CALIFORNIA

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Point Reyes Natl. Seashore (1992-1996)

Point Reyes was our sanctuary, home-away-from-home if you will, during the time we lived in Menlo Park. Janet and I (and later Taylor as well) visited this amazing national treasure quite frequently for day hikes, and to stay in the "Carnegie Cabin" in Inverness (wonderful perk of being a Postdoc at the Carnegie Institution). I go to Point Reyes any time I get a chance when in CA. Below are a few of our favorite places and views of the Point Reyes National Seashore area.

For a map of Point Reyes click here

Check out the local (Pulitzer Prize-winning) newspaper Point Reyes Light

Deer on the southern cliff face above the Point Reyes Lighthouse - photo by M. Liscum

Beach front facing north astride the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Anyone familiar with the films of John Carpenter (one of my favorite directors, see my Music/Movies/Books page) will recognize this shot from "The Fog" which takes palce in the fictional town of Antonio Bay. In reality "The Fog" was filmed almost entirely in Inverness, Point Reyes Station and at sites at and around the Point Reyes Lighthouse - photo by M. Liscum

Section of seashore south of the point - M. Liscum

Tule elk on Tomales Point, looking inland over Tomales Bay (the San Andreas fault run through the center of the bay) - photo by M. Liscum

Janet near a tidal pool at McClures Beach (west of the Pierce Point Ranch. McClures Beach is by far my ocean site. Geology and biology cooperate and clash here in very amazing ways - photo by M. Liscum

Yosemite Natl. Park (1994)

This three-day trip in July of 1994 was quite possibly one of the most scenically breathtaking and relaxing camping adventures I've ever taken. Janet and I were lucky enough to tag along with Winslow and Anne Briggs (and two of their nieces and significant others) - allowing us to have tent space at Crane Flat, and excellent day-trip planners for hikes around the park. Below are some snippets from our long day hike (click here for a topo map of Yosemite Valley).

We started with a car shuttle at about 5:30 a.m., leaving the Valley floor for the Four Mile Trail around 6, and the 3200-foot ascent to Glacier Point. About 1000 feet below Glacier Point (or a couple hundred switch-backs from the top) our group came upon another group that had found a gentleman who had apparently slipped off the trail (presumable the night before) and fallen about 30 feet on a ledge below. As we finished the ascent they airlifted the man out. [The same day someone tried, unsuccessfully, to hang-glide off El Cap - BAD idea!] It's quite a contrast to come off the trail onto the tourist hole that is Glacier Point and see people getting out of their cars after the drive up. Having now done both the hike and the drive, I can say, despite the work involved, the hike is much more rewarding! After grabbing some lunch and shooting some pictures from Glacier Point, we started out along the Panorama Trail at about 12:30. Our only major stop (aside from water, snack and photo breaks) was at Nevada Falls. At about 7 p.m. we ended our descent back down to the Valley floor at the Happy Isle campground and our cars. A long day that left my legs feeling like jelly, but one that I will certainly never forget.

Looking back towards the Cathedrals (left), El Capitan (right) and the entrance to Yosemite Valley (center). Mid-morning from about half way up to Glacier Pt on the Four Mile Trail- photo by M. Liscum

Janet and the rest of the gang on a switchback about two-thirds the way up to Glacier Pt. - photo by M. Liscum

View at a mid-morning stop below Glacier Pt - photo by J. Sullivan

Another shot - this one uncluttered by humans! - photo by M. Liscum

View from Glacier Pt. facing our afternoon hike. Liberty Cap is the most prominent feature in this view (center left), with Mt. Broderick to its immediate left and Nevada (above) and Vernal Falls (below) to its immediate right. The Panorama Trail which we took after lunch runs to the right (out of frame) along the ridge, over Nevada Falls, down along Vernal Falls on the Mist Trail, and ends in the Valley to the left below Liberty Cap - photo by M. Liscum

Half Dome as seen from the begnining of the Panorama Trail at early-afternoon - photo by M. Liscum

Half Dome (center top) behind Mt. Broderick (center middle) and Liberty Cap (right forground), as seen in late afternoon just before reaching Nevada Falls - photo by M. Liscum

Janet taking a break in front of Liberty Cap, as seen from Nevada Falls - photo by M. Liscum

Mt. Whitney (1995)

This is (quite unfortuately) the "one that got away". The Briggs lab had planned a week-long backpacking trip in the high Sierra's to specifically climb Mt Whitney, the highest peak (14,494 ft/4,418 m) in the lower 48. We got a wilderness permit in February for an August trip, but unfortunatley as time wore on the number of people going dwindled (we started at 8). In June it was just Winslow and I, at which point I decided that my recurrent lower-back back problems would be problematic for me as well (yes I pussied out!). In the end the trip was made only by Winslow - a solo 7-day back-country trek during which Win even helped another solo hiker, a young woman who had broken her ankle earlier, up to the summit of Whitney. Winslow you certainly maintained you HERO status with me with this trip!

I hope to someday have another crack at Mt. Whitney, hopefully with my wife and kids!

Shot of the eastern face of Mt. Whitney (prominant peak in the center) from Lone Pine, CA - photo by Missy Anderson by way of Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia

Yosemite Natl. Park (2000)

The following pictures are from a day-trip taken in conjunction with my attendance at the 2000 American Society for Photobiology/International Congress on Photobiology in San Francisco (July 2000). It was an adventure to say the least - we left SF around 5:30 a.m., drove to Yosemite (solid 5 hr drive), spent some time in the Valley, took the drive up to Glacier Pt, and then driving back to the Bay Area, in particular Menlo Park (mainly so we could spend a couple days hanging out in the old neighborhood and frequenting our favorite restaurant, Ten Fu - allowing Ed and Renee to experience good Asian food!), arriving at well after midnight. Now this wouldn't be too stressful under "normal traveling conditions", but one must keep in mind that the group included: myself, Janet, Taylor (5), Kasey (1), Janet's sister Patty, and Renee and Ed Harper, all packed in a van. LONG DAY!!! But the sites were splendid as expected. First trip to Yosemite for eveyone except Janet and I.

Yosemite Falls from the Valley. When we camped in Yosemite in '96 Yosemite Falls was nearly dry so this trip was really nice - photo by M. Liscum

A great shot of Taylor with Yosemite Falls in the background. Taylor was pretty overwhelmed by the place - way cool to see that reaction - photo by M. Liscum