofty trestles and along a path that was sometimes strewn with rocks and railroad ties that we had to  “leap.”

Our destination, Goat Canyon Trestle, was built in 1932 after an earthquake collapsed one of the tunnels of the Carrizo Gorge section of the San Diego and Arizona Railway. At 200 feet tall and 750 feet long, Goat Canyon Trestle remains the longest, tallest curved wooden trestle ever built in the United States.  Impressive as it may be, the route came to be known as the “Impossible Railroad.”

Longest, tallest curved wooden trestle ever built in the United States. But it is remote!

For years the trestle has been a popular destination for both hikers and bikers.  It is popular because movie scenes have been filmed here, meaning Carrizo Gorge has to be spectacular.  Nevertheless, the railroad company has at times imposed travel restrictions, though I’ve had difficulty determining what those might be today.

Prior to our departure I found that in 2008 Railroad Police had posted an internet “trespass notice.” But in the interim the route has been much traveled, so it wasn’t until we reached Goat Canyon that I finally saw a “No Trespass” sign, and it was riddled with bullet holes.

WHY BIKE?

People such as Ron and I bike to such areas for the scenic rewards and for the area’s interesting history.  If indeed the area is closed, it should be opened as it provides access to some of the desert’s most beautiful scenery.

L TO R:  Sign near one of trestles in Carrizo Gorge (Hard to read isn’t it??);  final resting spot for freight cars that “jumped” tracks; biker passing through tunnel; bike rider crossing grating of trestle.

That said, we also concluded the Railroad had reasons they might want to exempt themselves from mishap.

To access the trestle you must pass through magnificent Carrizo Gorge, but in places steep terrain abuts the path, meaning the slightest mis-turn of your handle bars could propel you on a most unpleasant journey.  In such places, I dismounted and found a secure detour by walking the railroad tracks.

TUNNELS AND TRESTLES

As we rode we passed through four tunnels and an equal number of trestles.  Obviously the trestles provided a route for trains but they also provided a route for us.  And here’s another place bikers need to pay attention.  Wire grating flanks the railroad tracks and though the grating measures four feet and is certainly wide enough to accommodate a bike the narrow passage was unnerving to me.

Though Ron pumped ahead, I dismounted several times when the wind blew.  However, on the way back I’d acquired my sea legs and learned to rivet my attention on the grating — and not on the deep gorges over which the grating passed – and on which we rode.

FREIGHT CAR JUMPS TRACK

About midway on our ride we came to a spot where two huge freight cars had “jumped” the tracks, then slid down the embankment.  Obviously the mishap resulted in huge financial losses for a company whose business must be marginal.

In the early years of the train’s history, lines moved passengers by day and freight by night, but as years passed, improved transportation, wars and maintenance problems brought an end to the train’s operations.  More recently these rails have been used for transporting sand and lumber and for the transporting of other goods between the U.S. and Mexico.  But time seems to have taken its toll and we found places where gratings were  held together with rope, and where boards have weathered away.  Little wonder the Impossible Railway seems to be discouraging use.  Trespass signs are a way of exempting themselves from legal entanglements.

Biker riding over Goat Trestle

Today, it appeared to Ron and me that much of the infrastructure should be repaired, so predicting the future seems difficult.  But, in Montana and in Idaho, I’m familiar with the wonderful mountain bike routes railroads have created from former lines.  Ancillary businesses have evolved making it a win-win proposition for almost everyone.  In the meantime, hiking guides offer challenging routes to Goat Trestle.

Whatever the future may hold for these rails Ron and I both concluded that our ride along the route of the Impossible Railroad will always rank as one of the best mountain bike trips – ever!

NOTE: In my next blog I’ll post a few more images from the “Impossible Railroad.”

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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:

*Tour By Anza Borrego’s Retired Superintendent Mark Jorgensen

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©Bert Gildart: We seldom drive by California’s Imperial Sand Dunes but the other day we had no choice – and were stunned to see that visitation of this beautiful area was confined to off-roaders.  Absolutely no other user groups were present.  Just  off-roaders.

I didn’t understand!  I’d always thought BLM lands (Bureau of Land Management) were supposed to be available to all Americans, but the number of off-roaders makes use of this incredible ecosystem by anyone else  absolutely impossible.

First there was the noise, loud even from where we watched from a rest stop along Interstate 8 in the southeastern corner of California.  Then there was the sight of dozens of vehicles spinning their wheels, sand flying.

Many had American flags hoisted high from the rear of their vehicles, and it seemed they were attempting to convince Interstate drivers that their activities made them the most patriotic of all Americans.

OFF-ROAD USE THREATENS ENDANGERED PLANT

BLM lands are supposed to be accessible for all Americans.  What’s more I thought BLM lands at least considered the requirement of other agencies.  I learned from the Internet that the activities of off-roaders at the Imperial Sand Dunes have threatened the recovery of an endangered plant species – the Peirson’s milk-vetch.

But even if that were not the case, off-road vehicular use at the Imperial Sand Dunes ruins the natural beauty of these massive dunes and renders them un-useable for hikers, bikers –  or any other other outdoor American group who might simply want to sit and soak up the beauty inherent in this  unique desert landscape.

