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Charlie Giang's Gallery

Havasupai

May 10, 2012

Photos: 79

Pt reyes backpacking

Apr 7, 2012

Photos: 24

Cats Jan 12

Feb 5, 2012

Photos: 25

Belize - Land

Jan 23, 2012

Photos: 54

Shing's wedding

Jan 21, 2012

Photos: 70

Belize - point and shoot

Jan 16, 2012

Photos: 52

Belize -Sea

Jan 11, 2012

Photos: 32

Longridge Hike

Jan 8, 2012

Photos: 11

Iceland Horses

Dec 31, 2011

Photos: 30

Iceland 11

Dec 28, 2011

Photos: 52

Fall Creek Fomfok

Dec 4, 2011

Photos: 27

Death Valley - Telescope point

Nov 26, 2011

Photos: 16

Death Valley - Starry Night

Nov 24, 2011

Photos: 6

Death Valley - Furnance Canyon

Nov 24, 2011

Photos: 21

Coyote Hills FOMFOK

A wet wet day for a FOMFOK hike. But boy, it beats staying back at home :)

Nov 20, 2011

Photos: 27

China Camp

We thought we were crazy going camping. Rain was forecast for this weekend and everyone else was staying indoor. When we pulled up at China camp, the ranger and camp host thought so too. Anyways, Dal and I were the only ones there. Camp host Stephen came over on our invite and helped us drink our 17 yr scotch and had dinner. Bonded with us, and brought us to the invite only pier, coz he had the keys... I had the chance to do some painting on the all-to-ourselves pier. He even helped me paint parts of it. The night shots were taken around midnight. It became an awesome evening!! :)

Nov 18, 2011

Photos: 19

Russian Ridge - Fomfok nov 11

It was a really good day for a hike. I havent been able to join the 'main' hiking group for a while and I was looking forward to it. Totally enjoyed the hike and more importantly, meeting up with old friends. :) Its was a good happy day!!! :)

Nov 13, 2011

Photos: 31

The Great Wall

Finally, I made my pilgrimmage to the Great Wall. Anything thing to strike off my bucket list. :)

Oct 29, 2011

Photos: 28

The forbidden City

Was nice but way too many people.

Oct 28, 2011

Photos: 21

Tien Jin Steel - Beijing

Went with Justin my friend from south africa to Tien Jin Steel in China, just outside of Beijing.

Oct 26, 2011

Photos: 28

Monterey Bay

A cloudy day... good chance to practise my camera skills...

Oct 11, 2011

Photos: 15

Yosemite in Oct. First snow fall in Tuolumne Meadows...

Just another weekend in Yosemite

Oct 7, 2011

Photos: 22

Tuolumne Meadows Sep11

2 weeks after my knee surgery. I couldnt hike. Suj, Thais and myself went to tuolumne meadows. I learned a lot of new stuff this weekend. Wonderful to get out into nature after so long... :))

Sep 24, 2011

Photos: 29

Zion NP - The Narrows Aug 11

Aug 18, 2011

Photos: 20

Abalone Diving

Aug 12, 2011

Photos: 9

Alaska -Denali - the essentials

I had 2 bus rides but had an amazing time on the bus. It was a really amazing experience :) Very happy with the results :)

Aug 8, 2011

Photos: 53

Alaska - Seward - the essentials

Aug 8, 2011

Photos: 39

Shasta - Mountaineering to the summit

Jul 23, 2011

Photos: 38

Whitney Mountaineer's Route

Dal had the idea that we'll probably be able to get permits to Whitney if we just showed up. And he wanted to do the mountaineer's route as oppose to standard 'hiking' route. Man, was I in for a surprise/shock of my life!!! I was spooked at the end of the first day. When I saw the steepness of the hills I had to climb in clampons. I was even more spooked when I saw the gully that I had to climb to summit.... Thank goodness Dal was quite sick and we had to abandon the climb abt 1000 ft from the summit :(( But at least I'll be a lot more prepared next time... :)

Jun 23, 2011

Photos: 48

Shasta Ice axe Clinic

This was the Ice Axe Clinic which I signed up with my friend Thais. And the amazing thing was that I had no idea how much the skills I picked up on this clinic would come in handy the following up. It was a nice weekend of learning and camping! :)

