Nevada Outside

2010-03-01T17:55:00.000-08:00

A few images from southern Nevada....more that a few of my evening have been spent photographing the Sheep Range

2009-12-31T23:54:00.000-08:00

Blue Moon over the Truckee Meadows

2009-12-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Red Rock Rainbow

I'm looking forward to head back to the land of ice and snow....and the Black Rock too. In the meantime here's a glimpse of the Red Rock NCA.

2009-11-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

What old pines seem to like may kill them
By Stephanie Tavares

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 2 a.m.

Associated press / courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic garden
Some bristlecone pines, researchers have found, are growing much faster than usual.

Bristlecone pine facts■Bristlecone pines live only in a few spots in the mountains of the West and Southwest. One species, Pinus longaeva, lives in Nevada, Utah and California.■Bristlecones have an average age of 1,000 years. The oldest trees can be found near the tree line at between 10,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level. A bristlecone named “Methuselah” in the White Mountains of eastern California, just across the state line from Nevada’s Esmeralda County, is believed to be the oldest single living organism in the world. Based on a core sample, scientists have pegged its age at 4,767.■One secret to bristlecones’ longevity is their extremely slow growth rate — historically just tenths of an inch in girth each year. Their needles can live for up to three decades, which allows the trees to conserve energy and continue to photosynthesize through extreme weather and drought.
Beyond the Sun■High Elevation White Pines: Great Basin bristlecone pines
Nevada’s famous Great Basin bristlecone pines are experiencing a growth boom as temperatures have risen in their high-altitude homes. But the cause of the trees’ heyday could also signal that death is finally coming for the bristlecones, the world’s oldest living things.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/nov/25/what-old-pines-seem-may-kill-them/

2009-11-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

First Good Storm...sorta. Woke up early and I took Henry and Lucy out for a hike before dawn.
After all the build up on the news last night I expected a lot more snow, but that's OK it will come. I have big hopes for this winter.

2009-11-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

It's great to be back up north for the Thanksgiving week. Since I'm in Reno I thought it would be appropriate to post on Nevada Outside. Anyway here's a few shots of the howling winds from Mineral County. BTW- Old Glory files proudly over US Army Depot, Hawthorne Nevada.

2009-08-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

Moving On...

My new job rocks!!! I have been hiking a lot and trying to get some stuff going with the US forest Service in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area near Las Vegas to help increase the wilderness quality of the Wilderness...in short "Keep it Wild". I'm very busy and frankly I been focused in on Wilderness most of my waking hours. So in order to free up some time and keep my blog going I'm starting another blog focused in on the Spring Mountains. I hope you will continue to follow my adventures in the Nevada Back Country. Although, I'm starting a new blog I will still post here time from time , but my main focus will be in the south. I hope you will join me but if not, I understand. Northern Nevada rocks and it will always be home so thanks for following my blog you folks have been awesome and I will miss your comments and encouragement. However if you want to join me in my mid life Wilderness adventure check out my new Blog Southern Nevada Outside ( yeah I know the title is not really original)I hope will have some Good Stuff to post and I hope to read your comments.Link to Nevadahiker's new blog: www.volunteer4wild.blogspot.com

2009-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Good News & Bad News...

Well I'm sure a few of you have wondered where the heck I've been...well Las Vegas that's where.

In between my two Sheldon trips I was laid-off from my job of 13 years. I didn't think I should cry about it on my blog because the blog isn't really about my life, it is about Wild Nevada & folks I love (like Henry). The good news is I found another job with my favorite non-profit group Friends of Nevada Wilderness, as the Southern Nevada Wilderness Program Director ...YEA! I get to work full time for the next 18 months on keeping Nevada Wild...that's a good thing. I will start in LV full time sometime next week. I'm going to miss northern Nevada , but just think of all the great photos from southern Nevada that will start gracing this blog... YEA.

