Five Reasons to Buy a Wall Calendar

With all the technology we have at our fingertips why would anyone want to buy a wall calendar these days.  Think about it.  We have calendars on our phones, calendars on the computer, calendars in our Email application, calendars on our watches, and even the date on our car stereo.

The wall calendar should be as dead as a doornail. Yet the more accurate phrase is “the wall calendar is dead, long live the wall calendar!”  What magic gives this lowest timekeeping device alive and well?

Here are my top five reasons the low tech “wall calendar” thrives in this technology-driven society:

1. In our high-tech screen-driven world, images and information are fleeting.  This creates a human desire for something physical and more permanent.  We have two calendars in the house.  One in the kitchen and one in the main bathroom.  I usually make two calendars, one of the Eastern Sierra and one of Dodger Stadium.  We catch ourselves regularly stopping and looking at the images.  It takes us back to places and experiences we love.

2. It is like having Christmas twelve times a year.  The calendar in the kitchen is too high for my wife to reach.  On the first of each month, one of the first things she asks me to do is to flip the page on the calendar.  She looks forward to seeing what the next image is going to be. It’s like opening a present! Some of the images have a special meaning because, as my “Photographer’s Assistant” she told me to take them!

3. Wall calendars bring people together.  You can write something on a calendar for a specific date.  From that point on everyone can see it without having to ask Alexa.  We have a group of longtime friends with who we get together several times a year.  With kids, sports, and work it is hard to schedule things.  We have a planning party every year to map out the things we want to do together for the next year.  You should see the calendars come out at that event. If you have a friend that really likes a particular topic a quality wall calendar on that topic is a great way to provide an inexpensive gift that still has a very personal touch.

4. I think having a wall calendar hanging up is also a character statement.  Let me give you an example.  In the Book Blue Highway, the author takes a trip around the US trying to drive only on “Blue” highways, meaning back roads.  In the book he stated he could predict the type of meal he was about to have by the number of calendars the restaurant had on its walls:

“No calendar: Same as an interstate pit stop

One calendar: Preprocessed food assembled in New Jersey

Two calendars: Only if fish trophies are present

Three calendars: Can’t miss on the farm-boy breakfast

Four calendars: Try the ho-made pie too

Five calendars: Keep it under your hat, or they will franchise”

Now think about it.  The last road trip you made.  If the joint had a calendar or two, usually of a local youth sports team or a local business, the food was pretty good and the service was friendly.  Now think about the last time you saw a calendar at a McDonalds.  Enough said.

Well, maybe one last point for my Highway 395 friends.  Our first impression of the Aberdeen Resort was a Margie standing in front of a wall calendar hanging next to a rotary phone.  The food was off the chart.

Aberdeen Resort

5. The benefits of buying from a local or small-time artist that focuses on a place or thing you love.
  In my case the Eastern Sierra.  You are supporting a local artist.  That artist will put some of that
money back into the local economy of the place you love.  If that was not enough, the calendar will
bring you back to your happy place all year long.

We have several calendars up on the walls of our house. The connection between calendars on the wall and good food that the Blue Highway author makes is true. The BBQ at the Kent house is pretty tasty.

Reverse Seared Rib Eye

 After reading this you have the desire to buy a wall calendar of the Eastern Sierra check out mine at the link below.

2026 Eastern Sierra Calendar

Begin 2026 with the Eastern Sierra Calendar from Bob Kent Photography—beautiful photos showing the area’s wild beauty and changing seasons. Each month displays colorful skies, tall mountains, and classic landscapes, bringing the Eastern Sierra’s charm to your home. A year-round tribute to nature’s beauty.

This year has something new. QR code that leads you to the story behind the picture!

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laiden with happiness and tears

Lyrics from Sunrise Sunset Fiddler on the Roof

Sunset over the Minarets

There is something special about sunrises and sunsets.  For me, they stop time.

A few weeks ago, there were some cool clouds above Mammoth Mountain.  There was a good chance they would turn color at sunset.  I went out early to scout out a location because I didn’t have a go-to site in mind.  I found a viewpoint that I liked way earlier than I thought I would.  I set up my tripod and camera and just watched as the sunset progressed. I ended up being at that spot for around an hour and a half.  To me, it seemed like only a few minutes.  Sunsets and sunrises have a way of grabbing your soul and stopping time. See the scene I captured below.

Mammoth Mountain Sunset

It seems I am not alone. 

As I did the research for this post, I found others felt the same way.  Gina Ryder, who lives in New York, decided to try a “Sunrise Therapy” to counter her winter blues.  She put to words what I feel watching a sunrise or sunset. 

“Regular mornings are for showers, coffee, catching up on the news, dressing for the day. Daybreaks are for quiet, peace, and standing on rocks to take bad selfies with the sun. Morning is responsibility, daybreaks are freedom—a smooth, blank page upon which I can write whatever comes to mind.” Gina Ryder

Mono Lake Sunrise

Studies have shown that appreciation of natural beauty increases your emotional wellbeing, raisess your concern for others, and increases your satisfaction with life.  If you want to experiment to see if the studies are true remember sunrises and sunsets are natural beauty at its best.

For some, making time for watching sunrises and sunsets comes naturally.  For others, not so much as the pillow has magical powers to make us stay put.  An article on the Psychology Today website gave some tips to help you develop your sunrise/sunset watching skills:

·         Grab a camera or sketchpad.  The goal is to really see the sunset and capture the moment-to-moment experience, not create an artistic image.

·         Make it a meditation. Take several slow, deep breaths to relax your body and calm your mind. Then intentionally focus on the sunset, noticing how the colors and light change as the sunset first builds in intensity and then fades.

