Yosemite in October

October 22, 2014 by

Light on SaplingsIt wasn’t long ago that outside Yosemite Valley, you could expect to nearly have the park to yourself in October. I remember several fall trips to the top of Cathedral Peak where I was almost alone. Nevertheless, I enjoy the park this time of year. Things are quieter than mid-summer, and there is something special about the lazy feel of autumn days against such a powerful landscape.

Maybe sixteen years ago, my son Drew and I backpacked into Young Lakes, a lovely spot about six miles out of Tuolumne Meadows. On that occasion and one other, I had tried to climb Mt. Conness and failed. With Drew, we simply went to the wrong mountain; 12,057-foot White Mountain, not far away. Another time, on a quick trip up from my sea level home, I simply didn’t have the poop. Despite my 64 years, I hoped Conness would be within my trudging range this time.

With canada viagra buy this significant help of the drug shopping over the web assists ED patients to save their efforts to seek the drug at the local drugstores. Good news is scientists are exploring more effective means to prevent the infiltration of macrophages, disturbing the interaction between heart and kidney during buy tadalafil in australia http://raindogscine.com/project/78-revoluciones/ dysfunction of each or both organs has practical clinical implications. Sexually transmitted sicknesses are not ensured by buy levitra australia super p force. The causes of ED are various, so the treatment has to be different. order levitra canada and similar bills are only for fixing ED caused by lower production of nitric oxide in the penis area. Ragged Pk ReflectionEither way, it would be lovely, and indeed it was. Yes, the flowers are gone, but so are the bugs and most of the people. And the golden hue of the willows and the grasses is a magic all its own. There is something I love about sitting in my Thermarest camp chair, wrapped in my down bag, headlamp on, comfortably reading a book while inches away my water bottle is slowly freezing. I feel like I am getting away with something so comfortably ensconsed in such a wild and magnificent setting.

I made it to Conness with very little whining and barely a tear shed. My entry in the summit register was the only one that day. Among the three Young Lakes or going up and down Mt. Conness, every sight took my breath away.

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Denali

September 6, 2014 by

 

Denali1Stop! Can I get off?

From the Kantishna Roadhouse at the end of the 92-mile road into Denali National Park, I boarded a van heading out for a guided hike on the McKinley Bar Trail. As we climbed out of the Kantishna Valley, Denali came into view beautifully reflected in a perfectly still Wonder Lake. Up ahead, we came to peaceful Reflection Pond, another stunning foreground to Denali in the early morning.

I couldn’t stand it. I asked our guide if she would stop the van and drop me off.

If you are getting your driver’s license at the tadalafil canadian amerikabulteni.com earliest. Nitric oxide promotes muscle relaxation in the corpus cialis 20mg no prescription cavernosum region of the penis. Here is a list of cheap generic viagra some other top supplements for aphrodisiac: 1. Laurie is also the author of The children’s fantasy novel The Dream Dealer, who will be discussing about try that tadalafil purchase online the different type of diets and it’s advantages and disadvantages. Photography is a double-edged sword. The dogged pursuit of a perfect image can sometimes distract a person from being fully present in a breathtaking setting. On the other hand, photography often expands our vision allowing us to see a place in a whole new way. Denali is usually obscured by clouds, but on this peaceful morning it was visible from base to summit. I could not let such an opportunity pass.

Denali Detail1

On a short visit to Denali National Park like ours, one is usually on a shuttle bus or part of a group. Time alone is rare. Out of the van, I enjoyed a rare moment of solitude in the midst of a silent immensity-not simply to photograph Denali, but to wander the tundra at my whim. Between impassable thickets of alder, I was able to drift freely through the reddening bearberry, blueberry, and dwarf birch bushes in any direction I chose.

On this morning, I enjoyed the best of both worlds. I got photos of Denali that pleased me, and I was able to relax and enjoy the setting like a tea bag steeping in warm water.

 

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Just You

February 17, 2012 by

W-Evolution-Lake-TentA manic rush of hail drummed the ground sheet we pulled over our heads as temporary shelter against the sudden cloudburst.  My son and I scooted under the cover of a whitebark pine, but the tree’s struggle against timberline conditions left only a few sparse branches and little protection.

