1Volume 30 * Number 3 Fall * 2007

A Publication of the Point Lobos Association

Volume 30 * Number 3 Fall * 2007

POINT LOBOS

Volume 30 * Number 4 Winter * 2007

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OfficersPresident Judd PerryVice President Paul WinemanSecretary Joyce OlceseTreasurer Kerstin Jones

DirectorsJoe/Pat Bova Lyle BrumfieldEd Clifton Steve DennisElaine Fox Jean GraceJohn Hudson Kerstin JonesJerry Loomis Lynne McCammonGlen McGowan Joyce OlceseJudd Perry Carl Voss

Paul Wineman

Docent AdministratorsJoe & Pat Bova

Cooperating Association LiasonChuck Bancroft

Point Lobos Magazine EditorDida Kutzdida@didakutz.org

ProofreaderSuzie Wood

Photo ContributorsChuck Bancroft Clinton BauderJoe Bova Kawika Chetron

David Hibbard Nelson D. Jones, Jr. Steve Ligas Jerry Loomis

Mary K. PaulCover photo of giant Pacific octopus in Point Lobos State Marine Reserve byClinton Bauderwww.metridium.com

Features7 Whalers Cabin Makes History

Carol Bloner8 Point Lobos Underwater

Dida Kutz 10 Devil’s Cauldron

Steve Ligas 11 A.M. Allan: Preservationist

Carol Bloner 12 A Conversation with Jerry Loomis,

Ex-Underwater RangerDoug VanOmmeran

16 Eradicating Ehrharta erectaMary K. Paul

Departments3 Message from the President

Judd Perry4 Event News5 Under My Brim

Ranger Chuck Bancroft 6 Observations

Sparky Starkweather 13 Quotes from the Docent Log

edited by Stan Dryden

Point Lobos Magazine is printed on recycled paper

and published four times per yearby the Point Lobos Association.

Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Point Lobos AssociationRoute 1 Box 62,

Carmel, CA 93923831-625-1470

The mission of the Point Lobos Association is to support interpre-tive and educational programs that enhance the visitor’s experience,and to assist California State Parks in preserving Point Lobos State

Reserve.

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© Barbara Baldock 2007

Message from the President Judd PerryAs we prepare for our

2008 Annual Member-ship Meeting (details on page 4), Iwould like to report to you on thestate of our membership. This is avery important issue, becausemembership dues represent about20 percent of the Association’sannual revenue, which goes tosupport the Point Lobos DocentProgram and to assist CaliforniaState Parks in maintaining andimproving the Reserve and itsinterpretive and educationalresources. The Association cur-rently has about 740 members.This is a 10 percent increase froma year ago, but we believe we canand should do better. As part ofthat effort, you will see that wehave begun to include a Member-ship Application in each copy ofPOINT LOBOS. The magazine isprovided free at the Reserve tovisitors from all over the world,and it is our belief that, afterenjoying the majesty of the Re-serve and benefiting from theknowledge and dedication of ourvolunteer Docent group, many ofthe visitors will wish to aid us inthe work we do by joining theAssociation, and in so doing,maintaining a continuing attach-ment to Point Lobos through thequarterly POINT LOBOS maga-zine that they will receive asmembers.

If you are currently a member,you may ask yourself why you arereceiving a Membership Applica-

tion in your copy of POINTLOBOS. The answer is verysimple. What better gift couldyou give for the holidays or thebirthday of a loved one than amembership in the Point LobosAssociation? Talk about a gift thatgoes on giving; this is it. Recipi-ents will begin receiving their ownquarterly issue of POINT LOBOSand will be kept informed of all ofthe great happenings at the Re-serve year-in and year-out, whileat the same time knowing thattheir membership contributes tothe work of maintaining theReserve.

And speaking of great happen-ings, I had the pleasure on Hal-loween Day of attending thededication of the Whalers Cabinas a site listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places (detailson page 7). This was the culmina-tion of a long and dedicated effortby many people, but I want tosingle out one person for specialrecognition. Without the manyyears of effort by long-time Do-cent Kurt Loesch, the WhalersCabin Museum would not existtoday, and it was Kurt who spear-headed the effort to bring thisrecognition by the Federal govern-ment to it. Thanks Kurt! We allowe you a great debt of gratitude.

Among the speakers at thededication was Gerry Low-Sabado, the great-granddaughterof Quock Mui (also known as“Spanish Mary” for her multi-

lingual abilities), who was the firstchild born in the Chinese villageat Whalers Cove in the mid-nineteenth century. Ms. Low-Sabado will also be our specialguest speaker at the AnnualMembership Meeting, so pleaseput the date (January 5, 2008) onyour calendar and join us at themeeting.

