Trip to the Eastern Sierra, May 14 & 15 (7 pics)
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 10:21 pm
I left the Bay Area at 2:00AM on Sunday and got over SR 88 around 5:30AM. Lots of deer out on the road. Drove slowly. I never seen this many during my travels over the Sierras. Took some shots of the setting moon over the Monitor Pass. Temperatures were already in the high 50s. Stopped in Lee Vining at the Mobile Station for coffee. Once I was re-energized I drove into the Lee Vining Canyon, lots of rushing water, but no good photo ops. The McGee Creek Canyon has no signs of spring flowers yet. I got there around 8:00AM. Being back in the Sierras and surrounded by these majestic mountains is enough to leave me in awe and humble me.
Stopped by Convict Lake and then pressed on to Rock Creek Lake around 10:00AM, lots of sunshine and it was very warm, took a few shots, but the light was pretty harsh.
I had to harass “sierra_smitty” at Parchers, with all that snow shoveling. They were pretty much done and are ready to open. Smitty told me with the warm weather lately, the snow is melting like crazy. I spend a little time chatting and ended up checking into my motel room at 1:15PM, went and had breakfast and drove to Division Creek around 2:30PM to scope out photo locations for the Lupines. The thermometer inside the Explorer showed 97ºF. Division Creek was a total bust. Only a few Lupines bloomed and what I saw was dried up and most of the petals were on the ground. Big disappointment! I had the hardest time to get the Explorer going up that road to the part where it forks, so I could turn around. It seemed really sandy this time.
Went back to the motel and took a nap until 6:00PM and took of again to catch the sunset. Drove back to Rock Creek Lake for a few shots before the sunset.
Wild Iris are blooming in Round Valley (along Lower Rock Creek Road), a lot more than last year. They are also along both sides of Brockmann Lane. Clouds had been gathering to the west and the air was really humid (like thunderstorm weather). I got a nice sunset along Round Valley with wild Iris in the frame.
Got up at 4:00AM Monday morning for the sunrise and maybe the moon setting. I had scoped out an area with a view into the Sabrina Basin for the moonset, but when I got there it was completely cloudy and the moon was a wash. I turned around and drove back to Round Valley, got a decent sunrise shot.
Back up the Bishop Creek Canyon for a photo op at Lake Sabrina. There is a lot of construction going on and only the natural lakes way in the back have water. By this time the high clouds were thick and slowly the overcast extended into the east. Time to go back home.
Stopped by Convict Lake and then pressed on to Rock Creek Lake around 10:00AM, lots of sunshine and it was very warm, took a few shots, but the light was pretty harsh.
I had to harass “sierra_smitty” at Parchers, with all that snow shoveling. They were pretty much done and are ready to open. Smitty told me with the warm weather lately, the snow is melting like crazy. I spend a little time chatting and ended up checking into my motel room at 1:15PM, went and had breakfast and drove to Division Creek around 2:30PM to scope out photo locations for the Lupines. The thermometer inside the Explorer showed 97ºF. Division Creek was a total bust. Only a few Lupines bloomed and what I saw was dried up and most of the petals were on the ground. Big disappointment! I had the hardest time to get the Explorer going up that road to the part where it forks, so I could turn around. It seemed really sandy this time.
Went back to the motel and took a nap until 6:00PM and took of again to catch the sunset. Drove back to Rock Creek Lake for a few shots before the sunset.
Wild Iris are blooming in Round Valley (along Lower Rock Creek Road), a lot more than last year. They are also along both sides of Brockmann Lane. Clouds had been gathering to the west and the air was really humid (like thunderstorm weather). I got a nice sunset along Round Valley with wild Iris in the frame.
Got up at 4:00AM Monday morning for the sunrise and maybe the moon setting. I had scoped out an area with a view into the Sabrina Basin for the moonset, but when I got there it was completely cloudy and the moon was a wash. I turned around and drove back to Round Valley, got a decent sunrise shot.
Back up the Bishop Creek Canyon for a photo op at Lake Sabrina. There is a lot of construction going on and only the natural lakes way in the back have water. By this time the high clouds were thick and slowly the overcast extended into the east. Time to go back home.
