Lets Go Exploring

My Trip Leader Log By Mark H

Whale Watching Trip in Half Moon Bay

Each year Gray Whales migrate roughly 6000 miles from their Arctic feeding grounds to the warm lagoons of Baja California. Their migration path along the California coast provides excellent viewing opportunities for seeing these magnificent creatures. Join us on March 28 from 9:00 am to noon aboard the 56-foot Salty Lady as we venture 1-12 miles into whale’s migration path. This is an excellent opportunity to photograph these creatures so please come prepared with extra film. After the trip, interested folks can join us for lunch in Half Moon Bay. Reservations for whale watching are required and space is limited to the first twelve individuals. Please send payment of $29.00 (per person) and a self-addressed stamped envelope with a return address to Sanborn Park Hostel for confirmation of your reservation and additional information.

Organization: Sanborn Park Hostel
Date: Saturday, 28 March 1999
Trip leader: Mark Hougardy
Participants: 12

Exploring the Mysterious Rock Art of Little Petroglyph Canyon

Hidden in the northern Mojave Desert and within the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, near Ridgecrest California, is a half-mile wash with over 20,000 images. It is considered the largest known concentration of petroglyphs in the western hemisphere. More information about visiting this remote area can be found at maturango.org.

The canyon starts as an unassuming wash. It quickly impresses. This is a mysterious place and is to be respected. The natural history guide will ask you not to touch the glyphs as the oils from our hands can destroy the rock art over time.

Some of the images are sixty feet above the floor of the canyon.
Impressive. The temperatures at the top of the canyon were well into the 90s’ on the day we visited, however, in the canyon they were in the 70s.

The largest glyph is possibly the most recognizable of all the images in the canyon.

Cosmos Tours California Coast

Trip Report:
Tour Director: Mark Hougardy
Company: Cosmos
Dates: August 1993
Participants: 35
Type: 5-day: bus & walking

This trip was a 5-day tour along California’s Central Coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It included visits to Santa Barbara, Solvang, San Simeon, Big Sur, 17-mile drive, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, Roaring Camp rail trip through the redwood forest, and a day exploring San Francisco. There were upsell opportunities to Alcatraz and Muir Woods. One trip had the unexpected challenge of the bus’ air conditioner breaking down in 100+ degree weather. The fix required a replacement bus. A visit to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont in San Francisco, along with a few drink passes at the end of the trip helped to cool the experience. Image copyrighted Cosmos.

Environmental Conservation Outdoor Study (ECOS) Program

From 1990 to 1992 I developed and led the Environmental Conservation Outdoor Study (ECOS) program at the Sanborn Park Hostel. The hostel was located in a 2,000-acre redwood forested park. I loved sharing the story of this place. It is a land where the Ohlone people once visited (and still do). They prepared food in an area that is underneath the modern floorboard of the hostel’s kitchen. It is a place where salmon once swam in the streams and condors flew overhead. In 1907 the Great San Francisco earthquake ripped a 40-foot scarp through a nearby orchard that most would never recognize today. It is a place where a uranium miner sold his fortune and created Walden West, a place where the early minds Silicon Valley gathered to grow an industry. Hidden among the trees and beneath the duff is a compelling story. Below is an early flier for the weekly programs.