Wetlands Sunset

Jessica's picture of the wetlands shows the mix of nature and remnants of the oil industry in Huntington Beach.

Victory Salute

Having made it over the top and down off the mountain, Jessica enjoys
the victory before we set off on the last 3.5 miles back to the car.

View from the Pass

Jessica enjoying some hot chocolate and a well deserved rest at 11,750 ft before we
go over the top and down the other side.

Hiking Up the Pass

Getting near the top we are climbing over boulders, picking our way to the top.

Upper Treasure Lake

Here we spend the second night at 11,175 ft. We went to bed early
because in the morning we hike around the lake, over the pass on the
right and then back down to the car. Once we get over the pass it is
all (mostly) downhill. Did I mention there is no trail over the pass?

Jessica's Glacier

Okay, it isn't really a glacier, but it is snow in the middle of summer.

Jessica Up the Trail

Follow the stream and turn left at the big mountain.

Leaving Treasure Lake

Leaving Treasure Lake in the morning and continuing on toward Upper
Treasure Lake (11175 ft) where we will spend the second night. The
trail grows fainter and fainter as we go until it finally disappears
altogether, reappearing sporadically.

Treasure Lake

We camped the first night at Treasure Lake (10,668 ft). Jessica made
me jump off this rock with her into the water. You can still see some
snow on the right that is feeding this lake. We didn't stay long in
the water and she didn't make me jump a second time.

Hurd Peak

Mid July is a great time to be in the Sierras. The weather is nice, the streams are full. We took a fork in the  rail that leads up to Treasure Lakes and ostensibly a dead end surrounded by mountains. Hurd Peak is on  the left and the smaller peak in the back is the one we are going to walk around.  The only way to get around though is over a pass with no trail...

Hail! Hail! The Gang's all Here!

By Here I mean at work. Luckily for me I didn't ride my bike this day although it had stopped hailing by the time I left.

Hail is rare in Southern California. The last time I remember it was in 1985. It may have happened since but it is unusual.

Treasure Lakes Trailhead

Jessica and I took our second annual backpacking trip in July. Here
we are at a campsite near South Lake, just west of Bishop in the
Sierra Nevada mountains. We are getting ready to hit the trail.

Sunset While Driving

Cub Scout Hike

We took the Cub Scouts camping in December and ended up hiking to the
top of this hill. You wouldn't know it, but we are still in the
middle of the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.

Viking Conflict

Since the Swedes and the Norwegians famously dislike each other, this
must be a conflicted family.

Just Another Sunset

Ok, I really don't get tired of these. I even stopped to get off the
bike, take my gloves off and take this picture. It has been a very
cold winter for us and I have recommitted myself to the bike commute
so I have been freezing on a regular basis.

Mountains and Wetlands

This stretch of wetlands is preserved because it is part of the Seal
Beach Naval Weapons Station. I never get tired of the mountains in
the background either. Nice place to ride a bike.

Walking Derricks

The rig that is shown in this posting
(http://wallihan.blogspot.com/2013/01/drake-rig.html) drills 6 wells
from one location. Then they tear the whole thing down, pack it up in
trucks, move to another location and do it again.

To get between the six well locations, the derrick has four "feet",
one of which is shown here. To move the derrick the extend downward
to raise the rig off the ground, then move horizontally to move the
rig about 6 feet at a time.

Lincoln's Regret

This painting was part of an exhibit by Robert Dowd at the airport in
Orange County. I liked most of the exhibit, but this one was
definitely my favorite.

Chicago Sunset Under Heavy Clouds

Not my best aerial photo but I like it anyway. I was flying from
Pittsburgh to Chicago on my way home and there were snow storms
everywhere but the sun made it through anyway.

Chicago is located on the sourthern tip of Lake Michigan. Winters
there are cold and windy. Despite this, Chicago gets it's nickname,
"The Windy City" from its politicians, not its weather.