Jun 18, 2011

Photos: 27

Channel Islands National Park

May 28, 2011

Photos: 46

Profile Photos

Album for profile photos

May 24, 2011

Photos: 1

Studio shoot

my first formal class ever. :) had a lot of fun :)

May 24, 2011

Photos: 88

Stanislus River Rafting - May 11

May 11, 2011

Photos: 36

FOMFOK Mt Diable hike

Just got back the day before. Tired from a long trip in Europe and Africa. But really wanted to get out there to smell some fresh air. :)

Apr 2, 2011

Photos: 15

Safari Londolozi - South Africa

I had the privilege to go to an incredible Safari experience. A private game reserve where the place was exquisite and the experience, sublime. We flew in by private jet. Only 8 to a plane. Stayed in a beautiful hotel and had the most divine dining and safari experience. :)

Mar 29, 2011

Photos: 78

Cape Town

spent the weekend at cape town. After kilimanjaro, table mountain was kind of a whimper. :P It beats spending the weekend Johannesburg though :)

Mar 25, 2011

Photos: 61

Kilimanjaro - Summit Day

The summit began at 12am midnight. I havent slept. This was it. The day to the summit. I was nervous and quite apprehensive about my chances of summiting. It took us about 6 hrs but we finally did it. Got up there just before sun rise. I didnt realize how much this meant to me until I started bawling uncontrollably. Quite surprised. The feeling was amazing. :)

Mar 18, 2011

Photos: 50

Kilimanjaro - The hike up

These pics were taken on the way up. There were 5 of us in the group. Elise, Aron, Jason and Jonathon. Our guide was Johnny. Jason and Jonathon were the seasoned hikers. They have done something like 4/7 summits. I heard some of their stories and I must say, it was quite enjoyable and I probably want to do some of the summits they've done myself :) Feeling rather jaded from all the travelling lately, I didnt take that many pictures. But also because there really wasnt much to take. I also didnt want to document everything I saw, ate, felt etc etc like those facebook folks who documents everything. Just happy be there and part of the group.

Mar 13, 2011

Photos: 81

Bordeaux group

Mar 5, 2011

Photos: 151

Hiking on a Glacier, El Chalten Argentina

It was an unbelievable experience, walking on a glacier that moves up to a meter a day. UNBELIEVABLE!!!! :)

Feb 18, 2011

Photos: 66

Fitz Roy hike, El Chaten Argentina

It was a 22km hike. A beautiful hike to Fitz Roy. Possibly the most beautiful place I've ever hike to..... wow!

Feb 16, 2011

Photos: 45

Glacier National Park, Glaciar Perito Moreno

This was the day we had the worst bus ride ever. 38 hr bus ride on a smelly bus and unbelievably miserable time. What changed this was an unscheduled stop at glacier perito moreno national park. so so so so Beautiful!!! Breathe taking!!!!!

Feb 14, 2011

Photos: 37

Bariloche 2, Argentina

Dan arranged this trip on a bus. It was to a glacier

Feb 13, 2011

Photos: 61

Bariloche, Argentina

It was the day of my 'vacation' in Argentina. Bariloche is suppose to be a ski resort in the winter. But we were there in the Austral summer. Had a pretty good first day hike even though it was short but nice. And only 3 or us. The rest went on a little boat tour :)

Feb 11, 2011

Photos: 52

Fall Creek Hike

It was a good day for a hike :) enjoyed it especially after being cooped up in gym for the last 2 weeks.... :)

Jan 23, 2011

Photos: 28

Grant Range - THE HIKE

After more than a year, I finally get a chance to banish the 'ghost' of my past :) Reasonable to say that I accomplished my mission :)

Jan 11, 2011

Photos: 22

Vietnamese Minority People

Dec 23, 2010

Photos: 63

Ha Long Bay

Dec 15, 2010

Photos: 20

Lake Tahoe - Snow Shoeing

It was a thanksgiving weekend. Dal and I decided to go up earlier to Tahoe on a wednesday night. It happened to be one of the coldest nights ever in history, methinks, -20 deg C. I didnt check the weather and arrived at the cabin in shorts and flip-flops! we had to go through a driveway that was under 4 ft of snow brrrr....... cold! Dal and I did the first hike on thursday. There is a great story about a police cop whom we met at the trail head. We did a 2k ft elevation gain, and about 3.5 Miles. but most of our snow shoeing was off trail. Dal decided to bush whack it and boy, it was painful. The second hike was done on saturday with several other folks. It was snowing heavily that day but it was a really beautiful to have a hike.

