Category Archives: California

Central Sierra Mountains

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July 2021

Sage and I enjoyed five days exploring Calaveras and Alpine counties in the Sierra Nevada, from the foothills to a mountain pass. I traveled with Lynn, Sue, and Monica, plus Laika, Monica’s English Cocker. Dogs and humans got along great. The highlight of most days was swimming, especially at Lake Alpine. The highs ranged from 80o (27oC) to over 100o F (38oC), depending on our elevation each day (a welcome escape from this year’s relentlessly foggy summer in San Francisco). Unlike at home, we did not see a single mask. We are all vaccinated, and our activities were outdoors, so I didn’t worry about Covid.

White Pines Lake
Sierra Nevada Logging Museum
The Big Stump – If this tree had not been cut down, it would be the largest living thing on earth (excluding giant fungi)
Siamese Twins – the lefthand trees sprouted so close together that their trunks have merged for about 50’
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
Giant Sequoias have thicker bark than any other tree
Calaveras Big Trees
Our Cabin
Lynn on back deck
Monica enjoying a cocktail
Not our first choice for dinner
Sadly, there were many dead animals mounted on the walls
We floated through this cave
It wasn’t long enough to be completely dark inside
Sage and Laika
Lake Alpine
Our first swimming spot
Our second swimming spot, at the Marmot Day Use Area
Monica
Laika
Sue
Awe, ducklings
Sage
Happy travelers
We strolled through Murphys after dinner on our last night.
That’s me
Monica and I returned here for a tasty breakfast on our way home
A fitting subject for 4th of July week

Monday, July 5 – Getting There, Leisurely

I picked up Monica shortly after 9:00, and we introduced Sage and Laika. They are both good travelers and got along fine. We stopped for lunch next to a cute small lake in White Pines Park, in Arnold. There was a logging museum nearby so we took a stroll through rusting equipment afterwards. Less than 150 years ago this was state of the art machinery, sadly used to destroy ancient forests. We stopped at a couple stores looking for swim noodles, but they were sold out everywhere, thanks to recent heat wave. I bought an inflatable ring instead. We drove up to Lake Alpine, took the dogs for a short walk, and scouted locations for the next day. 

We met Lynn and Sue in the late afternoon at our rented A-frame cabin in Camp Connell, a tiny community at 4760’ (1450 meters) in Calaveras County. I fixed dinner – salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts – which took twice as long to cook as at home. While waiting we enjoyed gin and tonics on the deck. After dinner, we moved indoors to get away from mosquitos and started a jigsaw puzzle. 

Tuesday, July 6 – Big Trees

We are each on our own for breakfast. I ate a piece of leftover salmon with goat cheese on a toasted slice of homemade sourdough, a tasty combo. Afterwards, we headed to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, arriving shortly before 10:00. I took the popular North Grove Loop, while the others, along with the dogs, took a longer loop on fire roads. At 1.7 miles, it’s the longest “hike” I’ve done since I pulled a hamstring a month ago. I went slowly and took lots of pictures of the remaining large sequoias (the biggest were logged more than a century ago).

After a stop at Big Trees grocery store in Arnold, we returned to our cabin for lunch, eating a variety of what Alex in his youth called “rabbit food” and what I might call “nibblies” – crackers, hummus, egg salad, olive, carrot sticks, fruit, etc.  We then packed up our swim gear and headed back to Lake Alpine. Sage rode on the front floor and Laika on Lynn’s lap. 

We went swimming just past the Marmot Day Use Area (more floating than swimming in my colorful ring which attracted fluorescent dragonflies). The water felt chilly at first but it didn’t take me long to get adjusted. Sage was very tempted by sticks but would not go deep enough to get her paws off the bottom.

Our challenge of the day was finding dinner. First, we headed to a restaurant in Arnold whose website and voice mail stated they were open. It was closed due to a plumbing problem or something. We drove by several other restaurants, all closed on Tuesdays. We lowered our sights and headed to a brew pub, only to find out they weren’t serving food that day. We finally settled on the Lube Room Saloon, which was only serving pizza that day, one fixed size, cheese or pepperoni, that’s it. I enjoyed my beer more than the couple small slices I consumed. Still hungry, we headed back to Big Trees, the store not the park, where the deli section was closed. I found a pack of frozen mini pot-stickers which I nuked back at the cabin.  After the kitchen was clean, Lynn, Sue, and I enjoyed a soak in the hot tub.

