King's Peak

From August 11th to 13th, 1996, my brother, Matt, and I did a trip up Henry's Fork to climb King's Peak, the tallest mountain in Utah at 13,528 feet. It is supposed to be the 7th most difficult of the state high points. I was recently reminded of the trip by an article in the Deseret News .

We drove up to the trailhead on the 11th and slept in the bed of Matt's truck. We got up early on the 12th and started to hike. It is normally about a 28 mile roundtrip, but we took a longer route and probably did about 32 miles. Below, as we hiked in a ways we got a distant view of King's Peak (the pointed mountain at the left).

A waterfall on the east side as we hiked in.

A Uinta chipmunk (King's Peak is in the Uinta Mountains).

Some flowers.

More flowers.

We spotted our first moose not too far off the trail. First we saw the head of the cow, then her calf.

Another cow moose along the trail.

Matt, with the back of Henry Basin behind him, looking a little to the west of King's Peak.

A closer view of King's Peak. We'd read that it was possible to climb the gully up through Anderson Pass, visible in the center below the peak, and decided to do that rather than take the trail (which approaches the peak from the back side of the mountain to the left, through Gunsight Pass).

So we headed toward the west side of Henry Basin and hiked to the backwall and started to circle around to the east. The weather was relatively cool and we had solitude (I believe we only saw one or two other people our whole trip). Up in the rocks of the backwall we saw a fun little pika, a relative of the rabbit.

A view of a portion of the west side of Henry Basin.

A closer view of the gully in Anderson Pass (this picture was taken the next day after we had gone down it).

We camped at the base of the gully in Anderson Pass. The gully is quite steep.

Some small flowers growing in the high elevation moss.

The morning of the 13th, we hiked up the gully through Anderson Pass. At the top, we got a closer view of King's Peak.

From the top of the gully, looking back into Henry Basin.

Matt ahead of me as we get closer to the summit.

Matt on the summit as I view him from the ridgeline below.

Standing at the summit.

Matt next to the summit sign.

From the summit, looking back into Henry Basin. You get a sense for the cliff below the peak on the south side.

On the way back down, Matt ahead, and another view of Henry Basin.

We went back down through the gully. A yellow-bellied marmot spotted once we got back into the basin.

We then encountered two large bull moose above Dollar Lake. The one below, with the smaller rack.

It headed off into the trees to the east.

I was able to get quite close to the larger bull. What a thrill!

Quite a ways further back toward the car, we encountered a calf alone in a meadow. We got close for a picture. All of the sudden, Matt announced that the mother was charging down toward us from the far end of the meadow. We took off running as fast as we could. Mother moose are known to be very dangerous. Fortunately, she did not come after us.

I rate this hike as one of the best I've ever done. The summit was challenging, the area was beautiful, and wildlife was abundant. If you want to see moose, this is the place to go (like Mt. Timpanogas is for mountain goats).

Humphrey's Peak

Several months ago the Deseret News did an article on climbing Humphrey's Peak , at 12,633 feet, the tallest mountain in Arizona. It brought back some fun memories. The article says, "Hikers need to be cautious of incoming thunderstorms...as lightning is the main hazard above 12,000 feet." I knowingly knodded my head. One thing I learned from the article is that the San Francisco Peaks used to be one gigantic 15,000 foot volcano, with a pyramid shape, like Mt. Fuji, about 200,000 years ago. It exploded or collapsed and left Mt. Humphreys and four other nearby peaks. It also states that the Highpointer's Club (America'sroof.com) ranks Humphreys as the 10th hardest climb of the state peaks.

Below is Humphrey's Peak, near the trailhead at about 9,500 feet.


The following is something Judy wrote after we made the climb:

"Sept. 9, 1998

Last weekend we drove to Flagstaff to climb Mt. Humphreys, the tallest mountain in Arizona (12,000+ feet). It was a little disastrous. We woke up Sat. morning to a terrible electrical storm, but since it moved over us quickly, we decided to hike anyway. We got on the trail at 6:45 A.M. It was 4.5 miles to the summit. With about a mile to go, it started to storm again, and I mean STORM. The clouds blew in incredibly fast, and thunder and lightening hit about every 30 seconds. It drizzled, then hailed. We were above tree line, and the wind was very strong. We were miserable. When lightening came fairly close, Sam, who is afraid of lightning, refused to go on. His attitude had been bad from the start anyway. We had maybe 1/4 mile to go, but it was very steep and completely unprotected from the elements. We decided I would head back down to tree line with the boys, and Bob and Rachael would summit anyway. We turned around. When hit some shelter, we stopped for lunch. We were drenched and cold. My knees started to ache. Sam did an attitude turn around and became very supportive, telling me to try not to think about my knees and not to stop. He was great. The storm did not let up. About half way down, Bob and Rachael caught up to us. They had made it all the way, and Rachael was feeling pretty good. She loves her mountain-climbing connection to her dad. At this point, all three kids were doing amazingly well, and I was the wimp of the group. The rain stopped with about a mile or so to go, and we made it to the car muddy, smelly, exhausted, and cold. It's amazing how something so awful can be so fun. Thanks, Bob"

Below, the summit, shrouded in mist, as Rachael and I approached. At about this point, our hair started standing on end from the electricity in the air from the thunderstorm.

