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May 09, 2005

Dry Pond Is Not Dry

I went on a hike on Saturday with my two dogs, Rudy and Kona, to witness with my own eyes that Dry Pond is anything but dry – and home to some pretty big omnivores waking up after sleeping for up to seven months.

Here in the Sierra Nevada, we are experiencing a big spring thaw which makes places like “Dry” Pond a virtual oasis for critters like Wood Ducks, Mallards and – bears. Yes, high up the mountain, at this remote area, we saw many – fresh – bear tracks. Rudy, was sniffing with his nose high in the air with an incredulous look on his face, most certainly picking up the bear’s scent. Kona as usual, focused on eating doggie treats, eating more doggie treats, checking in to see if she can eat my Cliff Bar, or perhaps even more doggie treats.

So back to the bear.

I began to think about this amazing creature. He or she has been hibernating in a cave or a hollowed-out tree for over six months. I wouldn’t mind sleeping for six months. Really. Just fill me in on any important stuff I might have missed when I wake up. On the downside, I hear that in order to survive this long period of inactivity, bears work on gaining up to forty (!) pounds of fat per week (hey – wasn’t that during the holidays last year?). Anyway, I think I could learn a lot from this bear. What an incredible adaptation of nature that allows this creature to survive in the most severe of weather conditions.

Just to be safe, we ate our treats quickly at Dry Lake. After hiking for over three hours, me and my growling stomach were in no mood to share my only Cliff Bar with a hibernation-emerging hungry bear.

Proof that we saw bear tracks:

Rudy and Kona being "Mer-Dogs" in the "Dry Pond":

Posted by Artemisia at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)

I've Found the America's Adventure Place Spokesperson

My hubby could be the official spokesperson for Reno-Tahoe, America's Adventure Place. The man knows how to take a simple, easy and enjoyable hike and bump it up a notch so that it is truly an adventure.

On Sunday, we went hiking at Silver Saddle Ranch, which is on the Eastern edge of Carson City. There were wildflowers in bloom everywhere. (Too bad I've lost my camera!) We hiked for about 45 minutes on the trail, where it ended. Normally, we just turn around at this point, but the hubby decided he wanted to make a loop.

The trail doesn't loop, so this meant we got the 'pleasure' of creating our own loop -- going off the trail. At first it wasn't so bad, but next thing I knew, we were walking on a steep slope over rocks and sage and I was slipping and sliding the entire way.

I think the hubby is part mountain goat, as he didn't seem to have any problems, and left me in his dust.

When we finally made it back to our vehicle, I scolded him, saying, 'can't you ever just stay on a trail'?

'And what would be the adventure in that?' He replied.

Posted by AdventureGrrl at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)

May 04, 2005

Springtime Wildflowers

Move over Death Valley with your recent claim to having the best spring wildflower show ever – the High Country Desert conditions of America’s Adventure Place are setting the stage for a virtual explosion of color all over the mountains.

The bad memories of shoveling/plowing out 8 foot drifts of snow across my driveway (over and over and over again) are now fading fast. It’s been said that pain has no memory, and surely these wildflowers are just the antidote to letting go of that outrageous winter with all the toiling in the snow. Spring is finally here!

Dawn is Kona’s (my dog) and my favorite time of day – everything is waking up to multiple possibilities. Lately, we’ve taken to walking along a wonderful dirt road that threads the southwestern edge of Reno. I often startle groups of deer, who then scamper high up the mountain and stand like rows of statues, watching us below as we walk the road. The quail, Meadowlarks, Robins and Scrub Jays slowly all chime in as the sun rises.

I have never seen so many flowers here in the springtime. Beyond the legendary ski season the snows provided, this snow has made the hillsides and mountains literally blanketed with flowers. I’ve always loved Indian Paintbrushes – but, all those violets – in yellow, blue and purple – they will steal your heart away!

Here are some pictures from my outing.

Posted by Artemisia at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

May 03, 2005

16 Days and Counting

I have spent the last week doing what I often do -- I went kayaking, everyday. That makes 16 days straight right now, and counting. Those are the kind of numbers that make me a happy person.

Last weekend I helped a friend named Jesse Murphy out with a clinic for Red Bull. We took a bunch of people out on the water that had never kayaked before and gave them the crash course. It was a good time for everyone and seeing everyone have so much fun was refreshing for me.

Now I am thinking about the Reno River Festival. Just within the last couple of days I started paddling at a level that I haven’t been familiar with in quite some time. And that is a good thing.

Posted by Jay Kincaid at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

Maxfield Parrish: Master of Make-Believe

I had a chance to go to the opening of Maxfield Parrish: Master of Make-Believe at the Nevada Museum of Art. This is the largest exhibit ever of Parrish’s work. The highlights of the exhibit were his rarely seen murals and the remarkable Du Pont Mural, painstakingly restored and on exhibit for the first time ever here in Northern Nevada.

Like most people, I have seen tons of Parrish’s prints – but this show has the real thing – the paintings! I learned something very interesting about his legendary use of the color blue: Parrish would grind up the semi-precious stone, lapis lazuli, and mix it into his blue paint before applying it to the canvases. No wonder those blues are so bizarrely intense and luminous.

The museum was rockin’! There were more than 1,500 people at the opening! They had a fabulous martini bar and a great band. The museum shop has all these great Parrish catalogs so I bought the one specific for the show. I just started reading it and it I’m learning so much about Parrish. I can’t wait to go back and really take time to savor the paintings!

Here are my pics from the grand opening:

Posted by Artemisia at 09:28 AM | Comments (1)