Campsite - Coast Camp Backpack

Campsite (Coast Camp) - Point Reyes  2026

 Nice, huh? A little bit of sun breaking through the marine layer in the afternoon. 

Getting there was not that easy though. The trail erosion made it quite difficult hiking in - at one point I attempted to scooch through one of the eroded sections and ended up down on the ground. Not a fall, exactly, but still - down on the ground. Luckily two hikers (Wolfgang and Becky) were able to help me up and get me down past the bad section. 

Then, on to camp 3 unaided, and some welcome Fritos and beer.

Fritos and Beer - Point Reyes  2026

Monday Skunk Blogging

Skunk in Campground - Point Reyes  2026

As seen during this year's Coast Camp backpack. I was sitting in my campground chair when this individual wandered through. My getting up to take a photo led to a swift departure past the campground food box and into the poison oak.

Campground Chair - Point Reyes  2026

Loma Alta View (Fairfax Hike)

Loma Alta, Fog (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Finishing the hike . . . a loop that took us past the water tanks down towards Glen Drive. A nice view of Loma Alta as we descended. 

My Apple Watch gave me a number of flights at least!

Hike Stats - Marin County  2026

Nolan's Birthday!

Nolan, Mike - San Francisco  2016

Wow!

Labyrinth (Fairfax Hike)

Hanna, Labyrinth (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Hanna navigating the labyrinth, Mt. Tamalpais in the background.

Oak Trees (Fairfax Hike)

Oak Tree (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Oak Tree (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Trees seen during our hike. Photos taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Doveweed / Broken Fence (Fairfax Hike)

Doveweed (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Broken Fence, Barbed Wire (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

"Doveweed or turkey mullein (Croton setiger) is a low growing, native annual that thrives in dry, disturbed, open places . . . Even from a distance it can be  recognized by the low, tidy mounds of pale green foliage, themselves evenly spaced out into large patches and fields."

Hanna noticed the Doveweed first. I continue to be intrigued by old fences and fenceposts.

Top photo and plant ID using an iPhone. Bottom photo taken with an Olympus E-M1II.

Fairfax Hike - Trail to the Top

Water Tank, Use Trail, Hanna (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

When I first approached this area last winter I started at the base of the water tank and scrambled directly up the slope in back. This time I wanted to try a "use trail" that I had noticed on a scouting walk earlier in the month. Hanna and I started up.

Midway Point on Trail, Hanna (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

It was much longer than I had realized! We finally reached a rock outcropping that proved to be the topmost point. Hanna stood on it and studied the view, somewhat reminiscent of Joe Mundy standing at the top of Mt. Agassiz in 1974.

Hanna at the Top (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Monday Raccoon Blogging

Raccoon - Lake Lagunitas  2026

Early Sunday morning. Scampered away from the photographer and climbed up a tree.

I used an Olympus camera with a telephoto lens. Nice pose!

Trail, Mount Tamalpais

Trail, Mt. Tamalpais - Marin County  2026

Last winter I hiked up the hill in back of the Canon Village condos. But afterwards I kept thinking that there was probably an easier way up then the route I took.

So when granddaughter Hanna stayed with us last August I persuaded her to accompany me on a return visit.

Photo from our hike taken with an Olympus camera.

Power Lines, Wetlands

Power Lines, Wetlands - Marin County  2026

Walking around in back of Costco while the Toyota was being serviced. 

Sunset, Swimming Pool

Swimming Pool, Sunset Clouds (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Just happened to notice these clouds, so I had to grab the iPhone and head down to the pool.

Morning Walk Photos (iPhone 16 Pro Max)

Buckeye Branches, Poison Oak - Marin County  2026

Oak, Bay Branches - Marin County  2026

Photos taken with an iPhone 16 Pro Max . . . a recent acquisition. Might not have the correct settings yet. Also, annoying issue trying to download photos into my PC.

It had a dedicated camera button! Whoa!

Trees, Clouds (Black and White)

Trees, Clouds - Marin County  2026

Trees, Clouds - Marin County  2026

Top photo taken with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, the bottom one with a Sony RX100.

Hill: April / August

Grass, Hill (April) - Marin County  2026

Grass, Hill (August) - Marin County  2026

Hill regularly seen on our morning walks.

