My Rite of Spring: Yosemite’s Tioga Pass Opening

In front of Mt Dana on Gaylor Lakes Trail, May 8, 2012For some the arrival of robins in the backyard herald the arrival of spring, for others the first wildflowers blooming, the day the winter clothes go into storage, or when we remove the chains from our cars.

Tioga Pass opening is my celebrated rite of spring and as soon as the road becomes accessible, I dash up to Yosemite’s high country and beginning my wanderings in my favorite place on earth.

Nature is notorious for her flip-flops and unpredictability. In 2011, we experienced one of the wettest winters on record in the Sierra and as such Tioga Pass opened extremely late-on June 18. Then in 2011/2012, the year without a winter arrived and the pass remained accessible until a record breaking January 17, 2012. With a snowpack at a mere 40% of normal, Tioga Pass opened on May 7, which marks its earliest opening in 25 years.

Tuolumne Meadows, May 8, 2012 (photo by Beth Pratt)Tuolumne Meadows, June 24, 2011 (photo by Beth Pratt)

My first hike after the pass opens is always Gaylor Lakes. Depending on the snowpack level, in some years I trek through deep snow, other years a landscape free of any white stuff. Snow covered most of the trail to Gaylor Lakes when I hiked it yesterday, yet it was melting fast. Usually I don’t encounter anyone on the trail so early in the season (the piles of snow at the trailhead can be daunting to most), but this year I met a wonderful couple from Carmel Valley who had snowshoed to the top—they get bonus points for being intrepid hikers!

The intrepid hikers from Carmel Valley on Gaylor Ridge (photo by Beth Pratt)

First mango margarita of the season at the Mobile Station!My Tioga Pass opening spring celebration also includes the mandatory stop at Whoa Nellie Deli to devour fish tacos while enjoying the view of Mono Lake—and that first mango margarita of the year is tasty as well! Sadly, I missed another tradition, my spring baseball conversation with Chef Toomey as he’s opened his own restaurant in Mammoth. 

Before heading up the pass, I always check out the eclectic collection of books at the Mono Lake Committee Bookstore and pick up some scrumptious pumpkin spice cake at Latte Da for the drive home. Puppy Dome is the perfect coda (and a good place to eat the pumpkin spice cake) for the first trip every year. I sit at the top and gaze at Tuolumne Meadows and all the splendid mountains I’ll be exploring over the summer.

Ah, Tuolumne! Relaxing on Puppy Dome.

“The mountains are calling and I must go,” said John Muir. Once Tioga Pass opens, I hear the call—my favorite sign of spring!

Save the Frogs Day in Yosemite & A Tour of My Backyard Frog Pond

New Pacific chorus frogs emerging from my pond (photo by Beth Pratt)I’m not sure when my passion for frogs began—as a child of the 70s I’m sure watching Kermit the Frog on the Muppet Show had something to do with my interest. My mother tells me my curiosity about frogs began at an early age. I would collect frogs in a bucket, name them all George, watch them in a special frog habitat I constructed in our backyard, then release them to their “families” at night. I don’t really know why I named them George.

A few years ago I added a backyard frog pond to my home outside Yosemite (Certified Wildlife Habitat™ of course!). Build it and they will come. Only a few weeks after I erected the pond, I encountered a western toad at dusk heading toward the water with his peculiar walk.

Now year after year in the spring, I listen to the distinct and loud “kreck-ek” of the Pacific Chorus Frogs day and night. Mary Dickerson, who authored The Frog Book in 1906, deemed the chorus frog the “entertaining little acrobat of the frog world” and described their song: “At dusk or on rainy days a loud resonant trill comes from the trees and vines. The sound has the charm of contentment in it; in fact it is much like the purring of a cat, only louder.”

And of course much to my delight I also have an annual birth of chorus frog tadpoles in my pond (I love the Honduras word for tadpole: “bunbulun”). Watching these little guys transform from egg, to tadpole, to frog each year is magical.

A Tour of My Backyard Frog Pond

Despite the success of my backyard frog sanctuary, I am extremely worried about our frog friends across the globe. As Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Today, amphibians worldwide are disappearing at an unprecedented rate—over a third of all amphibians are on the verge of extinction.

How can you help? Consider making your backyard frog and wildlife friendly through the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program. It’s fun and really does make a difference for frogs who are suffering from a loss of habitat in many areas.

National Wildlife Magazine also has an excellent new article about amphibian decline: Frogs Need Our Help, So Hop to It!

April 28^th is the 4^th annual celebration of the international Save the Frogs Day. The National Wildlife Federation is helping to sponsor two events, in Seattle and Yosemite National Park. Look for a Save the Frogs event in your area and come out and support our little green friends!

