Backing Fire

With all this rain - watch your step!

2009-05-24T12:40:00.001-04:00

This past week we have had a tremendous amount of rain due to a nor’easter that sat just off the northeast coast of Florida. It rained every day this week (Sunday through Saturday). Our area and neighborhood has seen a fair bit of flooding as the ground has saturated and our retention ponds have filled nearly to the brim. We’re fortunate however as folks south of us in the Ormond Beach and Daytona area have seen serious flooding, somewhat similar to the conditions they faced last summer during Tropical Storm Fay.(Rainfall accumulation totals. Image borrowed from the Agricultural Emergency Report blog.) On Thursday Katie and I headed down to check out our local neighborhood boardwalk that stretches almost a mile through the salt marsh into the Intracoastal Waterway. With all the rain flushing the creeks and east winds driving tides inland, our coastlines have been inundated beyond the typical high tide range. The water at the boardwalk this week was nearly the same height as during Tropical Storm Fay last summer! As we walked we looked carefully for critters that might have been displaced and on the move as the water rose… This water moccasin was swimming right next to the dock through the salt marsh. We gave her plenty of space and watched from a distance as she swam up and disappeared underneath the boardwalk. So watch your step out there after all this rain – critters are on the move looking for dry ground!

Quick NC Trip…

2009-05-18T12:54:00.001-04:00

And we’re back and dry’ish…

We had a fantastic four day weekend! Thursday we drove I-95 up to I-26 to Hendersonville, NC where we stopped to tour the Mast General Store and historic downtown (where we found the pizza place). After dinner we drove out to our campsite at the Davidson River Campground in the Pisgah National Forest near the town of Brevard NC. Setting up camp in the dark, we went to sleep with rain beginning to fall and thunder looming.

Friday we got up with clearing skies and had breakfast at the Pisgah Lodge situated atop the Blue Ridge Parkway (only about 20 mins from our campsite).

After a great breakfast and beautiful views we went south on the BRP a little ways and stopped at the Graveyard Fields turnout to hike along Yellowstone Creek to a series of waterfalls.

Threatening weather returned and we called our hike short, returning to the car just as lightning and cold rain arrived.

Fleeing the weather we scooted down from the BRP, stopping at Looking Glass Falls and heading in to the historic downtown of Brevard for a late lunch.

The Cardinal Drive-In in Brevard proved to be an authentic drive-in (complete with phones at each indoor table with which to ‘call-in’ your order) however the food was somewhat lacking…(strike one).

That afternoon the weather threatened again and after checking the tent (which was starting to show signs of leaking…) we scooted to Lowes in Brevard to pick up a tarp, rope and some extra stakes. We returned to the campsite, setup the tarp (as rain started to fall again) and then headed out to find some dinner.

The woman at the Lowes counter suggested the Brevard Fish Camp for a good local meal. We found a local meal, but it was anything but good…(strike two). We went to sleep with rain falling harmlessly on our well-pitched tarp.

Saturday morning we had pancakes and bacon cooked at the campsite (thanks to clear skies) and headed up the road from the campsite to hike the Daniel Ridge Trail. The 4 mi loop trail was purported to be flush with waterfalls and beautiful views of the upper Davidson River. It did not disappoint. We ate lunches on the trail and even had a quick rain shower, but were blessed by the best weather of the trip.

After finishing the hike we stopped to fish a section of the Davidson River (no bites). That afternoon storms approached again and we retreated to town to check out some local outfitters and find dinner. Dinner came from “Hawg Wild BBQ” just down from our campsite and it did not disappoint. KT ordered the spare ribs and they were hands down the best ribs I’ve ever had in my life (home run!). We explored Brevard a bit that evening, stopping for a cup of coffee on the way back to the campsite, finally heading to bed with storms and rain approaching again.

Sunday morning we packed up the campsite and I dashed over to the Davidson River to try and fish one more time before heading home. The water was numbingly cold to wade in and despite the rains, still gave up one 9” rainbow trout on a bead-head wooly bugger. With rain returning, we headed out of the campground around 11:00 AM to spend a bit more time in Hendersonville checking out the Mast General Store. Rain and cold followed us there as the temperature dropped to 53 degrees and the rain continued. After a great lunch at an Irish Pub in Hendersonville we headed south towards home. Rain and storms followed us nearly the entire ride home.