But there’s more, and anyone not acquainted with off-road vehicular use might be shocked to find that just a littler further east there is an entire state park devoted to off-road use.

OFF-ROAD USE CREATES CLOUDS OF UNHEALTHY DUST

The park is known as Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area, and when the area is in use, off roaders generate so much dust that it can literally choke residents in the nearby settlement of Borrego Springs.  It’s been reported that some with allergies are absolutely miserable from the dust, and literally believe they are sick.

Nevertheless, some merchants tolerate the noise and dust because it generates some income, but then they lose business because it drives away others who can’t stand the noise and the dust storms off-roaders create.

Off road vehicular use renders beautiful landscapes like the Imperial Sand Dunes unusable by any other group.  The practice kills everything natural and it requires an immense amount of gas to sustain.  Dust flares the allergies of some, sometimes making life miserable. Many fly an American flag apparently believing it shrouds them in some kind of a divine majesty. 

Guess I need some clarification of policies, but in the meantime, I’m at a loss to understand how this sport improves the life of the average American traveler.  And, incidentally, I greatly respect the American flag, but question the implication that flying Old Glory creates an American who is so admirable that he has carte blanche to destroy a unique desert setting.

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THIS TIME THREE YEARS AGO:

*Anza Borrego’s Endangered Desert Bighorn

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

From Bert and Janie

Merry Christmas

The image of northern lights makes us think of Christmas and of family and good friends we’ve know around the country.   With that thought in mind I’ve posted links to good times from the past.  Most focus on Christmas but several include celebrations from other season.  The list includes not only people in the Arctic but from all over the Lower 48. We wish this group of links linked to all of our friends, but with the exception of a few, these were all taken at Christmas Time.

Merry Christmas From 2010

Bullhead City

Arctic Village

Christmas at Bill & Larry’s (Anza Borrego)

Christmas at Prescott, AZ

Christmas in Bigfork *2008

Christmas Fun in Glacier’s Winter Wonderland (Skiing with Will, Hallie and Granddaughter Hallie)

Poke Salad at the Anderson’s (This was almost like Christmas)

Christmas on the Road

Christmas in Bigfork

AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHERE EVER YOU MAY BE.
WE MISS YOU ALL!!

©Bert Gildart: “See ‘em?” questioned Janie from our perch on the boulders near Rio Grande Village Campground in Big Bend National Park, Texas. “There goes another…

“I don’t think they’re supposed to be doing that!”

Fact of the matter is they’re not supposed to be doing that! But it’s so darn easy for Mexicans to cross the Rio Grande River at Boquillas, Mexico and enter this immense American national park that they do so at will.  And everyone knows it.  Rangers know it, campground hosts and hostesses know it, maintenance personnel know it, and now we know it ‘cuz we’d just seen it.  It’s easy! Simply hop into a saddle behind a Mexican horseman, and no one even gets wet. In places the historic river is only about 100 yards wide (if that), and on a Quarter horse the water is but stirrup high.

L to R:  Prior to 9/11 Victor could legally transport Americans from Big Bend to Boquillas, Mexico.  Today, he wades or boats the river with items to sell which the park now considers to be illegal.  Nevertheless, everyone knows he does it, just like they know other illegals (images 2 and 3) ford the Rio Grande with items of art which they too sell along the park’s various trails. In the case of image 2 & 3, Mexicans are fording Rio Grande immediately adjacent to the Rio Grande Village Campground.  Many we talked to say it makes them nervous.  (All images copyright Bert Gildart)

The purpose, of course, of “stealing” across the U.S./Mexican border is to sell your family’s works of art, and this river setting offers many opportunities.

SHALLOW AND NARROW

In some places the water could hit a horse at shoulder height, in which case you defer to a small canoe like the one Victor, “The Singing Mexican,” uses.  Worst case scenario, simply wade the river, get wet, and when no one is around, place your objects of art along the trail.  Before day’s end American tourists will be along — and just as surely as the Chicos Mountains will be standing tall and majestic in the morrow — someone will place the requisite price in the small, stone-weighted adjacent glass jar.  Signs warn against purchasing contraband from undesirables, but most (visitors at any rate) just chortle the thought away.  “Yeah, we’ve got one of Victor’s walking sticks.”

And though purchase price may be small, the money means much to residents in Boquillas.

UNIQUE VILLAGE

Along the entire Mexican/American border, the small village of Boquillas, Coahuila (the state) is truly unique .  Established about 1916 to serve mining interests, the village peers down on the Rio Grande River from a 500-foot high cliff face where it looms over the 800,000 acre Big Bend, famous for its javelina, road runners and other premier examples of the Chihuahuan Desert. In this immense landscape employees at the park once played baseball with residents of Boquillas.  Folks from both sides crossed from their respective countries with little more than God’s blessings, and might have done so simply to gossip about Juanita’s new baby boy.

Here, too, in this setting a genuine business once existed where American visitors could hop aboard Victor’s boat and listen, perhaps, to a few of the man’s ballads as he paddled you across this historic river.  Five minutes later you would step foot in Mexico, climb the bank to the village, have dinner and then, several hours later, boat back to Big Bend National Park.

