Happy New Year 2009

Wishing all (and all in greater spirit) a better, more loving and more spiritually enlargening New Year!

Old West Pix

Some cowboys with the outlaws like Jesse James and Billy the Kid.

Rim of Valley Trail today's hike

The recent snow on Mt Lukens. Excellent example of a toyon in good "berry bloom."

Thanksgiving (Yuletide Season)

Some attracting pictures. What are you thankful for? EG are your needs met? For example, it could be having a home to go to, enough money, food/clothing/water/shelter, good problems, friends, being needed and wanted, doing what you love to do, spiritual growth and plateaus, those people you've helped to grow in the past year, opportunities, intellectual growth, dreams accomplished, goals achieved, better integrity, ...the list can go on and on.

More Earl Canyon

Here's a "first saddle" area about 1.5 miles up. Good lunch spot. It has a view of Gould mesa. The small white thing may be a teepee for stayovers. This trail can also be accessed from Oak Grove Park in Pasadena and the Earl Canyon trail...going east to southeast. One elevates about 1500 feet to get to the saddle and another 1800-2000 feet to access Mt. Lukens. An interesting route would be to start at the ball fields in Big Tujunga Canyon mouth...traverse the Rim of the Valley trail...up Haines Canyon to Mt Lukens and go east across the fire road and down to Oak Grove Park...about 21 miles for this loop. A car shuttle would make it easier.

Earl Canyon 10/05/08

Here are some pictures. This canyon parallels Pickens Canyon northeast of the Crescenta alluvial plain. The fire road will get to the summit several miles later. One can go east toward Grizzly flat or west toward Mt Lukens. A number of connecting trails can be done for loop hikes. This day was pleasant after a very brief rain and cooling off. Hints of fall coming in. EG the toyon berry now getting red. Deciduous trees are beginning to turn to yellow-orange. Acorns on all the oaks. One notes the big cone spruce trees living precipitously on the cliff sides...well up to 5000 feet and probably at least 6000 feet above sea level. This is a very scenic area and good energy here. Great views of Pasadena, La Canada, and the Verdugo corridor. Downtown and the ocean can reasonably be seen on a clear day.

Various Sierra stuff

Here's John Muir possibly savoring Eaton Canyon in 1878. The next one is with Teddy Roosevelt in Yosemite. I believe Muir was trying to protect the Hetch Hetchy reservoir area from capitalization. Here's a very beautiful well done photo of probably the eastern Sierra after a severe winter storm. Awesome! And here's a place to stand in faith. Quite a drop below maybe a good 3000 feet to the Yosemite valley below. Many people have not made it up half dome, slipped to their death far below. Muir actually did it before they put in the railing ropes.

Eastern Sierra and Mt Shasta

Here's the eastern Sierra and Mt Shasta with lightning. Back 140 years ago, Muir and a friend would ascend the peak. After a day and half they made it to the top. Suddenly a freak storm came upon the mountain. They had to stay another 72 hours until the storm cleared. Nearly dying in the process. The only thing that saved them was that they nestled in a crevice in the mountain during sub freezing temperatures. They barely made it back hungry, tired and almost frozen to death. His friend broke a couple of bones on the way back and both stayed over at the nearest hospital for treatment.

Various of the Sierra Nevada

Thousands of beautiful places found in these mountains. The hikes new for each day and Nature shows its happenings in chaotic ways.

Various pics Mt Baldy and San Gorgonio Mountain

Some nice larger size pics.

Remembering John Lennon

Some pics and remembering the words of the peace niks.

It was 59 years ago...today

Pix of Mao. Finally takes over China after kicking out Chang Kai Shek (to Taiwan). This reign would continue another 27 years at the time of the "gang of 4." Also a painting of Stalin and Mao. The two men had very similar personality traits.

Grevillea Robusta

Some examples. This tree may reach to 100 feet high in ideal conditions. Usually grows to around 50 feet. And has these nice "fronds" of orange flowers...I believe in fall here as it originated in Australia. There is a group of 10 of these, still there, at the junior high I went to. These to around 50 feet and maybe 30 feet wide. They have a pleasant inviting appearance, not unlike an acacia.