♪♪♪ Walkin' West is sponsored by the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in historic Jamestown, California.

Home to the great outdoors of the mother lode, Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, owned by the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Miwok Indians of California.

Walkin' West is sponsored by Mountain House, where we've been feeding hungry hikers freeze-dried meals since 1969.

We invite you to walk west in a respectful, responsible way and to always leave no trace behind.

Mountain House.

I'm Steve Weldon and boy, do I love adventure!

Whether it's a good long hike, climbing a big old rock, or checking out that secret swimming hole, I'm raring to go.

Join me as we hike from the crest of the Rockies to the beautiful Pacific coast, right here on Walkin' West.

MUSIC That was fun.

MUSIC We're driving into the east entrance of America's newest national park, Pinnacles.

It's in central California about an hour and a half south of San Jose.

And we're coming in from the east side near the town of Hollister.

Pinnacles is famous for its rock formations, rock spires and crags, and it's home to the endangered California Condor.

This park is loaded with wildlife.

We're gonna be glamping here.

Glamping is one notch up from camping.

We are here.

Well we're gonna be here at the Pinnacles campground for three wonderful nights.

Let's go check it out.

MUSIC Now this, hog heaven.

Now it's time to hike.

MUSIC Howdy from America's newest national park.

I'm Steve Weldon and we're in a very special place in Central California.

We've got geology at its best here.

We're gonna learn the difference between a California condor and a turkey vulture.

We're gonna check into big-eared bats.

We're gonna find out more about talus caves.

That and a whole lot more.

This is indeed a very special park.

Welcome to Pinnacles right here on Walkin' West.

MUSIC Well we're here at Pinnacles National Park of course and we're about to take our first hike.

Now we parked at the Bear Gulch Visitors Center and there are several different trails around here and we're about to meet Ranger Rich here at the park.

As a matter of fact here he comes right now.

How you doing Rich?

Good morning Steve.

How you doing?

I'm doing great.

Thanks for being here.

How was the stay at the campground last night?

Well it was a little cold but it was otherwise it was good.

It can get like that in the evenings here at Pinnacles for sure.

Are my lips purple?

Just a little bit.

Don't worry.

You'll wave up.

We slept great.

It was wonderful and the hospitality here at the park is terrific.

Anyway let me ask you what do you do here at the park Rich?

So as the chief interpretive Ranger here I typically think of my job as the lead storyteller here at the park.

Kind of telling stories to the visitors and letting everyone know about all the great things that Pinnacles has to offer.

What a great tour of duty.

What a great job.

A storyteller.

Indeed, I enjoy it quite a bit.

I probably should have been a park ranger because I've been told by my brother Clark I'm full of it.

Bull that is.

Okay well tell us if you would where we're gonna take our hike today.

Sure yeah so as you can see on the map here you are here that in fact is where we are right here.

And we're gonna just slip on up the Condor Gulch Trail kind of wind up the hill.

We're gonna work our way around on the High Peaks Trail and then we'll have a decision to make.

We'll either go check out the tunnel or we might go up to the steep and narrows but both those trails join back together and then we'll work our way back around down the High Peaks Trail and then another decision point we'll either go on the Rim Trail and go check out the Bear Gulch Cave or we'll just come on back down to where we started right back to the big red dock.

Well I think I'm ready to go I've got my peanut butter sandwich and I got my water shoes and I got a night light.

Sounds great.

Alright my friend you're ready to get it.

Indeed I am.

Let's get after it.

Let's go.

MUSIC This is beautiful.

MUSIC The trails are a little rocky.

MUSIC We're getting our first look at the Pinnacles aren't we?

Yeah as you keep going up the hill here you get closer and closer and you really get a good look at those rock formations.

Wow well geology I love this this is great.

MUSIC I really have to show you this tree.

If you kind of look over here to the side you notice anything weird about that?

Oh yeah that's a holy rascal.

Yeah.

That thing looks like somebody got it I mean like bullet holes or something that's nuts.

What caused all this?

Well believe it or not Steve that's actually from the acorn woodpecker.

