Saturday, November 17, 2007

11/17/07 - Green Gulch Farm Zen Center


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Below is a trip summary and pics (end of email) of Saturday's day trip to the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center near Muir Beach, CA. Feel free to skip the narrative stuff and scroll to the bottom if you just want to see the pics.

Trip Summary
I've wanted to check this place out for about a year now, after finding it on the web. I had originally planned to get a hotel in Inverness and spend the weekend here and hiking Pt. Reyes. However, the threat of rain and the dense fog made me decide to make it a day trip. I'm glad I did, as hiking Pt. Reyes would have been about as scenic as hiking in cloud bank (and many of the beaches were closed due to the oil spill).

Green Gulch Farm Zen Center is located near Mur Beach, CA (along Highway 1, north of the Golden Gate). It's a small Zen temple and organic farm. The web site (http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/) describes it as "a Buddhist practice center in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition offering training in Zen meditation and ordinary work. It is one of three centers that make up San Francisco Zen Center, which was founded by Shunryu Suzuki-roshi."

It is made up living quarters, a guest house for visitors, a zendo (or meditation house), a conference center, and an extensive organic farm. Everyone is welcome to wander around the facility. One can stay overnight in the Guest House. The nice practitioner at the office likened it to a Buddhist Bed and Breakfast (just with very small, simple rooms). They do have a public program every Sunday morning, which includes meditation instruction, meditation, a lecture, tea and a vegetarian lunch ($8 donation requested). I'm definitely planning to go back in the near future to stay overnight and attend the Sunday program.

Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy the photos below!

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Note: The slideshow can run automatically(1-4 sec/pic) or manually. You can stop it by moving your mouse and clicking on the back arrow.

Photo Album (47 photos): http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelmacintosh/GreenGulch111707
Note: To use any photo as a screen background: 1) Go to that individual photo, 2) Click on the magnifying glass in upper right corner, then 3) Right-click and set as your background.

Route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=Davis,+CA&daddr=1601+Shoreline+Highway,+Muir+Beach,+CA&sll=37.979928,-122.394562&sspn=0.43515,0.920105&ie=UTF8&z=9&om=1

Green Gulch Farm Zen Center Web Site: http://www.sfzc.org/ggf/
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Friday, September 7, 2007

9/7/07 - Crater Lake/Oregon Coast Trip


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Below is a trip summary and pics (end of email) to my recent camping trip up to Crater Lake, OR and along the Oregon Coast. Feel free to skip the narrative stuff and scroll to the bottom if you just want to see the pics. I won't be hurt, honest!

Trip Summary
I'd originally planned to head to Montana/Wyoming and visit Glacier NP and/or Yellowstone NP. However, after looking at the distances on Google maps, I decided it was a bit further than I wanted to travel. So I decide to go to Crater Lake National Park instead.

I left Friday (9/7) and arrived at Crater Lake that evening. I got a camp site at Mazuma Campground and stayed for tow nights. Crater Lake is absolutely beautiful. It was formed when a volcano (Mt. Mazuma) erupted 7,700 years ago, emptying it's huge magma chamber and causing the top of the mountain to collapse in on itself. This created the 1,943 ft deep lake we see today. It is made up entirely of rain and snow run-off, which sounds shocking until you hear that the average snowfall is 44 ft. The extreme blue color of the lake (no, I did not Photoshop these pics!) is caused by it's depth, as light is absorbed color by color as it pass through clear water and the last color absorbed are the blues. The sky is blue for the same reason.

On Saturday, I drove the entire road around the lake. It takes 2-3 hours, more if you stop and hike like I did. The views from each area is different, as you'll see in the photos. You need at least one full day to appreciate the park fully. One thing I didn't get to do was take the boat tour. This requires getting tickets the day of and a long, steep hike down into the crater. It looks neat, but it's a half day excursion.

On Sunday, I headed west to the coast via the Umpqua/Rogue Scenic Highway (138). Beautiful, but very curvy and tiring to drive. Would've loved to fish, but didn't have room for fishing gear in the ol' Accord. I got to the coast around 6:00 and camped at Bullards Beach State Park that night (9/9). I didn't get to take a photo of the camp site, but we were packed in like sardines. One plus was that it encouraged me to meet my neighbors (one of whom, Chuck, I got to ask about his jet boat and crab pots).

On Monday, I headed down the coast on 101 to Crescent City. By the time I got there, I was tired, dirty and didn't feel like setting up the tent a 3rd time (only to have it get soaked by the fog, which makes packing up difficult). So I wimped out and got a hotel room. After a shower and a meal of Cajun ling cod at the local seafood place, I watched the 49er's on Monday Night Football and sleep in a comfy bed. It was nice.

On Tuesday, I headed home. According to Matt-Matt (similar to a Tom-Tom, only less expensive and consists of me on the phone with my brother sitting at his computer on Google Maps), the drive home was 6.5 hours. With a half hour lunch and occasional stops for pics, I was home in 9 hours. I did spend 45 minutes at Sundial Bridge in Redding. It's a 700 ft. pedestrian bridge that is supported by cables stemming from one massive column. It's a beautiful work of architectural art and well worth the short stop.

All in all a great trip that I'd recommend to everyone. Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, just enjoy the photos below!

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Photo Slideshow: http://picasaweb.google.com/michaelmacintosh/OregonRoadTripSept2007/photo#s5109548227766919090

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Monday, June 27, 2005

Lassen Volcanic National Park


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Here is another trip with some of my best photos from the Pre-Blog days:

In late June of 2005, my father and I camped for 4 days in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is a remarkably beautiful park and rich with history of one of only two volcanoes to have erupted in recent geologic times in the continental US. It also has all the facilities of a well-funded National Park (good trails, rangers, visitors centers, campgrounds, etc) without the usual throngs of visitors you contend with at most National Parks, like Yosemite.

