Family Outdoor Life Archives

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Barb — 2 Comments

Newberry National Volcanic Monument – Tips and Images

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

We were visiting the Bend, Oregon area and on a whim we decided to explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We looked up on the internet and saw that the Lava Lands visitor center (just off Hwy 97) opened at 10 AM so we made our way there just after they opened. (Their season ends on 10/31 and they open again 5/1.)

It was a rather small center but the volunteer docent that was working that morning gave us the pertinent details to make our trip educational and enjoyable. It was a big help! It is always amazing to me how learning from someone who is passionate about something makes it twice as interesting. He made the information practical and knew just how much detail to go into as he explained what we would see and what we could experience.

We started off by driving up to the top of the Lava Butte in our car. You are required to have a car pass at this time of year but in high season you need to ride the free shuttle to the top because of limited parking. There is a short trail that takes you around the crater’s rim and you can visit the working fire lookout. We were intrigued by the red road that wound its way up to the top of the butte.

It was sunny but near freezing temperatures the day we visited so we bundled up before our hike. The views of the surrounding landscape and volcanoes and peaks was awesome. After the wonderful explanation by the docent at the visitor center, we could recognize the natural features he had shared with us using the model.

Here is a view as we drove up the road and looked towards the Cascades.

Our next stop was to drive the short distance to the Benham Falls parking lot. These were not really “falls” but rather a series of rapids in the river. It was a really nice day for a hike so we enjoyed just seeing something new.

On this day, we had the trail and river to ourselves. Besides the solitude, I think my favorite thing about this hike was the peaceful river and the volcanic rocks. If we have packed a lunch, we would have hiked further but we will have to do that another time.

For a spur of the moment trip, this turned out to be a very enjoyable day.

Things we need to do on subsequent visits:

Visit the Lava Cast Forest.
Visit Paulina Lake and Paulina Falls.
Ride bikes on the multi use trail.
Visit the Obsidian Flow Trail.

Tips:

There is an entrance fee. If you hold an annual pass from the national park service, this will get you in!
Check the website for the visitor center hours before you visit.
Restrooms at the visitor center.
Closest towns are La Pine and Sunriver.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)
Oregon State Parks – La Pine, Silver Falls, South Beach, Jessie M. Honeyman, Valley of the Rogue (Oregon)
Newberry National Volcanic Monument (Oregon)

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – October 2016

“Bright yellow, red, and orange,
The leaves come down in hosts;
The trees are Indian Princes,
But soon they’ll turn to ghosts;
The scanty pears and apples
Hand russet on the bough;
It’s autumn, autumn, autumn late,
T’will soon be winter now!”
Allingham

I think October is a very surprising month. It never is the same from year to year as far as weather and mood. October 2016 has been another busy outdoor month in our family because the weather has been fairly mild with some rain but all of that at once over the course of a weekend. This allowed for getting out and experiencing a little fall color in our area.

During the first week of the month, a friend and I hopped in the car on a bright sunny day to take a drive up in the high country and look for some pretty trees. There were some aspens with golden yellow color but not as many as usual. I think our “normal” is changing along with our weather patterns. Still, it was a wonderful outing and we were able to fit in a nice day hike up at Lake Tahoe.

Then, mid-October, we took off in our truck and trailer to visit Oregon again. We had some places to check out and friends to meet up with so although the weather wasn’t ideal for being outdoors the whole time we were in Oregon, we did manage to sneak in a few hikes along the various rivers. Our first few nights we stayed in the Eugene, Oregon area along the McKenzie River.

We camped at Tumalo State Park in Bend, Oregon...a new favorite spot! The camping was so enjoyable even with sprinkles from time time. The hiking along the Deschutes River was peaceful and we went in both directions along the river’s edge starting from the bridge at the campground. There is a wonderful day use area at this state park too and I imagine in the summer it is a busy place! But in October it was empty and quiet.

We also strolled along the Deschutes River right in the town of Bend at Drake Park and Mirror Pond. This particular autumn day was colorful with storybook houses along the riverbank and the snow capped mountains in the distance. Just perfect.

The high point of our trip was a hike to Tumalo Falls outside Bend. It was a misty morning but we still wanted to take advantage of our time in Bend by experiencing this popular hike to the top of the waterfall. The parking lot was empty when we arrived and we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We extended our hike up the trail paralleling Tumalo Creek. Amazing!