A woodpecker has been pecking holes actually a team of woodpeckers have been pecking holes in that tree for quite a while now.

I would say I mean all the way from the bottom to the top nearly I mean I have never seen so many holes.

Are those acorns that are in the holes?

They are acorns that's where the acorn woodpecker gets its name or put in there for safe keeping and each little hole oftentimes will be you can see up there a lot of them are in there they've been sitting there for a while.

When I sit down there at Bear Gulch you'll hear them up here all day long pecking away and in store in their little nuts in there for later.

That's great all right more along the trail this is terrific.

MUSIC Rich are those condors I'm seeing up there?

Yeah I think they are Steve if you look closely you can see that white stripe on the inside of their wing.

Yeah I'm certain those are condors.

I'll be darned.

Check out the Condor and the Turkey Vulture in flight together.

The Condor is the larger of the two on the bottom.

Rich, I noticed some of these openings in the rocks that look like, heck, they look like caves.

And does anything live in there?

Yeah, in fact, Steve, you're right.

Those are kind of like tiny little cavities and caves we have on these cliff sides.

That's part of the reason why we have the condors.

Those places are great nesting habitat for the condors to raise their young.

In fact, right now I think we have one or two active nests as we speak.

I'll be darned.

And how many condors do you have roughly in the park?

Well, obviously they don't all stay here every day, but we have, I think currently, the flock that's sort of in this general area is right around 90 or so.

But of course that changes from day to day, in fact, sometimes.

And we've already seen a couple.

This is great.

MUSIC I have just met this lovely young lady here on the trail, and I noticed that she works for the National Park Service, and I had to meet her.

Her name is Lucy.

How are you doing?

I am doing great.

What do you do here at the park, Lucy?

I'm doing this, hiking the trails.

And today I'm out monitoring the condors.

So you're a condor monitor, huh?

Yes, a condor monitor on Mondays.

That's my job.

Well, of course, Pinnacles is very famous for that.

There's several places that they can be found in the United States.

This is one of them.

Okay, here in the Ventana wilderness in California for sure.

Yes.

And now what do you do with the condors?

How close have you gotten to one?

Well, I've gotten close as I am to you.

Really?

One day my job was to actually hold one while they were doing blood work and changing the batteries on his radio transmitter.

Oh, be sure.

Well, that's a question I have for you.

How do they catch these things and tag them?

Okay, there's a big pen with a roof on it.

So we open the roof, put some bait inside.

They'll come land on the bait and we'll close the gate when they're not looking and we got our bird.

I'll be darned.

Well, that's similar to what happened to me one time.

I got trapped with a ribeye.

Yeah, it wasn't very similar.

It wasn't pretty.

So you monitor the condors and make sure that they're happy, healthy and hopefully reproducing at a rate greater than the death rate.

Exactly.

Exactly.

And how many days a year do you think you hike out here?

Oh, I've been here at Pinnacle's since October and I hike two days a week.

I've been hiking two days a week.

And that's why you look so darn healthy.

And I feel good too.

That's great.

Well, you look great.

And thanks for being with us on Walkin' West.

It was a pleasure.

Every condor is wearing a radio transmitter and we're going out every day and using a tracking device so we can find out using their radio signal where those condors are.

I enjoy it because when I go back to the office and you can see on the computer where they've tracked the condors and what they're doing, where they're nesting, where they're hanging out.

Good to know that I'm a part of that.

MUSIC Rich, I'm a history buff, always have been.

And gosh, there's so much history to this national park.

And can you give me a brief rundown on how this park was discovered?

Basically, the site gets the Strava, the Pinnacle's formations.

One of the earlier folks was a guy named Skylar Haim who sort of brings it to everybody's attention.

Okay.

He's able to convince none other than Teddy Roosevelt to make it a national monument.

And it'll be a national monument growing in size over 100 years until 2013 when it signed into law as Pinnacle's National Park, which is where we are today.

About how many acres is this park?

Currently we're a little over 26,000 acres, which is a huge job.

