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My parents and I met in Yosemite National Park before dawn this past weekend to hike Clouds Rest, a peak just below 10,000 feet in elevation which provides breathtaking views of Yosemite Valley and the surrounding mountains. This was their third attempt and my first. The work it took to get to...

This weekend I won the lottery for a day-use permit at The Wave in Coyote Buttes in the northern part of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument. My permit will be good for Friday, January 13, 2023. Now that the initial excitement has died down, I realize this will take a bit of planning. So, I'm...

A week ago, Hurricane Kay developed in the Pacific Ocean but weakened into a tropical storm before it made landfall in Southern California. The remnants of this tropical storm reached Death Valley National Park and dropped a large amount of rain in just a short time, creating fantastic...

My father and I had planned on backpacking around Hetch Hetchy reservoir in Yosemite National Park this weekend. But due to 100+ degree temperatures at lower elevations and the active Rodgers Fire just east of Hetch Hetchy degrading air quality, we both agreed to not backpack this weekend...

This is Second Lake in the Inyo National Forest, CA, yet another gem in the eastern Sierra. I hiked up here this past weekend. The trail follows Big Pine Creek and a chain of lakes; There are seven lakes in the chain. The first three of which are delightfully colored this greenish turquoise hue...

During my hike in Yosemite National Park this weekend, I stumbled upon this groundhog while walking across a large span of granite. The groundhog’s burrow was just out of the shot and it paused long enough for me to take this portrait before it disappeared.

I recently stumbled upon photos of my winter 2019 road trip to Zion National Park. This was a celebration of sorts because I had accepted a new job. So, I quit my part time job and drove from Sacramento to Reno to Las Vegas, and then to Zion. After Zion I drove to the Grand Canyon. Before...

These photos come from Devil’s Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Lakes, CA. I woke up at 0530 yesterday with the intent to see Rainbow Falls. I caught the first shuttle into Reds Meadow at 0730 and started my walk a little after 0800 with a smile on my face. I walked past Devil’s...

This is Gable Lakes, one of a string of lakes at the base of the Four Gables peaks in the Eastern Sierra, just west of Bishop. This is above 10,000 feet of elevation. The trail is 8 miles round trip with 3,200 feet of elevation gain. It follows Gable Creek and, at times, an abandoned mining...

These are The Dardanelles. They are peaks above 9,000 feet in elevation in the Sierra Nevada, located near Dardanelle, CA. They are giant blocks of basalt columns carved this way from glaciers. On my way back to Bishop from Sacramento this weekend, I chose to take Sonora Pass. Donnell Vista is...

I drove to Sacramento after work last night to my parents’ house for Father’s Day. It’s also my grandmother’s 80th birthday. Initially, I was going to use Sonora Pass to get across the Sierras, but I got some inspiration as I approached Lee Vining. Drivers are allowed to cross Yosemite National...

These images show the Bishop Pass Trail in the Eastern Sierra about 20 miles west of Bishop, CA. Bishop Pass, which sits at 11,972 feet of elevation, is the flat cliff on the right side of the images. The pass marks the boundary of Kings Canyon National Park. The trail in the foreground becomes...

I hiked all the way to Donkey Lake this past weekend, a 7.6 mile journey with 1,600 feet of elevation gain, much of that above 10,000 feet of elevation. Blue Lake is probably the highlight of this trail. It welcomes you to high elevation with this kind of reflection as soon as you finish the...

For the first time since moving to Bishop in 2020, I was able to see the Mule Days Parade today. I think I heard that this is the largest non-motorized parade in the world? Thank goodness I live only two blocks from Main Street!

These two photos come from Joshua Tree National Park in April 2021. I was on a motorcycle trip with two friends from Palm Springs. One of these friends has an affinity for the ocotillo plant, a semi-succulent native to the southwest, so we took a break from riding in this part of the park where...

I took this shot in Big Pine Creek west of Big Pine, CA last year. It was the beginning of a hike to First Lake, the first in a chain in this part of the Sierras. I liked how the wind was blowing snow around on the peaks. I also liked how the pinecones fell on the ground.

This photo comes from California City. I was driving back from Tehachapi for a work event, and this part of State Route 14 is surrounded by excellent Joshua trees so I decided to stop and take a picture. I liked how the clouds looked as if Bob Ross tried to make a reflection on his canvas by...

I took a walk around my neighborhood in Portland last weekend. These photos show why I was a bit stunned by how colorful Oregon is right now. The pink dogwoods were particularly shocking.

Multnomah Falls was my ultimate destination in the Columbia River Gorge over the weekend. What I remember most is the sound of the falls. It sounded like a combination of thunder, a jet engine and a roller coaster. So much power! Some of the information signs on the trail warn visitors to be...

I spent the weekend in Portland, Oregon and stayed with a friend. My buddy took me to the Columbia River Gorge with the intent of visiting Multnomah Falls. We got distracted plenty of times along the way by several other of the 75+ waterfalls in the area. One of my favorites was Latourrel...