BelieveSteve (StevenRichardMiller)

Rio Grande Winter, #2, 2019/20

Posted on January 7, 2020 by Evensteven

I published “Eagles Everywhere!” on 12/21/19. It documented the arrival of the wintering bald eagles along the Rio Grande: https://believesteve.org/2019/12/21/eagles-everywhere/ Since that time, I’ve made many visits to the stretches of river that the eagles frequent, which is close to our home in Embudo, and the eagles also come and go along our home stretch of the river. Here are photos of bald eagles that I’ve taken since that date.

Bald eagles

Ducks and Canada geese

The northern ducks have yet to show up in the numbers and variety seen in years past, and those now here are still getting accustomed to cars passing on the road. Nowadays, they mostly take off as I bring my car to a halt on a roadside pull-out. They will become more approachable (and easier to photograph) in time.

Female goldeneye

Canada geese

Female mergansers

Rio Grande Gorge

Pueblo Peak and rim of the Rio Grande Gorge (extreme telephoto)

Orilla Verde stretch of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

Willows, Orilla Verde stretch of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

Gorge of Taos Creek

Snow on boulder

Frozen foam

Taos Creek

same as above

Channel fills and toreva block in the making

This portion of the basalt cliff seen across Taos Creek has three features of geologic interest. #1: Below the cliff seen at the very top of the photo is a brownish layer. It is a channel fill. A channel fill is sediment that collected in a river channel that ran across the top of a lava flow, which sediment was preserved when another lava flow covered it. #2: Another channel fill is seen at the base of the cliff. #3: Seen in the center of the photo is a block of basalt which has slid away from the cliff. The soft sedimentary materials in the channel flows found both above and below the basalt layer that the block derives from are no doubt the reason why the block has detached itself. While the block is seen to be leaning against the cliff, it will eventually slide down the slope below. When it does so, it will be called a toreva block, which is defined as a block that lies tilted on a slope.

Kathy

Embudo

Barranco Blanco (left) and Cerro La Junta (right)

same as above

Shore ice

Posted in Birding, Nature, New Mexico | Leave a comment

Yosemite National Park – The High Sierras

Posted on January 4, 2020 by Evensteven

The northern boundary of Yosemite National Park follows a ridge that runs east/west, and starts, on the west, with Tower Peak, and then continues eastward with Ehrnbeck Peak, Crown Point, Slide Mountain, the Sawtooth Ridge and Matterhorn Peak. Tower Peak can be seen, far to the south, from the Sonora Pass highway (Hwy 108).

An extreme telephoto shot of Tower Peak from Hwy 180, view to the south.

Aerial shot (Southwest Airlines) of Slide Mtn, Tower Pk. and the Sawtooth Ridge, view to the north

The Sawtooth Ridge, Matterhorn Peak and others to the west, seen from Bridgeport, CA.

Matterhorn&SawtoothRidge900PixDSCN3865.jpg

The Sawtooth Ridge and Matterhorn Peak are seen left of center. Matterhorn Peak is at the left extremity of Sawtooth Ridge.

Matterhorn&SawtoothRidge900Pix9-18-11_1023.jpg

From L. to R.: Matterhorn Peak and Sawtooth Ridge

One can get a much closer look at these peaks from Twin Lakes, which is located at the foot of the ridge

Sawtooth Ridge

same as above

same as above

Skiing into Matterhorn Pk. (left)

California Outward Bound School – 1971

During the summer of 1971, I worked for the California Outward Bound School. We were headquartered at a mothballed Marine mountain warfare base, at Pickel Meadow, on the Sonora Pass highway. The base has since been reopened.

Pickel Meadow Marine Training Center

From Hwy 108, we followed the West Walker River upstream to the base of Tower Peak.

Ehrnbeck Peak

same as above

On the slopes of Tower Peak

Tower Peak

same as above

Climbing a snow gully on Tower Peak

same as above

Summit ridge of Tower Peak

Clouds

Sunset

Cascades

Waterfall and snow bank

From Tower Peak, we moved eastward.

31SPeelerLakeBuckeyeRidge#17'71 900Pix.jpg

Peeler Lake and Buckeye Ridge (?)

In the vicinity of Crown Pt.

same as above

Crown Point

On the Sawtooth Ridge, with the Bridgeport Valley and Reservoir in the distance

Sawtooth Ridge

same as above

Sawtooth Ridge, glissading

Sawtooth Ridge

Lake and snowbank

Godbeams

Matterhorn Peak, view to the north

Matterhorn area

Iced-over lake

Clouds

South of Matterhorn Peak was Whorl Mountain

Ice axes, on Whorl Mountain

Glissading, Whorl Mountain

From Whorl Mountain, we headed down Matterhorn Canyon, to the south

Matterhorn Canyon

same as above

same as above

From the mouth of Matterhorn Canyon, we headed east to the Mc Cabe Lakes and Mount Conness.

