Kings Creek Hike Return

One Way Trail (Steps) - Lassen National Park  2018

Fritos and Beer - Lassen National Park  2018

Hiking back to the trailhead one can either retrace one's steps, or take a one-way, strenuous, vertical stone staircase that parallels the creek. Mike took the staircase, a little bit at a time, stopping frequently for photos (good excuse for rest stops). Some fellow hikers finally appeared.

Up at the top he found a nice spot by the creek for his lunch.

Monday Deer Blogging

Deer - Lassen National Park  2018

Near Bench Lake.

The animal somehow couldn't bring himself to turn and look at the photographer. Sometimes they'll look at you, but usually they won't.

Bench Lake

Bench Lake - Lassen National Park  2018

Trail - Lassen National Park  2018

Mike took a side trail through pines and manzanita up to Bench Lake, pretty but very shallow. Early in the morning: no one else on the trail.

Kings Creek Falls

Kings Creek  Waterfall - Lassen National Park  2018

Kings Creek and Plant - Lassen National Park  2018

Most trails in the park were closed due to snow. The trail to this waterfall was one of the few ones open in June.

The waterfall itself was hard to photograph - too much direct sun combined with very foamy water. Looking at images on the web, it seems that the most popular thing to do is to hike to the bottom and take a "blurred water" photo.

Lassen National Park Photos - 2001

False Hellebore - Lassen National Park  2001

Mike last visited the park in 2001, hiking to the top of Lassen Peak with his Minolta 35mm camera. Looks like there was some smoke in the distance.

Lassen Peak 1 - Lassen National Park  2001

Lassen Peak 2 - Lassen National Park  2001

Lassen Peak

Lassen Peak - Lassen National Park  2018

While driving to his trailhead Mike saw several nice snow-covered Lassen Peak vistas.

This photo was taken with an Olympus E-M1.2 camera and a Panasonic 12-60mm lens.

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Sulphur Fumes - Lassen National Park  2018

Mike was on his way to do a dayhike in the park; as soon as you enter the park's south entrance you start to smell sulphur. They must have structured the route so as to achieve that effect.

Susanville - 2

St Francis Bar & Grill (Susanville) - Lassen  County  2018

Pioneer Cafe (Susanville) - Lassen County  2018

All Susanville photos were taken with a Canon G5X.

Monday Cow Blogging

Cows -  Tehama County  2018

Cows - Colusa County  2018

Top photo taken with an iPhone 7 Plus.

Bottom photo taken with a  Canon G5X.

Susanville - 1

Sierra Theater (Susanville) - Lassen County  2018

Main Street (Susanville) - Lassen County  2018

 Mike's red Toyota the only vehicle parked on the street.

Plumas County Sightems

Road, Fog - Plumas County  2018

Lake Almanor, Pelicans - Plumas County  2018

Traveling east on highway 36: fog in the forest, then an overcast Lake Almanor.

There was better visibility in 2007.

Plumas County

Plumas County Line - Tehama County  2018

Mike was standing in Tehama County when he took this photograph. He was driving over to  Susanville from his campground in Tehama County. So, his route took him from Tehama County to Plumas County to view Lake Almanor, then to Lassen County to visit Susanville. And then his next day's dayhike in Lassen National Park took place in Shasta County. Wow.

Bear Stories

Dumpster, Photo #1 - Tehama County  2018

Dumpster, Photo #2 - Tehama County  2018

Dumpster, Photo #3 - Tehama County  2018

Photos of the same dumpster.

Mike couldn't help but notice the overstuffed dumpster in the campground, not that far from his site. Sure enough, at 2 AM in the morning, thumping and bumping as Mr. Bear marauded the trash.

During the day the camp personnel cleaned up the mess and actually locked down the dumpster. As you might expect, Mr. Bear wasn't pleased to find that he couldn't get to his supply of junk food. So he smooshed in the plastic dumpster covers as a sign of his discontent.

They had to replace the dumpster the next day. No bear visitations that night.

Earlier bear stories: Bear Stories (2008) / Bear Stories (2013)

Battle Creek Campground

Campsite - Tehama County  2018

Battle Creek - Tehama County  2018

Mike's campground. Note the tripod in the top photo: never used once.

