Ken's Photo Blog

July 24, 2010

Time for a Picnic

Picnic time at Stafford Lake County Park... Cindy & Linda.

Alberto Contador (Astana) (ESP) will offically win the Tour de France tomorrow when it finishes in Paris. Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) (LUX) will come in 2nd place, only 39 secs. down.

July 18, 2010

China Camp Hike

China Camp hiking... Miwok Trail down seems closed for cood (it was marked closed last year when we hiked this May).
We started this hike late (after 9 a.m.) again because we had to watch the live coverage of stage 14 Tour de France!

July 11, 2010

Big Trees - Deer Camp Hike

Above Novato with views down to Stafford Lake...
We started this hike late (after 9 a.m.) again because we had to watch the live coverage of stage 8 Tour de France.

July 4, 2010

Cataract - High Marsh, Mt. Tam Hike

Fourth of July hiking high up on Mt. Tamalpais -- Trailhead at the Rock Spring parking lot -- follows Cataract Creek to Laurel Dell picnic area; then on to the High Marsh Trail and back via the Kent and Benstein trails... (P&S photos only) This is a vigorous loop with a few uphill steeps.
We started this hike late (after 9 a.m.) because we had to watch the live coverage of stage 1 Tour de France. Cannot miss that!

July 2, 2010

Birth of Impressionaism

Fabulous D'Orsay art is on display at a special exhibit at the De Young museum, Golden Gate Park. We went to the first doors opening Friday morning (tickets are sold for each half-hour entrance)...
Coming late September is the follow-up: Post Impressionism with Van Gogh & Monet among others: "Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Beyond: Post-Impressionist Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay"
(photography not allow in the exhibit, too crowded after 10:30 a.m.) [De Young museum link]

June 27-30, 2010

Yosemite National Park

Two strenous hikes we pulled off:
- Chilnualna Falls, 2400' elevation gain to the top
- Four Mile Trail up to Glacier Point and back, 3200' elevation gain to the top! And 57 switchbacks!

Two easy hikes:
- Mariposa Grove / lower
- Tenaya Creek/Mirror Lake from Curry Village

This is my fourth visit to Yosemite: the previous three were backpacking trips into its wilderness including camping wherever for a few nights. In July 2008 I blogged one of these trips here. This time we stayed at the Tenaya Lodge, in Fish Camp, just two miles outside of the Park's South Entrance (near Mariposa Grove and Wawona) on Hwy 41.
Panoramic Image - I stitched together 8 separate images for this large pano (4502 px. wide). Each image was shot at 26mm focal length at f/6.3


Live Webcam -- Half Dome viewed from Sentinel Dome from the Yosemite Association the "Yosemite Conservancy".

More photos: (will be updating evening of 7/8/10)
1. Mirror Lake
2. Chilnualna Creek/Falls
3. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
4. Four Mile Trail up to Glacier Point and back down
5. Misc. including Tenaya Lodge and Curry Village and a bear. (will be updating evening of 7/8/10)

June 25, 2010

Joan Jett Concert

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts played in Petaluma at the fairgrounds Friday night. What a superb show! More... Lots of good photos too.

June 20, 2010

Hiking Blackstone Canyon - Big Rock Ridge

From the Valleystone/Blackstone Dr. trailhead up the creek and bush whacking steep uphill... (photo at right) (a poorly marked, nonexistant trail... More poison oak...)

June 13, 2010

Hiking Coastal Trail - Muir Beach

Coastal Trail photo -- hike is a loop from Tennessee Valley to Muir Beach and back via Green Gulch...
Photo at right: Muir Beach morning.

June 12, 2010

Hiking Bobcat/FAA/Hill 88 Loop

From Tennessee Valley and up Oakwood and Alta to Bobcat past the FAA installation, then up Wolf to Hill 88 and back... (no photos - not carry a camera first time ever) ...poison oak; Nissan Xterra cross country half-marathon...

June 5, 2010

Syrah Wine Judging

Syrah wine competition of four bottles, poured blindly... seven judges: me, Cindy, David, Heather, Linda, Denise, & Tim (the Ridge Syrah from Denise & Tim won rather easily over three other excellent wines from Hanna, Denner, and Wind Gap).

