Vacation Pics

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These first pics are of Mesa Verde, Colorado, a place where you can see awesome cliff dwellings that were constructed in the 1200s:

Here's a cool looking butte just past the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0001.jpg

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a coyote walking along the road

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0025.jpg

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One of the cliff dwellings at Balcony House

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0070.jpg

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Another view of the house...

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0074.jpg

Notice the long wooden pole coming out. It had some religious significance that I cannot remember, but was also used for parents to hang up their toddlers so they didn't walk off the side of the 500 foot balcony this village was built on. These buildings date from 1200-1300.

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http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0063.jpg

Here's what's called a kiva. It had lots of uses: in the summer, it was often used for religious services. Since these were 8-10 feet in the ground, they would stay a constant 50 degrees in the winter (these are about 7000 feet up, so Colorado winter is COLD outside). These were typically covered by a roof.

You can see an air vent on the left side. Right in the middle you can see where fires were done. The block in the way of the bottom of the vent is used to keep sudden gusts of wind from coming down the vent and feeding the fire all at once. There are also 6 sets of (short) stone pillars in each kiva, representing the 6 directions: north, south, east, west, up, and down.

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http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0086.jpg

Really cool view of the valley from Balcony House.

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Here's the beginning of the Cliff House area, probably the most spectacular part of Mesa Verde National Park. Once again, these structures date from 1200-1300 AD.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0111.jpg

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Another pic of the Cliff House area:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0117.jpg

Notice all the kivas.

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http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0121.jpg

Four-story buildings in AD 1200???

What makes this really amazing was the Anasazis who built these had no metal tools. All the stone used for these was carved using stone tools, so it must have been backbreaking work.

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Square Tower house, viewed from a cliff about 300 above. This is the tallest ruin in Mesa Verde. This is a different tower from the previous pics.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0153.jpg

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I don't know the name of this one. This pic was taken from the other side of the canyon:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0202.jpg

These cliff houses are ALL OVER THE PLACE in Mesa Verde. Most of the pics I have of them are from the other sides of canyons though, and aren't that clear, so I won't post them.

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What's crazy is everyone had to move out of this area by AD 1300. There was a nasty mini ice age that hit about that time, and they also completely destroyed the soil above that they used for crops. Supposedly the area above these was a huge dust bowl by 1300. Sad to see all this effort was only good for about 3 generations of people.

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I thought this was a cool pic from the road in Arizona:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0233.jpg

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I'll post a few more in a minute... hold up

[Pistons < Spurs]

Nice photos! I've always wanted to go to Mesa Verde.

[baseline bum]

Went to Vegas too, but I didn't take many pictures on this memory card. I'll check the other one later and post anything interesting I might have...

Here's the new bridge being built by Hoover Dam. The pic does no justice to how massive this thing is.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0249.jpg

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Here's the Bellagio water show, viewed from the Eiffel Tower at Paris.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0262.jpg

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I couldn't take pics in the shows. I saw Bette Midler (great show) and Penn & Teller (amazing). Not only is Penn & Teller's show spectacular (I don't want to give away any of their tricks, because it's a must-see in Vegas), but they come out and talk with every single person who goes to their show. Seriously, every single person gets an autograph, a photo, and a chance to shoot the shit with Penn Gillette and Teller. Forget James Brown, these two guys are the hardest-working men in show business.

[baseline bum]

Went out to San Francisco. I didn't think I was going to like it alot, but after having been there it is by far my favorite city I have ever seen. The area I was in (Lombard Street) is like going back in a time-warp to the 1940s. Lots of great restaurants, pubs, delis, breakfast joints, laundries, groceries, etc within a block or two. The city seemed like a bunch of small neighborhoods, and you could walk from one end to the other in a couple of hours.