Camping at McCabe Lakes

On the ridge between North Peak and Mount Conness (North Ridge), with the Conness Glacier below

North Peak (Southwest Airlines flight), view to the south. Mt Conness is just out of the photo, at top.

same as above

Conness Lake

On the North Ridge of Mt. Conness

We next traveled south and east, to intersect the Tioga Road, near Tioga Pass. There, we picked up a resupply and continued south via Parker Pass Creek, from which we climbed onto the Kuna Crest at its northern end.

Indian paintbrush in Parker Pass Creek

Traversing the Kuna Crest. Mt. Lyell and Lyell Glacier are seen in center.

We descended the southern end of the Kuna Crest and headed for Mt. Lyell (13,114′). Mt Lyell is at the southern extremity of the Cathedral Range.

Side-trip to Donohue Pass. The Minarets Wilderness has been renamed, to the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

Glacier-polished granite

Camped below Mt. Lyell

At the foot of Mt. Lyell

Climbing a snow chute to gain the summit ridge of Mt. Lyell

On the summit of Mt. Lyell. Banner and Ritter Peaks are seen to the southeast.

This climb ended the course. We had traveled extensively through Yosemite National Park, and seen very few others on the way. What a privilege!

Tioga Pass

Mammoth Peak, at the northern end of the Kuna Crest, from the Tioga Rd.

Dana Meadow

Tioga Pass entry station, looking into the Park

The White Mountains, from Tioga Pass

Saddlebag Lake is located just east of Tioga Pass, and provides a good vantage point to view Mt. Conness and White Mountain.

White Mountain (left) and Mt. Conness (right), from Saddlebag Lake

Mt. Conness, from Saddlebag Lake

Sunset, at Saddlebag Lake

Aerial Photos, Southwest Airlines flights

Western boundary of Yosemite National Park and Mono Lake, view to the east

View to the northeast, of Mt. Conness, White Mountain and Saddlebag Lake

same as above, but a wider view

Kuna Crest, view to the southeast

3.Yosemite&AAWilderness900PixDSCN1540.jpg

View to the southeast of Yosemite NP and Ansel Adams Wilderness, to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area

The End

Posted in California, Mountaineering, Nature, Outward Bound and similar, Photography, Ski touring, SWA Flights-photography | Tagged Yosemite NP | Leave a comment

Yosemite National Park – Tuolomne Meadows

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Evensteven

Tuolomne Meadows is another gem. Beautiful in and of itself, it is surrounded on all sides by sublime scenery. The Tuolomne River passes through the Meadows, coming from the crest of the Sierras and descending into a remote gorge, the Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne. The Meadows and trails that originate there are, nowadays, very crowded – but I had the pleasure of having the place to myself in the “good old days”.

Pothole Dome

View to the east, of Tuolomne Meadows and the Sierra Crest, from Pothole Dome, which is located at the western end of the Meadows

View to the west, from the above

Mounts Dana (left) and Gibbs (right). Lembert Dome, at the eastern end of the Meadows, is seen in front of Mt. Dana

Tuolomne Meadows and the Kuna Crest, view to the east from Pothole Dome

The trail to the low-angle, eastern side of Pothole Dome follows along its southern side

Pine needles, at the foot of the Pothole Dome

Kathy, on Pothole Dome

On Pothole Dome

A glacier-polished feldspar crystal, on Pothole Dome

Glacier-polish, on Pothole Dome

Gleaming glacier-polish, on the lower slopes of Fairview Dome, to the south of Pothole Dome

Apatite vein, on Pothole Dome

Telephoto of Mt. Conness, from Pothole Dome

Tuolomne Meadows Campground

GlacialPolish@Campground9-20-11_0915.jpg

Glacier-polished slabs

The Lyell Fork of the Tuolomne River and Lembert Dome

Lembert Dome, view to the east

Lembert Dome

same as above

same as above

Along the Lyell Fork

same as above

same as above

same as above

The Lyell Fork, upstream of the campground

The Cathedral Range

The Cathedral Range borders Tuolomne Meadows to the south, with a number of great looking granite peaks and spires. In 1987, myself and son Ethan hiked into some of the spectacular scenery of the Cathedral Range.

