Pipeline...

...from January 21st. Windy, big waves, and fun.

 

Coyotes Kill Hiker

It does happen from time to time, tho I think more often with mountain lions.

TORONTO (Oct. 28) -- Two coyotes attacked a promising young musician as she was hiking alone in a national park in eastern Canada, and authorities said she died Wednesday of her injuries.

The victim was identified as Taylor Mitchell, 19, a singer-songwriter from Toronto who was touring her new album on the East Coast.

She was hiking solo on a trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia on Tuesday when the attack occurred. She was airlifted to a Halifax hospital in critical condition and died Wednesday morning....

Royal Canadian Mounted Police...said other hikers heard Mitchell's screams for help on Tuesday and called emergency police dispatchers.

What a shame they didn't have a gun along. What a shame Mitchell didn't have a gun along. Even a big sheath knife. But then, the Canadians, being civilized folk, take a dim legal view of handguns for mere subjects.

Police who were in the area reached the scene quickly and shot one of the animals....

As the saying goes, when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

Paul Maynard of Emergency Health Services said Mitchell already was in critical condition when paramedics arrived on the scene and had multiple bite wounds over her entire body.

Sheesh. In some areas the police may be our friends, but Smith & Wesson are our buddies. Unless you are a respectable person, of course, then not.

Tenting in the Jungle Primeval

As the tropic sun gently rose over the eastern hills and the shamas called to their mates, I rose cautiously from my pallet, crept silently to the fire and made a pot of coffee for myself.

Later, as the sun slowly passed it's zenith I set up our new abode under a jungle giant, surrounded by a small herd of pachydermi ceramicus aieaensis and watched silently from afar by a pair of felis domesticus.

As the soft-scented breeze wafted through the jungle, threatening to snap the frame and tear the tie down cords from their gracile mounts, I swiftly captured the scene in all it's primitive glory, then, lest darkness fall well after that of our new Home, I disassembled the shelter, rolled it up, and stored it with thoughts of replacing the cords, the stakes, and simulating a floor with a big blue tarp.

 

That's KMart's story, and they are...

...sticking to it.

In prepping for a planned overnite to Malaekahana Beach Park in the near future, today I checked the websites of several local big boxes for a cheapo tent with screen sides.

KMart had a couple online with attractive sales prices, but that was online. I called their Salt Lake store and asked if they had any Northwest Territory One Touch Screen House Tents in stock.

"Is that in Electronics?" I was asked.

"No, I think that would be in Outdoors."

"Oh. OK. I'll check." Soon she came back on the phone to chirpily relate that "Yes, we do have them. But we're out of them."

Next try: KMart-Nimitz. "Do you have any Northwest Territory One Touch Screen House Tents in stock?"

"I think that would be in Electronics."

"No, it's a tent. I think that would probably be in Outdoors." Didn't matter: they were out of them as well. Unless, of course, they really were keeping their tents in Electronics.

Anyway, I had one more try, the Waipahu KMart in Waikele Shopping Center.

"Do you have any Northwest Territory One Touch Screen House Tents in stock?"

This time, the clerk was quite definite. See: that's what good training does for you. You KNOW where the merch is stashed. She ever so cheerily informed me that "That is in Electronics!"

Eventually I got a clerk in Outdoors who informed me that yes indeed, they did have one, and that the price had been dropped to $29.99. I asked if they could put one on hold and was told not to bother: "We have a LOT of them." OK.

So I leaped into Old Nellie Belle and motored out to Waikele where I found that indeed they do have a lot of the Northwest Territory One Touch Screen House Tents 10 X 10 in stock. Something over 50 of them by my rough count. They are in Outdoors. They're in Automotive as well. They are darn near everywhere, but I didn't see any in Electronics.

We are now the proud possessors of a second home*, portable variety. For camping and post-hurricane shelter.


* Yes, I know this claims a different size. And the color is different. So is the structure. And the Model number. Go figure. Maybe those are available in Electronics. It's a big tent with screens, for $29.99 Enough already.

Thunderbirds at Hickam Air Force Base

Yesterday Valerie and I trekked off by bus and hoof...much hoof...toward Hickam Air Force Base to see the Thunderbirds perform. Google maps were a trifle misleading, so after much hiking along the side of the highway in a generally counterclockwise direction...a fully counterclockwise direction and then some...in fact, if it had been the horn of a mountain sheep it would have been a trophy curl... we settled on a footbridge which made a pretty good viewing platform. Fortunately we had brought water or we never would have made it to the bridge, but instead would have been one day found, dried, dessicated, nay mummified, by the side of the Interstate, possibly of interest to local archaeologists.

