July-August 2012
A Whale of a Time
We were in pursuit of the blue whale.
Our boat left the Monterey harbor at 9:00...
We could see the sailboats and harbor entrance behind us.
An hour later we saw the blue whale and a few miles out from Moss Landing.
It was special to see the blue whale come up to scoop creel from the sea.
Later on, we saw another blue whale and many humpback whales.
We were glad to return to the harbor several hours later
remembering the sight of the biggest whale in the ocean
and surviving our boat ride without sea sickness.
In Quest of Scout Peak
After 8:00 Mass on the last Sunday in July we drove to the West Pinnacles.
Our goal was to reach Scout Peak (2,605 ft.)
We would hike 4.3 miles round trip climbing about 1,200 feet to the top of the peak.
Barbara led the way. I followed with our lunches in my backpack.
Far up the mountain we could see the parking below and the fog still in the Salinas Valley:
From Scout Peak I could see the park's restroom below.
We took one last look at the peak then returned to the parking lot.
By now it was about 90 degrees up in the Pinnacles.
Back in Soledad it was a refreshing 70 degrees.
I think we'll wait for a cooler hike in the spring.
Next: Alexander Acevedo Baptism