Here's a shot of downtown (I think) from the the bay, just north of Lombard:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0373.jpg

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The Transamerica Pyramid with a cool church in the foreground. I took this from the top of a double-decker bus.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0389.jpg

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Chinatown. This kind of reminds me of Mexico, as everything is negotiable in every store. Picked up a nice mah-jong set down here after haggling for a while.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0392.jpg

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I thought this was a cool building in Chinatown:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0397.jpg

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San Francisco City Hall

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0413.jpg

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Beautiful homes.. can't remember the name of the neighborhood.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0424.jpg

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I thought this was a pretty cool building in hippy-town

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0432.jpg

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Fog coming over a mountain as we ride north across the Golden Gate

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0447.jpg

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View of the Golden Gate from the park on the north end

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0460.jpg

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Decided to walk south back across it. Here's a nice shot of downtown peeking out through the fog (shot from the bridge). Notice the Bay Bridge on the left.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0472.jpg

It's a pretty fun walk, but the fog is THICK on the bridge even on what was a clear day at that time in most of the rest of the city. This shot took me forever because there were constantly new clouds of fog moving in to block it. You'd get about a 10 second window to line up the shot, zoom, and take it before the city became invisible again through the fog.

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A shot looking up through the fog to one of the bridge supports.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0479.jpg

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I took a walk down to the steep part of Lombard Street. Here's right before the famous winding road. Notice the cars parked at 90 degree angles because of the steepness.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0484.jpg

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The winding road at Lombard and Hyde. Damn, switchbacks on a road. :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0491.jpg

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Same road, at the bottom of the block. I don't think you could drive this more than about 2 mph. :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0495.jpg

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A pagoda in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0585.jpg

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More of the Japanese Tea Garden:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0595.jpg

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The sea lions took over Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf. The smell is like 10,000 farts in an elevator :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0622.jpg

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Took a walk down to Chinatown from Fisherman's Wharf, and it was foggy as shit that day. The temperature was literally 61 from 5 AM to 10PM.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0633.jpg

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Hit Yosemite National Park (my favorite place on Earth) next.

Here's an area they had to build a new one-lane bridge to detour around an enormous rockslide that closed highway 140 (the only year-round route into Yosemite) in summer 2006.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0656.jpg

You can see the rockslide on the right.

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Here's another shot of the rockslide. I wonder if that'll ever be able to be removed, or if the detour is permanent.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0658.jpg

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Back to San Francisco for a second, if anyone's ever out there, Cafe Maritime (on Lombard) is an amazing restaurant. Got a dungenness crab in butter and garlic there that was the best crab I have ever had. Their shrimp were enormous too, and all the fish dishes looked spectacular also. I talked to the owner for a while and he was really cool, and hooked our table up with free desert. I think I told the waitress that if I ever get the chair I'm going to tell the warden to send for my last meal from there.

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I took a hike through the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias. Here's a fallen one near the beginning of the trail:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0667.jpg

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The Bachelor and Three Graces...

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0668.jpg

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The Grizzly Giant:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0669.jpg

This tree is more than 2700 years old. Look at that enormous branch on the right side. The branch itself is bigger than most large trees (and I think all non-sequoia trees in the grove).

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Here's the Faithful Couple (two trees that grew into one).

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0674.jpg

Very cool IMO

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Here's another shot of the Faithful Couple...

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0676.jpg

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The Clothespin Tree

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0679.jpg

Fire hollowed it (and many other trees there also) out.

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A view from inside my favorite tree of the grove: the Telescope Tree. Fire also hollowed much of it out.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0688.jpg

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A view from Wawona Point at the top of the trail. The meadow is really a 9 hole golf course. I have to imagine your drives would be spectacular there, at around 6000-6500 feet.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0711.jpg

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The Arch Rock entrance to Yosemite along highway 140.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0749.jpg

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Tunnel View

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0767.jpg

The leftmost formation is El Capitan, which has to be seen with your eyes to truly appreciate its size. I have never seen a picture that does El Capitan justice. To the right of El Capitan in the distance is Clouds Rest, which I'll have quite a few more pics of later. To the right of that is Half Dome, probably the most famous formation in Yosemite. That little cap a ways to the right of Half Dome is Sentinel Dome, and the the big formation on the right closest to the viewer is Cathedral Rocks. You can also kind of make out Bridalveil Falls on the right, which was either dry or very low flow by late August.