Late June is probably one of the best times to go, since the park has been snowbound for the entire winter and it's not very crowded. Again, crowded is a relative term. By then, the snow has cleared out of the campground area, but you can still experience it at the upper elevations. You can climb to the peak of Lassen, though it's an all-day affair. It's do-able by non-mountaineers (no ice axes required).

Fishing was fairly good at Manzanita Lake and various small streams throughout the park. My dad and I did some bushwhacking to get back to some of the streams and were rewarded with a few small, but beautiful fish.

Sorry for the abbreviated trip report, but this was almost three years ago and my memory isn't as good as it used to be. I definitely recommend Lassen for anyone who has never been. It's truly one of the forgotten jewels of our National Park system.

Mike's Recommendations (if you decide to visit):

  • Best Time To Visit: I recommend late June, as that's when we went. Crowds are relatively light and it's a good mix of snow at the higher levels and no snow in the campground. However, in a really good snow year, all parts of the park may not be open by then (so there is some risk).

  • Camping: We stayed in the Manzanita Lake campgrounds, which were some of the nicest we've ever stayed in. Highly recommend that as a good launch point for all park activities.

  • Bears: There are bears in the parks, though not as many as in Yosemite and other parks. Precautions are still recommended (and bear lockers are provided).

  • Fishing: Special regulations apply to Manzanita Lake: within 150 of the Manzanita Creek inlet is closed to fishing, the rest of the lake is catch and release only; artificial lures and single, barbless hooks must be used. Manzanita Creek is closed above Manzanita Lake year-round.

Enjoy the photos and let me know if you have any questions!

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Click Here For Full Screen Slideshow (recommended)

Individual Photos (33 photos)

Driving Directions (courtesy of Google Maps)

Lassen Volcanic National Park Web Site


Note: To use any photo as a screen background: 1) Go to Individual Photos link above 2) Go to that individual photo , 3) Click on the magnifying glass in upper right corner, then 4) Right-click and set as your background.

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Wednesday, May 19, 2004

McCloud River Preserve



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These photos were taken at the Nature Conservancy preserve along the McCloud River, north of Redding, CA (near the town of McCloud). My dad and I visited her in 2004 as part of a camping trip. It was the first time I chose to photograph instead of fish, as I felt I could either do both poorly or do one well. It was, as it turned out, a great decision. These photos are some of the finest I've ever taken.

The day started out beautiful. We drove through winding dirt roads to arrive at the McCloud River Preserve parking area. From there, we followed the foot trail one-third mile to the preserve headquarters. This is where you sign in and start your hike back along the McCloud.
The wildlife and scenery were amazing, as you can see from the photos. The photos have not be retouched in Photoshop in any way. I think this is an example of what's possible when an organization like the Nature Conservancy limits the amount of human impact.
I continued to snap photos throughout the day and into early afternoon. When we arrived at the park boundary, 3 miles from the headquarters, I stopped to do some reading while my dad fished. about an hour later, I noticed the sky getting darker and the clouds more numerous. Then we heard the ominous sound of thunder in the distance. We decided it was probably time to get back to the vehicle, as the only rain gear we had were emergency ponchos we carry. We were only a few minutes into our return hike when the sky opened up. Thankfully, the cheap emergency poncho's kept us relatively dry. We eventually had to seek shelter in a grove of trees when the heavy rain turned to pea shaped hail. I'd say the rain lasted at least 45 minute before it finally stopped, leaving us hiking through a dripping, misty forest.

Ironically, the most beautiful scene we witnessed that day was not captured in a photograph. As we hiked through the misty trail along the river, my dad turned to say something to me and suddenly pointed skyward. A lone bald eagle flew slowly and majestically above us, following the McCloud, as he searched for dinner. My camera, of course, was stowed safely in my backpack, underneath the poncho, so there was no chance of capturing it on film. But part of me was glad to have been able to enjoy that moment without worrying about shutter speeds or f stops.

The Nature Conservancy (a nonprofit group whose purpose is to preserve and protect various ecosystems in their native form) operates this conservancy. It is open to the public for day use and up to 10 catch-and-release fishermen per day (see web site below for reservations).

(For more information and directions to the preserve, click on the link below:
http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/california/preserves/art9786.html

Mike's Recommendations (if you decide to visit):

  • Make reservation if you plan to fish: If you're not a fisherman, no reservation is required. If you plan to fish, reservations can be made through the Conservancy's San Francisco office: 201 Mission Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; phone (415) 777-0487.

  • Haul a log or two: At the parking area, there is a pile of firewood. Be kind and haul a few piece back to the headquarters 1/3 mile down the trail. Everything must be packed in, so they really appreciate it.

  • Bring Rain Gear: Given my experience on this trip, I highly recommend packing a small, emergency poncho on this or any trip in the sierras. I carried mine for years before ever needing it, but it saved me from being soaked to the bone this time.

  • Cars Not Recommended: The roads going back to the preserve are muddy and I probably wouldn't risk it in a car. Four wheel drive isn't a must, but sure wouldn't hurt.

  • Be Wary of Mountain Lions: While we didn't see any, the visitor book mentioned numerous sitings. This is a very wild areas, so definitely a good idea to be aware of your surroundings.

Enjoy the photos and let me know if you have any questions!

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Click Here For Full Screen Slideshow (recommended)

Individual Photos (33 photos)

Driving Directions (see McCloud Preserve site for more precise directions)

McCloud Preserve Web Site

Nature Conservancy Web Site

Note: To use any photo as a screen background: 1) Go to Individual Photos link above 2) Go to that individual photo , 3) Click on the magnifying glass in upper right corner, then 4) Right-click and set as your background.
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