Thursday, June 28, 2001
Fresno CA - Los Banos CA


Today's route map. Click to enlarge.

We were up around 9 am and spent about an hour waking up and getting ready. Then we set off westward towards Cathy's place, about 40 miles to the west. There wasn't anyplace along the way to eat except for a Burger King and McDonalds in Kerman, and we stopped at the latter for a small lunch.

After negotiating a rough construction zone east of Mendota, we turned south around the Mendota Wildlife Refuge and pulled into a small neighborhood of 6 houses that served as the home for Cathy and the staff. Cathy is the senior biologist for the refuge and is responsible for tagging, research, and various conservation efforts.

We slapped on sunscreen, collected a few hiking items, then headed over to the refuge. We hiked for over a mile, taking in the sights. Of course it wasn't Yosemite, but under the warm June sun we were able to immerse ourselves in the wildlife and fauna that make up the San Joaquin Valley. Cathy was an excellent guide -- she is a brilliant person who really loves her work. She taught us quite a bit about the local area as we hiked down dusty trails. The grass was yellow and tinderbox-dry, and harbored various insects, lizards, and snakes (though we didn't see any). We then drove over to one of the alkali flats which was known for a high rattlesnake population, but lacking a stick to sweep our way with we decided not to risk walking around in there.

After that we met Cathy's housemates and helped fix her computer which had a dead CD-ROM drive (turned out to be a loose cable), then we headed to Mendota for great pizza at the Pizza Factory on the west side of town. Mendota and most other communities in the region have a very high Hispanic population (much higher than I remembered in the 1970s), and this is linked closely to the abundance of low-wage agricultural labor jobs that flourish in the area.

After we returned, Cathy took us for a walk around the facilities. During the walk we saw a huge barn owl launch itself out of a tree nearby -- it had a wingspan of almost four feet! After we returned to Cathy's house, the time had arrived for us to leave. We said goodbyes and hit the road at 6 pm, deciding on Los Banos as our stopping point. The traffic was surprisingly thick along these back roads, due in part to the high population density and thick agricultural development in the valley.

Tomorrow we plan to brush by the Bay Area and head to the northwest coast area (around Ukiah and maybe north/northwestward).

Miles travelled: 117

Likes:

  • Stark serenity of Mendota Wildlife Refuge

    Dislikes:

  • Too much construction on Hwy 190 between Fresno and Mendota

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    Cat tails, one of my favorite plants! They're in abundance in the refuge.


    Abandoned snakeskin from a western racer snake. The closest thing to a snake that we saw.


  • Shannon (left) and Cathy (right) as we prepare to hike through the Mendota Wildlife Refuge.


    Cathy watches a hawk circling above the alkali flats.


    Alkali flats which, according to Cathy, are infested with rattlesnakes and was the best spot to find one. We didn't wander around too much though as we didn't have a stick to sweep a path with. The whitish-blue areas are salt flats, not water.


    The access road to the tiny neighborhood where the Mendota Wildlife Refuge staff live. Cathy's house is toward the left.


    Sunset over the Best Western in Los Banos as we rest up for the evening.