I will be working in the Mt Charleston Area (but exploring all of southern Nevada)as a consultant for the US Forest Service as per a special agreement...Good Stuff

BTW- I couldn't resist the showgirls ;-) Besides, it's always more fun to laugh.

photographer unknown

2009-07-20T22:37:00.000-07:00

Andy's Place...

We got to Andy's Place late in the afternoon after a long day on Cat Nip Mountain. Just as I was ready to step inside the cabin the wind suddenly picked up and the sheet metal roof began to flap & bang like an old haunted house. Wow! That cause me to take a couple steps back...Very scary. I didn't want to push it so I didn't even try to sit in Andy's ol' chair

Andy's place is pretty cool not as fancy as Kinney Camp or built with sandstone like Kinny or Gooch , but I love the location, complete with aspen trees near the canyon rim.

2009-07-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Sagebrush Creek

We hiked down into this gorge and came upon a giant rock blocking the canyon. We had to crawl underneath ...scary stuff. We rolled a couple of rocks into the "cave" first to chase out any mountain lions or rattlers.

2009-07-20T04:18:00.000-07:00

Upper Cat Nip Creek

2009-07-20T04:11:00.000-07:00

Private In holdings

They are a few 40 acre parcel with are privately held, some in my opinion are eyes sores and need to go away (thank goodness there's only a few). I know the Fish & Wildlife Service would like to buy these folks out if they could. Here is an example on one near West Rock Spring... Lovely isn't it...yeah, yeah I know private property...grumble, grumble...

2009-07-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

Movin' Doggies

Ranchers haven't held grazing permits at Sheldon since the early 1990's, but we did run into these Cowboys on Hwy 140 near the Oregon Nevada stateline. The young man on the horse was a real nice guy.

2009-07-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Mulies

2009-07-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

East Rock Spring Camp

After spending two weeks out in the Sheldon; I think I have a pretty good sense of the place. I've seen the deer and the antelope play. I've marveled at the towering walls of Thousand Creek Gorge. I've felt the power of the wind on Cat Nip Mt. I've heard the songs and calls of the birds just before the sunrise at Cat Nip Reservoir. I've seen the old ranches like Kinney Camp , Gooch Camp, Andy's Place and admired the cultural evidence of the Ancients. But I must say my favorite place hands down is East Rock Spring. Pat and I spent a long day exploring Sagebrush Creek hiking in the sun, and bouncing around in the 3 man dodge( 50+hours one week alone). When we rolled into East Rock Spring just before sundown it was a cool green oasis with aspens and tall grass a real sight for sore eyes. In this land of many wonders East Rock Spring is a real gem indeed.

Did you see the red tail hawks' nest in the third photo from the top....Good Stuff!

2009-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Kinney Camp

Kinney Camp is one of the more picturesque old ranch house's (IMHO) in the Sheldon.

2009-07-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Desert Waterfall

There are few things more pleasing to the desert hiker than a waterfall. I have ran across a few and I tell you they are a treat...cool running water...Good Stuff!

BTW- I know I've already posted the rainbow shot , but I love it

2009-07-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hell Creek...

I'm not sure how this place got it's name, but it seem a bit more like Heaven to me.

2009-07-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the Sheldon last night, so here area few shots for you to enjoy. I'll be posting more images thoughout the week. Cheers!

2009-07-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Great Wide Open...The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge.I'm going back to the Sheldon for a week to do some more exploring...seeya next week.

2009-07-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

"The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders." --Edward Abbey

2009-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

2010 Wild Nevada Calendar

Every year in July the editor of the Friends of Nevada Wilderness Calendar puts out a call for photos for the main shots. These are my submissions for the 2010 calender. Hmmm....I love the fall colors in the Mt. Rose Wilderness , but I think the snow scene is my favorite. Maybe then again I'm just hot...

2009-07-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

Waxing Gibbous

2009-06-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Swan Lake

We drove out to Swan Lake from our camp at Cat Nip late in the afternoon to watch the sunset and try to capture the evening primrose in the glow of the setting sun. I have never seen so many flowers spread over such a large area. We were treated to small groups of Pronghorn as they raced across the yellow carpet...Good Stuff

2009-06-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Flowers

I have always heard that the Sheldon wildflowers are extraordinary and folks are right; I didn't get a lot of time to photograph them . We were either on the move, it was raining, or the wind was blowing , so as the battle cry of the Chicago Cubs goes, "wait until next year." I might be heading back to the Sheldon in July so we will see what happens.

