SUNSET PRIDE: Hess Surfboards

The San Francisco Chronicle is assisting me in highlighting yet another person of interest and source of SUNSET PRIDE, Danny Hess of Hess Surfboards. A true artisan when it comes to making hollow core, wood and epoxy surfboards. A nice guy as well - I've only met him once through a mutual friend. Read all about his boards and the lifestyle he has created for himself as a full-time surfboard maker right in the heart of the Sunset District - click here to read the article.

The shot below is of a friend of mine that I took last Summer. He is hiding behind a Hess "Handplane" he was using for bodysurfing. Little buggers are $150.00 - YIKES! But worth it as I am told by those who have bodysurfed with them - I have not.

Do you own a Hess surfboard or handplane? Would love to hear if you do and why you chose Hess over other board makers.

Urban Hummingbird Visit

They say you never forget your first Hummer!

My wife and I were in our kitchen having a heated discussion when all of a sudden my wife quickly shifted my attention to the new Hummingbird feeder we have placed on our window. Sure enough, there (he/she) was just hovering over the feeder - beautiful metallic crimson head and all. An Anna's Hummingbird I believe. Very cool!

I received the feeder (Droll Yankees) from my wife for my birthday in September. Living in such close proximity to Golden Gate Park we had talked about getting one for quite sometime. We see Hummers in the Park all the time so we felt that we had a shot to attract them. And now we have!

We'll keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh. Hope to get some shots of them from the kitchen window. Here is a site on Western Hummingbirds for more information.

Are you visited by Humming Birds in San Francisco? Let me know where and by what kind. A couple of pics below.

Our new Droll Yankees feeder! 

Hummer up @ Sutro Park

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