The highest point visible is Clouds Rest, which is 9926 feet I think. Half Dome is about 8850 or so, El Capitan is something in the area of 6800, and Sentinel Dome is about 8000.

[alamo50]

Thanks for posting Base.
Realy enjoyed that!

[baseline bum]

Here's a shot of Half Dome from a vista point near Glacier Point. Cloud's Rest is just behind it and to the right:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0780.jpg

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Here's a shot looking down from the same area:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0781.jpg

The big rock to left of the top waterfall is Liberty Cap (about 7000 feet). To its right is Nevada Falls (5900 feet), and the lower waterfall is Vernal Falls (about 5000 feet I think). The water going over them is the Merced River, and the flow is very high for what I expected this time of year. Vernal is usually MUCH drier in late August.

EDIT: Here's a pic I took from the same area in July 2006 when there was huge water flow.

http://img139.imageshack.us/img139/4088/vernalandnevada015wp.jpg

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View of a rock formation that looks like a dog at Glacier Point. Yosemite Falls is visible at the right of the shot (see the "skid-mark"), but is just a trickle this time of year.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0787.jpg

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This is called Royal Arches, though I think it looks more like a face. The last day I was in the park there was a large rockslide from the Arches that shut down the Ahwani Hotel (Yosemite's 5-star resort). I think North Dome is right on top of these.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0788.jpg

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Half Dome, with Cloud's Rest to its left from Glacier Point. Tenaya Canyon is to the bottom left.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0789.jpg

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My brother and I hiked the Panorama Trail from Glacier Point to the Valley. We figured we'd go down since it was easier and we had a 14 mile hike planned to Cloud's Rest the next day.

Here's a really amazing view of Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap from near the beginning of the Panorama Trail.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0797.jpg

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Another shot along the trail. Man, it is freaking green. Glacier Point gets an enormous amount of precipitation. Nevada Falls and Liberty Cap are visible in the upper half, and the lower waterfall is Vernal Falls.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0802.jpg

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Another shot going down the amazing Panorama Trail

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0803.jpg

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The back of Half Dome on the left, and I believe Sentinel Dome on the right, from the Panorama Trail.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0808.jpg

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Beautiful homes.. can't remember the name of the neighborhood.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0424.jpg

Alamo square. Could be the Marina too

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Illilouette Falls. This is only visible by walking this trail. It's probably a good 300 feet down.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0809.jpg

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Great pics looks like you had a great time.

[baseline bum]

Illilouette Falls

uYNnVk-OzQc

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

Sweet pics of SF. Getting antsy about my trip there in about a month.

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View from the top of Nevada Falls:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0825.jpg

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Top of Nevada Falls

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0826.jpg

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Just to give an idea of the flow earlier in the season, here's the same place when I went in July 2006:

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9241/nevadafallstop4yh.jpg

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Looking into the mountains from the top of Nevada Falls. The peak in the foreground is Grizzly Peak I believe.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0833.jpg

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Looking down onto the Merced River from the top of Nevada Falls.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0835.jpg

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Same, but without the zoom

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0838.jpg

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View from the bottom of Nevada Falls

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0849.jpg

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Nevada Falls

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0852.jpg

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View from near the top of Vernal Falls:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0856.jpg

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Vernal Falls from near the bottom.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0857.jpg

[Slomo]

Went out to San Francisco. I didn't think I was going to like it alot, ...


Funny that was exactly the way I felt before going there for the first time. Boy, was I wrong. I had a similar experience with Washington DC.


The sea lions took over Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf. The smell is like 10,000 farts in an elevator :lol



:lol

Thanks! I never could find the words to describe that particular "attraction".


