False Hellebores

False Hellebores - Sierra Nevada  2016

Wow . . . aspens and false hellebores. No wonder Mike likes this place. Photo taken at 1/10th second, ISO 200. Yes, the Olympus E-M10 was on a tripod.

Stream Crossing Nostalgia

Wading Across Stream - Sierra Nevada  2016

Drying Off Boots, Self-Portrait - Sierra Nevada  2016

Fritos and Beer - Sierra Nevada  2016

For the last stream crossing, Mike decided to use his old socks-off, boots-on trick and wade across the creek. It worked, kind of. Anyway it was fun.

But then there was the drying-off routine which took some time, time that was then utilized for some Fritos and beer.

Forest Scenes

Pine Tree, Granite - Sierra Nevada  2016

Fallen Trees - Sierra Nevada  2016

Stream Crossing - Sierra Nevada  2016

Mike turned around at this stream crossing. He's been across a few times before, so didn't feel the need to brave it this time.

Some nice forest scenes, though . . . seemed to be some smoke, adding some atmospheric haze.

All these hiking photos taken using an Olympus EM-10, with a 14-150mm zoom lens.

Stream Crossings

Stream Crossing 1 - Sierra Nevada  2016

Stream Crossing 2 - Sierra Nevada  2016

Top: stream crossing using rocks. Bottom: stream crossing using piled-up logs.

Using the rocks would have been much more elegant and graceful, but Mike used the logs, scrabbling across on hands and knees. As has been noted, Mike dislikes stream crossings, especially those involving rock-hopping: the rocks are usually spaced way too far apart, so he'll go quite a bit out of his way to avoid them.

Monday Horse Blogging

Horses, Sawtooth Range - Sierra Nevada  2001

Hunewill Ranch - Sierra Nevada  2016

Top photo taken using 35mm film in 2001. Nothing so picturesque this trip. Bottom photo taken out the car window (as was the 2001 shot) using a Canon G5X.

By the way, it could be that Matterhorn Peak is the peak to the right. Not sure.

Green Lake

Green Lake - Sierra Nevada  2016

Green Lake, Ripples - Sierra Nevada  2016

It's a relatively short hike from the campground to this nice lake. Still, it's at around 9000' elevation. So maybe not that easy.

Bridgeport Signs

Dry Cleaning - Bridgeport  2016

Falling Snow, Self-Portrait - Bridgeport  2016

Taken using a Canon G5X. Jpgs!

Flowers

Flowers, Green Creek - Sierra Nevada  2016

Flowers - Sierra Nevada  2016

Flowers - Sierra Nevada  2016

Wildflowers seen on a hike from the campground up to Green Lake.

Puffball, Smoke

Puffball - Sierra Nevada  2016

Smoke (Big Sur Fire) - Sierra Nevada  2016

Two unrelated photos. Scientific name for the puffball is Puffialis puffaroni. Don't know what the correct ID is for the "puffball."

Smoke was visible in the sky, coming from the Soberanes Fire in Big Sur, hundreds of miles to the west.

Aspens

Aspens - Sierra Nevada  2016

Aspen Leaves - Sierra Nevada  2016

As I said, my campsite was surrounded by aspens.

Mike has posted quite a few aspen photos on the blog, but has only printed a few. Hm.

Green Creek

Green Creek - Sierra Nevada  2002

Flowers, Green Creek - Sierra Nevada  2016

I was here last year, as I mentioned on the blog. It's a nice spot, amid the aspens and the noise of the creek in the background.

My best photo of the creek was taken back in 2002 with a Minolta 35mm film camera. Nice flowers this year.

Monday Cow Blogging

Cows - Bridgeport  2016

Cows seen just off the road going to Twin Lakes outside of Bridgeport. Taken with a Canon G5X.

Bridgeport Church

Church - Bridgeport  2016

Church Door - Bridgeport  2016

. . . sporting a fairly recent paint job. Nice!

Bridgeport Sightems

Jolly Kone - Bridgeport  2016

Weed - Bridgeport  2016

Variety of things available at Jolly Kone.

Buster's

Buster's - Bridgeport  2016

Mike stared in disbelief. Buster's, closed! It wasn't that long ago that Mike stopped here for a six-pack of Tecate!

