very very ORANGE

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SSSdave
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very very ORANGE

Post by SSSdave »

Image

Just crudely flatbed scanned with my old Epson 2450, the first 4x5 transparency this year of 2012 that is good enough to break into my Gallery B web page. Exposed this sheet of Provia 100F a bit after 11am PDT Friday March 30, 2012 in the Merced River Canyon. At the time the fact poppies were nearly duplicating the epic 2009 bloom considered the best in the canyon during our lifetime. But amusingly to this person that had not yet been reported on the web anywhere. :wink:
Oh there were lots of Yosemite bound folks driving along state route 140 stopping and gawking across the river at the blistering orange slopes. Wondering how the guy on the other side of the water got there no doubt as it required several miles hiking. I wasn't alone though and they were probably thinking how did a human manage to climb up a scary steep billy goat slope?

Image

I had guessed our solid late January rains after two months of drought were enough to stage the poppies for a possible show IF more precip occurred later in our rainy season. I received a vague report early March that poppies were begining to show in this particular area I've worked in the past despite the fact it had been bone dry since. But then over 3 inches fell mid March, so I suspected a big bloom might suddenly sprout up a week to two later. Thus drove to check it out on Friday March 23 just before a big weekend storm was due on my way up for a day of skiing at my pass area of Kirkwood and it looked about a week away from a peak. So knew the weather would have prevented any weekend photographers from going up and noticing. When I saw the following weekend weather would also be foul, I set up another Friday PTO day off.

California poppies open notoriously late during mornings only if weather is nice and then begin closing up mid afternoon. Nice clouds were streaming over the headwall so waited a while for an optimal cloud. Besides poppies are white hued popcorn flower, orange-yellow hued fiddleneck, and fillaree. Canyon live oak trees left and a digger pine right. High upper right is greasewood chaparral. Easily the most intense poppy image in my body of work. My 90mm Nikor at EV14.6 1/15 second F41. Matched the hue and saturation of jpg reasonably closely to the slide on my lightbox for tonight's Photoshop session. The 900 pixel wide version in my Gallery B:

http://www.davidsenesac.com/Gallery_B/12-B1-4.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh, I also spent 3 days in the canyon elsewhere last weekend and would highly recommend the Hite Cove Trail. The area of my pic is however well past peak with most petals on the way off.
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Hikin Mike
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by Hikin Mike »

Nice job David! :thumbsup:
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maverick
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by maverick »

Very nice Dave, and your right, there has not been a lot of chatter about this online
which is very surprising. Would have thought the Theodore Payne wild flower site
and others would have been yelling about this ( the Calphoto site would have been all
over this).
The poppies are equal to what was seen after the fires 3 year ago, which is something
that one should not miss if you enjoy wild flowers.
Have also heard that the NF Merced River Trail is suppose to be outstanding this year too.
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by RoguePhotonic »

I didn't expect to see much of anything this year for flowers. At least not down here. The foot hills are hardly even green.

I thought I was lucky enough to see a couple small fields of poppies while I did some trail work on Section E of the PCT last Sunday.

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sparky
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by sparky »

dave, that is an amazing picture! I love it!
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vandman
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by vandman »

Beautiful photos Dave!
http://wildernessjournals.tumblr.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://vanmiller.tumblr.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: very very ORANGE

Post by SSSdave »

Thanks folks. I'm likely going to start working through about $8k worth of drum scans later this year on all my Gallery B stuff that has been building up since 2008 and this poppy pic will be one of the first.

This weekend is forecast to have wonderfully warm spring weather so it will be a fine opportunity for any wildflower seekers or photographers. For those unfamilliar with the well known Hite Cove Trail out of Savage Trading Post at the confluence of the South Fork and main branch of the Merced River, wildflowers are above and below the trail traversing a steep west facing canyon wall. Unlike the area in my picture, the South Fork areas are peaking now. Only the first 8/10 mile is worthwhile and it is private land where one needs to stay on the trail. It does not start to receive sun until mid morning so the poppies don't open until later morning. Thus not much reason to get their early. There are of course many other species in the mix and much closeup work possible trail side. I just exposed one sheet there last Sunday as I've had my fill there in past springs. The best spot is about 7/10 mile out where a small stream is crossed where goldfields, gilia, madia, and red maids add to the mix.

Another excellent blistering orange poppy spot in the canyon is on the Incline Road on the north side of the river. Cross the Foresta Bridge, turn left west and at about one mile is a one lane bridge for Dry Gulch creek. The SNF Dry Gulch campground is nearby a wee bit down the road. At the Dry Gulch bridge stop at a small pullout just west and hike up the obvious use path on the east side of the bridge. Hardly anyone knows about it except Yosemite El Portal locals so am giving out a secret here. Watch out of the PO here and there. That area burned in last year's fire so given the recent big rains, all the wildflowers species are on steroids growing into huge robust clumps. I didn't bother to take a pic with my big camera as it was too breezy late Sunday afternoon.

Another well worth tour is across the Briceberg Bridge and west along the gravel road. After passing the nice McCabe Flat BLM campground that is a $10 a night super bargain, there is a stretch of steep west slopes with a good variety of wildflowers including lots of chinese houses. Further along, the Willow Placer or Railroad Flat campgrounds are likewise nice. I did hike the Merced River Trail then up the North Fork a mile.
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