Though illegal border crossings is a significant story in Big Bend, it is not the major story.  Instead, it is park’s unique geology; its outdoor activities such as paddling the Rio Grand River; and the wildlife, such as the javelina, that make this premier park so fascinating.  Nevertheless, Big Bend National Park, like Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, has problems that must be resolved.

Prior to 9/11 it was all very legal and everyone loved the experience. No passport or other legal papers were needed, but most importantly, adventures here provided residents in Boquillas with an income.

NOT VERY ACCESSIBLE

All this worked because Boquillas is not easily accessible, making drug running impractical.  Nevertheless, after 9/11 new rules were implemented.  Essentially it meant that Americans could no longer cross the Rio Grande for a night in Boquillas. As a result, generating revenue for the 450 residents of Boquillas became a huge issue.  And so Mexican residents  began crossing the river where they’d position their art on rocks along the Boquillas Canyon trail, which is remote.

And because times are now desperate, some who make these illegal crossings get overly zealous.  A few ask inappropriate questions, as just recently happened to Janie and me.

WE WERE WARY!

Four days ago (December 15), Janie and I were returning from our hike into beautiful Boquillas Canyon, when we saw a Mexican horseman near the crest of our short trail.  From his vantage he had a commanding view of our vehicle and the comings and goings of all hikers.  He was just off the trail, and he was definitely not supposed to be there.  Nevertheless, he wanted information – and that pissed us off, for his attitude seemed imperious.

“Ola,” said the horseman.  “Where you camped… Any more behind you?”

Because posted signs explain that thefts have recently occurred at the parking lot, his presence also made us wary, so we hiked on, saying little.  Later a ranger said our thoughts were justified.

Priort to 9/11 Victor the boatman could transport visitors from Big Bend to Boquillas. That may soon be possible again.

“Yes,” said Ranger Jose Galinda, “he could have been signaling a partner.”  But Galinda also said aggressive residents would probably be weeded out if conditions returned to those that existed prior to 9/11.

SOON TO BE LEGAL?

Most can’t wait and rumor has it that change is in the offing, though convoluted red tape will be part of the bargain.  Nevertheless, most believe it will be a start in the right direction – that it will eliminate any budding problems by charging the economy in Boquillas.  That means that in two to three months (March, some say) Janie and I may be dining in Boquillas.  It would be an adventure – and then, too, we’d like to help Mexicans in Mexico sustain themselves.

It could be a very good thing, certainly better than labeling some of American’s closest neighbors as “undesirables,” which they certainly are not – at least in the case of Boquillas.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS SIX YEARS AGO:

*By Their Beaks Shall You know Them

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©Bert Gildart: Today Janie and I left Las Cruces, New Mexico, and traveled east to Fort Davis, mostly along Texas Highway 10.  Fort Davis, Texas  seems to offer much in the way of history and beauty so we’ll be staying for the next few days.  Hollywood filmed part of Lonesome Dove at and around the fort.

THE MIGHTY RIO GRANDE — A RIVER WITHOUT WATER! 
CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VERSIONS

But that’s not what we saw as we traveled east from Las Crucez along the Texas Ten.   Draw your own conclusions from the above images of the Rio Grande as seen from a city park in Las Crucez.  Click the image of the sign which will blow it up large enough to be read more easily.

In brief it says the “Rio Grande has been an integral part of the history of New Mexico.” Proudly the sign proclaims the Rio Grande to be “one of the great rivers of the world.”

That’s sad because judging from what we saw today it appears as thought the Rio Grande is about to suffer the same fate as the Colorado, which no longer reaches the Gulf.  Image on the right of sign make the Rio Grande appear as though it may be a muddy river, but in fact it is only sand and mud and was taken when I turned 180 degrees.   Click the image to enlarge it and you’ll better see the dessicated clumps of  dirt which now fill the air when the wind blows, which it frequently does. The bright spot is that there are remedies for some of America’s environmental problems.

Borders without fences? Maybe somewhere but not here where this huge fence separates El Paso from Juarez, Mexico.

And, finally, here (above) is  an image of Juarez, Mexico, taken from the shoulder of Interstate 10 in El Paso,  showing the huge border fence and a little of the poverty behind the fence. Hopefully, some of the dire economic conditions will change with Mexico’s new president.  On Dec. 1, Enrique Peña Nieto began a six-year term and immediately directed his Cabinet to promote Mexico’s development.  We hope he is successful, because the more we travel the more we become convinced that we in the U.S. have some real problems.

Some of those were alluded to in my last few posts, and the bright spot (as mentioned) is that remedies do exist.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FIVE YEARS AGO:

*Gator Drama in Shark Valley

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©Bert Gildart:  With a look of great concern, Janie suddenly stopped, turned and tried to make hidden pointing gestures.   “There’s a man,” she whispered.    “A Mexican and he’s carrying a backpack.  I think I hear more.  I think we’re in trouble.”

Searching for a parallel experience I don’t believe I’ve seen my wife quite so upset since running into two grizzly bears in Glacier National Park.

