A Weekend Backpack to Yosemite, and Comet Photography at Laguna Mountain

Feb 13-15, 2015

 

I'd gotten my new Gregory backpack and wanted to test it out on a short backpack before doing an adventure in Utah later in the Spring. This 3-day weekend was a good go for doing a double adventure: backpack to the top of Yosemite Falls, followed by driving to Laguna Mtn near Coalinga and doing astrophotography with Kirk and Chris K.

I parked near the Ansel Adams Gallery, and start my trek at 1pm.

More experimenting with Art filters in Photoshop

The bottom of Upper Yosemite Falls. Awesome

 

A rainbow from an unusual angle - straight down, on Yosemite Falls

From Yosemite Point, about 600 vertical feet above the top of Yosemite Falls.

This century-old geological benchmark was only inches from the sheer drop to the valley floor. I know, because bending over to get this shot I succeeded in launching my sunglasses on the long trip back down; accomplished in mere seconds.

A patch of snow, rendered with art filters in Photoshop

Just a Man and his Breadstick.

I'd remembered everything... except my spork. So, no warm oatmeal for me, or cooked yummies for last night's dinner. It was trail food start to finish.

 

Yosemite Creek leaps over the cliff right here; note the cars parked near the old Chapel on the Valley floor just over the whitewater.

       

I got off the trail at 1pm, and then the long drive through heavy traffic to exit the Park. Meanwhile, lots of high cirrus had come in and I wasn't sure the rendezvous at Laguna Mountain for a night of astrophotography was still on. I stopped at a Starbuck's in Madera to check the NOAA weather; didn't look good, with streaming high clouds coming down straight out of the North. No end in sight. No messages on my email. I decided to work my way north west instead of south, so I could still head down to Laguna Mtn if the weather changed. Finally, after arriving in Watsonville, the weather now that it was getting dark, looked to be clearing. Chris K and Kirk B were expected to be spending the night there, and I felt responsible... very tired from my backpack, but yet I turned the car around and drove the extra couple of hours to get to Laguna Mountain and join for comet photography, and a hike/run to Laguna Falls to help test out an underwater camera and investigate populations of critters, with Chris K, for a second "waterfalls adventure" - at the end of a hike to Laguna Falls.

     

Below Laguna Falls

 

more to come when i get time....