It was a fantastic trip and we’re both ready to head back up the hill to the mountains…

-David

Ocala Prescribed Fire on Sunday Night

2009-01-20T13:07:00.001-05:00

Sunday evening while driving up US-19 through the Ocala National Forest Katie and I came upon a prescribed fire (controlled burn) being conducted by the USFS. This was the first fire Katie had seen up close and the first night burn I’d seen. We pulled alongside the road and took photos, observing and marveling the spectacle. After a bit, a USFS truck pulled up behind us and the gentleman came up to see if we had any questions about the burn. As it turned out, he was the FMO in charge of the fire, a very friendly and knowledgeable fellow I’d met several times before. Watching the fire was a blast, the highlight of our evening and a great way to wrap of a fun weekend.

Good Stuff – Or Ideas for Christmas Gifts II

2008-12-12T15:56:00.001-05:00

Following up on the last post are some products that have proven durable, repairable and truly lasting.

Carhartt Double Knee Loggers Pants

These britches are about as tough as they get. The cut is a little funny, and they actually tend to run a little short in the leg, but the durability can’t be beat. In fact it seems to take several months to a year just to break them in and soften up the cotton canvas. My foremen when I worked on trail crews in New Mexico and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, all wore the Carhartt bib front overalls while in the backcountry. These guys wore the same overalls for 10-14 day stretches for the entire summer. Carhartt pants hold up well.

MagLite 2AA Flashlights

These little aluminum bodied flashlights were first popularized when I was in elementary school. Today they’re the standard in small (and large) personal flashlights. The design is simple and sturdy, and the light output sufficient for most tasks. The xenon or krypton bulbs do not last forever and I’ve recently become a fan of the LED replacement kits that swap out the original bulbs for bright, long-lasting LED’s that greatly increase the battery life. If you’re looking for a flashlight (not a headlamp) MagLite is the only way to go, in my opinion. I have yet to break one beyond simple repair and still have my original 2AA model from elementary school.

Victorinox Swiss Army Knife

Victorinox is the maker of the original Swiss Army Knives (I’ve never been impressed by the Wenger knives). I have one similar to the “Climber” model that was my grandfather’s personal pocket knife for many years. I’ve carried it on every mile I’ve hiked on the A.T. and many other hikes and days around town. The perfect size, with just enough tools, but not too many, the Climber model is a classic pocket knife. It is important to get a model with both the scissors and a Phillips head screw driver (which the Climber lacks, but mine has). The scissors are handy for cutting bandaids and moleskin and a Phillips head screw driver is terribly difficult to improvise when needed.

Good Camping Stuff – or – Ideas for Christmas Gifts

2008-12-10T17:24:00.001-05:00

Daniel shared this with me not to long ago. It’s a list of great, durable stuff that inspires folks to brag about it. As much as we live in a cheap / disposable society these days, it’s nice to hear about products that still seem engineered to last.

So here’s a list of some of the things that I’ve been pleased with over the years. Granted, I don’t have a lifetime of experience to test these products against, but I have worn out, broken or destroyed more products than I would prefer.

These are listed in no particular order, simply in the order they were thought up.

Sierra Designs Clip-Flashlight Tent

This two person tent has essentially remained unchanged in design since it was first introduced in 1983. For a backpacking tent design, that would make this model essentially a dinosaur. I’ve hauled mine 1000 miles on the A.T. Lived in it for a summer in New Mexico. And backpacked with it in 13 states. It still looks brand new. It’s not the lightest tent. It’s not freestanding (which is a challenge as many state parks are shifting to wooden tent platforms).

Coleman White Gas Stoves

I grew up with my family cooking on a two-burner Coleman camp stove when we went on camping trips or during extended power outages following hurricanes. Built like tanks and easy to repair and maintain, these stoves are easy to find on Ebay or at garage sales. The design has changed very little since they were first introduced in the 1950s (Model 425) and since then the little stoves have cooked innumerable Boy Scout pancakes since.

There’s even a collectors club.

The single-burner Peak 1 Feather was my first backpacking stove. Based on a scaled down version of the two burner stove, this is a great little stove. It has cooked up warm meals on some of the coldest mornings, when a canister stove wouldn’t light.

