Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category

Newer Entries »

The Enigma of the Nazca Lines

26/07/2009

The Enigma of the Nazca Lines
By Amanda Richards

Trapezoid Designs

Trapezoid Designs

Peru is an incredibly beautiful, diverse and historically rich country. The Peruvian people are an upbeat, warm and friendly culture, with a sense of optimism. The country is a magical place, considered the spiritual center of the Americas. Cusco, the outlying Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu all have a special feeling to which no picture can do justice, not to mention the physical beauty of the land and the warmth of its people.
The Mountain Spirit Peru ’09 program is in its 11th day and the group are in Ica, having spent the day at the famous Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are an enigma. No one has proof who built them or why.
I came across a great article by Holly Hayes on her website
Sacred-Destinations.
Writes Hayes, “The Nazca Lines are giant sketches drawn in the desert of western Peru by ancient peoples. The drawings were created on such a large scale is such that the shapes can be readily discerned only from the air, leading to a variety of theories about their purpose.”
 “Since their discovery, the Nazca Lines have inspired fantastic explanations from ancient gods, a landing strip for returning aliens, a celestial calendar created by the ancient Nazca civilization — putting the creation of the lines between 200 BC and 600 AD, used for rituals probably related to astronomy, to confirm the ayllus or clans who made up the population and to determine through ritual their economic functions held up by reciprocity and redistribution, or a map of underground water supplies. To read the rest of this article on Hayes’s website click here.

Posted in Animals, Books, Experiential Education, Peru, Power of Place, South America, Traveling | 3 Comments »

Mistaken Identity: Bears

28/06/2009

Bear Cubs.. Not Porcupines

Paysayten Trail, WA

Paysayten Trail, WA

It was late in the day on a trail in the North Cascades of Washington State. I had been a course supervisor for a 22-day Outward Bound mountaineering course in the Paysayten Wilderness  on the Canadian border, and was hiking out to the trailhead to meet our logistics person. I had to head out to prepare for the course-end cleanup and ceremonies.  One of three groups of students was an hour behind me on the trail, following me to the same destination. I’d last seen them at morning camp in the wilderness about 10 miles ago, and told them I’d see them at the parking lot. I didn’t expect they’d catch me,  as I was in a hurry.
As I cruised along the wooded trail which wound around small contours in the Douglas fir forest,  I walked fast, using my ski poles for extra propulsion, and kept my head down.  As I strode at a good clip I heard a scratching high up in a tree to my right. Some of us get cocky after having been in the mountains for years.
Since I was in a hurry, I didn’t bother looking up, and deduced I’d just heard a porcupine scratching and climbing about.  I kept on.  But, after a few more steps, I heard the same type of scratching far up in a tree above me, but this time to my left.  So I thought, “Oh, must be another porcupine” but this time I decided to look up, and the thought occurred to me, “it’s odd, to have two porcupines in trees like this.”

"B.b..Bear!"

"B.b..Bear!"

And to my surprise, when I looked up I discovered it was a baby bear cub. It didn’t take me long to conclude: “If that sound is from a baby cub…then the sound back there could also be a…….baby bear cub.”  I looked back and high up, to the first tree, and yep, I was in between two cubs. “Breathe!  Look around! Where’s Mama Bear?”  My  thoughts raced nervously. There was no sign of her. “Not good! Now what?” (more…)

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Animals | Leave a Comment »

Nose to Nose with Mr. Marmot

08/06/2009

An Unexpected Encounter While Bouldering in Lech, Austria

Marmot scrambling up a boulder

Marmot scrambling up a boulder

Bouldering on the Madloch trail just west of Lech Austria, I had quite a startling experience one afternoon.  I had walked up the summer  trail after working at Strolz Boots one day. During the winter,  this area high above Lech, sees skiers flying by after having taken the lifts up from Zurs.  They then ski around the backside of the Madloch mountain, and take the long trail headed for Lech. But this spring day was quiet, and no hikers in sight. I had found a nice slabby boulder to climb, with small nubbin holds, requiring delicate footwork. I monkeyed around on block for about a ten minutes near the bottom of the face. I decided to go for the top of the boulder, working delicately. The only activity was a small breeze which blew on the cloudless blue sky day.  I reached for the final moves on the boulders ridge line, and pulled up slowly.