We were also able to squeeze in a visit to Newberry National Volcanic Monument. More about this in a future post!

Back at the homefront, our garden was starting to show signs of fading for the season. We did a big clean up before our Oregon trip and left just the few things that might produce a bit more (being hopeful).

Now begins the slow slide into winter here in my neck of the woods. This is the time of great activity in my yard, the leaf raking kind of work that just always seems to be calling me. Thank goodness I have two grown men in my house to help gather and dispose of the great heaps of leaf death. Sigh.

I miss the long autumn walks with my kids but they send me images of their autumns for me to enjoy.

Hudson Valley Hiking — Hudson Valley hiking October 2016-from my daughter

So what have you been up to this month? Join me here by commenting or leaving me a link to your blog entry.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

Answer all or just one of the prompts in a blog entry on your own blog or right here on my blog in a comment. If you answer on your blog, make sure to leave me a link in a comment so that I can pop over and read your responses.

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Barb — 3 Comments

Oregon State Parks – Diverse and Beautiful

This past August we took an awesome loop driving trip in the state of Oregon. We have slowly been exploring this beautiful state from the view of our truck and camping trailer. There are so many awesome campgrounds in Oregon and it truly is a great way to spend time as a family. In the past, we have camped on the Oregon coast with our boys. They love the ocean and that was our focus. We are no branching out into Central Oregon and Southern Oregon. In this entry I will share five of our Oregon State Park experiences.

Parks Included in this Entry:

La Pine State Park (near Bend, Oregon)
Silver Falls State Park (near Salem, Oregon)
South Beach State Park (near Newport, Oregon) + a mention of Brian Booth State Park
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park (near Florence, Oregon)
Valley of the Rogue State Park

La Pine State Park:

This state park along Hwy 97 is situated along the Deschutes River. There is a day use area with a small sandy beach with picnic tables and a restroom. We waded in the water on a hot summer afternoon but it was cold! There were some rafters pulling their boats out here and they had floated along the swiftly moving water before ending their day at La Pine.

The campground is made up of three loops and was full the whole time we were here. The South Loop had full hookups and was packed to the gills with trailers, families, bikes, and quite a bit of noise. We were very happy we were on the North Loop where the sites were larger and farther apart (no hook ups). We enjoyed walking the trails within the park and along the river, especially in the evening. There are yurts here to rent if you don’t have all the camping gear or want an easy vacation.

This area is full of interesting things to do like the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, the town of Sisters and Sunriver, the city of Bend, the High Desert Museum, and Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Read more detailed information on their website: La Pine State Park, Oregon.

Silver Falls State Park

We read on the internet that Silver Falls State Park is the “crown jewel” of the Oregon Parks System. We hadn’t heard of it before so we did some research on their website and decided that a park that has hiking to ten different waterfalls was somewhere we definitely wanted to visit. It is a very busy park and we could only get two nights at the campground in August. Tip: Plan accordingly and book your campsite as far in advance as possible. The park itself is very pretty and has many tall trees alongside the creek. I highly recommend the 7.2 mile Canyon Trail to view all of the waterfalls. The park also has lots of wildflowers even in August.

There was a small cafe in this park, an off leash pet area, nature trail with a bird blind, and lots of fresh air and magnificent trees and waterfalls. The month of August is probably not the best time to see the falls at their peak but still very pretty.

Read more detailed information on their website: Silver Falls State Park.

South Beach State Park

On the coastal part of our loop trip, we opted to cut across to Lincoln City and then down to Newport. We had stayed at South Beach State Park before and loved it. This time the place was packed and it is a huge campground but we didn’t find it crowded or noisy. This is a pretty laid back atmosphere and with so much to do in the local area, we were happy to adventure out to see what outdoor fun we could find. I am not going to feature it in this entry but we took our kayaks for the day to Brian Booth State Park which is just south of Newport. It was the perfect sunny day to spend on the water at Beaver Creek and then out to the ocean in our kayak. I highly recommend it.

Newport is a wonderful spot to have as a home base for this part of the coast and South Beach State Park has walking and biking trails as well as beach and dune access. It is very convenient to town if you need picnic items or anything else. Oh, almost forgot! The Newport Aquarium is a favorite from our trip here a few years ago with our boys. Don’t miss it!