Finally, I want to report that bythe time this issue reaches you,the new Docent Office will becompleted at the Reserve, replac-ing the old office which is now thehome of our new California StateParks Sector Supervisor, DanaJones, and her family. The newoffice will serve the Docent Pro-gram well for many years tocome, and I want to publiclythank all who were involved inthis very ambitious and importantproject.

Best wishes for the holidaysfrom your Board of Directors.

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Event NewsPLA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: PLA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: PLA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: PLA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: PLA ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING: Saturday, January 5, 2008, 9:00 a.m.,Saturday, January 5, 2008, 9:00 a.m.,Saturday, January 5, 2008, 9:00 a.m.,Saturday, January 5, 2008, 9:00 a.m.,Saturday, January 5, 2008, 9:00 a.m.,Asilomar Conference Center ChapelAsilomar Conference Center ChapelAsilomar Conference Center ChapelAsilomar Conference Center ChapelAsilomar Conference Center Chapel

The 2008 Annual Membership Meet-ing of the Point Lobos Association will beheld on Saturday, January 5, 2008, in theChapel at the Asilomar Conference Cen-ter, 800 Asilomar Blvd., Pacific Grove.

The Special Guest Speaker will beGerry Low-Sabado, the great-grand-daughter of Quock Mui (also known as“Spanish Mary”). Quock Mui was bornat the Chinese village at Point Lobos ofparents who sailed from China and wereamong the first settlers of Whalers Cove.Ms. Low-Sabado will show the CSUMB—produced movie “By Light of Lanterns:An Untold Story of Monterey’s ChineseFishermen,” and will speak on the histori-cal impact the early Chinese settlers hadon society and their contributions andaccomplishments.

The meeting will begin at 9:00a.m. with a social period, withrefreshments provided. Thebusiness meeting will begin at9:30 a.m. and will include a reporton the Association’s activitiesduring the past year and theelection of directors to theAssociation’s Board of Directors.

Moonlight Buffet and WalkMoonlight Buffet and WalkMoonlight Buffet and WalkMoonlight Buffet and WalkMoonlight Buffet and WalkSeptember 12September 12September 12September 12September 12

About 70 members showedup after a rainy day to enjoyhome-made chili, other good eats,and the rare chance to enjoy PointLobos’ splendor under moonlight.

photo courtesy David Hibbard

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Under My Brim Ranger Chuck Bancroft

Seventeen years ago GlenMcGowan, Jerry Loomis,

Jim Carpenter (now retired superrangers of Point Lobos), andmyself started working with thethird grade teachers at the CarmelRiver School. The teachers hadapplied for and received a grant toimprove the social studies curricu-lum for their students so the kidscould learn more about theircommunity. Glen began a dia-logue with the teachers about thevaried programs the rangers atPoint Lobos could provide.

The River School Programexpanded three years ago toinclude work at the former“Odello” artichoke fields, now apart of Carmel River State Beach.During the El Niño rains of 1995

and 1998 thefields weredevastated byflood waters.The Odellofamily, who hadleased theproperty from

the state, decided to stop growingartichokes. The process to restorethe area to a natural habitat thenbegan.

Former Supervising RangerDave Dixon started working withthe Carmel Middle school scienceteachers to encourage their stu-dents to get involved in the resto-ration project and involved intheir own project, “The HiltonBialek Biological Sciences Habi-tat." (See www.carmelhabitat.org)

We then met with Jay Marden,the principal at the River School,to set up a program for his stu-dents. The project, eventuallyinvolving 52 students, was such asuccess that in May 2005, thenSecretary of the Interior GaleNorton, joined by actor and

national spokesman for Take Pridein America, Clint Eastwood,hosted a gathering at the RiverSchool and announced theCarmel River School as the firstTake Pride in America School.

During the past three years wehave worked with Carmel RiverSchool’s fourth and fifth gradersto continue the project. Studentsarrived at the restoration area onNovember 5th and 6th to plantnative species and perform “com-petition elimination." They willcome back in the spring to see thechanges that took place over thewinter months. They will seechanges in the lagoon’s waterlevel, plant growth, and the influxof more bird species as the habitatimproves. And they can take pride

in the work theyhave accom-plished to helprestore these oldfields to an im-proved ripariancommunity.