·         Listen to music that thrills you. If you’re more attuned to sound than sight, use music to put yourself into a receptive state of mind.

First Light

Nature gives us these sunrises and sunsets freely.  There is one of each every single day. I highly suggest you take some time to enjoy these gifts.  They will do you good!

I would love to hear what your most memorable sunrise/sunset experience is.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. Feel free to comment or to share it with others!

The Case for Lingering

I was watching a landscape photography video from Roman Kurywczak called “For the Love of Landscapes.”  In the video, he reminded me that to be a good landscape photographer you must have discipline.

Specifically, the discipline to get to a location early and stay late.  To linger.

For a sunrise, you should get there an hour before the sunrise and stay for an hour after the sunrise.  This is not a message I like to hear, as it means getting up at 4:00 AM or earlier to get to a location in time.  However, it is a message that I need to hear regularly because he is right, and it is worth it.

He is right because a lot of the beautiful magic happens well before and after the actual sunrise.  Roman correctly points out, if see something happening before you are there, you have already missed it.  Unfortunately, I know this from experience.   Countless times seeing the clouds turn while driving to a location and knowing no matter how fast I drive I am too late.

Getting to a location early and lingering afterward lets you see this incredible transition from darkness to blue, to gold, and finally to daylight.  The same scene can look totally different and tell a completely different story, all within an hour.  Same place, same stream, or trees, or mountains yet in a matter of a few minutes it “feels” totally different.

You don’t have to be a photographer to enjoy this.  If you go to a location, especially in the afternoon, take your time. Linger. 

Owens in Blue

There is a transition that is worth the price of admission to watch.  At a lake, many times, the transition follows a pattern.  In the afternoon it mostly calm with flat colors, then just before sunset the wind kicks up, the water is choppy, and the colors have this golden cast.  It is the day taking its last breath.  Finally, after the sunset there is this stillness that descends upon everything.  The water goes still, it gets quiet, and if you’re lucky the high clouds catch on fire with yellow and oranges.

Owens in Purple

To experience this, you don’t have to move locations you just have to linger in one place for a while.  While sometimes you get duds, many other times you get one heck of a show.

Owens in Gold

The series of images in this post of the Owens River in the morning transition is a perfect example.  If you want to see another incredible transition at Lake Tenaya, message me.

A Different Take on Bodie

You can be civilized but not very civil. Despite having all the institutions of of a modern city: Barber, fire department, and a school Bodie was a rough town that was not very civilized.

I am teaching a composition photography class in September at the Mono Arts Gallery.  In researching the material for the class, I have learned a lot of new composition concepts that are having a positive impact on my own photography.  When we had a friend come to Mammoth who had never seen Bodie it gave me the perfect reason to go and to look at Bodie differently than in previous trips.

Porch with a view. What amazing stories this porch could tell!

Instead of taking images that were documentation in nature, I wanted to have my images tell a story.  Stories about what it must have been like to live in a rough town with a hostile environment.  Nature gave me a bonus by providing this incredible cloud show the day we went to emphasize the hostile weather.

Sometimes there is only a thin pane of glass that protects us from the harsh elements. An analogy that our society is fragile and could come crashing down with all the heightened tensions in our world today.

If you look back too much you can get stuck in one place and become a relic.

As I researched for this blog post I wanted to include some interesting Bodie trivia to go along with the images.  Just like my attempt of changing the composition nature of my photography my research netted me a different take on Bodie.  Instead of a lot of fact and figures about when the town was started or how much silver was mined I found this story about the “Curse of Bodie.”

Live a good story. Could you use any of this stuff today? A reminder that it is not the things we own that are important but the experiences we have.

You would expect the curse to be about the ghost of some innocent who was killed by a gunfighter or some small child that died too young from disease.  Instead the curse is a modern day invention “created” for a specific purpose just like the town’s name. The town’s name was changed from Bodey to Bodie so people used the correct pronunciation. (A much more fun theory is that an illiterate painter misspelled Bodey as Bodie on the side of a building and the misspelling became the defacto official name of the town.)

Look at your everyday world as if it was art. You will be a much richer person for it.

The town’s name was created from a necessity.  So, did the “Curse of Bodie.”  The State of California keeps Bodie in the state of “arrested decay.”  What that means is the State tries to keep the town looking exactly like it did when people abandoned it.  They will do repairs but only to the extent to keep it looking like it did when folks left.  If the building is leaning they will fix the roof or keep it from leaning more but won’t try to straighten the building up.  Here is where the invention of the “curse” came in. 

Man vs. Nature. Nature always plays the long game and In the end will prevail.

In this arrested decay condition there are artifacts that were randomly left everywhere.  When people left they had to travel long distances and did not have the capability to take things with them. Dishes are still by a sink.  An oven door is outside leaning against a building.  In that environment visitors have a natural desire to take a souvenir.  One item missing is no big deal but with thousands of people visiting Bodie every year lots of stealing would have a major impact. 

In your life build a safe heaven to provide shelter in the storm. I have found the best shelters from life’s problems are good friends.

Somewhere in the past a few rangers “created” the “Curse of Bodie.”  They said that if you took an artifact, rock, or anything from the site you would be cursed from then on with bad luck.  They thought the story of the “curse” would deter folks from taking stuff.  While it has kept folks from stealing, something else happened.  People who did take artifacts blamed bad events that happened to them on the curse.  Rangers get letters every week from folks who took items from Bodie that blame the “curse” for breakups in relationships, the deaths of family and friends, even simple things like flat tires.  Some go as far as to send the item they took back to the park in hopes of lifting the curse.

