The Graveyard of a Mountain

Lady of the Night

Soaring Into the Clouds

Ptarmigans

The Fire At the Loop (Years Later)

Things I See Every Day: The Neighbors Questionable Wiring

Finding Elven Doors Isn't As Easy Without Lino

Happy 1010

St Mary Falls

Did I mention that we saw waterfalls?

Stop Looking At Me

Chipmunk

Have A Good Weekend

Socked In

The next morning it was socked in at lower elevations, but it was starting to clear...

First Glimpse of East Glacier

And then as we finally reached Logan Pass we had our first views of East Glacier... And as we found, once we started going lower, everywhere you turn in East Glacier there are sweeping panoramas. There are spectacular views everywhere. I can't wait to go back and visit parts of Northern Glacier going up into Canada with more views and peaks... It would be great to backpack there, since probably 75% of the park can only be seen that way, since there are very few roads cutting into the park.

Mt. Pollock

We're almost to Logan Pass and Cindi and I did a little walking around in the snow. I relish the cold that comes with snow (this having grown up in a warm climate where it never snows). I stand out there exulting in the crispness and novelty of little water crystals forming this white coat we know as snow. Cindi on the other hand, having grown up in a climate where this is all too normal, enjoyed the view, but quickly gave me the, "I don't know how much more of this I can take" and proceeded to enjoy the view from the car when possible until we came down to a warmer elevation. It was glorious being up there looking down into the valleys being practically within the clouds, but that's just my opinion.

Snow in Front and in Back

So, I decided that I'll finish giving the brief tour of the first day at Glacier continuing from the view halfway up the "Going to the Sun Road" (the two weekend posts were from our journey to Glacier) I'm just going to do some of the broad strokes, and not do every single stop that I made on the way up to the pass. (There are a lot more from this first day, I assure you) We'll even jump ahead from the wide shot of West Glacier (rather than start back on the valley floor) halfway up the road. We'll go straight to the when we first reached the snow line...

Stuck on the 93 North

Here's something I don't understand. It was raining almost this entire drive. I don't think we saw blue skies once and I didn't do any color correction to this picture... then why is the sky blue?

Salt Lake City International

West Glacier Looking Toward Logan Pass

I think a quick glance at the general landscape of Glacier might be in order... The main "attraction" at Glacier is the "Going to the Sun" Road. It starts on the valley floor, much further back than is pictured (actually about where the picture from yesterday is) at about 3,000 feet. It then climbs to Logan Pass, which is behind the middle of this picture (you can see the road cutting across the mountain in the middle left). The pass sits at around 6,500 feet. The road is the only route from East to West (or West to East) through the park, otherwise you have to drive all the way around the park, and it's not small. The road was built in the 1930s and is a marvel, since the upper half of the road skirts cliffs and is only barely wide enough to have two way traffic. Some parts have started collapsing and there is constant work to keep it maintained. The poor souls who drive a snowplow up this road have my sincerest respect, which is also probably why the park is closed from October 1st till May. The road affords guest amazing views all over the park. This picture is just one example of the kinds of views you see constantly in Glacier (this is about halfway up the road, it's amazing seeing these peaks from the valley floor and then looking down again from near the summits)This is the first day of our visit. We woke up in the morning and the road was closed at about the snow line due to snowfall. The clouds kept rising and falling on the peaks. So, we decided we would drive up anyways and see how far we would be able to get. By the time we got to the snowline it had been plowed and deemed passable. So we got up to the pass, where we were practically in the clouds, and getting a light snowfall and got a glimpse into the even more scenic East Glacier. For those who may wonder what music you might listen to on a day like this, well, it's easy... You start with both discs of John Zorn's Bar Kokhba on the valley floor and then switch to any Sigur Ros as you climb toward the peaks. Simply Amazing!

