Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery
Piedras Blancas (white rocks)
This is the largest elephant seal rookery on the west coast. This national park is open year-round. Parking is free and there is boardwalk access to view the elephant seals. At times, there can be thousands of seals. Depending on the month these elephant seal will be birthing, molting, breeding and fighting and resting. During my visit most were basking in the sun. If you live in California, this is a wonderful day trip, and it is free.
Driving up the coast of California is beautiful. In 2017, Piedras Blancas became part of the California Coast National Monument.
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Piedras Blancas Light Station – HOME is nearby. You will see it from the rookery.
December – March
Birthing and Breeding
Adult males fight for dominance. Most births occur in January. Mating season peaks in February.
Pups are weaned when their mothers leave and finally weaned pups depart toward the end of April.
April – August
Molting
Molting begins by shedding old hair and the outer layer of skin.
Molting for females and juveniles begins in spring. Males molt during the summer.
September – November
Fall Haul-Out
“Male and female elephant seals that are to young to take part in the breeding season, haul out to rest in the fall. This is a good time to see young males practice fighting.”
Notable History
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♬ original sound – VantasticOdyssey.com
Baofeng UV-5R and UV-5RA Dual Band Radio
If you lose phone service, what will you do. Imagine no cable, internet or phone service. Do you have a back-up plan? Communication during an emergency is vital. This is an entry level solution for communication. Currently, the Baofeng UV-5r (暴风影音) runs about 25.00 to 35.00 dollars. During a crisis the price will increase and availability may be limited. I recommend to you to at least check it out. This is the lowest cost solution I can find.
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This is my pick:
Ham Radio Baofeng Radio Upgraded Baofeng UV-5R Walkie Talkie with 2 Rechargeable 1800mAh Battery Handheld Radio with TIDRADIO Driver Free Programming Cable
Dante’s View
Death Valley is part of the Mohave Desert located in the eastern part of California. Dante’s View is 13 miles up on Dante’s View Road off HWY 190. It is located 11 miles southeast of Furnace Creek or 18 miles North of Death Valley Junction. There is a 25-degree temperature change at the top of this mountain range, so fair warning, Dress warm… even though this is Death Valley, the hottest recorded temperature on recorded is 134 F.
Once you reach the top of Dante’s View, you will see a panoramic view of Death Valley. Furnace Creek is visible to the North 31 miles away. To the south is Owlshead Mountains. Looking west and down is the Badwater Basin. Looking straight across to the west is Telescope Peak. Dante’s View is part of the Black Mountains along the Amargosa Range.
Cooking while camping
I use an electric cooker which runs off solar. It’s great. While you can use propane or butane, an electric cooker is another way to go. I even use it while I am driving. I plug it into my pure sine wave inverter and when I arrive at camp my meal is ready to eat.
https://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm
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- Portable Gas Generator BANPortable Gas Generator Ban has passed in California. Will it be illegal to run your portable generator at a campsite? Will you be able to own a portable generator at your place of residence? The California Air Resource Board (CARB) was considering a regulation to ban small off-road engines, which included portable gas generators used… Read more: Portable Gas Generator BAN
- Harmony Borax WorksThe Harmony Borax Works Interpretive Trail is located in Death Valley. At its full operation three tons of borax was produced per day. The Harmony Borax works employed 40 men. To transfer all this borax required a 20-mule team. The operation became famous because of the large mule teams and double wagons.
- Furnace Creek Visitor CenterFurnace Creek Visitor Center features small museum and small bookstore. You can speak to rangers, pay park fees, or buy a yearly national park pass. Some exhibits include short films about Death Valley. There is a large 3D display map showing where all the popular sites and attractions are located. You can verify weather conditions… Read more: Furnace Creek Visitor Center
There are a couple of hiking trails. One short trail and a few longer ones. All of them have great views. I went for the sunrise. I watch the shadow of the Black Mountains falls, I here sunsets are amazing from Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/dantes-view-trail