We went every morning for a long walk along the Old Bayfront in Newport. Sipping fresh roasted coffee, we would stand and watch the sea lions who were sleeping and playing on the floating docks. What a noisy bunch but so very entertaining!

The end of every day was spent on the accessible platform as the sun was setting. Like a postcard and what a memory!

Read more detailed information on their website: South Beach State Park, Oregon.

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park

Further down the Oregon Coast, most people come to this state park to visit the dunes. The dunes provide a playground for those that love their sand sports like riding in quads and sand rails. We are much more of a people powered adventure sort and loved the fact that there are two lakes to kayak on in Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.

We spent one of the most enjoyable days ever kayaking on this lake but many people were canoeing, fishing, and swimming there as well. What a great place to bring your family!

The campground is large and popular so you will need to make reservations for to guarantee a site. We happened to book one of the last spaces available and enjoyed our time under the tall trees. The weather wasn’t all that warm and the skies were gray but we still found plenty to do on our visit. The town of Florence is near-by and we enjoyed walking their little main street district and farmers market along the Siuslaw River.

Read more detailed information on this state park here: Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, Oregon.

Valley of the Rogue State Park

This is our favorite overnight camping spot between our home and places we visit in Oregon. There isn’t much here to do but it is a clean and pretty park along the Rogue River. We enjoy the convenience of it being close to I5. This trip we drove into Ashland, Oregon (Home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival) for dinner at one of the many quirky little eating spots near Lithia Park.

Read more information on this state park here: Valley of the Rogue State Park, Oregon.

We love Oregon and if you ever get a chance to travel in this state, make sure to look up any state parks along your route.

Posts from Other Oregon Parks

Harris Beach State Park
Harris Beach State Park – Tidepools of Wonder
Oregon Coast Trail
Nature Study is Not a Drill (featuring Oregon Coast nature study)
Southern Oregon Beaches (featuring several state parks)
Crater Lake National Park (not a state park but a destination in Oregon)

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Posted on October 5, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Nature Study Goals 2016 – 3rd Quarter Update

Nature Study Goals 2016- Third Quarter Update

1. Complete 2 out of 4 Outdoor Hour Challenges each month posted on Fridays.

For some reason I wasn’t very diligent about writing our Outdoor Hour Challenge experiences up on the blog. I may do a catch up post later this month.

July entries: None
August entries: Wildflower Observations and Snail Observations
September entries: Insect Study

2. Research and learn about four birds. Learn the call, field marks, and create a nature journal.

Osprey
Great Blue Heron
California Towhee

3. Focus on learning my local wildflowers. Create some sort of record of each flower.

We have been keeping up with wildflower journal that I started last spring. I endeavor to list any flowers we see on each hike. I think this is a tradition I will continue next year as well.

4. Take Yosemite photos from the Yosemite photography book– September trip: There weren’t many suggestions for September except to take a late afternoon photo from Tunnel View. We were there mid-morning so we took a photo then. Note: You can see the effects of the bark beetles on the forest in Yosemite. You can learn more about it here: Drone Shows Devastation of the Bark Beetle.
5. Visit a new national park. We didn’t add any new parks to the list but we did visit Yosemite National Park during September and hiked to the top of Sentinel Dome on a bluebird sky day.

6. Visit two new state parks. I had California state parks in mind when I made this goal but I am going to list the new Oregon State Parks we visited this quarter: La Pine State Park, Silver Falls State Park, South Beach State Park, Jessie Honeyman State Park. We also went to Cape Perpetua, Hecata Head, Cape Foulweather, and Yaquina Head.
7. Identify three rocks from my original challenge. Nothing accomplished this quarter towards this goal.
8. Read 10 nature related book! 10 Best of Everything National Parks.

How are your nature study goals coming along?

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – September 2016

This Outdoor Mom had a fantastic end of the summer! This post features our second Oregon trip of the year and lots of kayaking adventures. Technically, the Oregon trip was at the very end of August but after my August Outdoor Mom’s post so I want to include it here because it was a fantastic trip. I will be dedicating a complete post in October to the many Oregon State Parks we visited on this latest trip. It was a perfect trip!

