Bear-ly able to stand

Gentle Ben's cousin definitely looks to be ready for winter.

Christmas Breakfast

Simon and the Buffalo

"My, what a big nose you have"
"Feed me or I'll knock over your car"

Audra and the Buffalo

Audra gets a bit closer than she would like to the buffalo.

Dole Plantation

We stopped at the Dole Plantation for a run through the maze and some
pineapple ice cream.

Lunch at Shark Cove

Chickens at the Airport

Waiting to pick up the rental car Rebecca and the kids were approached
by the magestic (unofficial) birds of Kaua'i.

Diamondhead Volcano Oahu

Me Tarzan

Me Jane

Outrigger Surfing at Waikiki Beach

Outrigger Waikiki Beach Hotel

The view from our balcony. Too bad it was only one night.

PvZ

If you have played Plants vs. Zombies you may appreciate the lengths I had to go to to get this position. If you don't play I am not sure what you will think.

Halloween

Captain America and a Laundry Basket

Moon Setting On Isosceles

I walked for 5 hours in the hail to get over the pass and down to this lake. The skies cleared and I was able to get this picture of the moon setting.  On the map, the lake is northeast of the lake labeled 11388.  I was camped on the north shore.

Bishop Pass Panorama

This panorama is taken just on the south side of Bishop Pass. The mountain on the left is Aperature Peak and reappears on the right. Bishop Pass is set between Aperature Peak to the east and Mt. Goode to the west. The snow field toward the left is where I am going. The middle (light brown) of the panorama is looking back north where I came from.

Palisade Basin With Rain Coming

Approximate location in Google Earth

Western Barrett Lake

I stopped and ate lunch here, at least until the weather turned.  The furthest peak in the middle is Middle Palisade at 14,012 ft it is the twelfth highest peak in California.

Approximate location in Google Earth

Flag Football 2

Flag Football

North Palisade from Knapsack Pass

At 14,248 ft North Palisade is the third highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada Range and the fourth highest in California.

Dusy Basin from Knapsack Pass

Looking west from Knapsack Pass Dusy Basin descends rapidly to Le Conte Canyon below.  Both the John Muir Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail pass through Le Conte Canyon.

Aperature Peak at Sunset

It sure looks different from Dusy Basin than it does from Bishop Lake.

Isosceles and Mount Winchell

Unnamed Ridge

Knapsack Pass is to the left of the peak on the left.  Giraud Peak is to the right of the peak on the right.  This section made the best skyline.

Camped Near Isosceles

Knapsack Pass

North Palisade from Dusy Basin

Mount Winchell and North Palisade from Dusy Basin.  The Peak in the middle is Thunderbolt Peak, which is a subsidiary peak of North Palisade.  Apparently in order to qualify as a mountain in the US, a peak has to have 300 feet of topographic prominence.

Bishop Pass

Dividing Ridge

This series of peaks makes up a ridge that defines the border between the Bishop Creek valley on the right and Dusy Basin on the left.

Last Look at Bishop Creek

Bishop Creek runs out of Bishop Lake through Saddlerock Lake, Long Lake and eventually back to South Lake. The peak in the center is Hurd Peak.

Approximate location in Google Earth.

Mountain Wildlife

People who came up from Le Conte canyon to the west reported of seeing deer and bears, but above timberline, the biggest animal I saw was this marmot.

Sunrise on Mt. Goode

Sunset Behind Mt. Goode

Aperature Peak

The "Inconsolable Range" forms the eastern boundary of the Bishop Creek valley. The major peaks in the range are Cloudripper, Picture Puzzle and Aperature Peak. It provides a spectacular backdrop for the entire hike from South Lake to Bishop Pass.

The map actually shows a trail over Jigsaw Pass, which is the curved saddle on the left side, but I couldn't see it from where I was.

Long Lake Review

I took this picture shortly after I crossed 11,000 ft. I had to walk slowly and not stand up too fast.  Spearhead Lake in the foreground, Long Lake in the background.

approximate location in Google Earth

Bishop Creek

Bishop Creek is fed by snow and rain in the valley between Bishop Pass and South Lake.  Even this late in the year there is enough water that laying in my tent at Bishop Lake, the creek seems deafening.

Long Lake Trail

Looking back along Long Lake.  The unnamed peak in the background is on the north side of South Lake.

Long Lake

Long Lake with a view of Mount Goode in the background.

approximate location in Google Earth.

Chocolate Mountain

Chocolate Mountain with Cloudripper in the background.

approximate location in Google Earth

Picture Puzzle

I spent the night at the south end of the valley, just below Bishop Pass. I was surrounded on three sides by dramatic, jagged high mountain peaks.  This one reaches up to 13,300 ft.

Approximate location in Google Earth.

Hurd Peak

I recently spent 4 days and 3 nights trekking through the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains (map)

Hurd Peak dominates the skyline from South Lake all the way to Long Lake. This picture is taken from South Lake right at the beginning of the trip. (link to location in Google Earth)

Mt. Whitney

At 14,497 ft, Mt Whitney is the tallest mountain in the contiguous

United States and the 24th highest peak in North America
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_the_highest_major_summits_of_North_America)
It can be seen from the desert valley below at 3,700 ft.
In this picture it doesn't appear to be the highest, but it is the
peak closest to center.

Tumble Inn Before and After

I tried to get the camera in the same spot as the original but the
brush is overgrown and would not be possible with some landscaping.
All in all I think I came pretty close to mimicing the original.

I took the picture with a 20 second timer so I had to run from the camera to
the spot where I am standing. It took me a couple tries to get the
spot right so it is a good thing I am so far away and you can't see me
sweating.

Happy Birthday

Cane Toad

Oops!

Izzy

This is my favorite picture of Izzy. I love the eyes.

Rebecca and Jacob

Better late than never. It is still Wednesday. This is from our trip
to Universal Studios last July (2010)