Pinnacles National Park, California

We visited Pinnacles National Park in California on our way south from San Francisco. The Pinnacles are the remains of an ancient volcano that was split as the Pacific Plate moved north along the San Andreas fault. The rest of the volcano is 195 miles southeast, the Neenach Formation, near Los Angeles. The Neenach Formation has had a lot more weathering, reducing it to rolling hillsides with occasional outcroppings. The Pinnacles Formation is very dramatic, almost an otherworldly landscape that has been visited over the centuries.

We found the landscape amazing, with stark vistas of rough-shaped rocks all over. In late June, all the creek beds were dry, so we did not have to make any difficult crossings. The many spires and outcroppings have created hazardous trails, with fallen boulders creating caves out of slot canyons. So much fun to explore!

Pinnacles in the distance

A jutting rock

The ranger warned us about an active beehive on the trail we chose. We saw the sign and were surprised to see that the bees had their home up high in a tree. We felt fairly safe walking under the branch that must have been twenty feet up. We saw a small cloud of bees and heard their buzzing.

Avoiding engaging with nature

The bees did not come out in the picture

Walking further down the trail

Walking in the heat

Some of the fallen rocks look like they are ready for more movement or would provide locations for a fantastically hard game of hide and seek.

Not allowed to explore over there

Not wanting her picture taken

How do trees grow in such a harsh environment?

Crossing a dry creek

We spotted a few geckos and squirrels, including the one in the picture below.

Good camouflage, eh?

The big feature here is a cave scramble that we did not do since one of us had an injury and at least one other person was very reluctant to do rock scrambling in the pitch dark.

Gateway to the cave

Cutting through the cutout

A little bit of railing to keep us on the right path

Sunshine trying to make it through the tumbled down rocks

Another surprising tree

Tight rock formation

Blocking the path...almost

We got close to the entrance but then lost the trail. We backtracked to the car, which always goes much faster (or at least seems to).

Following a riverbed

Not well-camouflaged squirrel

Last view of the rocks

We did feel like Star Trek (the original series) must have filmed in this area. I expected a Gorn to pop up at any moment for a fight.

Billy Goat Trail, Great Falls, Maryland

I took the family hiking at Great Falls, Maryland, a national park that is part of the C&O Canal. The park features the canal's tow path (now a walking and biking path), canal locks, historic buildings, overviews of the Potomac River (including the eponymous falls), and wooded hiking trails. We came for the Billy Goat Trail Part A, which is perhaps more rocky than wooded. It is a fun and challenging hike that only my eldest son and I had hiked before. On the way to the trail head, we passed the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center (which was not open). It was an inn along the canal serving travelers.

Great Falls Inn, right next to Lock 20

Another lock further down the trail

We went to an overlook that had dramatic views of the falls.

A river rushes through it

Calmer part of the water but still treacherous

Much calmer water

As we walked down the tow path we were amazed to see a deer nonchalantly munching on some vegetation as we passed. It didn't run away even though we were close.

Nothing to see here

A pedestrian bridge over the canal

We made it to the trail head where things got more interesting.

Ready for a new adventure!

The trail was a lot more rocky, with some scrambling over boulders. We were surprised how many trees managed to poke up out of the rocks.

More rocks than trees

The Potomac (and Virginia) in the distance

My family

My wife played up the scariness to the satisfaction of our youngest, who helpfully pointed out ways through the rocks and safe spots to put your feet.

Scrambling together

Another good view of the river

The most dramatic part of the hike is the Traverse, a rock scramble of about a hundred feet up the rock face. My wife was legitimately scared here.

Just climb up to those trees

The brutal sun beating down on us as we went up

Getting to the top was a relief and time for water and snacks. We continued following the trail with its blue blazes.

Making a face for the camera

More big boulders

Unfortunately, we did not bring enough water for the whole family. Fortunately, the trail has an Exit Trail that lets hikers skip the bottom or top half of the trail. We voted to bail out. The exit took us back to the tow path. We headed north back to the car.

How does the canal have more water here?

A little body of water on the side

Another lock

A lock with ruins of a house

We did have a lot of fun and bought the year-long pass for this park, so we will be back for other trails at Great Falls, including the gold mine trail.

Historic Jamestowne, Virginia--Part II

A continuation of yesterpost...

Just outside the visitor center for Historic Jamestowne is the land owned by Governor George Yeardley, one of the earliest governors of the colony.

No buildings left

A footbridge leads over a swampy area to the original settlement.

Swampy area

Fort and flag in the distance

Just before the fort site there's the Tercentenary Monument. Built in 1907 to commemorate the 300th anniversary, the monument is 104 feet tall (the same number as of the original colonists!).

Tercentenary Monument

Base of the monument (shady side)

Base of the monument (sunny side)

A fancy gate leads into the area with the original church and fort. The church was built just outside of the fort.

A nice entrance

The church was reconstructed in the late 1890s over the original foundation. Most of the brickwork had been taken over the years for other projects or as mementos by visitors.

Rebuilt exterior

The church's graveyard is also reconstructed. Archaeological workers found a few graves just outside the foundations of the church.

Churchyard

Inside, visitors can seen the original foundation.

Bell tower foundation

They are still working on it!

Church interior

View from the altar

Memorial inside the church

Bell tower end of the church

Ad to get donations to help out the restoration

Nearby is a statue of Pocahontas. She was most likely born around 1595 at Werowocomoco, fifteen miles from Jamestown. She was the favorite daughter of Chief Powhatan and visited the colony often in 1608. John Smith credits her with saving his life twice. In 1613, Pocahontas was kidnapped by Captain Argall. While captive, she learned Christianity and was baptized. In 1614 she married John Rolfe, which established peace between the settlers and the natives. She went with Rolfe to England in 1616 with their son Thomas and met the Royal Court. She died in 1617 and was buried in England.

Pocahontas in her younger days

Copy of the 17th-century English engraving of Pocahontas

Archeology is ongoing at the site but no archeologists were on duty.

Blockhouse from the extended fort

Inside the fort grounds is a recreation of the barracks. A wooden frame would be coated with a mud mixture to make the walls. The roofs were typically thatched.

Barracks framed out

Sample of wall

One of the cannons on display

Several burial sites can be found around the property. These two next to each other do not seem to be related. On the left is the remains of a young European man who had a gunshot wound and was buried between 1607 and 1620. On the right is a European woman who was buried in the 1620s somewhere between the ages or 40 and 55.

Burial markers

A statue of Captain John Smith stands right by the waters of the James River. Part of the plaque describing him struck me as funny: "He was an arrogant and boastful man, often tactless and sometimes brutal. Physically strong and worldly wise, he made an excellent settler. However, his personality, his obvious qualifications and his low social position infuriated many of the colony's leaders and settlers." His early life is fascinating. He was born about 1580 to a yeoman farmer. He traveled Europe and fought as a soldier in the Netherlands and Hungary. He was captured and sold as a slave to a Russian master. He killed that man and escaped to Hungary. He made it back to England in time to colonize Virginia. He returned to England in 1609 where he published a few works (the book, a map, and a history of Virginia). He visited New England briefly to map the coast in 1614. He lived the rest of his life in England, dying in 1631.

John Smith statue

Close up 

Another memorial is the Hunt Shrine. Reverend Robert Hunt was the first Anglican minister in the colony. He died in 1608.

Hunt Shrine

The site also has a metal miniature of the original fort.

Triangle fort

Western end

Eastern end

The area also has a "new towne" with the foundations of various buildings from the 1600s. We didn't visit because the kids were done. The new town area was burned down in 1676 by Nathaniel Bacon who led a rebellion against the Colonial Governor William Berkeley.