Nov 24, 2010

Photos: 33

Death Valley NP

I had a meeting in Bakersfield and was contemplating the night before whether I should go to Death Valley. Its a NP that I've been wanting to go for a while. And I figured since I was halfway there already at Bakersfield, and it was already friday, I said "why the hell not". Unbelievable place of beauty. I thoroughly enjoyed the stay there and was very glad i went. Unfortunately, there was a rain storm on Saturday, a fairly large one. So I left on Saturday because I didnt feel like fighting the weather and sleeping my car. :)

Nov 19, 2010

Photos: 29

Big Sur - Sykes hot springs

It was 10 mile hike to the hot springs and the same distance out. I had almost 60 lbs of weight on my back. Carrying some group gear and someone else's gear. She had trouble barely the first mile in and Dal and I split her load and carried it. Although the elevation gain was only 3000, my quads were hurting really badly by the time we got to camp. My limbs were sore and aching all over. Mostly from the load I was carrying. I really didnt know how I was going to make it out but, I did eventually :) These are the pictures I am editing for the first time ever! Think I'm going to get totally hook on this post production thing!!

Nov 13, 2010

Photos: 40

Joshua Tree - Looking for Casey's Castle

It's was a hike I did on my 42th birthday. On the first day we did the horse trail hike, which I had already done in January. But on the second day's hike, we were looking for Casey's Castle. An old house built by a miner. There was no real trail and we had to do a lot of scrambling. Climbing over rocks and trekking over trails covered with lots of cactus and sharp bushes. It was one of the best hikes I've ever had because there was no real trail there. So much fun and quite scary. Unfortunately, we never got to Casey's castle. Coz one of the guys in our group was not fit enough to complete it so we had to end early :( Dal and I want to do this hike again and hopefully we'll get our chance :)

Oct 9, 2010

Photos: 31

Yosemite - Sentinel Dome

It was another beautiful day for a hike. We hiked from Glacier pt road to Sentinel Dome then to Taff point. Always a good idea to go yosemite for a Visit.

Oct 2, 2010

Photos: 19

Big Basin Hike

Sep 26, 2010

Photos: 16

Yellowstone Sep 10

Sep 22, 2010

Photos: 72

Yosemite - Cloud's Rest Sep 10

It was a challenging climb. About 15 miles. It was a lovely day for a hike and the climb. Cloud's rest is almost 10,000 ft above sea level and is higher than Half Dome. Thoroughly enjoyable hike with breathtaking beauty! :)

Sep 16, 2010

Photos: 30

Zion National Park

It was a really good day to visit Zion National Park. The weather was really hot and in the 90s, (about 35 deg), but it was a good time for hiking. Suj and I decided to hike Angel's Landing. Zion is a beautiful National Park carved out by sand stone. Despite hiking Half Dome the week before, I decided to do this relatively strenuous hike thinking that it cannot possibly be more taxing than Half Dome. Even though it wasnt physically as challenging, it provided my ankles with some cause for soreness at the end of the hike. My 11th National Park and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Like the other NP, it has a lot to offer with its beauty and uniqueness. Simply another awesome beauty of nature's work.

Aug 14, 2010

Photos: 45

Yosemite - Half Dome Aug 2010

I had ankle surgery 6 mths before. I didnt want to spend the weekend at home so I bought a campsite from a scalper. I asked my buds Dal, Shing and tom to join me. Shing and I decided that we should do clouds rest hike the next day coz we dont hv permits for half dome. It was 4 miles longer and 1000 ft higher. At the trailhead the next day, the ranger asked us for our permits, but, fortuitously, there were some hikers there who had extra permits and they gave them to us. We toiled for 5.5 hrs to summit Half Dome and as usual, the view was extraordinary. But we took 4 hrs to descend coz my ankle was hurting and every step was excruciating. I finally made it back to camp relieved but happy! I couldnt help but remember Michael's words ringing in my head when he said that if I pushed myself, I would undo the good the surgery did for me and damage the cartilage. sigh... mixed feeling

Aug 8, 2010

Photos: 45

Yosemite - Tuolumne Meadows

I like got back from Asia after almost being there for a month. Tuolumne Meadows. It was a beautiful place to be at. I totally enjoyed the hike and the ambiance was just fantastic and majestic. It was pretty unbelievable, the view, the place, the air, the environment.

