#calparks

[valhikes]

Little River State Beach, California

Out to Little River State Beach to have a look around. There's quite a lot of beach as well as sand dunes and, of course, the river, to keep one entertained. I found racing bubbles and some first birds!

[jhoffmannphotography]

I recently spent some time in the lakes basin of Plumas County in the northern Sierra Nevada. In three days we experienced a wide range of weather conditions. Our first night was spent sheltering from a wicked storm. This was the following morning sunrise. This part of the Sierra Nevada is less heavily traveled and usually does not open up until around Memorial Day weekend. There is no shortage of trails and lakes to explore and lots of interesting history and wildlife. For more content please join my website www.jhoffmannphotography.com. #plumas #plumascounty #goldlake #sierranevada #yourshotphotographer #natgeo #natgeoyourshot #mountains #storm #sunrise #sunrisephotography #landscapephotography #explore #wander #hike #graegle #california #calparks #conservation #protectourplanet (at Gold Lake) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeYyLOhrlFp/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[crystalhealingenergy]

getting amongst the trees feeling listening and releasing all that needs settling. so some so easy so quiet. just me and earth spirit big sigh #earthday #CalParksEarthDay #calparks #solice #trees #freedom #fae #faefolk #owls #feathers #bluefeathers #featheraugury #naturalwellness #naturehealing https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-pgIUFQZg/?igshid=k3xl7u1ap5kr

[susantaylorphoto]

I absolutely love exploring Northern California redwood forests and parks this time of year . . . so quiet and serene. "Redwood Forest Canopy", Samuel P. Taylor State Park Free USA shipping on prints of all sizes and styles! www.etsy.com/shop/SusanTaylorPhoto #calparks #californiastateparkfoundation #redwoods #coastalredwoods woods #northerncalifornia (at Samuel P. Taylor State Park)

[cultivatelovela]

I visited the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Area for a little exercise with Aaron today. The diversity of birds in this area is always impressive. I've got to bring my camera next time! ... #sepulvedabasin #sepulvedabasinwildlifereserve #calparks #natureinla #losangelesnature #vannuys #encino #lakebalboa (at Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve) https://www.instagram.com/p/B64XvBSAtJK/?igshid=193jl8lljt0ul

[jeffsullivan]

I had an appointment with this rainbow in Bridalveil Fall earlier this week. I'm glad that clouds didn't cause it to miss our meeting! #yosemite #nationalpark #landscape #photography #astrophotography #california #calparks #goparks (at Yosemite National Park)

[victorvolta]

Mount Tamalpais in the clouds and fog

December 31, 2018

Surely I could’ve found time to write more than two blog entries (including this one) in 2018, And like any good non-practicing Catholic, I always feel like I need to beg forgiveness for my absence from Blogland/the Blogosphere. Forgive me father for I have sinned, it’s been eleven months since my last post. And my inflated ego makes me think that the world of blog crumbled without me.

~

As I approach the three year mark since beginning the writing of “As I Was Walking,” my book about my adventuring along the John Muir Trail, I can happily report that I’m very close to finalizing my edits and layout and will be self-publishing soon, sometime in January (of 2019).

~

As I sit on the comfy sofa in my humble Alameda apartment, recovering from a nasty bout with strep throat, since I can’t go outside to play and cavort, I’ve decided to put together this End of Year gallery. What really compelled me to put this post together was an Instagram post I did yesterday. It was one of those “best of 2018/top 9��� grids that posted my nine most liked images of the previous year. While I always appreciate the support of my followers, this is one case where the numbers do lie. Granted, I’m hardly the most objective judge of my own work. But one IG follower, Eileen, was kind enough to offer her own input. If I’d had the budget, I’d hire her as an editor, because I agreed with her choices. I’m not sure I can winnow my choices down to nine – I made more than 200 IG posts in 2018 and posted many more images than that on other social media – but following is my own Best of List:

First, the opening image of this post was from my first hike back on Mount Tamalpais (Marin County, CA) after a lengthy bout with bronchitis in late November (yes, it’s been a sickly last quarter of 2018). It was also between two early season storms, which always makes me excited at the prospect of witnessing the mountain’s returned vitality, with creek beds once again flowing and the parched earth joyous at the prospect of a long-needed soak.

From here, the images will be in chronological order:

January on Mount Tam’s Cataract Trail, a great place to enjoy the sound of water from Cataract Creek and plentiful wild mushrooms. I’m not enough of a mycologist to determine edibility and poisonous-ness, I just like the way they look.