BTW- It you want to see some VERY COOL images of flowers scroll though my friend's Karyns blog, Nevada Unplugged. She is the master of the flower shot.

Link to Karyns Blog: http://nevadaunplugged.blogspot.com/

2009-06-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Prehistoric Drive Fence, Sheldon NWR

This is why I hike uphill, down hill, sweating, freezing, while lugging heavy camera equipment over rough terrain, all the while watching for rattlesnakes and other things that go bump in the night. I'm not positive , but I think this rock wall is really a drive fence created by the ancients to channel the wild game past their hunting blinds. We saw a lot of evidence of the ancients in the Sheldon...Really Good Stuff.

2009-06-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Light from Above, Echo Canyon, Sheldon NWR

Makes one a believer doesn't it.

2009-06-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

Stormy Sunset at Echo Canyon

I left camp at the "golden hour", the time when if you are really fortunate the illusive Magic Light will make an appearance. The wind started howling and it began to sprinkle as I got closer to the upper basin of Echo Canyon. I thought about turning around more than once because of the brewwing storm. Although the Magic Light didn't not explode, it did pop for a few precious moments so the reward was mine. I made it back to camp where my good friend Brian and his son Logan had dinner waiting just moments before the storm cut loose...phew.

2009-06-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Blowout Mountain, Sheldon NWR

2009-06-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Gooch Camp, Sheldon NWR

Home Means Nevada

Way out in the land of the setting sun,
Where the wind blows wild and free,
There's a lovely spot, just the only one
That means home sweet home to me.

~Bertha Raffetto,

2009-06-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Gooch Camp

Another one of the many ranches out in the middle of Nowhere Nevada. Gooch Camp is located at the entrance of Echo Canyon.

Near the turn of the century stonemasons from Cedarville built some of the old ranch houses that are still standing today...Do think I'm getting carried away with the door knobs lately?

2009-06-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

Yellowheaded Blackbird

2009-06-26T05:50:00.000-07:00

Big Horn Sheep

One of our work parties found this skull complete with lower jaw high up one of the canyons near their work site. The Fish & Wildlife Service snatched it up for their new visitor center. A few of the hunters among us ( some ex-NDOW folks) scored it as 156 , but said if it didn't have a broken horn it would of been close to the state record. There must be something in the water around these parts.

2009-06-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

Great Horned Owl

Here are few shots of the Owl of the Magic Pool. The shots aren't the best , but the Owl's magnificence still manages to shine though. That's if you give a hoot....

2009-06-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Fallen Soldier

2009-06-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last Light at Bittner Ranch

The weather seemed to be turning foul and the skies were very dark, so I was just about to put the camera gear away for the night. When the Magic Light appeared on the far ridge for less then a minute...this time I was ready.

2009-06-25T06:04:00.000-07:00

Badger Creek

2009-06-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

Wild Iris

Wild Iris flourishes in the meadow that surrounds Bittner Ranch

2009-06-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

The Bittner Ranch

Located in Northern, Washoe County on Badger Creek is the Bittner Ranch. The ranch was built back in the 1870's during the ranch boom in the northern Nevada. I'm not sure how it came under jurisdiction of the BLM but they are keeping an eye on the place and they would like to clean it up and do some restoration. The ranch sit on a rolling heel above one of the biggest meadows I have seen in Nevada complete with a spring fed running creek It was privilege to spend the night there.