Tehama County

Distant Clouds - Tehama County  2018

In an attempt to escape the crushing Yosemite crowds, this year Mike decided to travel to Tehama County for his early-season camping trip.

So, Tehama County: county seat is Red Bluff, on the Sacramento River. Also includes a part of Lassen National Park. Mike has camped here before, most recently in 2007.

Monday Woodpecker Blogging

Woodpecker - Monterey County  2018

Woodpecker - Tehama County  2018

I suspect that both of these are Acorn Woodpeckers, although the photos were taken in very different areas. The top one was taken in the Big Sur area along the Monterey coast. The bottom one, in Tehama County near Lassen National Park.

Cypress, Bridge

Cypress, Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco  2018

While I was on my way to pick up the grandkids from daycare I made a quick right turn just after coming off the bridge from Marin. Parked, hiked back to this viewpoint, took the photo. I used an Olympus EM1II and a Panasonic 12-60mm lens.

Rolling Power

Rolling Power (Sheeler) - San Francisco  2018

Rolling Power (Sheeler - Detail) - San Francisco  2018

Precisionist Catalog (1960s) - Marin County  2018

Back in the 1960's the Los Angeles County Museum of Art held an exhibit called "The Precisionist  View in American Art." I remember visiting the show multiple times, being quite intrigued by the images on view. I was particularly struck by the art of Charles Sheeler, who was both a photographer and painter.

Most of all, I was mesmerized by his 1939 painting of a locomotive titled "Rolling Power." Of course, I was a great train enthusiast, so no wonder I liked it.

How nice, therefore, to be able to see it once again, this time in the De Young Museum in San Francisco, where a show called "Cult of the Machine" has been running (will be there through August.)

Interesting frame . . . not what I would have picked, perhaps. The steam showing in the lower right hand corner is a nice touch.

Quite possibly I had this painting in mind when I photographed that Union Pacific locomotive (diesel, alas) in Utah in 2016.

Union Pacific (Milford) - Utah  2016

San Rafael Mission

Mission Building (San Rafael) - Marin County  2018

Mission Bells (San Rafael) - Marin County  2018

For some reason, I've never really walked around the mission grounds before. Everything has been reconstructed, of course. Photos taken with an iPhone 7 Plus.

Sausalito Sightems

Flowers, Reflection - Sausalito  2018

Outdoor Couch - Sausalito  2018

Taken last month. Top photo: iPhone 7 Plus, bottom one: Olympus E-M1II.

North Park (San Diego)

North Park Alley - San Diego  2018

Street Art (North Park) - San Diego  2018

On our last day in San Diego we attempted to visit the non-zoo area of Balboa Park. After a series of droll GPS adventures we finally managed to reach Balboa Park's Botanical Building, only to find that the crowds had beaten us there. All the parking lots were full and street parking would require a really substantial hike. So we passed.

We made our way over to San Diego's trendy North Park neighborhood where we bought a couple of burritos to eat in the airport while we waited for our plane. (Which was delayed at both ends due to winds at SFO.)

Burrito Place - San Diego  2018

Encinitas

Chicken - San Diego County  2018

Encinitas Painting - San Diego County  2018

Encinitas is a city north of San Diego, just south of Carlsbad. Good restaurants! We've eaten there before, last year and then again this year.

Monday Dog Blogging

Dog - Los Angeles  2018

Dog and Photos - Los Angeles  2018

Taken on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Others noticed the almost-irresistible photo op.

Sunset from Our Window

Star of India, Ash Street - San Diego  2018

Sunset - San Diego  2018

More Star of India photos, taken from our hotel balcony as I compulsively monitored the sunset.

Bananas

Bananas - San Diego  2018

Little did we know that we had scheduled our visit on the same weekend as the Rock and Roll Marathon, with thousands of runners participating. Getting to our hotel in our rental car was very stressful! We ended up not using the car at all, instead taking the trolley and/or walking.

Reflections

Airplane Reflection - San Diego  2018

Motorcycles, Reflections - San Diego  2018

In San Diego, planes come low through the downtown area prior to landing.Our hotel had a nice view of airplanes approaching the airport: first, a reflection in an opposite building, then second, the actual plane.

Airplane Landing - San Diego  2018