Tag Archives: California

May 29, 2023 · 6:36 am

National Parks Traveler Checklist: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is indeed a land of extremes. If it’s desert landscapes you are looking for, you’ll find them. But you can also find lusher landscapes and – at higher elevations – temperatures 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) lower than what you experience in the valley. It really pays to plan for a trip to this national park of extremes, and the National Parks Traveler has published my Traveler Checklist for Death Valley as part of its continuing series of Traveler Checklists.

To read this checklist, click on the image above.

I have experienced high heat in this park, and I am so entranced by this place that I’d really like to visit it again – in December, January, or February. Even at six days, I still didn’t get to do everything I wanted (partly because I stayed out of the hotter part of the day, ranging from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.). So, that’s the next goal on my bucket list.

This telephoto image is looking out across the valley and salt flat (not at Badwater Basin, but elsewhere along the Badwater Road). Take a close look across the valley at the series of alluvial fans, some of which coalesce into each other. This coalescing feature is known as a bajada (bah-haw-duh). Keep this in mind because it *might* be a question on an upcoming Death Valley quiz and trivia piece for the Traveler.

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Tagged as California, checklist, Death Valley, Death Valley National Park, landscape, National Park, National Parks Traveler, photography, planning, travel, Traveler's Checklist, where the trails take you

April 20, 2023 · 5:55 am

Trails I’ve Hiked: The Cinder Cone Trail

There’s a series occasionally published by the National Parks Traveler called “Trails I’ve Hiked.” I recently wrote about hiking the Cinder Cone Trail in Lassen Volcanic National Park and it’s published in today’s edition of the Traveler.

Click the image to check out the article. Maybe you’ll want to visit this national park and hike this trail. There are certainly fewer crowds along this trail than along other popular ones in the park.

This image is an iPhone shot I captured during my hike back down the steep, unconsolidated pumice and volcanic ash trail after spending time at the Cinder Cone summit. In the distance, on the upper right corner, you can see Butte Lake surrounded by the black blocky rock of Fantastic Lava Beds. Butte Lake is where this trail begins, so I had a little bit to go to get back to my vehicle.

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Tagged as California, Cinder Cone Trail, hike, hiking, iPhone, iPhone Photography, iPhone shot, Lassen Volcanic National Park, National Park, National Parks Traveler, photography, trail, trails

December 20, 2022 · 5:50 am

Photography In The National Parks: A Matter Of Perspective

Photography is a matter of perspective, you know. It’s how *you* see things through your camera lens. My latest photography column has been published in the National Parks Traveler, and it deals with photographic perspective, using sample images I captured while visiting Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.

To read the article, click on either of the two images above.

The first image is the ground level view of the wall of blocky, black lava rock comprising the Fantastic Lava Beds, next to Butte Lake in the northeastern section of the park.

The second image is a much higher view of the lava beds from the summit of Cinder Cone, about 2 miles away from the first view.

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November 22, 2022 · 4:56 am

Photography In The National Parks: Getting Great Smartphone Shots – Part 2

It’s #TriviaTuesday folks! If you visit Lassen Volcanic National Park in California, you’ll have the opportunity to see all four types of volcano: plug dome (aka lava dome), cinder cone, shield, and strato (aka composite). And you can hike up to each of these, too. Lassen Peak is one of the world’s largest plug domes, Prospect Peak is a shield volcano, Brokeoff Mountain is an eroded part of stratovolcano Mount Tehama, and, well, Cinder Cone is a cinder cone. You can even hike up to and then down into Cinder Cone, pictured here.

This shot was captured with my iPhone. And speaking of iPhones, and smartphones in general, my latest photo column has been published in the National Parks Traveler: Getting Great Smartphone Shots – Part 2.

To read the article, click on the image above

I’m an SLR gal, but I readily admit the smartphone camera is an amazing piece of technology and smartphone cameras can get some pretty cool shots. I used mine when I neglected to bring along a particular wide-angle lens for my other camera during my own hike up to Cinder Cone. And I wanted to prove, not only to myself, but to you also, that you can get some very nice images with your smartphone.

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Tagged as California, fun facts, geology, iPhone, Lassen Volcanic National Park, National Parks Traveler, photography, Photography In The National Parks, smartphone, smartphone camera, Trivia Tuesday, volcano, Volcanoes, where the trails take you

November 11, 2022 · 5:27 am

3 Days In Lassen Volcanic National Park

What can you do and see in Lassen Volcanic National Park if you only have three days? Plenty! Today’s edition of the National Parks Traveler has published my three-day itinerary of this park.

To read the article, click on the image above.