May 29-31, 2010

Paso Robles Wine Country

Visiting the wineries and tasting and drinking the Rhone varietals of Paso Robles. A Memorial Day tradition -- sort of like our anniversary gift to each other.
Previous visits: [2007] [2008] [2009]
This year we tasted wine at Terry Hoage, Denner, Turley, & Venteux; also at Ecluse (new), Caliza, Booker, Villa Creek, & Calcaereous with olive oil at Pasolivo, & revisted Venteux; finally at Denner (again), Halter Ranch, and Hearthstone (new).
I can recommend easily each and every one of these to Rhone style red lovers. Go for it!
As for top notch B&B proprieters? Bobbi & Scott at Venteux Vineyards.
Arbor Rd. vineyards photo.

May 23, 2010

Hiking above Phoenix Lake / Tucker Trail

(Trail map)
We did this same hike last November... (Eldridge Gr. at right) Crown Rd. down Allen Trail to Phoenix Lake, around the lake hike up Eldridge Grade to Tucker Trail, crossing Bill Williams Creek, back and up Allen Tr. to the road and done.
Phoenix Lake is the 2nd smallest of the Marin Water Districts reservoirs but it's a mecca for mountain bikers and runners. (smallest is Lk. Lagunitas at a capacity of 350 acre-ft., while Phoenix capacity is 411 AF; the 3rd smallest is Bon Tempe Lk., but at ten times the capacity of Phoenix) Several fishermen wwere casting their lines on the lake this morning -- reservoirs in Marin are at 100% capacity -- the weather is May is similar to February except it's damned windy too often. We've not had a true spring and I've "read" that this is the coldest April-May going back 60 years.

Watched a movie on DVD Saturday night - CONTROL - a biopic of the tragic Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Sam Riley stars, and likely gave the acting performance of the year when this was filmed (in 2006). It was filmed in B&W (by a stills rock & roll photographer) and appropriate for the bleak Manchester, England setting of '76 - '80. (Then again, I've never been to Manchester, located in northwest England) The movie is a little humorous, historically very accurate, and ultimately tragic/sad/and moving with exceptional performances (acting and musical) including Samantha Morton as Deborah Curtis, his wife, and author of the book on which the movie's based. I remember reading in Rolling Stone back in the day that ''...Joy Division was perhaps the world's greatest band.'' (at least I think I remember that) This is the sort of movie I will never forget.
KJP rating: Four Stars out of four (similar biopic movie of that era & place is 24 HR. PARTY PEOPLE)

May 16, 2010

Hiking Mt. Tam East Peak

This hikes starts near the Mountain Home Inn, Fire Station and goes directly up the mountain, with very little fooling around, via the very steep Hogback fire road and then the Fern Creek trail to the East Peak lot and the Plankboard walk up to the barbed wire-laced fire lookout house...

Ascending some of the many steps on the gorgeous Fern Creek trail.

Mt. Tam looking east towards Mt. Diablo -- And, looking north to San Rafael I-580 bridge

Miller Trail creek falls near the RR Grade junction

May 9, 2010

Hiking Muir Woods, Bootjack, and the Dipsea Trails

Hiking Map
Overcast, sometimes a little rainy, but pretty cool weather to hike in today...

Small waterfall off of the Bootjack Trail. It's been a rainy year. The volume of the Redwood Creek -- both in noise and in water flow -- was about the most I've seen it this time of year. You'd never know we were 9 days into May already.


Muir Woods National Monument entrance (Cindy in red hat).
At the right, Redwoods near the entrance. Most people who visit see their first and only Coastal Redwoods ever at Muir Woods.
This hike turned out a little longer than planned because the return portion changed on the Dipsea section down back to Muir Woods -- the bridge was out, so we took Deer Park fire rd. down, all the way to Panaromic Hwy and walked back to the Woods and the car lot.

May 8, 2010

Dry Creek Valley - Wine Country

Rafanelli wine tasting in the barrel room.
Five wineries visited today: ( Map at the right) Web: WineRoad.com
A. Rafanelli, Mauritson (Rockpile), C. Donatiello, Nalle, and Matrix. Of special note is that Donatiello occupies the former Belvedere location and Matrix is where Rabbit Ridge was.
Donatiello vineyards.

