Picasa Web Albums - Bob in Pasadena

Search Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »

New Features | Help | Sign in

Backpack into Devil's Canyon

Eighteen of us in the Valencia Hiking Crew backpacked down into Devil's Canyon, in the heart of the San Gabriel Wilderness Area. It was a moonless night and I packed in my tripod for some night photography. Lots of wildflowers, too.

May 4, 2013

Photos: 76

Time Lapse -- 60 photos to see color changes after sunset

Objective was to explore color changes during the hour after sunset, as natural light fades and artificial light comes up -- to find the ideal balance point between these. Using built-in intervalometer of Nikon D5100, shot westward on tripod for one hour at 1 minute intervals. Official sunset time: 7:35pm, Sixty photos started at 7:53pm, ended 8:53pm. Camera settings: 70mm zoom, ISO 800, manual "P" setting, with camera selecting proper exposure levels: max. f 5.3 / shutter varied from 1/6 sec to 8 sec.

Apr 29, 2013

Photos: 60

Joshua Tree National Park

My second trip this year to JTNP was with the Valencia Hiking Crew. We hiked, played, had a massive potluck dinner Saturday and even an outdoor movie afterward. Saturday night I stayed up half the night shooting the sky: The 3/4 full moon was very bright, but after it set the sky got very dark and I photographed the Milky Way. I had hoped to see and photograph the Lyrid Meteor Shower, but unfortunately, didn't see any. LOT of cactus blooming, but wildflowers were scarce because it has been so dry during the last 4 months.

Apr 20, 2013

Photos: 97

Spring Desert Color

Desert flowers are out there to be enjoyed now! I drove up Route 74 above Palm Desert and did some hiking off the road. Lots of cactus in bloom now. Drove on to Idyllwild for a great day.

Apr 13, 2013

Photos: 55

Climb Mt. Wilson from Red Box Station

Another great hike with the Valencia Hiking Crew. We started at Red Box Station and hiked about 10 miles to the top of Mt. Wilson, then had chili dogs at the Cosmic Cafe !

Apr 7, 2013

Photos: 24

Echo Mountain -- Full Moon & Panstarrs Comet

Every Wednesday night one of my hiking groups has a Happy Hour at the top of Echo Mountain, and lately I've been shooting a lot of sunsets and night photography. These are some of the best taken over a period of several months.

Apr 3, 2013

Photos: 42

Joshua Tree NP, PANSTARR Comet and Night Photography

Five of us camped at Joshua Tree National Park March 15-17 to for some night photography and to see Comet PANSTARRS. It was my most extensive exploration of Joshua Tree to date and I wasn't disappointed.

Mar 15, 2013

Photos: 118

PANSTARRS Comet -- Mt. Hollywood -- Griffith Observatory

I went to Griffith Observatory for a good position from which to photograph PANSTARRS Comet, which was in optimum position opposite the new crescent Moon on March 12. I arrived early and hiked up to Mt. Hollywood just before sunset, then returned to Griffith Observatory to photograph the Comet.

Mar 12, 2013

Photos: 9

Weekend in Palm Springs

After a nice weekend of gardening with gorgeous weather, a photo break to capture some beauty.

Mar 3, 2013

Photos: 14

Kenneth Hahn Trail

This is a little gem of a hike of about 3-4 miles and 300-400 feet of gain, depending on your exact route. It's in the Kenneth Hahn State Park, which occupies a 300 foot high ridge smack in the middle of Los Angeles. When it snows in the San Gabriel Mountains, this is the place to head for a photo of downtown Los Angeles with snow-covered Mt. Baldy directly behind. I'll return for sure if we have another good snowstorm this winter .....

Feb 23, 2013

Photos: 26

Mt. Woodson

Zoe and I climbed Mt. Woodson the day after a big storm rolled through, so the clouds and the scenery were really beautiful.

Feb 9, 2013

Photos: 23

Ice House Canyon & Super Bowl Potluck at Brian's Cabin

Another great hike & potluck with the Valencia Hiking Crew, organized by Don T & graciously hosted by Brian at his Cabin in Ice House Canyon. We hiked up the Chapman Trail to Ice House Saddle, then back down to Brian's for some great food, themed to New Orleans for the Super Bowl there tomorrow.

Feb 2, 2013

Photos: 50

Backbone Trail, Santa Monica Mountains

Another great hike of the Valencia Hiking Crew, organized by Walter W, covering the 11 miles and about 2,300 feet of gain, from Trippett Ranch in Topanga Canyon State Park to Will Rogers State Park.

Jan 26, 2013

Photos: 36

Conjunction of the Moon & Jupiter -- 1-21-13

Jan 21, 2013

Photos: 1

Red Rock Canyon State Park

Another great outing of the Valencia Hiking Crew. We camped at the beautiful Ricardo Camp area in temperatures that dropped to 15 degrees overnight. Saturday we did a looped hike of Nightmare Gulch. With a name like that, who could pass it up? On Sunday we did two hikes, the first a short hike of Hagen Canyon and some nearby features, the second in search of the (lost!) Opal Mine that required some extensive driving on 4WD roads .....

Jan 12, 2013

Photos: 64

Shuttle Endeavour Flyover

I had planned to go to the Griffith Observatory for the Shuttle Endeavour's flyover of Los Angeles. What I hadn't planned on was the millions of other people trying to go there too. The turnout was an amazing event in itself. After losing an hour or more in traffic and finding a parking place, so when I finally started walking the 2+ miles to the Griffith Observatory, it soon roared by directly overhead, less than a thousand feet. I continued on a hike up into the hills behind the observatory, went to the top of hill directly behind it, then came down a visited the Observatory itself.