Ethan

Elizabeth Lake

Pine

Matthes Crest

same as above

Matthes Crest and Unicorn Peak

Cathedral Peak and Eichorn Pinnacle

Cathedral Peak

Cathedral Peak, 1976

Landon Carter, who was, at the time, a Trainer for est (the training created by Werner Erhard)

Steve Miller, on the summit of Cathedral Peak

Here is the link to the final post on Yosemite – the High Sierra: https://believesteve.org/2020/01/04/yosemite-national-park-the-high-sierras/

Posted in California, Hiking, Nature, Photography | 2 Comments

Yosemite National Park – Tenaya Lake

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Evensteven

The Tioga Road passes the trail head for May Lake, then Olmstedt Point, Tenaya Lake, and the climbing venues on the Stately Pleasure Dome and Pywiack Dome.

May Lake, 2019.

Mount Hoffman, from the trail to May Lake

View southeast, from the trail to May Lake. Cathedral Peak (left) and Echo Peaks (right)

View from the trail to May Lake

Extreme telephoto view of Vogelsang Peak, from the trail to May Lake

May Lake and Mt. Hoffman

May Lake

View of Half Dome, from a pull-out on the way to Olmstedt Point. X marks the spot where the Cable route to the summit begins. Figures can just barely be made out.

Red crossbills

Olmstedt Point.

Glacier-polished slabs

same as above

Glacier-ground slabs

same as above

Sierra juniper

Chipmunk

Lizard

Pine cones drip sap

Mob scene, Sept. 2019

Potholes

Pika

Sierra juniper

same as above

Views to the west.

Clouds Rest Peak is seen on the left, the Quarter Domes in the center, and Half Dome on the right

Clouds Rest Peak is a bastion of granite. At its right extremity are the Quarter Domes

Clouds Rest Peak

Half Dome, with Mt. Watkins in the right foreground

Half Dome and cars, at Olmstedt Point

Views to the east.

A wide-angle view from the summit of a small dome that sits above Olmstedt Point. Tenaya Lake is to the right, with a snowy Mt. Conness in the distance. Immediately to the left of Tenaya Lake is a formation named “The Stately Pleasure Dome” (SPD), by climbers. And the small dome seen just beyond Tenaya Lake is Pywiack Dome.

Telephoto view of the SPD, with climbers seen near both the top and bottom of the photo. The open book facing the camera is a route known as the Great White Book.

Tenaya Lake and the Stately Pleasure Dome.

Tenaya Lake

The Great White Book, on the SPD

Climbers on the Great White Book route

Climber free-soloing the Great White Book route. His left hand reaches into his chalk bag.

Another route on the SPD. Runners and carabiners connect his rope to protection pieces placed into the crack to his side.

Friction climbing on the SPD

Same as above. The tan areas are glacier polish.

same as above

Pywiack Dome.

Sierra juniper

Friction climbing. The figure at the left is rappelling down.

same as above

This route follows a system of dikes

Rappelling from the top of the slab

Tree in pothole

Granite slab, forest and cliffs

Curved overhang

Here is the link to the next post: https://believesteve.org/2020/01/02/yosemite-national-park-tuolomne-meadows/

Tuolomne Meadows, which is located just a few miles up the road.

Posted in California, Photography, Rock climbing | Leave a comment

Yosemite National Park – The Valley

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Evensteven

I’ve been coming and going from Yosemite for a long time. Yosemite Valley (and the balance of the park that surrounds it) is in a class by itself – first, for its spectacular granite architecture, and then for its waterfalls, rivers, meadows, trees and so much more.

Left to right: Royal Arches, Washington Column and Half Dome. 4X5 photo, mid-60s.

I first visited Yosemite in 1955, when my parents, myself and my Aunt Etta did a 6 week-long tour of the western US, primarily to see the National Parks. I was 15 at the time, and the magnificence of the parks made such an impression on me as to determine the course of the rest of my life.

At the Wawona Tree. Myself, and my Mom at the wheel. 1955.

I returned to Yosemite Valley in 1960. I had become a climber that summer, and learned that “The Valley” was a climbing mecca.

Climbing on the Royal Arches, with Pete Lev. Early 60s.

Postcard to my folks, showing my climb on Yosemite Point Buttress. Early 60s.

I spent many weeks and months in the Valley during the early 60s, after having started, and then stopped, my college education (at UC-Berkeley) in 1959. I became a ski and climbing bum, traveling throughout the western US and abroad. In 1966, I married Karen Holdaway and returned to UC-Berkeley. This put me, again, in the vicinity of Yosemite.

Snow climb on Sentinel Rock, early 60s. View to the east, with the snow-covered Clouds Rest Peak in the center, and Half Dome on the right.