"Please find enclosed one weatherbeaten old shoe. The shoe was removed from Bodie during the month of August 1978... My trail of misfortune is so long and depressing it can't be listed here."
Letter to Bodie, undated

Some of the most beautiful paintings are right in front of you. Take the time to stop and enjoy.

Today the Rangers no longer like to speak of the curse because if someone does send something back they have to treat it as a theft and file charges.  Not something they really want to do.  Besides once an item is removed it loses its historical context that cannot be regained.  An example is a piano that was taken and then returned.  No one knows what bar or house it came from.  It now sits in the town hall like an orphan who does not know where she came from.

Get outside and into the world around you. It is much more colorful than being cooped up inside.

Please enjoy my visual “different” take of Bodie.  Enjoy Bodie when you go but remember the “curse of Bodie.” It may be made up but lots of people believe the bad luck of the Bodie “curse” is very real.  Let the artifacts lie where they are so others can enjoy them for many years to come.

Bodie is so mean it will even spit at you (rain) on you when you leave.

Please leave comments to let me know if I succeeded in creating a different take on Bodie than you have seen before.

Source Article about the Curse is from KQED see it here.

If you are interested in taking my Photography Class it is on September 28th in Mammoth from 3-6. On the 29th we will do a group photo safari in the morning to put what you learned in action. Sign up here.

Heaven

Spring or 2019 - Wildflowers, snow, and winter that won’t go away!

A few years ago, I experienced a drought of clouds for what seemed like an eternity.  Every time I went on a photo expedition it was nothing but blue skies. It was frustrating as I love clouds in my landscape images. 

Now the cloud “drought” was not all bad as any day in the Eastern Sierra is a good day; with or without clouds.  The lack of clouds forced me to experiment with new compositions and subjects which made me a better photographer.  In the end I still wanted clouds.

That is were we are heading to!

I am here to say with the Spring of 2109 my cloud drought is over.  The last couple of meanderings has been off the charts.  There were clouds, and I mean awesome clouds, everywhere you looked.  They weren’t high clouds, so they didn’t go orange and red at sunrise and sunset, but it didn’t matter.  Their size, complexity, brutishness made them totally photogenic.  The main key to getting great images was to just get out there, and stay out there, capturing the clouds as they morphed throughout the day.  All the while I was in heaven. 

The road and clouds inviting us to explore!

I am doing research on a photography class I am going to teach at the Mono Arts Council in the fall.  The class will not focus technology but on using personal vision, style, and composition to create “remarkable” photographs.  During this cloudfest I started to apply some of the things that were newly learned from my research..  It was difficult to do things differently. 

I may be biased but it made a huge positive difference in the impact of the images I was able to create. I will have to wait to see if the peer reviews from my fellow photographers agree with my self-assessment.

In any case sit back and enjoy my vision of heaven on earth, even though it is extremely cloudy.

Storms over the Eastern Sierra. Lots of snow still on Mammoth!

Symmetry in Nature

and on and on and on! Truly Heaven on Earth!

FYI, as I mentioned above I will be teaching a Photography Composition class at the Mono Arts Gallery on September 28th. Then on the 29th will facilitate a field trip to put what you learn into practice. You can sign up here. Would love to see you there!

Feel free to comment and share!

A Perfectly Cloudy Day

We live in LA, wait we live in Mammoth.  Yes, we are one of those folks, but our Mammoth place doesn’t stay vacant much.  We are not skiers, so we take a winter hiatus during the snowiest part of winter and let the ski people enjoy our place.  The winter withdrawal this year was worse than usual.  Work has been intense, and I needed a John Muir soul “refresh.” I told my better half “we have to go now.”  She said she had to work but was an angel for letting me go without her. 

The entrance to Hot Creek Never looked so good!

Me and my camera took off for the high country.  When we got there, it was cloudy.  Perfectly cloudy to be exact.  You see, lots of people love blue skies, but to photographers blue skies are boring. We long for partly cloudy skies to add impact to our images.  Especially Cumulus, Cumulonimbus, Stratocumulus, and Lenticular clouds. The first three cloud types are what the Lord gave me this trip. It was like he was saying good decision to come on this trip!

Green Church with Clouds! FYI, this is the first time I captured an image of the Green Church I liked!

As a teenager and when my kids were young I remember afternoon thunder clouds while camping at Silver and Twin Lakes.  This trip was like a Deja vu.  There were afternoon clouds and thunderheads all around.  Over the whites, over the Eastern Sierra, seemed like they were everywhere. I needed something to frame the clouds.  Off to Hot Creek I went.

This one huge cloud kept morphing as the afternoon went on.  I followed it for an hour or so. After I had chased the clouds for hours and thought I had gotten my fill, I headed off to Tom’s Place to get a JoJo margarita. She makes a mighty fine margarita.  On the way I kept having to stop because I would see another awesome thunderhead rising above a mountain ridge line here then there.

Either this is what Moses saw in the desert of aliens are coming! :-)

The afternoon was just gorgeous

Tree with a crown of Clouds

The amazing thing about the trip was with all this weather activity, the water on the lakes in the June Lake loop was so still that the lakes looked like mirrors. Since still water is another of my favorite things I got a twofer on this trip!

Silver Lake Glass (a Blog post in its self)

What a great weekend.  So glad I decided to heed the “calling” of mountain’s to go!

FYI, I will be teaching a Photography Composition class at the Mono Arts Gallery on September 28th. Then on the 29th will facilitate a field trip to put what you learn into practice. You can sign up here. Would love to see you there!