Big Sky Country

Well, I'm back. Just got back today from a two week vacation in Montana. This might have been my favorite trip there thus far. We went to Glacier National Park for 5 days, went to a cabin Cindi's parents rent for 3 days, and just relaxed when not busy. We hiked, fished, drove, sat around camp fires, saw lots of animals (Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Deer, Moose, Beavers, Pine Martens, Flying Squirrels, Bald Eagles, Gold Eagles, and Buffalo), experienced the weather of Summer, Fall, and Winter (not in that order and it kept jumping back and forth depending on the elevation and the day), shot well over a 1000 photos (but only half of them might be any good, and I think that number might be on the high side), and sat and looked at the stars, which were amazing! Living in San Diego you forget just how magnificent the stars are until you get out to the middle of nowhere. I shot the bulk of my pictures at Glacier and I really can't wait to go back there, hopefully early in the season when the snow melts create waterfalls everywhere and the wildflowers are in bloom.
This photo is the first time exposure of the stars I've ever taken (I took several more in different places, but it's hard to take a lot of them, since they are usually about a half hour exposure and it takes its toll on my battery pretty quick). It is right outside of our room in Glacier on Lake McDonald. It's amazing that you can still kind of see the snow on some of the mountains and the stones on the bottom of the lake. It was amazing to see where the stars seem to just create a circle from being far enough north to see the stars whirl around the North Pole. I think I might end up doing a lot of writing about my pictures from this trip, it was inspiring and that usually means that I then have a lot to say. It's nice to be home, but my mind keeps wandering over the "Going to the Sun" road, climbing high into exquisite glacially carved valleys admiring what George Bird Grinnell called "The Crown of the Continent". There will be a lot more to come, probably spread out over several months, since I don't want to overload you with Montana and Glacier...so stay tuned.

Flying Away

I'm going on vacation for a couple weeks, so there won't be any new posts until I return. Don't forget that there are a lot more pictures in the archives if you get bored.

The Nautilus

Working the Catch

Just Turn Around

I Can't Stop The Handheld Time Exposures

For Tony: You Can See All Kinds of Faces, But Mostly the Three Skulls on the Right

Up and Around

Joel...Joel...(Ken would know how to say it)

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse

Looking To My Right

The Coronado Ferry

A Smile Always Belies the Darkness You Are Looking Toward

This is another picture from the luau. This is one of the dancers and if you enlarge the picture you realize that what appears to be a smile at first glance isn't that at all.

It May Be Called A Passage

Conch

This weekend the hotel I work at hosted their annual public luau (we do private luaus quite regularly) and I was able to snap a few pictures before I became to mired in the work of the evening. This is the opening of dinner, which is heralded by a trumpeting through a Conch Shell, leading the Hawaiian tradition of parading the Imu.

They Don't Call It Sunset Cliffs For Nothing

Architects in the Night

San Diego Skyline

King Palm

Sign On San Diego: University Heights

San Diego is broken down into different neighborhoods, which for a city with nearly a million and half residents, goes a long way toward making it feel smaller than it really is. Many of these neighborhoods have signs distinguishing them. I've been wanting to go around and get photos of these different signs. So, a new series called Sign On San Diego, which is a local reference in itself, will be posted as I get pictures of these signs. I decided to start with the neighborhood sign nearest me. (Some will argue that The Boulevard sign is closer and it may be, but it doesn't depict a neighborhood and it's picture will make it on here soon.)

Castle Aflame

Things I See Everyday: My (Supposed) Terrorist Plot

So, I usually do not do two "Things I See Everyday" posts, but today was something special. I was driving home from work this evening and was going to pick up some food and knew I would be driving past this building I see most every evening. I see this building usually from the freeway and I think about how I like the white vertical lines contrasting with the black windows and the fact that it is well lit in the evening. Today I was on surface streets and I had my camera with me, so I decided to stop. I parked, got out, and snapped two shots immediately. I was moving around to find a better angle when I was approached by a security guard who informed me that "The owners don't want people taking pictures because of the 'political climate'". Anyone who knows the geography of San Diego will realize that this mediocre building in Mission Valley is a morale center for the public of San Diego. I spoke with him a little more and left, leaving unsaid the fact that I can go to Downtown San Diego and take pictures of "impressive and important" buildings all night long without being hassled by some security guy. Not to mention that on the other side of the bay is the largest Naval Base on the West Coast.

