Blog Profile / Sierra Nevada Ramblings
| URL : | http://sierra-nevada-ramblings.blogspot.com/ | |
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| Filed Under: | Hobbies / Nature | |
| Posts on Regator: | 141 | |
| Posts / Week: | 0.5 | |
| Archived Since: | March 5, 2008 | |
Blog Post Archive
Sierra Crest and Rabbit Brush
If one photograph were all I could use to show why the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada is one of the prettiest places to be, I think this image of the Sierras with thunderheads looming above and rabbit brush in full bloom captures the idea.
The large peak on the distant left is Mt. Show More Summary
Mule Deer in the Sierras
I love driving through Yosemite National Park, especially the Tuolumne Meadows area where large mammals can easily and often be seen. During the middle of the summer, a huge herd of male Mule Deer took up residence in the meadow. Early one morning as I was on my way across the park, I saw dozens of deer, all with huge racks of antlers. Show More Summary
Ravens, birds of opportunity
Throaty croaks announce the presence of the common raven, (Corvus corax). These birds are smart. They are opportunistic birds and eat all sorts of things. This past summer I visited Yosemite Valley and pulled over to take some photos of a couple of ravens that were intent upon a bit of fluff on the road. Show More Summary
Panum Crater, Mono Basin
One of the interesting aspects of the Mono Basin is the volcanic features of the area. Just a tiny bit north of the Long Valley Caldera, the area is full of craters and small volcanic bumps. Well, they look like bumps but when erupting they probably are gaseous, hot masses of oozing lava of the glowing red variety. Show More Summary
Bristlecone Pines in the White Mountains
Walking amidst bristlecone pine trees is a sensual delight. The eyes get to feast upon trees that twist and turn into the most amazing shapes, with colors that range from tans to golds and browns, along with blacks and grays to the deep green of the needles. Show More Summary
Solar Eclipse May 2012
The solar eclipse of May 20th 2012 created some very artsy crescents when viewed through filtering leaf shadows.I was not in a good location to see the eclipse, with gigantic mountains rising steeply upward and the sun just about toShow More Summary
African Grey Parrot
It may not be possible to travel to other countries, but with publications and the internet, all sorts of "virtual vacationing" is possible. In this case, a calendar publication of a beautiful African Grey Parrot inspired me to browse through online photos of similar birds, and then to figure out what the forests/jungles look like where they live. Show More Summary
Bodie Ghost Town
The Bodie Ghost Town is a fascinating piece of the old American West, with dozens and dozens of wooden buildings in a state of "arrested decay" and a number of metal clad buildings too. The town was the site of a gold bonanza back in...Show More Summary
Yucca in the Sierras
One of the prettiest sites is a hillside with tall, stately yucca plants, with a backdrop of mountain scenery and blue skies. In the southern Sierra Nevada, yuccas are very common in the lower elevations. Yuccas are rather interesting flowering plants that take many years to bloom. Show More Summary
Rhododendrons along the coast
Rhododendrons in bloom are wonderful to behold. In California, they grow in sunny places in the redwood forests of the coastal mountains. With deep green, glossy foliage and vivid pink blossoms, the California rhododendrons are a treat for the eyes. Show More Summary
Huntington Gardens, CA
First impressions are often lasting, and The Huntington was Impressive with a capital I. With inspiring views, aesthetically pleasing architecture, graceful statuary, impassioned design, and a plant inventory of immense size and beauty,...Show More Summary
Desert Tortoise
Imagine the effort it takes for a brand new baby tortoise to break out of its shell. With just a baby beak to poke and bite with, and baby claws to scratch with, the shell is broken open and a new tortoise is born.When the deserts of western North America warm up during spring, the desert tortoises Gopherus agassizii, come out of hibernation. Show More Summary
California Bay Laurel
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Fire in the mountains
Fire is part of living in the mountains. The day in and out rumble of fire fighting aircraft is something those who live in the hills of California experience now and then. During the summer of 2010 the Kern River Valley had 2 fires and the noise of aircraft was pretty much relentless. Show More Summary
Storms and Rock slides
The rain came down. It poured for days. Creeks formed in new places. Rivers rose, the land got soggy. And the rain came down. Rocks came down too, from the steep hill cuts along windy mountain roads. Awed residents took drives to see the flooding, the streams overflowing their banks, the raging brown water in the rivers. Show More Summary
Sierra Nevada scenery
The Sierra Nevada mountains are impressive. They are tall, rising to 14,000 ft above sea level, and that rise begins just a little above sea level on the western side, with lots of foothills and a gradual rise as one moves east. On the...Show More Summary
Needles Lookout Tower, 2010
The Needles Lookout Tower has an awe inspiring location, perched atop a granitic pinnacle in the heart of Sequoia National Forest, California.
Getting to the tower takes a bit of driving along windy mountain roads, including a couple miles of rugged dirt road that challenges low clearance vehicles to a game of chicken, at least this season. Show More Summary
Favorite Perch
The rock was a busy one. First one bird, then another used it as a perch. Gulls, blackbirds. The gray gull was first. It sat on the rock overlooking the sea, just another gull enjoying a moment on a rock, most likely hoping for a handout from this human. Show More Summary
Giant Sequoias in the Mist
Giant Sequoia trees in the fog are ethereal, almost there, until you walk next to one and physically feel the tree. If the fog is thick enough, even 20 feet away the trees become ghostly and seem to disappear, fading into the mist.
With...Show More Summary
Wind Wolves Nature Preserve
In the southernmost part of the San Joaquin Valley of central California lies a nature preserve that holds remnant grasslands and all sorts of foothill/grassland plants and animals. A visit to this little known preserve during spring,...Show More Summary