Bat Surveys: Pictograph Cave & Rudolf Cave

 The kids and I have been able to look over the shoulders of researchers out in the field doing bat surveys. They not only got to observe, but to help in the process. These kids don't know how lucky they are. This is the first time that they've been able to do science to this extent at night though! Exciting!
The processing of bats includes identifying, measuring, banding, pit-tagging, and tracking them using radio-telemetry. These first photos were taken at Pictograph Cave.....

Willow found a walking stick...... oh! She also insisted on wearing a glove like everyone else ;)

Isaac holds a specimen in a bag :)

On a different day when we went out to do surveys we went to another location. This time at Rudolf Cave.....

This is the net/trap set up in front of the mouth of the cave......

A couple of people man the station; waiting quietly......

Meanwhile, back at "Bat Camp"(haha) there more quiet conversation going on......

It wasn't long before the bats began to take flight and people were busy as darkness fell......

As you can see, I wasn't the only one with a camera ;)

What a cool opportunity! 

One evening Ava went alone with dad. She enjoyed that. Team Hamilton! 

That last photo was taken at Rose Guano Cave. This is where Isaac and I would be joining them on the next trip. I'll save that for my next blog post :)

I still have Walkin' Jim Stolz's song running through my head:

Evening bat won't you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, come out tonight,
Evening bat won't you come out tonight,
And fly by the light of the moon.

I'm going to fly with the bat with the big appetite,
As she gobbles up mosquitoes most every night,
500 an hour is just about right,
As she feeds by the light of the moon.

Chorus: Little brown bat won’t you come out tonight,

Come out tonight, …..etc…..

I’m going to fly with the bat who lives in the

trees,

And flies through the dark with the greatest of ease,

He’s slower than most, but he’s faster than me,

As he feeds by the light of the moon.

Chorus: Silver-haired bat won’t you come out tonight,

Come out tonight,…….etc…..

There’s a bat with ears so big they bring

The sound to her of most everything,

Spotted fur and leather wing,

Help her feed by the light of the moon.

Chorus: Spotted bat won’t you come out tonight,

Come out tonight, ……etc……

I’m going to fly in the cave where the bats hang

out,

With millions of their friends, it’s a crowded house,

Upside down they dangle about,

Before they fly by the light of the moon.

Chorus: Free-tailed bat won’t you come out tonight,

Come out tonight, ….etc………

Bats are friends to you and me,

The eat lots of bugs, one, two, three,

They pollinate flowers and even some trees,

As they feed by the light of the moon.

Chorus: Come on bats won’t you come out tonight,

Come out tonight, …..etc…….

Oh evening bats, and little brown bats,

And silver-haired bats, and freetailed bats,

Spotted bats and all of you bats,

Won’t you fly by the light of the moon,

Weekend: Lincoln Peak

.......... so continued from our weekend camping trip up Mt. Washington (previous post), we got up the next morning to start another adventure. I was eager to set out and explore something new. We hiked through the forest; pine cones and dry needles crunched under our boots. It was overcast again, the temperatures started out very nice....

We reached this high mountain meadow to take a long snack break and rest. We could see the great valley below stretched out in front of us. The views never disappoint in the Great Basin.....

The kids did really well at this point. They were tired, as to be expected because the route (I say route because there was no trail) was steep. This would have been a good time to turn back, but we thought ~ we have the whole day! Let's continue on. So glad we didn't talk ourselves out of it....

We pressed on; that peak ahead poking through the trees was our destination.... Lincoln Peak

Patrick really got a workout carrying Benjamin on his shoulders.....

We took our time; literally stopping to notice the flowers ;)

Did I mention how steep the route was? lol

This last leg was super steep; bighorn sheep territory and we took caution with every step; one foot in front of the other was carefully planned (especially us carrying another person). Jess is a super mom with a super baby!

The good pain surging through our quads was totally worth this view. You can see Wheeler Peak and Jeff Davis Peak off in the distance. Mt. Washington Peak is in-between them and us. Incredible!

Bryan uses high-tech means to track bighorn sheep. They were hanging out in the cliffs.....

Lincoln peak was so close, and we could see a beautiful meadow at the base of it. That looked very inviting.....

Quick family photo and then we headed to that meadow....

The kids did so great. They are amazing little hikers and I couldn't be more proud! Even Lily seemed pleased to be over 11,000 ft! Isaac took these photos. He let loose with my camera :)

Willow is such a love bug :)

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music".... lol
Couldn't help myself. So pretty up there!

The hike down, even though proved to be a different challenge using other muscle groups and hiking strategies, was a nice shift in gear.....

I enjoy remote places. The only signs of traffic are the ones who call this mountain home. Even then you have to look hard for those signs. Like this mountain lion scat. It would be sheer luck to actually see one of those golden ghosts. They could follow you for miles and you'd never know it except maybe the hair on your neck would stand up.... lol

Occasionally you may see some quick movement from the corner of your eye, rewarding you with the view of families making their way up the steep ridge......

I appreciate these moments with my own family. With school starting around the corner, I look back at the summer and realized how much my kids have learned from all the hustle & bustle of various outdoor activities. It was an educational, exciting last few months. One quote I once read from a book about 12 years ago stuck in my head. It stated, "The National Park Service is the greatest university without walls." We are lucky to have a national park, BLM, and wilderness area in our backyard. I love that we live in the shadow of one of the tallest peaks in Nevada and under the twisted, ancient arms of the bristlecone pines. We hit some milestones this summer with difficult hikes. I am reminded how mighty my kids are; and they truly love the outdoors as much as I did as a kid. They really impressed us with their ability to hike (all three of them!). My terrific trio.
I can't wait to see what milestones we will hit next!