Short Trip

Waves on the Breakwall

Well, I can hardly call it a "journey" today since all I did is drive downtown, but for those who have never seen the effect of high winds on one of the Great Lakes, I wanted to photograph Lake Ontario during a storm.

Here are a few more:

I've added a page at my LakeshoreImages Webpage with more photos.

We are having 50 - 60 MPH winds, however so far, little snow.  That may change as the wind shifts a little more to the south.  Our area is "famous" for Lake Effect Snows.  When the wind blows across the comparatively warm lake, it picks up moisture which drops out as snow over the cooler inland.  While usually very light & fluffy, the amounts that fall can be considerable.  In 2007 we had between 6' & 12' of snow in one storm! So far, only a couple of inches today.

While we are having little snow, the wind is strong enough that we lost power this morning when a tree blew onto the power lines down the street.  My back up generator ran for a couple of hours while National Grid removed the tree & repaired the lines.

Another interesting effect of wind & the lake - the waves make a constant roar that can be heard over the sound of the wind.  It is not the soft relaxing sounds of individual ocean waves. It takes a bit of getting used to - more than one new resident here along the lake moved further inland after one or two winters!

As to updates on my trailer travels, nothing is planned for the near future.  I've ordered replacement tires  for the Escape - wore out a set after 33,000 miles, and am thinking about a few changes & modifications that can wait until warmer weather.  Other than that, I'm hunkered down till spring.

Til Next Time -

Oswego's Polar Plunge

Oswego's 2012 Polar Plunge

Well it was a short trip (about 3 miles) without the trailer, but I attended (not participated - I'm not crazy!) the 2012 Polar Plunge today, a fund raiser for the Special Olympics.  Great fun had by all with some interesting expressions on the faces of some as they hit the water.  Air temperature around 44 degrees F, with an 8-10 MPH wind coming off the lake.  More photos at http://lakeshoreimages.com/polar2012.html.

As to travel, Not much going on.  The trailer is winterized and covered, and waiting for Spring. I have finished some new modifications - photos at the bottom of Trailer Modifications.

Chittenango Falls

Chittenango Falls State Park, NY

I made another relatively short 60 mile trip today to Chittenango Falls State Park in Chittenango, NY today.  Since it is my all time favorite waterfall, I've been shooting it for years.  With the dry weather it has the least amount of water running over it I've ever seen.  I usually like it better with low water, but this year it is even too low for me.  I did get some nice images of the creek above & below the falls.

Below the Falls

Above the Falls

Above the Falls

That's about it for the day.  Depending on the weekend weather, I may try for a short trip to the Adirondacks.

Till Later -

Salmon River Fishing & Falls

River Below Salmon River Falls

A short trip of about 20 miles to one of the only two waterfalls in Oswego County.  The Salmon River Falls is the larger of the two. While I don't feel the actual falls is all that pretty, I do like some parts of the river both above & below the falls.

I also stopped in Pulaski along the way to photograph some of the salmon fisherman in the river.  According to the local bait shops, this is one of the best runs in memory.

Fishing on the Salmon River

Salmon River Falls

Above the Falls

The driveway replacement is about half way done.  The asphalt plant broke down & they don't expect to have it fixed until noon today.  After that I have to wait for 5 days before I can park the trailer.

Till Next Time -

2012 Trip Wrapup - Lots of Photos

Better late than never?  Anyway, some statistics for the trip:  138 days on the road, 16,255.4 miles.  I kept an envelope of gas receipts - I know I missed a few since the MPG based on receipts is too high, and I do remember paying cash a couple of times.  Total gallons - 923.4, total cost $3465.44 for an average price of $3.75.  Most expensive was at Lee Vining, CA ($4.80 per gallon) least $3.37; I'm not sure where.

Campgrounds ran from free, parking in a friend's driveway to $54.00 per night at Riverside Campground in Niagara Falls, Canada.  I didn't keep track if every campground price, but I spent less than last year since I got more comfortable living on the solar panels at non hookup sites.  I would guess that my average was around $24.00 per night.

Well, I was bored, so I spent 3 hours and went through my credit card statements, my check book, and my notes, and actually found the exact costs per night for camping.  The cheapest was still free, the most expensive still Riverside Campground at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, but their price was an exchange corrected $48.90 per night.  The average for the trip was $24.99, for a total of $3374.12.  No, I'm not going to add up how much I spent of food & tee shirts! Overall, I did spend a bit more than I would have staying at home, but believe it or not, not all that much more. If you are interested in a copy of the Excel Spreadsheet with the data, click here.

My favorites? Of course I'm going to show them:

While not one of my favorite photos, by far my favorite cave of this & all my previous trips was the Caverns of Sonora in Sonora, TX. Not the most popular cave I've visited, but the formations are exquisite.  Well worth a visit.

Caverns of Sonora, Sonora, TX

I loved the sky & sunset photographs at Rockhound & City of Rocks State Parks in New Mexico.  Unfortunately, most of the beauty of the images was caused by wild fires in the area, but I did get some nice images:

Rockhound State Park

City of Rocks State Park

For what ever reason, I took lots of nighttime photos this trip.  One advantage of a full frame digital camera like the Nikon D700 is its low noise at high ISOs.  I still haven't solved the problem of making the earth stand still so I can do longer than 30 second exposures without blurring the stars, but shooting at ISOs of 3200 helps!

Monument Valley, AZ

City of Rocks State Park, NM

Kodachrome State Park, UT

Kodachrome State Park, UT (1 Hour Exposure)

Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID

Turquoise Lake, CO

My all time favorite photo of the trip was on a hike up Mule Canyon near Blanding, UT.  There is a Navajo ruin that is built under a section of cliff face that, when the lighting is right, looks like the roof is on fire.  Naturally, it is called "House on Fire":

House on Fire, Mule Canyon, UT

While it isn't a photo of one of the arches, I liked this sunset image at Arches National Park in UT;

Arches National Park, UT

My favorite location on the trip was False Kiva in Canyonlands National Park.  The combination of the view from the site with the feelings of isolation & serenity is wonderful.  I suspect I'll go back each time I'm in the park.

False Kiva, Canyonlands National Park, UT

Another Canyonlands favorite is catching sunrise at Mesa Arch.  I've yet to visit it without a crowd of photographers waiting to get a shot - well worth it.

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, UT

While I stopped at Antelope Canyon twice last year, this year I visited the Lower Antelope Canyon.  As or even more beautiful, and far less crowded.  

The Eagle, Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

Another highlight of the trip was the Oregon Gathering, the 10 annual gathering of fiberglass trailer owners at Bullards Beach State Park.

Group Photo - 10th Annual Gathering, Bullards Beach State Park, OR

One of my slight disappointments was arriving at the wrong time of day to photograph the Crystal Mill near Marble, CO.  It was still a great trip, but the photographs would have been better with the sun behind me.  Of course that means I'll just have to go back in the future!

And, of course, I have a bunch of waterfall photos:

Burney Falls, CA

Susan Creek Falls, OR

Stream Below Bridal Veil Falls, OR

Narada Falls, Mt Rainier National Park, WA

Ricketts Glen State Park, PA

Ricketts Glen State Park, PA

Lower Falls, Letchworth State Park, NY

Well, if you managed to get through all the photos, that is the summary of my trip.  Of course, there is much I left out - to see more you need to read the LakeshoreImages version of the trip.  Thanks to all my followers, and looking forward to the next trip.  It won't be a long cross country trip - I need to stay on the east coast next year.  I do plan to make some shorter, somewhat localized trips in the near future.

Till then!