The summit sign.

Because of the lightning danger, we quickly had someone take our picture on top, and hurried back down the mountain.

Rachael was 17, Sam 13 and Andrew 10. It remains a fun memory.

Baked Chukar Partridge

After my baked quail in May, that was so delicious, and doing a post on chukar partridge, I was delighted to find some chukar partridge for sale. I have had pheasant several times and I have always found it to be very dry. My concern was that chukar would be as well. I had hopes that the excellent quail recipe would keep the chukar moist and make it a wonderful meal. Each chukar was about a pound, or a little less.

The quail were about 4 1/2 ounces each, so the chukar were significantly larger.

While the quail were pretty loose and floppy, the chukar seemed tightly packed.

With a little variation, I followed the same recipe I used for the quail. I cut the chukar in half.

I wound a whole piece of bacon around each half, as opposed to a half piece for each quail, coated them in flour and then put them in canola oil in a frying pan.

When browned on each side, I put four halves in a casserole dish.

I basically doubled the recipe and made two batches. I diced a red onion and a yellow onion and put half in each dish. I added a bunch of cut-up asparagus spears as well as a diced red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to each dish.

Then I added cream of mushroom soup mixed with one-half cup of water to each dish, as opposed to the golden mushroom soup I used for the quail.

I then baked it at 350 degrees for an hour and took the cover off and baked it for an additional 10 minutes. While it was baking, I mashed some potatotes.

I put a helping of mashed potatoes on the plate and a half chukar, with sauce, on top.

I was disappointed with the result. The mushroom soup did not have as rich a flavor as the golden mushroom and was not anywhere as good as a gravy with the mashed potatoes. The chukar was also very dry and it was difficult to get the meat off the bones.

If I were to do it again, I would probably wrap two pieces of bacon around each half bird, I would use golden mushroom soup, and I would increase the amount of soup by at least half. I think those steps would help to keep the bird more moist and provide a richer flavor.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

I have only seen three western diamondback rattlesnakes and all three were at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona. They are not found in the area near Redlands, but they are found further east in Southern California.

The first two I saw were in April 1998 while I was with Sam and Andrew. We were starting out from Alamo Campground to do a backpacking trip, hiking up through Grass Canyon, over the ridge of the Ajo Range, then down through Alamo Canyon and back to the campground. We were only a short distance from the campground when a western diamondback, about 20 feet away, started rattling at us from beneath a palo verde tree.

If it had not started to rattle, we'd have never seen it. It was pretty intimidating, upper body raised in the air in an aggressive manner, rattling constantly. I've never been particularly afraid of rattlenakes, but this one caught my attention and I was very careful getting anywhere near it. I would not have been surprised if it had come toward me.

I wanted to get a better picture of it, so I used a stick to coax it out from under the palo verde tree. There, it did not seem as aggressive or threatening.

The second western diamondback we saw on that trip was the next day, after we had crossed over the ridge and were following a mostly dry streambed down the backside. A very large snake, apparently oblivious to us, slithered along the other side of the stream, at this point with some water in it, then carefully tested the water, fully stretched out and exposed. It did not rattle or coil, a complete contrast to the snake the day before. This snake was just pure pleasure to watch, like watching an animal documentary.

We just sat and watched it for quite a while. It eventually swam a short distance across the stream.

Below, it slithers up the side of a rock.

Changing direction after first testing the water below.

Partially in and out of the water.

The third western diamondback I've seen was in March 2008, also on a hike with the young men, taking the same route through Grass Canyon, over the ridge and back down through Alamo Canyon. This time we were further out from Alamo Campground when we saw the snake, but not as far as Grass Canyon. I was leading and walked right by the bush the snake was under. It started to rattle after a couple of us had already passed. I coaxed it out from under the bush, with one of my hiking poles, for a better picture.

It was a smaller snake than the other two I'd seen ten years previously. It coiled and rattled, but not as aggresively as the first one I saw.

These snakes are one of the reasons I like Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument so much. They add a real thrill to any hike.