Aug 1, 2010

Photos: 27

mao mao

Just a 15 min shoot. I had a some time on my hands

Jul 19, 2010

Photos: 16

Bryce Canyon NP Summer 2010

Another biz trip visit for me to Utah and again, I took the opportunity to visit Bryce Canyon. My buddy Sujono and I went this time to the Canyon. Having been here in the Winter, I really got to appreciate the Canyon differently and inevitably, compare the scenery. Although both the different seasons have different allures, I am more inclined towards a preference for the winter view. However, this time, I got to hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon and it was some pretty cool and interesting sights. It was again another special experience and one to remember.

Jun 28, 2010

Photos: 48

England - Stonehenge and Bath

The Stonehenge was an amazing place. It was made 5000 years ago and a lot of it is still mysterious and unknown. It was beautiful. At Bath, there was an ancient Roman Bath that was built around a hot spring. Bath was an amazing archaeological site. It was beautiful

May 9, 2010

Photos: 31

England - Hampshire Hotel

Simply Quaint and Beautiful. Stayed there for a couple of super memorable nights! :)

May 8, 2010

Photos: 27

London - British Museum and Tower of London

I love the British museum and havent been there for more than 10 years. Its changed considerably but the exhibits, i.e. the Egyptian mummies still gives me the goose bumps. Its my favorite and I thoroughly enjoyed my short quick visit to these places.

May 2, 2010

Photos: 69

Lake District National Park - Northwest England

I had a free day to go see one of the most beautiful places in England. The Lake District. Had a chance to see a lot of the country side. It was really beautiful and cold. A little too cold at some parts but nonetheless, it was a beautiful day. So wish I could have stayed a little longer.....

Jan 31, 2010

Photos: 32

Bryce Canyon - Take 2 (with much more sun)

I had initially planned to go to Zion today but because the weather had been so bad, and I didnt fancy driving in anymore hazardous conditions, I decided to visit Bryce one more time. This time the sun came out and I was very pleasantly surprise at how beautiful this place was with the light! I had the opportunity to also go to another 3 different view points as opposed to the only 1 that was opened yesterday. I also took a ranger lead snowshoe but i learned that you really shouldnt go snowshoeing without wearing proper boots. I had my running shoes on and halfway through the hike, I wanted to give up coz I couldnt feel my toes. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. And when I got back to salt lake city, I had learnt that I had driven through one of the worst snow storms in years on thursday night and was fortunate to escape without mishap. Another cool story to tell! :)

Jan 23, 2010

Photos: 40

Bryce Canyon

I drove into Bryce Canyon the night before. There was a major snow storm and it made it really difficult to drive to the hotel just outside the park. The day started with more snow storms and I called the park who said that all roads were closed. But fortunately, at 12 noon, one of the overlooks was opened after workers cleared the roads from the 3ft of snow from the night before. The first look over the canyon was really breathtaking! To see the natural erosion of an entire canyon leaving voo doos in a magnificient amphitheatre was just spectacular! Its a pity I was only able to look at one of the look outs. I tried snowshoeing along the rim of the canyon but the snow was just too soft. Each step I took was a 3 to 4ft deep step. I didnt make it very far and decided to quit because soft snow was pretty much un-snowshoeable :)

Jan 22, 2010

Photos: 49

Yosemite National Park - Snow Shoeing, Yosemite Falls

It was a trip that my pals in FOMFOK hiking group had planned for sometime. Yosemite is such a beautiful place and no matter how many times I come here, I am always intrigue and awed by the beauty of this place. Fortunately, for the most parts, we had good weather considering there were a couple of reports saying that there were going to be some storms coming in. It was also my first time snow shoeing and that was a blast! Totally had a great time! :)

Jan 16, 2010

Photos: 49

Yosemite National Park - Mirror Lake

It was the second hiking day in Yosemite. I hiked about 7.5miles that day with the FOMFOK folks and played an unforgettable game of hearts that night. :)

Jan 16, 2010

Photos: 28

Uvas Canyon

Really lovely local hike with a lot of mini water falls. I also had fun joining Karri in her 'training' schedule and did an extra 4 miles. total hike was almost 10 miles and more than 2000 ft elevation gain! :)

Jan 9, 2010

Photos: 18

Joshua Tree National Park

I have heard so much about this park that i was very keen to visit it. Many of my friends describe this place as one of the most beautiful places. They mentioned that it is a very lovely place but it was difficult to find words to describe it. I completely understood what they meant when I first entered the park and look at the trees, the rocks, the terrain. The ruggedly paradox of a place where the word desert, could only fill an imagination of desolation, lack, and in a sense, very grey. But the view was far from it. Conversely, spectacular, brilliance and a wicked colours found itself to my vocabulary in describing this place. I only wished I had more time to spend in this place to totally enjoy the beauty of it.

