Chasing Frank Lloyd Wright: October 4

After a day of touring some of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright I decided to take a short walk back to Unity Temple to see what it looked light at dusk. This is just a 10 minute walk from our Airbnb in Oak Park. I was curious to see what the the building would look like lit up at dusk.

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Earlier in the day we had toured the Temple with a tour tour group led by docents of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The tour started at the Rookery Building in downtown Chicago where we boarded a bus to take us to several sites around the city. The tour included the Rookery Building, a walking tour of Oak Park, including Unity Temple and the Robie House. By the end of the day we had a strong sense for some of the design features for which Frank Lloyd Wright is know. A delightful and informative tour.

We arrived in Chicago on Tuesday, October 2, and we’ve been busy exploring some of the architectural highlights of the city. I’ll have more to share in the days ahead. I just have to figure out how to sit still long enough to write.

Olmstead Point

“Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountaineer. Camp out among the grasses and gentians of glacial meadows, in craggy garden nooks full of nature’s darlings. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. As age comes on, one source of enjoyment after another is closed, but Nature’s sources never fail.” John Muir – Our National Parks, 1901

Lone tree at Olmstead Point. Yosemite National Park.
Lone tree at Olmstead Point. Yosemite National Park.

Olmstead Point is located in high country of Yosemite National Park. It’s 30.5 miles east of Crane Flat on Highway 120. It is a popular spot to stop and get a sense for the grandeur of the high sierra. There is also a short nature hike here. It is also away from the crowds of Yosemite Valley, although it is only accessible in the summer and fall. In winter Highway 120 closes.  Prints of the photo above are available in my online store.

This stop always brings back memories of the photography workshop I did with Ansel Adams in 1980. It was Ansel’s last Yosemite workshop, and while he was restricted to the lower elevations, The workshop instructors and students made our way to this point.

 

Git Along Little Dogies

On Saturday we took a break from grand-parenting for a quick hike in the mountains. It’s 11 miles from our son Aaron’s place in Big Pine to the Glacier Pack Station. We were just a few miles up the road when we had to stop for a cattle drive. Cattle and cowboys (and cowgirls) coming down the middle of the road. Seemed like they deserved the right of way so we stopped the car to let them pass.

Once the cattle had passed we continued on to the end of the road. Once you reach the end of the road there’s a campground and a trail head. The trail leads to the Big Pine Lakes Basin in the John Muir Wilderness with a number of lakes surrounded by spectacular mountains and a view of the Palisade Glacier. It’s about 5.5 miles into the first lake. From there you can hike to a number of other lakes.  If you want to make it more than a day hike you can backpack in or hire the packers to carry your gear. We did a pack trip here two years ago. More on that in future post. For the ambitious there’s also a trail up to the Palisade Glacier.

We were just out for a short hike, so we grabbed our day packs and hiked up the North Fork of Big Pine Creek until it was time to turn around. It felt good to be in the High Sierra, with the cool clear air surrounded by the sharp jagged peaks of the Sierra.  Our dog Carson was thrilled to be in the mountains able to run off-leash.  We saw a few signs of fall with Rabbit Bush, a few aspen and the willows showing some yellow. It’s still early for the aspen.

Cascades on the North Fork of Big Pine Creek.

Tioga Lake

Tioga Lake

On Thursday, September 13 I was able to break away from work for an extended weekend in the Eastern Sierra. Evening found us setting up camp at Tioga Lake, just east of Tioga Pass and just outside Yosemite National Park. I had this destination in mind as photo opportunity to show off our camping rig at dusk. Sure enough the campground was only sparsely populated and we found a site on the edge of the lake. We’ve avoided this location on previous tent camping trips since it tends to be quite windy and chilly here. With the pop-up camper though the wind isn’t much of an issue. The lake sits at 9700 feet and the wind can howl through Tioga Pass. The campground is located in the Inyo National Forest and managed by Inyo Recreation. The camping fee is $22 but with our Park Pass the fee we paid $11. Dogs are permitted on leash, although once we were out of the campground our dog Carson was happy to be off leash. Water is available through a hand-cranked pump, although we were equipped with plenty of water on-board our rig.

The temperature dropped to 38 degrees in the night, and we had the heater going part of the night, since we had our summer sleeping bags. Fall is on the way though, with the willows turning yellow, the temperatures are dropping.