Updated: March 22, 2010

Judy and I just returned from a trip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. While hiking out of Alamo Canyon toward the campground, along the trail past the old brick structure, Judy encountered a western diamondback rattlesnake about ten feet off the trail, rattling at her. This is the fourth western diamondback I've seen, all in Organ Pipe. Like the first one I saw, this one was feisty. He rattled continuously and loudly, almost constantly in strike mode. Below are several photographs of the snake.

and

Smoked Pheasant Causa

I've previously prepared two causa dishes: octopus and salmon. I recently stumbled across some smoked pheasant and thought it might be good in a causa dish.

The smoked pheasant was pretty stiff

and had quite a strong smoked flavor.

I cut off what meat I could (from an approximate two pound bird) and cut it into small chunks. I put all of it, probably more than a pounds worth, into a bowl with 1/2 cup of chopped celery, 1/2 cup of chopped red onion and 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, mixed it up and put it in the refrigerator. It had a marvelous, strong, smoky flavor.

I set aside three cups of red mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup of key lime juice, 1/2 cup of canola oil and a little less than 1/4 cup of hot red pepper paste made by La Fuji Mama (see http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/05/tantalize-your-tastebuds-with-homemade.html). The yellow Peruvian aji peppers are too hard to find, so I figured a little heat could be found elsewhere. The red peppers added some heat and also a red color to the mashed potatoes.

From past experience, I did a better job of smashing down the initial potato layer in the ring mold, and then the same with the middle pheasant/mayonnaise mixture and final potato layer. I let them sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, I garnished the top with avocado and egg.

I really liked the strong smoky pheasant flavor in the middle. I liked the spicy potato layer, but I think next time I make causa I will do it with either no or reduced chili in the potatoes. Having done them before, the causa was also much easier and quicker to make.

Ship Rawlinson (May 1779 to March 1780)

This is a continuation of a series of blog posts on Captain George Cannon. The initial post contains a list of all posts on Captain Cannon.

Parents, Birth and Siblings:

Hugh Cannon, age 22, and Eleanor Addy, written “Ellinor” in their marriage record, age 18, were married on February 9, 1765 in Kirk German Parish in Peel, Isle of Man. Neither of them could write, as both signed their marriage record with an “x”. 15 months later, their first child, George Cannon, was christened on May 15, 1766.

Hugh and Nell had seven more children. John, born when George was two (christened on June 5, 1768), Hugh, born when George was five (christened July 7, 1771), Christian, born when George was ten (christened September 3, 1776), William, born when George was twelve (christened December 6, 1778), Ann, born when George was fifteen (christened September 2, 1781), Eleanor, born when George was eighteen (christened April 18, 1784) and Helen, born when George was twenty (christened in 1786).

Family tradition records that when George was in his early teens, he left his home in Peel to go to the north part of the Isle of Man because he was so jealous of his younger brother, Hugh, who was so very handsome and over whom his mother made such a fuss. [Letter from Georgius Y. Cannon to William W. Cannon, dated January 8, 1966, hereafter the “Georgius Cannon Letter”]

Voyage on the Ship Rawlinson:

If the foregoing story is correct, it may have been what compelled George to go to sea. On May 6, 1779, just before his 13th birthday, George Cannon is listed as 23rd in rank on the ship Rawlinson, sailing out of Liverpool, England, for Jamaica. He was likely the rank of a 'boy' on the ship. [Letter from Stephen D. Behrendt, of the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations History Programme at the Victoria University of Wellington, to Dr. Davis, dated April 14, 2005, citing PRO, BT98/40, No. 56, Liverpool muster roll 1780; Family History Library, Film 870295, hereafter “Behrendt Letter”] However, George was probably a sailor on prior ships. Sailors started going to sea as young as age 8 and they usually spent the first few years in a coastal trade. For George, that might have meant around the Isle of Man, initially, and then perhaps over to and around England. Only then, would a sailor typically seek a ship for a longer voyage to the Caribbean. Maybe George left home earlier than his teens, or maybe it was leaving home that caused him to seek a longer voyage.

There were usually one to three ‘boys’ on a ship, between the ages of eight and fourteen. They usually started working for no wage, but their keep, and gradually had their wages increased to a progressively larger number of shillings per month, voyage to voyage, as they gained experience. Younger boys might be ‘cabin boys,’ serving the officers in the cabin in menial jobs such as cleaning the cabin, the knives, scraping the trenchers, fetching water, etc. As they got older and more experienced, they might be ‘common ship boys,’ learning on the job on deck, or perhaps even going aloft, being taught by their shipmates and gradually learning the craft of a seaman. When in foreign ports, the boys typically stayed on the ship as watchmen while the other sailors went on shore. Boys were often the objects of horseplay and cruelty from the officers and other sailors. The majority of ‘boys’ became ‘men’ or ‘seamen’ in their late teens. [Marcus Rediker, The Slave Ship: A Human History (Viking Penguin, New York: 2007), pp. 20-21, 61; Davis, Ralph, The Rise of the English Shipping Industry In the 17th and 18th Centuries (Redwood Press Limited, London: 1962), p. 113; Peter Earle, Sailors: English Merchant Seamen 1650-1775 (Methuan, London: 1998), pp. 25, 44, 49, 214, n. 7]

This was a very harsh and difficult upbringing for George in a very earthy environment. After over ten months, the ship Rawlinson returned to Liverpool from Jamaica, likely with a cargo consisting, at least in part, of sugar and rum, on March 20, 1780.

