Little Lakes Valley Hike - 3

Lake, Mountains - Sierra Nevada  2024

Lake - Sierra Nevada  2024

Postcard ready! 

Little Lakes Valley Hike - 2

Mountains, Trees - Sierra Nevada  2024

A cloudless day, bright and sunny and ideal for hiking. But not so ideal for my style of photos. I've been converting a lot of photos taken during to my trip to black and white. 

This one taken with a Nikon Z7II / 24-200mm lens combo.

Little Lakes Valley Hike - 1

Grass, Lake, Mountains - Sierra Nevada  2024

Little Lakes Valley / Mono Pass Sign - Sierra Nevada  2024

The last time I hiked up here was in September, 2013. This time I didn't have any particular goal in mind, just wanted to do a non-strenuous day hike.

I hadn't remembered, though, just how far the trailhead is from highway 395 . . . quite a long drive! Once past Rock Creek Stables there's a dirt road to the trailhead parking lot (which was full).

Pack Station - Sierra Nevada  2024

Monday Chipmunk Blogging

Chipmunk on Tire - Sierra Nevada  2024

Chipmunk Scampering Off - Sierra Nevada  2024

I was sitting in my camp chair when this creature walked by. When I stomped my feet it gave out a startled squeak and hopped up onto the right front tire of the Toyota. Finally managed to scamper off after several nervous peeks back at me.

Campground Sightems - 2

Berries - Sierra Nevada  2024

Tree Rings - Sierra Nevada  2024

Photos taken on an abandoned dirt road leading out of the campground. The iPhone couldn't help with berry identification . . . too many possibilities! There's probably some story around the fallen tree that's lost in the mists of time.

Campground Sightems - 1

Rabbitbrush - Sierra Nevada  2024

Ridge (Morning) - Sierra Nevada  2024

The iPhone gave me the plant ID. As it turns out, I have an earlier photo of rabbitbrush taken in Canyonlands National Park. Although, there are probably more photos on the blog under the "sage" title.

Campsite

Campsite (Big Trees Campground) - Sierra Nevada  2024

I last camped in this area in 2017.  Then, as now, the drive from Marin County to the campgrounds west of Bishop was quite long and tiring. (And this year I wasn't able to enter Yosemite until noon - a further delay.)

Back in 2017 I found a nice campsite in the Forks Campground. So I drove there first. But this year the campsites were either taken or reserved. Yikes! So I followed my pre-trip plan and drove down to the next campground. This was the Big Trees Campground and . . . I found a fairly pleasant campsite!

But then: registration, setting up of the tent, blowing up the Thermarest, getting out the sleeping bag, loading groceries into the bear box . . . lots to do. The camp host had to help me figure out the tent's rain fly pole; I had forgotten that it had an odd configuration (back to front.)

Photo was taken with the iPhone at 7:30 in the morning, the campground still in shade but the sun hitting the mountains in the distance.

Scenic View / Bishop

Mt. Tom - Sierra Nevada  2024

Junipers, Sierra Crest - Sierra Nevada  2024

Although I was trying to make it to the campgrounds by a decent hour, I managed to at least pull off at the highway 395 scenic overlook just prior to the abrupt descent towards Bishop. 

Then, the drive through Bishop, turning right on Line Street heading towards the campgrounds. This was around 3:00 PM.

Welcome to Bishop - Owens Valley  2024

Clouds Rest

Clouds Rest from Tioga Road - Yosemite  2024

Is it Clouds Rest? Actually, I don't know. All the photos on the internet seem to be of people on the summit. I pulled over and took this photo out the passenger side window, using a Sony RX100m7. 

This was in September, and driving through Yosemite required a reservation on the weekends. I couldn't get a reservation for the morning hours, so I had to time my drive through the foothills in order to arrive no sooner than noon. That was annoying. But there wasn't a line at the entry station!

I drove through Yosemite without stopping. Like I said, I knew that this day was going to be long. 

Digger Pines

Digger Pines - Tuolumne County  2024

Driving past Lake Don Pedro to experience a genuine car camping trip. My goal was to camp somewhere in the mountains west of Bishop, but I knew in advance that it was going to be a long drive.

Monday Deer Blogging

Deer (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Deer (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Taken in August. Top photo taken with a new Sony RX100M7. Bottom one with a Nikon Z7II.

Trees, Lake, Mist

Trees, Lake, Mist (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

My second Photoshop attempt. Extreme light and dark areas make it difficult to process. Taken with a Nikon Z7II.

Below, a third version. Hm.

Trees, Lake, Mist (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Sony RX100 VII

Sony RX100m7 - Marin County  2024

So, my Canon G5XII went missing during one of my recent Los Angeles trips (under suspicious circumstances). One of the contributing problems was that I was mainly using my iPhone for photos during the trip, so I didn't notice when the Canon went missing. (An earlier version of the Canon also went missing, that time in Vancouver.)

Alas, Canon no longer makes the G5XII. Not only that, used models are now selling at a premium, far above what I had paid for the camera new.

