Re: $17 Million to help save the pikas from global warm..err..climate change

These little guys are kinda cute; I've heard the squeek -- its LOUD

B

Bee wrote:

> These little guys are kinda cute; I've heard the squeek -- its
> LOUD
>
> B
charismatic microfauna?

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Frank Furter>>charismatic microfauna?<<

Huh?

didja read the article? It describes this squeek that these critters make, and I've heard it over the years when I hike, but I never knew what it was.

B

Bee wrote:

> Frank Furter>>charismatic microfauna?<<
>
> Huh?
>
> didja read the article? It describes this squeek that these
> critters make, and I've heard it over the years when I hike,
> but I never knew what it was.
>
> B
Something was misunderstood.
Explanation of "clever comment": The phrase commonly used to describe crowd attracting "large" animals at Yellowstone is "charismatic MEGAfauna".
Apparently that phrase has never been used on the Yosemite forum as my recent search for those words just came up negative.
Pika would seem to be "charismatic MICROfauna", right?

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

I like them!

I was up at Trail Camp on the Mount Whitney trail really early in the morning, like 7:30 a.m., and there's this little furball sitting on the side of the trail on a rock. I thought it was a gopher at first. Had no idea what it was, really. Trail camp is at 12,000 ft, I sat down next to it and it was just sitting there shivvering a little bit, trying to warm up. I took my backpack off to grab my camera, by the time I did all that, it was gone. And I wasn't even hungry. Anyway, trudging up the switchbacks to 12,5 and then 13,0 and on up, those little wabbits came out and barked and chirped and are the neatest little things you ever saw. They seem like a cross between squirrel and rabbit, but when you see them up close like I did that one morning, they are definitely rabbit, but very, very sassy.

Lemme see here, I think I have a photo of one of them lil critters. I managed to capture this lil guy on the Mount Whitney mountaineer's route, somewhere along the slabs above Lower Boy Scout Lake. Enjoy:

Vince:>>They seem like a cross between squirrel and rabbit,<<

they ARE cute!! look at those ears!

Okay, since you mentioned whitney (and it was discussed somewheres that I have forgotten where to link back) I have been studying the topo closely, and found a trail that is about six miles from start. (it looks like it begins at a place called Mirror lake?) Well, the grid doesnt look too steep (as compared to the much discussed Shasta that I tried to do in a day) My question: could whitney be done in a day from parking spot to peak and back? I have to do anything over 10,000 ft in a day because I get horrid altitude sickness if I camp overnight 10k+ (real bad; bloody nose, migrane, dilerium if let to go to long)

B

Bee, let's make a date.

There is a class 1 hiking trail to the top. Mount Whitney is a long but extremely easy hike. Nothing technical unless you have vertigo. All you do is walk.

The lottery for hiking permits is going on right now for $15 per permit. But you don't need that. Just show up the day before you plan to go up (except for weekends), and grab the extras for free. In the lottery you need to put $15 into the till and cross your fingers on the date you want. I used to do that but not any more. This date is free.

Mount Whitney, if you haven't done that, well, please try. It's not easy if you're not acclimated. My first summit took over 21 hrs up and back, 17 hrs second time. Failed to summit three other times for various reasons, one of which was lightning.

I have bird legs and photo fetish, so I waste a lot of time,too.

Anyway, anytime you want, in the summer, I'll guide you into the Portal. If you don't believe in God, you don't have to. You'll find whatever deity you require at the summit. You're on top of the world.

Here is the view from heaven. From the summit, you can see Iceberg Lake below, and on down the creek finally the town of Lone Pine in the distance. Have fun:

>Mount Whitney is a long but extremely easy hike.

AKA a freeway.

Looks like graboid territory in the distance.

See what I get for taking too much Nyquil

On a previous post with a bunch of photos of Marmots...

http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?f=1&i=6823&t=6823

The picture I posted... I always thought that it was a pika.
Now I have my doubts. I've seen hundreds of these guys in Yosemite.

What is it? Is it a Pika? If not, what?

Vince:>>Anyway, anytime you want, in the summer, I'll guide you into the Portal. If you don't believe in God, you don't have to. You'll find whatever deity you require at the summit. You're on top of the world.<<

I am going to take this offer up for many reasons-- one being that it DOES get tiresome trying to corner some stranger (or Pika) along the way to share my overgush of enthusiasm with. I lost my hiking buddy when boyfriend acquired a titanium leg that does not work so well for long hikes. Besides, part of my past failures (Shasta especially) had to do with the fact that I only had myself to consult with, and it made me more conservative than I need be at times.

Vince:>>I have bird legs and photo fetish, so I waste a lot of time,too.<<

While I am VERY strong (I run 30 min, and do 5 pull ups & 50 push-ups everyday) I am never in a hurry and I have all of this nifty new camera equip (nikon D-80) that needs to be figured out (which means endless bracketing)

eeeeek:>Mount Whitney is a long but extremely easy hike.

AKA a freeway.<<

I noticed the spacing on the grid lines were much larger than I expected; It would be a good refresher for the ever-elusive Shasta.

Frank Furter:>>Pika would seem to be "charismatic MICROfauna", right?<<

AHHHH -- NOW I understand! English language humor escapes me (most of the time) so you will have to excuse my obtuseness.

B



Post Edited (02-14-09 10:46)

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

O crap!

It's a California Ground Squirrel.
Dang! Now I don't think I've EVER seen a Pika! ooops...

I guess they do need some sort of help. (the pika)

Whenever I saw one of these Ground Squirrels I'd look around
for a small pile of grasses that Pikas like to dry on rocks...
Never saw any... Doh... Guess I know why now.



Post Edited (02-14-09 11:01)

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Everything I know I learned from

Bill-e-g:>>It's a California Ground Squirrel.
Dang! Now I don't think I've EVER seen a Pika!<<

By what I see in Vince's pic -- its all about the EARS

B

eeeek>>"Business managers of media organizations, you are screwing up your responsibility by firing science and environment reporters who are frankly the only ones competent to do this," <<

To quote my favorite uncle: "Them fighten' wOYds!!"

B