Lone Pine the Little Town Below a Big Mountain

I have been going to Mammoth since I was a teenager. Until we bought our place in Mammoth we would do a non-stop drive to Mammoth ignoring all the amazing stuff between LA and Mammoth. With a place of our own we started spending more time in the Eastern Sierra. With that regularity the need to rush straight through to Mammoth went away We started exploring cool things all along Hwy 395. It was then I fell in love with the towns in the Owens Valley. These towns seem one dimensional as you drive through but when you get to know them they have multiple layers that make them gems in their own right. Today’s post focuses on the town I know best - Lone Pine.

Lone Pine has incredible layers both natural and man made

Let’s start with a trivia fact. The famous hills to the west of Lone Pine are called the Alabama Hills. The name for these hills were given by pro-Confederate prospectors They chose the name after the CSS Alabama, the most successful Confederate war ship in the war. The CSS Alabama captured 65 ships, flying the American Flag, and sunk one Union warship. The pro-Union prospectors were not to be out done. They named the pass above the Alabama Hills the Kearsarge pass after the USS Kearsarge which was the ship that sunk the Alabama. Pretty funny when you think about it.

Lone Pine and it’s Alabama Hills are famous for its relationship with the movie industry. Over 300 films have been filmed here over the years including the 1938 classic Gunga Din, countless westerns and famous movies like Spencer Tracey’s Bad Day at Black Rock and Humphrey Bogart’s High Sierra.

You can check out this rich history at the Lone Pine Film Museum.

If you go be sure to watch the film it is pretty cool.

The Alabama Hills are also famous for there unique rock formations that are both beautiful to view but also spark your imagination. Explore enough and you will start to see figures in their shapes.

The Mobius Arch is one of the most famous arches in the Alabama Hills

But it is not the only one.

After a while you start to see images in the formations.

Jabba the Hut

Octopus maybe. If you look close you might find a laughing pig.

Towering above Lone Pine is Mt Whitney. With a height of 14,505 feet it is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States.

About 9,000 feet up is Whitney Portal. There are camp grounds there and it is the trail head for the hike to the top of Mt Whitney. The portal is a wonderful stop on its own, It has a small pond with trout in it. Many like to fish others just like to sit and relax.

Fishing Pond at Whitney Portal

There is also a gorgeous waterfall as well.

If you don’t want to hike all the way to the top of Mt Whitney a much shorter but rewarding hike is to Lone Pine lake.

Lone Pine Lake sometimes looks like a scene from Jason and the Argonauts

If all this physical activity makes you hungry then the Whitney Portal Store has you covered with their huge pancakes!

Two plates are required to hold these pancakes.

If you want to wait to get back to town to eat there are some awesome restaurants it town. A few of our favorites are:

The Alabama Hills Cafe - Breakfast and Lunch

Alabama Hills Cafe

Seasons - Dinner is a great sit down restaurant.

Lone Star Bistro - Great sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream

Frosty Chalet - for a quick bite to eat.

There is a nice grass area and shaded patio to enjoy your food at the Frosty Chalet

If you want just to sit down have a beer and possibly meet folks from around the world Jakes is a great little old saloon-. We have met folks from France, England, Australia, and more while we were there.

Bud sign at Jakes

Just north of Lone Pine is Manzanar one of the WWII Japanese Interment camps. It is now a National Historic Site where you can see both the hardships endured and the courage that our Japanese citizens displayed.

A barracks at Manzanar

I hope you see there is much more to do in Lone Pine than grab a burger and gas. Next time you are heading up 395 plan to spend time in Lone Pine!

Mt Whitney and the Alabama Hills always look good in snow!

My 12 Best Images of 2018

The 12 Best of 2018

Why 12?  To be different.  Everyone else has a Top 10.  Besides I like the idea of one for each month.  Even though I did not take as many images last year, it was an awesome year for my photography. Mainly for two reasons.

1. During most of my trips up to the Eastern Sierra there were luscious clouds in the sky.  Nothing improves a landscape photo like clouds.

2.   I started concentrating on the improving the composition of my images. Specifically working on improving the foreground area.  To me, it made a huge difference.

So here we go.

# 12 Independence God Rays

The most unexpected spots sometimes consistently provide the most awesome images.  In this case there is a pocket park located on the south side of Independence.  It is a nice spot to stretch the legs and take a health break.  On multiple times I have captured incredible images like this with awesome light and clouds.  Right from within 15 feet of the street next to the park.  Notice how the foreground creates an alter for the God rays.

# 11 Hot Creek Sunset

The area behind the Hot Creek gorge is one of my favorite places to watch a sunrise or sunset.  The area around a certain white bridge is well magical during a sunrise or sunset.  Add awesome clouds high enough to catch the suns last rays and change colors, well see for yourself.  Think a couple of chairs, a bottle of wine, and some good company.

# 10 Clouds Over the Owens Valley

Remember the first reason I said my 2018 images were awesome? Yes clouds.  I have always loved the cumulus clouds that have a flat bottom.  Bit of trivia as here is the explanation of why they have flat bottoms. The flat bottoms of cumulus clouds define the exact height at which a critical combination of temperature and air pressure causes water vapor within the rising current to condense into a visible cloud.