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ObservationsSparky Starkweather, State Park Squirrel

Rutting season is upon us.Watch out for over-

zealous male black-tailed muledeer! I was foraging for delectablepine cones and came across a largegroup of black-tailed mule deergrazing in the meadow. Severaldoes were oblivious to the malesaround them. The young bucks,each with racks of two points to aside, were jousting. The doeswould occasionally look up to seethe action. Several very largebucks with four points to a sidewere browsing and just watchedthe younger bucks at work.

The fall season is the timewhen the large bucks come out ofthe mountains to find the does inestrus. This reproductive cycle hasevolved so that fawns are born inthe spring, a time of year that

image by Nelson D. Jones, Jr.

coincides with favorableweather and abundant foodsupply. Many does are in estrusand bucks will be on their trail,often traveling far afield inpursuit of them. Does are likelywandering beyond their mostfamiliar home range as well.Bucks will step up their effortsto advertise their dominancewith new rubs.Though some doeshave already bred,others will bereceptive duringthis time period andbeyond. And thenin the spring we’llkeep our eyes andcameras ready forthe appearance ofthe spotted fawns.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Ranger ChuckBancroft

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Whalers CabinMakes History

Carol Bloner

For over 150 years thesmall structure built by

Chinese fishermen has stood onthe edge of a protected covewithin what is now known asPoint Lobos State Reserve. OnMay 7, 2007, Whalers Cabin wasadded to the National Register ofHistoric Places in recognition ofthe Cabin’s unique role in ourarea’s past. A bronze plaqueappropriately mounted on a rockof locally quarried granodioriteand placed along the Cabinentryway announces this presti-gious event.

Whalers Cabin was officiallydedicated on October 31, 2007 ata ceremony that included key-note speaker Gerry Sabato-Low,great granddaughter of QuockMui, the first child born at theChinese village, and representa-tives from all the agencies thathelped attain the Historic listing.This listing would not havehappened without the tirelessefforts of Kurt Loesch, WhalersCabin progenitor and ongoingguardian angel, spearheading thecollaboration of several entities.The long process began in 2004

Above: Judd Perry, Gerry Low-Sabado, Dana M. Jones(Monterey Sector Superintendent, CA State Parks), KurtLoesch. Photo by Joe Bova

illustration of Whalers Cabin by Betty Loesch

when Kurtjoined forceswith NancyRunyon ofAMAP, theAssociation ofMonterey

Preserva-tionists. To-gether they

completed the lengthy and compli-cated application to have the Cabinlisted in the California Register ofHistoric Places. After three re-writes, innumerable photographsdeveloped in solutions and printedon paper that would ensure perpe-tuity, letters of support that stackedthree times as high as the bulkyform itself, and backing from StateParks, the Point LobosAssociation, and localpolitical offices, on Febru-ary 2, 2007, the Cabin wasaccepted into the Califor-nia Register of HistoricPlaces. Kurt and StateParks pressed on andgained National Historicstatus for Whalers Cabin.The Cabin is one of only99 buildings among allCalifornia State Parkholdings to be so hon-ored, and it is thought to be theoldest surviving wooden Chinese-built structure in California.

The cabin housed many peopleand enterprises but not whalers, soits name is an entrenched misno-mer. After the Chinese departed,

Gennosuke Kodani, the Japanesemarine biologist who partneredwith A. M. Allan in the abalonebusiness, occupied the Cabin withhis family. Later, Pop ErnestDoelter used the Cabin for twoyears to prepare abalone for hisand other local restaurants. Whenthe State acquired the land in1933, George Vaughan, a land-scape architect who designedroads and paths at Point Lobos,was in residence for two years,and during WWII a militaryplatoon called the Cabin home.Ranger Chuck Bancroft was thelast occupant of Whalers Cabin,living there 1981 through 1983.Whalers Cabin opened as a cul-

tural museum in 1989.In recognition of Kurt Loesch’s

dedication to preserving WhalersCabin, AMAP has honored Kurtwith its 2007 Preservationist of theYear award.

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photo courtesy Les Ellis

Point Lobos Underwater Dida Kutz

Photo of chestnut cowry nestled among strawberry anemones and red sponge at Granite Point by Kawika Chetron. Courtesy IbbieWhite. www.coldwaterimages.com

Aportion of what is nowknown as Point Lobos

State Marine Reserve (SMR) wasthe nation’s first fully protectedmarine area. It came about as aresult of concerns the Point LobosLeague had in 1959 about thedwindling numbers of organismsalong the shores of Point Lobos.Prior to then, tidepoolers, scien-tists, and scuba divers had beenharvesting specimens from theintertidal zone and deeper waters.