Nice pics! :tu

thanks for sharing.

[baseline bum]

I have lots more pics to post, but it'll prob take a while to resize and upload them.

[SonOfAGun]

Penn is a cool dude.

[Fillmoe]

been so long since i been to yosemite... these pictures are making me wanna go back soon

[baseline bum]

OK, these are from my favorite day: the hike up Cloud's Rest. We started early to beat the the crowds and to make sure we got the first set of switchbacks in while it was cool. They weren't nearly as bad as I expected, having read that they seemed never-ending from a lot of the trip reports on the web. Here's an early-morning shot near the Sunrise trailhead.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0864.jpg

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I believe this is Mount Hoffman. Seeing a butte like what you'd see in West Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona seems so out of place in Yosemite. It's the only butte I saw anywhere in the Sierras.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0866.jpg

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Another shot with Mount Hoffman as the sun is rising:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0875.jpg

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OK, first shot of me. Even though it wasn't nearly as bad as I had read, I still got a bit tired doing that first set of switchbacks (the steepest part of trail).

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0878.jpg

It was still in the low 50s though, so not too bad, even with 6 liters of water in the bag. :lol

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Another cool shot of Mount Hoffman as we're going up the switchbacks. Damn I wished I had another day to go climb that one. :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0879.jpg

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The rocky trail up. It's fine while ascending, but murders your feet on the descent. People who say descending is so much easier than ascending are full of shit.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0880.jpg

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Pic of me in front of a lake we passed.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0882.jpg

Man, we lucked the fuck out here. We brought plenty of batteries for the camera, but they were all dead by the time we got here. Fuck those shitty Kodak batteries that are the only thing they sell in the park. By a ridiculous stroke of luck, right here my brother found some Energizer Lithiums that must have dropped out of someone's pack or something. We decided to save them for the summit, not knowing how much juice they had left, so there will be no more pics up the trail.

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Tenaya Canyon from near the summit of Cloud's Rest. It's about a 4500-5000 foot drop down it. Half Dome is visible on the left, about 1100 feet below.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0889.jpg

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Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon from near the summit of Cloud's Rest

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0890.jpg

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Some of the great mountains visible from near the summit. Mount Lyell is the biggest one (the one with the biggest glacier on it). It's about 13,570 or so, and is not hikeable. You gotta have lots of experience in ice climbing and the proper equipment, as the only way up is through the glacier. anyways, that's the highest point in Yosemite. I talked to people who have done it and say it's really treacherous this time of year because the glacier is just a bunch of razor sharp shards of ice on the top layer.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0892.jpg

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Here I am going up the last steps to the summit. Cameras are horrible at capturing the steepness of slopes (though it wasn't anything bad by any means). You gotta be very careful at the area I just crossed, as it's pretty narrow with a 4000 foot drop-off to the right if you make a mis-step. The narrow part isn't shown in the pic, as it's obscured by rocks in front of it.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0895.jpg

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Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon from the summit of Cloud's Rest

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0897.jpg

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Pic of my brother and I at the summit. He's the young one, I'm the old fart. Damnit to hell I didn't put any sunblock on my nose and I look like a fucking clown. :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0900.jpg

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Another view of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0902.jpg

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View of Tenaya Lake, which is close to where we started, from just below the summit. Man, the pics do absolutely no justice to how amazing this sight is with your own eyes. I met about 8 hikers/mountaineers at the summit who said it was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen. Every direction you look you see huge mountains around, and lots of them you're looking down on.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0903.jpg

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Tenaya Canyon. Don't slip: it's 4500-5000 feet down.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0904.jpg

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Another couple of shots of Mount Lyell

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0905.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0905.jpg

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I think this is the Cathedral Range of mountains along the high Sierras, viewed from the summit of Cloud's Rest

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0910.jpg

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Another shot of the same area

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0912.jpg

[Shelly]

Funny that was exactly the way I felt before going there for the first time. Boy, was I wrong. I had a similar experience with Washington DC.