2009-06-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Magical Pool, Sheldon Wildlife Refuge

I hiked up to this pool in the early evening and as I peered over the edge of the cliff to look at the pool a Great Horned Owl took to the air and buzzed me while a deer and a coyote ran one after another down the creek into the setting sun...Good Stuff

2009-06-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Pronghorn Antelope,

We saw a lot of small groups of Pronghorn in our travels. They were always on alert and tried to keep their distance from us. I'm always so amazed that an animal can move so fast over such rough terrain. The Pronghorn in the picture above glides easily over a carpet of Evening Primrose on Swan Lake....FAST

2009-06-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

Massacre Rim WSA

We found a place to camp late in the afternoon after driving over muddy roads and under threatening skies for most of the day. The sun broke though for a few minutes in the late afternoon and I ran around like a madman take photos. Massacre Rim is 101000+ acres of Wilderness quality land located in Northwest Nevada. I would of loved to spent more time exploring the place, but we had to move on ...lots of stops on this Road Trip.

Click to learn more about Massacre Rim: http://www.nevadawilderness.org/Library/area.asp?nMode=1&nLibraryID=105

2009-06-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

Muddy Travel.

The Sheldon and the surrounding areas are getting hammered by non stop spring storms. I spent a week exploring the back country up there and the roads were terrible. We did get to use our "Bear Traps" to help a person who was stuck and they worked like a champ. A bear trap is a folding metal strip with teeth that you place under your drive wheels to give you some traction in the mud. They worked great...thanks Pat

2009-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Sheldon

I just got back from the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge...good stuff. I spent a week exploring the Refuge and a few of the surrounding areas. I'm bit burned out so I'm just posting a few tonight; I'll have more images and a few stories thought out the week. BTW- It rained 6 out of 7 days and was a bit cool at times... I thought I was in Alaska..Brrrrr, slosh, squish, squish.

2009-06-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

ROAD TRIP....gone hiking

I will be headed up to the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge in Northern Nevada for a week . I love Yellowstone, but as I mentioned in a previous post it's time to return to the Nevada Back Country.

Note- The photo above was taking at Soldier Meadows in the Black Rock Desert NCA

2009-06-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

Tatanka... battling bison.

I took this image in the late afternoon near the Lamar Valley. The bison were on the move, but these two just wanted to butt heads. I sat there watching the bison herd move off over a small rise into the setting sun... an image that made me think of the days when all of North America was Wilderness and the bison had the freedom to roam. I enlarged this silhouette of the bison until it look a little rough, then I used sepia tones to give it an old fashion look, and then I finish it with a fresco brush from my artist palette. I like it.
I hope you have enjoyed my images of Yellowstone National Park. I will be posting a few more images from Yellowstone, but it is time to return to the purpose of this blog and that is the Nevada Backcountry. If you want to see more images of Yellowstone just click on the slide show in the sidebar of this Blog. I have a few images in the slide show that weren't posted on the blog.

2009-06-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Grizzly Bear & the Calf

Barby and I were headed towards Norris in the early morning and the rain was just coming down in buckets. We saw about 10 people standing in the rain near a big meadow with spotting scopes and cameras. Hmmm....it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that something big was happening since expensive digital cameras, 600 mm lens, and rain don't get along ...something was up. We hiked over to the crowd and were stunned, heartbroken, and exhilarated all at the same time. About 200 yards away a grizzly bear was devouring a elk calf right in front of our eyes. It was so surreal, the rain was pouring down, it was so still all you could hear was the rain. The most heart breaking moment of all was when the mother elk came over and paced nervously back and forth on the other side of the river watching the bear, and meanwhile the geese just swam peacefully on the small pond like nothing at all was happening. I must admit I was a little uneasy watching a feeding grizzly at close range , especially when a park ranger came over and told us to head back to vehicles if the bear started to move in our direction...unreal.

I'm sorry about the quality of the photos it was literally pouring down rain, my rain coat was on the camera while I stood out in the rain in a t-shirt.. I captured this with a 300mm telephoto lens and with the nasty weather and the low light I pushed my gear as much as I could.

Please respect all wildlife stay back, if you want to get in close get a good lens or scope, you might be glad you did.