Francis Whittaker, then PointLobos League president, an-nounced in early May 1959, thathe was working on a legislativebill along with Senator Fred Farrto create an underwater reserveoff Point Lobos. Six months later,the State Park and RecreationCommission resolved to set asidethis area as a buffer zone for theland portion of Point Lobos State

Reserve. On April 15, 1960, theDepartment of Parks and Recre-ation received title to 775 acres(1.21 sq. miles) of tidal andsubmerged lands adjacent toPoint Lobos, giving protection toa significant portion of theunderwater component of thearea (some invertebrate speciescould be taken bothrecreationally and commer-cially). In 1973, the CaliforniaFish and Game Commissionestablished an Ecological Reservewithin the same boundaries,giving the marine area fullprotection (no-take).

In 2003, Point Lobos Ecologi-cal Reserve was renamed PointLobos State Marine Reserveunder the Marine ManagedAreas Improvement Act, whichestablished a simplified classifica-tion system for California’sMarine Managed Areas.

In September 2007, a newnetwork component of 29Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)was implemented by the Depart-ment of Fish and Game (DFG)along the central coast of Califor-nia (Point Conception to PigeonPoint) as a result of the passageof the Marine Life Protection Act(MLPA) in 1999. This networkcomponent was established bythe Fish and Game Commissionin April 2007, and represents thefirst of five MLPA study regionsidentified by DFG along thecoast of California, including the

San Francisco Bay estuarinecomplex. This, and the networkcomponent of MPAs establishedaround the Santa Barbara ChannelIslands in 2003 (not part of theMLPA process), are the first piecesof a statewide MPA networkidentified as a goal of the MLPA.

As a result of the MLPA pro-cess, Point Lobos SMR was ex-panded, and Point Lobos StateMarine Conservation Area(SMCA) was created adjacent to it.The new SMR, at 2,349 acres (3.67square miles) is triple the size ofthe previous SMR, and the newSMCA is 7,558 acres (11.81 squaremiles). The expanded SMRcontinues to be an entirely no-takezone, while the new SMCA allowssome sustainable recreational andcommercial harvest of livingmarine resources. The depth rangeof this new MPA complex is fromshore to 1,858 ft.

The new MPA complex atPoint Lobos boasts a rich speciescomposition, and the area isactively studied. The Partnershipfor Interdisciplinary Studies(PISCO), an academic researchdiving program based at UC SantaCruz, has been monitoring PointLobos since 1999. DFG has beeninvolved in a number of studiesfor decades. Reef Check Califor-nia, a community-based researchdiving program, has been con-ducting its own set of surveyssince 2006. Data gleaned fromthese efforts provides invaluable

9 map concept by D. Kutz; created by GIS Dept., CA DF&G

information about species densityand composition within a com-plex rocky reef ecosystem.

As a finger of the Carmelunderwater canyon, Point Lobosis a delight to dive at any experi-ence level, either on scuba or as afree diver. Underwater visibilitycan rival that of the tropics, some-times reaching 100 feet in theouter reaches of the diving area,although it is usually in the 25-30ft. range. Whalers Cove depthsreach about 50 ft at the mouth ofthe cove.

Within the diving area (mapavailable at entrance kiosk and

online at www.pointlobos.org),colorful life engulfs every squareinch of available rocky substrate.While adjusting your field of gazeto take in the multitude of smallerlife forms such as light bulbtunicates, orange cup corals, redvolcano sponges, strawberryanemones, and Spanish shawls (aflamboyant sea slug), a playfulharbor seal might sneak up frombehind, tug your fins, or give youa pat on the head. Large maturerockfish are plentiful in thisprotected area. Rare hydrocoralscan be seen in deeper and moreexposed areas where they thrive incold nutrient-rich water. Massive

stands of giant kelp (Macrocystispyrifera) provide divers the headyfeeling of flying through a forest.A lucky few I know have had thepeak experience of seeing a graywhale underwater here. (Once,while in Whalers Cove, I gazed ata pretty sea slug, clueless in thefive-ft. visibility, while my divebuddy peered into the eye of ajuvenile gray whale about 30 ft.away from me.) After 14 years ofdiving Point Lobos, I have yet tobe bored with the place.

Thanks to Dave Osorio, PaulReilly, and the GIS department atDFG for their help with this article.

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images by Ranger Chuck

Western gull with wellcamouflaged chick

Devil’s CauldronSteve Ligas

Point Lobos State Reserveoffers many great places

from which to observe the fury ofpounding waves assaulting rockyshores. Devil’s Cauldron, a basincarved by churning waters in thesoft sedimentary rock of theCarmelo formation, is a visitorfavorite.