We spent four days in the Bend/La Pine, Oregon area. It was a heat wave for them and most of the lakes and rivers were super busy with so many people swimming, using stand up paddleboards, rafts, and kayaks. I was really glad we had our kayak and we made the most of the time out on the water. We are in the middle of training our Labrador to ride along with us and she is quickly getting the hang of jumping in and enjoying the ride. The image above was taken in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon along the Deschutes River. It was a perfect night for a walk along the banks of the river and for sitting at an outdoor patio for dinner. We read in a brochure that Bend, Oregon is the most dog friendly town in the U.S. We believe it!

I think this is first photo I have shared where you can see our awesome tandem kayak (Old Town Loon 160T). We LOVE it! Both my husband and I are tall and there is enough room for our legs and the 70 pound Labrador. The image above shows us launching at Sparks Lake on the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. It is a large shallow lake within view of many of the area’s signature mountains: Mt. Bachelor, South Sister, Broken Top.

This collage of images is from our stay in Newport, Oregon. We found an amazing spot to kayak just south of town at Beaver Creek (Brian Booth State Park). First we paddled up the creek and saw some interesting birds: Belted kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Turkey vulture, and several different ducks. Then we paddled back down the creek and all the way to the ocean! What a day!

This is the South Falls at Silver Falls State Park near Salem, Oregon. We had three days of hiking in this amazing place! There are actually TEN waterfalls that you can hike in a loop. This one was our favorite because you could actually hike behind the waterfall…look at the image carefully and you can see the trail. You can be sure I will be sharing more about this destination in my October Oregon State Parks entry.

I did fit in some nature journaling on this trip. I learned some interesting things about the heron and I actually heard the loud sound it made as we paddled too close to one and it flew off. Loud! It surprised me. I will be sharing a bit more about my nature journals in an up-coming post.

A little closer to home, my sunflowers bloomed! I looked out the window one morning and discovered this beauty. I love the sunflower time of the year and look forward to it each summer. This is one of the sunflowers from Renees Garden Seeds. So perfectly perfect.

We did some hiking closer to home when my two New Yorkers were home for a visit. We camped at Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe in California. It was perfect weather and the hiking was filled with wonderful autumn air and sunshine. This is Fallen Leaf Lake on a crisp September morning. We all took turns taking the kayak out for a spin on the water to take in the high Sierra views.

The last place on our travel list this month was to Yosemite National Park. We hiked to the top of Sentinel Dome with our children and they posed at the top for this amazing photo. It captures so much of what our family is about as we adventure in the big outdoors together. It was a day of laughter, refreshing vistas, and friendship. I tried to soak in the family time since it is hard to gather us all in one place anymore. We end up outside when we do get a chance to spend time together….habit? necessity? mutual love for God’s creation? I think it is a little of all of those things.

I hope you enjoyed my entry this month and if you want to play along, there are instructions at the bottom of this post.

If you missed my August and September nature study entries, here are the links:

Our Wildflower Observations: This entry shares our August wildflowers, both in California and in Oregon.

Snail Observations at the Tidepools: We had a fantastic time hunting, observing, and learning about marine snails in response to the August newsletter topic. This is one of my favorite blog entries of the year!

Insect Nature Study -Potpourri: We had several opportunities to observe insect homes up close. We even identified something new to us!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Save

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Barb — 1 Comment

Insect Nature Study – Potpourri

As part of this month’s newsletter nature study suggestions, we have been on the lookout for insect home related subjects to take a closer look at in person. As it usually happens, we found some interesting things to learn about….research was definitely involved.

It does amaze me that there are so many things happening around us in the natural world that go unnoticed. Take the image above. My husband was trimming some tree branches from our maple tree last weekend and as we cleaned up the mess, we both noticed this growth on a branch. What is it? A gall of some sort? We decided to submit the image to Bugguide.net for some help in identifying what insect created this home. Guess what? They told me it was a praying mantis egg sack! Cool stuff! (I found this article very interesting: Dave’s Garden Praying Mantis.)

We are prone to walking right by the ant hills on our hikes. The common ant is an amazing engineer and we don’t often take time to note his industriousness.

Ok, this insect is not in his home but rather in MY home. Do you think he wants some toast or a bagel? We safely escorted him outside after taking a few pictures.