I've since replaced it with a Sony RX100 VII (seen above and hereafter known as the RX100m7, or maybe just RX100). I tried an earlier RX100 model in 2015, but preferred a Canon G5X at the time. Since the above photo was taken I've installed an add-on grip, which seems to help in the ergonomic department.

Below, the missing Canon at a coffee shop in Monterey County.

Coffee, Morning Bun, Canon G5XII - Monterey County  2024

Lake Lagunitas Fog

Trees, Lake, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Oaks, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

It's nice when the fog rolls in . . . very atmospheric! Nikon Z7II photos.

Pilot Knob

Pilot Knob (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Pilot Knob, Ripples (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

I've been up to the top of Pilot Knob a few times.

Photos taken on two separate days in September.

Lake, Clouds, Mist

Lake, Clouds (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Lake, Clouds (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Sunny with some nice clouds. Mist swirling on the lake in both shots. Morning, August 13th.

Ripples / Ferns (Lake Lagunitas)

Ripples, Lake (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Ferns (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

I'm usually hoping for some clouds or fog for my weekly Lake Lagunitas hike. Don't always get my wish.

Monday Jackrabbit Blogging

Jackrabbit - Marin County  2024

One of the curious ones . . . it lingered long enough for me to zoom in, acquire focus, and snap the shutter.

Photo taken with an Olympus E-M1II and a 14-150mm lens.

Colier Spring Hike - 6

Fire Road - Marin County  2024

It took just as long to hike down, on trails and fire roads, as it did to hike up. But the rewards were expansive views of the dried California hills looking northwards. 

Colier Spring Hike - 5

Colier Spring - Marin County  2024

Chain Fern - Marin County  2024

We were trying to keep track of our progress using Google maps, with limited success. At last we heard voices coming from above! We finally made it! Colier Spring! (I’ve seen both “Spring” and “Springs.” I’m using Spring for blog purposes.)

We dropped our daypacks on the convenient little bench and had some snacks. While Hanna played some video games on my iPhone I poked around with my camera. Of note were some unusual chain ferns.

We hadn’t thought of it, but of course the damp nature of that area was an ideal habitat for mosquitoes. They didn’t bother me, but Hanna was apparently an extremely tempting target.

Colier Spring Hike - 4

Climbing Through Rocks - Marin County  2024

Colier Trail Going Up - Marin County  2024

So. Only 1.1 miles is it? But most of the trail turns out to be a vertical slog. Plus there are numerous rocky sections that require use of the hands to surmount. 

As we toiled upwards the sun had finally come out. At one point I tripped on a tree root, but due to the vertical nature of the trail I fell, not forwards, but backwards. Luckily I landed on a young pine tree. But it felt odd.

I took some photos of the trail looking back. Of course they don’t convey just how steep the trail really is.

Colier Trail Looking  Back - Marin County  2024

Colier Spring Hike - 3

Mushrooms - Marin County  2024

Hanna noticed these mushrooms growing on a  fallen log. I had to come back for the photo.

I was carrying my standard Olympus E-M1II with a lightweight Panasonic 12-60mm lens.

Colier Spring Hike - 2

Stream, Forest - Marin County  2024

According to the trailhead sign it’s 1.1 miles to the spring. That’s only a little over 4 times around a high school track! Sounds easy!

As we started the hike the trail paralleled the middle fork of Lagunitas Creek: deceptively level and scenic.

Colier Spring Hike - 1

Colier Hike Trailhead (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

Reeds, Fog (Lake Lagunitas) - Marin County  2024

The hike up to Colier Spring in Marin County is widely acknowledged as pretty strenuous. I had done it solo in the 1980s, but not since then. Lately I wanted to repeat the hike, but not by myself. 

Seriously . . . I couldn't find anyone that wanted to do it! But then I got lucky, in that my granddaughter Hanna was coming to visit us for a week last summer. Of course she'd want to go on a hike with me, I reasoned. So I scheduled our hike for the first Monday in August. 

When we arrived at the Lake Lagunitas parking lot the weather was overcast and foggy.

Tuffy and Moon

 

Tuffy and Moon (San Geronimo Valley) - Marin County  2014

Somewhat mysterious photo taken with an iPhone 5s ten years ago, 6:45 PM.

Monday Cat Blogging

Sadie Inside - Los Angeles  2024

I'm outside, looking at Sadie through the sliding glass door.

Ogden Drive

Ogden Drive House Afternoon - Los Angeles  2024

Highlander - Fresno County  2024

Leaving Los Angeles . . . making sure that the AC was turned off and the refrigerator unplugged. Then the drive back up Highway 5.

So, actually there were two trips to Los Angeles in July, the first one with Hali and the second with Shawna (and Nolan). The photos I've posted were taken during both trips with an iPhone 12 Pro Max. (I brought my Canon G5XII, but didn't use it. Then it somehow went missing during the first trip.)

Short 'n Sweet: Melrose Avenue #98

Short 'n Sweet - Los Angeles  2024

Getting some last minute steps down on Melrose, 7 PM. 

Continuing my billboard theme from 1973.

Los Angeles Black and White

Runner, CBS - Los Angeles  2024

Starbucks - Los Angeles  2024

People pix. All photos were taken with an iPhone 12 Pro Max.