Wednesday, July 7, 2021 – A Cave, A Hammock, and Community Train

After breakfast, we headed down mountain to a trailhead leading to a cave along the river (more like a stream during this summer of a drought year); we left the dogs at the cabin. I slowly walked the mile or so each way. A nice woman from Guatemala greeted us with fresh herbs she’d just harvested; she was picnicking with her family on the rocks next to us. I used a trekking pole to carefully enter the water, the wet rocks were extra slippery thanks to bits of green slime. The water was a tad colder than Lake Alpine. We got on rafts and half floated, half paddled through a short cave. What fun! After lunch, I dunked my whole body, clothes and all, except hiking boots, in the water to provide portable air conditioning for the walk back to the car. 

Lynn and Sue were ready for another adventure so they headed off to explore a swimming spot near Boards Crossing Bridge (later reported to be a beautiful spot, but with water moving too rapid to swim much). Monica and I stayed at the cabin. I played fetch with Sage and dozed in a hammock. 

When the swimmers returned, Lynn fixed vodka tonics which we enjoyed with my avocado dip. Lynn and Sue cooked ribs, squash, and mashed cauliflower for dinner. We wrapped up the evening with several rounds of Community Train (a.k.a. Mexican Train, a variation of dominos). 

Thursday, July 8 – Hwy 4 (Ebbetts Pass to Murphys)

We headed up Highway 4, stopping here and there along the way. Our first stop being a fifteen minute wait for road pavers; we had a pleasant chat with the flag holder. Rather than leave his cats and wife behind each week, he drives two hours each way to the job site. Next up was the Bear Valley ski area where Sue worked in her ski enthusiast (a.k.a. ski bum) days. Even without snow, it’s a pretty location. We then winded our way up to Ebbetts Pass (8730’, 2660 meters) where we took a short walk to stretch our legs. On our way back down, we stopped for lunch at the picnic table we spotted on our way up. A few miles east of Lake Alpine, it offered a beautiful wide view of the mountains and puffy white clouds. 

We stopped at the lodge for ice cream, then headed to the Marmot Day Use area on the west shore of Lake Alpine, where we once again relished swimming and floating. Sage enjoyed fetching sticks along the shore, until a mean dog nipped her. Fortunately, she was fine and got to play again later when he departed. I was sitting on a stool, sketching, when I felt an earthquake, followed by a couple aftershocks. The women floating in the water also felt it. We later learned that the epicenter was only 35 miles east of us; it measured 6.0. 

We got back to our cabin later than planned, so I took a super quick shower before we headed down to Murphys, with the biggest selection of restaurants in the area. We enjoyed our meals and sangria at Rob’s Place. It was still in the 90’s when we completed our after-dinner stroll through this cute town and headed up the mountain. Back at the cabin, we finished the jigsaw puzzle we started a couple days back.

Friday, July 9 – Home 

Check-out time was 10:00, we almost made it. (That seems awfully early given that we couldn’t check in until 4:00). We headed in two different directions after cleaning up and packing. Lynn and Sue returned to Lake Alpine for a final swim, while Monica and I went to breakfast at Murphys Hotel. It was 101o F (38oC) at 11:00 am; and we worried about the dogs’ paws crossing the asphalt. Fortunately, the shade and misters kept us comfortable. We split a delicious veggie omelet. We were back in the city by 3:00. Fortunately, it was sunny and relatively warm so I didn’t freeze in my sandals and capris. 

San Luis Obispo

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For only the second time since shutdown, I traveled out of town, this time for three nights in Pismo Beach. Kate and I both got covid tests ahead of time so we felt comfortable driving down together and sharing a hotel room. I especially liked tide-pooling, outdoor dining, and watching the pelicans. It was foggy every morning and evening, so we saw no sunsets. But we found sun every day a mile of so inland.