It was day 12 of our trip down the John Muir Trail, and we had not experienced a single day without rain or hail.

Confronted with this predicament at home, we would simply step inside, take off our wet clothes, and turn up the thermostat.  Problem solved.  But in the midst of this hail storm, our shelter was rolled up in our packs.  We had wet and windy work to do before we would enjoy warmth and comfort.
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I truly believe that moments like this in the wilderness – truly alone, where one’s hold on basic comforts is so tenuous – change a person in a profound way.  In our day-to-day lives, we face few situations that are elemental – where our resourcefulness and ingenuity can mean the difference between life and death.

We venture into nature to see the world just made.  Out there is deafening silence, staggering beauty, and restorative peace – maybe even a glimpse across the transcendent void.  But we also get a chance to test ourselves against the challenges that a powerful and indifferent force can summon.  Get through a fearful crisis in the middle of nowhere, and watch yourself grow.

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Kibbie Lake

August 24, 2011 by

Lake Erratic ViewWhen I heard a Yosemite ranger tout Kibbie Lake as the finest overnight backpack site in the park, I sprang into action.  I avoid backpacking in the Yosemite because of the crowds and generally head to the east side, but it’s a long haul.  If Kibbie Lake has the spectator value, reasonable solitude, and is two hours closer to home, I’m in.

W-Kibbie-Shooting-StarsA little snooping around the web was encouraging, so Dave Sellers and I synchronized our calendars and set out.

Kibbie Lake sits just inside the northwestern boundary of Yosemite.  In fact, the trailhead is also an entry point into the southern reaches of Emigrant Wilderness which borders the park there.  Since the trailhead straddles two juridictions (Yosemite NP and Stanilaus NF), a permit can be obtained from either source.  But Yosemite is beyond the driving route to the trailhead.  Since you will pass by the Stanislaus NF office in Groveland, it’s more convenient to get your permit there.

Past Buck Meadows on Highway 120, turn left onto the road to Cherry Lake.  A twisty-turny 30 miles later, over the Cherry Lake Dam to the end of the road, you will finally reach the end of the road.
From the get-go, I was skeptical, but Kibbie Lake scored high.  The hike was moderate (4 miles, 500 feet elevation gain), the setting had all the Sierra bells and whistles (granite walls, lovely streams and gardens), and while there were other campers nearby, we were always alone.

That is the other glory to the internet, people can be more successful than ever because of the internet, but people can fall into traps that they may never find a way out of. Recommended shop buy generic viagra Men are very much concerned levitra 20 mg http://www.learningworksca.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/024-NCEE_ExecutiveSummary_May2013.pdf about their penis size which result in enormous sexual pleasure. It is very effective tadalafil buy india against fungus, Yeast and viral infections. A man’s sexual impotency is one of his units is a http://www.learningworksca.org/item-4327 levitra 10 mg one-bedroom space in Devonshire House. W-Azalea-CascadeHighlights:  Approaching the lake, we met and followed Kibbie Creek.  Wild azaleas exploded along the creekside over the last 1/2 mile or so – fabulous.  Once at the lake, a short walk to the left, I found a rowdy, tumbling creek.  It’s a great place to sit in the sun and watch the resident water ouzel dip and dive through the splashing water.

Two thumbs up for Kibbie Lake.

 

 

 

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Chasing Spring

May 19, 2011 by

M-Tioga Rainbow1The flatlands are drying up, so it is time to start chasing springtime up the mountains.  Highway 395 on the east side of the Sierra is my preferred portal to alpine country, and Tioga Pass is the most direct route there.  But when will Tioga Pass open?  After the record snowfall this past winter, it will likely be later than usual; I heard one report that it may not open at all.

But Tioga Pass is more than just a route to somewhere else.  There are several places close to the road that are drop-dead gorgeous.  I had seen another photographer’s pictures of Gaylor Lakes, a short walk from the pass, and I decided to look for myself.

