Where in the World?

Over the weekend I was in Tarrytown, NY with Erica helping out at the crafts show that takes place twice a year at Lyndhurst. Be sure to look at the Lyndhurst site as I’m not going to be talking about that today.

Across from Erica’s booth, Bob McNally had a booth showcasing his instrument, the Strumstick. It is similar to a guitar but with only 3 strings. The frets are spaced such that the only notes that can be played are in a major key. For the non-musician, this means that no note sounds bad. The tagline for this instrument is “For the musically disinclined.”

It’s true. I watched many people play this instrument who had no musical experience at all. They were amazaed at how well it sounded. Watch and listen to Bob demonstrating the grand strumstick (key of D). The smaller, standard strumstick has a higher sound (key of G).

I had a great time playing with the lady working the booth and other times just playing by myself. I met several really nice people from England, the Ukraine and multiple states. Music is a great way to relate to people. We really enjoyed watching a four year old boy play the electric strumstick for awhile. He was quite entertaining.

Bob also invented an electric version of the strumstick. It has a great sound. If you have 6 minutes, check out this cool little video of him playing the electric strumstick.

If you have always been intimidated by the guitar, try the strumstick. Many people have successfully moved from the strumstick to the guitar after several months of playing the strumstick.

Playing music is fun, a great way to relax, brings people together and allows your creativity another outlet.

Michael

Sunrise Tufa Towers at Mono Lake

One hour before sunrise I arrived at the Mono Lake Tufa Tower State Reserve. It was just me, some birds I could not see yet and a shadowy alien landscape that stretched for miles. Frankly it was a little spooky out here for a few minutes until I got adjusted.

Mono Lake is estimated to be over 700,000 years, is 80 times more alkaline and 2 1/2 times more salty than the ocean. This means that you will easily float if you got in the water. In fact sea gulls have a difficult time because they become very buoyant and lose their balance.

Originally the tufa towers, composed of calcium carbonate, formed beneath the water with the interaction of fresh water springs bubbling up into the alkaline water.

As the sun rose it bathed the tufa towers with a warm light while a pair of ospreys woke up and began to fly around the area. I had always wanted to photograph here at sunrise. Dreams can come true.

At the Top of Lembert Dome

I met my daughter and her boyfriend for breakfast. We drove back up the Tioga Pass Road to Tuolumne Meadows. Our goal was to hike to the top of Lembert Dome with an elevation of 9400 ft (2865 m). The trail to the top is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) long with a 900 ft. (270 m) elevation climb. Very tough for me as the air was thin and I wasn’t in the best cardiovascular shape, but with my daughter’s encouragement I made it all the way.

The first 2/3 of the trail is through a wonderful pine forest. My daughter and I saw a deer casually looking for tender greens to snack on. We watched in silence for a few minutes before continuing on.

The views were stunning as you could see 360 degrees. Storm clouds were forming in the distance and the wind became quite strong. We decided to head back down.

I had a little trouble on the way down as I went too far down the side of the dome and then had to haul myself and camera equipment back up to the trail. Doh! 

Overall, I highly recommend this hike.

View my photos for this day.

Michael

Glacial Erratics at Olmsted Point

Our destination for the day was to reach and then explore Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite National Park. Tioga Pass Road is probably one of the most scenic roads in California. It starts around 6000 ft. (1829 m) elevation and then begins to drop quickly after Tioga Pass which is 9943 ft (3021 m) in elevation.

Olmsted Point has spectacular views of of Half Dome from the east which is quite a different perspective from the valley views. Large glacial erratics pepper the landscape like a group of marbles. Hardy pines find crevices in the rock to anchor themselves.

Turning slightly northeast from here gives you clear views of azure blue Tenaya Lake at 8150 ft. (2484 m) elevation. Tenaya lake feeds Mirror Lake in Yosemite Valley through Tenaya Creek. The photo link below has a couple of photographs of Tenaya Lake.

Tufa Towers in Mono Lake

Passing through Tioga Pass was quite overwhelming. We had to stop several times to view the dramatic landscape around us. The air was thin making it difficult to breath after exerting ourselves.

We meandered down to Mono Lake which is currently around 6385 ft. (1946 m) in elevation. Due to recent laws, the lake is being restored to levels seen in the 1940′s.

I have always wanted to go here. My daughter and I really enjoyed walking around the strange and alien landscape of tufa towers, desert plants, bizarre insects and dozens of bird species including ospreys.

