Category: Living in the Wilderness

Life on the Cusp …

What a ride the last few weeks have been, and thank you all for understanding! We have reported on the storms and shared information, provided a forum, and supported our winter life here on the coast.

Just before Christmas, major changes in family …
dynamics …
Relationships redefined, status sublime
and the family I know, is recreated.

Oldest generation is leaving behind,
the next group of elders … for the “adults”
and their children.

My mother is passing, my son is re-creating, my daughter is becoming an adult, my brother is being his creative, story-telling, bullshit self, and I am doing what I can to provide the anchor for this family drama/comedy which we are dancing.

This is my blood family. My Big Sur family is much more stable and mature. Thank you for all that you are and that you do.

–

bigsurkate is back

My time off is over, and I will be back to reporting as usual.

First, Avis Latone, yesterday’s post was magnificent – and those Jade photos are so very beautiful!! Thanks for sharing them with all of us. Because you are such a precious friend who is ALWAYS willing to help me out, I have a wee something for you from Kiwiland. What an adventure! I will share a bit after I catch up with things at home, work, and blog.

Second, in the 2 weeks I have been gone, I received 2.75 inches of rain, for a season total of 3.0 inches. Old-time Big Sur locals all agree that when we get this much rain this early, we will be having a dry winter, which is in line with the La Niña that NOAA is predicting.

There was a rave party (or techno, or whatever) up on Prewitt Ridge on the 16th, and I received a voice mail from the USFS about it. They were headed up to check on it, make sure it complied with requirements, and were taking law enforcement with them to assure compliance.

Lastly, it has been a gloriously sunny day on the mountain, particularly welcomed after a very wet drive down the coast (lots of pebbles on the road and one search and rescue yesterday) and a very muddy trip up the mountain.

So, that is my brief report tonight, back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow or the next day. I’ll also be changing my links from fire to weather watch shortly, as the rain these past two weeks, and the two days of rain coming later this week, have certainly ended fire season 2010.

The Alien 6 foot spider

BTW, I need to tell a story that has nothing to do with the Jade Festival, except that it happened to me this morning.

My friend and volunteer in the main booth, Rose, came up to my place to spend the night in paradise Saturday night. In the morning, we went out to the Jeep to go down to the festival. The driver’s side door and the driver’s side back door were covered with a huge, silk-string spider web. We are not talking an ordinary spider web here, we are talking about something that looked like an alien spider about 6 ft. tall landed and tried to capture my Jeep, sucking out the good parts, and leaving the rest to become an empty hulk.

Rose and I are a tad freaked. At first, we hypothesized that kids had snuck in during the night, and sprayed the spider web on my Jeep. Nah, the dogs would have freaked out, and how would they get in? Then, we decided it must be the alien spider from hell. I had to brush some away in order to get in my door. It was quite thick, quite strong, very sticky, and a lot like silk. Amazing stuff, actually.

So we get in and start to drive down to the festival. We both feel really creepy, look at each other, then look in the back of the Jeep. I had left the windows down, and we were both convinced the back was occupied by our 6 ft. spider. We notice similar stuff on some of the plants as we head down, and decided that wherever this massive spider-web was, it was blowing all over Plaskett. 16 years. I have never seen this phenomena. Okay, when I get down to the Jade Festival, hopefully John Smiley, the bugologist who was present Saturday will be there, and I can ask him. He isn’t. Squeeky doesn’t know, and Avis swears it is probably a Wolf Spider. (I looked it up, and Wolf Spiders do not weave webs, but carrying their young in an orb on their abdomens.)

Exhausted though I am, I guess I have to at least try to find out what it is. If I do, I will let you know. Now, back to the rest of the Jade Festival.

Here is a link to a HUGE spider web in TX. The one I saw was big, but not this big. The phenomena is a rarity, and they think it is caused by “stretch” spiders working together. Texas Webs

Reports from the South Coast

One source reports that Gamboa Point is just about done, and the paving should be complete shortly. That means one less stop light on the South Coast. We’ve had 3 for quite some time now. YAY!! Of course, in a few months, the road could fall once again – the never ending battle for the road that defies gravity.

Another source reports that tomorrow is the opening day of squirrel season. This is a much more difficult time that deer season (which I think is still going on). It is a cultural thing that I don’t get. I do know I have reported these hunters in the past, and Fish & Game caught the six guys I reported with over 200 dead critters from flickers to other birds to squirrels. Only squirrels are legal. The problem with squirrel hunters is that they shoot anything and everything and REALLY go back in the woods and have no compunction about having campfires in the middle of the forest, far away from accessible roads. So, of course, this is a bother to those who live here, but my main concern is all the small critters they shoot and get away with shooting.