2009-06-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

The Old Faithful Inn

The Old Faithful Inn is beautiful. The rustic architecture and the openness of the lobby just takes your breath away. I would love to stay there(we did do lunch). If the images look a bit out of focus on the edges it is because I use a 10.5 fisheye lens (the darn building is too big for a normal lens) and then I used image software to straighten it out . I think these images it give you a real feel for the place.

2009-06-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

Old Faithful Web Cam

OK I'll admit this is a little wierd , but 3 or 4 times a week I'll check out the Old Faithful Web Cam to check out whats going on at the Park. When we were at Old Faithful I found the web cam and called my friend Karyn on the phone and then we gave her a wave when see spotted us on the web cam...Yeah I'm wierd.

Anyway, here is a shot of the cam & the click on the link to see what 's up at Ol' Faith

http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/stream/stream.htm?parkcode=yell

2009-06-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Gardiner, Montana

Gardiner seems like a nice place with an interesting mix of folks, cowboys, tourists, and hippies all hanging out under the Big Sky of Montana...I just wish the power would stay on all day.

2009-06-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

Brink of Upper Yellowstone Falls

2009-06-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

One of the most stunningly beautiful places I have ever seen.

2009-06-12T05:15:00.000-07:00

Brink of the Lower Falls

There is something special about standing at the Brink of the Lower Falls (twice the height of Niagara) and watch the water go over the edge 300+feet into one of the most beautiful canyons in the world.

2009-06-11T05:47:00.000-07:00

America's Bird

2009-06-10T21:42:00.001-07:00

Yellowstone RiverI hiked down to the river just in time to see an elk ford the Yellowstone River.

2009-06-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Firehole River

2009-06-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Fording the Gibbon River...keep your head above water son.

2009-06-10T21:14:00.001-07:00

Gardiner Montana

2009-06-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

Rain, Rain , Rain....It rained off and on all week. I love a good storm , but the off again, on again rainy weather got a bit old , but it did made for a few cool images.

2009-06-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

Packin' Up

We stopped at Mammoth Hot Spring for some gas and I captured this images of these packers loading up some gear for the Park Service. Horse Packing used to be the way the agencies moved stuff around, unfortunately it has become a lost art.

2009-06-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

THE Old Faithful

...the ever so faithful one.

2009-06-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

This must be the spot!

I read the Photographers Guide to Yellowstone and it mentioned that Canary Spring at Mammoth Hot Springs was an outstanding place to photograph, as I rounded the corner and saw my "brethren" standing in deep meditation; I knew that I had found it. I shouldn't make fun of these boys because just after I took the shot above I was right there with them. OMmmm...

2009-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

Undine Falls

2009-06-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Tower Falls

2009-06-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

A Red Fox is looking for lunch near the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone National Park

2009-06-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

A Wolf in the Lamar Valley Yellowstone National Park

Dave Foreman gave a talk at a Patagonia Tools conference a few years ago I was very prigvleged to attend, and I was move to tears when he told us the story about the time Aldo Leopold shot a wolf and sadly watched the "green fire" fade from her eyes as she died. That moment forever changed Aldo Leopold and hearing and then later reading the story has had a profound effect on me too. Needless to say Wolves have become(a least for me) a symbol for the Wild. So seeing a wolf in the Wild was very high on my life list. I took this shot in the rain from a distance of about 200 yards with a 300 mm telephoto

...Wild Places with Wolves...REALLY REALLY GOOD STUFF.

OOOWWWWWWooooooo!

2009-06-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

Mama & Baby Big Horn...near Tower Falls, Yellowstone National Park.

note- image captured with a telephoto lens

2009-06-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

"You should of been here yesterday" Thats what a photographer said that I met at this spot in the Hayden Valley in YNP said to me. Wow! I thought it looked pretty good the day I took this shot. BTW- those are buffalo ( aka American Bison) in the background.
Special thanks to my wife for hearing my pleas and turning the jeep around to get this shot...you're the best.

2009-06-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

Undercover...A coyote with a ear tag and a radio collar is harassed by a Pronghorn as it walks "sheepishly"near the roadside in the Tower-Roosevelt area of Yellowstone.