While we waited for the Thunderbirds to show, we sat under a nice plumeria tree and polished off most of the rest of the water. Back in shape, we clambered up the bridge in time for the fun.

 

Zoom! Or something to that effect.:

 

More Zoom! but in a different direction:

 

Today we got up at 4:30 to help the Troop 147 Boy Scouts pass out water to the Nike 5K joggers at Kapiolani park, sauntered thru the craft fair there, then home for a nap and more Thunderbirds from the lanai:

 

Then off they flew into the wild blue yonder behind the shower tree:

 

Wheelchair Accessible

Yesterday we climbed aboard the Golden Thunderbolt and hied ourselves off to Napa Valley for a stroll around a winery/Mediterranean castle and the nearby Petrified Forest in Calistoga.

The castle was surprisingly fun, and the trees, billed as the world's largest, were pretty impressive, one redwood being some 8 feet in diameter and 65 feet long. Interestingly, the path was billed as wheelchair accessible. Herewith a bit of video which missed the early part of the climb which inspired me to hit the video button, and the later part (past a sign recommending thast wheelchairs turn back) which while steep enough for three of us to wheel it down backwards, was at least blacktopped:



All survived with senses of Heroic Accomplishment in the face of Nature Primeval.

The Hoplophobes’ Travel Guide to the United States

Dave Kopel's The Hoplophobes’ Travel Guide to the United States is available here.

A response to the New York Times' readers' comments which in turn were responding to a debate about the new federal law bringing concealed carry restrictions in national parks into line with those of the host state, it takes a few paragraphs to warm up, but is amusing, unless you are a hoplophobe, of course.

The readers' comments are pretty sad, tho.

Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve.

Dan & I trekked out to Ka'ena Point (the Northwestern tip of Oahu) yesterday, going in from the Mokulē'ia (North Shore) side.

After parking in the lot at the end of the paved road, we walked the jeep track to the vehicle barrier, then climbed thru the gate. The jeep track is a pretty ugly walk: while you can stop and look at the mountains, it is so rutted and uneven from off-road vehicles that you better stop while looking, or risk a fall and a turned ankle. Much of this portion of the track has brush high enough on the ocean side to cover that view. Still, there are more than glimpses, and it is pretty nice in spots.

It was too windy to be hot, which this walk can be in spades. I lost my hat a few times, and twice my glasses with it, but no damage done.

Plenty of people had driven in and parked near the shore, putting up tents and sun shades, set up several fishing poles, and seemed to be having a fine time.

 

Once thru the barrier we were on a proper hiking trail, mostly sand and basically flat, with a view of the shore. There are steel wires on metal stakes to keep people on the trail, away from the endangered plants and the nesting Laysan Albatrosses. There are also Shearwaters nesting there, tho we didn't notice any. We also saw several box traps, which I suspect are for mongoose, a major predator of ground nesting birds like the Albatross and Nene goose.

Albatross family:

 

Dan with the same family:

 

Dan spotted some whales going by. At first they seemed to be swimming in a circle, but finally made up their minds and headed east.

 

There were also a couple of monk seals hanging out on the rocks. They are endangered, and one is not supposed to get withing 50 feet or so of them. Yesterday people seemed to be respecting that restriction, tho we have in the past seen people getting within prodding - and biting- distance. Bad idea, especially if there is a pup about.

 

Here is some naupaka, which is an endangered beach plant. Very little remains anywhere in the islands, and it was apparently pretty torn up at Kaena point by off road vehicles until the state turned it into a reserve and put up the barrier.

 

Also Dan, surrounded by naupaka while we were watching the whales and seals. The trail goes thru a lot of naupaka- we weren't in a prohibited area.

 

A couple guys had some success fishing with throw nets. Here they are heading off with their nets around them.

 

On the way out we passed a group of about 10 Laysan Albatrosses. I shot a bunch of pictures of one in flight, but they were all pretty blurry. Here is one settling his wings.

 

All in all, it was tiring, but a nice hike.


Here is a link to a useful state DLNR brochure about the reserve, plants, and animals to see there.

