Landscapes – Page 15 – Circadianreflections Blog

Scenic Peak Trail-Training for Cloud’s Rest

April 12, 2011April 14, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, PhotographyTagged Mission Peak Trail; Summit2 Comments

Myself and two friends hiked up to Mission Peak yesterday afternoon. I’m in training for a hike up to Cloud’s Rest in Yosemite this summer, and my friend Rachael is hiking to both Cloud’s Rest and Half Dome in early summer. This was the first time hiking up to Mission Peak for my friend Dali.

The Peak trail is considered a good training hike because the ascent is steep and fast. You start at 500 feet and climb to 2,517ft in just about 3 miles. The route is quite pretty filled with wildlife and great views. Here is some of what I saw yesterday.

I spotted several wildflowers along the trail yesterday; Spring Vetch; California Poppies; and Buttercups, but the flower I liked the best was this Coulter’s Matilija Poppy growing along the road near Ohlone College. I love the big billowy pedals, and wonderful yellow center. It’s a show stopper!

Not too far up the trail I saw this little Chipping Sparrow. I was so surprised he didn’t fly away when I stopped to take his photo.

At the pond where the cows hang out I lose time taking photo after photo.

I saw a Killdeer up here for the first time.

In the woodland a Bitter Cherry (I think) was blooming.

About halfway to the top we come to my favorite view. You have to turn around to see this lovely Red barn nestled in the trees.

Yesterday we spotted a Red Tailed Hawk flying from one side of the trail to the other. He would circle awhile then land on a rock and watch his territory. I travel light when hiking up here so I didn’t have my longer lens with me, but wished I did.

Looking back – Fremont and the Bay

Only 300 feet from the top now! This part of the trail is brutal. It’s the steepest, and very rocky the higher you get.

Rachael is a great hiker she moves a lot faster than I do. She made it to the top about 20 minutes before me. Dali not far behind Rachael peaked about 10 minutes before me. I knew he wouldn’t have any trouble making it to the top.

Dali

…and here’s me. I made it!

This was the 7th time I’ve hiked this trail and 4th time peaking. I have a goal of climbing up here 4 times this year I’m halfway there! I’ll probably have to step it up and come up here more if I hope to make it to Cloud’s Rest this August.

One thing is for sure. The hike up is always beautiful, and I see something different each time I come.

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 18-200mmVR| Handheld and Tripod

Series- 4 ImageTheme- Mesquite Sand Dunes

April 8, 2011May 11, 2011Posted in California, Landscapes, Nature, Nikon, TravelTagged Death Valley National ParkLeave a comment

Series- 4 ImageTheme- Mesquite Sand Dunes, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Field trip with West Valley College’s Photography Dept. to Death Valley National Park.

4 images taken in the Mesquite Sand Dunes. An assignment for those of us taking all sections of the field studies class was to produce a 4 image theme. I didn’t go into this assignment with any pre-conceived ideas or thoughts. I thought the best approach for me was to go out and shoot whatever I felt compelled to shoot then once home look at all my photographs and see if a “theme” emerged.

What I found when I uploaded all my photographs from the trip was that while out on the Dunes I used the Creosote bushes quite a bit for leading lines, frames, and points of interest; sometimes without being consciously aware that I was doing that. Do I see more in a “compositional” frame of mind than I think I do? One the components of art/photography I feel I struggle with the most is composition, and “seeing” the shot. I think it’s something I’ll always have to work at.

The Creosote bushes were in bloom when I was here. Each time I passed by a bush I could smell its sweet perfume, and I was treated to a symphony of Spring time by the many bees that were busy buzzing from blossom to blossom.

1. “Last light” Sunset Mesquite Dunes
2. Footprints on the Sands of Time
3. Dust up!
4.We need time to dream, time to remember, and time to reach the infinite , time to be.~Gladys Taber

Nikon D700 & Nikon D300s| Nikkor 17-35mm and Nikkor 70-300mm VR| Induro CF Tripod| Hoya UV filters

Bucolic Sunday

March 1, 2011March 1, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, PhotographyLeave a comment

Last Sunday I had a wonderful day hiking with a friend whom I share two hobbies; photography and hiking. We met to hike up Mission Peak.

We chose the less steep but slightly longer route. This route meanders through verdant pastures in the Winter and Spring months. Cows roam free munching on grass throughout the park.

Rachael loves cows, and was very excited to be so close to them, but was more comfortable with them behind a fence. This is my favorite photo of Rachael taking photos of the cows on this hike. This was taken on the way up.

Two times we came across cows near or beside the trail. On one occasion a calf was on the opposite side of the trail of its Mother, and the Mother cow Mooed at a passing hiker. So we hiked up the side of the mountain and gave them a wide berth, but I watched cyclists and other hikers walk or ride right past them without any trouble. Here’s a Happy California Cow munching on the new grass just beside the trail. She totally ignored us.

I turned around to look back and could see way out in the distant horizon San Francisco’s skyline. Can you see it? There was little to no haze today, and the colors were wonderful.

We ran into lots of hikers on the way up. I even met a neighbor when I was nearly at the top. He was just starting his descent. The para-gliders were out enjoying the day too.

Their parasails looked gorgeous against the blue sky. Here are two sailing the Thermals. Just look at that sky! We couldn’t have asked for a better sky!

On my hikes up here before I’ve froze at the Summit. Today it was warm by comparison. My ski pants, long-johns, parka, gloves, and fleece jacket were not needed. The last time I was up here I set up my tripod, snapped my photo and headed down as quickly as I could. It was a little chilly, and windy but not uncomfortable waiting my turn to take my photo at the pole. For the Gear Heads:

I packed really light for this hike. The Nikon D300s, one lens the Nikkor 18-200mm VR, the B+W Circular Polarizer w/warming, one Singh-Ray 3 stop Graduated Neutral Density filter w/holder and adapter ring, spare battery, and my Carbon Fiber tripod with Really Right Stuff BH-40 ball head. I use the L-plates with my cameras. I packed it in my Lowepro Flipside 300 back pack. That’s it! It was the right kit for this steep of a climb.

