Today, Nov.1st, a group of 13 of us met at Hi Mountain Lookout for an
afternoon field trip. Following yesterday’s rain showers there was no
dust on the road, everything had a fresh smell after the first fall
rains, the skies were deep blue, flat-bottomed white cumulus clouds were
scattered widely over the Santa Lucias, and a brisk cold wind blew (wind
chill was 36*F in the late afternoon). Viewing conditions were excellent
far out to sea and inland to the Temblor Range.

Audubon California staff (employees of the National Audubon Society) who
made the long trip to the lookout were Craig Palmer from San Francisco
and John Culpepper from Los Angeles, and their invited guests Robert and
Margie from Sacramento. Morro Coast Audubon Society members attending
the field trip were Barbara Burke, Joanna Frawley, Gerry Montgomery,
Penny McCaula and Lisa Trayser (visiting from Salem, Oregon).

After lunch, I gave an overview of the Hi Mtn. Project and a lookout
tour. Kathleen Intorf demonstrated condor radio tracking using the
telonics equipment, and later gave a training session for our new
student volunteers Michelle and Megan, who are Animal Science majors
recruited through the Cal Poly Wildlife Club.

A new improvement at the lookout is all the nice rock work being done-
initiated by Paul Andreano and being completed by Lisa Andreano and Jeff
Osborne- with rock borders along the perimeters and lining the
footpaths. Several truck loads of heavy rock materials have been
transported up to the lookout from down below to work on the project.
Also, ‘thank-you’ to Mike Tyner who was so concerned he made an
unscheduled trip to the lookout yesterday to check on how it ‘weathered’
the first fall rains (ok, Mike, no more convenient distractions…now
you can get back to work writing that term paper that’s due soon!)

The group today was very appreciative and supportive of the lookout
project. Kathleen and I stayed after they departed and ‘worked’ until
after sunset, then drove down the mountain in the dark, with a quarter
moon and Mars rising bright in the east.

Steve Schubert