MSR Groundhog Tent Stakes

These tent stakes were given to me by one of my crews at Philmont. The tri-corner design is bombproof and manages to grip in some of the rockiest soils. I’ve yet to break, bend or lose one after years of use. I can’t say that same about any other tent stake I’ve seen or used.

Gregory Palisade Internal Frame Pack

I’ve had this pack since 2000 and it has put up with all of my backpacking. Every mile of the A.T. It’s not even close to being an ultra light weight pack, but it is built like a tank and seems like it will last as long as I want to haul it. I saw more than one ultra light pack split, tear and snap on the A.T.

Jacksonville Airshow

2008-11-26T13:25:00.005-05:00

Last month we went to the Jacksonville Airshow at NAS Jax. This was the third time I had been in recent years and it was a blast. The airshow is always the last Saturday in October, which provides a pretty good chance for good fall weather in Florida. This year we went on Sunday, and the weather was perfect (Saturday however was cold, overcast and misty as a front passed through the area). The airshow alternates locations anually between Jax Beaches and NAS Jax. The beaches show is different because the flying is all over the Atlantic, just offshore. Our favorite is the NAS Jax show though, because the runway provides a much more defined center stage for viewing.

Here's a sampling of some shots that turned out fairly well.

Dockery Lake

2008-11-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

Dockery Lake is a USFS campground and recreation area in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

More Info:
http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/dkrylkcp.htm
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/menasha/cam_atl2.htm
http://georgiatrails.com/trails/dockery.html

This time of the year the campground and lake are closed for the season. During the summer, spring and early fall however, it looks like it would be a rather nice place to return. This was my first visit to the area, triggered by an impromptu ("hmm I wonder where that goes?") stop while driving from the Deep Hole recreation area to Unicoi State Park. The lake and campground are down a long and steep onelane gravel road. It was in good condition and the Vibe made it with no worries.

The fall colors were outstanding.

An old water pump, sealed for the winter provided a nice opportunity to showcase a particularly beautiful leaf.

Dockery Lake was a nice detour and I hope to someday return to fish the lake in an open season.

View Larger Map

Woody Gap

2008-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woody Gap is one of the first major road crossings along the AT in Georgia when heading north from Springer Mtn. I stopped there to check the views on my trip last week. On my first GA AT section hike, I began at Amicalola and hiked north through Woody Gap finishing at Deep Gap.

When I crossed Woody Gap on that trip it was raining, foggy and views of the surrounding countryside were nowhere to be seen (typical Appalachian weather from my experience). This time however, the weather was clear and the views impressive.

Much of the AT follows along ridges and mountainsides with trail side water sources often limited. This sign indicated a blue blazed side trail that hiked down from the ridge towards a water source (often a seepage spring). It is not uncommon to have to walk nearly 1/4 mile from the trail along these side trails in search of a water source. However, when you need water, you need water and 1/4 mile doesn't seem so bad. The return trip from the water supply is often the worst - as you usually hike 1/4 downhill to the water source, which means that once your water bottles are full (adding weight to your pack), you're now faced with walking 1/4 mile uphill with a full, heavy pack.

Years ago I hiked one side trail on the AT in Maine that was, as I recall, ~1/2 mile downhill to a pond. Once at the pond, right where you were to fill your water bottles, a dead moose was laying IN THE POND and at a particularly gruesome stage of decomposition. At first glance the dilemma seemed hopeless and the planned water stop was a loss. Luckily after some searching, an unlocked canoe was discovered nearby that allowed a short paddle out into the middle of the pond for some cleaner water (to filter).

Frosty Morning

2008-11-20T08:00:00.002-05:00

While camping at the USFS Deep Creek campground along the Toccoa River (near Suches, GA) a cold front passed through. In the morning I awoke to a light frost dusting some cooler areas of the campground. An early morning walk around the campground (which I had to myself) produced some frosty-leafy photos. That cold morning and chilly night also led to an upcoming post and discussion about sleeping bags. I think it's about time for a new one...*brr*

A First Timer

2008-11-17T15:57:00.004-05:00

I have attempted many times over several years to catch a mountain trout on a fly rod. I've tried along the Toccoa River, near the Tallulah Gorge, at a pond near Black Rock Mountain State Park, in the lake and streams at Vogel State Park and most recently in Rocky Mountain National Park. I've had strikes, passes and smirks from trout, but never actually a landing. Regardless, of the lack of success, fly fishing has always been an enjoyable pursuit and much more about the method of fishing and less about actually catching.