# 9 Minaret Sunset

Sometime bad things produce beautiful scenes.  Forest fires are natural but with the drought and other factors the fires of late have been terrible.  Their smoke at sunset though creates some of the most beautiful sunsets you will see.  This is the case with this sunset over the Minarets and the smoke from the Lions fire. The Minaret vista has a wonderful view but trying to capture it as a still image is difficult. In some places there are tall trees that obstruct the main image. In others there is nothing and the impact of the image gets lost in a mass of complexity.  Even though I only had a few minutes to capture the scene I walked around and found the foreground to anchor the image. I think it paid off. Do you?

# 8 June Lake with Moon

June Lake is gorgeous.  For years I have tried to get an image of June Lake that captured the feelings I get when I view the lake.  I have always come up empty and this year I focused on getting an image that I liked.  I got several, but I think this one shows the lake off at its best.  Morning alpenglow, still water, clouds, and the moon.

# 7 Heart Lake Viewpoint

The Heart Lake trail out of Coldwater campground, was a hike I did not take for years because I thought it was too short and did not have any special scenery.  Was I ever wrong as it had some spectacular view, wildflower, and if you walked past the lake just a bit this scene?! This scene has three of Mammoth’s most widely recognizable locations in one view: Mammoth Mountain, Lake Mary, and Mammoth Crest.  Another example of using the foreground to make the image more interesting.

# 6 Heart Lake

Heart Lake is a small lake with only a hint of any interesting geology formations visible  Just a simple little alpine lake.  Sometimes simpler is better.

# 5 Grant Lake with White Line

Three things led to this capture.  

One, the willingness just to wander. We had done the June Lake Loop earlier from the other direction but coming home with the clouds and sunset we decided to do it again.

Two, preparedness - five minutes before the clouds were ten times more colorful, five minutes after the light was gone.  Like Goldilocks’ porridge this was just right.  I usually travel with the camera ready to go and already on the tripod.  Being ready allowed me to capture the image.

Three, listen to your photographer’s assistant. My wife has developed a keen eye for scenes worth stopping for.  I was in a keep driving mode and she told me to stop and take the image. She was right, this image got more comments on Facebook than almost all my other posts.

# 4 Parker Lake with Logs

I do most of my shooting very early in the morning or around sunset.  The hike to Parke Lake is one of my favorite hikes; one I have done many times.  When I went with some others on a mid-morning hike, I did not plan on doing much shooting.  I was stunned when we reached the lake, the water was still fairly calm and the light was not too harsh.  I took my time to find the foreground to anchor the image and came away with one of my favorite images of my favorite lake.  Shows that you should never assume and approach the creation of your art with an open mind.

# 3 Sage Hen Road with Trees

We were taking some friends on a day tour of the cool things around Mammoth in the fall.  Even though this location had passed its fall color peak, I thought the views were worth going there.  Well sometimes it all just works; the light coming through the leaves, the blue sky with clouds, and a nice leading line.

# 2 Whitney Fish Hatchery

The Whitney Fish Hatchery is a wonderful oasis in the Owens Valley.  The building is picture card perfect but one I had never captured to my liking.  This day all the elements of a great image were working overtime; the clouds, the light, just everything.  While my photographer’s assistant was setting up our picnic, I walked around to see if I could find a new perspective.  Did I hit the jackpot!  This was the FB post and calendar page that got the most comments. I think you can see why.

# 1 Cloudy Silver Lake

I knew as soon as I took this picture it would be the best image I captured on this trip and probably of the whole year.  It is a rare gift to get still water and storm clouds.  It is even a rare gift to get them late in the day.  This image is taken from one of our favorite places to sit and have a picnic.  We just sit and soak up the beauty around us. Occasionally, we will have deer and ducks join us to make it even more special. it was tough to choose between Whitney Fish Hatchery and this image as the best.  Our personal connection to this spot was the tie breaker.

The above is my ranking, which of these images was your favorite?  The bar is set high for 2019 but it will be fun to beat this list. Just pray for a cloudy 2018!

Dad Why Do the Trees Change Colors?

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Bishop Canyon

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Every year I reluctantly hang on to summer and desperately resist the coming of Fall.  Despite my best efforts the days keep getting shorter, the nights have a chill, and heck it is mid-September and it just snowed in the Sierra!  So, I will throw in the towel and look forward to Halloween and Fall Colors.  Hopefully, this post will give you a bit of trivia to impress your friends and a lot of information on how to successfully see the Fall colors in the Sierra.

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Bishop Canyon

Why do leaves change color?

The short answer is simply the leaves get less light.  There is more to it than that!  Here is your trivia facts that you can use to impress your fellow Fall Color lovers. 

Trivia Fact 1. In fall the days grow shorter.  The reduction in the total amount of light the tree leaves receive induces a chemical change causing a corky wall to form between the twig stem and the main portion of the leaf. 

After a while this corky wall causes the leaf to drop off the tree. Before it falls however, the wall blocks the in and exit vessels which traps sugars in the leaves. With reduced light an no new food the green chlorophyll pigments die.  This allows us to see the two other pigments the leaves always have had - carotene (yellow) and anthocyanin (red).

Trivia Fact 2. The reason the leaves look more vibrant after sunny days is that the sunlight continues to produce anthocyanins after the blockage occurs.  During cloudy days less anthocanin is created and the leaves take on a more pastel tones.