Dec 31, 2009

Photos: 78

Sequoia National Park

This was an amazing park where I got to see the world's largest living thing. It was a mammoth tree, the General Sherman tree which is about 2000 yrs old. About the time of the Roman empire. The most breathtaking scene however was seeing the sea of clouds/mist stretching all the way to the horizon, punctuated by an occasional mountain peak piercing through these clouds. It was a rather amazing sight to also see for the first time, the sunset set in the horizon of clouds rather than the sea or land. However, the most memorable part of this trip was my car breaking down at dust. Was one of the last cars to leave the park and was pretty much scared shitless. It was getting to be really cold and very dark. About 1.5 hrs after dark, after many cars had gone by without jump start cables, a car came completely out of the blue, and in her very messy and large truck, ask if I needed cables! An angel in my books. :)

Dec 29, 2009

Photos: 25

3000 yr old ruins. Jinsha site, home to the Shu people. Chengdu, China

When I went to Jinsha site museum, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it was just a little small town museum. But I was surprised and shocked to see what I saw. I left this place smiling from ear to ear! :) Jinsha (Chinese: 金沙; pinyin: Jīnshā) is an archaeological site in Sichuan, China. Located in the western suburbs of Chengdu, Jinsha was accidentally discovered in February 2001 during real estate construction. Located about 50 kilometers away from Sanxingdui, the site flourished around 1000 BC and shares similarities in burial objects with the Sanxingdui site. Ivory, jade artifacts, bronze objects, gold objects and carved stone objects were found at the site.

Dec 3, 2009

Photos: 79

There be Pandas!

I had the privilege to visit Chengdu. Its the capital of Pandas and I was able to go to the 'local' zoo. I saw more than 2 dozen Pandas in that large facility and many had been kept there for research and breed to prevent extinction. They had dedication that area for these beautiful animals. Unlike most other zoos, that might have been lucky to have 'received' 2 pandas, like the San Diego one, I was spoilt by the number of Pandas here and it was pretty awesome being this close to the animals who were pretty much in their natural habitat. What an experience!! :)

Dec 1, 2009

Photos: 36

Monterey - 17 Mile Drive

A simple weekend at the beach watching the sunset ..... what a beautiful place to be in, California.....

Nov 21, 2009

Photos: 21

Castle Rock

I love this place. Super duper fun place for climbing. Was very distracted by folks climbing the rocks but too bad, wont be able to climb for a while. toes still recovering... still ouch....

Nov 14, 2009

Photos: 16

Sunol hike

I was fighting pain during this hike from my bruise toes.... :) Wasnt really in the mood to work past the pain barrier to take pics :)

Nov 7, 2009

Photos: 17

Machu Picchu - the gang

The pics I have of the folks in the group. :)

Nov 4, 2009

Photos: 69

Machu Picchu

The final Day. Machu Picchu. A little background. Machu Picchu is often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", It is one of the most familiar symbols of the Inca Empire. The Incas started building it around AD 1430 but was abandoned as an official site for the Inca rulers a hundred years later at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Although known locally, it was largely unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since it was not plundered by the Spanish when they conquered the Incas, it is especially important as a cultural site and is considered a sacred place. And I was there!

Nov 3, 2009

Photos: 107

Inca Trail - Day 3

Day 3 of the hike saw us walking on 95% original Inca trails. The trail was amazing and so were some of the ruins. The trail brought us alongside the Andes to some spectular views and the best ruins so far. The second highest peak is at 3998 m (13113 ft). We enjoyed superb views of the snow-capped Cordillera Vilcabamba. The trail goes through some beautiful cloud forest on the gentle climb to the third peak3700m (12136 ft), where we walked through a causeway and a tunnel, both original Inca constructions. We saw the beautiful Urubamba Valley below. And the last ruins of Phuyupatamarca, or the 'Town above the Clouds', at about 3650 m (11972 ft) above sea level before the grand pupa of ruins, Machu Picchu.