Below: a trio of images from an abbreviated trip to Death Valley in mid-February. First is from my camp at Mesquite Springs Campground. Middle image is a look north along the road to Mesquite. Bottom image is on the drive through the eastern Sierra along highway 395 on the way home as a snow storm approaches from the west.

As always, I’m consistently drawn back to the serenity of Mount Tamalpais. It’s where my soul feels most at peace. This particular image is from the Rock Spring Trail as I make my way through a patch of manzanita under a gathering storm in March.

Rock Spring Trail above Marin

Another March on Mt. Tam image as early blooms of poppies find protection behind a serpentine outcropping.

Poppies above Rock Spring Trailhead, Mt. Tamalpais State Park

For variety, I sometimes venture to another gem of a California State Park: Mount Diablo where wildflowers abound in early spring.

.

Early spring rains continued to feed the creeks on Mt. Tam. In this case, Fern Creek along the Matt Davis Trail.

Fern Creek

I get to see a lot of trees on my hikes, but I don’t recall a more regal, impressive tree than this grand oak that I found at Point Reyes National Seashore in late April. The way her branches spread across the trail and the surrounding landscape left an impression. This is a case where I felt that the subject was more important than the creative aspects of the image. 

Queen of the Oaks, Point Reyes National Seashore

 Wherever I hike, my eyes are always on the lookout for the smaller/macro details of what I find along the trails. I’ve always loved the textures of manzanita bark, sometimes smooth like polished mahogany or looking like shaved chocolate when the outer layers peel.

Manzanita bark, late July

The month of August arrived and my two week vacation with a planned 8-day loop in the Sierra, including part of the John Muir Trail. Unfortunately, wildfires and the accompanying smoke choked much of Northern California and the Sierra. As I drove toward the Sierra early on a Sunday morning, I contemplated canceling the trip as the skies became more and more smoky the further I drove and I worried for my health. Eventually, I found cleaner skies south of Mono Lake and even more so toward Bishop and my camp at 9,400′ at North Lake. I found this superb specimen of monkshood growing just yards from my campsite.

Monkshood, North Lake Camp

I went ahead with the backpacking trip, but it was cut woefully short as I came down with a case of altitude sickness. I’m already predisposed to it, but it certainly wasn’t helped by all the smoke I inhaled the previous two days during my drive. I’ll try again in 2019, and will hope and pray for a less devastating fire season. An image from my hike along the Bishop Pass Trail.

Saddlerock Lake, Bishop Pass Trail

Home early from the backpacking trip, I decompressed and took a very slow casual hike along Bootjack Trail to Van Wyck Meadow on Mt. Tam. A nice way to soothe the disappointment of another truncated adventure. Both images below are from that short hike.

Top: detail of a redwood tree; bottom: wild fennel silhouette

Late summer brought still warm temperatures to Mt. Tam, and while the first image below is a variation of similar I’ve taken on hiking trails, showing an inviting trail through forest, I loved the colors and the way the light fell on the canopy and the light at the end of a tunnel feel. The second image shows a view from the trail where it was about 25 to 30 degrees warmer above the fog bank than below. 

Early October, and an early autumn hike on Mt. Tam. The two trail images (in color) are again variations of other images I’ve done before, but I liked them nonetheless. I was more intrigued with the black and white jumble of dead manzanita. I loved the chaos and while I try to have a center of focus in most of my images, I think the lack of one in this instance made it a successful image.

  Shortly after the above Mt. Tam hike, I was laid low by a prolonged bout with bronchitis that put me on the shelf for a couple of weeks. Once I finally improved, the tragic Camp Fire hit and smoke again choked the Bay Area. I escaped the unbreathable air for a few days by going to Lake Tahoe. Too late for the autumn foliage, I still found plenty of beauty near Taylor Creek and Hope Valley.

A return to the smoky Bay Area set me back again with lung and sinus problems until the rains finally arrived in late November, putting out the fires and cleansing the air. Once recovered, I was like a giddy child once again, patrolling Mount Tamalpais, tromping through muddy trails and understory, finding creeks flowing, trees rejoicing and mushrooms popping up. Please enjoy the closing slideshow of my final late 2018 hikes.

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End of Year Clearance December 31, 2018 Surely I could've found time to write more than two blog entries (including this one) in 2018, And like any good non-practicing Catholic, I always feel like I need to beg forgiveness for my absence from Blogland/the Blogosphere.

[gkaras20ahsgov-blog]

Conceptualizing the issue and assessing types of action

1. My civic action is ethnical treatment of animals. I chose this because I love animals and want to learn more about animal cruelty because I feel like the media doesn’t cover it that much.