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Weir Pond

Eastern Sierra Fall Colors Locations

While the Maine, Vermont, and the Rockies are better known for their fall colors there are plenty of places in the Eastern Sierra that put on quite a show. As the California Fall Color Web Site says “Dude, autumn happens here too.”  Here are a some of the locations that usually have good showings:

• Big Pine Canyon
•  Bishop Creek Canyon
• Lower Rock Creek
•  Rock Creek Canyon
•  McGee Creek
•  Convict Lake
• June Lake Loop
• Sagehen Summit (Hwy 120)
• Lee Vining Canyon
• Lundy Canyon
•  Virginia Lakes
•  Conway Summit
• Walker River Canyon
• Lobdell Lake
• Monitor Pass
• Hope Valley

Viewing Etiquette

During the peak viewing time, there are tons of site-seers and photographers.  Lately there are a lot of Photography Tour groups as well.  There is enough beauty to go around to see so folks please be respectful of your fellow viewers!  I remember a time where I was at North Lake very early in the morning.  The sunrise was so beautiful and peaceful.  That was until a large group of tourist that had broken up into two groups decided it was okay to loudly yell things to each other across the lake, ruining the peace for all others.  Think before you yell, walk in front of someone’s camera scene, or bogart a location while other photographers are waiting behind you.

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McGee Creek

Incredibly Helpful Resources for Planning Your Trip

 Generally, the colors start changing first at higher altitudes usually in late September and the 1st week in October is best overall for color viewing. Unfortunately, it is not that simple.  The change in fall colors is a very fickle thing.  It does not always start on time.  One location might look gorgeous one day then after a sudden wind storm, cold freeze, or snow storm be totally decimated the next day.

Fortunately, there are a lot of kind people that actively track and publish the current conditions.  Some of the best sites are:

• California Fall Color
• California Fall Color Map
• Parchers Bishop Creek great for the Bishop Creek Canyon; North Lake, South Lake, Aspendell, and Lake Sabrina.
• Mono County Fall Color
• Calphoto Yahoo Group need to join.
•  Sierra Fall Colors
• Natural History Wanderings Foliage Reports

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Lower Rock Creek

Best blog post and How To Book

G. Dan Mitchell provide an incredible amount of valuable info!

·         Sierra Nevada Fall Color Season – Coming Sooner Than You Think!

Hope this helps you in your quest to see one of nature’s best shows.  Maybe I will see you out there among the colors!

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Tom's Place

When we are in the Sierra we really enjoy visiting Toms Place.  The bar is a perfect local rustic dive bar you would find in small towns back east.  The bartenders we have come to be friends with, Jo Jo and Donna, are the best.  Great Margaritas and Bloody Mary. The food in the restaurant is delicious comfort food.

Toms Place has been around for a long time which is part of its charm.  Originally built in 1917 by a German man not named Tom but Hans Lof.  It started with a gas station to service the traffic coming from Southern California.  Lof added cookhouse, store and corrals.
 
In 1923, Thomas Yerby purchased the business and Tom built the original Tom's Place Lodge in 1924.  Hence the name Toms Place.

On Labor Day Toms Place has a Car Show and BBQ.  It makes for a fun visit and this year there were over twenty pretty "sweet" cars at the show.  The images below are just a sampling of the cars that were "in attendance."

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This pretty much sums up the type of cars that were at Toms Place on Labor Day

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Awesome "stormy" Mustang

Speaking of Mustangs there was a sweet 1965 restored to original condition.

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Notice the 8 Track

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Ratmobile (Rocket 88)

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Tons of Chrome on this 1950(s) Pontiac

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1950 Style Pontiac hood ornament

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Incredible Tear Drop Trailer for "Roughing It"

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All the comforts of home!

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Owned since the owner was 16

Looking at the blanket in the truck bed below you would have thought the owner had it custom made.  That was not the case.  The owner told me he had won it in a raffle at another car show a few weeks earlier.  The raffle had several versions of the blanket with different colors.  When he claimed his prize the girl recognized him and said I know what color you want orange!

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Cool cars, the BBQ was delicious which made for a great day!

Unbelievable - Time again for Fall Colors

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Side Road on the way to South Lake

The forecast for the inland valleys in Southern California this past weekend is for 105! With that in mind it seems unbelievable that already Fall Colors season in the Eastern Sierra. Some web sites are already locations like Sabrina Campground and Rock Creek are at their peak!

For those looking to go to the Sierra to view the Fall Colors here are a list of links that will help you plan your hunt. I need to give credit to Sandy Steinman and her blog for the list of resources!

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Be Sure To Look Down When Photographing Fall Colors

Places to See Fall Colors

South of Mammoth

• Hwy. 168 through Bishop Creek Canyon, Aspendell, Lake Sabrina, North Lake, and South Lake - Awesome canyon and creek side shots everywhere.  Colors will peak at different altitudes at different times. - Along the road
• Convict Lake - Along the road
• McGee Canyon - Short hike
• Rock Creek - Along the road and moderate hike

North of Mammoth

• June Lakes Loop - Along the road
• Lundy Lake - Along the road and hike
• Parker Lake - Moderate Hike
• Conway Summit - Along freeway 
• Dunderberg Road - Along the road dirt graded road

Resources for Determining Where the Color Is

Fall Colors are very finicky and can change in an instant. One wind or snow storm can change a location dramatically in less than a day. To see the best colors you have to be flexible and have up to date information. Luckily, there are dedicated Fall Color fans who track and post information on a regular basis. Here are some of the better sources of information:

• Natural History Wanderings Foliage Reports fall color reports posted on Natural History Wanderings
• Parchers Bishop Creek best foliage report for the Bishop Creek Canyon area in the Eastern Sierra.
• California Fall Color  covers California fall color.
• California Fall Color Map interactive fall color map by California Fall Color blog
• Mono County Fall Color reports
• Calphoto Yahoo Group members post reports; must join to use.
• Sierra Fall Colors Sacramento Bee map rating fall color at many Sierra Nevada locations. updated on Thursdays.

