I was so fortunate to witness the most spectacular natural #firefall I have seen in my 20 years in Yosemite National Park in 2019—and capture a video to share with you all!
Yosemite from above on March 13, 2013 (photo by Beth Pratt)
On my return flight from Portland to Fresno yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity to fly almost the entire length of the Sierra, and pretty much right over my house. And what a wondrous sight, to peer into Yosemite Valley from above, and gaze at my mountain companions in my favorite place on earth, Yosemite's Tioga Country. I know these peaks and valleys intimately, yet as a mere mortal peering up from the earth. A glimpse of them from above reveals their true nature. These mountains might originate on earth, but they dwell in the kingdom of the sky. Look at Half Dome reaching above Yosemite Valley or magnificent Mt Conness guarding over the park.
Can't wait until Tioga Pass opens! My prediction is that it will be an early year.
Some wildflowers attest to the truth of the Chinese proverb—“spring is sooner recognized by plants than men.” Even before winter has fully retreated, the impatient Yosemite bitterroot, Lewisia dispela, emerges from hibernation, seeking sunshine by extending its buds through the melting snowbanks. As the snow melts and saturates the sand, the delicate, white to rose-pink flowers sprout excitedly from the ground. Yet the eager plant experiences just a short burst of spring fever as the flowering lasts only two to three weeks before they wither.
This tiny flower, barely the size of a quarter, emerges on the tops of some of the most enormous granite formations in the world—the domes of Yosemite— and at elevations up to 9,000 feet. As the botanist Willis Lin Jepson writes in his 1921 “Flowers of Yosemite National Park:”
“One of the great rarities of this region is a species of Lewisia (Lewisia yosemitiana) which grows in the granite sand on top of the domes about Yosemite and nowhere else in the world. The white flowers rise from underground roots and open out on the sand like stars set in the very crowns of the domes. These plants are very delicate as well as very rare and should never be disturbed, since they will fall to pieces in one’s hand if dug up from the place where they grow, as if in resentment at man’s interference with them. They, however, are well worth seeking for field study by lovers of rare plant life.”
Two of my friends, both dedicated and passionate Yosemite Rangers, recently embarked on an excursion in search of the Yosemite bitterroot. Bob Roney has been in the park since 1968 and is a Master Interpretive Ranger (which means he’s one of the first people I ask when I have a natural or cultural history question) and the author of The Road Guide to Yosemite. Erik Westerlund has worked as a naturalist in Yosemite since 1992, and has turned me on to many of the park's not so obvious wonders with his enthusiasm, such as its dragonflies and newts. He also gets the award for most dedicated botany student, as he is known to carry An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park—an eight pound hardcover book—on his backcountry hikes.
Mission accomplished: Ranger Eric Westerlund finds the ephemeral bitterroot. (photo by Bob Roney)
Given the biological firepower between the two of them, perhaps it’s not surprising their mission for the ephemeral flowers proved to be successful. Once Bob posted a photo of the beautiful wildflower on Facebook, I had to contain my urge to immediately seek out the blossom myself. Embarking on a treasure hunt for these sublime blooms is one of my cherished rites of spring.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness the flower in its granite garden many times in Yosemite, and when I lived in Yellowstone, gazed on its larger cousin, Montana’s state flower, the bitterroot Lewisia. The genus Lewisia honors Captain Lewis, of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who is generally credited with being the first to collect the flower. A reference in his journal is 1806 notes: "I met with a singular plant today in blume of which I preserved a specemine."
Yellowstone's larger cousin, bitter root Lewisia (photo by Beth Pratt)
So the next time you stand in Yosemite Valley in early spring, gaze up at the mighty granite walls and picture the tiny blooms of bitterroot, birthed from their rocky soil and melting snow, tiny jewels decorating the tops of these giants.
Harbor porpoises have returned to San Francisco Bay after 65 years (Photo by Golden Gate Cetacean Research).
Tony Bennett isn’t the only one to leave his heart in San Francisco. After an absence of over 65 years, the harbor porpoise recently returned to frolic in the waters of San Francisco Bay.
When walking across the Golden Gate Bridge in 2010 with a friend, we joined a group of onlookers gazing down in delight at what we all thought were dolphins swimming beneath the bridge. I snapped several photos, yet it wasn’t until a year later, after meeting marine biologist and porpoise guru Bill Keener of Golden Gate Cetacean Research, that I discovered the significance of my sighting. He identified the animals in my photos as harbor porpoises and related the remarkable story of their return.
Marine biologist Bill Keener searching for harbor porpoises on Golden Gate Bridge (Photo Golden Gate Cetacean Research/Liittschwager)
Since hearing this tale I’ve been out to view porpoises with Bill several times, and have definitely caught his enthusiasm for these creatures, so much so that I volunteered to dress up in a porpoise costume and run around popular Bay Area locations for a short video about the animal’s return (see below). Sitting in Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s chair at City Lights Bookstore, shopping at Berkeley Bowl, and dancing on the ferry to Alcatraz in a porpoise costume are just a few of the highlights from my time as a porpoise. You can read about the making of the video and all the wonderful people who made it happen.
Aside from not wanting to miss the resurgence of Beat poetry or the great burritos in the Mission, why did the harbor porpoises return? And why did they originally leave? According to Bill, several reasons might explain their reoccupation, including the reduction of pollution in the Bay. But more research is needed and Bill is dedicated to finding an answer, as knowing the cause of their departure and subsequent return is vital to ensure the porpoise becomes a permanent resident again.
As Bill observed, “The unexpected return of these animals provides a unique scientific opportunity. San Francisco Bay may now be the best place in the world to study harbor porpoises. The more we can learn about these animals in their natural habitat, the more we can do to help them survive and thrive into the future.”