Same, view to the west, with the Cathedral Rocks on the left and El Capitan on the right

Postcard to my folks, showing climb of the Southwest Face of Half Dome, early 60s

Cathedral Spires, in a smokey haze. Fall, 2019

Me, climbing Higher Cathedral Spire. Photo by my climbing partner (and later National Geographic photographer), David Hiser. 1964

Middle Cathedral Rock, in a smokey haze. Fall 2019. Behind the trees on the left is the East Buttress route, which I climbed with Joe Faint in the mid-60s.

Climbers, on the Direct route of Reed Pinnacle. The standard route on Reed Pinnacle was my last Valley climb, Spring 1966.

My last climb in the Valley was on the standard route of Reed Pinnacle, in the company of Jim Bridwell and Kim Schmitz. I tell that story in another post: https://believesteve.org/2016/05/12/reed-pinnacle-my-last-climb-in-yosemite-valley-spring-1966/

The Associated Students at UC-Berkeley (ASUC) ran a top-notch photo lab, staffed by the published professionals Dave Bohn and Roger Minich. The teaching emphasis was on the West Coast tradition, best exemplified by Ansel Adams. So, I returned to Yosemite with a 4X5 camera.

Lost Arrow and Yosemite Point Buttress, mid-1960s

Left to right: Cathedral Rocks, Bridalveil Falls drainage and Leaning Tower

Merced River in the foreground, with, left to right: El Capitan, Clouds Rest Peak, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock and Lower Cathedral Rock

At the base of Upper Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Rock is seen on the left. Mid-60s.

At the base of Upper Yosemite Falls, mid-60s

Lower Yosemite Falls, mid-60s

Potholes, Lower Yosemite Falls, mid-60s

Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, mid-60s

35mm photos, 1960s.

Merced River, winter, early 60s

Vernal Falls, early 60s

Snow-covered benches, early 60s

Deer, early 60s

Merced River and maples, early 60s

El Capitan, 1990.

North America Wall

The Nose and the Dawn Wall

The Nose sits in the center of this vast expanse of vertical granite

Yosemite Point Buttress, 1990.

Lost Arrow and Yosemite Point Buttress

Vernal Falls, 1990

Vernal Falls, ’90

Vernal Falls, ’90

Merced River in winter (photos interpreted with Topaz Simplify).

Camp 4, early 60s.

Maya, with dogwood blossoms

Columbia Rock, with Gary Colliver (left) and Jeff Foote (right)

Columbia Rock, with Jeff Foote

Camp 4 scene

Camp 4, with Gary Colliver (left) and Fred Beckey (right)

Camp 4 table

Columbia Rock, Steve Miller. Photo by Karen Miller.

Little Yosemite.

Little Yosemite is the valley of the upper Merced River, located atop Nevada Falls.

Left to right: the backside (south face) of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, Nevada Falls and the entry to Little Yosemite. From vicinity of Glacier Point, 1990.

Sierra juniper and lichen

Silver Apron, Merced River

Silver Apron, Merced River

Steve Miller, fishing in the Merced River, early 60s

Here is the link to the next post – Tenaya Lake:

https://believesteve.org/2020/01/01/yosemite-national-park-tenaya-lake/

Posted in California, Nature, Photography, Rock climbing | Leave a comment

Bald Eagles for the Holidays

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Evensteven

It’s Christmas Day (2019), and one of my presents was to sight four bald eagles. I was able to photograph two of them. This was along the Racecourse stretch of the Rio Grande, between Pilar and the County Line River Access.

Posted in Birding, Nature, New Mexico, Photography, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Eagles Everywhere!

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Evensteven

The major migration of bald eagles has arrived at the Rio Grande. They come, presumably, from points north, and always show up in mid-December … which, I’m guessing, is when the northern waters have started to ice up. The Rio Grande is relatively ice-free in the winter, which also attracts bunches of northern ducks. The eagles hunt those ducks, along with fish. They are readily seen along the river from Velarde upstream to the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, which stretches to the Colorado border. The Orilla Verde stretch of the Monument, which begins in the vicinity of Pilar and ends 6 miles upstream at Taos Junction Bridge, is where I habitually see the greatest concentration of eagles. Eagles are also often spotted along the Racecourse stretch, downstream of Pilar (see map at end of post). The following photos were all taken yesterday (12-20-19) in Orilla Verde.

Posted in Birding, Nature, New Mexico, Photography, Rio Grande del Norte National Monument | Leave a comment

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BelieveSteve (StevenRichardMiller)

Rio Grande Winter, #2, 2019/20

Yosemite National Park – The High Sierras

Yosemite National Park – Tuolomne Meadows

Yosemite National Park – Tenaya Lake

Yosemite National Park – The Valley

Bald Eagles for the Holidays

Eagles Everywhere!

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