:lol

Thanks! I never could find the words to describe that particular "attraction".


Nice pics! :tu

thanks for sharing.

Yeah, but try living in the part of SF for four years that barely saw sun (Mt. Davidson area (where that big Cross is)). It got quite depressing after awhile, especially when my husband would tell me how nice and sunny it was downtown (where his school was), and I was all, "what sun?" :lol

Beautiful pictures! We did go to Yosemite when we lived in SF and I forgot how beautiful it was there. I really enjoyed your CO pictures, too!

p.s. Don't forget to watermark them :nerd

[baseline bum]

Some more shots of Tenaya Canyon

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0913.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0914.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0915.jpg

[baseline bum]

Shot of me coming down the summit of Cloud's Rest. Tenaya Lake is in the background. Man, the pics do NO justice. I had to throw my sweatshirt back on as it got COLD at the summit with all the wind swirling about.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0916.jpg

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Another amazing view from just below the summit, with Tenaya Lake in the background.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0918.jpg

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Back on the normal trail. Mount Hoffman can once again be seen in the distance (can you tell that's going to be my next hike next time I go to Yosemite? :lol)

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0919.jpg

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Going back uphill about 600-800 feet to reach the long switchbacks back downhill. :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0925.jpg

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These deer ran right in front of us as we were hiking back to the truck, but I couldn't get the camera ready until they had moved on a bit.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0927.jpg

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http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0930.jpg

A nice meadow which I saw some mule deer in when I began the trek. Not a good thing to see in the early morning, as there are mountain lions and bears hunting them near dawn.

[baseline bum]

I think this is a different meadow. Thank God for flat land!!

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0931.jpg

[baseline bum]

For the life of me, I cannot tell you what this peak's name is.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0936.jpg

[baseline bum]

Finally back on the road. Here's a view of the peak we just did, Cloud's Rest, from Olmstead Point.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0937.jpg

[baseline bum]

Here's a view of the ass of Half Dome from Olmstead Point:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0938.jpg

[baseline bum]

I have a few more pics, but I gotta re-size and upload them (unless someone wants 25MB pictures :lol)

[Slomo]

Yeah, but try living in the part of SF for four years that barely saw sun (Mt. Davidson area (where that big Cross is)). It got quite depressing after awhile, especially when my husband would tell me how nice and sunny it was downtown (where his school was), and I was all, "what sun?" :lol

:lol
I hate it when people go "aaawwwww" when they find out I lived in Paris since I really didn't like it. I guess all these beautiful cities are different for tourists and residents.



p.s. Don't forget to watermark them :nerd
:lol
Words to live by.

[MannyIsGod]

Man - After being in Yellowstone for about 2 weeks this summer I wasn't sure if there would ever be a place that I found more amazing in the US. Your pics make me think Yosemite might be actually be better. Those are amazing!

[mrcoon29]

You have some very nice scenery shots - great job on those! I visited SF in June of this year and had a great time - love your SF pics, too. I think we walked about 14 miles one day in SF (girlfriend had a pedometer) and we climbed the entire Lombard street which was OK but not a walk in the park - so I admire your endurance in traipsing all around Yosemite. I believe we'll be visiting Yosemite in the next 3 years - so loved the views and the education you provided!

[tlongII]

Since we're posting vacation pics...

These were from Aug 19th.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker017.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker025.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker028.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker031.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker039.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker040.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker047.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker048.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker049.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker050.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker051.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker052.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker056.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker061.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker062.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker011.jpg

[baseline bum]

p.s. Don't forget to watermark them :nerd


:lol
Words to live by.

'Eh, I don't care if someone posts my pics in the N-Sync forum and talks about his great hike. :lol

[baseline bum]

Since we're posting vacation pics...

These were from Aug 19th.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker017.jpg

....


