NV to Colorado

From Death Valley I drove across the lower tip of Nevada into Utah on highway 15.  Virgin River canyon is spectacular.  I had one overnight in Utah just before climbing up to the highway 70 traverse of Utah's central mountain range. The following night I spent in Colorado National Monument.  Wow !  Its like Zion Park, in Colorado. There is not one central canyon to look at here.  Many ancient rivers created many intersecting canyons. NPS maintains hiking trails into several of these canyons.  Juniper Titmice, White-throated Swifts and a Virginia's Warbler were the exciting birds. 
     The following day I traveled across the Rocky Mts on highway 70.  All the campgrounds are closed because its still winter up there. I made a brief detour up to Loveland Pass, to see a White-tailed Ptarmigan.  Life Bird !!   I continued to the Highway 25 corridor and was able to leave my skis, snowshoes, and other boxes in my storage unit.
     Moving along highway 14, out of Colorado, I stopped at Pawnee Grasslands to see the McCown's Longspurs in their early morning song-flight. 

    Above photo from an overlook along highway 70, in eastern Utah.  Early European travelers, Native Americans, and the RR all detoured around San Rafael Swell.  Today highway 70 travels thru a huge rock cut blasted out to make room for the modern highway. 

more photos from NV

Sunrise at Stovepipe Wells campground.

 Golden Canyon is mostly mudstone.

 photo to the left,  along Artist's Drive

Zabriskie Point.


At some point I will make a Flickr file to share more photos. 

Heading out

Wednesday at lunch-time I departed from Truckee, went down the hill on Hwy 80 to Reno for a few errands, and headed south on Hwy 395.  I drove Hwy 80 across Nevada twice last year, and did not want to do that again.  Hwy 395 follows the eastern Sierra all the way to southern California.  What a beautiful drive !   It was gorgeous !!   I spent the first night in a free campground in Inyo National Forest.
   Photo below is Mono Lake.  I saw Eared Grebes in breeding plumage. 
  Needing to go east at some point I chose Hwy 190 going across Death Valley. I have not ever been to Death Valley, so it was interesting.  Death Valley is NOT flat !  There is alot of history in that area. So far I have taken over 100 photos, yet un-edited.  I came out the eastern side into Amargosa Valley, and spent the night in Red Rocks Canyon campground. 
    Las Vegas, ugh.  At least I found a place with free Internet.  Tonight I plan to be into Utah.

 To the right is a salt pan in Death Valley. It was a windy day with the blowing dust obscuring the mountains.

Below is a dry creek with a few bushes.

A Spring morning

I walked along the edge of Lake Tahoe this morning. The lake was smooth as glass with no wind. A few Mallards, a female Hooded Merganser, and 2 Common Mergansers floated by. Willow buds are in different stages of opening:  from closed buds as if it was still Winter, to gray fuzzy "pussy willows," to the gray fuzzy buds covered with yellow pollen.  Song Sparrows are still singing, along with House Finches and Cassin's.  The exciting birds this morning were 5 Evening Grosbeaks, and a Red Crossbill.
    Yesterday morning's walk at Martis Valley meadow yielded Mountain Bluebirds, and Golden-crowned Kinglets as the special birds.

 I first saw this bird from the back, and thought he did not look right a House Finch.  Then he turned his head to reveal the strong bill with crossed tips.   !!!

Martis Creek Valley looking west.

in like a Lion

and out like January !!  2 weeks ago everyone was convinced Spring was "just around the corner"  and the ski season is over.  Then this storm blew in with many inches of snow over several days.  Northstar wanted this type of storm in January and February.  10 days ago the ice skating rink in the Northstar Village was transformed into a roller skating rink for summer use. 
     I continue to enjoy my feathered friends who come to the back porch railing for sunflower seeds. 

 If anyone would like a Flickr link with more photos of my backyard birds, send me an email.

To the right, a Song Sparrow singing before Winter returned. 

1st kayaking of 2014

I have visited the nearby reservoirs. 

This is Boca reservoir, drying up as are most of California's reservoirs.  A short drive to the north is Stampede reservoir.  There are no access points that I could find, so I parked on the side of the road and walked thru the forest to see this reservoir.  Along the way I found a Brown Creeper, Mt Chickadees, Pygmy and White-breasted Nuthatches, Steller's Jays, and 2 Purple Finches.  I needed to listen to the iPod to confirm that ID.   !!!

This is Prosser reservoir.  The water level is way down now, It used to have a much larger lake.  I paddled the perimeter today.  Canada Geese, a pair of Common Mergansers, and a Bald Eagle.  The 3rd photo is Silver truck on shore that 10 years ago was underwater.

With the camera at full zoom, focus is not perfect, but a Bald Eagle is exciting to see.

pictures for Wednesday

The same photo from last time, only cropped so the subject is visible.

Another photo from Mt Rose Highway

Farad is an old hydro-electric plant built in the late 1800's to supply power to the first silver mine in the US.  This is the water flume that runs along Hwy 80.