To celebrate this success and to ensure the marine mammal’s continued residence in the Bay, National Wildlife Federation and Golden Gate Cetacean Research have partnered on a “Return of the Porpoise to San Francisco Bay” campaign. At this point, the National Wildlife Federation is the only major nonprofit supporting this cause and Golden Gate Cetacean Research the only organization conducting a study. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.sfbayporpoises.org.
Ranger Rick helps celebrate the return of the porpoise to San Francisco with a Cetacean friend (Photo NWF California).
Harbor porpoises are notoriously shy and as a result not much is known about this creature in contrast to its more charismatic relatives like the bottlenose dolphin. The unprecedented access to viewing these animals in the Bay is already shedding insight into their once mysterious habits. And to help with this effort, people can share their photos and report sightings at www.sfbayporpoises.org. By looking at scars and pigmentation patterns on the body, researchers can use the photos to track movements of the porpoises. Your pictures will contribute to the most comprehensive photo-identification effort ever undertaken for this species. And be on the watch for the easily recognizable white porpoise that has been nicknamed Mini-Moby!
Mini-Moby:the white harbor porpoise in San Francisco Bay (Photo by Golden Gate Cetacean Research).
Sutro Sam, the first river otter in San Francisco in fifty years (photo by Mila Zinkova)
“There he is!” exclaimed an onlooker as the otter’s head peered above the water.
The patient crowd gathered around Sutro Baths—the ruins of a 19th century public bathing pool on the Pacific Coast—had been awaiting the appearance of “Sutro Sam,” the first river otter in San Francisco in over fifty years. And he did not disappoint—he glided in the waters and playfully rolled a few times as if posing for the cameras.
Sutro Sam is used to being in the spotlight as visitors from all over California—and the world—have traveled to get a glimpse of this celebrity otter after the Huffington Post and other notable media outlets featured his story. Why the fascination? Aside from being almost unbearably cute, the return of the river otter after such a long absence also underscores a conservation success story.
Megan Isadore, co-founder of The River Ecology Project, is celebrating his return for just this reason. “River otters are a sentinel species in that they require healthy watersheds to thrive. The fact that river otters can live all over San Francisco Bay and the Bay Area indicates that we humans have done something right. It shows that we can make positive changes to our environment, and we surely need all the encouragement we can get in these environmentally tough times. So let’s celebrate Sam, and celebrate continuing conservation and restoration of the watersheds that support all living beings.”
Watch a video of Sutro Sam:
Our attraction to Sutro Sam might also speak to something more fundamental in us—the everyday awe of seeing wild creatures, especially in unexpected places like an urban environment. Megan agrees: “Sutro Sam is a perfect example of the joy we gain from making the changes great and small that allow wildlife to return and thrive in areas where we haven’t seen them in a long time.”
And the thrill was no less diminished for me, even thought I travel around California all the time viewing wildlife. I gave a shout of delight each time he surfaced and snapped hundreds of photos. I also met a local woman, Mila Zinkova, who has been following his antics for some time and shared her impressive knowledge—and wonderful photos with me. Like many, she returns frequently to the baths to get another glimpse.
With all his popularity, the rangers at Golden Gate National Recreation Area are asking people to act responsibly and respectfully observe Sam from a distance for both the safety of the otter and their own safety. Keeping Sam a healthy and wild otter while he remains at Sutro Baths is a priority.
With Sutro’s Sam popularity, keeping him wild and safe is a priority (photo by Beth Pratt)
Scientists are still mystified by the reason for his appearance, but some think he might have traveled from Marin, where the river otter population has been making a comeback. One attraction to Sutro Baths for Sam is a unique and plentiful (for now) food source. For reasons unknown, people have been releasing pet goldfish into the baths for years and they make for an easy meal for Sam. Another unknown: how long the otter will remain as he will probably have to travel to find a mate. Until he swims away in the quest for romance, his fans will gather daily hoping for a sighting.
As I stood on the concrete wall of the baths watching Sam, someone shouted, “Dolphins!” I simply had to turn around to view a pod of bottlenose dolphins frolicking in the ocean. Perhaps even they can’t resist catching a glimpse of San Francisco’s rare and endearing river otter.
Along California’s 840 miles of coastline, you can view a wonderful array of marine mammals. And the sightings recently have been unprecedented, from what might be the largest pod of gray whales ever spotted off the coast of Palos Verdes in southern California, to the clusters of whales and dolphins surprising boaters and kayakers while feeding off the Central Coast last year, to the flash mob appearance of a super mega-pod of dolphins off the coast of San Diego last week. I’ve been tracking all these stories, and was recently interviewed in The Christian Science Monitor about the “marine mammal mania” we’re experiencing here in the Golden State.
This past weekend I ventured to the coast for a whale watching trip in Morro Bay, and while I didn’t view any dolphin mega pods, the marine mammals certainly did not disappoint. We watched two gray whales for almost an hour, were visited for a few fleeting moments by a harbor porpoise, laughed with the numerous barking sea lions, and enjoyed the almost unbearable cuteness of the sea otters. After the boat ride, I ventured up to San Simeon to catch the tail-end of the elephant seal season and saw two magnificent bulls do battle.
A collection of photos from my marine mammal encounters this weekend:
Sea otter and pup relaxing in Morro Bay (photo by Beth Pratt)
Sea otter close-up (Photo by Beth Pratt)
Elephant seals on a San Simeon beach in California (photo by Beth Pratt)Watch a video slide show of two elephant seals doing battle:
“Thar she blows!” A surfacing gray whale. (photo by Beth Pratt)Gray whale making its northbound journey (photo by Beth Pratt)
Yosemite from above on March 13, 2013 (photo by Beth Pratt)
