Bay Nature Magazine: Great White Sharks Submission

I have mentioned Bay Nature magazine previously within this BLOG. I find it to be an outstanding magazine focusing on our natural world surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. They have a great website filled with interesting content too.

Beyond just recently joining their FLICKR Group online, I submitted my first set of photos for an up coming article slated for the next issue. The article focuses on Great White Sharks and will be written by the SF Chronicle's former environmental reporter Glen Martin. Within the submission request they asked for photos of the Sharks themselves. Photos of the sharks I could not help out with, but I do have a collection of images that I submitted that could essentially help to tell the broader story of the Bay Area's connection to Great White sharks. The following text is the introduction I sent to Dan Rademacher of Bay Nature:

Dan, Greetings. First time submitting. I've fallen in love with the Bay Nature Magazine. It is my personal goal to get some of my photographic work published in your fine magazine. This may take awhile as it seems you are connected with some very talented photographers! While I do not think the attached images fit the exact description of what you described on the website, I did want to send them to you anyway. As a local surfer and photographer (I live with my family in SF), I am constantly reminded that I recreate within the home waters of Great White Sharks. It humbles me and I often think how incredible it would be to run into one of these creatures - while on a boat of course! I do have a couple friends that have had confirmed run in experiences while surfing. I often find myself shooting images that relate to GWSs when they present themselves. This collection of images are random but definitely a part of our daily fabric that intertwines with these awesome creatures habitat - small reminders they are never that far away from us - even heavily populated City Centers! Isn't that what makes the Bay Area so special? So enjoy, I hope there is something you find interesting here, if not no harm done. Again, hope to contribute to the magazine someday.

Just joined the FLICKR Group. Take care.

DAK WAS HERE

Below are the images that I submitted. Enjoy and please leave me a comment if you are inspired by these images or if you have a Great White story to share.

Car @ Ocean Beach

Posted Flyer @ Stinson Beach

Posted warning at front gate to Stinson Beach

The Farallons, seasonal home base, Mile Rock Light

Posted warning @ Ocean Beach near deceased whale

Pt. Reyes, North Beach, "Shark Area"

A Bolinas "welcome/warning"

MSR "Hubba" Tent Review

THIS IS NOT A PAID REVIEW

^ I guess you need to declare if you have been paid to write a review for a company, product or service nowadays on the internet. I wish it was. This being my first review, I'll try and make it concise and the the point.

First off, let it be known that I am not a professional outdoorsman and that I only go out backpacking once a year, twice if I am lucky. I do however appreciate good equipment. With that being said I'd highly recommend MSR's "Hubba", solo, one person tent. 

I recently got back from a (4) day backpacking trip on the North Coast of CA. This being one of the toughest hikes I've made, I knew I needed to go lighter than previous trips. I decided to pony up and invest in a one man tent. I read a lot of reviews on various tents and decided on the "Hubba". A choice well made and here is why:

- Yes it is light, just shy of 3lbs

- No condensation issues what so ever

- Easy set up, great stakes, good tie downs

- Kept me completely dry

- Stitching seems durable

- Vestibule was sizable to stow shoes/gear

- Good head room, easy to sit up straight

- Felt roomy, with some gear stowed at the head

- Kept the critters out

- Zippers performed well with no snagging issues

We only had one full night of rain so I know I have not truly put it to the test. All in all, I'd give this tent a grade A. I cannot wait to get it out again. Would not hesitate to hole up in it for a 2-3 day deluge. Will provide an update after my next trip.

Perfect CA Hiking Trip

As far as I'm concerned you know you've had a great hiking trip when:

- You've come back uninjured

- Your hair still smells like camp fire 4 days later

- Only a small patch of poison oak

- Your muscles are sore but not too bad

- All your gear performed well

- You've come back with good pics & memories

I wrote earlier in my BLOG that I was going on a hiking trip and I've just recently gotten back. I even went so far as to say that the location we hiked into was my own personal definition of Paradise. It had been (2) years since I had been into this area and it did not disappoint. It still holds the title of most beautiful spot in CA.

All in all a great trip. Hiked in with two close buddies for four days. It was forecasted to rain most of the time and we only experienced rain on the way out, last day. Fall is a wonderful contrast to the last time I hiked in which was during the Spring of '07. What lacked in colorful wildflowers (the area is loaded with them in Spring) was made up with the turning colors of Fall foliage.

The following is a collection of images from the trip, enjoy. And if you are curious about the location I'm sure with some investigative work you can find it.

Buddy #1, start of the hike

Buddy #2, start of the hike & solar powered

Buddy #1, halfway in the weather gets moody

Buddy #2, leads the charge around one of several points

Buddy #1, negotiating a 1/4 mile of small boulders

Our camp spot in the trees

Backdoor to our campsite

Camp life, tree climbing

Camp life from above

Young Alder thicket

Buddy #1 after mediocre surf

Ran into my second rattlesnake, kinda looked like this

Day Hike, this trail was washed out two years ago

Day Hike, the creek we hiked up

Day Hike, Fall color

Day Hike, lavander vine

Day Hike, Buddy #2 deep in the creek valley

Day Hike, hike out of the creek valley

Day Hike, steep country

Back at camp

One of our many great camp fires

Weird things wash up on this stretch of coast line

10/14/09 Bay Bridge Snarl

So I spent (3) hours in my truck last night trying to get home. Typically my commute home to San Francisco (reverse) is about (1) hour. But not last night. Evidently there was a big rig overturn right on the new "S section" of the small bypass that was recently completed. It ended up funneling traffic down to one lane as the link above will show you.