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Get Off the Beaten Path and Away From the Crowds!

Photographing Fall Colors

For the first several years I struggled to get images of fall colors that I liked. So I did my homework and my images improved. Here are links to some great photographic tips to get the best image of your fall color images. I especially like Steve Siren's recommendations

• Tips for Photographing Fall Color by Photo Naturalist (list of articles on photographing fall color)
• Top Ten Tips For Photographing Fall Color  by Photo Cascadia
• Fall Color Photo Tips by Steve Siren
  • Part 1
  • Part 2
• Classic Fall Color: Capturing the best of autumn takes a combination of skill, preparation, timing and equipment by Stan Trzoniec from the Outdoor Photographerblog
• Top 5 Photo Tips for Autumn by Ian Plant from the Outdoor Photographer blog
   

Good luck on your adventures hunting the this year's Fall Colors. Just a reminder during the fall season there are a lot of folks, photographers and non-photographers, enjoying the spectacular fall colors. Be mindful you are not alone and show courtesy for others.

If you see someone setting up for an image up the road from you give them some time to capture their image.

If you are at an iconic spot where lot's of people want to take a photograph. Take yours and move on so others can too.

The Sierra are huge and there are plenty of beautiful scenes and plenty of room for everyone.

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Another Bucket List Checked Off – Getting to a Sierra Pass

Trail Head

• October 2024
  • Oct 20, 2024 Three Days of Fall Colors in the Eastern Sierra Oct 20, 2024
• May 2023
  • May 18, 2023 Cloudy with a 100% of Spectacular May 18, 2023
• December 2022
  • Dec 30, 2022 20 Yards of Track Dec 30, 2022
• July 2022
  • Jul 9, 2022 Channeling Huell Howser in the Eastern Sierra Jul 9, 2022
• June 2022
  • Jun 24, 2022 Quiet Moment - Waterfall Jun 24, 2022
• May 2022
  • May 1, 2022 Cloud's Life Lessons May 1, 2022
• January 2022
  • Jan 17, 2022 Best Images 0f 2021 Jan 17, 2022
• December 2021
  • Dec 12, 2021 Owens Valley: The Tule Elk on Hwy 395 Dec 12, 2021
• November 2021
  • Nov 5, 2021 Five Reasons to Buy a Wall Calendar Nov 5, 2021
• October 2021
  • Oct 25, 2021 Eastern Sierra Intimate Fall Colors Oct 25, 2021
• July 2021
  • Jul 19, 2021 Clouds make my Eastern Sierra Sunset Images Pop! Jul 19, 2021
  • Jul 12, 2021 Sound of Silence Jul 12, 2021
• June 2021
  • Jun 7, 2021 Sunrise, Sunset Jun 7, 2021
• May 2021
  • May 17, 2021 Early Morning Around the Loop May 17, 2021
  • May 3, 2021 The Case for Lingering May 3, 2021
• January 2020
  • Jan 31, 2020 Best Images of 2019 Jan 31, 2020
• July 2019
  • Jul 1, 2019 A Different Take on Bodie Jul 1, 2019
• June 2019
  • Jun 10, 2019 Heaven Jun 10, 2019
• May 2019
  • May 20, 2019 A Perfectly Cloudy Day May 20, 2019
• April 2019
  • Apr 1, 2019 My Path to Better Wildflower Images Apr 1, 2019
• March 2019
  • Mar 25, 2019 March in Like a Lion ( and leave the same way!) Mar 25, 2019
  • Mar 15, 2019 The End of the Line (well maybe) - Keeler Mar 15, 2019
• February 2019
  • Feb 26, 2019 Lone Pine the Little Town Below a Big Mountain Feb 26, 2019
  • Feb 18, 2019 The Word of the Month for February - Snow Feb 18, 2019
  • Feb 11, 2019 The Wildflowers are Coming, the Wildflowers are Coming; are You Prepared? Feb 11, 2019
  • Feb 4, 2019 Nature’s Vastness is Good for Our Souls Feb 4, 2019
• January 2019
  • Jan 20, 2019 Hike Big Sycamore Canyon - Tejon Ranch Jan 20, 2019
  • Jan 13, 2019 Clouds and Glass Jan 13, 2019
  • Jan 5, 2019 My 12 Best Images of 2018 Jan 5, 2019
• September 2017
  • Sep 22, 2017 Dad Why Do the Trees Change Colors? Sep 22, 2017
  • Sep 11, 2017 Eastern Sierra Early Morning Scramble (ESMS) Sep 11, 2017
• August 2017
  • Aug 14, 2017 Another Hidden Gem Along Highway 395 Aug 14, 2017
• July 2017
  • Jul 31, 2017 FIVE SIMPLE STEPS TO ENJOY YOSEMITE ON A CROWDED WEEKEND Jul 31, 2017
  • Jul 24, 2017 Mom, why is the sky blue? Mom, Why is the sunset red? Mom, why does it always looks better in the Eastern Sierra? Answers to questions you May have always wanted to know Jul 24, 2017
  • Jul 10, 2017 The Streams are Alive Jul 10, 2017
• June 2017
  • Jun 27, 2017 Water Everywhere! Jun 27, 2017
• January 2017
  • Jan 23, 2017 Cannot Fight It Might as Well Join It Jan 23, 2017
  • Jan 16, 2017 Clouds are the Photographers Spice of Life Jan 16, 2017
  • Jan 10, 2017 Sunrise to Sunset in Southern California Jan 10, 2017
  • Jan 2, 2017 My Top Images of 2016 Jan 2, 2017
• December 2016
  • Dec 29, 2016 Operation Santa Status - A Success Dec 29, 2016
  • Dec 21, 2016 Time to Celebrate it is the Shortest, Darkest Damn Day of the Year Dec 21, 2016
  • Dec 19, 2016 The Joy of Christmas Trees Dec 19, 2016
  • Dec 14, 2016 Don Henley was Wrong You can go Back Dec 14, 2016
  • Dec 7, 2016 Update on Operation Santa Dec 7, 2016
  • Dec 5, 2016 Quests in the Owens Valley are Fun Dec 5, 2016
• November 2016
  • Nov 28, 2016 Santa’s Letters a Way to Make a Difference Nov 28, 2016
  • Nov 21, 2016 Awesome Austin Nov 21, 2016
  • Nov 7, 2016 Veteran's Day Nov 7, 2016
• October 2016
  • Oct 31, 2016 Dia de los Muertos 2016 Oct 31, 2016
  • Oct 24, 2016 Of Frequency and Luck Oct 24, 2016
  • Oct 17, 2016 Show ‘Em That Flat Penny Oct 17, 2016
  • Oct 10, 2016 Fall Colors in the Sierra Oct 10, 2016
  • Oct 3, 2016 What a Summer! Looking Back as We Move To Fall Oct 3, 2016
• September 2016
  • Sep 26, 2016 Tom's Place Sep 26, 2016
  • Sep 19, 2016 Unbelievable - Time again for Fall Colors Sep 19, 2016
  • Sep 10, 2016 Another Bucket List Checked Off – Getting to a Sierra Pass Sep 10, 2016
• January 2016
  • Jan 23, 2016 Lake Havasu Balloon Festival Jan 23, 2016
• November 2015
  • Nov 5, 2015 2016 Calendars Nov 5, 2015
• July 2015
  • Jul 11, 2015 See Less Enjoy More Jul 11, 2015
• May 2015
  • May 22, 2015 Some Things Age With Grace May 22, 2015
  • May 15, 2015 Welcome to the Website Launch May 15, 2015