Originally it was only about 2,000 acres.

And about how many people annually come to this park?

Right around 300,000.

It depends on the year, but I'd say 300,000 is a good average.

300,000.

And we've walked nearly two miles now and we picked up one little sliver of an orange peel.

So I would say people are being pretty darn respectful and responsible.

Yeah, I'd say all in all our visitors are great.

Keep it up, gang.

MUSIC Music Well, I met this beautiful young lady along the trail just a minute ago and you had that bounce, that spark in your step.

And I could not help but notice your vitality.

And I see this in a lot of hikers.

Amelia, how are you?

I'm great, I'm great.

Well, you look like you're great.

Like I said, you had that pop in your pistol.

And do you hike out here a lot?

This is actually my first time to Pinnacles and I was just telling others on the trail that I'll definitely be back.

Okay.

But I love hiking all throughout the area and it's just my first time to Pinnacles.

Well, it's amazing.

And I'll tell you, the diversity of this park, you go around one bend and you think you've seen it all and then it's a whole new spectrum.

Yeah, absolutely.

I'm really hoping to come back and camp as well because I have some friends who have spoken really highly of it.

Well, they have a wonderful campground and we're tent camping here.

Oh, cool.

Oh, it's wonderful.

That's great.

It's terrific.

Now, what brings you, what makes you want to hike like you do?

I just love getting out and being in nature and I just think it really is grounding, you know, feeling the trail.

And I love like seeing how much elevation and getting those views.

It's really wonderful.

But also you meet a lot of people on the trail.

So I don't know about you.

It does a lot for my being just I just feel better when I absolutely it's like the fresh air and just like being in nature and it really just brings you back.

So well, I'm going to be back here and I bet you will too.

Yeah, for sure.

And I appreciate you being with us on Walkin' West and keep on hiking.

Kiddo.

Okay, awesome.

Thank you, Steve.

Oh, thank you.

MUSIC If you're a geology fan, this place is for you.

I got a question for you, Rich.

About how many millions of years ago were those pinnacles beginning to form?

I'd say it was about 23 million years ago, Steve.

23 million years ago.

Gosh, I was probably in fifth grade.

Yeah, something like that.

The pinnacles here was it was it volcanic activity?

What was it that caused these things to morph like they did?

Well, it wasn't exactly volcanic, Steve.

Basically, what happened was, as the plates are moving, you have this magma, what have you, molten rock that's bubbling up through the ground and it kind of gets locked in place.

Then over millions of years, the stone that is not as hard starts to erode away.

And before you know it, you have the the pinnacles spires all exposing themselves.

All right, well, we got a geology lesson that I'm sure there's a whole lot more to talk about.

MUSIC We're taking a little break here and I've got this beautiful backdrop.

I'm here with Rich and and this is just absolutely beautiful.

But you know, sitting here kind of makes me wish in a way that I was a Scotch drinker.

Why is that, Steve?

Well, I could have a Scotch on the rocks.

LAUGHTER MUSIC When I'm out hiking in a special place like this, I get a real euphoric feeling.

I can't explain it, but I gotta tell you, there's nothing like it.

MUSIC Up here a little bit high, it's gotten cold and it's gotten windy, Rich.

My gosh, I'm wearing three layers and you're not cold?

Yeah, it's a little nippy out here Steve, but it's not too bad.

I mean, you're all man.

LAUGHTER You probably climbed Kilimanjaro without a hat on.

I sure am glad that Skyler Hain fought so hard to have this beautiful park preserved.

It was his perseverance that convinced Teddy Roosevelt to make Pinnacles a national monument in 1908 and later a national park.

No wonder they call him the father of Pinnacles.

Thanks, Mr. Hain.

Rich, I'm really impressed by these trails.

Not MUSIC Rich, I'm really impressed by these trails.

Not only the condition, but my gosh, the labor it took to build these things.

Who is responsible for the building of these trails, the maintenance of these trails, just to keep them as pristine as they are?

Oh, sure, Steve.