So my second nominee for the Mike Stone JUSTICE award goes to...

...THE BIG RIG DRIVER WHO DID NOT SLOW DOWN AND ENDED UP JACKKNIFING HIS BIG RIG ON THE BAY BRIDGE AND TRIPLED THE LENGTH OF MY COMMUTE HOME AND THUS MAKING ME MISS TIME WITH MY FAMILY!!! (I hope the driver was OK)

I have included a pic from my i-Phone - what else am I supposed to do while crawling 2 hours over 2 miles?

For more information on the Mike Stone JUSTICE award, you can read about it here. Just pleased to be taking off on a hiking trip tonight far far away from bumper to bumper traffic and "the grind".

YIKES!!!

These are the types images that are kinda like car crashes, you really don't want to see them yet you have to stare on intently and come back to again and again.

Its FAKE anyway! Right? No really...I think...well maybe...

Full sequence of breaching Great White Shark

Account of the sighting by the photographer, Randy Wright.

Screen shot courtesy of Surfline.com

1916: Sierra Nevada Open!

Shortly AFTER President Woodrow Wilson sent 12,000 United States troops over the Mexico Border in pursuit of Pancho Villa and shortly BEFORE a bomb exploded on Market Street in San Francisco during a "Preparedness Day Parade", killing (10) and injuring (40), my Grandfather drove/delivered a Cadillac over the Sierras to Carson City and brought back another Cadillac to Oakland. Upon his return he contacted the Oakland Tribune to inform them that the passes were generally cleared and ready for travel.

The article pictured above is a clipping that has survived the past 83 years being passed from person to person within my family and box to box housed in various garages in the East Bay. The picture is just a random one of my Grandfather and is not associated with this article. The following are a few interesting portions I've pulled out and provided some observations:

"It befell Keyser's lot to drive it over the mountains, leaving with it at 7:30 o'clock Friday night for Carson, by way of Placerville. The house at Oakland received a telegram from him, dated Saturday morning, at 7:45 o'clock a.m., or a run of twelve hours."

OBSERVATION: 12 hours is a long time, mostly in the dark on probably dicey roads! If it had been me, I would have left in the morning.

On his return trip, "Taking out a stop in Stockton for eating, the running time was exactly ten hours. The mileage on the return trip was 278 miles as he went to Lodi by mistake."

OBSERVATION: I guess the directions and road signs weren't as helpful as they are today. Lodi rather than Stockton? Wish Granddad were around to account for that one.

"He also reports that the road is passable by way of Auburn to Lake Tahoe. There is one small section of snow about 200 yards between the summit and the subway, where a team of horses pull the cars which are now going."

OBSERVATION: Horses? enough said.  

Well just as I started this BLOG, I'll say it again, this sure ain't my Granddad's CA anymore. We all take for granted how easy it is to get up and over the pass/summit to Donner Lake, Truckee and Lake Tahoe. The thought of 12 hour trips, crappy roads and road signs, horses not horse power assisting you over the over summit - truly a ROAD TRIP!

I wonder what my Granddad would think of Tahoe within 3.5 hours, while cranking the Janes Addiction, wolfing down 99 cent cheese burgers and a Starbucks Latte (venti xtra whip, double shot, decaf) in hand with no intention of stopping unless nature calls - oh and gas is $3.15 a gallon! Sounds like a good portion of the adventure has been completely stripped out for us "modern folk". Too bad and I'd like to think he'd agree.

A couple extra pics for to view in detail. Note the old CA Lic Plate with the State Bear on it.

Hike to Paradise

Within two weeks I'll be hiking around the point pictured above. A journey to what I'd consider one of, if not THE, most beautiful spots in CA. Literally Paradise as far as I'm concerned. I've traveled to a lot of places throughout CA and the western United States; Yosemite, the Sierras, Joshua Tree, Carmel, Big Sur, the Smith River, the McCloud, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen, San Juan Mountains, Yellowstone, Wasatch Mountains, Glacier Park, the Rogue River and the Ho Rainforest. All of these destinations are truly beautiful and hold spots in my mind but none are as etched deeply as the area I'll be backpacking into above.

Having a deep appreciation and love for the Pacific Ocean and a consistent yearning to be in the mountains, this area is the perfect combination of both. That is the edge this spot holds over all of  the places listed above. Big Sur comes very close but does not have the same seclusion as this particular area.

Rugged, remote, raw, beautiful, demanding, taxing, exhausting, commanding, terrifying, relaxing, soothing, unrelenting, inspiring, unforgiving, eroding, growing, decaying, flowing, changing, would all be good words to describe this area. This is not car camping, this is not hiking the PCT, it is the most physically taxing hike I've ever taken on. And all 9 miles of it are worth every step, blistered heal, aching hip joint, sun burnt neck and sore ankles.

Where is this area? This is the day and age of the internet (obviously) so I'll let you work a bit to find it. It is not an unknown destination nor an off the map location and I have left several clues within this post (Hell, I've even given you a picture!). If you want it bad enough you'll find it. Good luck - not in finding it, but in making the hike.