More great states!

Montana is a great state because of its natural wonders. Their wildlife is plentiful and quite varied and, this cute little baby bighorn sheep was just too adorable to pass up.

Here's another example of some Montana "wildlife".

We now go to Oregon, where I was working on the huge Biscuit Fire that burned in 2002. Even bigger than the 500,000 acres that burned, was the controversy generated from the 4% of the fire that was to be salvaged by logging. This massive pine tree outside of the fire was marvelled at by John Muir in his day. The tree tops out at over 250 feet tall, which is extremely tall for a ponderosa pine. I've seen "fatter" pines than this 86 inch diameter monster but, never a taller one.

Lastly, we go to Idaho and their Sawtooth Mountains where spectacular meadows are quite commonplace. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the fence AND the incredible mountains into one picture but, I'll look for another one showing the jagged snowy peaks that dominate the Sawtooth skyline in another posting.

Great States

We'll give Yosemite a little break and see some of the wonders of the other great states.

This is a picture of an indian paintbrush and a jaro blossom. I gave it the watercolor treatment and it certainly grabs your attention with that color.

This picture is of a snag in South Carolina that is covered with fungi. It's rather striking with those rich red-browns and the white fringe. The rich diversity of life in those southern forests is amazing, considering that much of those lands were once barren cotton fields.

These next two pictures were from the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. This is a very interesting place for me, as it is where East meets West. Where else can you see ponderosa pine mingling with paper birch? Throw in some oaks, aspens and spruce, and you have a diverse ecosystem full of vigor, wildlife and flora.

Yosemite winter wonderland

Throwing caution to the wind, I ventured out yesterday in the fresh snow to Yosemite Valley yet again. The low snow here in California makes for some great photography opportunities and I really needed to add some winter pictures of Yosemite Valley to my portfolio. Increasing showers were expected throughout the day but, I decided to seize the moment. Luckily, they weren't requiring chains on Highway 120 into the Valley.

This first picture was all the way across the canyon and I used the zoom to get in close. Those huge trees are dwarfed by the giant rock cliff. The rich colors of the rock contrast well with the snow-covered trees.

While the light wasn't really good at this time of day for Bridalveil Falls, the backdrop had great light and blue sky, making this picture "work" for me.

After a few stops in the western part of the Valley, and without much in the way of good picture taking opportunities, I went up to the Wawona tunnel view, expecting to wait for an opening between the light snow showers. The icicles around the entrance of the tunnel intrigued me, so I explored the chance that there might just be a picture there.

Below is a shot of what I saw when I arrived at the tunnel view parking area. Storm pictures can be nice and this shot has a bit of mystery to it. I've always been a little wary of taking pictures at places like these. All too many other photographers take this very same shot. It's nice but, not really one that will get me noticed in the photographic world.

Ansel Adams is well known for his photography, and specifically, for his Yosemite work. He was known to wait for days in a particular spot to get those perfect conditions for his masterpieces. While I wasn't prepared to go to those great lengths, I was ready to wait for an hour of two to capture this vista. Amazingly enough, it only took 10 minutes for the clouds to break and the sun and sky to shine bright. I used the wide angle lens to grab as much of this incredible view as I could. Half Dome is still barely just out of sight but, I was VERY happy with this gift from the gods.

Being that I didn't take my laptop along, I used up most of my digital storage space by noon and decided to head back home in advance of the coming storms forecasted. They, sure as hell, did come in and there's probably now 18 inches of new, fluffy powder snow on top of what you see in these pics.

More Yosemite pics!

I got tired of waiting for my bro to send me his bobcat pic so, I'm posting some more of my own pics. I really like how some of these zoomed in waterfall pictures came out. I hope you do, too.

Here's the view from the balcony of the room at the Yosemite Lodge. The first night there, we had put some food and drink out on this balcony, only to find a sneaky fat raccoon was "casing da joint". I'm sure he's had much success in pilfering meals, as he sure didn't look like he was on a diet.

Up on the trail, there's an overlook to Lower Yosemite Falls and the "inner gorge" between the upper and lower falls. This pic below is of the lower falls and it looks rather small from this high above. Some people can't even get close to the railing, which is where I took this shot. Some people miss this view altogether by not taking the short spur off the main trail.

This picture below is of the "Middle Yosemite Falls". It's not really recognized as a separate falls but, it looks to me that it's rather large, judging from the trees growing next to it. I do have an interesting idea to maybe "hire" one of those famous "climber bums" who often inhabit Yosemite Valley to take me down into that "inner gorge" between the two falls. It would certainly be fun and I really haven't seen any published pictures taken there.

This last picure is also of that "inner gorge" and was an interesting rainbow shot from the mist within the gorge. When I took the picture, I wasn't sure if the rainbow would show up much. It turned out pretty good but, it's just an average picture, in my book.

With another cold storm approaching California, I may yet still get another chance to go to Yosemite Valley when it is covered in a new blanket of fresh snow. With the valley at the 3500 foot elevation, it's not very often that this happens.