Written in English, Spanish and a local Native American tongue, this is one of many signs alerting visitors to the presence of illegal aliens.

At the moment Janie and I were hiking Alamo Canyon in Organ Pipe National Monument and I had stopped to take a few photographs.  We had completed the goal of our hike which was to follow a one mile long trail to an old homestead used by rancher Birdie Del Miller before creation of the park in 1937.  The old brick structure was about eight miles from the Mexican border and before striking out we had seen a sign near the trailhead (also the Alamo primitive campground) explaining that if we need help we should “push the red button.”  Continuing the sign exclaimed:

“Rescue personnel will arrive shortly to help you. 
Do not leave the area.”

And now I must confess that I too was unnerved, and quickly gathered up my camera gear, joined Janie and began marching out.  Simultaneously we watched the brush along the south side of the wash and again, about 30 yards away we saw the man, as well as the movement of others..  Apparently he didn’t want us to see any more of him, for he began sneaking through the brush.  But we continued to see him, and we saw the constant movement of the brush.  Suddenly, I remembered I’d left my $75 trekking pole, and explained that I needed to run back, quickly  and get it.

“If you do,” said Janie, “I’ll shoot you!”

L to R:  Three miles on a dirt road to the trailhead into Alamo Canyon; unusual growth of organ pipe along trail; one trail mile to the  old brick home of
Birdie Del Miller, where Janie spotted an illegal Mexican.

An hour later we reported our experience to headquarters, something park officials ask everyone to do when they encounter illegals.  But as we talked with the ranger we began to get the feeling that we were filing a wildlife report, similar, let’s say, to seeing a wolverine in Glacier, which is just a little more than routine.  I also explained that I had left my trekking pole at the rock shelter and said I was going back to get it.

“Your call,” said the ranger – and that set into motion yet another experience about illegals that now has me thinking.

Yes, I retrieved my pole, and when returning to the trailhead I encountered a camper from Nebraska who said that only yesterday he had encountered an illegal Mexican immigrant who was about 20 years old.  Mr. Nebraska said the young man was starving, out of water and needed help.  “That,” said the farmer from Nebraska, “is when we sat him down and fed him.  Then, following his insistence, we pushed the red button, which quickly brought in the Border Patrol.”

And now I’ve got to wonder:  Are we making too much of the danger imposed by these “undocumented immigrants?”  No visitor has ever been hurt.

Most of the illegals must  come from desperate financial situations and are simply looking for a better way of life.  To stop such traffic (and it must be stopped because the park is suffering!)  the solution may be to impose heavy fines on the farmers, ranchers – business people – who hire these illegals – or consider legalizing marijuana, the other reason that illegals risk the hardships of crossing our border.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FIVE YEARS AGO:

*The Dry Tortugas

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©Bert Gildart:  When you park your vehicle at the Kris Eggle Visitor Center in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, the first thing you see is a gravestone (a boulder) adorned with a plaque.  Just above it two hawk feathers have been affixed to the stem of an organ pipe cactus, and when the wind blows, the feathers flutter gently suggesting a moment of great peace.

The marker, the plaque and the feathers are all back dropped by bold letters near the roof of a substantial building and they read Kris Eggle Visitor Center.  The combination of features reminds visitors that not too long ago a man was killed by a drug runner in this National Park Service administered national monument.

On that fate full day Kris Eggle was on the trail of a man who had illegally crossed the U.S./Mexican border less than five miles to the south with the intent of selling drugs.  A radio message from an overhead helicopter had alerted Chris that the man was hiding behind a huge Saguaro, and when Chris turned the man shot and fatally wounded him.

L to R:  Hawk feathers drape from organ pipe branch and often flutter in desert winds; image of Kris Eggle near grave marker; hat, plaque and flowers back dropped by organ pipes.

Today the park recalls the service of the 28 year old ranger not only with a namesake visitor center but with a plaque positioned in front of that Visitor Center.  The plaque reads:

On August 9, 2002
While protecting visitors from harm
United State Park Ranger
Kris Eggle 
Was slain in the line of duty.
His service and sacrifice

To the National Park Service
And the people of this country
Will never be forgotten.

Tragically, the conditions that resulted in Eggle’s death still exist.  Thousands of illegal immigrants still cross the borders bringing drugs, and I know this is true as I overheard a conversation the other day in which a park volunteer described an incident that occurred at Victoria Mine just a few miles from the Twin Peaks Campground.  Five days ago,  Janie and I had hiked to that area so the narration was of particular interest.

The volunteer had been looking down from a ridge when he saw four Mexicans.  Shortly thereafter they picked up huge packs, which later (after being apprehended by park rangers) proved to be filled with drugs.  With a street market for these drugs in the thousands, these men were dangerous.

Looking towards Mexico from Bull Pasture, an area that remains open.

Sadly the incident is not isolated, and certainly I don’t know the solution.  Nor do I know what Kris Eggle would think.  The only thought I have is to create a penalty that would be so severe for such transgressions that illegal immigrants of all kind will give more serious thought to stealing across the border here in Organ Pipe.

