[Leica] In the Sierras - was Kodak Royal Gold 100

[Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com>]

On 10/25/02 George Hartzell  wrote:

>
>If you make it to Mono Lake, make sure to take a moment and walk down
>the Lee Vining Creek Trail.  It leaves from downtown, the south end of
>the main drag (395), on the east side of the road, just before the
>retaining wall starts.  Doesn't look like much at the beginning, but
>it gets away from town pretty quick.  Best walk in the area.  Nice
>colors down there, plus a Blue Heron and a female Norther Harrier last
>Sunday.

Drat! I got this after I left and so didn't get to consider taking the Lee
Vining Creek Trail.

We are DEFINATELY going back to Mono Lake and to Bodie. And I remain convinced
that California in the autumn is at its very best. The weather was mild, we hit
temps from 19F to 70F on the drive - the latter in the Central Valley on the way
home. For those planning trips, I have to say that you hit better coastal
weather in September and October than almost any other time. 

I think Bodie should qualify as Photographer's National Park. It's the
only place I've ever been where the value of the camera equipment in use
exceeded the value of the vehicles in the parking lot - by a LOT. 

The color was spectacular although Friday was subdued by clouds. Saturday was
glorious. I shot 2 rolls of Velvia, a roll of Ektachrome 100 VS, a roll of Kodak
Supra 100, and 2 rolls of Portra 160 VS. And a couple rolls of B&W in Bodie.

Truly - Bodie just blew my mind. It's like some playground for photographers. I
couldn't believe the number of medium format cameras. There was a teacher who
brought his photography class up from San Clemente (!). They slept out in tents.
Friday night it was down to 5 F. 

One of the special parts about Bodie is that it has been continuously inhabited
even after the '50s although only one or two people were there. This resulted in
a very low vandalism. 

I think the LUG should go to Bodie. It possible for organized groups to get
inside the buildings.

I'll have photos to share the middle of the week.

I had a surreal experience on Friday. I was taking pictures in an aspen grove
just down from Northstar on the way to Tahoe. I was standing directly beneath a
conifer of some kind when I hear the cry of a raptor - a hawk I imagine. Then I
see this shape come down out of the sky and land directly above me on the branch
of a tree - but there are too many branches between me and bird for a shot. Then
there's another cry and another raptor comes streaking in, there's a brief
tussle in the treetop, and they both swoop away with more cries of outrage
between them. 

I KNEW it was going to be a great weekend from then on.

I'm DYING to see the results of what I shot. I had to use the Portra for the
drive up the Tioga Pass into Yosemite but it might be great for the subtle
colors that filled the deep valley.

Best regards,

Adam
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