Archive for the ‘California’ Category

Jul 8 2009

Totaled

Death Valley: the driest place in North America. Less than 50mm (2in) of rain water each year. For now, an ironic bit of trivia.

Parched

It’s early. The dawn has not risen yet, but the air is a comfortable 27C (80F).

Silence. Not a bird or insect around. Nothing alive, it seems.

A strange, numinous beauty permeates the landscape. I breathe a primeval essence. Spirits roam the land.

Yesterday I came face to face with a silver fox. He was strolling on the double yellow line, one paw in front of the other. He stopped when I approached, and slowly turned his head towards me. A few slow breaths. He trots off the road.

Stillness and solitude. No signs of life as far as the eye can see.

The lowest point in North America. The air seems heavier.

Last night, pictures of star trails at Zabriskie Point. Vegas, 100 miles away, the atomic glow of its lights perpetually below the horizon.

Zabriskie Point Star Trails

I secure my 40D on its tripod.

Framing. The ridge of the mountain follows a straight line to the valley. The stars twinkle in the silvery puddle of toxic water.

The water is shallow, barely 1/2 inch, but saturated of poisonous salts and minerals. Badwater, they call it.

Exposure set to 20 minutes. I release the shutter.

I sit cross legged waiting for the camera sensor to capture the faint light. My stomach growls. I stand up and walks toward my pack to grab a snack.

A gust of wind. Plonk.

The camera lies in the water, the tripod toppled by impish elemental forces.

The camera will not capture today the beautiful reflection of the starlight. The camera will never capture another image again, vanquished by a puddle in the middle of the driest place in North America.

California Photography Travel
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Apr 8 2009

A Trip to Death Valley

Next week is Spring Break and this time around rather than boarding a random airplane in search of adventure I have a meticulously planned itinerary for a week in Death Valley.

Why the meticulous planning, you ask? Well, first, Death Valley is big 13,600 km2 (5,300 square miles) and it has a lot of interesting sights to see. So, traveling at random is not going to cover it. Plus, I want to maximize the number of sunsets and sunrises I can get some pictures at. To be at the right time at the right place, a little bit of planning will be required.

Here’s the itinerary I’ve devised.

Day 1

  • Drive from Las Vegas to Rhyolite ghost town
  • Goldwell Open Air art museum
  • Leadfield ghost town
  • Drive through Titus Canyon
  • Devil’s Cornfield
  • Sunset at Stovepipe Wells and Mesquite Dunes
  • Camping at Wildrose or Thorndike campgrond

Day 2

  • Sunrise at Aguereberry Point
  • Eureka Mines
  • Skidoo ghost town
  • Historic Stovepipe Wells
  • Salt Creek
  • Harmony Borax
  • Sunset at Zabriskie Point
  • Camping at Furnace Creek

Day 3

  • Sunrise at Badwater, lowest (and hottest) point in the continental US
  • Hunt for flowers in bloom at Ashford Mill
  • Eagle Borax Works
  • Artists Palette set location of Star Wars movies
  • Mushroom Rock
  • Golden Canyon
  • Sunset at Zabriskie Point
  • Camping at Furnace Creek

Day 4

  • Sunrise at Zabriskie Point
  • Twenty Mule Team canyon
  • Sunset at Dante’s View
  • Camping at Mesquite Springs

Day 5

  • Ubehebe crater
  • Teakettle junction
  • Sunset at Racetrack Playa, home of the moving rocks
  • Camping at Racetrack Playa

Day 6

  • Sunrise at Racetrack Playa
  • Scotty’s Castle
  • Sunset at Eureka Dunes
  • Camping at Eureka Dunes

Day 7

  • Sunrise at Eureka Dunes
  • Dunmovin ghost town
  • Search for the elusive U2 Joshua Tree
  • Darwin ghost town
  • Panamint Springs

California Travel
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Jul 10 2008

A Hike to Duck Lake

Barney Lake viewed from Duck Pass

Trailhead: Coldwater campground near Lake Mary, Mammoth Lakes; 9,050? (2760 m)
Distance:

Arrowhead Lake 1.25 mi 9,660? (2,944 m)
Skelton Lake 1.5 mi 9,915? (3,022 m)
Barney Lake 2.7 mi 10,203? (3,110 m)
Duck Pass 4.7 mi 10,797? (3,290 m)
Duck Lake 5 mi 10,427? (3,209 m)
Altitude gain: 1,747? (532 m)
Duck Lake is the largest of lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. The hike to Duck Lake is a pleasant stroll through high alpine terrain with several smaller lakes on the way. It is one of the most popular day hikes in the Mammoth Lakes area and offers magnificent vistas.
Don’t forget to check with the Mammoth Lakes ranger station for weather conditions. The trail can be covered with snow well into July. In the summer, bring bug repellent: mosquitoes abound. If you get lucky, you might have a close encounter with Bigfoot, who is rumored to be living in the area.
To get there, follow the Lake Mary Loop road until the sign to the Coldwater Creek campground. The trailhead to Duck Pass is at the far end (southwest) of the campground. You can park in the day use area there. There are clean toilets at the trailhead.
The Duck Pass trail begins with some moderately steep switchbacks through a pine forest. After about ½ hour, you will pass along Arrowhead Lake on your left (a sign points to it). Next come Skelton Lake and after crossing the 10,000? elevation line and about 1 ½ h on the trail, Barney Lake with its deep turquoise waters.
If you still have some energy left and it’s not too late in the day, right after Barney Lake, a strenuous series of steep switchback lead to the unmarked Duck Pass. Looking on the south side of the pass, you will find Duck Lake and Pika Lake right behind it.

View Larger Map

Make sure to bring enough water with you (½ L/h, ½ quart/h). There are several streams on the way, so you can refill as you go if you have a water filter or purifying tablets.
You should count on 2 ½ hours to reach Duck Lake from the trailhead.
During the hike my SpO2 was 91-92%, with a heart rate of 65-140 bpm.

California Travel
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Jun 1 2008

Collier Trail

Blogging in the middle of the forest…

California Travel
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Jun 14 2004

A promenade to Sausalito

I met with some friends today at the Farmer’s Market at the Embarcadero. Well… they thought it was the Farmer’s Market, but on Sunday it’s a much smaller set of vendors. The shops inside the Embarcadero were open and we have a good lunch at a seafood restaurant. We had an interesting discussion about interesting services that could be delivered via mobile technology. It’s good for your brain to imagine the world that could be :-)

I took the ferry to Sausalito to visit another friend, then I biked back to the city. It was the first time I was crossing the Golden Gate on bike in this direction. Since I had my camera with me it was a nice opportunity to take some close up shots of my favorite monument.

California
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