Tell me, why is there a squirrel season? Don’t we have enough natural predators without bringing in hunters from San Jose? I mean, really. What am I missing here? Anyone care to explain it it me?

More Condors – Reader’s Photos & Story

In response to my Condor post yesterday, Anne Ashley, of Pfeiffer Ridge sent me some photos and the story of a time in 2008 [ed. note – actually 2000-2001] when the condors came to hang out at her place. Here they are:

5 condors by Anne Ashley

Condors on the roof and window by Anne Ashley

No. 64 by Anne Ashley

And this is what Anne had to say about the experience:

Highlights…..
It was really wonderful sitting in a window under them, not 5 ‘ away…
They “walked” on our glass roof over the bed and drove our cats CRAZY! (Cats did not come out from under bed for days!
2 condors pulling a king sized blanket and ottoman cushion (about 3’x2’x6″) out our back door raised a racket. My husband John heard them and chased them off
Our guest house (having some work done) was left open and they tore up insulation, ate large bags of chips, etc etc etc
Ventana Wilderness Society marveling and telling us to spray their bellies with water when they lit on the house as they want them to stay wild/not get too used to people (they say it doesn’t hurt them but they hate it!)
About a year later after more condors had been released we had about 10 of them circling above like a dark cloud for maybe 10 minutes…… John figures it was the elders telling the young’uns “Don’t ever go down there. those people are NUTS!”

And while I am here, Anne has a question and hopes someone can direct her to the appropriate response. She has already contacted the MCSPCA. “We have a bobcat event We have seen him/her 3 times in past 2 weeks (big sur).

Twice he came up to back dolor…. put nose to door (around dawn) and seemed to be looking for breakfast (our cats!).

This morning he got up on our (1 story roof) and terrified everyone by approaching large second story windows (clearly trying to find a way in) …….. then went downstairs to the front of the house, climbed stairs (12 ft rise worth) and ambled/stalked along front deck (25-30’ of glass doors) peering in, sort of pushing on door with his head and terrorizing us/cats

He is a beauty but beyond brazen and we’re not sure if he might be ill, who we should tell…. etc. what do you advise.

We’re on Pfeiffer ridge in big sur…….. no other houses in shouting distance.”

Illegal Campfires

It has been confirmed by the USFS that all three incidents yesterday, Saturday, were illegal campfires. Remember, NO CAMPFIRES in the Los Padres National Forests from now until further notice – probably after the first rains. We locals ARE vigilant, and will call them in. Building one is a federal misdemeanor, carrying a potential jail sentence AND up to $5,000 in fines.

Hunting Season

It’s Friday the 13th and hunting season begins this weekend. Oh, joy! Dear season runs from August 14th through September 26th. There will be an additional season from Nov. 13, through December 5 a special buck hunt specifically in the Ventana Wilderness. 

I have reports from two locals, on two different ridges that there is a serious increase in the number of illegal campfires happening right now. Not surprised.

And from today’s Monterey Herald:
“Gorda Springs Resort avoids red tags from Monterey County inspectors

Inspectors check employee housing
By LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writer
Posted: 08/13/2010 01:32:38 AM PDT
Updated: 08/13/2010 09:02:04 AM PDT

The remote Big Sur outpost of Gorda was visited again this week by county health and building inspectors.
But the Tuesday inspection of employee housing at the Gorda Springs Resort didn’t result in red tags being issued, officials said.

Housing conditions for employees at the Gorda restaurant, lodge and service station on Highway 1 about 70 miles south of Carmel, was an issue raised in a civil suit filed by several employees, as well as earlier county inspections.” to read the rest of the article, go here: Monterey Herald Gorda Article

Dancing with Fog …

Coming up from the coast, to my roost at the top, I get to experience all the subtleties that Big Sur offers.

I start with fog above me.

And then, I get into the fog. I am always amazed at how bright the greens are in the fog.

A little while later, I see the beginnings of the sun peeking through, but fog still settled over all.

Then … I get to the demarcation line. This is a very difficult spot for a photographer, and I haven’t gotten it down, yet. This tree sits right there, where the fog ends and the sun begins. On the left, you can see the fog, on the right, is the blue sky. Today, this tree marked the “spot.”

All photos taken this afternoon (7/29/10) going up Plaskett.

Do not forget. Tomorrow is the BSMAAC meeting, starting at 10 am.

More campfires

This time, it was on South Coast Ridge Rd., which is behind me, running north-south. Thank goodness someone (probably a local) reported it or it was discovered on routine patrol! Good job, everyone!

Reported on WildCAD:

07/27/2010 12:34 LPF-2295 camp fire Wildfire SO COAST RIDGE RD