Side note

Vasquez Rocks, by the way, was where they shot the Kirk v. Gorn fight for Star Trek, widely regarded as one of the worst fight scenes ever.

Trip to Vasquez Rocks

So last Saturday (April 18th) Patrick and I conquered Vasquez Rocks County Park.

Here are some photos to document the expedition. Click on any photo to enlarge.

We started the day with a hearty breakfast:



Patrick found a kindred spirit in the wild coyote:



Thomas spots the first objective, the Famous Rocks:



Patrick grunts with exertion during the first phase of the ascent:



Then surveys the wild, untamed country:



Thomas pauses for a photo at the summit:



Thomas communes with the great Earth Mother:



Patrick discovers a piece of California backpacking history:



Patrick pauses to give a sense of perspective during our second ascent -- up the longest and steepest hill in the world:



Thomas relinquishes perpendicularity briefly during the ascent:



Celebratory hand gestures after conquering a little vertical terrain:



We found a lot of these patches of yellow grass surrounded by circles of some kind of darker shrub. "It's weird," Patrick observed.



A much-deserved break in the rock lounger:



This picture turned out pretty cool:




Wildlife seen:

1 snake
1 coyote
2 redtail hawks
1 kestrel
Lots of crows
Lots of juniper
Lots of thistles
Lots of lizards
Lots of tadpoles

Injuries:

Thomas fell down and scraped shin
Patrick got prickers in his hand

Overall it was a great trip. Thanks to Will for the recommendation!