Sharing a video from hiking blogger John McKinney of a rattlesnake mating dance. This would be neat to see…from a distance!
Category: California
An evening on the Trail-September’s Hiking Report
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
September 2011 Hiking Report
This is a sunset I shot on an evening I dropped too far behind while hiking on Horse Heaven trail with the Night Group. I was moving slower than my normal slow pace, so I dropped back and hiked alone the rest of the evening when the group decided to go up the 1st killer mountain. That particular part of the trail is a mountain with a climb of somewhere between 300-500ft with a grade of, I kid you not 25%! There is another mountain behind it just like it to be climbed to reach the summit that can’t be avoided. Being as slow as I am and this trail is very challenging for me as it is I decided to hike up Grove trail and cut over to Hidden Valley Trail rather than turning around and heading back down. I’m glad I continued on. I was rewarded with soft colors and the amber light was warm and soothing.
I’m not feeling very motivated about hiking this month. I need a goal. I’ve found one! Details soon.
The month’s totals follow:
9/1 -6.90mi, 2,211ft, 4h28m- Mission Peak via Horse Heaven Tr. + Photography
9/2- 6mi, 699ft, 2h55m -Tomales Point Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore.
9/6- 5.43mi, 1,550ft, 1h53m- PG&E trail- Rancho San Antonio
9/14- 4.71mi, 1,001ft, 1h36m- PG&E trail out & back Rancho San Antonio
9/16- 8.84mi, 1,970ft, 3h12m- PG&E trail up to Vista Point out and back
9/19- 6.2 mi est. 2,000ft est, – Hidden Valley trial to Grove Tr to Peak trail.
9/24- 8.36mi, 2,551ft, 4h30m- Mission Peak and Mt. Allison via Hidden Valley, Peak Trail, and Horse Heaven Trail.
9/30- 4.1mi, 820ft, 1h 26mins.- PG&E trail to Wildcat Loop O&B
Monthly Totals
Elevation Gained
12,802ft
Miles Hiked
50.54
YTD Elevation Gain YTD Miles Hiked
79,869ft 344miles
Nikon D700| Nikkor 18mm Ai-S| f11| 1/320 sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod
Starry starry night
Starry-starry-night_0015-web, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
It’s very compressed in this view. Please click on the photo to see it large. It really does look better!
The night before the WorldWide Photowalk I did a little night photography. The Milky Way shot I want still eludes me…one day I’ll get it!
The Moon was a bit too bright for this shot to come out the way I had envisioned it, but the color from the light pollution, the cloud formation, and the pine trees in silhouette made this shot for me.
This is a southwestern sky.
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35mm@ 17mm| f3.5| 35 seconds| ISO 1600| Manual Mode| Tripod w/intervelometer
Eastern Sierras, California
Nikon Announces Nikon 1- mirrorless
At long last Nikon enters the Mirrorless market. But. It’s not what I was waiting or hoping for. I’m really happy with my purchase of the D700 recently because it looks like a replacement for it isn’t coming soon.
This latest release has Charlie Sorrel over at WIRED scratching his head, and I’m sure he’s not alone!
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/09/nikon-goes-mirrorless-with-the-1-system/
Update- A double Facepalm from Strobist! 🙂
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2011/09/nikon-announces-nikon-1-mirrorless.html
H/T Strobist
“…it ended in pink.”
Nikon D700| Nikkor 18mm Ai-S| f8| 1/40 sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod
Tickle my Bum
Tickle my Bum, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Way back in May a friend and I went to the famous Frog Jumping Fair in Angel’s Camp, California.
The frogs need a bit of coaxing.
The judge encourages the contestants to “give em a little tickle on the bum.”
A lot of the time the frogs would jump backwards toward the shade and the pond they were so rudely pulled out of to come be the star of the show!
I didn’t do too well shooting the frogs in the air. I wasn’t as skilled as I would like to be anticipating where they would jump… when they did jump. I hope I get the opportunity to go again. It’s silly, and a lot of fun to watch.
Nikon D90| Nikkor 70-300mm @ 300mm| f8| 1/400 sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Hand-held
August Hiking Stats
August 2011 Hiking Report
August got off to a slow start. I got home from Glacier Nat. Park and was ever so lazy! Unpacking, doing laundry, catching up with snail mail, bills, and then work kept me off the trails, but I got back in the groove. The countdown to Clouds Rest began!
The month was fantastic. With not just one hike up to Clouds Rest but TWO, and I finished the month with a Backpacking class which was fun, and it’s something I’d like to do again in the future.
The photo above was taken on the morning of my second night hike up to Clouds Rest in Yosemite Nat. Park. I made it up to the top, and across the scary narrow span. Below I am looking back at the Narrow Span. I walked across this in the dark with only the aid of my head lamp and what ambient light there was at 4:30 a.m. Unfortunately, on this hike too I suffered from altitude issues beginning around 9,000ft, but they weren’t as severe as my previous hike up the week before.
Having safely crossed the Narrow Span and making it onto the somewhat wider slab I set up my camera to take a series of shots of the sky, and took a nap. I woke up right before the sun was about to crest the mountains and I was hoping for Alpine Glow. I moved my tripod and camera over to a place I would be able to shoot Half Dome lit by the morning sun and waited. In the very top photograph the sun had just lit up the tops of El Capitan, Sentinel Dome, and Half Dome. It was a gorgeous morning. It’s an amazing view, and as for me… I’ve never trained or worked so physically hard to achieve a goal like this before. It’s been an amazing journey. I cross this goal off my 2011 list with a heart full of thanks for those friends who hiked with me, supported me, and encouraged me all along the way. Especially Heman, who put up with me interrupting his sleep at ungodly hours as I got up to train or came in late from a night shoot, and being gone a lot. I couldn’t have done it without you! ♥
8/4-7.98mi, 1,962 ft, 3h3m, PG&E trail to Vista Point
8/8 -6.32 miles, 2,197ft 3h22m, Peak Trail- The Steep Route- o&b
8/8- 2mi, 20ft– W. Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz stroll b4 dinner
8/10- 10.85mi, 2,252ft, 4h58m, Mount Madonna Several trails to make a loop
8/12- 4.30mi, 920ft, 1h36m, PG&E Trail to Wildcat Loop Trailhead & Back
8/13&14- 14mi, 3,099ft, 9h25m, Trail to Cloud’s Rest Yosemite Nat. Pk
8/17- 6.50mi, 2,169ft, 3h12m, Mission Peak-The Steep Route w/Seth
8/23&24- 14.2mi, 3,687ft, 12h30, Trail to Clouds Rest Yosemite Nat. Park
8/27&28- 10.83mi, 476ft, -REI Backpacking class Point Reyes Nat. Seashore Coast Camp
Total Miles Hiked- 76.98
Total Elevation Gain- 16,782ft
YTD elevation gain- 64,540! Can I make 100,000ft in 2011? Don’t bet on it! 😀
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