Sep 21, 2012

Photos: 11

Mt. Jefferson

After leaving Mt. Hood and Trillium Lake, I drove about 60 miles southeast on Rt. 26 to Crooked River Ranch to visit my brother. He has a spectacular view to the northwest overlooking Crooked River Gorge and Mt. Jefferson. Here are some views of Mt. Jefferson, the second highest peak in Oregon.

Sep 7, 2012

Photos: 6

McKenzie Pass & Sisters Area

After visiting my brother at Crooked River Ranch, I drove up to the McKenzie Pass, the highest route through the Cascades to western Oregon, but only as far as the Dee Wright Observatory. I stopped there to photograph North & Middle Sister, Mt. Jefferson, and the incredible lava flow that came though this area from Belnap Crater. Afterward, I drove down to the town of Sisters and on to Bend, the home town where I grew up.

Sep 7, 2012

Photos: 8

Crater Lake, Oregon

Incredibly, Crater Lake was only discovered by the settlers of Oregon in 1853, though the Klamath Indians had revered it for centuries. To put that in perspective, Oregon became the 33rd State in 1859. Forgotten for more than 30 years, it was not formally explored until 1886, and was then designated as the 7th National Park by Teddy Roosevelt in 1902. To this day, it remains the only National Park in Oregon, many area of which are beautiful enough to qualify. Having already visited the McKenzie Pass, the City of Bend, and the Cascade Lakes area, it was about 5:00 PM when I arrived, but in my all-too-brief visit I was treated to some beautiful light and a gorgeous sunset over the lake.

Sep 7, 2012

Photos: 28

Columbia River Gorge

After finishing a family visit in Portland, I began an epic four-day road trip back to southern California, and my first stop was the the Columbia River Gorge, driving east from Portland on Interstate Route 84 and the Historic Columbia River Highway.

Sep 6, 2012

Photos: 14

Mt. Hood, Oregon

After leaving the Columbia River Gorge I drove toward Mt. Hood, stopping to visit rustic Timberline Lodge, nearly hand-built by craftsmen during the Great Depression as a WPA project. It's doubtful it could be built the same way today as the same construction skills are probably unavailable. After leaving Timberline Lodge I drove a few miles down the road to Trillium Lake, for a great view of Mt. Hood over the lake.

Sep 6, 2012

Photos: 8

Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast

While visiting with family in Portland, I made a day-trip over to the Oregon Coast to photograph Cannon Beach, one beautiful place !

Sep 5, 2012

Photos: 28

Astoria, Oregon

Though I grew up in Oregon, I had never before visited Astoria -- a very old town with an interesting history. It marks the western terminus of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Commissioned by Pres. Thomas Jefferson to explore the Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest, the Expedition left Missouri in 1804, just 15 years after George Washington became our first President, and arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Astoria was founded just six year later in 1811 by John Jacob Astor, making it the oldest city in Oregon and among the oldest on the West Coast. The Lewis & Clark Expedition is commemorated by the 125 foot high Astoria Column -- which I've wanted to visit every since I learned about it in the Third Grade! So on this trip to Oregon, I finally did.

Sep 5, 2012

Photos: 11

Climb of Mt. Whitney -- 14,505 ft. Elev.

This outing was led by Walter of the Valencia Hiking Crew. Ten of us met at the Whitney Portal early Saturday morning to begin the climb -- my fourth climb, and my third summit. I attempted the climb as a dayhike last year, but ran out of time and had to turn at the JMT junction, about 2 hours from the summit. We spent the night at Trail Camp, then pushed off again at 6:00am, topped out mid-day then headed back to Trail Camp to pack up and pack out, getting back to Whitney Portal around sunset.

Aug 19, 2012

Photos: 113

Climb of White Mountain Peak -- 14,252 ft Elev.

Valencia Hiking Crew set up this climb, led by Walter. Three of us, myself, Tyler and Mike decided to rent a Jeep and camp near the base of White Mountain Peak, at 11,700 feet to better acclimatize for the 14,252 elevation -- the 3rd highest peak in California, only about 250 lower than mighty Mt. Whitney. We drove up Saturday, stopping in Bishop and also visiting the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest on the way.

Jul 15, 2012

Photos: 89

Transit of Venus -- Griffith Observatory

The Transit of Venus -- crossing the face of the sun -- is a rare event that only happens at century long intervals. The next one won't occur until the year 2117, and it may not even be visible in the United States. So the rarity of this event attracted a lot of attention. I decided to go up to Griffith Observatory -- as did several thousand other people. Dozens of amateur astronomers had set up telescopes so people like me could see it first hand. It was thrilling to see! If you missed the whole show, or would like to see more, check out this great video on YouTube, made up from NASA footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HegJcgI1uDU&feature=related

Jun 5, 2012

Photos: 19

Partial Eclipse -- May 20, 2012

Wish I could have traveled to New Mexico to have seen this Eclipse in its Annular phase, but I did take a few shots here in southern California. I took a series of photos hand-held with my 270mm telephoto lens, set at ISO200, 1/4000 sec shutter, and f40. All that can be seen is the outline of the Sun and the Moon covering it, so it ends up looking like the crescent Moon. It was interesting to see the "horns" of the crescent 'roll' up counter-clockwise as the Eclipse proceeded. I've noted the time that each photo was taken and added a few inside and outside shots of the crescent images projected by virtually every shaft of light.