From the wheel chair acces-sible Sand Hill Point trail, one canobserve waves racing across thecauldron often intersecting witheach other. As they approach SeaLion Rocks, the waves travel fasterin the deeper water on either sideof the granodorite islands, formed

from rocks more resistant to theerosive power of the Pacific. Thiscauses the oncoming waves tobend around the rocks such that asingle wave will converge at rightangles to itself.

For the more adventurous, adescent down to Sea Lion Pointprovides an opportunity to experi-ence the natural forces moreintimately. One staircase leading tothe point is blocked off after somelower steps were washed awayduring a major storm a few yearsback. A near-continuous proces-sion of waves swept from north tosouth across normally dry land

eroding therock underly-ing the stairs.

The view-point facingthe largest ofthe Sea LionRocks providesa sensoryassault. Wavesthud into therocks belowspewing saltspray on thevisitors above.Offshore windsnumb exposedhands quickly.Across theturbulentchannel, natureplays herversion of

“king of the hill” as the tumultu-ous sea tries to dislodge sea lionsfrom their rocky perches. Thewaters of Devil’s Cauldron agitatecontinually.

Be careful during stormyconditions. Wet rocks and gustywinds make for tricky footing.Large sleeper waves can strike atany time. Never turn your back tothe ocean.

Special thanks to Ed Clifton,our resident sedimentologist andpast PLA president, for his expla-nations of the geology and wavemechanics on display at Devil’sCauldron.

photo courtesy Steve Ligas

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A.M. Allan - PRESERVATIONIST PRESERVATIONIST PRESERVATIONIST PRESERVATIONIST PRESERVATIONIST : 1859-1930

Carol BlonerA new exhibit in Whalers

Cabin honors AlexanderMacMillan Allan, the man whopreserved Point Lobos. Allan wasborn in 1859 in Pittston, Pennsyl-vania. Through hard work andperseverance, he steered awayfrom a life in the bowels of aPittston coalmine tobecome anarchitect andbuilder, headof abaloneand sardinefisheries, andpresident of abank. Alongthe way heremained anactive mem-ber of thePresbyterianChurch,marriedtwice, fa-thered fourchildren, andpreservedPoint Lobos.

Despite working in a coal mineat age 10 and as a carpenter’sapprentice at 14, Allan completedhis education and earned a degreein engineering. His forte wasbuilding racetracks, and he builtthe first racetrack in California. In1897 the Carmelo Land and CoalCompany hired Allan to revamp

their Mal Paso coal mine and tosell and develop lots in the newlycreated town of Carmelito. Oneyear later Allan bought Carmelito,the 649 acres that today comprisePoint Lobos State Reserve.

Allan appreciated the uniquebeauty of Point Lobos and strove

to protect it. He erected a tollgatethrough which all visitors entered,limited travel routes for theircarriages and cars, and prohibitedfires. Point Lobos remains beauti-ful today because Allan lookedafter it well.

Still, Allan was a businessman.At various times he used landaround Whalers Cove as a loading

A.M. Allan and family, Moss Cove, 1898

dock for coal from his mine,quarries for gravel and granite,and sites for a vegetable farm, adairy, and an abalone cannery.Outside Point Lobos, Allan ran asalvage operation on the many

ships thatwreckedalong thecoast; startedthe MontereyCanningCompany,one of thefirst sardinecanneries onCanneryRow; builtthe onlyrespite sitefor femalecanneryworkers andmade itavailable toworkers fromall the can-neries; and

led seven other prominent localmen in opening the first bank inMonterey, becoming in 1928 itsfirst president.

Allan died in 1930. He waslauded as a man who improvedhis community, helped those lessfortunate than himself, and wasalways honorable, charitable, andhard working.

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A Conversation withJerry Loomis, Ex-Underwater RangerDoug VanOmmeran

I can almost guarantee thatevery scuba diver has

thought about what it would belike to have had the life of JacquesCousteau. Not, perhaps, for thefame and notoriety, but for thechance to spend your workdayunderwater exploring. RetiredState Park Ranger Jerry Loomiswas one such lucky person as hecalled the waters of Point LobosMarine Reserve his office. “I wasblessed,” recounted Jerry duringour conversation. As one oftwenty or so State Park Rangersand lifeguards who were alsoscuba divers, Jerry transferred toan open position at Point Lobos in1980. Having performed similarduties at Lake Oroville StateRecreation Area, a less lush man-made reservoir, Jerry jumped atthe chance to work at PointLobos. “Knowing it was a marinereserve was the real appeal. Thereare more fish and they’re a lotbigger.”