If family tradition is correct, George may have served a number of voyages, before returning home three or four years later. Perhaps after this voyage, or maybe even a later voyage, George returned to the family farm. There he came to the fence and saw his mother working in the garden, and said to her, “Be thee Nell Addy? I be thy son George.” [Georgius Cannon Letter]

George’s experience at sea likely helped him get nominated to enter the Peel Mathematical School, on April 4, 1781.

Peel Mathematical School

This is a continuation of a series of blog posts on Captain George Cannon. The initial post contains a list of all posts on Captain Cannon.

George Cannon attended from April 1781 to August 1783:

At age 14, on April 4, 1781, George Cannon entered the Peel Mathematical School to train to be a sea captain, also known as a “master.” He attended the Mathematical School for two and a quarter years, until August 5, 1783. This training set George apart from most of his peers as he learned to write and do mathematical calculations.

Richard Wilson, master of the school when George attended, described the education given at the school as follows:

"For a Master of a Man of War or a Merchantman it is necessary he should learn the five rules of Arithmetic then Geometry and Plane Trigonometry. Afterwards it is usual to work the Tides then proceed to Plane Sailing, Oblique, Windward and Current Sailing (of these last Oblique Sailing is the most useful)....if requisite in Surveying Coasts and Harbours. Then follows Globular Sailing, including Mercator's Charts. After which it is necessary to learn how to find the variation of the Compass, by Amplitudes and Azimuths, how to correct the ship's course for variation and Seaway; how to find the Latitude and Longtitude . . .After which he will be able (in all cases) to keep a ship's reckoning."

A navigational exercises book from 1829, in private hands in the Isle of Man, explains “plane sailing” as follows:

“Plane sailing is the art of navigating a ship upon principles deduced from the notion of the earth being an extended plane and is no more than the application of plane trigonometry to the solution of the several variations or cases where the hypotenuse or longest side is always the rhumb that the ship sails upon. The perpendicular is the difference of latitude counted on the meridian and the base the departure which is either easting or westing from the meridian. The angle opposite the base is the course or angle that the ship makes with the meridian. The angle opposite the perpendicular is the complement of the course, which being taken together makes always eight points or rhumbs, which is 90 degrees. In constructing figures relating to a ship course let the upper part of the paper or what the figure is drawn upon always represent the north the lower part will be the south the right hand east and the left west. Draw the north and south line to represent the meridian of the place the ship sails from then if the ship’s course be southward mark the upper end of the line for the place sailed from but if the course is northward mark the lower end for that place. When the course is easterly describe the arc and lay off the course and departure on the right hand side of the meridian but when westerly on the left hand side…”

Although the above description was given 46 years after George graduated, the extent books on navigation changed very little during that period. [Frances Wilkins, 2,000 Manx Mariners: An Eighteenth Century Survey, p. 61 (Wyre Forest Press, Kidderminster: 2000)]

Establishment of the Peel Mathematical School:

The Peel Mathematical School was established in 1765 by the will of the Reverend James Moore who left the annual ground rent of some houses in Dublin, Ireland, for “the erection and endowment of a Mathematical School in the Isle of Man, in order to have ten poor scholars taught gratis forever in the different branches of that science. The site of the schoolhouse not to be further distant from St. John’s Chappell than Peel town.” James Moore’s brothers, George and Philip Moore, found the site for the school, had it built, nominated the student scholars who would attend it and appointed the masters. George Moore was a Douglas based merchant in the smuggling trade.

Other Attendees:

In 1784, a list of the 95 students who had attended the school in its 16 year existence, including what they were then doing, was prepared: 3 were captains of ships, 5 were first mates, although one was “now dead,” 3 were ship carpenters, George Cannon and 29 others were “at sea,” 7 were “at home,” apparently instead of “at sea,” and as evidence of the danger of a life at sea, 10 were listed as “dead.” 16 were then “at school” and 17 were listed in various occupations, including schoolmaster, teacher of mathematics, clerk to Clerk of the Rolls, surveyor of lands, shoemaker, cabinet maker, house carpenter, wright, blacksmith, whitesmith, merchant and fisherman.

Except as indicated, the information for this was obtained on-line at the Manx Notebook.