This park contains natural history features found nowhere else in North America and they are so unique that Organ Pipe has been designed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Park.  Right now over 60 percent of the park is closed to Americans, and that is a travesty.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS SIX YEARS AGO:

*Ranger Overboard

©Bert Gildart:  Though an estimate 60 percent of Organ Pipe National Cactus National Monument is closed (see previous post) several absolutely gorgeous areas remain open.  One such area is the 21-mile long Ajo Mountain loop Drive, which in turn offers access to several world-class hiking trails.

Arch created by forest of chain cholla

Yesterday, Don and Nancy Dennis and I made the drive and then, at about the halfway point, embarked on a somewhat arduous climb into Bull Pasture.  Before Organ Pipe was declared a national monument in 1937, the area was used by local ranchers as a summer pasture for cattle.  Because the pasture is enclosed on several sides by towering mountains, ranchers could control cattle egress.

The trail climbed steeply and though it is fall, a number of wildflowers were in bloom to include the brittlebush.  But it was the cactus that generated the most comment, and one of the most conspicuous seemed to be the chain cholla.  In places it was so thick that it created an arch over our trail.

Closeup Chain Cholla

Back dropped by the Ajo Mountains the setting was stunning and I’ve enclosed an image here of Don walking through this forest of Oregon Pipe,  Saguaro and chain cholla.

The point is that although much of this park is closed, those areas that are open contain some of the most beautiful examples of the Sonora Desert. More people should experience them!

AIRSTREAM TRAVELS SIX YEARS AGO:

*Kayaking Tampa Bay

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©Bert Gildart:  Shortly after Don and Nancy Dennis and I turned our bicycles onto the Puerto Blanco road in Organ Pipe National Monument, a patrol car passed us to be followed a few moments later by a surveillance helicopter. Quickly they assessed our presence, and satisfied that we were not undocumented immigrants or drug runners, they accelerated on.

Only five miles of the 50-mile-long Puerto Blanco road are open now to legal American residents. Unfortunately the rest is closed.

For a while, we watched the helicopter, for it seemed focused on a low pass in the surrounding mountains.  Back and forth the helicopter flew, and my companions and I discussed the difficulty of their work as we rode.  If  immigrants — or drug runners — were camouflaged, it seemed they could evade rangers and the border patrol, and apparently many do, for the internet suggests that hundreds stream through the park on an annual basis.  On a national basis, along our entire border, the internet reports that over a million Mexicans attempt to enter the United States — illegally. (Note: I know my opinion on this seems to shift, but conditions here are persuasive and in your face. Other thoughts may be needed now for balance.)

CLOSED TO LEGAL AMERICANS

America has its problems and this beautiful park epitomizes the complexities, for it has experienced some tragic moments.  In 2002 a drug runner killed a much admired ranger and, then, over the years undocumented immigrants  have perished from lack of water.  That, too, is tragic, but of course, they should not have been here in the first place.  Because of their activities vast portions of this once accessible park have been closed, and that doesn’t seem right, for Organ Pipe is such a unique portion of America that it has, in fact, been declared a world heritage center, meaning that there is no place else in the world like it.  (Night Photography in Organ Pipe.) But as unique as this park may be, sections are considered dangerous and you can no longer  visit these  beautiful sections of this the Sonoran Desert.

L To R:  Compassionate water tanks help create “humane borders.”  Sign at water tanks about man who perished.  Yet another sign at water tanks noting that Americans create humane border crossing, essentially for illegal Mexicans who depart Mexico because of impoverished working conditions.  That’s tragic, but the population of America has now increased by several million, and in many cases, their problems now become ours.

The bike ride that Don, Nancy and were making illustrates one of the restrictions – and some of the accommodations we’ve had to make.  Fifteen years ago Janie and I drove this rode and at the time the entire 50-mile-long length of the Puerto Blanco road was open, but today, except for the first five miles, the road is closed.  Percentage wise, that means that 69 percent of this park is closed, including beautiful Quitobaquito springs, which Janie and I toured several years ago, but only with an armed escort.

HUMANE BORDERS

After about an hour’s ride, Don, Nancy and I came to a gate closed sign and to adjacent accommodations offered by small shelters roofed with ocotillo.  While we ate our lunch, the helicopter continued its surveillance.  We then retraced our route, stopping this time at a series of “compassionate water tanks” located about 100 yards off the road. A huge blue flag pinpointed their presence, and we tested the fullness of the tanks by attempting to inch them up, but they wouldn’t budge, so they were obviously full of water.

Water tanks were here several years ago when I visited the area, so one of the fundamentals of  human needs has been met, and for this reason it is appropriate to say that our borders – as the associated signs declare – are “Humane Borders.” And that is an American virtue.

Don and Nancy beneath roof of ocotillo shelter, representing the end of the road for us. Over half of the park lies beyond, but it is closed to Americans because of the danger posed by illegal immigrants.

But beyond that I believe the U.S. needs to protect its own resources.  The population of America is increasing exponentially, and more and more pressure is being placed on our limited resources, national parks being among those resources.  Superintendent Lee Baiza (whom I interviewed several years ago for a story about Organ Pipe) is doing a wonderful job, but he has his challenges.  Everyone should wish him the best.  I hope I can do so again, but in the meantime, I will continue to enjoy as much of this beautiful park as is possible, and hope to show images of Organ Pipe over the next few days. Legal residents are being prohibited from seeing so much of this park and that is a tragedy.