While the current divingboundaries were already in placewhen Jerry came to Point Lobos,his responsibilities called for moreextensive diving. “Nobody hadever interpreted the underwaterreserve before,” he noted, ”and Ibecame addicted to taking photo-graphs underwater.” Armed with

his own underwater cameraequipment, Jerry dove throughoutthe preserve documenting andphotographing the extensivemarine life. Over the course ofmore than one thousand dives,Jerry developed an extensiveportfolio that was used in commu-nity educational programs andpark literature. The kiosk atWhalers Cove, the only launchingpoint for scuba divers in thereserve, still bears his handiworkin showing visitors what liesbelow. One unique aspect of PointLobos, according to Jerry, isfinding four different colors ofhydrocoral -- pink, orange, blue,and purple. “I’ve never seen thatanywhere else in California . . . it’spretty amazing.”

While I envisioned this diver’sdream job, Jerry did remind methat he was still a park ranger andpeace officer, too. Besides diving,Jerry had other duties such asresponding to marine violations,as well as responding to emergen-cies on the water. There was alsowork alongside other agenciessuch as the CA Department ofFish & Game, assisting withtagging otters, and monitoring anunderwater area to measure theeffects of otter foraging on othermarine plants and animals.

Jerry’s diving knowledge led toother contributions to the StatePark system. “There were notmany rangers who were scubadivers,” so Jerry’s expertise wascalled upon as a member of acommittee that oversaw divingactivity in the state parks anddeveloped a program to trainothers in responding to marineincidents. But despite theseabove-water job responsibilities, Iam still envious. “We were re-quired to dive at least once amonth, but I probably dove atleast twice a week on average.”Jerry recounted one memorabledive when he and his buddy weresurprised by the presence of arather large creature approachingfrom the outer cove. “We were alittle nervous at first, but once itwas close enough to recognize as agrey whale we felt a little morecomfortable. It came to withinten feet of us before turning andheading back out the cove.” I canonly imagine the other sceneryJerry witnessed in areas off-limitsto visiting divers. And, yes, I didask him where to find the bestdive in all of the Reserve, but hewould only divulge its location if Iagreed to keep it out of print. It’sstill in my notes . . . so maybesomeday.

photo of hydrocorals courtesy Jerry Loomis

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Quotes from the Docent Log edited by Stan Dryden

August 11: Joy OsborneThere were reports of a large

marine mammal off of the SeaLion Point Trail, with no defini-tive identification. A very largenumber, 3848, was marked on itsside. Many observers offered anabundance of opinions about it:fur seal, Steller’s sea lion, Califor-nia sea lion, Guadalupe fur seal,and “I dunno” – the last undoubt-edly being accurate. (Some timelater, the Marine Mammal Centeridentified this animal as an agingCalifornia sea lion. Its gray headwas a stumper. Ed.)

August 11: Carol RychenerA descendant of a Portuguese

whaler from the Azores visitedWhalers Cabin today. He believesthat his great-grandfather,Manuel Machado Medina fromPico Azores, might have whaledin the Monterey area.

August 12: Bev WilliamsPerhaps I am not very obser-

vant, but I’ve never noticed largenumbers of pelicans on the visibleside of Pinnacle Rock before.There were approximately 100there today, and more settled in asI watched, some on the other sideof the rock. Perhaps a pelicanpolitical caucus to decide who willbe King Pelican?

August 14: Dione DawsonThe otter count for August

was 34 adults and 1 pup. Itshould be easy to direct visitors asto where to find otters (of course

they move every other minute),but our two groupings were thelarge one near Sea Lion Rocks (28)and five seen in Moss Cove. It wasa glorious day with blue sky andblue waters, lots of great blueherons, and many harbor sealscongregated on the rocks off ofCannery Point, not their usualhaunt.

August 18: Louise StuartA visitor asked for information

on spiders, but we had at theInformation Station nothing thatwould help. She took me out tosee a beautiful web on the CypressGrove Trail. There, high in a tree,was one of the larger webs I haveever seen, with long threads threeto four inches long attaching it tonearby shrubs.

August 21: Ruth ZirkerAs I walked into the Whalers

Cabin for my 11 a.m. duty, ablack-footed ferret ran around themuseum, along the south wall,and out the door. It mighthave come from one of thestorage rooms. It was beauti-ful little animal, bright red-orange, long and slim, with afur-covered tail as long as itsbody and a black mask overits eyes. I cannot explain itsbeing there.