So you have to go all the way back to the creation of the park and before that a little bit when we had a group of guys known as the Pinnacle Boys that were basically a local rancher gentleman that would come out and lead tours around the park or what would become the park.

And those individuals also would cut trail, that sort of thing.

Even to this day, we still have a great trail crew that comes out and does all this maintenance.

The trail network basically has this core, the center part of the park that you can access from the east or the west.

There is no road that connects the two, which is an important technical point that if you're on one side, you want to make sure you get back to that side.

Many a hiker we've had show up in the parking lot wondering where their car has gone.

Oh my gosh.

And they're wondering why the parking lot doesn't look the way it did when they parked because they've come down the wrong way.

I noticed this is very family friendly and it's just a great getaway that's not too far away right here at Pinnacles.

MUSIC It sure is great to have Ranger Rich take me on this beautiful high peaks to Tunnel Trail hike.

I love the way the beauty of jagged rocks and the green foliage blend together.

It's magical!

MUSIC Ah, we're coming to the tunnel part of the hike.

MUSIC Boy, drilling this rascal was no easy chore.

MUSIC This is very cool.

MUSIC Wow!

MUSIC And would you look at all that beautiful lichen on the rocks.

Everything is so green.

I'm loving this.

What a great spring day.

When I think about this place, I think about all the history.

The Native Americans that were here, about how long ago was that?

4,000 years ago is when you know people would have first arrived in the area.

What tribe would that have been?

Our best understanding is perhaps the Shalone Indian Nation is who we most often think of that are associated with the park.

Did they live in the park area itself?

The best information we have would show that they actually moved in sort of a cyclical manner, kind of you know in sort of a main home range where you would have had, you know, different villages or camps that they would have moved to throughout the year depending on what was going on.

Maybe they would have come to Pinnacles when the acorn crop was at its peak or maybe following different, you know, herds of animals.

Most of the the Indians that are here are brought to the missions and in a lot of cases will lose sort of that that core identity of knowing, you know, they were part of the Shalone or what have you.

And then ultimately some of those individuals that we are we have identified today actually had moved to Bakersfield so they were they weren't even associating themselves with the Pinnacles area.

It wasn't until some ethnographic studies discovered that they in fact were from the Pinnacles area.

Wow, that's pretty nuts but this is a great hike and we're just learning more and more all the time.

Thank you.

MUSIC Well, we just finished our hike on the High Peaks Trail here at Pinnacles National Park and boy was it a dandy!

It sure was.

It was fun and you took us on a great hike and I want to thank you so much for today.

Oh sure thanks Steve thanks for coming up.

Ranger Rich, Pinnacles on Walkin' West.

Hi, welcome to day two of our big adventure here at Pinnacles National Park.

We've got a good night's sleep last night at the campground and we are rip-snorting and raring to go.

Today we're on the Bear Gulch Trail.

Now the Bear Gulch Trail that will bring us up to the Bear Gulch Cave and that's habitated frequently by the big-eared bat.

That and a lot of other species.

This is going to be a great hike so let's get started right here on Walkin' West.

Spring is here and Pinnacles is teeming with wildlife.

The deer, turkey and wildflowers galore.

MUSIC And look at that gorgeous Stellar's Jay.

Heh, and this young buck looks like a happy guy.

What a great way to start the day.

MUSIC When you're here at Pinnacles, of course, you're going to run into a lot of hikers because that's what this is all about.

But it's also about bouldering and it's about rock climbing.

And this is a mecca for that.

I mean, my gosh, there's so many rocks and different formations all over the park and different levels of difficulty for everybody.

Pinnacles didn't evolve overnight.

It only took about 23 million years for all this geology to happen.

What a wonderful day.

MUSIC This trail is about as pristine as it gets.

Look how green it is.

It's hard to believe they only get 16 inches of rain a year.

Well, it sure looks like we got here at the right time.

Well, where I come from, we call this moss that's here on this rock and it's beautiful.

It's furry.

It's green.

I like this stuff.

And out here, and I guess the scientific term, is lichen.