May 2, 2010

Hiking Railroad Grade & Hoo-Koo-E-Koo

Hiking Map (from the Martins' book).
I believe we've hiked this exact loop in the past... need to look it up... (can't find it so far)
The trailhead is off of W. Blithedale in Mill Valley -- that's where Railroad Grade starts. This hiking loop takes RR up through the Double Bowknot, then a right on Hoo-Koo-E-Koo (HKEK) fire road, and eventually another right on the HKEK trail, to Blithedale Ridge, then down the steep Horshoe fire rd. back to RR Grade and the start. Very scenic views along the way.

Flower.

View of SF from Hoo-Koo-E-Koo at the Double Bowknot.

Apr. 27, 2010

Anchor Brewing Sells

Corner of Mariposa & DeHaro
According to reports I read in the Marin IJ and the SF Chronicle since yesterday evening, Anchor Brewing Co.'s Fritz Maytag sold his business to a couple guys from Novato. It was directly due to Maytag buying Anchor in 1965 that the N. American microbrewing revolution had a True Champion. Cheers to Fritz! Then, the first brewpub in Mendocino Brewing in Hopland and the huge success of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. eclipse all. Anchor was the first and the best and I wish them good luck with their new owners. Were it not for Anchor we might still be forced to drink the swill of Bud, Millers, Coors, Heineken, St. Pauli Girl, Corona, Beck's, Moosehead, and all other donkey piss.


Here are some Anchor photos of mine going back 15+ years...

Anchor beers on the Toronado Menu
Anchor Taproom from the '90s

Apr. 25, 2010

Hiking the Marin Headlands

Same hike as we did Apr. 2009... This features the excellent Morning Sun "park bench" overlooking Hwy 101 and high above Sausalito.
Hiking Map for Slacker Hill in the Headlands, from the book, "Hiking Marin, 3rd ed.", by Don & Kay Martin, 2005.
Right now the road to the top of the Headlands, to Hawk Hill is closed for upgrade work through the year -- you have to turn right off of Conzelman Rd. at McCullough Rd. and then a left on Bunker down to the area's many main draws. Conzelman is even closed to bikes at that junction with McCullough. I suspect the road work will be done before Xmas (that's what they are saying).

The Wild flowers are abundant and full of variety right now. We saw a lot of other hikers, joggers, mountain bikers, and higher-end cyclocross types on the trails. Wild Flower collage -- lots of colors this day! This is just a tiny sampling.
Last year's colorful wild flower collages: #1 and #2.

Apr. 18, 2010

Hiking Mt. Burdell

Same hike as we did 9/28/08... Photos from Mt. Burdell on a Sunday morning:
Photos from Mt. Burdell on a Sunday morning:

1. Steep Ravine 2. Hidden Lake (a vernal pond/marsh) & Stafford Lake Reservoir 3. Cows grazing
Updated Burdell trail map (from Jan. 2010)
"During a few spring months, certain portions of the preserve are grazed by small herds of domestic cattle. This practice helps to reduce the non-native grasses which have a tendency to overcrowd many native species. Please be sure to close all gates you encounter to keep the cattle in their proper pastures.

The Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve was purchased in 1977 by the Open Space District and local residents. At the time of purchase, the slopes and water sources were suffering from decades of overgrazing. Proper land management practices and habitat restoration efforts have significantly improved this landscape of springs and delicate soils, which continue to improve each year."

Apr. 17, 2010

Napa Valley

Wine tasting at three locales today: Paraduxx (part of the Duckhorn family, of which we are club members); Raymond Vineyards (bought last year by a French Burgundy family); and Napa Wine Co. - the fun collective with excellent choices. Weather was outstanding. Afterwards a fine dinner at Moylan's Brewery (such tasting pizza and IPAs!). Tried to reserve last second dinners at Mustard's and at Bottega (Chiarello's new restaaurant), but both too full doing outstanding business.

Photos from Saturday afternoon:

1. Paraduxx outside (Silverado Tr.) 2. Raymond wine bar (near St. Helena) 3. Napa Wine Co. exterior (Oakville)

Pizza from Moylans!