I had a second objective in mind, and that was to try and capture a photo of the Milky Way over the lake. With the elevation, the clear air, and lack of light pollution, I though this might provide an opportunity for some astro-photography. Tioga Lake

Shortly after the crescent moon set, I set up my Nikon D800 with a 14-24mm lens and captured a few images. This turns out to be a more daunting task than I had imagined. Trying to compose and focus through what seems to be a pure black viewer is a challenge. In the morning we did a short hike around the lake, covering about two miles. Tioga Lake is a spectacular location in the High Sierra, with easy access since it’s right on Highway 120, which runs through Yosemite National Park.

Tioga Lake
Tioga Lake

After our hike it was time to head down the East Side towards Big Pine, with a stop at the Mobile Station in Lee Vining for a lunch with their famous fish tacos.

Lunch on Angel Island 8/23

On Thursday August 23 with my work docket managed, I strapped my kayak on the top of my truck and headed to Sausalito to join fellow Bay Area Sea Kayakers (BASK) for a jaunt to Angel Island. We had a cool “Fogust” day with favorable currents and wind. We launched from the public boat ramp next to Salitos Crab House. You wouldn’t know there is a public boat ramp here without some local knowledge; and while it’s a convenient spot to launch on a weekday morning, I can imagine it would be a challenge on the weekend with the town full of tourists.

BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle. August 23, 2018.
BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle. August 23, 2018.
BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle. August 23, 2018.
BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle. August 23, 2018.

We launched at 10:30, Paddled down Richardson Bay to Peninsula Point where we poked our heads out into Raccoon Straight to see what was in store for us. Conditions looked promising, so we headed across the straight towards the West Garrison. As we crossed Raccoon Straight it became apparent that the current was carrying us east so we altered our course for Ayala Cove where we landed and had lunch.

After lunch we were back in our boats and we made a course for the Corinthian Yacht Club. Once we were across the straight and close to the Yacht Club we paddled along the shore admiring the houses clinging to the cliffs. We had an easy paddle out and back, on what can be a bit of a challenge if the wind and currents are contrary. We were back at our launch site at 2:30 in the afternoon having covered not quite seven miles.  You can view more photos here and you can view the track of our route here

Hunt for Sunken Treasure

The word was, that if we were lucky we might find the propeller of a World War II fighter plane that went down in Drakes Estero. The tide has to be just right. If the tide is high the propeller is underwater. If the tide is too low, there’s not enough water to float a kayak. As it turns out our timing was perfect. We launched from the location of the old Oyster Farm and paddled about 2 1/2 miles down the Estero and into Home Bay. The propeller is not far from the eastern shore of the bay.

Propeller of a P-39 Airacobra in Home Bay. Drakes Estero. Point Reyes National Seashore.
Propeller of a P-39 Airacobra in Home Bay. Drakes Estero. Point Reyes National Seashore.
BASK Skills Clinic paddle on Drakes Estero.

During WWII Drakes Estero was used as a practice bombing range. It seems hard to imagine P-39 Airacobras flying dive bombing missions over the bay, given it’s current peaceful state.

The usual paddle on Drakes Estero is to launch from the beach at the parking area, the previous location of the oyster farm, and paddle down the bay to the sand spit at the entrance for lunch and return. Here’s a link to a Youtube video I put together a couple of years ago of a paddle on the estero. We were paddling as part of the 2018 BASK Skills Clinic. Our group decided on an alternative plan. We decided to poke into Home Bay and look for sunken treasure, the treasure being the propeller of the P-39. We were lucky enough to find the propeller and then, with a nice beach close by we landed and had lunch. With a rising tide, the propeller was just about all under water when we finished lunch and our boats were just about to float off the rapidly diminishing beach.

Back in our boats we were amazed to watch several schools of bat rays and a few leopard sharks gliding under our boats in the shallow water. With the hopes of capturing one in a photo I stuck my waterproof camera in the water, over the side of my kayak, and snapped away.

BASK Skills Clinic paddle on Drakes Estero.
BASK Skills Clinic paddle on Drakes Estero.

Amazingly enough, I actually captured one, although not something to brag about as far as quality of the photo is concerned. When we returned to our launch point the wind was picking up and the fog was moving in. Perfect timing for a pleasant day on the water.