May 20, 2012

Photos: 13

The Kitchen 'Studio'

Sometimes on rainy days my kitchen becomes a make-shift studio for whatever my camera seems attracted to .... all of these were shot with my Nikon D40 mounted on a tripod, but the lighting was either natural/ available light or the camera's built-in flash.

Mar 17, 2012

Photos: 15

Santa Paula Canyon

Great hike by the Valencia Hiking Crew up the very interesting Santa Paula Canyon. It begins just north of Santa Paula with a nice stroll though the campus of Thomas Aquinas College, an avocado farm and a few active oil wells, then gains elevation though the lush and scenic lower parts of the Canyon. But the upper, narrow parts of the Canyon are unlike most canyons you'll see in the San Gabriel Mountains -- this is more like a canyon in Utah or Arizona. The water has cut down deeply into the bed-rock shale, forming some beautiful swimming holes and beautifully smoothed and sculpted areas.

Mar 10, 2012

Photos: 46

Verdugo Loop Hike

Another great hike of the Valencia Hiking Crew, led by Don T. We did this as a loop/ shuttle leaving half our cars at The Grotto trailhead and motoring over to and hiking up the Hostetter Trail, then onto the Verdugo Motorway a short way, then down the Vital Link Trail to Wildwood Canyon Park, then up through Stough Canyon and back down to The Grotto trailhead again. Total route was about 10 miles, with about 2,700 feet of climbing.

Feb 26, 2012

Photos: 23

Moon-Venus-Jupiter Conjuction

If you were out star-gazing last weekend, you were treated to a heavenly sight just after sunset: A slim crescent moon next to a bright Venus, and just above to the left was Jupiter. Quite a sight. I took these photos hand-held with my telephoto lens, slow shutters and a very fast ISO. Be watching a few weeks from now when Venus and Jupiter will be close enough together to cover with your outstretched thumb ....

Feb 25, 2012

Photos: 4

PCT 'Snow' Hike -- Islip Saddle to Mt. Williams

This was a solo hike started late in the day because I had to get my camera back from Samy's where trail dust was being cleaned from the sensor. Hey, I couldn't possible go hiking 'alone' ! After the snowfall last Wednesday, I was anxious to see some snow in what has been nearly a snowless winter that is now almost over. I drove up the Angeles Crest Highway 40 miles to Islip Saddle, parked and headed west up the PCT toward Mt. Williamson, starting at 4:30PM and was back at my car at 6:30. Total of about 4 miles and 1200 ft vertical gain. There coulda been more snow, but there was just enough to call it a 'snow' hike .... snowshoes and crampons woulda just been dead weight.....

Feb 18, 2012

Photos: 15

Eaton Saddle through Bear Canyon to Lower Switzer

A hike of the Valencia Hiking Crew covering 10 miles, gaining 1,200 feet, taking 6 hours to complete. We met at the Lower Switzer parking lot and left half our cars there, then drove to Eaton Saddle to begin the hike at 9:00AM. Eaton Saddle is at 5,110 feet elevation. From there we hiked 1-2 miles to the summit of Mt. Lowe (elev. 5,603 ft.), then down Mt. Lowe's west ridge to Tom Sloan Saddle, then on down into Bear Canyon. Making our way down though Bear Canyon was pretty much a cross-country trek, with a clear trail showing for less than half the distance to where the Bear Canyon Creek joins with the Arroyo Seco, the lowest point in the hike at about 2,600 ft. elevation. From there we ascended along the Arroyo Seco to visit 50-foot Switzer Falls, then hiked up the spectacular trail, gaining another 700 feet to the Lower Switzer parking lot where we left half our cars in the morning. Though cloudy all day, the rain began only as we reached our cars at Swtizer -- good timing!

Feb 11, 2012

Photos: 66

Hummingbird Trail Hike & Pre-SuperBowl Potluck

The Valencia Hiking Crew had a late afternoon hike at Rocky Peak Park and a pre-SuperBowl potluck at a great location scouted out by leader Don T, with a great view of the sunset. As usual, the VH crew had a great selection of food & drink. Kudos to Larry, Al and others for huckin' those table up the hill .... can't have a great potluck without tables!

Feb 4, 2012

Photos: 30

Icehouse Canyon Hike .... and Soup at Brian's

This was a hike by The Valencia Hiking Crew up Ice House Canyon, then back to our friend Brian's cabin for a soup, cornbread, wine, cheese, cookies and birthday cake dinner .....

Jan 14, 2012

Photos: 33

Sunset at Rooftop Lake

After a recent storm I went up on the roof to get a photo of the snow on the mountains. Instead I found this beautiful reflection in a puddle on my roof -- and got the kind of shot I usually only expect to see in the mountains. Beauty is where ever you find it, so be sure to be watching for her !

Nov 21, 2011

Photos: 1

Moonclouds: 11-11-11

Veteran's Day brought a flyover of a squadron of vintage WW II planes, and a beautiful, nealy full moon peeking through a broken cloud cover.

