San Rafael Peak-Sespe Wilderness

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:01 pm

I went again into the Sespe Wilderness and hiked San Rafael Peak. At 6,666 feet it provided us with views of Baldy, Baden-Powell, Twin Peaks, Mt. Waterman, Wilson and peaks in the closer ranges. It also provided views of the north sides of some of the recent Sespe peaks that i've done. It's always cool to recognize familiar peaks in the distance.

The ravage of the 2006 Day Fire was almost too sad. Way too many craters where there had once stood proud trees and their charred skeletons were everywhere on some of the ridges. This happened to our poor Angeles i kept thinking over and over...

No bear or cougar evidence, but i did find a very recent Red-Tailed Hawk kill with no tracks around it. I'm thinking that an owl might have done the deed. Survival of the fittest. Stats: 10 miles with 2,400' gain

Early morning Hoar Frost at a stream crossing

Survival of the fittest

A reality that can be hard to swallow

the rest of the pix are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/ryan.norma8 ... Wilderness#

moppychris · Post by **moppychris** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:33 pm

This place looks so nice in the winter. One thing I love about the winter stream crossings, the ice crystals. They make interesting desktop pictures.
Oh yeah, I enjoyed attack of the hiker. You should make a series, like in different circumstances, maybe one where the gloves trip you from under neath brushes and then you look up and Mr. Thompson, staring you in the face, the head of state, is set to address the nation regarding its dire economic conditions. But before he begins to speak, he is preempted, cut off the air by a motor of incalculable power. John Galt addresses the nation instead. Galt informs citizens that the men of the mind are on strike, that they require freedom of thought and action, and that they refuse to work under the dictatorship in power. The thinkers won't return, Galt says, until human society recognizes an individual's right to live his own life. Only when the moral code of self-sacrifice is rejected will the thinkers be free to create, and only then will they return..

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:42 pm

Uh, huh... Sure?... Ok?

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:12 pm

norma r wrote:Uh, huh... Sure?... Ok?

I think he wants someone to ask..."Who is John Galt?".

Great pics Norma - I love "Triumph" and the other goofoff poses. The frost photos are amazing!

I had a thought about the hawk - are they territorial, and do they fight each other? That could be a possibility too.

lilbitmo · Post by **lilbitmo** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:22 pm

Norma, as always you captured the day and the hike with some great pictures, thanks for sharing them - hope to see you on the trail soon

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:32 pm

Nice Hoar frost! Great views - thanks for sharing.

cougarmagic wrote:I think he wants someone to ask..."Who is John Galt?".

LOL.

norma r · Post by **norma r** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:31 pm

cougarmagic wrote:I had a thought about the hawk - are they territorial, and do they fight each other? That could be a possibility too.

yep, they are territorial. since the blood was fresh, it had to be a recent kill. birds of prey do not eat the intestines of other animals and i could not find the intestines. not that i searched all that well since the rest of the group wasn't keen on me taking too much time investigating. but the absence of tracks made me think owl, though you're right it could have also been another hawk. we'll never know?...