AIRSTREAM TRAVELS FIVE YEARS AGO:

*Tampa Florida

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©Bert Gildart: This past weekend California’s Borrego Springs hosted its popular Borrego Days, held annually– and did so by  kicking off festivities with a spectacular airshow and a two-hour-long parade.

All that color fringing the bighorn is actually a collection of errant balloons, which has proven lethal to desert bighorns.

Everything was first-class but (and perhaps not surprising) the natural history component completely captured my attention.  It was poignant, and featured a huge model of a bighorn ram surrounded by literally thousands of balloons.  The combination presented a message about the effects of renegade balloons and their effect on wildlife, particularly on mountain sheep – and sometimes, too, on seals.  Borrego, of course, means bighorn, so the inclusion seems particularly relevant.

ALL BALLOONS COLLECTED LOCALLY

Right up front it should be noted that all balloons based on the float were ones collected from surrounding mountains.  To further dramatize the problem news reports tell about a biologist who removed enough balloons from one of the chambers of a bighorn’s stomach to fill a plastic bag. The effect of the balloons on wildlife is not pretty and is, in fact, generally lethal.

Like cows, bighorn sheep have four-chambered stomachs which serve to process food progressively.  However, ingested balloons lodge in the stomach and stop further digestions, meaning the animal soon starves.

Sadly the balloon problem is a growing one, and to help sheep the California fish and game departments is attempting to educate the public using techniques as seen at Borrego Days.  As well, the state of California has outlawed the use of party balloon in sensitive areas, and to emphasize their determination to preserve these magnificent animals the state now impose a $100 fine.

L TO R:  Janie models hat (reflecting in mirror), which she says she must have; Lone Ranger strolls streets of Borrego; military aspects help kick off parade for this
small town’s annual festival of Borrego Days.

However, the damage has been done creating yet another problem with which wildlife must now contend.

ALL THIS PUTS A NEGATIVE SPIN on an event that was really joyous – and so as to not to end on an unpleasant note, I’ve included a few images that show other aspects of this grand parade.  In total, the entire affair presented a small town in a good light, and not only did we learn about a local problem but we enjoyed the day as well.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS SIX YEARS AGO:

*Antietam Battlefield

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(You can order our new books (shown below ) from Amazon — or you can order them directly from the Gildarts. Bert will knock a dollar off the list price of $16.95, but he must add the cost of book-rate mailing and the mailer, which are $2.25. The grand total then is $18.20. Please send checks to Bert Gildart at 1676 Riverside Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.)

©Bert Gildart:  I wasn’t real happy with my posted image showing a water tank, essentially because I wanted the words AGUA and WATER to leap out. The unintentional exclusion of the last letter of each word diminishes the impact.

Blame it on the fact that I had ridden my bike almost 20 miles on a day that approached the 100 degree mark and my mind could have been a bit addled.  But the upside is that I now know something about heat, dramatized by the presence of the tanks.

Compassionate water tank just north of Mexican border near Agua Caliente

The tank is referred to as a “compassionate water tank,” and it is one of a number of barrels located south of Agua Caliente, meaning that they are located just a few miles north of the Mexican border.   Each of the barrels contains jugs of water and virtually all will be consumed by undocumented immigrants, most of who are trying to find a better life for themselves in the US.

Ignoring the politics that engulf the issue of undocumented immigrants, groups who place the barrels here do so because they believe in human rights, and such compassion is significant.  In other words, these humanitarians are simply expressing the belief through their actions that people should not die of heat exhaustion and dehydration because they want a better way of life.

Several years ago over two dozen illegals died, and none in this group was a drug runner.  These people died horrible deaths in the desert, and might have survived had water been present.

In no way, however,  should this posting be construed as one endorsing the presence of undocumented immigrants.  The issues seem so complex and so nuanced that I have no real opinion, just simply trying to explain what is here.  I’ve reported a bit on this subject before and if you also click the associated links you’ll see that I do recognize the compassionate aspects – but also the downside of undocumented immigrants, particularly as it has been affecting one of our national parks — and when it includes illegal drugs!

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Airstream Camper Tips (From Organ Pipel)

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(You can order our new books (shown below ) from Amazon — or you can order them directly from the Gildarts. Bert will knock a dollar off the list price of $16.95, but he must add the cost of book-rate mailing and the mailer, which are $2.25. The grand total then is $18.20. Please send checks to Bert Gildart at 1676 Riverside Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.)

©Bert Gildart:  Time is written in the features Janie and I have recently witnessed in both Bryce and in the Grand Canyon, and in slightly different ways those features  are expressing themselves here in Anza Borrego Desert State Park.    We’re  seeing them through the unobstructed rising of the brilliant red desert sun; the  flocks of Gambel’s Quail charging among the ocotillo — just leafed out following a down pour of rain; and in the monstrous ears of the desert cottontail that time has enlarged to dissipate heat which assaults it almost daily.

