Post Thanksgiving Hike by dmzajac2004 at Garmin Connect – Details.
Category: hikes
Autumn on the Owens
Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
Here’s one from earlier in the month when I was over in the Eastern Sierras for a couple of days. The color was lovely in the higher elevations, and remembering this spot from the previous year I wanted to stop by again and hike up the river a bit to revisit it.
I am standing on boulder out in the river a bit. It’s a fairly easy thing to get out here, but the jump back is harder! I thought, ” Deborah, you may fall in this year!” Phew! Another year I stayed dry. I think I might be pushing my luck though.
My muse this past month has been Worthington Whittredge an American Landscape artist of the Hudson River School. I find a lot of what I shoot is similar to what he painted. I “get” him. In music and learning to play the guitar and piano I’ve studied the masters and tried to emulate them before breaking out and putting my spin on the piece. With photography I’ve taken the same approach; learning from those who know how to use a camera, but for composition and framing I’ve looked not only at photographers, but also Master painters. What about you? Do you study the master painters or just other photographers? Who are your muses?
Nikon D700| Nikkor 17-35 @17mm| f16| 1/25 sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Tripod
A Look Back
A Look Back, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
On the 21st of Oct. I had the pleasure of hiking with the Monterey Bay Area Hiking Group in Salinas, CA. It was the toughest hike I’ve done all year. Yes, even tougher than Horse Heaven Trail up to Mission Peak! There are 6 or 7 really, really steep mountains to conquer. The grade on each was 25-30%. Tough!
We hiked to 3 peaks; Eagle Peak, Ollason Peak, and Simas Peak. Here I’m looking back at Eagle Peak from the trail just under Ollason Peak. We had made a summit to Eagle peak first. The morning started out really foggy and soon I was cold and damp. It was such a relief to get up above the clouds and fog and into the sun. 8 hikers started the hike and all 8 finished!
Hiking Stats:
10.79 miles, 3,288ft gained, 6hours 12 minutes
Elevations of the Peaks- Eagle Peak-1,607ft, Ollason Peak-1,188ft, Simas Peak-2,245ft
Nikon D700| Nikkor 18mm AI-S| f8| 1/500sec| ISO 200| Manual Mode| Hand-held
Salinas, California, Toro Park, Hike, Nature
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”- Albert Camus
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”- Albert Camus, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.
Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved
The beautiful colors of autumn along the trail this morning. The air was crisp, and cool as I started my hike in darkness and perfect solitude, but now and then there would be a “crack!”, and rustling in the branches as another leaf fell to the ground to line the trail with a carpet of fallen leaves. For over an hour these were the only sounds I heard.
Fall is at peak in the mountains where I hike. Already many trees are bare. Winter is fast on Autumn’s heels.
Nikon D300s| Nikkor 85mm| f2.2| 1/40 sec| ISO 640| Manual Mode| Hand-held
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve; Hiking; Photography
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
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! 😀
Take to the Highway…
Copyright © 2011 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved.
…and where ever it leads you I hope you find what you’re looking for.
Have a wonderful week-end everyone!
Circadianreflections Blog 
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