Ranger Rick is coming to Yosemite to help celebrate National Junior Ranger Day!

Ranger Rick to visit Yosemite (photo National Wildlife Federation)Yosemite National Park is planning a special event to celebrate National Junior Ranger Day on April 21. From 10:30 am to 2:00 pm in the Yosemite Village Mall, children and their families can participate in a series of fun activities, explore the children’s tent and earth friendly product fair, enjoy Earth Day cake and lemonade, and earn their Junior Ranger badge in a special guided walk.  As part of the activities, attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the dedicated park rangers who help preserve Yosemite and learn about their important jobs in wilderness protection, fire fighting, wildlife management and more.

Kids will also have a chance to meet one of the world’s most famous rangers: Ranger Rick. After earning their Junior Ranger badge, the National Wildlife Federation’s iconic character will accompany the newly sworn in rangers in a special parade honoring their achievement. He’ll also be distributing free copies of Ranger Rick magazine and other National Wildlife Federation publications for visitors to enjoy.

National Junior Ranger Day kicks off the week-long celebration of National Park Week (April 21-29). During National Park Week all 397 national parks across the country are offering free admission.

For more information about Yosemite’s schedule of activities consult the latest issue of the Yosemite Guide.  The park website also has information on becoming a Junior Ranger.

"Let's Get Dirty" with Ian Somerhalder: join his April 21 California clean-up campaign

We tend to think of litter as this annoyance that blights our landscape, yet not something that is too terrible, and most of us don't take the time to pick it up.

Does this photo change your mind?

An estimated 100,000 marine mammals and turtles are killed from ocean debris each year (Photo: NOAA)

We've heard much about the islands of plastic in the oceans, but it's essential we start connecting our own behavior with those islands. What gets tossed in California doesn’t always stay in California—it’s estimated that up to 80% of trash in the ocean is derived from land-based sources. Ocean debris is not benign as it has been cited as causing the death of approximately 100,000 marine mammals a year.

Some more astonishing litter facts: Did you know that over 51 billion pieces of litter are found on roadways each year in the United States? Or that the state of California spends $41 million a year on highway litter removal alone? Beyond removal costs or blighting California’s scenic landscape, litter can cause health issues, harm domestic animals and wildlife, pollute water sources, and lower property values.

Ian Somerhalder, star of Vampire Diaries, is organizing a California clean-up day (Photo: IS Foundation)What can be done to reduce the impacts of trash on our planet? Ian Somerhalder, who stars in CW’s Vampire Diaries, has a solution. Watching a video of a 2007 clean up initiative in Estonia where 50,000 people in one day collected over 10,000 tons of trash to remove pollution from their communities inspired him to organize a similar effort in California. His non-profit, the Ian Somerhalder (IS) Foundation, is hosting a statewide clean-up day on April 21, the "Let's Get Dirty" initiative.

I am proud that the non-profit organization I work for, National Wildlife Federation, is helping to support this important event,  which aims to join more than 2,000 schools, including colleges and universities, to assist in cleaning up trash in their communities. With support from cities, counties, local businesses, youth associations, schools, non-profit organizations and individuals, the group anticipates 80,000 volunteers across the state of California picking up trash--and helping to improve the environmental health of their communities and the state.

The IS Foundation works toward finding solutions to conservation issues and green energy along with advocating for animals and wildlife. The organization aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures.

So sign-up your school to join Ian Somerhalder in cleaning up California. For more information or to register your school for the “Let’s Get Dirty” event visit the Foundation's website.

Happy California Poppy Day!

"Vast fields of Golden Poppies have ever been one of the strong and peculiar features of California scenery. The gladsome beauty of this peerless flower has brought renown to the land of its birth. Present everywhere, at all times in some form, it is not surprising that it has taken firm hold of the affections of the people, and that the homage of the nature-loving world is so freely offered it." Emory E. Smith, The Golden Poppy, 1902

While posting my last blog entry about the spring poppy bloom, I discovered that California actually has an official day designated to celebrate the state flower-April 6. So to help you take part in honoring the fiery flower, here's some more photo and videos of poppies.

As part of National Wildlife Federation’s new Storytelling Video Diary Series, I posted a fun video blog about the bloom.

And here are a few of my best poppy photos from my collection--you can view more on the National Wildlife Federation's California Facebook page.

Bee and poppy (Photo by Beth Pratt)Poppies in the Merced River Canyon, 2009 (Photo by Beth Pratt)Fields of gold (Photo by Beth Pratt)And my last contributon to help celebrate California poppy day is a video showing the once-in-a-lifetime bloom in the Merced River Canyon in 2009.