Pacific Days and King Tides

Early mornings and late afternoons along the Northern coast of San Luis Obispo, calm and clear and perfect. The evening king tides of the past couple of days have added some drama to our "regular" coastline. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is alive with whales, dolphins, seals, elephant seals, large schools of anchovies and sea birds of all types this time of year.

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A Calm Morning at the Light Station

Santa Lucia Winds Feather the Northwest Swells, Piedras Blancas

Sea Rocks, Northern San Luis Obispo County

San Carpoforo Creek at Ragged Point

The Lowest Tide of the Year, Little Pico Creek.

Sunset,  Minus Tide.

Backroads

I find myself more drawn to the backroads, those two lane areas still slightly hidden from current affairs. Although I have visited many of these places through the years I still enjoy the wide open skies, the differing climates and altitudes, the variety of ecosystems and social environments. My eyes are open again, and all the details catch my curiosity.
I also notice, more and more, how time passes faster and faster. How the news, and the phones, and the emails, and the messages never let go. We are always connected. The backroads help to slow that passing, help to disconnect from the busy and reconnect to ourselves. I feel really lucky to have recently had three weeks to explore some favorites, here are images from some special areas of the mountainous West.

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Colorado

Little Lakes Valley, Sierra Nevada

Light Streaking Across Mt. Whitney, Sierra Nevada

Yosemite Valley

Calochortus, Eastern Sierra

Basin and Range number 2, maybe 3, Nevada

Basin and Range, number 3, maybe 4, maybe 5

Collecting the un-eclipsed, Nevada

The Extra-terrestrial Highway

Not sure what the signs are telling me

Crested Butte Evening

West Maroon Pass

First Colors, Late August

A Hidden Lake in Colorado

The Morning Ritual

Another Day on the Lake

Retreat

Ice House Detail

Mechanical Crane

Beckoning

Lemon, garlic, onions, squash, butter, dinner

Sunup

Reflecting the Clouds 

Silverton, Colorado

Doorway, Silverton

Doorway #2, Silverton

Brickwork

Sheepherding, San Juan Mountains

Wilderness Flock

It's a dogs life

Over 1 million

Yes, I took this one in June too, Monument Valley Silhouette, Arizona.

Colorado Monument

Kebler Pass, Colorado

Racing through the Southwest

My obsession with the perfect vehicle created an opportunity to fly to Durango and B-line it home in two days.
Between Farmington NM and Flagstaff AZ a state highway bisects what was once the great Navaho Nation. 
Our newest “ships” pass by their monuments at 65 mph, barely recognizing the poverty our forefathers legislated.

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Monument Valley in the Distance

My obsession, Ship Rock

The Navaho Nation at 65 mph, New Mexico

Reservation Clouds

Four days in lower slopes of the Eastern Sierra

California's Eastern Sierra is celebrating a record snowfall and the Winter rains. Camping along the lower slopes, the abundance of flowers, of water, and of gorgeous light, provide a Spring like few others we have witnessed.

Here are the results of just four days.

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Large archival framed prints available.

South face of Lone Pine Peak.

Recapturing water to refill the Owens Lake

Granite canyon below Mt. Langley

Sunrise in the Buttermilks

Spring

The Buttermilks in bloom

Owens Valley backroads and Mt. Tom

Lower Rock Creek

Jeffrey Pines, Rock Creek

Jeffrey Pines

A comfortable pine needle stop

Winter still holds on at 8000 feet in Upper rock Creek

The lava flow blooming along Highway 395 near Big Pine

Out of pure lava rock, Apricot Globemallow

Too many miles, content to be spoiled

Wide open 

Flowering Joshua Tree

Desert Cholla

The Kern River as full as it gets

Kern River

The entrance to Kern Canyon, this waterfall is from an overflow hardly used.

Rolling hills turning to gold

Epic Spring growth near Parkfield