In short, I am flabbergasted by the self-aggrandizing things that people say to me in thinking of their importance to terrorists. About 5 months after September 11th, I was a manager for a movie theatre in my hometown in Central California. We were required to sell these pins for charity. I went into the theatre to give my spiel to the audience before the start of the film. The projectionist is supposed to turn the lights up for this, but had failed to do so. I left my bag at the front of the theatre and ran upstairs to do it myself. I was walking back downstairs when a lady was hysterically talking to one of my employees, who directed her to me. She was telling me how she got scared that I was a terrorist come to blow up this amazingly important theatre, wearing a name tag, suit and tie no less. I explained to her what I was doing and she felt so embarassed she bought like 10 pins. It's a small town that most people have never heard of and she thinks that is where the terrorists are going to strike. Right in the middle of a stupid Sunday matinee. Come on. I'm glad these people have a good amount of self esteem to think that they are so important with their mediocrity.

So, now you've had two long winded stories and I leave you with a mediocre picture to match. I think sometime I'll go back to that building and take my chances again. But, way to go security guy on making what probably would have been a less interesting final picture, (if I had been able to take more) that I was only taking to quell my nagging interest in the building, into a rant and now a mission to take that uninteresting photo I really wanted. Nice.

Things I See Everyday: The East Atrium

And To Think That I Never Liked Rye...

As The World Washes Away

Davy Jones Has Nothing On These Guys

Obstructed: The Neighbor's Bamboo

I'm starting a new series today entitled Obstructed. I find myself thinking about obstructions as I walk around. It might be something simple like a fence with flowers just poking over the top or a building that was so self-righteously placed to allow a few a great vista and the masses outside a great view of a building with hints around the edges that portent the beauty beyond. So, today's post will get a quick story about the bamboo...
When Cindi, Carly, and I were looking for apartments 3 years ago we fell in love with the tall, thick miniature bamboo grove that was growing on the neighbors property. A tenant next door left and a new one moved in. This new tenant had a problem with the bamboo and asked the landlord to remove it (she was afraid hobos or something would hide out in the bamboo, which would not be very practical, since I've been in there and it's thick, the leaves are surprisingly sharp, and there are little bamboo pikes of old bamboo ready to make your stay very uncomfortable). Anyways, so the landlord had someone cut it down. This was a very sad day for us, but noticed that this did not kill it. So, we watered it and brought it back to it's respendant glory of about 14 feet tall. This quick regrowth seemed to vex the landlord, so he cut it down again and then tried everything he could to kill the stuff. He even tried the industrial stuff they use to kill corn fields. Nothing worked. He would need a tractor to take this stuff out. He seems to have now contended himself with periodic choppings. This has been the progress since the last chop and it always brings a smile to mine and Cindi's faces when we see the bamboo reaching out over the fence to once again thwart all the efforts thrown against it.

Sometime Things Don't Go The Direction You Hope

Lightbox

Matt put me onto a link for a quick and cheap way to make a lightbox, so that was my project today and well, I'm very impressed with the results. You can't get bad light in this thing. I immediately got great results, in fact this was the first thing I shot. You can find the instructions for building the lightbox here. This is one shot from another day of photographing Cindi's work which is being sold here. Unfortunately I got a late start and most of the pictures aren't prepared to be posted yet, but in the next few days the new work (including a line of magnets) will make it's way on there.

Jewel Work

I might be a few days on having a real post, because I'm devoting my photo time to helping Cindi put her work up on a site where she's trying to sell her wares. It might be a day or two until she gets around to adding them to the site, it definitely won't be tonight, since she is already fast asleep. If you want to buy some of her stuff you can find it here and if you want you can see her blog of random stuff here