 

Rock the Boat

Most people prefer to have a boat that’s stable.  Being on a boat that is rocking can be unsettling. Kayaks on the other hand can be a bit tippy, and learning how to use that characteristic to your advantage can be a valuable skill on the water. Take for example a situation where you might get thrown off balance by a wave. Learning how to edge and brace can save you from tipping over.

On Sunday, August 5 our goal was to teach fellow kayakers how to rock the boat.  This is the second weekend of this years BASK 2018 Skills Clinic. Last year I was one of the students in the clinic. This year I’m a volunteer on the teaching side. Putting your kayak on edge also makes it much easier to turn. You have less boat in the water if it is on edge.

BASK 2018 Skills Clinic session at the Berkeley Marina on August 5, 2018.

Learning these skills takes practice, since some of the motions are counter-intuitive. As you can see our students are well taken care of with plenty instructors and volunteers. We start with simple exercises to build the basics and then progress as the students gain confidence in their skills. Part of this process is learning to trust your fellow paddlers. Knowing you’re among skilled and knowledgeable paddlers add to the fun and camaraderie.

Building the Pygmy Ronan

After paddling a Pygmy Coho for close to 20 years I decided I wanted a boat that was a little more playful on the water. The Pygmy Ronan caught my attention and after paddling one at the Pygmy facility in Port Townsend Washington, I decided this would be my next boat. This boat is intended to serve two purposes, when I’m paddling with my wife it will be her boat, and when I’m paddling with others, it will be my boat. I started building in May of 2017 and during the course of the build I kept several time lapse cameras going to document the process. I launched the boat in October. Over the course of the build I accumulated over 40 hours of time lapse video, so it’s taken me some time to edit it down to two minutes.  The boat took about 75 hours to assemble, working in chunks of time from an hour or so up to three hours.

I’m happy to say the boat performs beyond my expectations. Light weight and easy to get on an off my the top of my pop-up camper,  playful on the water and easier to manage in rough water than the 17 foot Coho.

Paths of Berkeley

If you like to walk, the hills of Berkeley offer some interesting opportunities. Winding road and paths meander all over the hills. The Berkeley Paths website lists 137 paths. Plenty to explore if you just have a few hours or a few years. We’ve been here over 30 years and we’re still finding places to explore. Our adventure this day, July 25, took us to Remillard Park where we had a picnic dinner to celebrate Joann’s birthday.

Joann's Birthday at Remillard Park. BerkeleyWe ended up playing tourist in our own back yard deciding to walk some of the paths close to Remillard Park. Some of the paths seem like hidden get-aways, meandering up and down the hills between houses.

Irene’s Birthday Wall

As we were walking down one path I wondered out loud who maintained the paths. It wasn’t long before we ran into “Joe Cool” with his broom, taking care of business.

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I found myself pulling my camera out every few steps being amazed at the gardens, architecture and interesting details, for example the sign that read “Beware of Dog … And Two Giant Cats.”

Beware of Dog and Two Giant Cats

 

Turn Left at the Gargoyle

#1 Park N Surf Oceanview.. Wild Tender Sanctuary.

On Saturday evening July 21, with the sun setting and the fog moving in I was a bit concerned about finding the campsite I’d reserved. I had printed off instructions on how to find the site. The instructions were two pages long, including such instructions as “veer LEFT on what we lovingly call “Wong Way.” There is a sign on the road that reads “Wrong Way,” and then further along “take a left at the gargoyle and proceed toward the ocean…”

This was following a day on the water learning how to teach kayaking techniques for an upcoming kayaking skills clinic being offered through the Bay Area Sea Kayakers (BASK). The kayaking was happening in Half Moon Bay, but the closest camping I could find was a site called Park N Surf #1 located on a property called Wild Tender Sanctuary near Pigeon Point Light House. I found the site through Hipcamp.com, a website that’s useful for locating camping alternatives to the better known campgrounds. It’s a bit like Airbnb for camping. Actually I should credit my wife for finding the site. I trust her to conjure up a camping when everything seems to be booked.

I was secure in my camper at twilight, just as the sky was going dark. The next morning I broke camp, and headed back to Half Moon Bay for the second day of kayak exercises. On Sunday it was all about the forward stroke; learning how to make the boat move efficiently without tiring your arms. While the kayaking was fun, the real adventure for the weekend was finding my campsite.

#1 Park N Surf Oceanview.. Wild Tender Sanctuary.
Skills Clinic Volunteers Weekend. Half Moon Bay.
Tunitas Creek Beach