My cat is always hiding in the bushes and as we looked for signs of insects in our year she emerged from her hiding spot covered in cobwebs and dried leaves. She knows all the good spots to hideaway in our front yard but is willing to welcome us as we walk up the steps with a friendly meow. Give her a pet on the head as you walk by if you ever visit.

We will continue to look for insect homes as the season progresses. I didn’t spy any leaf rollers this time but I am keeping my eyes wide open for the opportunity to see these interesting creatures up close.

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Posted on August 24, 2016 by Barb — 3 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – Summertime

If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen some glimpses of our outdoor life this past month. We keep finding excuses for getting out of the house and taking advantage of the summer temperatures and sunshine to explore some familiar and new to us places. My husband has worked in wildland fire fighting for over 20 years so we never really had a “normal” summer where we could take a week’s vacation. Now that he is nearing his retirement, he is making the choice to arrange his schedule to be able to take off a day here and there and even a week for a camping trip. It is wonderful!

I realized as I wrote this post that I haven’t taken a really good photo of us in the kayak…I promise I will this month and share a little about our new water adventures using this slow and quiet means of transport. It makes for some wonderful nature watching!

In the garden….we are experiencing a lot of butterflies this year. My office window is on the second floor over the front yard garden and I see butterflies flutter by as I work. Sometimes I just can’t resist running out there with my camera to try to capture their beauty. This tiger swallowtail was a perfect subject against the bright summertime blue sky. I never get tired of watching these magnificent creations.

Not quite as majestic, but still amazing, are the fiery skippers with their huge eyes and antennae.

We had such a great time learning about the marine snails (mollusks) on our trip to Oregon. There is just so much to learn and my husband has become my most devoted nature partner. We read and explore and then research some more about whatever catches our interest. This is such a great way of learning as we self-direct the topics and ways in which we learn. If you have any doubts about this kind of learning for your children, you may want to try it yourself to see the way it reaches your heart. It is the connections we make as we learn that make the deepest impact on our life. I will never look at the lowly marine snail in the same way again.

In this image you can see the stack of books I had on my desk this morning. I have been doing a lot of reading and research and it really shows in the variety of books that have collected there on my desktop.

I have a pot of morning glories outside my back window and I can see it from my kitchen sink. Every morning there is a beautiful surprise unfolding in the early hours. I love this image of the flower puffing out and bursting open. This is the actual color of the blossom as it was opening today…amazing!

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

You can use the free monthly newsletter along with the Handbook of Nature Study book for your nature study. Adding a membership gives you access to the Ultimate Naturalist Library’s ebooks and printablse which provides members with even more in-depth studies each month.

Read more about it!

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Snail Observations at the Tidepools

This month as I wrote the Handbook of Nature Study newsletter, I really didn’t think I would find any snails to observe up close. Some topics are like that and I don’t anticipate having the opportunity to see the month’s focus topic in person. But, many times I am proven wrong and all of my preparation for the study is rewarded with an awesome experience.

This happened while camping on the Oregon coast when we found lots and lots of black turban snails (Tegula funebralis) to view up close and in detail.

Here is a short YouTube video that we uploaded showing the animal that lives inside the shell:Black Turban

This is the star of our nature study…the black turban which in real life looks quite blue or purple. We discovered the reason for this doing some research once we were able to get on the internet. Take a close look at who is living on the outer shell of this black turban! Amazing since the size of the snail shell is probably a little over an inch….it just looks bigger in my close up images. (click on the photo to really see it)

They get pounded by the surf and it actually wears away the outer shell to expose the colorful layers underneath. This image shows just how plentiful they are on this part of the coast. This is only exposed at low tide so the black turban actually can capture some water inside its shell and then “plug” it up with the operculum to keep itself moist until the tide rises again and they are under water. Amazing creation!

If you look closely at the images, you may spy some limpets and barnacles on the rocks surrounding the snails and also on the snails outer shell! This was not apparent to use until we looked at the images and is quite common.

Want to learn more about the Oregon Tidepools? Here is a wonderful and helpful link: Oregon Tidepools.

Just a sidenote: I found a wonderful page on the Monterey Bay Aquarium that features many invertebrates that you might like to share with your children. So many of these don’t look like they should be invertebrates so it may spark some interest in the topic for your family. Plus, it is a beautiful page! Invertebrates – Animal Guide

Here is my very sloppy journal page for our discovery…it is more about the learning than the journal at this point in my life. I hope it inspires you to create something after your snail study!