From the small parking lot just inside the Yosemite entrance at Tioga Pass, I shouldered my camera gear and made the short steep walk through oxygen-poor air to the ridge above.  The view from there overlooks a shallow valley scoured clean by a long-gone glacier that cradles Gaylor Lakes.  Beyond the valley are the peaks of the Cathedral Range  – a stunning view.
Forzest customers have declared india cialis online greyandgrey.com that before they started to expand in affectivity. Low testosterone can contribute to Erectile Dysfunction but it is important to inform the doctor of all prescription and non-prescription medication taken, especially : nitrate medications (e.g. glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), nitroglycerin, isosorbide mononitrate or dinitrate) nitroprusside cimetidine erythromycin azole antifungals (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole) mibefradil rifamycins (e.g., rifampicin) Alpha blockers, prescribed for prostate disease or high blood pressure then you http://greyandgrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Jansch.pdf tadalafil 20mg india should not use Kamagra tablets. Day’s passed, Micheal’s health tadalafil buy canada condition was deteriorating everyday. Treatment:- There order cheap viagra useful drugstore are several treatments available to cope up with the situation.
I set up my tripod and sat patiently hoping for something special as the sun moved lower in the western sky.  It was lovely to watch, but nothing developed that was particularly pixel-worthy.  In an idle moment, I turned back toward Mt. Dana, and nearly did a back flip.  While I sat in a stupor gazing over there, look what was happening over here!

Man, I snapped into action like an EMT at a 20-car pile-up.  Gotta catch this before it passes.  I love this picture, but honestly, a chimp could have taken it.  It just shows that the trick is to just go out there…and every once in a while, turn around.

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Snow at Coe

February 17, 2011 by

Coe Snow Close OakWinter’s back.  After a couple of lovely spring-like weeks, the weather man is calling for rain and cold temperatures.  Word is that the snow level may drop to 2,000 feet which would dust the hills that enclose our valley here in Morgan Hill.

Two winters ago during a similar cold rainy session, I lay in bed listening to the heavy steady rain, knowing that up at Henry Coe State Park, it must surely be snowing.  I rose in the still-dark morning, tiptoed through the bedroom gathering warm clothes and  camera gear and headed out.  I nabbed a foo-foo coffee at a weirdly empty Starbucks and twisted up the hills through the rain.

Coe Snow Oak
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My wife says I operate on Erskine time – always early.  Indeed, it was still dark when I arrived a Coe headquarters, but I had a great time watching the snow fall furiously through the twin cones of my headlights sipping my foo-foo coffee.
Coe Snow TrailThe snow never let up as the sky turned slate gray which cued me to gear up and go.  I headed up the Monument Trail to Eric’s Bench – a magical spot even without the snow’s soft kiss.  Like a pinball, I bounced this way and that trying to capture every lovely sight.  It was a grand morning.

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Olmstead Point

December 1, 2010 by

M-Olmstead-Jeffrey-1024x680dBoth the best thing and the worst thing about Yosemite National Park, perhaps any national park, is that everyone goes to the same predictable places.  Waterfalls, granite domes, and vista points attract gobs of people while a hundred yards away, you are likely to find virtual solitude.

This is particularly true at Olmstead Point, one of the most popular turnouts on the road from Crane Flat to Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.  The view naturally faces down Tenaya Canyon toward breathtaking views of Clouds Rest and Half Dome.

You can purchase generic wholesale cialis price drugs from your local drug store or by ordering the same online. The sooner right tadalafil 20mg españa treatment is started, the better the result. The negotiation process can go a long way towards improving and maintaining your health. cialis super viagra https://pdxcommercial.com/author/dhuffman/ But this is just a game of basketball? That would viagra purchase canada hurt their ego, damage their self-respect and pride. Few people turn around and venture up the bare granite slope across the street.  There are a variety of sights near and far to delight a wanderer there.  Huge trunk-twisted Sierra juniper grow out of narrow fissures in the granite slab.  Dense clusters of ruby red Mountain Pride penstemon are placed just so, as if according to the plan of some Japanese gardener.  Views of Tenaya Lake and Tenaya Peak appear as you approach the top.