Nov 11, 2011

Photos: 8

Aspen Grove Denied

Each year I like to go out in search of some Fall color to photograph. One excellent candidate location is the Aspen Grove located in the San Bernardino Mountains at the foot of Mt. San Gorgonio -- one of a rare few Aspen groves in all of Southern California. Well I should have checked my calendar more closely -- I found some color in the oak trees and willow-like trees along the bed of Fall Creek -- but the Aspen trees were DONE ! They were turning last year in the first week of October, so I missed it by several weeks, which is why I'm calling this album ... Aspen Grove Denied .. !

Oct 29, 2011

Photos: 15

Sierra Club -- Advanced Mountaineering Program - AMP4

The Sierra Club conducted AMP4 (Advanced Mountaineering Program) in five sessions: One classroom session, two all-day climbing sessions at Stoney Point, and a two-day climbing session at Joshua Tree National Park, near Indian Cove. These are photos taken at the 4 days of climbing, rappelling, learning rope safety technique, and setting protection & anchors.

Oct 15, 2011

Photos: 69

Navitat Zip Lines -- Wrightwood

A group of us from the Valencia Hiking Crew did Navitat's forest canopy zip line course together. It was outstanding! With 10 zip lines, 3 rappels and 4 rope bridges, it is likely the best such course in the entire USA! The longest zip line goes about 1500 feet and you get up to about 40-45 mpg. Very exciting! Takes about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Well worth the trip to Wrightwood, which you can combine with exploration of the Mormon Rocks or Devil's Punchbowl, a hike up Mt. Baden-Powell, or a hike to the old Bighorn Mine. Navitat operates several zip courses and just opened this one last summer.

Oct 2, 2011

Photos: 50

Mt. Baldy via Bear Canyon Trail

This was a hike of the Southern California Hikers and Peakbaggers, led by Paul S. This is a huge hike: 13 miles and 6,000 feet of vertical gain, starting from Baldy Village. That is nearly the same vertical gain as from Whitney Portal to the summit of Mt. Whitney, although it's at lower elevations! While at the summit I ran into Tyler J, with whom I'd hiked the Grand Canyon last year. I joined him and his friends and hiked down by a different route -- the Devil's Backbone and Baldy Notch -- and they kindly gave me a ride back to my car at Baldy Village. One helluva day!

Sep 17, 2011

Photos: 47

Highlights of the Rae Lakes Loop

Hiked the Rae Lakes Loop counter-clockwise in early September 2011.

Sep 3, 2011

Photos: 15

Cucamonga Peak via Ice House Canyon

This was a Los Angeles Hiking Club outing lead by Stein. We started from the Icehouse Canyon trailhead and hiked up to Icehouse Saddle, then took the trail from there to the summit of Cucamonga Peak at 8,856 feet. Total hike was about 12 miles with about 4,500 feet of climbing.

Aug 28, 2011

Photos: 38

The Trona Pinnacles

After my dayhike of Mt. Whitney with the Valencia Hiking Crew, I decided to visit the Trona Pinnacle as a side trip on my drive back home. It's about 30 miles east of Route 395 via Ridgecrest, CA. Trona Pinnacles are massive tufa formations, similar to those at Mono Lake, but many, many time larger -- and were formed under what was a massive lake formed from melting Ice Age glaciers. Some of the pinnacles rise 50 feet or more from the desert floor. The largest tufas at Mono Lake are about 10-15 feet by comparison. They present an unearthly spectacle and have been used as a film location for many films, including Star Trek V and Planet of the Apes 2001.

Aug 22, 2011

Photos: 60

Mt. Whitney Dayhike

This was a climb by the Valencia Hiking Crew, who hit the jackpot in the Mt. Whitney lottery with 24 permits for August 21st -- unheard of luck ! As this was a dayhike, most of us started between 2:00am - 4:00am. For me, it was my third climb of Mt. Whitney. The first two climbs were as multi-day climbs -- the first from Whitney Portal in 2008, and the second from the Guitar Lake via the John Muir Trail in 2010. But I'd never tried the challenge of hiking the 22 mile / 6,400 feet trip up the mountain as a dayhike!

Aug 21, 2011

Photos: 63

Ice House Canyon to Ontario Peak

This was a Unique Hike Club outing led by Mihai. The four of us started up Icehouse Canyon around 7:30am and saw signs of spring: Trees leafing out, lots of water in the creek, and a few wildflowers, though starting at an elevation of 4,900 feet, there weren't many flowers yet. We took the beautiful Chapman Trail, then rejoined the main trail up near Icehouse Saddle. From there we took the trail toward Ontario Peak, encountering a lot of snow, requiring crampons and poles. That was slow enough that we turned around at about 8,600 ft. elevation -- the remaining half mile would have gotten us back down the mountain too late in the day.

May 1, 2011

Photos: 55

Hike to The Grotto

Apr 3, 2011

Photos: 67

Whitewater Preserve and PCT from Yucca Gap to Red Dome

This was a hike of the OC Hiking Club, led by Mike S. We had about 25 people on a BEAUTIFUL day, with lots of interesting sights, beautiful wildflowers, great view of Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio, and a breeze that was usually welcome, but sometimes chilly .... We hiked (about 5 miles/2000 ft gain) south on the Pacific Crest from the Whitewater Preserve, an important and beautiful midpoint between the San Bernardino Mountains and the Coachella Valley desert.

Mar 27, 2011

Photos: 67

WTC Snow Camp -- Jared's Rutschblock Test

Here's a sequence of about 70 photos that I took during Jared's Rutschblock Test to determine avalanche risk. All 70 photos were taken over about a 1 minute interval, so by clicking through them quickly you'll get a stop-action sequence similar to a video. My next SLR will have video capability for sure!