2. This is an issue because humans rely on animals for various reasons. Since we are so dependent on certain animals, we don’t always have there best interest at heart. It’s easy to think that no harm is being done but this is not the case.

3. The first action we need to take to address this issue is to spread the word. This is what I hope to do on this social media platform. If we spark conversation, people will be more aware of the actions we can take to help our animals.

4. I am following 5 accounts on Twitter that pertain this specific issue. The first accounts I followed were @peta and @MercyForAnimals because they post daily about breaking animal news. This drew my attention because they posted stories that I have never read before and that isn’t covered by the media. I also follow @calparks because it’s a foundation that is dedicated to protecting, advocating and enhancing California’s state parks. This is especially important because protecting our state parks is one step we can take towards helping animals. @Animals1st is a good account that wants to raise awareness towards ending animal cruelty. @seta_offical is an account that posts happy animals and informs the media about animals that need your help. While reading tweets from @peta, I came across and article that alarmed me. It talked about how zoos are just now starting to cut back on using sharp metal hooks to control elephants.

[seekingventurephoto]

💙 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐚𝐲 🌎 I hope if you are a follower and seeing this, you will do your part for our planet soon and either spend time volunteering at your local park or donating to a good cause. I personally signed up for some earth day clean-up kits through @calparks & my local @rei 😍 The next time I go hiking I will bring them along and pick up garbage along the way. Please try and encourage your friends & family to follow @leavenotraceorg practices 🙌 Speaking of hiking, tomorrow is also "Celebrate Trails Day" which was started by @railstotrails - The day encourages people across the country to get outside and enjoy our trail systems! 👣 Photograph taken at Garrapata State Park 💚 (at Carmel, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcrE-pYvCTK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[awildflowerspirit]

Someone said they felt like everyday in October is gonna be like an advent calendar and honestly I’m not surprised. Here’s to wishful cabin adventures and while fires are still burning in the west coast - visit @calparks to champion for our state parks and forests 🌲 #fallvibes #fallcolors #bigbearlake #fallfeels #leavesarefalling #autumniscoming #autumnismyfavorite #ipreview via @preview.app (at Big Bear Lake, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CF2oC76gaSq/?igshid=13dz4j0fukvc6

[valhikes]

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California.

Some small loops through the redwoods and a final look for a unique tree.

[scottwiener]

#EarthDay  at Candlestick Point with some passionate students who are deeply committed to saving Mother Earth. Thank you @calparks for organizing. (at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwNAW15hjh5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e9w9ll5j2xng

[susantaylorphoto]

On my way back from a relaxing week long adventure to the coast I decided to drive Hwy 9 home through the redwoods. The beauty was incredible and I especially enjoyed my morning photography walk through the sequoia forest yesterday at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, located in the Santa Cruz mountains in Northern California. #landscapephotography, #BigBasinRedwoodStatePark #redwoodtrees #sequoia #redwoodforest #calparks #sequoia Father's Day Sale here! www.etsy.com/listing/523535196

[conexaoamerica]

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A post shared by Conexão América (@conexao.america)

Nevada City, California (Part 5) #IndependenceTrail, South Yuba River in the #CAStateParks family of awesome places to check out. We posted about this hike earlier under our hashtag #highway49roadtripping *files* and just tonight remembered we did video as well. This place is the business and worth every step taken! Get out there, friends! California is amazing! . Credit @ca.love.fornia Follow 👉🇺🇸 @conexao.america . . . . . . #nevadacityCA #nevadacounty #trailhike @calparks @castateparks #ilovecalifornia #hiddencalifornia #californiatrails #hikecalifornia #californiaoutdoors #explorecalifornia #visitcalifornia #gocalifornia #familyfriendlyCalifornia #Californiawithkids #travelCalifornia #seeCalifornia #wandercalifornia #discovercalifornia #CaliforniaBackroads #calovefornia #california #californiadreamin #californiaroadtrip #californiabucketlist #california_igers #familieswhohike #childrenwhohike (em Nevada City, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gWqTSnE_Z/?igshid=niukqscr5d9s

[jeffsullivan]

Light rays on morning fog, Monday in Yosemite National Park. #landscape #photography #workshop #yosemite #nationalpark #california #goparks #calparks (at Yosemite National Park)

[victorvolta]

Turkey tail fungus (trametes versicolor), Mt. Tamalpais/Muir Woods. #california #fungus #mttam #nature #californiastateparks @calparks @goldengatenps #wildmushroom #mycology #hiking #forest (at Mount Tamalpais State Park)