For this trip I ID'd three different waterways in N. Georgia that were open for the 'delayed harvest' season (Amicalola Creek, Toccoa River and Smiths Creek). This is a catch-and-release only season that is only open to fishing with artificial lures (no bait) and single hooks (no trebles).

After fishing both the Amicalola and the Toccoa with no trout luck, (caught one small bass in the Amicalola) I spent my last night at Unicoi State Park with plans to fish Smiths Creek.

And it paid off! This trip involved both fishing - AND - catching: three rainbow trout, all 'stockers' from a GA hatchery. Apparently Smiths Creek is fine trout water in the fall-spring DH season. However by summer, most of the trout are either harvested by bait fishermen or the water runs too warm and the trout die. So don't plan a trip up there in the summer months if you're looking for cold water fish.

I spoke with several other fishermen at Smiths Creek who were much more experienced in the art and they reported catching many times more fish out of the same creek during the DH season. Regardless, finally catching not one, but three (!) trout felt monumental.

All trout were caught on a free lined black woolly bugger, by casting upstream of a deep pool just down from a culvert, allowing the fly to almost float out of the culvert towards the fish which were lying in the pool facing upstream. Strikes also came on a bead head prince nymph until it found a new permanent home on a submerged log.

Float On

2008-11-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

More signs of autumn. It was 38 F. when I woke Monday morning in Florida, nearly 400 miles south of where I was camping last week. The forecast for today called for possible snow flurries up in Blairsville and the north Georgia mountains. I like the cold weather, but my 20 degree NorthFace bag doesn't quite pack the warmth and loft that it once did. I imagine I would have been rather cold up there this week.

Signs of Autumn

2008-11-17T09:04:00.002-05:00

Just a few color shots to leave you with...

Water in the Fall

2008-11-16T13:47:00.003-05:00

Occasionally I'm able to get some water shots that are similar to what I'm hoping for at the moment of capture. Here's a handful of some that came close. All shots were taken in the early AM along a creek near Nimblewill Church Rd. just east of Amicalola Falls State Park.

N. Georgia Fall

2008-11-14T13:13:00.005-05:00

Just a few shots from a quick camping and fishing trip up to the southern Appalachians in north Georgia. The fall colors were stunning. Some of the finest I've ever seen. The Chattahoochee National Forest, which blankets much of north Georgia, is one of my favorite places in the South There seems to be no limit to the hidden hollows, rolling mountains, inviting streams and winding trails that call me back up there, year after year.

Campfire time

Moonlit autumn woods (30 sec. exposure)

Starry Night (1 min. exposure)

Day 3 - Emerald Lake

2008-10-17T12:18:00.004-04:00

Katie got a shot of me getting the shot at the top of the last post!

Our Emerald Lake hike began at the Bear Lake trail head. (Hike Info: http://www.thespiritoftherockies.net/spirit/Hikes/Emerald/EmeraldLake.html ) This parking lot is rather large, but from what I've heard, later in the summer it can be filled completely. It's hard to imagine that many people on the trails, even though we saw quite a few out on our hike. Bear Lake is just a few feet from the parking lot. A paved multi-use / accessible trail circles the lake, however even in early June it was still covered in snow.Even still, the views of the lake were amazing and the weather was perfect, in the upper 60's / low 70's.

The trails were mostly covered in hard-pack snow, greater than 1' in depth in most places. This was a completely new experience for Katie and it took a bit of adjusting. Having treking poles seemed to help keep steady on slippery trails.

This post ends with a shot of our second lake along the hike, Nymph Lake. It was still ringed with snow and ice, thick enough to walk out over some of the shallows.

CO Trip Day 3 (Continued)

2008-10-07T20:24:00.005-04:00

CO Trip Day 3 (Continued)

Day three began with beautiful, Colorado blue skies. The kind of blue that we rarely, if ever, see back home in Florida. We were hoping for an early start out of the campground, and despite a chill in the air, still managed a respectable start after breakfast and packing up the tent.

The vistas greeting us from the campground were stunning. I could hardly wait to get off of the pavement and onto the trails!

