Traverse Area Camera Club Scavenger Hunt Outing

TACC organized a photography scavenger hunt at the BoardmanRiver nature Center September 12, 2009. It was a beautiful day and one of the better September Saturday mornings. Most of the folks headed right out from the River Center. Myself, I drove down to the Cass Street Dam parking lot for the trail and headed North. My intention was to end up back at the River Center. I didn't even get halfway from what I read from the map they supplied. I met a few nice folks, a birding photographer and a Boy Scout Troop on a nature trek. The highlight of the day was while I stood in the creek shooting, a deer walked right up behind me. The doe walked within 2 feet of my side and when I raised my head from the camera, she jumped and startled me. Never got a shot of her though.

The trail back was all uphill and after I re-gained my breath, drove back and met with the others at the River Center. We had hoped to show some of the photos right after the hunt, but many folks were late and the room we had was scheduled for another group. So, we departed and will review the photos at a later date. Many members of the Camera Club have posted images on the Clubs Flickr group or on their own Flickr accounts.

Worldwide Photo Walk, July 18, 2009

On a rainy Saturday morning July 18, 2009 a group of Photographers met at the Elks Lodge in Traverse City, MI for the Worldwide Photo Walk. By 10:05 am the rain turned into more of a mist and we headed out to shoot. Because of the weather, we all jumped into cars and drove to the Downtown Farmers Market. We all worked the Farmers Market for a while and then a group headed North to the Marina. Another group headed to the Downtown and worked that area.

Luckily it never rained hard and when we got back to the Elks lodge, everyone looked in good spirits. We had lunch and discussed the days shoot. The group was a mix from professional photographers to beginner level photographers. The beginners all said they had a great learning experience. Plus, many of the pro-amateur shooters said they shot photos that were very different then their normal style. Everyone seemed to agree that it was a very worthwhile endeavor and said they were looking forward to next years Worldwide Photo Walk. We'd love to have you come and be a part of it.

As the Photo Walk leader, I couldn't post my own photos on the Photo Walk website or enter the competition. With several folks asking what I shot. I thought I would post my "Best Of" shots here.

See you all next year!

Mammoth Lakes Waterfall - High Sierra Fire Kill - Bodie Ghost Town - Mono Lake

As I continued up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains the temperature dropped accordingly. The air conditioner wasn't working in my room in Mammoth Lakes. It was warm when I went to bed. But, in the morning I woke up to ice on the windows of the van.
The motel had lots of issues. No air conditioning, no ice, and then to top it off, they only served powdered milk with the Continental breakfast. The rolls were 3 days old... When I headed up the mountain all that crap melted away from my mind.
When i drove over a hill in the road and I saw the waterfall and the lakes ahead, I knew this day was going to be good. The water in the lake was so clear and cold, you could see down 20 ft where it was sandy below. The fishermen putting around in their little floating tube rafts was a trip. Fly fishing for trout is very big up there. The road to the top of the waterfall was closed. Areas of the road still had 5 or more feet of snow across it. So, I hiked through the magnificent pine trees and shuttered cabins to the edge of the waterfall. Wow, It didn't look so high from the lake. But as I hiked up along the side, the sound of the cascading water was incredible. Almost deafening! For 2 hours I worked my way up to about 1/4 of the way up. At one point I thought the edge of the snow bank I was on might break loose. My lungs were burning and screaming for more air. After i got back I found out I was up to 11,000 ft.
The climb took until noon. Then I headed back north and was hoping the pass into Yosmite was open... Well, any day they said. I didn't make it into Yosemite but a short stretch down the road was Mono Lake. There was a high pressure coming in and the wind was hitting 60 mph with gusts even higher. In certain areas I had to slow down to 20 to 30 mph because the wind almost walked me right off the road. I passed by Mono Lake hoping to get back around sunset. Bodie, the old mining ghost town was on my radar. It seemed to take forever to get there. I'll tell you, driving in the mountains is quite an experience. At least it wasn't as nasty as the road out of Jerome, AZ.
On the way up to Bodie I came around a bend and there was a large area where a forest fire had scorched everything. It was very surreal and stark. As I walked out into the charred area the ground crackled under my feet. Almost like you are in a huge bowl of Snap, Crackle and Pop cereal.
Sadly, I only got to shoot in Bodie for a couple hours. They close at 5 pm for the Winter hours. I was looking for a motel to stay at and wasn't having much luck as most of the motels around Mono Lake were still closed for winter season. Turning north again I was praying the next town would have lodging... Boy did they. To the tune of no less then $135 a night. After stopping a 3 establishments, the owner of the last one said it was slow and doubled my discount. AAA and AARP to the rescue! Oh, I almost forgot, gas was $4.89 a gallon. I almost cried when I filled my tank.
After quickly checking out the room, I decided to drive back south to Mono Lake and prayed the wind might die down by sunset. The distance to the entrance is deceiving and I almost didn't make it to the lake in time. When I got there, I was the only soul around. Then, just when I got a shot set up, a bus load of 40 or more Chinese tourists arrived and they swarmed around the area like bees. Then I had a hard time keeping them out of the shots. The wind didn't completely die down like I had wished. But, the clouds were forming to the west over the mountain range, and as the sun started its descent, the clouds in the sky turned to fire. I shot like hell until it was dark. And let me tell you brother, it was Mo Fo Dark. There isn't any light pollution out in the Mono Lake basin. As I started walking back, the full moon came out for just a few minutes giving me enough light to find my way to the trail that headed back up to the parking area. Then, the moon slipped behind some clouds. I was cold and tired when I got back to the motel and it took every last ounce of my energy just to get my camera gear in the room and pass out.