August 26: Rosemary FosterThere was a harbor seal

hauled out on a rock on thenorth side of the CypressGrove Trail. A young sea lion

was swimming around, thenswam up to the seal. The sealbared its teeth, and I heard a hiss.A while later the sea lion climbedto the top of the next rock for itssnooze.

August 30: Sharon HoffmanA visitor to Whalers Cabin

asked if there were a web cam onthe roof. He said it would be greatif there were one. Then peoplecould go online and see what theweather was like before coming toPoint Lobos.

August 31: Jacolyn HarmerAn ecstatic family reported

seeing a bobcat mom and kitcrossing the trail at they weregoing out the Cypress Grove Trail.Sorry I missed them. There wereloads of turkey vultures soaringover Headland Cove, but noobvious dead bodies for them tolunch on.

brown pelicans photo courtesy Chuck Bancroft

14

Horned puffin photo courtesy John Sorenson

September 2: Stan DrydenWhere have all the blue whales

been this summer? A visitor toWhalers Cabin may have theanswer. He lives in SouthernCalifornia and loves to sail, andsays that on some of his sails hehas had to dodge several largepods of blues. Apparently thesmorgasbord has been abundantin SoCal waters, and there hasbeen no reason for the blues tomake the extra effort to come upour way. Let’s hope that the krilldon’t make a habit of this so thatour magnificent guests will returnnext year.

September 4: Carol BlonerI was picking up trash on trail

watch today when a visitorstopped me. She was here yester-day and enjoyed herself so muchthat she returned for another visit.She thanked me for all that wevolunteers do to make the Reserveenjoyable for visitors. So, Docents,give yourselves a well-earned paton the back. And you visitors giveyourselves a pat as well; there wasvery little trash to collect. Thanksfor caring.

September 9: Larry RychenerA visitor told me he had

photographed a bobcat in thebrush along the road near WhalersCabin this afternoon.

September 11: Dione DawsonA disappointing count for

September resulted in 22 adultsand 2 pups. The day was cloudy

with high overcast, but goodvisibility for counting except thatthere just wasn’t much to count!The usual raft off of Sea Lion Pointwas not to be seen.

The North Shore was over-flowing with Macrosystis (giantkelp) as was most of the Reserve.For a time we haven’t had enoughof it for the otters to wrap them-selves in, and now we have toomuch! A few egrets and great blueherons were fishing on the kelp,but there seemed to be a shortageof harbor seals and wildlife ingeneral.

September 20: Milt JinesThe bat (reported in the last

issue) revisited Whalers Cabintoday. It flew around inside andsettled up in the rafters of the“movie/military” room. He and Ididn’t disturb each other. Ithought he was quite interesting(and cute) -- I didn’t ask him whathe thought of me!

September 26: Jacolyn HarmerTwo women saw a bobcat

catch lunch (or dinner). Onedescribed it as glaring at her froma distance, then moving in a bitcloser toward a bush, and finallylooking up at her with its mouthfull of fur and tail. It wasn’t ableto talk much.

October 3: Sharon HoffmanBusy day at Whalers Cabin. A

visitor told me that we have aneggbutt snaffle on the wall (a bitfor a horse). The ringbutt snaffle

was used earlier. It pinched thehorse’s mouth, and was replacedby the eggbutt. (You can learnmore than you probably want toknow about these bits by looking up“snaffle” on Wikipedia. Ed.)

The woman’s husbandworked for the Forest Service andwas an expert on wildlife, espe-cially owls. He helped identify abutterfly for another visitor.

Another visitor from Hawaiihad been in the Korean War. Hismother had sent him dried aba-lone as a supplement for C Ra-tions. He said the cans of abalonewere pink, not green like ourdisplay. However, I pointed to thelabel displayed on the wall, whichis pink, and he recognized it asthe one he remembered.

Fun day!

October 9: Dione DawsonThe otter count for October

was dismal to say the least, with agrand total of 15 adults and 1pup. We haven’t had such a lowcount since 2003, and only oneother in over eight years. Wheredo they all go? On the NorthShore we had the pleasure ofwatching an otter devour anabalone right from the shell. Helicked the shell completely tomake sure he didn’t miss any-thing -- it was quite wonderful tobehold!