As the tourists we were, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to get a great bear sign photo! And yes, Katie made sure that our campsite was bear-proofed before heading to bed.

CO Trip Day 3 (Just a Start)

2008-10-06T19:57:00.005-04:00

(I'm squeezing this short post in between some statistics programming that is just driving me nuts.)

Day 3 began with a chilly morning that wrapped up Katie's first night in my backpacking tent. She described it as 'cozy'. I would describe it as 'lightweight'. Both of us were correct. It is a small tent especially with more than one person in it. Changing and getting ready for bed requires taking turns. Standing up inside the tent is not an option and sitting up in the tent is barely navigable. Despite all that - it packs down small and weights in under 5lbs.

It's a great tent: Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight
I recommend it.
I've had that tent for about 8 years now and it has probably 200 hundred nights in it, with never a serious leak or problem.

CO Trip Day 2

2008-06-17T23:05:00.005-04:00

Day 1 ended at the Allenspark Lodge after a hearty dinner in Lyons. The lodge was about 20 miles from Lyons down a dark and twisting canyon, which we wished we could have seen in the daytime. We arrived at the lodge around 9:30pm after long day of travel and were heartily welcomed by one of the owners (Bill).

The lodge was a wonderful location for our first night - the epitome of a classic Colorado mountain retreat. Rustic, old and full of beautiful native wood, the lodge was perfect. The hosts, Bill and Juanita were wonderful and could not have been more cheerful and outgoing.

We slept soundly in the "Honeymoon Suite" on the 3rd floor - complete with an in-room gas fireplace. The night was clear and cold, as in the morning the roof outside the bathroom window was coated in frost.

Breakfast was a delight, with homemade vittles and family-style seating for both the guests and the hosts.

After checking out, we headed north on the Peak-to-Peak highway towards Estes Park. We stopped to explore St. Malo, a beautiful chapel beside the highway that was framed by some of our first close views of the Rocky Mountains.

Further north on the Peak-to-Peak, we had views of the legendary Longs Peak, still freshly covered in snow.

Before Estes Park, we stopped at the Wild Basin trailhead and entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and continued along a winding dirt road to the Copeland Falls trailhead.

We stopped along the road to check out a stream, flowing strongly from fresh spring snowmelt.

Katie learned about the butterscotch smell of a ponderosa pine. :)
From the trailhead it was a short hike up to the falls and back. However, at over 9,000 ft. in elevation, we were both thankful for the short hike as our lungs had not yet adjusted!

Back from the hike, we skooted on up to Estes Park in search of lunch. We found it at the Grubsteak (be sure to sit in the pub: much nicer than the front), in the form of wonderful burgers and a couple of local brews.

After doing the typical tourist thing in Estes Park, we hit the grocery store and headed into Rocky Mountain National Park for the night to camp. On the way coming into the park we saw quite a few elk, some pretty close to the roadside.

Along the way to the Glacier Basin campground, we stopped to gaze at elk and soak in the scenary at Morraine Park.

CO Trip Day 1

2008-06-16T10:07:00.006-04:00

Day 1 of our CO trip started very early! 6AM flights out of JAX usually require a departure from our house around 4AM. Air travel was some-what typical with a 1.5 delay in Dallas due to a mechanical and an eventual plane and gate swap. Finally though, we were on our way northwest out of Dallas headed to Colorado Springs.

On the flight to COS, one of the flight attendants noticed my pack and asked if we were headed on a vacation. Katie exclaimed that we were on our honeymoon and before we knew it the flight attendant handed us a bottle of champagne and two ice glasses! Not a bad way to make up for a delayed flight!

Arrival in COS gave us a few glimpses of the front range, but the scenery really sank in as we drove north towards Denver, our first destination of the day.

The rolling grassland and mesa country was beautiful. It reminded me of driving in New Mexico. The skies were clear and the temperatures were comfortably warm in the low 80s with a breeze and NO humidity. It was a beautiful drive.

Our destination in Denver was the REI flagship store. The building was once a power station but now it houses three stories of outdoor camping, biking, paddling and misc. gear. We managed to only get out the door with things on our shopping list (except for one astronaut ice cream sandwich :) ). The staff there were not the friendliest folks (except for the store 'greeter' and the gentleman working in the camera section) and we were somewhat put-off by their attitudes. It was a nice store and we still enjoyed ourself.