That's where I'm going either next summer or the year after, depending on if I can swing a full month to do the John Muir Trail next year.

[tlongII]

That's where I'm going either next summer or the year after, depending on if I can swing a month to do the John Muir Trail next summer.

It's awesome. I think you'll love it. It's interesting to think that it was formed only 7,700 years ago. I wonder what native americans thought when they saw this thing blow up? It's estimated that it was 45 times more powerful than Mt. St Helens. Unbeavable.

[EricB]

Amazing pics.

Makes me want to rent a cabin and just chill out in that area.

[Fillmoe]

Since we're posting vacation pics...

These were from Aug 19th.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker017.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker025.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker028.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker031.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker032.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker039.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker040.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker047.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker048.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker049.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker050.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker051.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker052.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker056.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker061.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker062.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker011.jpg

you went to oregon state? i was contemplating going there for there pharm d program til i found out they charged me out of state tuition for all 4 years and not just the first... the campus is beautiful.... on my way back we stopped at crater lake aswell... its awesome....

[baseline bum]

Amazing pics.

Makes me want to rent a cabin and just chill out in that area.

Book very early for next year if you're considering it. The cabins fill fast and they're pretty expensive. I didn't even get a chance to visit the valley this time around other than to catch a bus back to my hotel, but having been there before you could seriously spend a couple of weeks just in it whether you want to do hikes, walks, climbs, biking, tram tours, driving tours, or just relaxation in the fresh mountain air. The only bad thing I can say about the park is the food is mostly awful, with a couple of exceptions: 1)the Ahwani Hotel's food is outstanding, which should be expected in a $500 a night hotel. The price isn't too bad either (unlike the rooms :lol), and 2) Curry Village (where most of the cabins are) has a pretty good pizza joint (expensive as hell for pizza though).

[z0sa]

beautiful pictures. wow, really stunning stuff.

thanks a whole bunch for sharing.

[baseline bum]

I can't believe I forgot to post this one. On the summit of Clouds Rest my brother and I had to constantly be on the lookout for squirrels trying to steal our food as we were eating lunch. Anyways, my brother looked down and caught this: an ant carrying a fly :lol Right on the summit!

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0901.jpg

[baseline bum]

A cool rock formation just before Tenaya Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0943.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake from the road, with Mount Dana (2nd highest peak in Yosemite) in the distance.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0944.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0945.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0947.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0948.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake, looking south now from the north end

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0952.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tenaya Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0953.jpg

[baseline bum]

Polly Dome. It's about 1100 feet up from the road, and the angle of inclination can't be any less than 70 degrees at any part of it.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0955.jpg

[baseline bum]

This was kind of a funny sign :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0956.jpg

[baseline bum]

I'm not sure which peak this is.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0959.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tuolomne Meadows

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0969.jpg

[baseline bum]

Cathedral Peak, from Tuolomne Meadows

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0970.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tuolomne Meadows

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0974.jpg

[baseline bum]

Cool rock in Tuolmne Meadows

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0975.jpg

[baseline bum]

A nice little creek in Tuolomne Meadows

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0982.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0983.jpg

[baseline bum]

Mount Dana from Tuolomne Meadows. The face you're looking at is the easiest climb, which is about 20 degrees inclination the whole way with no switchbacks (you just go up) from 10000 to 13500 or so in elevation. Nothing I was going to try without altitude acclimation though (my hotel was at 2100 feet). It'll definitely be a peak to climb when I can camp up in the high country though.

EDIT: I take it back. The easiest route is on the other side. This side looks like it'd be it, but I recall pretty clearly that it isn't.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0985.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tuolomne Meadows. It's amazing to me seeing all these big rocks down here carried by the yearly avalanches. This road is closed 7 months of the year on average I believe, and I'm pretty sure I read this is the highest mountain pass for cars in the nation (Alaska included).