Top photo taken with a Sony RX100, bottom one with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Monday Goat Blogging

Goats (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

They were back at the beginning of last June . . . busy, hard at work.

Bay Trees, Moss, Poison Oak

Bay Trees, Moss - Marin County  2026

Bay Tree, Poison Oak - Marin County  2026

Top photo from April, the next one from May. Both taken with a Sony RX100.

Weston Light Meter

Mike, Weston Meter - Sierra Nevada  1978

Once I enlarged yesterday's image I couldn't help but notice the Weston light meter hanging around my neck. I've previously written a post on the meter, back in the early days of blogging when I tended to write more than a few sentences per post.

Yes, I still have the meter! Below, some recent photos taken with an iPhone.

Weston Meter (open) - Marin County  2026

Weston Meter (closed, with Zone System note attached) - Marin County  2026

Backpackers (1978)

Joe Grant, Joe Mundy, Mike Mundy - Sierra Nevada  1978

The same intrepid outdoorsmen that have been seen before, on the summit of Mt. Whitney.

This is my first time viewing this photograph! I happened to be looking at some 1978 contact sheets recently when I noticed that there were some snow scenes taken at the beginning of that year. For some reason I had developed the negatives and made a contact sheet but never printed any of the photos that had been taken. Too busy elsewhere, I guess.

Snow, Lake (1978)

Snow, Lake - Sierra Nevada  1978

Snow, Lake - Sierra Nevada  1978

Photos taken using a Nikon F single lens reflex.

Lake, Snow, Trees (1978)

Lake, Snow, Trees - Sierra Nevada  1978

I'm thinking that those trees are Foxtail Pines.

Snow, Lake (1978)

Snow, Lake - Sierra Nevada  1978

I've been trying to remember the exact location where we backpacked into. Eastern Sierra, but the lake must remain unidentified.

Monday Marmot Blogging (1985)

Marmot - Yosemite  1985

Looking for some food that the backpackers had foolishly left out. Alas, the backpackers had actually not left any food out.

(High altitude Yosemite backpack trip.)

Winter Backpack (1978)

Trees, Mountain, Snow - Sierra Nevada  1978

Scene from a winter backpacking trip taken in January-February, 1978. I don't think I've ever printed or scanned any of the trip photos before . . . I was going through some old contact sheets, saw that there were some winter photos, and decided to power up the Epson scanner.

Recycle Center

Recycle Center - San Rafael  2026

Taken during one of my regular trips to drop off cardboard boxes for recycling.

Contrail

Contrail - San Rafael  2026

Photo taken with my iPhone near my May Open Studios exhibit . . . same idea as an earlier 2021 photo.

Interesting: the iPhone that I have (13 Pro Max) has started to exhibit a flaw when in the "telephoto" mode, . . . a web search is showing that others have reported the issue. Easily corrected in Photoshop of course.

Contrail (Sky Defect) - San Rafael  2026

Fairfax Festival

Mike's Booth (Fairfax) - Marin County  2026

Last June. I did pretty well! Much better than Open Studios anyway.

Current setup is more elaborate than my first 2008 setup:

Mike at Fairfax Festival - Marin County  2008

Cains Tire

Cains Tire, Mt. Tamalpais, Crow (San Rafael) - Marin County  2026

Another photo from last May, Sunday morning near my Open Studios show.

Spider Web / Fence (Point Reyes)

Spider Web, Poison Oak - Point Reyes  2026

Fence, Rain - Point Reyes  2026

Last of the photos from my little Limantour excursion.

Monday Finch Blogging

House Finch (Female) - Lake Lagunitas  2026

Lesser Goldfinch - Lake Lagunitas  2026

I posted a photo of a male house finch back in 2021.

I posted a photo of a goldfinch in 2025. (A goldfinch as opposed to a Lesser Goldfinch.)

Alders / California Buckthorn

Alder Trunks - Point Reyes  2026

California Buckthorn - Point Reyes  2026

Stopping by the Coast Camp trailhead area. I was able to use the Nikon Z7II for the alder photo . . . it's not that suitable for wet weather so hadn't brought it out for Limantour photos (Olympus has better weather-sealing).

The iPhone was able to identify the California Buckthorn - note how wet the leaves are