There is still time to subscribe to the blog and receive this month’s newsletter link in your confirmation email.

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Posted on July 18, 2016 by Barb — 6 Comments

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – July Experiences

July is always a busy outdoor month in our family and this year is certainly no exception. Between the garden and hiking we are outside hours and hours each week. (Here is last year’s July entry.)

Since my children are all grown up and they live so very far away, I now have my trusty canine friend to accompany me on my outdoor adventures. She is always willing to take a walk or stay close by when I am gardening. We manage to fit in a bit of ball throwing to keep her smiling.

Here is a striking image of a wildflower from a hike we did this month. My husband says it makes him happy when I find a flower to photograph because he knows it is one of my favorite things to do. We have very little rain in our part of California during the summer months so most of the grasses turn brown, contrasting with the brilliantly colored wildflowers that manage to thrive in this dry hot environment. I am pretty sure this is some sort of penstemon.

Every now and then my husband will snap a photo of me on the trial…this one was on a new hike to Floating Island Lake up in the Desolation Wilderness. If you are familiar with the Lake Tahoe area of California, you will be interested to know this is right by Fallen Leaf Lake and on the same trail that leads to the top of Mt. Tallac. We both thought this was an amazing vista as you hiked along the ridge above Fallen Leaf. This is a perfect day hike!

On an evening hike to the river, I discovered a patch of narrow leaf milkweed...something new to me but I recognized the flower pattern as some sort of milkweed right away and that got me excited. Excited because I would love to have a little milkweed patch with these growing in my backyard. I did some research and discovered that since this is growing on BLM land, I am allowed to take some seeds when the time comes to use for my personal use. I am now going to be watching to see when I can harvest a few seeds to sow in my backyard wild space. [I found this printable from BLM in Nevada and I assume it is the same in California.]

Just trying to keep myself accountable…as part of my nature goals this year I am creating some bird nature journal pages. This one is for the California towhee which is a familiar and frequent visitor to my yard. Slow and steady and maybe I will achieve my goal this year!

You can read about my goals by clicking the button above.

We have been picking blackberries for a couple weeks now and they are still coming strong. Have you ever smelled warm blackberries in the sunshine? It is one of my favorite summer time smells! We will be picking some more but there will be plenty for birds and other visitors to our front yard habitat. We actually discovered another berry patch that has grown in thickly at our back property line and the fruit there is thick and yummy!

Did you know there is a strawberry nature study in the archives? Look on the garden tab and scroll down to the crop plant challenges. Click here to go there now: Strawberry Nature Study.
I have also been spending time in my dad’s garden, mostly taking photos and keeping track of anything my dad needs. He is still out in his garden every day even though he is almost 87 years old. I think it is his therapy. This swallowtail was amazing to see as it fluttered among the lantana blossoms. My dad has a whole bank covered with lantana and if you stop and watch you can spot three or four different butterflies, lizards, and hummingbirds that visit often. So pretty!

One last image for you as part of my Outdoor Mom’s Journal this month. The collage below is one I made and shared with my children on the day we sold our ski boat last month. It was a great family boat and we have many, many happy memories aboard the boat …and behind it on skis, wakeboards, and tubes. It was a part of our family for the last 28 years and now it has gone to a new family to enjoy for many more years to come. We love the water but with our family being so spread out now, we rarely took the boat out at all. Instead, we are going to take some of the money to purchase a new tandem kayak for my husband and I. Stay tuned for some new water adventures…of a slower kind.

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Whether your family spends a few minutes a week outside or hours at a time, share what is going on in your world.

How Do You Join?

During our outdoor time this week we went….
The most inspiring thing we experienced was…
Our outdoor time made us ask (or wonder about)…
In the garden, we are planning/planting/harvesting….
I added nature journal pages about….
I am reading…
I am dreaming about…
A photo I would like to share…

Need help getting started with your nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study? Check out the fresh “Getting Started” page here on the website!

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Barb — Leave a comment

Devils Postpile National Monument – Tips and Images

We had a wonderful trip to Devils Postpile National Monument last month. It wasn’t anything like we expected but it was even better. So much to do and so many trails to hike and explore…we must make a return trip some day soon. First of all, its location is a little off the beaten path for most people but it can easily be included along with a visit to Yosemite National Park. (Distance from Yosemite National Park’s Tioga Road entrance is approximately 70 miles or 1.5 hours driving.)

