Into the Mountains

Today we drove up to Santa Barbara Campground in Carson National Forest.  I'd read about the campground and how there are several great hiking trails that lead out from there.  We arrived close to noon and thunderstorms were already gathered over the highest peaks, and we could hear frequent thunder so it was too late to hike a significant distance from the car.  I noticed that the hiking trails off the south side of the camping area were closed anyway due to the drought conditions and fire danger.  There was a trail open that first meandered along the side of a stream before beginning its climb up the hill away from the campground and parking lot.

Mike and I had decided to leave Siris at home.  He loves to go on adventures just as we do, but frankly he's a pain in the ass.  He gets very excited and whines non-stop unless we're on the highway, and once we're hiking I need to constantly keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't walk into a tree or off a cliff, or step on a snake.  Not having him there gave us the luxury to focus solely on our natural surroundings and we both spent about an hour taking pictures along the stream.   Mike lent me his doubler lens and I was able to take some close-ups of the plants.  There is definitely a lot to learn, many skills to master, and a lot of information to pick up about the more detailed operations of my camera.  I'm happy to have a talented photographer who can show me some of the basics.

I took quite a few pictures, trying to learn how to focus manually on very small things.  The biggest challenge was a caterpillar who was hanging from a tree by a strand of silk.  The wind kept blowing him back and forth, in and out of my view finder, and in and out of focus.

Here are a few pictures that I took. Of course, I'm not happy with them because I can see all of their flaws.  But I do think they represent progress in my photography-taking skills, despite their imperfections, so I'm pleased about that.

Two interesting things I observed:  the silk that the caterpillar was hanging from didn't come from its rear-end; instead, it seemed to be holding it between two pairs of its front legs.  It also seemed to be climbing up the tree instead of descending to the ground. 

I want to go back to the campground to camp, ideally bringing my mother along so she can have a camping experience, too.  I love the desert but it's great once in awhile to get up high enough into the mountains to see real trees again.  Unlike the ones around our house (junipers, mostly),  the trees in the mountains are tall enough to provide shade, coolness, and a sense of enclosure.  The moister air and ground are also refreshing.