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0989.jpg

[baseline bum]

I wanna say this is Mount Gibbs.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0994.jpg

[baseline bum]

Mount Dana

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_0999.jpg

[baseline bum]

Formation on a ridge to Dana.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1000.jpg

[baseline bum]

Tioga Lake. This is close to where one begins for the easiest (hiking) ascent up Mount Dana:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1001.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1003.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1004.jpg

This is the end of the park.

[baseline bum]

A lake in Glacier Canyon.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1005.jpg

[baseline bum]

The same lake. Tioga Peak rises up sharply from the road to the left

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1008.jpg

[baseline bum]

Ellery Lake. The picture doesn't do justice to how beautiful this particular place is.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1017.jpg

[baseline bum]

Ellery Lake and the small glaciers up the ridge

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1018.jpg

[baseline bum]

Another great pic of Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1021.jpg

[baseline bum]

Yet another of Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1022.jpg

[baseline bum]

Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1023.jpg

[baseline bum]

A view towards Gaylor Peak from Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1024.jpg

[baseline bum]

Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1025.jpg

[baseline bum]

Had to get the sign in too

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1026.jpg

[baseline bum]

Some more Ellery Lake

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1027.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1028.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1030.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1032.jpg

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1033.jpg

[baseline bum]

A couple of waterfalls on the side of Tioga Pass Road.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1037.jpg

[baseline bum]

A canyon on the side of Tioga Pass Road.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1038.jpg

[baseline bum]

My best guess is this is Lee Vining Peak

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1039.jpg

[baseline bum]

Seeing the glaciers flow like water is cool

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1040.jpg

[baseline bum]

Mono Lake. This is filled with calcium deposits called tufa that look really cool, but I didn't have time to stop this trip. Note the water level is low from years of LA stealing water (which has finally been overturned, so the lake should return to its natural level in the next few years)

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1062.jpg

[baseline bum]

Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States (14,505 feet). This is nowhere close to where the rest of the photos were taken though; it's probably 150 miles down the road on highway 395. Whitney is just to the right of the two pronounced spires, and is not far from the Manzanar camp the US kept American citizens of Japanese descent at in WWII (shame, Roosevelt). There's not even a sign telling you you're passing by it on the road, so you have to know what you're looking for.

I really want to climb this, but haven't been able to get a permit the last two years. You have to get in a lottery to get a wilderness permit from the Inyo National Forest to do it, and I haven't been able to get it either year. It's so popular that it's the only trail I know of that requires a permit just to day hike it, much less camp there. I think I'm going to just do the 220 mile John Muir trail, which finishes at Whitney, in the next 2-3 years or so, as reservations that start on a connecting trail are good for Whitney.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1123.jpg

Here's a couple of better pics of it from other websites:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Mount_Whitney_2003-03-25.jpg/800px-Mount_Whitney_2003-03-25.jpg

http://www.astronomynotes.com/nature/shoffner/MtWhitney-rwb.jpg

[baseline bum]

Next up, some pics from the Grand Canyon...

[baseline bum]

Here is the road to the Westernmost entrance to the South Rim of the Canyon. As you can see from the smoke, there was a fire pretty close-by. Luckily, the smoke didn't reach all the way to the rim except to the east of main viewing areas.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1127.jpg

[baseline bum]

I only had a couple of hours there and don't know it well, so I can't tell what each formation is. I'll just say the pics to the west were extremely clear, and the smoke made the pics to the east pretty bad. Here's a nice one to the west:

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1128.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1129.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1135.jpg

[baseline bum]

The layers of stratification are really beautiful in this pic.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1136.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1137.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1138.jpg

[baseline bum]

The Coloroado just visible through the smoke

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1139.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1141.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1147.jpg?t=1251667226

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1149.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1161.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1164.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1168.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1182.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1185.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1189.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1191.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1194.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1196.jpg

[baseline bum]

A funny picture at Meteor Crater (near Flagstaff, Az). :lol

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1201.jpg

[baseline bum]

And here's Meteor Crater, a 550 foot deep crater caused by a 150 foot meteor slamming into the ground here about 50,000 years ago. I think it's about a mile wide.

