Halloween!

Pumpkins - Bishop  2025

Taken during a visit to the small Owens Valley town of Bishop earlier this month. 

Coast Camp - Early Morning

Coyote Bush, Moon - Point Reyes  2025

Tent (without tent fly) - Point Reyes  2025

Pre-sunrise photos taken with an iPhone using a headlamp. Once there was enough light I started to pack up. It was supposed to be another hot day, but the fog started rolling in to cool things off.

Backpack, Fog - Point Reyes  2025

Coast Camp Sunset

Eucalyptus, Ocean, Sunset - Point Reyes  2025

Camp Table, Sunset - Point Reyes  2025

Always nice to be able to see the coastal sunset!! An iPhone used for both photos.

Eucalyptus - 2025

Figwort, Eucalyptus - Point Reyes  2025

Eucalyptus, Sunrise - Point Reyes  2025

Both photos taken with a Nikon Z7II.

I used an iPhone for the "figwort" ID. Could be!

Bottom photo was taken early in the morning . . . the sun put in a brief appearance before the fog rolled in.

Eucalyptus Black and White

Eucalyptus, Ocean - Point Reyes  2025

Eucalyptus - Point Reyes  2025

Top photo taken with a Nikon Z7II, bottom one using the wide-angle iPhone lens.

Monday Gull Blogging

Gulls - Point Reyes  2025

6:44 AM down at the beach, watching the gulls suddenly taking flight into the fog.

Somewhat similar to a 2018 photo taken in the same area.

Coast Camp Beach 2025 - Black and White

Wave, Point Reyes - Point Reyes  2025

Kelp, Wave - Point Reyes  2025

Top photo shows the actual Point Reyes in the distance.

Coast Camp 2025 - Camp Site

Tent - Point Reyes  2025

Fritos and Beer - Point Reyes  2025

A Big Agnes two-person tent. I've used it for some years now! (Since 2018.) Very light weight and roomy enough for one person. Two people in there? Would have to be pretty friendly, I'd think. 

Site #2 at Coast Camp. There's an upper section meant for the tent I guess, but it's way too uneven and non-level. I had to put the tent next to the food box.

Tent and Food Storage Box from Camp Chair - Point Reyes  2025

Coast Camp Beach - 4

Pond, Beach - Point Reyes  2025

Dune Grass, Fog - Point Reyes  2025

I know I said I should have billboard-sized prints made of these images. But honestly, that would be too big.

Maybe just plywood-sized? (4x8 feet / 1.2x2.4 meters).

Coast Camp Beach - 3

Cliff, Beach, Fog - Point Reyes  2025

Beach, Wave - Point Reyes  2025

 More of the abstract designery images.

Coast Camp Beach - 2

Beach, Fog, Surf #1 - Point Reyes  2025

Beach, Fog, Surf #2 - Point Reyes  2025

I should print these up billboard size and display them in a prominent art gallery.

Yup, that's what I should do.

Coast Camp Beach - 1

Approaching Wave - Point Reyes  2025

Beach, Gulls, Fog - Point Reyes  2025

A series of photos taken while walking around the Coast Camp beach.

Monday Phoebe Blogging

Phoebe on Log - Point Reyes  2025

A freshwater pond with the sound of the waves in the background. Little bird swooping up and then back, nailing hapless insects.

Eucalyptus, Fog

Eucalyptus, Fog (vertical) - Point Reyes  2025

Eucalyptus, Fog (horizontal) - Point Reyes  2025

 The day was supposed to be a hot one, so I was pleasantly surprised to find the camp area blanketed in fog.

Coast Camp Trail Sightems

Bracken - Point Reyes  2025

Vetch - Point Reyes  2025

I posted a video of this hike back in 2017 (which involved me setting up the camera on a tripod and running back and forth for the various shots.)

I'm a little surprised that the video can still be viewed!

Coast Camp Trailhead

Trailhead View - Point Reyes  2025

The forecast called for above-average heat, but when I parked at the trailhead parking lot the temperature was quite tolerable, probably due to some coastal clouds drifting in.

Backpack items were in the back of the Toyota, needing some sorting out and cramming into the Gregory backpack.

Backpack Gear - Point Reyes  2025

Point Reyes Station

Fennel, Barn (Point Reyes Station) - Marin County  2025

Building (Point Reyes Station) - Marin County  2025

The forecast called for above average heat, so I left early and drove out to Point Reyes Station, first stopping for a photo of the wetlands barn through the fog, then over to Bovine Bakery for a morning bun and coffee.

The building above has appeared on the blog before, with some pretty spring blossoms.

I drove over to the Limantour Beach parking lot and had my coffee and bun. Then a short walk over to the Limantour Marsh bridge for some pix.

Limantour Marsh - Point Reyes  2025

Backpack Prep

Stove Test (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Backpack Equipment (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

So, I was planning on driving over to my regular Bishop campgrounds in September, but smoke from the Garnet Fire was rendering the air quality in Bishop quite bad. Really quite bad.

So I had a change in plans: try to get a reservation at Coast Camp in Point Reyes for one of my regular backpacks there. It worked! I hadn't backpacked since 2023, so I had to go through all of my equipment to make sure I had what I needed.

(By the way, the MSR propane canister shown above was purchased in August, 2019 . . . I wrote the date on the bottom with a Sharpie.)

Mike's Birthday!

Mike, Mt. Agassiz Summit -  Sierra Nevada  1974

Wow!

Monday Heron Blogging

Heron 1 (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Heron 2 (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Very cooperative subject. Stayed in place while I looped around on the trail to take both photos from different angles. I used an Olympus E-M1II with a 14-150mm lens.

Playing Field

Playing Field, Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Playing Field, California Buckeyes (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Early morning (7:30 AM) photos taken during our morning walks. I used a Sony RX100.

Corvette / Roadrunner

Corvette (Fairfax) - Marin County  2025

Plymouth Roadrunner (San Bruno) - San Mateo County  2025

We regularly walk by the Corvette during our morning walks.

Plymouth seen in a Kaiser Medical Office parking lot in San Bruno while I was waiting to pick up Hali and Molly at SFO.

Fern / Redwoods

Fern, Horsetails (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Redwoods (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Top: iPhone 13, bottom: Olympus E-M1II.

July - Lake Lagunitas

Lake, Reflections, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Lake, Ripples (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

July photos taken by an iPhone 13 (top) and an Olympus E-M1II (bottom).

Madrone / Manzanita

Madrone, Oak (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Manzanita (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2025

Photos taken in a somewhat drier section in the Lake Lagunitas area.

Sea Lavender / Shack

Sea Lavender - Monterey County  2025

Shack, Cormorants, Gull - Monterey County  2025

I left the beach area to take a walk around the Coast Guard walkway and the Cannery Row area, with the commotion from the sea lions as background noise. 

Then, a blueberry muffin and coffee and the drive home.