  • Spooner’s Cove, Montaña de Oro
  • Avila Beach
  • Lifeguards in training
  • Avila Beach, late afternoon
  • Heermann’s Gull
  • We saw fewer masks than in SF
  • Los Osos
  • Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
  • There are fiberglass cows scattered around SLO.
  • Creekside dining
  • Morro Rock
  • Curlew
  • Marbled Godwit
  • Snowy Egret
  • Hazard Canyon Reef
  • Gumboot chiton
  • Kate
  • Above Sandpit Beach
  • Montaña de Oro State Park
  • View from Bluff Trail
  • Along Bluff Trail
  • California Gull
  • Thistle
  • Pelicans in Pismo Beach
  • Margo Dodd Park, Tuesday evening
  • Margo Dodd Park
  • Margo Dodd Park, Wednesday morning
  • when the sun came out.
  • Barefoot explorer
  • Anemone
  • Low tides came early in the day.

Sunday (9/20/20) – Scenic Drive to Pismo Beach

I picked up Kate at 8:00 and we drove about four hours to San Luis Obispo County. We had a picnic lunch in Morro Bay, took a short stroll in Los Osos, then visited Spooner’s Cove in Montaña del Oro State Park. Shortly after we left the beach, I realized that my phone was missing and figured it fell out of my pocket when we sat to put on shoes. We drove back and after a few frantic minutes of searching, I found it partially covered with sand. Whew! 

We checked into our Pismo Beach hotel, wiped down the room with Lysol wipes, and plugged in an air purifier. Our room overlooked a foggy cliff filled with pelicans. We got take out from Mo’s BBQ, the chicken was dry and the corn muffin tasteless. 

Monday (9/21/20) – San Luis Obispo and beaches

We ate a boring take-out breakfast at the hotel, then drove into warm, sunny San Luis Obispo. We explored downtown, took a pleasant walk along SLO Creek, and enjoyed a delicious lunch at Novo – we split lettuce wraps, brussels sprouts, and vanilla bean crème brûlée. Yum.

Back on the coast, I took a short nap on foggy Morro Strand State Beach, sleepy after drinking an Arrogant Bastard Ale at lunch. We then strolled the beach collecting sand dollars and watching the shorebirds. 

It was sunny by the time we reached Avila Beach, in the late afternoon. We got ice creams and took another beach stroll. Then we headed Ada’s Fish House in Pismo Beach for dinner where the parking lot had been converted into a dining room for socially distanced dining. We split another tasty meal – crab cakes, salmon with broccolini, and sweet potatoes fries.

Tuesday (9/22/20) – Montaña de Oro State Park

Seeking tidepools, we parked at Sandpit Beach and walked to Hazard Canyon Reef. In hindsight, we could have found a more direct route, but this way we were able to collect clam shells. The reef has fascinating sedimentary rock formations, spoiled here and there by black spots from an oil spill. We drove further into the park and took a walk along the Bluff Trail just as the sun was finally coming out – beautiful views of the coastline!

We headed back to SLO for a late lunch/early dinner at Novo – BLTA and a mixed salad with salmon. The desserts weren’t as good as the crème brûlée. Back at our hotel, I photographed pelicans while Kate went in search of water dogs (a.k.a. water shoes) to replace the ones left on the roof of the car. (She did not find any and went barefoot for our last beach exploration). 

Wednesday (9/23/20) – Margo Dodd Park

We visited one last beach before heading home. It was more rock outcropping than beach and required a bit of scrambling. I enjoyed the sea caves. The sun came out while we were there, and based on the forecast it might have remained clear all day. But alas, we were headed home. We stopped for a picnic lunch in King City, and afterwards listened to the Spotify playlist I will eventually play at a dance party to celebrate the end of the pandemic (instead of the special birthday party that would have taken place six months ago). 

Tahoe Donner

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I got out of town a couple weeks ago for the first time since shutdown, for a short camping trip with Anne, Amy, and Ginny. We took four cars and stayed in four tents. It felt great to get out of the fog and into the warm Sierra near Donner Lake. 