As for this image: this is one of the views you get at the top of Cinder Cone, located in the northeastern corner of the park. From right to left: Lassen Peak, Fairfield Peak (I think – the closer tree-covered cinde cone), Painted Dunes and Fantastic Lava Beds.

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October 19, 2022 · 4:28 am

National Parks Traveler Checklist: Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

If you are thinking about travel and making plans to maybe visit a national park, you should check out my latest National Parks Traveler Checklist. It’s all about planning for Lassen Volcanic National Park in California and is published in today’s edition of the National Parks Traveler.

Click on the image above to check out the checklist.

As for this image, I captured it at the Bumpass Hell parking lot before heading out on a 1.5-mile hike to Bumpass Hell. If you go, not only can you see this huge glacially-deposited boulder for yourself, but you’ll also see nicely-defined striations on surrounding rocks indicating the direction of travel the glacier took.

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October 16, 2022 · 4:06 am

Pika And Plague In Lassen Volcanic National Park

When you think of plague, what comes to mind? The Black Death of the mid 1300s? Certainly not cute, furry little mammals in a national park. And yet, plague is there. In national parks.

During my recent short visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, I had the good fortune, thanks to the park’s superintendent and it’s chief of resources, to follow along with the park’s “pika crew” as they conducted field research on the extent of plague in the park, with emphasis on pika.

My article has been published as a feature story in today’s edition of the National Parks Traveler. To read the story, click on the image above.

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August 5, 2022 · 7:46 am

Fun Fact Friday, August 5, 2022: Exfoliation

It’s #FunFactFriday

Ok, be honest. What comes to mind when I write the word “exfoliation?” To me, a picture of dry, flaky skin first comes to mind. However, exfoliation has a geological context to it, too. It’s a weathering process and one of the best places to see this process is along Tioga Road in Yosemite National Park.

As you drive that road, take a look at the granite hills and domes all around you. Notice that interesting sort of “onion peel” effect on the rock layers? That’s exfoliation! It’s a type of weathering and is common in granites.

You see, granite formed beneath the earth’s surface, under immense pressure. So, when the surface sediments and rocks – collectively termed as overburden – covering that granite are eroded or removed and that granite is exposed, the pressure beneath which the granite lay is gone and the granite begins to expand, forming all sorts of fractures (joints). Weathering (like frost heaving) causes plates, or flakes of rock to strip away the surface rock much like onion skin peels away from the onion.

And now you know.

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Tagged as California, exfoliation, Fun Fact Friday, fun facts, geology, Granite, National Park, Tioga Road, where the trails take you, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park

July 12, 2022 · 4:19 am

Trivia Tuesday July 12, 2022

It’s #TriviaTuesday folks! So, here’s another shot of Grizzly Giant sequoia tree in Mariposa Grove at Yosemite National Park. It’s estimated to be almost 3,000 years old and stands 209 feet (63.7 m) tall. You might notice that it has a decided lean to it, and that’s not just because of the ultra-wide-angle lens perspective. It really does lean, and in the early 1900s, they were so worried it might fall over that supporting cables were proposed to hold it up. Turns out, the cables were never installed and Grizzly Giant seems to be holding its own. Could be because of its root system. Sequoia trees have a very shallow root system, but those roots grow to great lengths and intertwine with the roots of other trees. Sort of like if you are leaning over to pick something up, and you’ve linked arms or clasped hands with a person standing next to you to keep you from falling. Those other trees might be helping Grizzly Giant to stay put.

According to the latest article in the National Parks Traveler, the Washburn Fire *seems* to be turning away from the Mariposa Grove, which would be a good thing. But, the fire continues to grow in size, which is not a good thing.

To read the article, click on the image above.

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September 21, 2021 · 6:04 am

Photography in The National Parks: Yosemite Tried, True, and New

*Yosemite Valley Landscape, Yosemite National Park (California)*

The National Parks Traveler has published my latest photography column. This month’s column is all about capturing iconic as well as new perspectives of this particular national park. To read the article, click on the image above.

As for this image: I drove into Yosemite Valley several times during my week’s stay in the park. Every time, I’d pass by this one spot along the road – a small pullout large enough for a vehicle, right next to the rocky banks of the Merced River, which was a trickle of its former self. So finally, I stopped, took out my camera and tripod, and gingerly picked my way to a spot to photograph forest, river, and El Capitan (I believe that’s El Cap) all beneath a blue sky with wispy clouds.

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Tagged as August, California, landscape, National Park, National Parks Traveler, photography, Photography In The National Parks, scenery, summer, travel, where the trails take you, Yosemite