Mar 6, 2011

Photos: 70

WTC Snow Camp -- People Photos

I've posted three albums here: This one, which is every photo I took with our members in them. Another, with all of the photos I like best (146 photos....) and a third with about 70 photos of Jared's Horschblock Test -- which is used to help access snow conditions affecting avalanche risk.

Mar 4, 2011

Photos: 108

Sierra Club WTC -- Snow Camp at Rock Creek Lake

Our WTC group completed its final outing with a 3-day trip to Rock Creek Lake, west of Bishop. We bused up Friday, packed a short distance to the Palisades Campground , arriving there at about 8:30 pm and pitching our tents in the snow. Some of us took a short hike -- it was dark and cold, with the snow illuminated only by a billion stars overhead -- it was beautiful. Saturday morning we broke camp, packed up and snowshoed 3 1/2 miles up to Rock Creek Lake, again pitching our tents in the snow. We build a 'snow table' and had a great happy hour. It snowed overnight, so we awoke to make our breakfasts in about two inches of new snow. By 8:00am we were snowshoeing again, this time to learn more about avalanche danger, and why we're each required to carry a shovel while showshoeing in the Sierra backcountry .... Back to camp by noon, we broke camp again and snowshoed back to our pickup point. After a short ride to Bishop, we enjoyed pizza, and a beauuutiful bus ride it was ....

Mar 4, 2011

Photos: 153

Rocky Peak

The Valencia Hiking Crew defied the weather with a great hike to the summit of Rocky Peak, near Chatsworth --- and the weather defied predictions with beautiful sun and clouds, no rain, and perfect hiking temperatures.

Feb 26, 2011

Photos: 56

Sierra Club WTC -- Snow Travel near Mt. Baden-Powell

23 of us got out into the wilderness -- near Mt. Baden-Powell where we snow hiked at an elevation range of 7,200 - 7,600 feet -- in between two severe snow storms. We practiced snow travel techniques: traveling in teams, use of snowshoes, glissading, self-arrest, and avalanch avoidance. The storm the night before left about 6 inches of wind-packed snow, and the trees and bushes encased in a wonderous coating of snow and ice crystals. By the end of the day the second storm was rolling in and when we reached our cars the wind-chill was an uncomfortable 3-4 degrees above zero! All of this within about 40 miles of downtown Los Angeles .....

Feb 19, 2011

Photos: 84

Sierra Club WTC Navigation and Rock Climbing at Joshua Tree NP

This outing was part of our Wilderness Training Course with the Sierra Club. We practiced our compass & map navigation skills in the open desert of Joshua Tree National Park, also learning to recognize land forms and correlate them with our topo maps. We also learned some Class 3 rock climbing skills, especially how to get and keep boot traction on steep rock surfaces of 30-45 degrees. Saturday night we had a great happy hour & potluck dinner, and an equally great campfire (read that as .... bonfire.....)

Feb 5, 2011

Photos: 89

Ice House Canyon & Potluck Dinner at Brian's Cabin

Thirty of us in the Valencia Hiking Crew made our way up Icehouse Canyon via the Chapman Trail. We encountered some treacherous icy trail conditions but some of us still made it all the way up to Icehouse Saddle. Afterwards we all went back down to Brian's cabin for a great potluck dinner.

Jan 29, 2011

Photos: 44

Sierra Club WTC -- Mt. Wilson Conditioning Hike

22 of us climbed Mt. Wilson (elev. 5,210 ft) from Chantry Flats as a combined conditioning and navigation skills exercise, part of the Sierra Club's Wilderness Travel Course (WTC).

Jan 22, 2011

Photos: 27

A Hike of Vasquez Rocks & Devil's Punchbowl

This was an LA Hiking & Photography Club outing, organized by That John Guy. About 40 of us converged on Vasquez Rocks State Park for a 5 mile hike around the park, including a section of the Pacific Crest Trail. Back into our cars and on to Devil's Punchbowl State Park, with a brief stop at the Andreas Rift, the force agent that created both of these amazing up-tilted rock formations. Then on to Charlie Browns, one of the most interesting store/restaurants you'll ever see anywhere. It's so bizarre, it deserves it's own album .....

Jan 15, 2011

Photos: 50

Charley Brown's Farm

After a day of hiking through Vasquez Rocks and Devil's Punchbowl, we stopped at Charlie Brown's for dinner. If you've never been there, these photos will give you a small taste of what to expect, though nothing can really prepare you for the reality of this place ! ..... It's been described as a 'quirky' general store, but BIZZARE would be a short description ..... If you ever visit Vasquez Rocks or Devils Punchbowl, you owe it to yourself to visit Charlie Brown's, whichis about half-way between those two places in Littlerock, CA.

Jan 15, 2011

Photos: 41

Hotel Del Coronado Christmas Lights

While visiting San Diego I stopped by the Del Coronado Hotel, and their Christmas lighting was beautiful against the light of the setting sun.

Dec 8, 2010

Photos: 5

The Silver Strand

After some business in Imperial Beach, I drove north alone the Silver Strand to Coronado and stopped along the way to view Snowy Egrets, some beautiful beach views, and the historic Del Coronado Hotel.

Nov 30, 2010

Photos: 10

Wildfowl in Palm Springs

While in Palm Springs I found some interesting wildfowl near one of the many artificial ponds in the area.