  • Near campsite
  • Someone has good balance
  • Thanks to all the RV’s, we virtually had the restroom to ourselves.
  • Anne on Donner Canyon hike
  • Alpine Lily
  • Mariposa Lily
  • Near our lunch spot
  • Anne, Amy, and Ginny
  • From the highpoint of our hike
  • Donner Summit Bridge
  • Stream below bridge
  • Donner Pass Highway
  • Two of several rockcllimbers
  • Amy above Donner Lake
  • Beaver Pond or Swampy Meadow
  • Playing with pine needles
  • Sunset from campsite

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

It took just over three hours for me to reach our destination, Alder Creek Campground, so I needed no stops on the way. Anne arrived at about the same time, and the other two were closely behind. We set up our tents in the shade and went for a short hike on a nearby trail. Pine trees, a small meadow, and wildflowers here and there. It was in the 80’s so we were content to spend the rest of the afternoon at our campsite, sketching. Anne and I split take-out Mediterranean food, while Amy and Ginny hydrated a bag of backpacking food. 

Wednesday, July 15

A pump house next to our site made noise all night, otherwise this is a terrific camping spot. After much debate, we settled on a hike at Donner Pass, and headed out in two cars, masks on, windows open. Google neglected to inform us that the final section of Donner Pass Highway was closed, so we started hiking three miles earlier than planned, heading up to through Donner Pass Canyon. We stopped for lunch near where we had planned to start. It was a great hike with a variety of trails, views of Donner Lake, and wildflowers.

We stopped for ice on our way back to camp. I skipped a shower, to minimize my chance of virus exposure, and cleaned up with wet wipes. (Though I was tempted when I saw how refreshed Amy and Anne were when they returned). We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our campsite, drawing pictures, chatting, eating dinner, and playing Pictionary. 

Thursday, July 16

After breakfast and packing, I took a short walk on the nearby trail and then headed home, arriving in time to shower before my afternoon painting class. 

Lighthouse Road Trip

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As I shelter in place, I’m slowly catching up on a backlog of photo projects. I hope you are staying healthy, physically and emotionally, and I look forward to reconnecting with many of you in person, someday. 

I took this trip two years ago, in 2018, with Susan and Sage, my then six-month old Border Collie.  Our goal was to see all of the lighthouses between San Francisco and the Oregon border.

 

4/13/18 – Drive to Arcata

We left town mid-morning, stopped for a short picnic lunch along a river, and when we reached Rockefeller Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, took turns taking short hikes since dogs aren’t allowed on the trails. The quietness was wonderful.  We reached our dog-friendly Airbnb around 6:00 p.m. and snacked in the room – hummus, veggies, chips, and a great bottle of wine – and then soaked in the hot tub.

4/14/18 – A Day in the Sun

After playing fetch with Sage in the large back yard, we headed over to the Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse, a replica of the original lighthouse and a memorial for those lost at sea. We stopped at a Farmer Market, strolled at Trinidad Head – lots of seagulls, fishermen, boats, and stinging nettle – took a scenic drive, and ended up at Clam Beach for a light, late lunch. An orchid show in Eureka, a walk in Sequoia Park, and we were reach for a siesta with Sage flat out on her side. (A tired Border Collie is a rare thing). A good salad and heavy pizza for dinner, followed by another hot tub soak. Relaxing.

4/15/18 – Drizzly

We ate breakfast at a cafe in town, then took a two-mill loop in the Acrada Community Forest. The drizzle wasn’t letting up so we headed to the theater and enjoyed a movie, Isle of the Dogs. We ate dinner at the Plaza Grill, great crab cakes and salad, followed by dessert at Arcata Scoop.

4/16/18 – Drive to Crescent City

It was a chilly day, in the 40’s, but the projected rain didn’t materialize so we were happy. We made many stops along the way, and took turns with short hikes in Lady Bird Johnson Grove. We saw elk in Prairie Creek State Park, on way to our next Airbnb across the street from Pebble Beach. The Battery Point Lighthouse was closed, but it was low tide and we were able to walk around it. After a beach walk, we ate dinner in our spacious lodging. I returned to the beach for sunset pictures while Susan watched the Warriors game.

4/17/18 – Trees of Mystery

I woke up with a mild cold. Rande, our Airbnb hostess gave us a tour of her art studio, I was especially inspired by her art quilts. Sage enjoyed a bit of fetch and then we headed out to a hokey tourist attraction I last visited decades ago with my sons, Trees of Mystery. There we strolled through big trees and large wood carvings of animals. Sage was not happy about the tram ride, and we were under impressed with the view at the top. The day was overcast, but we enjoyed a stroll at Crescent Beach, watched more elk, and enjoyed another sunset at Pebble Beach right across from our lodging. I like this place.