At the end of such observations I find that I start reading books with a natural history theme.  Our time here in Anza Borrego Desert State Park has produced no exceptions.

Through time quail have established a niche in the California desrert

This past week while camped at Agua Caliente I completed a book entitled Red, which contains some of the nation’s most eloquent writing on behalf of wilderness and the creatures that make such wild places their home.  I like the writing of Terry Tempest  Williams  in part because her concerns about excessive population growth, unchecked construction, and the ravages of wild places are identical to mine.  But after those comparisons similarities cease, for she  voices her concerns in a way that must be classified as pure art.

Ms. Williams (a relative of Mitt Romney) makes her case through the telling of stories, believing, she says, that “Story… returns us to our highest and deepest selves, where we remember what it means to be human…” In her book she writes passionately about time, about wildlife and about people, and because much of her writing in the book pleads for the preservation of wilderness lands in Utah she asks specifically:

“What,” she queries, “do these places have to say to us as human beings at this point in time?  What do they have to say about life during the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic eras?  What do they say about the erosion and uplift of our souls and imaginations?”

The sun rises through the time-adjusted branches of an ocotillo plant, which in turn attracts a variety of species of birds — ecological adjustments that are a product of the eons. 

Leaping ahead to another page she summarizes: “When one of us says, ‘Look, there’s nothing out there,’ what we’re really saying is, ‘I cannot see.’”

Those same thoughts can, of course, be applied to lands other than to just those in Utah, and those who have followed my blogs (perhaps even some of my magazine stories) over the years know that because the Arctic Refuge contains one of the world’s last self-regulating natural ecosystems I believe it should be preserved.  Those who can’t find beauty in a field of arctic flowers or in the annual migration of thousands of caribou simply can not  see!  Instead, they compensate for their lack of vision calling it “a wasteland that should be developed.”

Those, however, who have actually been there say it should be protected forever as wilderness, for its existence and evolved ecology is the product of the eons, and from this defacto wilderness area, magnificent stories about native adaptations have been recorded.

Once I thought that opening the refuge to development was the ultimate insult to time and intelligence  but sadly equivalents have emerged.  Expediency rather than wisdom might soon alter the health of our globe despite the existence of thoughtful alternatives. As well it might introduce an international pipeline, and deplete our aquifers.  And so it is with the assault on our land not only where I live in Montana, but also  in places contiguous with Arches National Monument – where  one recent president began exploratory drilling.

Through time the desert cottontail has evolved enlarged ears to help it dissipate heat.

Consequently,  I began casting around for solutions and again find myself listening to Ms. Williams who says that if we listen to our politicians we must ask some serious question:  “Who,” she asked, “is speaking on the side of time?”

After reading Williams’s book and then photographing and enjoying magnificent aspects of this desert, I find myself thinking once again about our place in the universe, and then wondering what our world could look like under the wrong set of circumstances?

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Airstreams Over the Past Ten Years

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(You can order our new books (shown below ) from Amazon — or you can order them directly from the Gildarts. Bert will knock a dollar off the list price of $16.95, but he must add the cost of book-rate mailing and the mailer, which are $2.25. The grand total then is $18.20. Please send checks to Bert Gildart at 1676 Riverside Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.)

©Bert Gildart: After overnighting  at a marginally acceptable Navajo-managed campground, fixing a flat tire on our trailer, studying a sign that seems to epitomizes the effects that shunning (see immediate right photo)  might have — but then having a delightful and classy meal at the Cameron Trading Post, where this reservation-managed post has created an incredible historical retrospective — we have finally drifted on and now find ourselves in the Grand Canyon, a park revered by Theodore Roosevelt. (We’ll get to him in a minute!)

L TO R:  Shunning makes a powerful statement and sometimes it works; Historic Cameron Trading Post, well operated by Navajo Tribe.

As my sister says, “Bert, you seem to know where you’re going only after you’ve spent a couple of days there.”

But now we’re here, and after a couple of days, we know what we’re going to do at least for the next few days.  We’re going to explore Grand Canyon National Park, a place Roosevelt revered.

BRYCE INTIMATE BUT GRAND CANYON ALOOF

But if Bryce was intimate, the Grand Canyon is aloof, so overwhelming that it is hard to know what to do – and where to begin.  Still if anyone is expecting that we will report, saying that our sour economy has affected area fascination that will not be the case.

Grand Canyon attracts five million visitors annually, and it seems as though three of them are here right now.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

What we hoping to do is arrive at some kind of statement which we can use for a comparison between today and the base-line statement Theodore Roosevelt made so long ago.

“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”

View from along Rim Trail, near Mather Point

Looking out over the canyon, this man’s eloquence seems to summarize it all.  Despite what my sister says we know we’ll be here several days more, and will report our conclusions.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Billings, Montana’s Trailhead

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(You can order our new books (shown below ) from Amazon — or you can order them directly from the Gildarts. Bert will knock a dollar off the list price of $16.95, but he must add the cost of book-rate mailing and the mailer, which are $2.25. The grand total then is $18.20. Please send checks to Bert Gildart at 1676 Riverside Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.)