Behind the store, we explored a river and bike way that was full of people playing in the water, biking and generally enjoying the great weather.

From REI we skooted out of Denver and headed north towards Boulder and our eventual dinner destination in Lyons. As we headed north, the views of the front range just improvved

We stopped at a 'Scenic Point' on a hill overlooking Boulder and watched a whole village(?) of prairie dogs and rabbits romping around a field.

We stopped on our way through Boulder to cruise down the Pearl St. Mall - a lovely outdoor pedestrian only series of shops and restaurants several blocks in length. It was a blast just cruising some shops for an hour or so and enjoying the spectacle of it all.

These folks were a choral group just hanging out singing popular songs around a piano.

After cruising Pearl St. we headed north again, towards Lyons and dinner at Oskar Blues
an unlikely Cajun beer-pub tucked into the front range of Colorado. It had excellent reviews and lived up to it's expectations. It was hopping that night with folks in town (tiny) for some sort of trick bicycle street fest. The food was great - as were their own craft brews.

Colorado Dreamin'

2008-05-26T11:23:00.004-04:00

The Mrs. and I are planning a trip to Colorado soon and boy are we both excited. I've been to the state once back when I worked a summer at a Scout camp in northern New Mexico. My buddy Sean and I took a "Tour-de-Colorado" during a week off between getting our WFR certification and officially starting our jobs. In that week we climbed a 14'er (Blanca), rafted the Arkansas, hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park, climbed the Great Sand Dunes, visited the REI in Denver, explored Boulder and biked around the University of Colorado. It was a heck of a trip and made memories that I'll keep forever. As we're in "Tour-de-Colorado II" planing mode, I figured I'd post some old pictures (scanned 35mm) from my first trip out there.

Great Sand Dunes National Park - a truly unique location. Those specs are people hiking up the dunes.

Stopping for a break on the way up Blanca Peak.

View from half-way up Blanca.

View from the summit of Blanca as my climbing partners ascend.

Snow along Trail Ridge road in RMNP.

Doe Run Pitcher Plant Bog

2008-05-26T10:54:00.005-04:00

Last week my brother and I took a Southeastern Coastal Plain Ecosystems field course up at the Jones Center near Albany. One of our field trips took us to Doerun Pitcher Plant Bog Natural Area near the town of Doerun, GA. The title "Natural Area" was a new one to me, but seems to indicate a "preserve" status. The bog features several perennially wet bogs that are populated by three different species of insectivorous pitcher plants.

The most common and largest pitcher plant found at the bog was the Trumpet pitcher plant, seen above. The Hooded pitcher plant has a more concaved 'hood' over the top that features translucent white spots thought to attract insects.

The third species found at the bog was the Parrot pitcher plant, however none of my photos of this species really turned out.

One of the hooded pitcher plants held a surprise. Can you see it above?

Bombing Range Humor

2008-05-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

As I was sorting through the multitude of photos from last week's heli ride, I noticed something in one of the bombing range mock-village photos. Rotated and cropped, you can see (read) a little bit of bombing range humor:

I saw in the news today that the ONF (Ocala National Forest) had another fire started by an errant Navy bomb. This one apparently landed well outside the bombing range (yipes!). Be careful out there... (News Link)

Chopper Ride

2008-05-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

Last week I had the great opportunity to ride in a helicopter over a recently burned area of sand pine scrub in the Ocala National Forest. When the offer came up I was really excited to jump on it. First off, this was my first ride in an helicopter and compounding that, the chance to fly over both my study area and a fresh scrub burn, was nearly too good to be true!

The above helicopter was not the one we flew in! It was huge. This Sikorsky was flown in from the Pacific NW somewhere and will be stationed in the Central FL region to support our wildfire season until the summer rains kick in.

Our helicopter was a Bell Super on contract from a company out of Pensacola. It had seats for four or five passengers in the back and two pilots up front. The pilots and ground crew guys gave us a good safety briefing and were open to flying over whatever we wanted to see in our study area. Everyone at the Dispatch Center and air operations that we met that day were just top-notch and very friendly. After gearing up, borrowing some helmets and nomex gloves, we were off!