 4/18/18 – Drive to Fort Bragg

After packing, I had a pleasant chat with Samuel, our other gracious host while playing fetch with Sage in the puppy park, a parcel of land across the street that they purchased primarily for their dogs to enjoy.

We spent most of the day on the road. I drove to Eureka where we had a picnic lunch on a lawn at the marina, after stopping at the Wildberries Marketplace in Arcata. Susan drove the rest of the way. We spent much of that time listening to “Nickel and Dimed” for our political book club, not our favorite selection. I napped briefly still fighting off the cold that Susan is hoping to avoid.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at our remote Airbnb lodging, a spacious one-bedroom apartment above a garage surrounded by trees. I took Sage, who is an awesome traveller, to play fetch in the large adjacent yard.

We had a very pleasant dinner – fish tacos for dinner on an outside patio at Silver’s at the Wharf, at Noyo Harbor. They had a dog menu, so I ordered a bone for Sage which kept her occupied for the whole meal. We finished just in time to catch the end of sunset in the Noyo Headlands.

4/19/18 – Mendocino

After visiting the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, we admired wildflowers along the Mendocino bluffs and ate a late lunch on the outdoor patio at Mendocino Café, Sage was perfect. We did a bit of shopping, Susan bought a couple items.  We were going to walk along the perimeter of the Mendocino Headlands but turned back shortly after we started due to wind. Instead we visited a couple galleries, and Mendocino Art Center where I’d like to take a class someday (and did so in July 2019).

4/20/18 – Point Arena

We climbed 145 steps to the top of Point Arena Lighthouse, tied with Pigeon Point as the tallest on the west coast – great views! The original was damaged in the 1906 earthquake and rebuild two years later. It looks to me like the point around it is eroding away. We skipped our planned hike on the Stornetta trail, due to incoming fog and wind, and after a late lunch in Elk, headed inland into sunshine. We took a hike in Hendy Woods State Park, on the Big Hendy loop which allowed dogs. I love hiking amongst old growth Redwoods. We started another jigsaw puzzle before sunset.

4/21/18 – Drive Home

After fetch with Sage, we finished our jigsaw puzzle and packed the car. I drove the first half, a beautiful route down coast then Hwy 128 to 101, lined with Redwoods and later lush green on oak trees still standing around the vineyards that are sadly replacing native grasslands and woodlands around California.

 

 

Art Camp

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June 9-16, 2019

I recently returned from my third year at Feather River Art Camp, rooming with Chris again. It’s great fun to spend a week in the mountains creating art with fellow campers. I started each day with Thai Chi exercises, spent the mornings in my core class (encaustics this year, mosaics last), then explored various workshops and hikes in the afternoons and evenings. The dining hall food was much improved, and I learned to play Mexican Train and Rummikub so I’m ready for game nights.

  • There were no rattlesnakes under my tent cabin this year.
  • My encaustic class
  • some of our artwork
  • on of my pieces
  • This moth hung out in our “classroom” for several hours before flying off
  • Spanish Creek runs through camp
  • Near the swimming hole, closed for most of the week due to high water, icy cold from snow melt
  • I left camp one afternoon to kayak and swim in Bucks Lake.
  • Larry, the ukulele and guitar teacher, and Audrey
  • That’s me
  • Sue and Lynn
  • Along Cascade Trail
  • Deborah and Rivka
  • Cascade on Spanish Creek
  • Sybil
  • Sunset
  • Art show on last day
  • I made a couple of these bells.
  • Fused Glass class
  • We detoured to Indian Falls on our way home.
  • Lynn and Sue
  • Me again
  • Farewell to the mountains

La Jolla

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Though I still need to catch up on trips from last year, I’m posting this one now since it’s quick and easy.

September 25-28, 2018

I took a short trip to visit my friend Dede. We realized that it’s been four years since my last visit, too long. As usual it was very relaxing. I took daily walks on the beach and enjoyed wearing sandals.

Tuesday

Dede picked me up from the airport in the early afternoon. As soon as we got to her home, I headed to the beach. It’s about a 15-minute walk down and a 20-minute walk back up. I’m glad I went since this was the only sunny day I had at the beach during my visit. There is almost as much fog here as at home, but it’s warmer.