Nov 21, 2010

Photos: 9

More Fall Color and the Best Apple Pie Ever

I met Zoe and Adam in Ramona and we drove to Julian for fall colors, apple cider, and the BEST apple pie ever!

Nov 7, 2010

Photos: 14

Oak Glen for Fall Color

A group of us from the South Coast Photography Meetup spent the day in the Oak Glen area above Yucaipa taking in the fall color and the apple harvest.

Oct 30, 2010

Photos: 24

Palm Springs Sunset

This was one of those rare sunsets and cloud conditions that creates the 'rays of God' effect of light rays and shadows .... and the conditions persisted for about 30 minutes. I took a lot of photos -- these are the best that emerged.

Oct 17, 2010

Photos: 11

Aspen Grove for Fall Color

Oct 8, 2010

Photos: 22

Icehouse Canyon for Fall Colors

I did a series of hikes on October 8th seeking out some changing fall colors to photograph. In the morning I did a solo hike up Icehouse Canyon, then came down and lunched in my car while driving to the San Bernadino Mountains where I met a group of other hikers led by Lily and we explored the Aspen Grove near Fall Creek. The photos for this second hike are in a separate album.

Oct 8, 2010

Photos: 23

Fuller Ridge to Castle Rocks

Five of us hiked the Fuller Ridge section of the Pacific Crest Scenic Trail, starting from the trailhead at 7,720 ft. elevation.

Sep 22, 2010

Photos: 32

7-Day Trek: Cottonwood Lakes to Mt. Whitney Summit

Aug 28, 2010

Photos: 304

San Gorgonio 3-day Trek -- Monday -- 3 More Peaks and Hike Out

Having camped at Trail Fork Springs for the second night of our 3-day trek, Ajay, Kenny and I, led by Gideon, summited Anderson Peak 10,840 ft, East San Bernardino Peak 10,691 ft, and San Bernardino Peak 10,649 ft. With those three peaks, we completed the traditional 9-peak San Gorgonio trek.

Aug 23, 2010

Photos: 132

San Gorgonio 3-day Trek -- Sunday -- San G Summit plus 5 Peaks

After camping Saturday night at Dollar Lake 92,00 ft, Ajay, Kenny and I, led by Gideon, climbed to the summit of San Gorgonio, 11,502 ft. After lunch and some spectacular views, we hiked west along the central ridge of the San Bernardino Mountains, also summiting Jepson Peak 11,205 ft, Little Charton Peak 10,696 ft, and Charleton Peak 10,806 ft. Then we returned to Dollar Lake Saddle, where we had left our backpacks, and continued on to our next campsite at Trail Fork Springs 10,320 ft. Along the way we also summited Alto Diablo Peak 10,563 ft, and Shields Peak 10,680 ft. It was a long day, hiking a total of 16 miles, climbing a total of 3,745 feet, and bagging 6 peaks at elevations exceeding 10,000 feet.

Aug 22, 2010

Photos: 205

San Gorgonio 3-day Trek -- Saturday -- Hike in to Dollar Lake

Ajay, Kenny and I, led by Gideon, started our 3-day San Gorgonio trek at the trailhead (elev. 7,120 ft) for the South Fork Trail, near Jenks Lake. Leaving the trailhead at 9:30 am, we reached Dollar Lake around 1:45 pm and set up our camp at about 9,400 ft. After hiking down to the lake to filter and replentish our water supply, we made an early dinner and were in our tents a little after 8:00 pm.

Aug 21, 2010

Photos: 81

Hollywood Horrors Hike

Eight of us, led by Kolby, hiked to the top of Mt. Hollywood in Griffith Park. Along the way we had some strange and interesing experiences .......

Aug 19, 2010

Photos: 18

Climb of Mt. Baldy

13 of us climbed Mt. Baldy on a beautiful clear August day. With unusually clear weather we could easily see Mt. San Gorgonio and Mt. San Jacinto 70-80 miles to the east.

Aug 14, 2010

Photos: 44

Yosemite National Park -- Tioga Road and Tioga Pass

After fantastic hikes of Half Dome on July 30 and Cloud's Rest on July 31, I drove east on Tioga Road past Tanaya Lake, Tuolomne Meadows and Tioga Pass to Route 395. This is what I saw along the way.

Aug 1, 2010

Photos: 17

Mono Lake, South Tufa Area

After exploring Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass, I drove down I drove down Lee Vining Canyou to see Mono Lake and photograph the limestone formations at the South Tufa Area.

Aug 1, 2010

Photos: 20

Yosemite -- People Pics

A group of us hiked Half Dome and Clouds Rest. I took hundreds of photos, and these are the ones the people in the group might want to see, and are welcome to download.

Jul 30, 2010

Photos: 75

Soltice Canyon Hike

Led by Kolby, a group of us hiked up Soltice Canyon, visited the ruins of the Roberts Ranch House, and took a dip in a secret swimming hole.

Jul 24, 2010

Photos: 38

Dove Nest on My Deck

Last year and again this year I have hosted a dove nest in the hanging begonia on my deck. Here's a little photo-blog on this year's hatchlings. Addendum: I had a second round just a month or so later. Not sure if it was the same dove mother, but there were two chicks again and the progression was identical.