Note-taken with a telephoto lens.

2009-06-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

OK, it's not Nevada..., but I just got back from a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and Gardiner Montana. We spent a lot of time in the Lamar Valley and the Tower-Roosevelt area of the Park taking photos (20 gigs worth), watching wildlife and just kicking back in the Great Outside, so I have a lot of images I want to post.....Yellowstone National Park is really Good Stuff!

2009-05-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

ROAD TRIP

I'm heading off on road trip so I'll be off blog for a while. Please scroll to the bottom of this blog and check out Florian Schulz's video Freedom to Roam. He has a very important message and some incredible images to share, so prepare for your jaw to drop. Hopefully I'll have some nice images to share when I return.

For the Wild,

Nevadahiker

2009-05-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

Shadows & Light

I love to capture images on partly cloudy days when the light is dancing on the hillsides, chasing the shadows over the horizon. Here's a shot of the three amigos basking in the Wovoka sunshine watching the show.

2009-05-26T22:15:00.000-07:00

The Land of the Ghost Dance

I love Wovoka. I love the wide openness of the place, it is a land of big views and big sky There is an abundance of wildlife, bears, mountain lions, deer, and birds of every description . I suppose what makes the place so special to me is the cultural nuggets that abound secretly in Wovoka waiting to be discovered, afterall it's where Wovoka the Paiute Messiah once walked...sometimes late at night you can hear the Spirits whispering.

2009-05-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Morning Light

2009-05-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Afternoon Light

2009-05-26T21:19:00.001-07:00

The Sweetwaters

I love the view of the Three Sisters of the Sweetwaters from the Pinion Juniper Forest of Wovoka The light was dancing on the Sweets as it filtered though the clouds.

BTW- We call these trees in Nevada not big bushes.

2009-05-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Treasure...old trash is better than new trash

It’s funny how old rusty cans, mason jars and battered bowls from an old sheepherders camp are a real find. Take a close look at the old rusty cans. Do you see the lead plug that sealed the hole that was used to fill the can. I love the knife holes…it makes me wonder, what happen to the guy that punched the holes in the can so many years ago? Can you see the hole that he wiggled the knife around in to widen it a bit ...Good Stuff.

2009-05-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

THE Bald Mountain, Lyon County Nevada.

Did you know there 18 Bald Mountains in Nevada? The old Nevadans just love originality."THE" Bald Mountain is unique and very special that why some folks can it Wovoka. Nevertheless, I will admit to the fact that it is rather bald and it is a mountain.

2009-05-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Keep a watchful eye Henry...
Henry's a real outdoor kind of guy

2009-05-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Spring Flowers in Wovoka

One of these days I'm going to take my flower shot seriously, but for now...

2009-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Wovoka, Lyon County

I just got back from one of my favorite places, Wovoka. We were treated to some great clouds thanks to some building thunderstorms. As usual we had the entire place to ourselves although there was signs of OHV use in the low canyon I have a few chores and some work stuff to take care of today, but I'll be posting pics throughout the week.

2009-05-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

COWBOYS... well this is Nevada. I photographed these guys at the University of Nevada last week...smart cowboys

2009-05-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe

One of my goals this summer is to get a good image(hopefully a stunning image) of Lake Tahoe. I thought that today would of been nice and clear after the thunderstorms we got last night. Bummer just another hazy view today. I wanted to leave early to catch first light on the west shore, but Henry just couldn't get it together at 0400....yeah, yeah blame it on the dog. I'm sure glad he can't read

2009-05-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Sheeps Flat aka Tahoe Meadows. A trio of shots from Tahoe Meadows, one of Third Creek at the boardwalk, a view of the lake from Chickadee Ridge, and a shot from the forest looking up towards Relay Peak.

Note- The shot of Third Creek was shot at a shutter speed of 40. I like the shot , but the flow of the creek doesn' t look natural . I think a shutter speed of 60 would of worked just fine to give it the natural look. There was way too much light and I was lazy and didn't want to dig my ND filters out to slow down the water. I think I would of have to shot it at a shutter speed 1/4 to 1/2 second to blurr the water correctly, and there was way to much light bouncing off the snow for that to happen.