I even stopped long enough to take this shot of the view to the east.This is Sunol Wilderness, and in the distance the snow capped Sierra Mountains.

Passing the pond once again we were treated to great reflections, and a picture perfect scene.

We finished our hike tired, dirty, and hungry. Time to get lunch! The perfect ending to a wonderful day of hiking.

Begin at 500ft

Total climb 2,017 ft

Total Elevation 2,517 ft

Total miles 3.4 up to the top- 6.8 miles round trip

(Click a photo to see it large)

You win some, you lose some.

February 23, 2011March 11, 2011Posted in California, Landscapes, Nikon, Photography4 Comments

4:20pm Horsetail Fall, in Yosemite National Park glowing in the afternoon sun teases all the photographers who came from near and far to try and catch the sun light hitting the water just before sunset.

For a several days the sun lines up with this fall; in February, and again in October when it does it lights it up. The preferred time for photographers to shoot this is in February when there is a better chance for snow melt, and water running down the east side of El Capitan. When the sun hits the water the phenomenon can be awesome. This shot was made famous by famed Yosemite photographer Galen Rowell with his photograph “Natural Firefall”.

Ansel Adams famous for his black and white photography has also taken this shot. Since then many nature, and landscape photographers have been trying to “get the shot”. Me included.

I first shot this fall last February seen here:

The color and light were good, but it’s not “the shot”. I was hoping for more intense reds and yellows. I’m not expecting to ever get a shot better than Galen’s he has set the marker high.

This year I tried a different location too. There were quite a few photographers here.

They came from near and far. Next to me were friends who traveled 3 days by car from Colorado to shoot the valley and, try to get the Horsetail Fall shot. Behind me was a photographer from San Diego, CA, and behind him a videographer from Lake Tahoe. The man that set up on that little island of snow got there at 11am to claim that spot I was told. Behind that hill of snow, and tree roots the bank is lined with photographers. My friends are over there somewhere. I said I was heading left. I think they veered right.

This year the shot was not meant to be. Two times myself and few friends drove the 4+ hours to get here and both times the clouds blocked the sun. By 4:30PM the first day the clouds began to creep lower, and at 5:32PM I took this shot:

…as you can see the clouds had crept in and blocked the sun. The photographers around me and myself started making plans to do weather checks and see if it might be possible to try again the next day. By 5:42PM when the sun set we all started packing up. The next day we did return, but the day was more overcast and the shot eluded us once more. We headed over to Cook’s Meadow, and saw the sun did peak through the clouds and light up Half Dome so we raced over to Sentinel Bridge to get that shot before the sun went down.

Not the shot we hoped to get, but a shot I’m happy to have photographed:

I left the park that evening with my spirits high. I came with good friends and had a great time, and with luck I’ll return next year to try to get the fire of Horsetail Fall.

Click the photo to view it large.

‘I thought the earth remembered me, she took me back so tenderly, arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds.”~ Mary Oliver

February 9, 2011February 9, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, Nikon D90Leave a comment

‘I thought the earth remembered me,she took me back so tenderly,arranging her dark skirts, her pocketsfull of lichens and seeds.”~ Mary Oliver, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Click the photo to view it large.

The falls, and creeks were so low the rich mossy rocks and lush creek-sides were farther away from the actual water flow.
This was one of the best running falls of the day. It wasn’t very deep here at all. I was standing in the water with my feet, boots and all in the water. I love these hiking boots! I had my feet completely immersed a couple of times on this day and my feet were dry and warm.

My new Induro CF tripod seems to be holding up to the abuse I’ve been giving it this last month too.
(knock on wood!)

Here’s the whole poem by Mary Oliver. She is one of my all time favorite poets.

Sleeping in the Forest
I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed, nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms
breathing around me, the insects,
and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell, as if in water,
grappling with a luminous doom. By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times into something better.
~Mary Oliver

Swanson Creek Uvas Canyon

February 5, 2011February 5, 2011Posted in California, hikes, Landscapes, Nikon, Nikon D90Leave a comment

Swanson Creek Uvas Canyon- Orton Effect, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

To see it large click the photo.

I spent a couple of hours with friends Dali, and Alex in Uvas Canyon shooting waterfalls, and hoping to see a lot of Ladybugs. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many Ladybugs today, and the waterfalls weren’t running as full as we found them last year. I think we were here too early this year.
If time allows I’d like to return in a few weeks.

I liked the way this little fall cascaded over the fallen log then down the rocks, and the tree roots, and boulders covered in moss gave the scene some great color, and texture.

Did I see a Hawk!?!

February 2, 2011February 2, 2011Posted in Birds, California, Landscapes, Nikon1 Comment

Warbler, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

To see the photo large click anywhere in the photo.

DD and I went out to Cosumnes and Woodbridge Preserves to see if we could spot and photograph Sandhill Cranes yesterday. While walking along the river walk at Cosumnes this little one was flitting about in the trees lining the path. I haven’t added a Warbler to my list of birds photographed so I stopped to try to get this one.

I’m not sure which type of Warbler this is. Is it a Yellow Rumped Warbler or something else altogether?

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 300mm f4@| f4| 1/320 sec| ISO 500| Manual Mode| On a Tripod

Yellow Rumped Warbler, California, Birding; San Disk Ultra II Digital Film; CS5

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