Moon jellies were observed offof Guillemot Island, herons andegrets were everywhere, and our

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photo courtesy Stan Dryden

moon jelly photo courtesy Jerry Loomis

biggest treat was seeing many,many Risso’s dolphins charge intoCarmel Bay at a very fast pace. Itwould seem they were afterschools of fish, but they changeddirection several times and even-tually went back out to sea. Atthe end of their visit they werefollowed by a group of sea lions --it was easy to spot the morerounded head and lack of a dorsalfin on these creatures that hadappeared out of the blue. It wasexciting to see such activity ofgreat splashing as the dolphinsplowed through the water -- therewere so many of them!

At the beginning of our morn-ing count we saw a buck withlovely antlers race past us in theparking area toward Sea LionPoint trail. Within minutes asecond buck came along lookingexactly the same also heading inthe same direction. We couldn’tdecide whether it was the samebuck going around in circles, oranother. Being rutting season,most anything can happen!

October 12: Jon DunganI opened the cabin and whal-

ing museum at 1 this afternoonafter a rainy morning. Few visitorsappeared for the first hour, andthen several people visited. Thefirst was a photographer who wasthrilled at the cloudy/rainyweather for the way it enhancedthe colors of the trees, rocks andfoliage. He left happy to have

some guidance for great oppor-tunities. Next came a breathlesscouple who had just seen fourdolphins in Whaler’s Cove.They viewed them from CoalChute Point. The pod circledthe cove, and left along thesouth side. From the description Ithought they might be Risso’sdolphins due to the tall sharpdorsal fins. Lastly, a tour buspulled up and disgorged a dozenpeople who excitedly explored themuseum and asked a lot of ques-tions about the people who livedand worked here. All in all anunusually rewarding day.

October 16: Ruth ZirkerA visitor to Whalers Cabin saw

my Docent Newsletter on thedesk and pointed to the picture ofA. M. Allan holding a baby in thearticle by Carol Bloner. He saidthat it was his grandfather and thebaby was his father, and that hewas A. M. Allan III. He explainedthat he had lived with his familyacross Highway 1, up the hillabove the stone house. He spokewith nostalgia about his formerhome and said that he walkedover every bit of the Point Lobosproperty on both sides of thehighway. He now lives in Austra-lia. He was so pleased with thearticle about his grandfather that Igave it to him.

November 6: Dione DawsonThe November otter count

was a big improvement over lastmonth’s, with a total of 39 adultsand 2 pups. Perhaps the winterseason is beginning with theshifting of more otters to theNorth Shore, as we had incred-ible luck in finding two rafts, asmaller one off of Cypress Coveand the larger one at the north-ern boundary. The otters weremore strung out along the SouthShore rather than the usual largerafts of summertime. As forobserving nature, deer were allover the place, with three doesright by the Information Stationand more to be found in the fieldbelow Hudson House. And birdswere very special: a peregrinefalcon was seen on Bird Island,great blue herons were every-where, a kestrel was hovering inits usual fluttering fashion, andthe biggest treat was an ospreythat zoomed back and forth sothat we had many good views ofhim. It was rewarding to see sucha variety of creatures and madeup for the miserably cold, coldfoggy day where the visibilitywas fortunately good, but somany “otter kelps” (bull kelpheads) to sift out!

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Winter * 2007, Volume 30 * Number 4

Point Lobos AssociationRoute 1, Box 62Carmel, CA 93923831-625-1470

NON-PROFITORGANIZATION

US POSTAGEPAID

PERMITNO. 35

CARMELCALIFORNIA

Eradicating Ehrharta erectaMary K. Paul

Eight Monterey Institute ofInternational Studies

(MIIS) students joined PointLobos volunteers for an event onOctober 28 to tackle the field ofEhrharta erecta (an invasive grassfrom South Africa) in the AllanMemorial Grove. The students

accompanied long-timeregular volunteers CarlVoss and Wayne Cipperly.They were led by MarinaResources Aides Mary K.Paul and Josh Williams.

The field of Ehrhartaerecta encompasses about15 acres in the AllanMemorial Grove area. Itis a perennial grass thatencroaches on wildlandareas, and has the ten-dency to convert mixed

chaparral and oak woodlandhabitats to grassland areas.

The students from MIIScame with Point Lobos DocentDave Neidel, who is a professor atthe school and a regular weedabatement volunteer. The group

came on the regularly scheduledevent held every fourth Sunday ofthe month from 1 p.m. until 4p.m. to restore areas in PointLobos to their natural habitats.

Below: The MIIS Students with theirprofessor Dave Neidel on the right.Photo by Mary K. Paul

Docent Wayne Cipperly standing in afield of Ehrharta grass. Photo by Mary K. Paul