Nov 2, 2009

Photos: 103

Inca Trail - Day 2

The second day climb was the long steep path to Warmiwañusca, or Dead Woman’s Pass. At 4198 m (13769 ft) above sea level, the highest point on our hike. The total hike was about 9.5 mi and the elevation gain that day was about 4500 ft. The most difficult part of the hike was breathing at that altitude. It was challenging but rewarding if you make it! :) I wasn't really in the mood to take pics along the way coz just trying to survive the trail was hard enough! :)

Nov 1, 2009

Photos: 46

Peru - other shots

Just some other shots I didnt know where to put them under :)

Nov 1, 2009

Photos: 8

Inca Trail - Day 1

The Inca empire built roads/trails throughout Peru. They made roughly about 25,000km or about 16,000mi of these roads and as in Rome, where all roads led to it, so did these trails. Imagine when you go to a movie theatre, there will be about 200 to 300 people in a theatre. On the Inca trail, only about 200 tourist from all over the world are allowed on this trail. It is protected by the Peruvian government and Unesco who strictly limits the permits to go on this trail. The average waiting time is roughly about 3 months.

Oct 31, 2009

Photos: 49

Sacred Valley - Trail Head of the Inca Trail

On the second day in Peru, we were driven from Cuzco to the Sacred Valley. On the way to the hotel, we visited some ruins, went on a short hike and even visited how Alpaca's wool were used to weave fabric and made into everyday items. Some pretty interesting photo ops here! :)

Oct 30, 2009

Photos: 72

Cuzco, Inca Capital

Cuzco is the oldest inhabitat city of South America. It is located in the Andes and about 2600m above sea level and the Andes Range. On the first day when we arrived, i climb the stairs of our hostel to the 4th floor with my luggages and by the time I got there, I was completely out of breathe. Motified by the way the altitude affected me, needless to say I was concern how I was going to handle the 4 day Inca trail hike where the highest point of trail was going to be 4200m. These are some of the sites and pics of Cuzco, the city. :)

Oct 29, 2009

Photos: 31

Grand Teton National Park

The Tetons are normal fault mountains. Millions of years ago, 2 blocks of the earth's crust began to move aong the fault line. The Tetons Range was really quite spectacular. This is a collection of pics I took of the Tetons at different times of the day on different days.

Oct 14, 2009

Photos: 33

Yellowstone National Park - Day 3

We had caught most of the geo-thermo sites in day 1 &2. Day 3 was suppose to be relaxing and wanted to soak in some of the natural beauty of the park. What a beautiful park this is...... so glad the folks in 1882 made this the first National Park in the world! :)

Oct 13, 2009

Photos: 27

Yellow Stone National Park - Day 2

The 2nd day started with an overcast sky. Although there were no storms, the clouds didnt seem it wanted to leave to let the sun rays through. Nonetheless, it was another amazing experience with one of nature's most amazing creation. We saw herds of Bisons, Coyote, Elks and several other wild life. The scenes of the landscape was majestic and simply just breathtaking. It was hard to imagine throdding along one of the earliest and most violent places that dates back to the early formation of the earth and to see such beauty. Thank you to those who work so hard to get this first and many other national parks preserved for folks like me and millions to enjoy. Magnificient!!

Oct 12, 2009

Photos: 61

Yellow Stone National Park - Day 1

Yellow Stone Park is the oldest NP in the US. It was formed in 1882. It was the epicentre of one of the most destructive places known to mankind. It has a history that is quite unlike any others. To visit this place was just simply an awesome adventure I had a lot difficulty turning down. The first day started with a snow storm. The drive through the park to the places of interest was filled with so many beautiful scenery, we just had to stop to take pictures of the many wonderful sites that I saw. Seeing the snow falling on the trees and looking at the beautiful landscape was quite breathtaking.