It was a long day and we were in need of nourishment and a good night’s sleep. The nearby town of Lee Vining supplied both.

View my photos for this day (10 photos).

Michael

Mt. Lassen and Lake Helen

After waking up early, we headed east towards Redding, CA. 190 miles of beautiful highway lay between us and the our ultimate goal; Mt. Lassen National Park (National Park Service Link).

Our journey on Hwy 299 took us through the Six Rivers National Forest and the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area. They constitute a very rugged and beautiful part of Northern California. Although our plans didn’t allow us to stop here and explore, we will be back. White water rafting, kayaking, hiking, camping and all other sorts of outdoor activities abound here. I highly recommend it.

We entered Mt. Lassen National Park (Wikipedia Link) on the northern end which is at the convergence of Hwy. 44 and 89. Mt. Lassen is a 10,457 foot (3,187 m) plug volcano and is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range. In fact, it is one of the world’s largest plug dome volcanoes. On May 22nd, 1915 Lassen exploded and shed a huge portion of it’s northeast side which slide down and destroyed many acres of forest.

Lassen has the highest average annual snowfall amounts in California. 660 inches (16.76 m) are common, but 1000 inches (25.4 m) have been recorded. As you can imagine snow lingers for quite some time with the consequence of not having the road clear (Hwy. 89) until June in some years.

Mt. Lassen National Park is a hidden gem with fantastic landscapes, unusual geology, active steam vents, azure blue lakes, waterfalls, meadows, hundreds of species of plants and animals and miles of trails to explore. Make an effort to visit this constantly changing place.

Please see my additional photos for this day.

Michael

Along the Cathedral Trees Trail

After a restful sleep in Arcata, we left early, enveloped in a dense fog blanketing the coast. Our first goal was to reach Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. This park is part of the Redwood National Park system.

The day started with a view of a local herd of wild elk feeding in a meadow at the entrance to the park. What a great way to start our adventure! We continued on to the park office and the start of a hike or two.

Our breaths were taken away as it was our first time walking the Cathedral Trees Trail. Group after group of immensely large redwoods lined the trail and up the hill. As I mentioned in a prior post, the feeling of deep serenity while walking here is undeniable. I continue to find these long lived giants therapeutic on all levels.

After spending some time here, we decided to make the trek (by car) to the parking lot for Fern Canyon. The start of the trail is located on the beach in the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The surrounding area is stunning with miles of very wide beach and high cliffs cascading down to the sand. Elk roam the tidal areas along with dozens of species of birds.

Walking Fern Canyon

Part of the Jurassic Park 2 movie was filmed in Fern Canyon. So, that should give you an idea of the other worldly feeling you get from this almost forgotten primal setting. We half expected some strange creature to confront us around each bend.

It was my second visit here, but my daughter’s first. We walked slowly along the creek examining the flora and fauna. Many species of ferns can be found here along with numerous creatures; birds, reptiles, insects and etc.

We made our way back to the beach and watched the ocean for a bit before deciding to head south and make a stop at Patrick’s Point State Park. It sits right on the Pacific Ocean high up on 300 foot tall rocky cliffs. The views are absolutely stunning. Camping is permitted and they have a new visitor center that recently opened.

Our final stop for the day was Trinidad. I love the harbor, the beach, the views and the laid back feeling of this small fishing village that is now home to several art galleries.

Check out the photos from this day. All of the places I’ve mentioned can be seen on the photo link.

Michael

Peace of Mind

Our day started in Sacramento. Very soon we had traversed west and hopped onto to Hwy. 101, the Redwood Highway. The majority of the redwood forest starts a little north of Garberville, CA and continues until Crescent City, CA.

It had been over 10 years since I had gone north on Hwy. 101. My daughter was experiencing it for the first time. We were excited to share this adventure.

I absolutely love the Coast Redwood trees; scientific name of Sequoia sempervirens. They can live upwards of 2,000 years, have root systems that are approximately 8 feet deep and are the tallest trees in the world. A lot of their moisture comes from the fog that regularly rolls in from the Pacific though the rainy season may produce up to 100 inches of rain.

Walking and hiking among these giants is more of a spiritual experience than physical. It’s like stepping back into time when ferns carpeted the ground and you couldn’t see the tops of the trees. The odors drifting through these redwood groves are primal, ancient and alive.

At the same time you feel small and insignificant; you also feel a deep connection to something that has been around for a very long time. It’s a wonderful experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature.

Please see my additional photos from this day.

Michael