And I got to tell you, I'm taking a lichen to this.

This is great.

MUSIC I'll guarantee you you're not going to get this kind of experience on the couch or in the office.

Ho ho ho!

I'm here with Layla on the trail, and I could not help but notice this beautiful cave light that she's wearing.

And Layla, I love it.

And are you going to wear that into the Beargolds cave?

Yeah, and it can roar.

You can make it?

(DINO ROAR) Ahh!

It roars!

LAUGHTER Well, you are a roaring beauty, kiddo.

You are ready for bear, aren't you?

Alright, that's great.

See you in the cave.

Give me five.

Atta girl!

MUSIC We're almost to the Beargolds cave.

These rock formations are unreal.

MUSIC I got a gut feeling this is going to be a real special treat.

MUSIC We made it to the Beargolds cave, and a lot of these people are walking along these little ledge here along these rocks, but they're a little more agile than I am.

I think I'm going to go the old fashioned way.

Here goes nothing.

MUSIC We're darn lucky this cave is open, because many times the cave is closed due to deep water.

But not today.

It's just perfect.

Spring can get wet here at the park, but water makes this cave come to life.

Folks are loving this.

And it's important to know that the park is closed from mid-May to mid-July so that the big-eared bat can nurture their young.

The wow factor here is something else.

We have arrived.

Woo!

MUSIC This is geological paradise right here.

MUSIC Beargolds cave is a talus cave.

Talus caves are formed when boulders fall into canyons from cliffs up above.

Beargolds was formed by a rockfall filling a canyon.

Scientists believe that this happened during the last ice age, which began over 100,000 years ago, and ended all about 11,000 years ago.

The caves can be dangerous due to low ceilings, narrow passages, and uneven footing.

You need to go slow and be careful.

But it's so worth the trip.

MUSIC All I can say is, wow, this is great.

MUSIC Now all the families that are here, all the kiddos that are here, really enjoying this, this is a great experience for everybody.

One memorable hike.

MUSIC Turkey Cackle Boy, have we had a couple of wonderful days here at Pinnacles National Park hiking.

We really have.

And we've enjoyed everything we've done here.

And the funny thing is I would not have known about this park had my son not told me about it a couple of years ago.

He's climbed here and he's guided trips up here.

And he said, "Dad, if you're looking for a great place to go, you've got to try Pinnacles."

And so I made a couple of scouting hikes and I said, "He's exactly right.

This place is the bomb.

You need to bring your family.

It's very family-friendly.

And they've got all sorts of levels as far as for hikers, for rock climbers, for bouldering, you name it.

This place is wonderful for the mind, the body and the soul.

And I hope you'll come out here and enjoy it like we have.

I want to thank my son for giving me the tip on this.

I want to thank Rich.

What a wonderful guide Rich was.

I want to thank Pat there.

She's at the Pinnacles campground store.

She gave me a lot of wonderful information as well.

I want to thank my brother, Clark.

I want to thank Lucy.

She's a volunteer here at the park.

I want to thank Mark, our incredible cameraman.

And most of all, I want to thank you for tuning in.

And I want to encourage you again, get off that couch, get out of that office because there's so much more to enjoy in life right here with Walkin' West.

Today I hike some gorgeous trails with my brother Clark.

In a place that they call Pinnacles, our newest national park.

When we hike these rocky trails, it sure enough does excite us.

It's darn good for my stamina and my brother's arthritis.

If you wonder where this park is, it's east of Soledad.

And as I used to say in my hippie days, this place is really rad.

Yeah, for geology galore and a whole lot more, Pinnacles is really rad.

That's all!

POP MUSIC Walkin' West is sponsored by the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort in historic Jamestown, California.

Home to the great outdoors of the mother lode, Chicken Ranch Casino Resort, owned by the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Miwok Indians of California.

Walkin' West is sponsored by Mountain House, where we've been feeding hungry hikers freeze-dried meals since 1969.

We invite you to walk west in a respectful, responsible way and to always leave no trace behind.

Mountain House.

♪♪♪