This is also a useful DLNR site.

I found the first dozen or so responses to a Google search for 'kaena point trail' remarkably uninformative: One said it is "fairly long," another that it is 1.7 miles from the parking area to the point, another that it is two miles, another 2.5 miles, and another 3 miles. One said "BE PREPARED FOR CRIMINALS" and "Nothing happened to our group or vehicles, but there was "evidence" of criminal activity in this remote area which can be unsettling for some..." So, what KIND of criminals? Litterbugs? Rapists? Pot smokers? What was the evidence? Empty solvent drums? Smashed windows and cleaned out cars? Hikers' bloating corpses?

And just how should one prepare for criminals in a state which requires a permit to carry a pistol, but which also refuses to issue permits? Carry a litter bag?

UPDATE: For another take on the hike, here is Dan's post at Regruntled.com.

Collar illegal aliens/trespassers/litterbugs: Get yer rear sued off.

Well, now, here's a story to make an economic elitist's blood boil:

An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home....

Trial continues Monday in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $32 million....

Attorneys for the immigrants...who were trying to cross illegally into the United States - have accused Mr. Barnett of holding the group captive at gunpoint, threatening to turn his dog loose on them and saying he would shoot anyone who tried to escape.

Actually, if they were on Barnett's ranch, they weren't trying, they had ALREADY crossed illegally into the US. But his ranch was stolen from the noble Mexican economic elite way back when, so he really is the trespasser, right?

This may be his real crime:

The lawsuit said he...Mr. Barnett acknowledged that he had turned over 12,000 illegal immigrants to the Border Patrol since 1998.

This is clearly a guy who has to be stopped. 12,000 innocent law breakers? This guy is lucky he hasn't been lynched as a warning to other uppity property "owners".

Jerry Seper has the story in the Washington Times.

A number of the commenters are pretty hot under the collar, though they, for some reason, direct their bile at the illegals and or CDIW. Go figure.

Malaekahana Weekend

We spent the weekend camping at Malaekahana State Recreation Area, Kahuku Section, on the North Shore between Laie and Kahuku, celebrating a 17th birthday with a mob of teenagers. All of them appeared to have a good time, and so did we. Greg did all of the logistical planning for about 15 of his friends: arranged for tents, figured out meal plans, did the shopping, budget, directed set up and tear down, the whole shebang. He pulled it off beautifully.

Our friend Dan stopped in on Saturday for a walk up and down the beach, including a wade out to Goat Island, a local seabird sanctuary.

I shot a lot of people pics, but not for blogging. You'll have to make do with these. Clik for a bigger version.

There were plenty of Poultry-Americans clucking and crowing around our site:

 

Malaekahana Weather Vane II:

 

This is looking back at the beach from around the point:

 

A fisherman working with a throw net was waiting for one to come within range:

 

The water at the point was plenty clear:

 

Out at the point we saw a Wandering Tattler aka 'ulili hanging out on the iron shore. They come in from Alaska for the winter. Smart birds.

 

While I had thought Goat Island was off limits, there is a rudimentary track for legit strolling all the way around. The trick is getting out there with a camera, without dunking it: the water is two to three feet deep, and the waves come around the island from both sides, meeting at the wading route to splash the unwary. Fortunately Dan and I both had sealable plastic bags, and we managed not to topple over on the way out or back.

A lot of the interior of Goat Island is covered with these succulents. I haven't identified the stuff yet, but it seems to make a great ground cover.

 

Here's a shed crab shell on Goat Island:

 

Goat Island log:

 

North Shore, Oahu

We drove up to the North Shore last weekend and spent the day poking around. Here are a few pics.

 

I'm pretty sure this little guy is a Wandering Tattler. He's really galloping up the beach:

 

This ought to be self-explanatory:

 

This one, too:

 

Here's a Golden Plover fattening up for the big spring flight to Alaska:

 

There was a mob of people on the beach, watching other people doing a North Shore kind of thing:

 

We watched this Black Crowned Night Heron waiting for an unwary fish or shrimp at Fumi's Shrimp Wagon. The shrimp are worth waiting for, especially when slathered with garlic butter. I don't think this guy has much opportunity for that option, tho.

 

A Poultry-American doing her thing:

 

This is related to the Tannenbaum series published below. It's a big knot on a tree.

 

That's all, folks.