2009-05-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Rose's Backside snapshots

There isn't as much snow of the south face of Rose. It could be time to do a summit run here pretty soon.

Notice in the bottom picture the bare trees. I see more and more dying trees along the road and in the forest itself.

2009-05-23T13:01:00.001-07:00

"POP" From the Flower Box

2009-05-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Achoooo!

2009-05-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Allison Kuznicki, A 2009 graduate of the University of Nevada's Orvis School of Nursing. You make your Daddy so proud.

(We will return to Wild Nevada next week, but this is really Good Stuff!)

2009-05-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Slide Mountain, early May

2009-05-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those special mornings, the storm was clearing out. The air was crystal clear with low hanging clouds and the warm light of sunrise. I left the house early today to get a couple of shots of the sunrise over the Truckee Meadows...Good Stuff.

2009-05-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

I woke up early on Sunday to cloudy skies which soon opened up to let a downpour though. I was originally going to go to the Selenites to scout the route to Kumiva Peak , but decided to considerably shorten the drive time and go to Galena Creek instead. When Henry and I got to the parking lot it was a full fledged downpour I mean it was raining cats and well...dogs. I didn't bring a towel to dry the camera gear or Henry (dumb) , but I wanted to get a couple of shots for Nevada Outside, so outside the truck we went. We hiked about a mile when good sense prevailed and I turned around, by then we were both soaked nose to tail, but surprisingly the camera gear stayed nice & dry in the Lowe Pro fanny pack with the all weather cover...gear that works. Good Stuff. I wanted to set up the tripod to get some nice images of the creek but the camera would of been totally soaked by the time I got fully setup. So I did a "Texas camera quickdraw' and snapped about four shots of Galena Creek, here are two of them. I like the shot of the creek and the little pine (please forgive the raindropon the lens). I think I could of done something more with it given more time, but water and cameras don't mix.....trust me on that one.

2009-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Thomas Creek

After our Galena Creek hike Henry & I drove to Thomas Creek. We walked a short distance up Thomas Creek and tried a few more rainy creek shots. The rain was still coming down in buckets and the camera gear was getting wet from being in & out of the pack. I tried a few quickdraw handheld while leaning up against a tree shots with a polarizer to slow things down enough to blur the water. I was amazed that even with the cloudy skies there was still to much light for a really slow shutter speed. Maybe Cliff is right, I need a ND variable grad filter...more gear. :-)

2009-05-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

There's fresh baked cookie smell, new car smell, and of course "Wet Dog" smell. Henry was soaking wet from nose to tail and rather odiferous. I didn't have to heart to tell the old boy that he stunk, but I was sure glad we weren't sharing a tent together that night. I hope he doesn't see this post...Shhhhh

2009-05-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

Blue Saturday...

2009-04-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Magic Light reappeared at Huffaker for a brief moment at sunset to tease me and (thank goodness)to give me a few shots to post this weekend. I was excited, I haven't seen it since Poodle Mountain in January. I spent Saturday up at Somersett talking to folks about Wilderness at Spring Fest. Today I worked on the yard and did some more spring cleaning...next weekend we go to the Selenites.

2009-04-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

Eco-Kid

2009-04-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Hmmm....time to go fishin'

2009-04-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

Idlewild Park, Reno Nv

2009-04-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Reno Earth Day

I spent Earth Day at Idlewild Park in Reno. Reno Earth Day is terrific it's got live music, an Earth friendly crowd, the nearby Truckee River and this year even the weather was awesome. I worked a two hour shift with Friends of Nevada Wilderness and I talked to some great folks about Friends of Nevada Wilderness and conservation in Nevada.

(special thanks to bb for making these images possible)

2009-04-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Border Collie On Duty.

It is so much fun having a Border Collie. Henry is always on the look out, always keeping a watchful eye while guarding his herd ...me.