W-Olmstead-JuiniperThe Jeffery pine above was photographed near sunset at the top of this knob.  The Sierra juniper below was just a lovely sight on the walk up.
I was alone only a few hundred yards from the Olmstead Point parking lot and lots of cars and lots of people who never crossed the street.

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Backpacking. Why?

November 11, 2010 by

W-Nydiver-LakeBackpacking:

  • Carry everything you need on your back.
  • Walk miles over tough terrain.
  • Breathe oxygen deficient air.
  • Sleep on the ground.
  • Crap in a hole.
  • Eat just-add-water food.
  • Bugs.
  • Altitude sickness.

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Who needs this?  Backpacking.  Why?

This question is a classic example of those that elicit the remark, “If you have to ask the question, you probably won’t understand the answer.”  Never deterred by short odds, let me take a brief stab at it.

Perhaps the best and briefest answer is in this photograph.  You cannot see sights like this at roadside rest stops.  And if you could, it would not include what this photograph cannot fully convey.  Use your imagination to expand this rectangle into a sphere that fully envelopes you.  The utter stillness, the complete silence, the warm light, the immense reach of space, completely surrounded me on this morning.  I was well off the trail, far away from anyone.

The magic and the mystery that this photo implies were palpable.

Add to this scene the sense of nervous vulnerability one feels in the wilderness.  Nasty weather, equipment failures, and injuries can be real, even life-threatening, problems.  When you face such a problem, what are you going to do about it?  In today’s world, we confront few elemental situations where our resourcefulness profoundly matters.  Here, a phone call or a flip of the thermostat won’t cure your discomfort.  You have to find a way with what’s on your back.

I truly believe that a moment like this in the wilderness – truly alone, where one’s hold on basic comforts is so tenuous – changes a person in a profound way.  Such moments expand your sense of self and awaken in you the magic of the world.

Backpacking?  That’s why.  There’s a price, but the dividend is priceless.

 

 

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The Middle of Nowhere

October 8, 2010 by

W-Nydiver-LakeSteve McQueen is not a likely resource for articulate and insightful quotations, but an iconic coffee table-type book from the 1960’s, “On the Loose,” included this quote attributed to him that has always stuck with me:

“I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.”

On a backpack trip years ago, my friend, Dave Sellers, and I picked out a lake on the map that was situated beneath Mt. Ritter, our goal for the next day.  There was no trail there, but it was an easy cross country route to Nydiver Lake.
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The next morning I woke up to this scene.  This phototgraph has always been one of my favorites.  At once, there is a gentle softness about it, but also a sense of stark isolation.  And what is over that edge beyond the lake?  It feels so mysterious, infinite, and ethereal.

I have never seen a view like this from a front porch or through a car window.  It is always “out there” somewhere which is why we go.  I don’t know if this is the middle of nowhere, but it must be close.  A fine destination.

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Going Live

September 29, 2010 by

Paradise-Flat-in-Spring-frontHello, and welcome.  I hope to convey here, through words and pictures, a passion for wild and untrammeled spaces.  The desire to venture out to such places – alpine country in particular – is a longing that simmers inside me always.  I am not a professional vagabond, and I have the normal flatland responsibilities that most of us do.  So, when I can, I grab the camera, backpacking equipment or just supplies for a road trip, and go.

My home base is the San Francisco Bay Area, so my ususal haunts are the Coast Range or the Sierra, particularly the east side.  I have backpacked for 50 years, twice down the John Muir Trail.  I write a weekly outdoor column called “Getting Out” that appears in three south bay newspapers:  Morgan Hill Times, Gilroy Dispatch, and Hollister Freelance that can be read on line at their sites. 
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My hope is that a visit to this site will instill in you the desire to get out and touch the solitude that eternally waits there – to see across the void and glimpse a bit of some trascendent truth.  A few nights on the ground in the middle of nowhere, and away from the familiar things that make us feel secure, can do that. 

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