Working to complete my 54 for Dave Quest I have done more hikes this summer than ever before. I came to realize though I had yet to hike to a mountain pass, ever. I had come close.  Once on the McGee Creek trail but was stopped by snow.  Another time on the Crystal Lake hike but was going to Crystal Lake not the pass.  So I had never actually stood on top of a Sierra mountain pass. It became a bucket list item! So I started looking for a day hike that got me to a pass.

Mono Pass in Yosemite seemed to fit the bill. It was in the Yosemite high country in which I love hiking in. It had a reasonable difficulty level at eight miles in length (round trip) and 900 feet of altitude gain it figured it would be pleasant hike.

The description of the hike on the Yosemite Hikes web page seemed to good to be true to get to a pass.  “There are only a few stretches where the incline is steep enough to make you notice you're climbing.” Well it was to good to be true as one of those “stretches” was as over a mile and had a pretty steep grade.

Even with the unexpected climb I really enjoyed this hike. While it did not have a big lake at the end like some hikes do; the high country meadows and the view down Bloody Canyon to Mono Lake more than made up for it.

Mono Pass is the type of hike I like because it starts of flat and saves the climb later on once your warmed up. My start time at 6:30 AM was perfect to catch the first morning light on Mammoth Peak

First Light on Mammoth Peak

Mammoth Peak Overlooking a Meadow

eing late in the summer most of the creeks were dry. That is good and bad. Bad, because I imagine the streams were knock down gorgeous. Good, because I did not encounter one mosquito on the entire hike. Dana Fork was the primary exception to this water drought and provided a beautiful log water fall right next to the trail.

Dana Fork Waterfall

Looking Up the Trail in the Morning Light

There are a couple of decaying mining cabins along the trail. A bit of background on these cabins. The Homer Mining Index, one of the few papers in the area at the time, states that Fuller and Hayt (or Hoyt) discovered antimonial silver in Mono Pass and called their claim the Golden Crown. The Mammoth City Herald, another newspaper of the day predicted that within a year, thousands of miners would be working in Mono Pass at the Golden Crown. The mines never panned out and Mono Pass will be remembered as a way for miners to cross the Sierra to get to Dogtown and Monoville, mines on the eastern Sierra near Mono Lake. The cabins are a quite reminder of the mining history of the area.

First Cabin

Cabin II

There is  long section that climbs up.  After that ordeal you are rewarded as the trail weaves in and out of a stunningly beautiful alpine meadow. There are also beautiful views of Mt Lewis and the Kuna Crest.

Looking Forward to Mt Lewis

Looking Back to the Kuna Crest

Just before the pass is a lovely unnamed pond. A short distance farther up the trail, at the summit, is a small lake appropriately named Summit Lake. This is the end of the Mono Pass trail and the beginning of the Bloody Canyon trail. It is also the edge of Yosemite Park. Up to this point the Mono Pass trail was beautiful forest and meadows. In contrast, Bloody Canyon is barren rock. An incredible difference and a testimonial to the impact the Sierra has on the weather and the land around it.

Unnamed Pond

Unnamed Pond

Other Places to Go!

Mono Pass and Summit Lake

I continued for a for just over a quarter of a mile down the Bloody Canyon trail toward Upper Sardine Lake to get a scenic look of Mono Lake 4,000 feet below. The view is awesome and one of the reasons I did this hike!

Bloody Canyon with Mono Lake Below

This was a wonderful hike with great views of the Yosemite high country, granite peaks like Mammoth and Mt. Lewis, and Mono Lake. I will definitely do it again and maybe finish at Spillway Lake.