When I got back we enjoyed dinner on her patio. Her friend Victor barbequed ribs, and we enjoyed a bottle of red wine. For me, it’s a luxury to be able to eat outdoors in the evening.

Wednesday

 I took one of Dede’s three dogs, 90-pound Buddy, for a walk on the beach in the morning.  Dogs are only allowed before 9:00 a.m. and after 6:00 pm. Though he’s huge, he’s well trained and easy to walk. I’m not used to male dogs and counted 16 leg lifts at bushes and trees on our way up and down the hill.

In the afternoon, Dede and I took Buddy and a Ellie May, a small fluffy white dog, for a visit to a memory care center. Though some of the residents were not responsive, most perked up and were happy to pet them. When she’s a bit older, I’m hoping to train Sage, my almost year-old Border Collie, to be a therapeutic visitation dog.

Dede’s friend John later joined us for a barbeque at the beach. We had hoped for a nice sunset, but no luck. Given that it was mid-week and overcast we virtually had the beach to ourselves.  Salmon, corn on the cob, salad, and boysenberry pie, yum!

Thursday

We spent the whole morning glued to the tube watching the Kavanaugh hearing. Sadly things have not has changed much in the 36 years since Anita Hill bravely came forward. I broke away to take a long, leisurely barefoot stroll along the beach before attending a Veterans for Peace protest. They would like to see the Miramar airshow discontinued since it glorifies war.

Friday

I took Buddy for one last beach walk, then packed up and headed to the airport. My flight was delayed slightly due to fog in San Francisco, but was otherwise uneventful.

Death Vally & the Eastern Sierra

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In March, I spent almost a week in Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra (sorry for delay; I got busy with the rest of my life and forgot to post this entry). I camped in Death Valley with twenty women, three men, and a cheerful nine-year old. The El Niño super bloom was past, but there were still flowers to be seen. See below the fold, i.e. after photos, for details.

Mirages on the horizon                                                                                                                                 red and ochre folds of earth                                                                                                                       warm breezes parch the arid land.

Ravens cry in the treetops                                                                                                                             coyotes yap in the distance                                                                                                                           a pair of grackles sings at dawn.

Desert Gold and other flowers                                                                                                                     dot the harsh landscape                                                                                                                           delicate petals protected in slot canyons.

Devil’s this and Devil’s that,                                                                                                                           badlands and craters                                                                                                                             golden walls and mounds of salt.

Three bright stars, among the millions                                                                                                       Orion’s belt.                                                                                                                                                   A nearly full moon, watches through the night.

Wind rustles                                                                                                                                                 invasive Tamarack trees                                                                                                                                 barely reaching tents nestled among them.

Another day, gusts                                                                                                                                     obscuring the view                                                                                                                                     coating everything with dust.

A row of photographers at dawn                                                                                                                 soft purple glow on snowcapped peaks                                                                                                   tilted striations of sedimentary rock.

Vast, not empty,                                                                                                                                           defined by wind and water,                                                                                                                           rapidly moving, and absent.

© Deborah Hall

3/25 – A Packed Car

I picked up Paget in mid-afternoon, then we drove to Oakland and picked up Carol. My Subaru was filled to the gills. Commuter traffic was starting by the time we left, so we didn’t reach Bakersfield until 10 pm where we spent the night in a cheap hotel.

3/26 – Furnace Creek

We got to camp shortly after noon, set up our tents, and then explored the valley. Carol has never been here before, so we took her to see some of the classic sights. No beautiful salt patterns at Badwater; they were apparently washed away in a big storm last fall. I wonder how long it will take nature to restore them. We got back to camp in time for a shower and swim before dinner: burritos.

3/27 – Hike in Golden Canyon

Though I’ve hiked in this canyon several times before, this is the first time I went all the way up to Zabriskie Point. It was a beautiful hike, definitely worth repeating. A thin cloud cover kept us comfortable. That night we shared a tasty potluck with our fellow campers, with Easter peeps for desert, and a lantern for a campfire.

3/18 – Hike in Fall Canyon

I drove north with a carload of hikers to this canyon north of Stovepipe. A totally different hike than yesterday, more sheer rock and not as colorful. We saw more darting lizards and pair of redheaded black beetles mating.