There are so many opportunities to hike and camp at this national monument and with Mammoth Mountain so nearby, you could easily spend a week here just exploring the eastern Sierra.

I will focus my post on our day hike in the park and share some tips for getting the most out of what you could possibly do on a quick visit.

Our Perfect Day Hike at Devils Postpile (with a hike to Rainbow Falls too!)

We parked at Mammoth Mountain Adventure Center to catch the shuttle into Devils Postpile. It is a requirement that you use the shuttle during certain hours of the day or if you don’t have very specific conditions that apply that allow you to drive your personal vehicle. (disabled plates or placard, boats to put on the lake, you have camping reservations, etc). I highly recommend that you check the website for more information. The shuttle allows you to get off and on as many times as you want throughout your stay.

The shuttle costs $7 per person to ride and we found the bus came around the circuit quite frequently so we never waited very long.

Shuttle Bus Information

There is a small visitor center at shuttle stop number 6 which is where we hopped off to hike to the actual postpile. There are restrooms available there at that shuttle stop. We knew we wanted to make a day hike so the option to start at shuttle stop 6, hike to the postpile, continue on to Rainbow Falls, and then loop up to shuttle stop number 10 made sense for us. It was still about 3.8 miles in total with a few steep sections but mostly easy hiking.

We enjoyed the thought that we actually were hiking on a portion of the John Muir Trail. It was an easy hike of about a half mile to the Devils Postpile and there were quite a few people on the trail with us.

We didn’t realize that the early morning light was not conducive to a good photograph of the postpile. The sun is rising up over the rock formation so you get quite a bit of glare. We managed to take a few decent photos and opted out of hiking the trail up to the top to look down from the top of the postpile.

The trail is very exposed so make sure to bring a hat or sunblock. Also, although it wasn’t even a really hot day, we went through lots of water. Maybe it is the elevation of the hike but we were thirsty! Once we passed the postpile, the crowds disappeared and we only saw a few other hikers. Solitude!

I was surprised to see we would be entering into the Ansel Adams Wilderness and I felt it required a photo of me to document our great day. We sat on a log near here and ate our lunch as we contemplated the beauty of this place. What a treasure of a day!

This waterfall was our ultimate goal! Rainbow Falls lives up to its name and there were two rainbows in the mist at the base of the falls. The trail to the bottom of the falls was closed so we weren’t able to make the last leg down to the river level but we enjoyed sitting on a rock at the top and listening to the thundering water and feeling the mist as it drifted out over the rocks.

From the falls we hiked up to shuttle stop number 10 which is at Reds Meadow Resort. There is a small store and restaurant to purchase some snacks and drinks. We had a cold drink and sat with the hikers who were on their trek to cover the John Muir Trail to Mount Whitney. There were some hikers who had packed in from Yosemite Valley too. Oh how I wish I were able to make that hike!

Additional Information:

No entrance fee if you are on the shuttle bus (fee included in shuttle ticket).
Make sure to get a map at the visitor center (shuttle stop 6) before you head out on the trail.
Lodging available at Mammoth Lake.

You can read more of my national park entries by following these links:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Redwoods National Park (California)
Channel Islands National Park(California)
Death Valley National Park(California)
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
Point Reyes National Seashore (California)
Muir Woods National Monument (California)
Zion National Park (Utah)
Weir Farm National Historic Site (Connecticut)
Pinnacles National Park (California)
Paterson Great Falls National Historic Site (New Jersey)
Morristown National Historical Park (New Jersey)
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (New Jersey)
Cabrillo National Monument (California)
Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park (California)
Devils Postpile National Monument (California)

Category: Family Outdoor Life

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Outdoor Mom’s Journal – October 2016

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Oregon State Parks – Diverse and Beautiful

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Nature Study Goals 2016 – 3rd Quarter Update

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Outdoor Mom’s Journal – September 2016

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Outdoor Mom’s Journal

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Insect Nature Study – Potpourri

Outdoor Mom’s Journal – Summertime

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Snail Observations at the Tidepools

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Outdoor Mom’s Journal – July Experiences

Outdoor Mom’s Journal

Devils Postpile National Monument – Tips and Images

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