Jul 15, 2010

Photos: 14

Onion Valley and Kearsarge Pass

A group of us camped at Onion Valley, elev. 9,200 feet, and did some outstanding hikes from there. One to Robinson Lake, at 10,530 feet, but the best was to Kearsarge Pass at 11,800 feet -- which ranks among the most scenic hikes I've ever done.

Jul 3, 2010

Photos: 145

Climb of Mt. Baldy via Devil's Backbone

A group of us hiked Mt. Baldy, starting in Manker Flats and hiking the road up to Baldy Notch, then up the trail to Devil's Backbone and on to the summit. It was cold -- 35 degrees and windy -- so I was glad to have a down parka, hat and gloves in my pack. We came down via the Baldy Bowl Trail, which gave me an opportunity to explore the ridge above Baldy Bowl.

Jun 12, 2010

Photos: 56

Old Stagecoach Road

Another great hike led by DonT. This was a nice Monday after-work hike of about 5 miles/ 1000 ft gain. The Old Stagecoach Road was just that .... back in the day .... A highlight was seeing a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake on the trail.

Jun 7, 2010

Photos: 19

Mt. Wilson Loop

This was a hike with the Valenica Hiking Crew, led by DonT. Thirteen of us met at Chantry Flats, hiked down and up into Santa Anita Canyon, then took the Gabrielino Trail to Sturtevant Camp, then on up to Mt. Wilson. Being a science buff, at the top I went to the Visitors Gallery to see the historic 100-inch Hooker telescope where Edwin Hubble began our present understanding of the Universe and the Big Bang. We came down via Mt. Wilson Road and the Upper Winter Creek Trail. The entire loop was 15 miles, with 4,300 feet of vertical gains.

May 15, 2010

Photos: 62

Snow Ascent of Bighorn Peak

With spring racing ahead and the snow rapidly melting, I decided to take on what I thought would be the final snow ascent of the season. Since Bighorn Peak, elev. 8,441 ft, was one of only three peaks of 8,000+ feet in the San Gabriel Mountians that I hadn't yet climbed, it was a natural choice. The way up to Icehouse Saddle was mostly snow-free, but the final 1,000 feet was on snow. Overall, this outing was 8.4 miles, with 3,520 feet of elevation gain.

May 2, 2010

Photos: 33

Snow Ascent of Mt.Baldy

This was a solo climb of Mt. Baldy via the Ski Hut Trail route. The trail was snow-free up to the Ski Hut, but the climb from there to the summit required crampons and ice axe for safety. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 45-50 degree range and there were many people on the mountain, climbing and even skiing down from the summit. Overall, this outing covered 8.4 miles, with 3,904 feet of elevation gain.

Apr 25, 2010

Photos: 49

Mojave Desert Camp

Six of us camped at Mojave National Preserve April 16-18, 2010. Elevation about 5,000 feet. We did a lot of hiking, took hundreds of photographs, saw some interesting wildlife including a Desert Tortoise & Golden Eagle, incredible carpets of desert flowers, beautiful sunsets, explored a lava cave, Kelso Dunes and several abandoned homesteads. The marker on the map shows the approximate location of our beautiful campsite.

Apr 16, 2010

Photos: 78

2-Day Trek in Grand Canyon -- Rim to River and Back

Seven of us -- Jim, Tyler, David, James, John, Dawn and I -- made a fantastic 2-Day trek down 4,725 feet to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. We backpacked down on April 3 via the South Kaibab Trail and stayed at Bright Angel Camp. Some of us had a great steak dinner at Phantom Ranch, and some also had a hearty bacon-egg-pancake breakfast there too. On Sunday we packed back up to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail. Collectively we must have taken 2,000+ photos, but here are the 800+ that I took ...

Apr 3, 2010

Photos: 828

Sierr Club WTC -- Sierra Snow Camp

This Snow Camp was the culmination of the Sierra Club's Wilderness Travel Course for San Gabriel Valley, Group 3 -- 27 of us, including our leaders, traveled from Pasadena to Em's Pond on South Lake Road, then hiked the remaining 2 miles with our backpacks to the Table Mountain Campground, where we camped, hiked and snow-shoed for two days. There was 4-6 feet of snow and the temperatures ranged from overnight lows of about 22 to daytime highs of about 40 degrees.

Mar 26, 2010

Photos: 101

WTC -- Snow Travel

Sierra Club's Wilderness Travel Course, San Gabriel Valley Group 3, took our Snow Travel outing near Grassy Hollow, a few miles west of Wrightwood, and with beautiful views of Mt. Baden-Powell and Mt. Baldy.

Mar 13, 2010

Photos: 32

Show Shoe Hike on Mt. Baldy

Solo hike from Baldy Notch up to Devil's Backbone -- my first training hike with snow shoes. Great fun, and I'm looking forward to more snow travel hikes and snow camping this winter.

Jan 16, 2010

Photos: 22

Kolby's 100th Hike -- Echo Mountain

Kolby Kirk set a goal in May 2009 of completing 100 hikes before the end of 2009 (see 100Hikes.com). I accompanied him on hikes #28, #72, #73, #75 and the capper -- hike #100 on December 30th, along with 17 Kolby friends and supporters. It was drizzling rain, but half-way up Echo Mountain we got above the clouds and found a beautifully cloudy landscape as the sun set and we celebrated 100 Hikes.

Dec 30, 2009

Photos: 11

Hike up Echo Mountain

I accompanied my friend, Kolby, as he completed hike #75 of the 100 hikes he has committed himself to completing before the end of 2009. We started up around 8:00am amid a heavy ground fog, and while we hiked up the 2.7 miles and 1,400 foot gain in elevation, we soon climbed above the fog layer into sunshine and blue sky.

