Day 43 -Time to Explore Pinnacle National Park

Ken got up at 6:30 and rode bike to the section of the CG where he hoped to see a bobcat.  He was so excited when he spotted a "coyote" and he was able to get a picture without him moving.  Surprise, it was a "decoy".  Okay he was ready to move on.  Next he spotted a "bobcat" or so he thought.  After taking numerous pictures and getting a bit closer, it was a tabby kitty cat!  Hopefully tomorrow morning with be a better day for spotting wild animals!

One small, unusual colored bobcat!!!!

He also saw some partridges, but they weren't in a pear tree!

The coyote that didn't move!

Ken was fascinated by some workers in a large romaine lettuce field adjacent to the campground.  The workers were harvesting the lettuce and enjoying music while they were doing it.  The cut the lettuce by hand and as quickly as it was cut 3 heads were placed in a zip lock plastic type bag, put in cartons or crates and it was already to be put on the shelf in grocery stores.  Who would have thought the whole process is done in the field??????

Healthy romaine lettuce!

The wagon is pulled by a tractor and the workers "do their thing"
along the side as it moves! 

Notice the 3 heads being put in the plastic bags!

No loaded on the truck.  Looks like back breaking work to me!!!!

We showered, made a cooked breakfast and got our lunches ready to go.  The 4 of us left the CG in our CRV at 9:12 (Ken's designated time) to drive about 30 minutes to Pinnacle National Park for another adventure in the most recent designated National Park.  Got dedicated in 2013.

Another National Park that we got to visit.

Saw this jack rabbit on the way into the Park.
His ears look a bit out of proportion!!!

Upon arrival we stopped at the Visitor's Center to get a sticker for our Passport Book for National Parks and a pin to hang on a place in Waldo where we are displaying pins from all the parks we have visited.  The parking lot at the Old Pinnacles Trailhead was full, so we drove back to the Visitor's Center and took the shuttle to the trailhead.  We did a 5.3 miles round trip hike on the Old Pinnacles Trail to Balconies Cave, the Balconies Cliff Trail, and then back to the Old Pinnacles Trail. 

A very pretty thistle!

Lots of blooming wildflowers along the trail! 

They grow their pinecones big in California!

This is a picture of the Pinnacle Rocks!

 It was a very nice hike and the highlight was going through Balconies Cave.  We did several hundred feet in the cave and a flashlight was necessary.  At a couple places, you had to crawl over the rocks to continue on the stony trail.  I thought it was so much fun and so very different from any of the other hikes we have done.

Getting towards the entrance to the cave!

The entrance to the cave!

Coming out of the cave.  How do these rocks stay balanced????

They are just hanging on.  I sneezed 2X coming
out of the cave and just hoped the rocks didn't shift!!!

It's a balancing act!!!

The rock formations are rather amazing!

Looks like Old Mother Hubbard's Shoe!

Isn't the coloration on the rock pretty????  Not sure what it
was - moss, fungi?????

By the time we got back to the car we were more than ready for lunch - it was 4:00.  We ate our packed lunches on a picnic table and then headed back to the CG.  This was another very full day!

I talked to Polly, a good friend from Lititz who spent some years living in California.  So good to hear her voice and catch up on the news back home.  I also talked to my mother and both she and dad are doing well.

Not too hungry after eating such a late lunch so salads will be tonight's dinner.  We went over to Chuck and Melissa's to play games.  Another fun day with a new adventure - hiking in a cave!