OK, so it was eight years ago.

Rick E. of Sacramento has a nice essay on Yelp:

Since posting new signs on US Route 395 proclaiming a population of 843, Bridgeport is 69% more town than it used to be. But since last year's closure of Buster's Market, it's got at least 69% less fresh meat, produce, and sundries. And it's such a shame.

I have warm childhood memories of cruising up to the Buster's parking lot with my grandpa to check out the price specials advertised in black magic marker on giant sheets of butcher paper. My grandpa was an annual long-term (April-October) camper at Mono Village and regular user of the small store there, but when he needed more variety or a fairer price, he'd sail the Lincoln Towncar down to Buster's. And while it was still less variety and more expensive than a full-service grocer, the selection at Buster's was worthwhile enough to save the gasoline it'd take to motor down to Mammoth. In some ways, the variety was greater than a mainstream full-service market, such as when my grandpa introduced me to venison when it was advertised on a butcher-paper window special.

- Rick E. 2012

One of the best reviews I've read on Yelp! 

Bridgeport Courthouse

Courthouse - Bridgeport  2016

Mike wanted to return to the Green Creek Campground for some Eastern Sierra photos. After passing the Marine base, he arrived at highway 395 and turned right. Some miles down the road he passed through Bridgeport, purchased some Gatorade and continued on.

This photo was taken with a Canon G5X pointing upwards, knowing full well that there was going to be vertical perspective distortion. But what are you going to do? I guess one solution would be to stand across the street and use a view camera's swings and tilts, like Mr. Adams did in 1938:

Adams, Courthouse (MOMA Collection) 

But you couldn't do that today, because those little trees in Adams' photo are now quite tall and block any view from across the street.

High Altitude Marine Base

Marine Base - Sierra Nevada  2016

Marine Base - Sierra Nevada  2016

Hm. I guess that there there's been no mention of the high altitude Marine base on the blog. So here ya go.

Mike has memories of driving down hairpin turns with military helicopters hovering just off to the side, and being overtaken during a hike by double-timing Marines.

Sonora Pass Road

Sonora Pass Road - Sierra Nevada  2016

Elevation 9000 Feet - Sierra Nevada  2016

Although Mike has driven over Sonora Pass several times, there are apparently no previous Sonora Pass posts on the blog. So here ya go.

Monday Chipmunk Blogging

Chipmunk Profile - Sierra Nevada  2016

Chipmunk Facing - Sierra Nevada  2016

Taken on a hike up to Green Lake.

McDonald's (Santa Rita Road)

McDonald's Exterior - Alameda County  2016

McDonald's Stools - Alameda County  2016

Two recent trips in August, first to the Sierra Nevada for a short camping expedition, then a drive down Highway 5 to Los Angeles to visit my sister and brother-in-law. Both trips had in common a first stop at the McDonald's just off the Santa Rita Road exit in the Livermore Valley.

Egg McMuffin! Yum! (Actually, it was a Sausage McMuffin, come to think of it.) Both images are iPhone photos.

Point Reyes Visitor Center

Visitor Center - Point Reyes  2016

Staff getting their picture took. Crowd waiting for the center to open.

Napa River

Napa River - Napa County  1998

Paddleboarders, Napa River - Napa County  2016

Top photo taken using 35mm film (Kodacolor) during the winter.

Bottom photo taken using Canon G5X on a recent summer visit.

Fennel

Fennel #1 - Marin County  2016

Fennel #2 - Marin County  2016

Fennel, Fence - Marin County  2016

Harder to compose than one might think! Top shot taken with a Canon G5X (on a tripod!) Next two taken using an Olympus E-PL7 with a 25mm lens, handheld.

Point Reyes Riparian Flora

Alders - Point Reyes  2016

Lace - Point Reyes  2016

Nice little stream near the Coast Camp trailhead: alders, lace. Mike can't find it on a map, so unnamed for now.

Limantour Marsh

Limantour Marsh (South) - Point Reyes  2016

Limantour Marsh (North) - Point Reyes  2016

Mike visited Limantour Beach on a foggy, chilly July morning. Top photo is a multiphoto merge.

He continued on to the actual beach, but found it cold and uninspiring, alas.