Nov 5, 2009

Photos: 21

Hikes in Search of Mystery Aspen Grove and Largest Joshua Tree

In what was really two separate hikes on the same day, Kolby, Art and I went in search of an Aspen Grove on the Pacific Crest Trail, one of only two known Aspen groves in the San Bernardino Mountains. We found it and rewarded ourselves with lunch in Big Bear City. Then, for our second quest of the day we went in search of a grove with the largest known Joshua Trees, located in Lone Valley east of Big Bear City. We learned that the Champion Tree, what was once acknowledged as the world's largest was destroyed by vandals. We may have located it's remains. But we also saw one very large tree that just may inherit the official title as the world's largest Joshua. The one we saw and photographed was about 30-35 feet high and probably 12+ feet in girth around its base.

Nov 2, 2009

Photos: 51

Hat Trick 3: Climb of Mt. San Jacinto

This was a solo hike/climb of Mt. San Jacinto, my third of the three highest peaks in Southern California in three successive weekends -- 20-miles/5,500 ft gains -- and my longest dayhike ever. I started from Humber Park, hiked Devil's Slide to Saddle Junction, then up toward Wellman's Divide, then took the Pacific Crest Trail westward around the mountain to where it intersects the Deer Springs Trail, followed that up to the Summit, then down the east side to Wellman's Divide, and back down to Humber Park.

Oct 25, 2009

Photos: 70

Hat Trick 2: Climb of Mt. Baldy via Bear Creek Canyon Trail

The second in my three-week assault of Gorgonio / Baldy/ San Jacinto -- but by the more difficult 6-mile/ 6,000 foot gain route starting in Baldy Village.

Oct 17, 2009

Photos: 53

Hat Trick 1: Two-Day Climb of Mt. San Gorgonio via Vivian Creek Trail

Nine of us, led by Dionne, completed a strenuous 2-day, 17-mile trek to climb Mt. San Goronio -- at 11,499 feet elevation, the highest peak in southern California south of the Sierras. We climbed via the Vivian Creek Trail, the steepest approach to the mountain. Day One we climbed 4.8 miles & 3,400 feet to High Creek Camp. Day 2, after a chilly night with temperatures hoving near 32 degrees, we climbed the remaining 3.8 miles and 2,000 feet to the summit, then returned to camp, packed and hiked back out to our cars -- tired and footsore, but satisfied.

Oct 10, 2009

Photos: 51

4-Day Trek to Chain Lakes

Five of us -- John, Adriana, David, Natalie, and I -- hiked into Chain Lakes, located inYosemite National Park about 20 miles south of Yosemite Valley. We started from the Quartz Mountain Trailhead early morning of Sept. 25th, about 15-20 miles north of Bass Lake. Using Middle Chain Lake as our base camp we had four beautiful days of hiking, fishing and rock scrambling. Overall, we hiked 21 miles, with vertical gains of 3,760 feet. We caught enough fish at Upper Chain Lake for Saturday dinner, and on Sunday we scrambled up the ridge between Chain and Breeze Lakes in an attempt to summit Gale Peak, 10,680 ft. elevation.

Sep 25, 2009

Photos: 167

7-Day Trek on John Muir Trail to Yosemite Valley

10 of us backpacked 53 miles from Mammoth Lakes to Yosemite Valley in a 7-day backpack. We encountered some freezing weather and some hot weather, saw mountains, lakes, and rivers. We had bears and deer enter our camp. We climbed Half Dome. It was a fantastic experience. Total ground covered, including our climb of Half Dome was nearly 60 miles, including 7,611 feet of uphill ....

Aug 14, 2009

Photos: 196

Sam Merril Trail -- aka "The (other) THREE T's" ....

Hikers of the San Gabiels know about the "Three -T's" Trail (Timber, Telegraph and Thunder Mountains) .... but now here's ANOTHER "Three T's" Trail.... or at least It could be called that for the three TARANTULA's I saw on the trail ... or for the Ra-TTT-ler that a couple saw about 100 in front of my as I was coming down ... Though this hike started out as just a break-in run for some new Asolo hiking boots I needed for an upcoming 7-day trek on the John Muir Trail .... it turned into " The BIG BUG-OUT of 2009 " ....

Aug 11, 2009

Photos: 6

Winter Creek Loop from Chantry Flats

A 6-mile, 1500 ft gain hike with friend and photographer, Kolby, from Chantry Flats up the Lower Winter Creek Trail to Hoegee's Camp, and return via the Upper Winter Creek Trail. The highlight of the day? .... RATTLESNAKE !

Jul 12, 2009

Photos: 41

Pacific Crest Trail -- Six Peaks

Six of us set out from Islip Saddle on the Pacific Crest Trail and topped six peaks in a day: Mt. Islip 8,250 ft, Middle Hawkins Peak 8,505 ft, Mt. Hawkins 8,850 ft, Throop Peak 9,138 ft, Mt. Burnham 8,997 ft, and Mt. Baden-Powell 9,399 ft. Along the way we saw amazing views and a lot of wildflowers.

Jul 11, 2009

Photos: 55

Bob in Pasadena
photos

Linked Galleries View All

	Chantal Sb photos
	Matt Maxon photos
	John photos
	Keith O'Donnell photos