Oct 11, 2009

Photos: 70

Hike in GG park with Blue Grass Music - FOMFOK

It was a yet another beautiful day in the city. There was blue grass concert in the park. FOMFOK had a hike with the intention of catching some of the concert and stay over in the city. Again, another day of fun, adventure and most importantly, of enjoying the company of friends... :)

Oct 3, 2009

Photos: 23

Sailing into the sunset in SF Bay

It was a gorgeous day to go sailing on the bay. The weather was perfect. There was no fog and very little wind. It was not too cold and the company of the folks on board the boat was just phenomenal. Dave was our captain and he brought us out into the bay in a 32 foot sail boat. We thoroughly enjoyed the saling experience on the backdrop of a sunset.... just simply beautiful! :)

Sep 30, 2009

Photos: 28

Hidden Valley to Black Mountain

This was the first FOMFOK hike I've been in months. I miss the folks there but the majority of them had just got back from Hawaii. This was a 10 mile hike and 2400 ft elevation. There was only 1 other person on this hike and that was Kristen. The both of us battle the gruelling hike under quite a bit of open space and heat that later reach into the 90s. Thankfully we finished the hike by 12 pm and made our way to Clarke's to listen to Mike, Kathy and Grey talk about their vacation in Hawaii and all the things that happened there. It was a good and very enjoyable hike. :) I hope Kristen gets her well deserve leader's cap!!!

Sep 27, 2009

Photos: 28

Tomales Point - Point Reyes : The hunt for Elks

I have heard so many things about this hike and this reserve for Elks for such a long time so I was really excited about this trip. It was a beautiful day of hiking. The temperature was in the 70s and there was very little wind, which was what we were afraid of. Instead, there was a gentle cooling breeze. California use to be home to more than half a million elks but now there are only 4 to 5k left. These elks were introduced in this reserve in 1973. There was only 20 animals at that time and now there about 500 on this location. Amazingly beautiful animals!

Sep 26, 2009

Photos: 66

Yosemite Toulumne Meadows - Day 3

My first rock climbing experience!! What a rush!!! :)

Sep 20, 2009

Photos: 15

Yosemite Tuolumne Meadows - Day 2

We hike to Cathedral Lakes on Day 2. The view is definitely one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen in my life. Majestic mountains, clear blue lakes and surrounded by incredible untouched beautiful forest. Simply amazing. Such a spiritual place!

Sep 19, 2009

Photos: 78

Yosemite Toulumne Meadows - Day 1

Dal, the host of this trip, said this is 1 of the 2 most beautiful places he has been. Being an avid outdoor person, having been in search and rescue, travelled to many different continents and doing a host of outdoor activies for the last 25 yrs, I took his claim very seriously. Driving in, I was greeted by an amazing view of Tuolume. It was simply breathtaking! Granite mountains with beautiful lakes and beautiful trees. It was something that was just amazing! I could not stop smiling during the drive in. :)

Sep 18, 2009

Photos: 22

Grand Canyon

My buddy, Sujono who is in town from shanghai, and I made a trip to Vegas to see a client. We decided to spend one day going to Grand Canyon on a day trip. The view was utterly spectacular and breathtaking. The Grand Canyon is really quite difficult to use words to describe its magnificent. It really is one of those spectacular places that has to be seen and experienced first hand. The only downside was that I wasnt able to do any serious hiking. I would have loved to do the 12 mile hike down and up one of the trails. I hope to come back one day and camp and hike the Grand Canyon. For now, a 3 hr sojourn will just have to suffice.

Sep 13, 2009

Photos: 55

Lassen Hike - Day 3

I didnt sleep much the night before so I gave up and got up earlier. I walked around a little at the lake and was shock to see the beautiful clear reflection on the windless water. It mirrored the mountains and treeline. I took probably like 100 shots but only posted a few. After breaking camp, we went to a state park, Bernal falls, some 40 miles away and did a very short hike. Took some pictures of this very beautiful water fall.

Sep 7, 2009

Photos: 19

Lassen Hike - Day 2

The second day was probably the most exciting day. We travelled to conical cone to hike an awesome volcano. Walking on ash pebbles was really tiring. It was like taking two step forward and one step back. The incline was really steep and halfway up, i think i might have twisted my knee. When we reached the summit, I went down to the crater and (I know I am not suppose to do this) took a little piece of this 450yr old volcano. So cool!!! :) I wanted to hike the 6 miles back to camp but all my friends was against the idea. Good thing too coz I didnt know if my knee could have lasted the trip. After that, we went to see lava tubes. And according to my friends, made by the now extinct lava worms! And the caves were totally awesome. Lassen Rocks!!! Literally!!

Sep 6, 2009

Photos: 50

Charlie Giang
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