©Bert Gildart:  Janie and I left Bigfork, Montana, several days ago and are just a little north now of Salt Lake City.  The distance approaches 600 miles and during the entire time we have been engulfed by smoke created by forest fires in both Montana and in Idaho.  If we saw these conditions in L.A., everyone would be jumping up and down and saying we’ve got to do something about all this pollution.

Smoke from forest fires creates a beauty and beast contradiction. The smoke has engulfed us now for almost 500 miles, as shown here in Dillon, Montana, which is in the southwestern part of the state.

Smoke, of course, is pollution, and global scientists have predicted that as the earth’s temperature rises, the occurrence of forest fires will increase.  Well, folks, it seems as though that is just what is starting to happen, and for many it is not pleasant at all.  Nasal passages clog up, membranes dry and nose bleeds increase.  The consolation is that smoke dramatizes images of sunrise and sunsets, and from the looks of things, it appears we’ll be seeing much more of this type of beauty, because the 5% of those who do not endorse global warming scientists (such as Montana’s Congressman Denny Rehberg) seem to be getting their way.  By that I mean that a willing society could reduce global warming and its effects, but we must listen to scientists and not politicians.

L TO R: In the first picture of the barn, mountains in the distance are completely obscured by smoke, which has engulfed us for almost 500 miles.  In the next image, the mountains are much closer but still muted by smoke.

At any rate, the  smoke was even intense at Monida Pass, and at times the area is intriguing.  Adjacent is the old town of Mondia at which Janie and I stop every time we pass through.  While in Dillon, Montana, we over-nighted at the home of friends and Chuck (who is a premier fishing guide) on the Bighole (and others) said the old barn has finally started to collapse.  Links to pictures of the past show the effect of wind, rain and snow.

Yesterday, it and the little town of Mondia contrasted with the smoke enveloped mountains in the background, which at times were completely obscured.

We’re hoping that as we drive south into the deserts of the Southwest that the smoke will dissipate.

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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THIS TIME LAST YEAR

*Successful Airstream Dealership (George Sutton)

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(You can order our new books (shown below ) from Amazon — or you can order them directly from the Gildarts. Bert will knock a dollar off the list price of $16.95, but he must add the cost of book-rate mailing and the mailer, which are $2.25. The grand total then is $18.20. Please send checks to Bert Gildart at 1676 Riverside Road, Bigfork, MT 59911.)

©Bert Gildart:  At the Republican Convention this past week, Mitt Romney closed his acceptance speech by saying he intended to correct our sluggish economy by reversing a promise Obama made four years ago.  “Obama promised to lower the rising of the oceans,” said Mr. Romney, who then concluded by saying that his promise was to put money in the pockets of the struggling middle class.  Elaborating, he said he would do so by “developing our oil, gas and coal resources.”

L TO R:  Dr. Dan Fagre pointing out the almost complete recession of Grinnell Glacier in GNP; “Caribou is our Life,” say these three young ladies from Arctic Village; ravages of oil development as revealed at Prudhoe Bay, a place where caribou “have benefited,” or at least so say the developers. 

Helping correct our sluggish economy in a responsible way is certainly laudable, but I guess I need help understanding economics.  Virtually all scientists now say aspects of global warming are man caused, and that continued warming could have devastating results.

CURRENT DEVASTATION

We’re already starting to suffer from some of these effects.  Right now forest fires are raging in the West, the Southeast is drought stricken with corn crops suffering, pine beetle infestation is killing off our forests, several foreign countries suffered from severe floods, and people are dying from the hottest temperatures on record.

Aesthetically, the appearance of America is changing. Massive ice fields in places such as Mount Rainier and Glacier National Park have been substantially reduced, and though it is true some have melted before, never in recorded history have they done so at such an accelerated rate.  Glaciers, of course, store water, and many of these storage units are almost gone.

DEVELOPMENT IS ALTERING LIFE STYLES

Oil development will also alter life styles and perhaps none more drastically then the lives of the Gwich’in, who live adjacent to the Arctic Refuge.  And unlike many nay sayers, Janie and I have actually hiked the refuge – from top to bottom.  And look at Prudhoe Bay, a spider web of pipes, which has suffered repeatedly from oil spills.  In the past I’ve reported on all these concerns in many of our leading conservation magazines, such as National Wildlife and Christian Science Monitor.

L to R:  Unlike most detractors who have never seen the Arctic Refuge, Janie and I have hiked the entire length;  camp site during climb of Mount Rainier where ice fields have been drastically reduced; Dr. David Bristol, my  Rainier climbing partner and life-long friend.

Romney’s developmental mind set was discussed this past Sunday on Meet the Press, and David Gregory’s Round Table discussion included both Democrats and Republicans (Newt Gingrich).  Thomas Friedman, NY Times columnist and a Pulitzer Prize winning author, said that if  oil, gas and coal resources were tapped that it would “burn up the planet” in ways never anticipated by even Al Gore.

None of the other participants disagreed, and now I’m wondering just how we’re going to resolve the economic woes created by rising temperatures.  In the long run it seems the Romney plan will actually exacerbate our economic woes.

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