On the way back the wind picked up and the valley view turned gray. A few of us drove north to check out Ubehebe Crater. By the time we returned to camp everything was covered with a layer of dust (almost as much as at Burning Man). More than half our fellow campers packed up and headed home early. I went to dinner at the restaurant with Ellen, a fellow camper, and slept in my car, a needless precaution. A light rain cleared the air and the wind stopped around sunset.

3/29 – Death Valley to Lone Pine

I drove off while everyone else was still in their sleeping bags and watched the sunrise at Zabriski Point. It wasn’t the most colorful I’ve seen, but a pleasure to watch. After breakfast we packed the car and headed out, with our cracked lips and visions of clean sheets. We made one stop on our way out of the valley, for a short hike in Mosaic Canyon. I fell and broke my point-and-shoot camera, not the first time; I’m sure glad I paid for that extended warranty. We reached Lone Pine in the afternoon, in time for a scenic drive through the Alabama Hills to Manzanar, one of the Japanese internment camps. I hope we never repeat this sad chapter in our history. With one camera down and my Olympus running low on batteries, I shot many pictures with my cell phone.

3/30 – Alabama Hills to Lee Vining

Paget and Carol joined me for sunrise in the Alabama Hills. It snowed overnight and the Sierras were whiter than the night before. I love seeing the first light hit peaks. Then we headed north and went snowshoeing near Mammoth (covered in “Snow Weekends” blog post). I had a late lunch afterwards, a bowl of chili, and, to celebrate my birthday, a glass of wine. Afterwards they led the way to a small hot spring surrounded by snow-capped peaks. It was too hot to stay in long, but the view was wonderful. It was cloudy by the time we reached Lee Vining, so there was no sunset to see at Mono Lake.

3/31 – Mono Lake, then Home

I tiptoed out of the room before sunrise and drove over to Mono Lake. Other than one other photographer, I had the place to myself and spent a peaceful hour or two wandering through the tufa. One our way home, we stopped near Bridgeport for another hot spring soak. This time the temperature was perfect. We got back to the Bay Area before dark.

Snow Weekends

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El Niño didn’t deliver the anticipated whooper rainfall, but it did provide almost normal snowfall in the Sierras, which is much more than we’ve received in our drought-stricken state for several years. I was fortunate to get up to the mountains three times this season.

January 16-18 – Claire Tappan

Ten of the women in my hiking group stayed in a dorm room at this Sierra Club lodge near Donner Summit. It snowed every day so we left our cars in the lot and shoe shoed from the lodge each day.

February 5-9 – Echo Summit

Six of us rented a cabin near South Lake Tahoe. Most of us snow shoed every day. I also went down hill skiing for the first time in over a decade! I stuck to the green runs a bit more than the blue. I had a great time and hope to return next year.

March 30 – Mammoth

Last year I spent my birthday in New Zealand and Australia; this year I watched the sunrise above the Eastern Sierras, then snow shoed near Mammoth. (See upcoming Death Valley post for the rest of my activities this week).

Above San Francisco

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December 12

I didn’t go far, but I’m considering this travel since an airplane was involved. Alex finally collected on the present I gave him for his 30th birthday, one year ago today. We took a 45-minute seaplane tour over the Bay Area. The weather was not optimal, but the view was awesome. (I had to increase the contrast quite a bit to get usable pictures).

Southern California

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I just completed a short road trip to Southern California with Carmen, a friend of Sibylle’s, now a friend of mine, visiting from Switzerland.

9/30/15 – The Broad

We left early to avoid the morning commute in the Bay Area, zipped down I-5 and reached Los Angeles around noon. We’d heard that The Broad, a new contemporary art museum, was sold out, but we went directly there just to see the building and were pleasantly surprised to find a line for people without reservations. Our wait was short (thankfully, since it was hot outside, in the 90’s) and the entry free, which reduced the sting of the $20 parking fee. We downloaded The Broad app, bought a pair of headphones (we have many, but none with us), and headed up a long portal (escalator) to the top floor of the museum, which contains most of the exhibits. I popped back and forth between a couple of the self-guided tours listening to lots of interesting commentary as we strolled about the spacious, brightly lit galleries. It was a pleasant afternoon.