Heading up the Sierra Nevada Mountians, Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes - The Onion Valley and Other Sites

After the intense heat my drive North along the East side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains was a welcome change. As the altitude rose, the temperatures dropped accordingly. When I drove up the Onion Valley from Lone Pine, CA, the temperature dropped from 78 degrees to 58 degrees. Of course I was at 10,000 ft. Each time I jumped out to take a photo, I thought I was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen in the air.

This area was a big change from the desert with the streams full of cool clear water rushing down from the snow packed peaks. The views were stunning, absolutely stunning. I drove until I got to Mammoth Lakes and found a motel.

One point of interest, when I passed through Bishop California, I drove by Galen Rowell's gallery. If you don't know who he is, then you are missing one of the great nature photographers of our time. Sadly he and his wife passed away in a plane crash. A great loss for us all.

Route 66 and the Mojave Desert. Randsburg - Living Memories of the Past?

When the sun came up in Ludlow it was still 90 degrees. The little oasis of Ludlow had a nice little restaurant and after breakfast I headed out along the old section of Route 66 toward the entrance to the Mojave Desert. I took a chance and headed south before turning North off highway 40 and searched for Amboy. Why not? It was on the map? Well, I found it and I wasn't disappointed. East Amboy used to exist. But now all that is left is a sign and part of the old building for the Roadrunner Restaurant. I headed East and sampled some more of the "Lonely Highway."

When I finally reached hwy 40 again, I headed north into Mojave. As I drove along the temp headed higher and higher. It was hitting 100 when I was in the valley of Amboy. As I reached the sand dunes in the Mojave, it was reaching 105.

At the dunes in the Mojave, I found a little oasis with a couple small trees, see photo, and watched the roadrunners dart around. The shade was a welcome relief. By the time I stopped in Baker, California, the temp hit 110 degrees. Then, I headed North again and looped through winding mountain roads and found Randsburg, an old mining town that is listed as a Ghost Town. When in reality, it is a living Mining Ghost Town.

In Randsburg I toured the sites and stopped at Bob's Emporium and sat and talked to Bob and had a beer as the sun went down. Up on the mountain the temp dropped to 72 degrees with a nice cool breeze. We talked until it got dark and I headed into the night searching for a motel.

Touring old Route 66, The Disappearing Memories of the Past

After a day of rest and re-packing the van, I headed back East to find Route 66. On my last trip in 2004 out West, I kept seeing all these old abandoned gas stations, restaurants and rest-stops along highway 15 heading into LA. I couldn't stop then and made a note to investigate them on the next trip. After some research I discovered that where Hwy 15 and Hwy 40 merge in Southern California there would probably be the nighest density of these old relics. Boy, was I right.

Well, I was a kid in a candy store and made a huge loop back and forth across the freeways investigating locations until it got dark. Then, reality set in and I realized I might have to drive 100 miles out of my way just to get a motel. I took a chance and headed to Ludlow. My prayers were answered and there was the Ludlow Motel sign beckoning me in the dark. The only motel out there within a 75 mile radius. It was classic 60's decor. But hey, it was a bed and the shower worked. An interesting point was that because the water is stored in tanks raised off the ground, you had hot and hotter water in your room. The temp for the day was in the low 100's. So, no cold water for you!

Cruising the Pacific Coast Highway, visiting Sherman's Botanical Gardens and Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Today I took the whole day and cruised down toward San Diego on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was quite a journey. The road in many spots was so narrow I wondered if I was going to become a statistic. I stopped in Santa Anna at Sherman's Botanical Gardens. It was an experience and I recommend it if you get in the area.

Then, I cruised along the coast and enjoyed the cool temps. It was in the 90's inland but in the 70's along the coast. The views were amazing. It is a place that you need 2 or 3 days to explore at least. Take lots of dough. Parking and anything you need there is expensive.

I got to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia late and it wasn't open. But, just walking around the outside was worth it.

Need I even say what the drive was like heading back to Tustin... at rush hour!