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1202.jpg

A pretty cool place to kill an hour or two.

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1203.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1204.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1206.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1212.jpg

[baseline bum]

http://i641.photobucket.com/albums/uu138/rgfhgdghhfd/100_1214.jpg

[baseline bum]

Funny that was exactly the way I felt before going there for the first time. Boy, was I wrong. I had a similar experience with Washington DC.



Yeah, DC was much cooler than I expected, even though I was already hyped to go there to see the Smithsonian museums (especially the air & space museum).

[PakiDan]

Baseline, those are some amazing pics!!! You are very lucky that you got to experience this! Hopr you had a great time!

[Pistons < Spurs]

Next year, I want to go on vacation w/ Baseline!!! Thanks for sharing the photos.

[Big P]

Done it! Best camping ever!

[Shelly]

Baseline, not sure if you mentioned this or not, but did you do one big road trip or were these trips throughout the summer.

Have you been to Taos? Some really old dwellings there also. It's kind of hard to believe that these are really that old.

[resistanze]

I couldn't take pics in the shows. I saw Bette Midler (great show) and Penn & Teller (amazing). Not only is Penn & Teller's show spectacular (I don't want to give away any of their tricks, because it's a must-see in Vegas), but they come out and talk with every single person who goes to their show. Seriously, every single person gets an autograph, a photo, and a chance to shoot the shit with Penn Gillette and Teller. Forget James Brown, these two guys are the hardest-working men in show business.

I really wanted to catch their show. I saw Penn at the Apple Store at the Fashion Show Mall, but he was with his wife and daughters. I didn't want to give him shit.

[4down]

Dude, looks like a hell of a trip, broksi.

We oughtta head to Big Bend man

[baseline bum]

Dude, looks like a hell of a trip, broksi.

We oughtta head to Big Bend man

I'm down; I've never been. Hit me up bro.

[jman3000]

What kind of camera were you using?

The pictures are incredibly vivid. I could practically smell the air.

[tlongII]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v513/tlongII/CraterLaker042.jpg

[baseline bum]

What kind of camera were you using?

The pictures are incredibly vivid. I could practically smell the air.

It's just a small $100 Kodak digital camera.

http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=13032&pq-locale=en_US&_requestid=1227

[baseline bum]

Baseline, not sure if you mentioned this or not, but did you do one big road trip or were these trips throughout the summer.

Have you been to Taos? Some really old dwellings there also. It's kind of hard to believe that these are really that old.

It was one trip, Shelly. I've never heard of Taos. I'll have to look it up later. Thanks.

[Taco]

Cool pics b/b thanks for posting!!!

[scott]

Great photos BB - thanks for sharing! Dammnit, now I need a vacation!

[Abraham Quintanilla]

This topic reminds of going to my friends house and his dad pulls out the home movies :lmao

Nice pics! :tu

[Shelly]

It was one trip, Shelly. I've never heard of Taos. I'll have to look it up later. Thanks.

I think it was about an hour from Santa Fe. Here are some pictures from when we went. http://www.taospueblo.com/

http://i28.tinypic.com/1r1z44.jpg
http://i29.tinypic.com/mu7vk9.jpg
http://i26.tinypic.com/ruwx0x.jpg

[baseline bum]

Oh crap, I went to those when I was a little kid. That was awesome; I just didn't remember the name.

[911]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/RackTheMouse/desert-ball.jpg

[caribbean_spur]

Wow great pics! I visited SF a few years ago and loved it. I am totally amazed by the Mesa Verde pics.

Man, if I could just quit my job and travel the world! Freaking 15 days of vacation!

Thanks for posting BB!

[Phenomanul]

:tu

[mouse]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/RackTheMouse/3.jpg

[Angel's va jay jay!]

:lmao