Afterwards, we walked across the street and I took a few pictures of the Disney Concert Hall, a fascinating building designed by Frank Gehry. It opened in 2003, which shows you how longs it’s been since I’ve been to L.A.. No performances fit our schedule, so I won’t be seeing the inside.

10/1/15 – Disneyland

What fun! We got in at opening and left just as the fireworks were starting. I hadn’t been in at least 15 years, but overall little has changed, including the lines. The addition of FastPass allowed us to pre-schedule the most popular rides, e.g. Splash Mountain in the middle of a hot afternoon. Taking advice from friends who visited the park recently, we grabbed a ticket for Star Tours then headed directly to Space Mountain, starting off with two of our favorites, which we repeated later in the day (discovering that there is more than one star tour). According to the Health app on my phone, we walked about 28,000 steps. My feet were definitely ready for a break when we finally sat down on the curb to wait for the night parade. Gratefully Carmen drove us back up to LA in the dark. (Ideally, I would stay in Anaheim the night before and after Disneyland, but that didn’t fit well with our other plans).

10/2/15 – The Getty and Santa Monica

After two early mornings, it felt good to sleep in at our Airbnb in Hollywood. With the AC on and shades drawn, I slept for a rare ten hours and woke feeling totally refreshed. We walked up to a café for breakfast and then took a Lyft ride to the Getty Center, letting someone else deal with the crazy traffic the L.A. is rightfully known for. Another free museum with expensive parking, a great way to encourage carpooling. This amazing white complex up on a hill is worth visiting for the architecture alone, especially as the haze cleared and we were able to glimpse the city and the ocean in the distance. Here they provide iPods and headphones and we could enter the number of selected pieces to hear about them. One of the most fascinating was Christ’s Entry into Brussels in 1889 by James Ensor.

Afterwards, we took a taxi to Santa Monica. The weather was perfect as we explored the pier and strolled barefoot along the beach. It was late afternoon by the time we made it to the other side of town for an early dinner at Marix, a Mexican restaurant that served yummy mojitos. The Lyft ride back, now in the middle of the evening commute, took so long that I had the driver stop at a fast food joint so I could use the restroom on our way.

10/2/15 – LA County Museum

 I puttered on my laptop while Carmen slept in, then we packed the car and headed to brunch on nearby Sunset Blvd. It was close to noon by the time we got to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. We say only a fraction of the exhibits spread across several buildings. I particularly liked Breathing Light by Ganzfeld. This light-filled room with slowly changing colors felt infinite.

It was mid-afternoon when we departed and it took 3.5 hours to get to La Jolla, a distance that would take about half that if it weren’t for the incessant traffic. The tasty veggie chili I ate earlier wrecked havoc on my digestive system, so after a couple urgent bathroom stops I purchased medicine to put a stop to that. When we got to our destination, Carmen and I walked down to an Italian restaurant where I watched her eat dinner.

 10/3-10/5 – La Jolla

Carmen and I spend a leisurely three days staying with my friend Dede, whom I met almost a quarter century ago at a parent gathering when her son and my youngest were in preschool. We bonded over monthly hikes. When she first moved to back to La Jolla, where she was raised, I visited annually. Back then, I’d arrive at the airport 15 minutes before my $49 round-trip flight with skewers of chicken in my carry-on luggage ready for a barbeque at the beach. That all changed with the shoe bomber. Between our travel schedules, it’s been a half dozen years or so since my last visit. Hopefully the next one will be much sooner.

We got some much-needed rain on our first two days, but there were breaks so I was able to stroll barefoot along the breach every morning, camera in hand, my favorite La Jolla activity. We also did a bit of shopping, treated ourselves to a massage and pedicure, and hung out at the house. In other words, we did very little and it felt wonderful. Dede and a friend joined us for dinner on the terrace one day, where we watched a nice sunset. On our last night we drive into San Diego and saw In Your Arms, a very enjoyable theatrical dance performance.

To avoid traffic, we left after the theater and drove to Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles, reaching our hotel around midnight.

10/6/15 – Home Again

The five and a half hour drive home was uneventful: cruise control on I-5, shifting lanes to past trucks, and smooth flowing traffic on the Bay Bridge. It’s good to be back and out of the car.