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!