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Pinnacles National Monument |
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There was a controlled burn going on somewhere over the hill. All of the smoke made the view look really kind of ominous.
If the air wasn't so dry, and the ground so brown, and the ocean were near by, this place would almost have a tropical feel to it.
So after parking on the side of the road, we headed off for "Balconie Caves". The park wasn't very crowded today. We would pass a group
of people coming down the path about every 15 minutes or so. We would just let them pass and take in the view. A friend of mine
had come along for today's hike. He was making friends with all the local bees. He would often be leading the hike,
all the while I could hear him swatting at and yelling about the bees. I half expected him to turn around and have
a full "bee" beard.  After about an hour and a half or so we approached the foothills of the cave. This perspective provided us with a good idea of what we were in for. The trail became very narrow, with sheer rock cliffs shooting up on both sides. I was feeling like I should be somewhere within the Yosemite valley, or perhaps at the Grand Canyon, rather than at a park located 45 miles or so south of San Jose! More on Pinnacles>> |
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