Although San Francisco, San Mateo County and the Silicon Valley have no end to activities, sometimes a day trip just feels right. Recently I posted a couple of pictures at the Pinnacles National Park taken back in 2008 with my first cell phone camera, thinking several people might recognize the location; no one did, so here's a primer for you.With cooler weather in store soon, The Pinnacles National Park is a great destination for a day trip, whether you're a hiker, a technical rock climber, rock scrambler or simply love a nice picnic in dramatic surroundings. One might even be granted the sight of a condor soaring overhead, with its unbelievably large wing span. Very hot and dry in the summer, North Chalone Peak can be foggy, cold and even sport a dusting of snow in the winter. The Pin... 09/12/2015

I had the pleasure of hiking at the Pinnacles National Monument.  I took many pictures that weekend, and thought I would post some of the animal life that I was able to catch on film!  Or, well, in digital life! Hiking through the caves to the reservoir, I was able to capture garter snakes in the plants along the shorelines...    There seemed to be dozens.  Maybe due to the frogs that also hide in the plants. Along the shorelines are dragonflies like this along with damselflies...  The difference is dragonfly wings stay sticking out, whereas damslefly's wings fold back along the body. This little lizard with seen up near the high peaks, on the trail. This large wasp with red wings is several inches long.  It is called a tarantula hawk, and feasts on spiders and the many tarantula specie... 08/08/2011

I spend the weekend backpacking at the Pinnacles National Monument in Central California.  Located a few miles outside of Hollister California.  Temps at the park were over 100 which made the long hike to the high peaks pretty hot! The high peaks trail (about 10 miles) takes you on a vertical climp UP for one straight mile, then rolling up and down to get to the high peaks.  From trails with rails, to steps cut into the rock by the CCC many years ago, the hike is sooooo worth it.  I went in search of the California Condor...  And yes, the bird with a 10 foot wingspan was spotted!  I saw about 7 of these massive yet endangered species. The Pinnacles National Monument was created by Roosevelt over 100 years ago.  The formation was created by volcanic activity millions of years ago and is ... 07/31/2011

Take a Hike -- Pinnacles National Monument, San Benito County, CA Located about a 2-hour drive south of the mid-Peninsula and Silicon Valley, the Pinnacles National Monument makes a wonderful destination for hiking, exploring, and finding peace away from the hustle and bustle of our urban area. Unlike the cool redwood forests typical of the Santa Cruz mountains, and our nearby grassy oak-studded coastal hills, the Pinnacles is inland, East of Highway 101, West of Highway 152. It is an arid land, with amazing rock formations so rugged that the road dead ends on either side of the park--it's not a long hike from one side to the other, but no road goes through. During the 1930's trails were put in heading to the tops of the Pinnacles, with tunnels blasted through the rock and guard rails h... 11/09/2010