The view was amazing! It sure beats the details I'm accustomed to from staring at satellite imagery. The ride was impressively smooth considering the lake wind advisory that was in effect.

The fire that we looked at first had just been extinguished the day prior after burning nearly 1200 acres within a Navy bombing range. The fire started from a bomb that hit outside the target area but still safely within the bounds of the range.

You can see above the crater and blast from the bomb that started it all. The blast snapped off pole-class trees for several meters beyond the impact. You can see the fire spread from there to the upper left corner of the image.

We were particularly interested in the variations and patterns of the burn as evident above. The USFS lit back-burns and flanking fires along the roads to reduce the fuels ahead of and along the sides of the fire. The resulting fire didn't damage any property or harm the bombing range and it was merely a matter of time before a bomb lit off the scrub. Hopefully our lab will be able to investigate some of those burn severity patterns.

You can see in this image, the point of impact and the subsequent spread of the fire in a southwesterly direction. The burn in the bottom right corner of the image may have been a backing fire lit by the USFS.

The bombing range itself was pretty fascinating to fly over. The Navy has all sorts of old military equipment ready to be blown to smithereens.

Including an entire mock-town built out of shipping containers used for practicing laser targeting. Pretty impressive from the air.

Finally, on our way back we flew low over Silver Glenn Springs. The springs were beautiful and the view couldn't be beat! The trip was great and the pilots and USFS folks were all outstanding. Hopefully we'll get to look into some of the nitty-gritty details of the bombing range fire, but we'll have to wait and see.

Puerto Rican Water

2008-05-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

It's taken me ages to get the photos processed that I took while in Puerto Rico. I suppose that may be the downside of the digital age: there's no reason not to shoot the same subject a dozen times! This post is all about some of the waterfalls and water trickles that I came across while touring El Yunque National Forest. The last day of my trip to Puerto Rico, after the conference ended, an organized tour was assembled for the conference participants to visit and tour El Yunque, a true tropical rain forest and the southernmost unit of the US National Forests. So of course on our visit, being a rain forest....it rained.

Our tour was led by a fairly knowledgeable bus driver who wound us through back country roads on the hour long drive from Isla Verde to the forest. The El Yunque mountains rise to around 3,000 ft. and create a dramatic rain shadow effect on the island. Rain forests have grown in the lush, wet, windward side of the mountain range, while on the lee side, all the way to the coast, you'll find dry, xeric forests.

As part of our tour, we were able to hike several of the trails within the forest. Recreation in the forest seems to be very developed with paved hiking trails and many visitor amenities, including an impressive visitor center. For those not familiar with the differences between the USFS and the NPS, it would be easy to assume that this area was a National Park. There were no signs of any forest commodity uses or extractions that typically come along with US National Forests.

It rained pretty much the entire time we were there, which was several hours. I don't yet have a case for the new camera and was glad I remembered to grab a gallon sized freezer bag to be my ad hoc waterproof cover.

The trail we hiked took us to Mina Falls as the principle destination. A rolling, paved trail, it was dotted with small cascades created by the morning rains. I stopped at several for a few seconds snapping pictures and playing with the shutter speeds. Most of the time the available light was very low and wide open apertures and slow shutters were the key. Not having a tripod with me resulted in some images being a bit fuzzier than I'd like.

But I'm happy with how several of them have turned out. It's been a joy having a camera that on manual mode is capable of doing what you want it to do. A big improvement over the old Sony P&S.

The final falls (Mina) were quite impressive. The creek was swollen from the rains and the water was rushing over the drop. I'm not thrilled with how the photos of the falls turned out, but under the circumstances (rain, crowds and short on time) I think they're alright.

Puerto Rico Views

2008-04-28T22:32:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Puerto Rico! I arrived here yesterday in the rain. It proceeded to rain off and on for the remainder of the evening. Today however, was much improved, with mostly sunny skies and only a drizzle in the afternoon. Not much of a post here, but I thought I'd share some scenes from that past 30 hours or so.

View looking along the beach near the hotel. The water was a nice color, but due to the rains and problems with urban runoff, getting in it wasn't advised (at least for a couple of days after heavy rain).

This afternoon we toured the Bacardi rum plant. From atop the main distillery building, the view of Old San Juan's fortifications across the bay was impressive.