Marmot's whistle at point-blank

Marmot's whistle at point-blank

As my face cleared the boulder’s ridgetop, a marmot that had been climbing up the other side, also made his final move for the ridge from his side. We met  nose to nose. For a second, I stared at him, and he stared at me. Second number two- He let out his marmot’s alarm, a shrill whistle at point-blank range.  Without thinking I reached for my ears, covering them, which set me rolling back down the boulder. I assume the marmot didn’t stick around either, and ran back down his side. I saw, (more importantly heard) no sign of him.  I picked myself up, inspected my few minor bruises and continued on the trail for a great afternoon of being in the Austrian Arlberg’s Lechtal.  Aside from the ringing in the ears I had a nice scramble. But I’d had enough bouldering for the day.

Tags:, , , , , , ,
Posted in Alps, Animals, Traveling | Leave a Comment »

37,000 Year Old Baby Mammoth

06/05/2009

Secrets of 37,000 year old baby mammoth revealed
By Paul Rincon – BBC

Baby Mammoth

Baby Mammoth

Perfectly preserved, the baby mammoth looks like she has been asleep only for a moment – not for the 37,000 years she has spent locked in the rock hard permafrost of the Arctic tundra.

Clumps of brown hair still cling to the three foot tall body, hinting at the coarse coat that would have once covered the infant. Even her eylasahes are intact.
These extraordinary images show why scientists are so excited by the discovery of Lyuba – the most complete body of a woolly mammoth ever found

Area where Mammoth was Found

Area where Mammoth was Found

Discovered at the side of a river by reindeer herders on the Yamal Peninsula in northwest Siberia, the bone month old female is helping scientists to unravel how the extinct ice age giants once lived.

The contents of her stomach have provided scientists with valuable clues about what she and her fellow mammoths ate.

The baby’s layers of fat and minerals in her teeth have provided an unprecedented insight into her health and the health of her herd.

Palaeontologists now believe the information they have gleaned from the remains can help them understand what led to the woolly mammoths’ ultimate extinction around 10,000 years ago.

Mammoth Mummy

Mammoth Mummy

It is thought that mammoths died out as they were unable to adapt to the changing world around them as temperatures soared at the end of the last ice age, although some experts believe they may have been hunted to extinction by humans.

The findings have shown that the baby mammoth was in good health and well fed before its death, suggesting that its herd was able to find plenty of food at the time it was alive.

(more…)

Posted in Animals, Archeology, Environment, Glaciology | 6 Comments »

Polar Bear Comes in Peace

09/11/2008

bear13These images came to my inbox via a friend. I thought I’d post them.  Stewart Brown describes photographer Norbert Rosing’s images of a wild polar bear coming upon tethered sled dogs in northern wilds of Canada’s Hudson Bay.

“The Photographer was sure he was going to see the end of his dogs when the polar bear wandered in, but….”

bear-2I have often read a particular piece written by one, Morgan Hite, to my Outward Bound and MSI students right before they leave a program. It’s called “A Briefing for an Entry into a More Harsh Environment.”
It recaps what the students have learned while in the wilds of the mountains, in snow, sleet and rain, remembering all the hardships, but it also prompts them to reflect on what sanity they can take back to society when they reenter the “real world”. Is asks of my students, what are take aways bear-3from being in such a beautiful,  sometimes unforgiving place where nature seems more in balance.

Somehow these images remind me of  how much of life makes sense in the wild, where animals actually have a natural respect for each other and humans. I feel, in general, safer in these environments, than in our civilized world.  Of course, one has to use one’s head and common sense in the

bear-5

wilds. Don’t pet the bears.
I’m sure you know what I mean, when I say I feel safer, even though you may not have been out here with the bears.

 

bear-41

 

 

 

” As it turned out, the polar bear returned every night that week to play with the dogs.”

 

bear-61
robert-norsingThese brilliant images taken by Norbert Rosing. Thanks Norbert for the great work.

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Animals, Environment, Traveling | 3 Comments »

Newer Entries »