Wandering through Time and Place

Exploring the world with Curtis and Peggy Mekemson
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  • Tag: Pacific Crest Trail

    • A Limb with Tusks, Plus More Impressive Rocks and Trees along the PCT near Ebbett’s Pass

      Posted at 10:45 am by Curt Mekemson
      Jan 8th
      I didn’t spot the tusks on this tree limb until I checked out my photos. There’s no doubt which is the dominant creature here! Or maybe they are just snuggling.

      Peggy and I had lunch yesterday with Barbara and Carl, the couple that dropped us off at Mt. Ashland for the beginning of our trek south down the PCT. It was the first time I had seen them since the beginning of the adventure. There was a lot to tell.

      Naturally, I talked about both the challenges and the rewards of backpacking for 700 miles over difficult terrain at 75. I also discussed how 50 years of backpacking had prepared me for the trip, and threw in a few of my more humorous adventures from those years. They will be in my book.

      “Knowing what you know now, would you do the PCT hike again?” Carl asked.

      “Absolutely,” I replied. This doesn’t mean I will forget just how hard it was. It’s an important part of the story. But the beauty and the nature of the adventure are what will stick in my mind. I once had a woman who had been on one of my hundred mile treks tell me it was one of the most difficult tasks she had ever undertaken. But in the end, she said, it was an incredible, life-changing experience. The pain faded; the experience remained. “The only thing I can equate it with, Curt,” she had related, “was having my first baby.” Ouch, and then ‘Oh my!’

      For the first 25 years or so of my backpacking, I hadn’t carried a camera. Those were the days before you could expect to obtain quality photos from a small camera, and I didn’t want to add the extra weight to the 60 pounds I was already carrying. I was also reluctant to spend the time that good photography required. And often I was leading groups that demanded my full attention.

      I am sorry now. “I can’t believe you go to all of these beautiful places and don’t carry a camera,” my father had told me time and time again. He was right. I wish I had those photos now to remind me of where I had been and what I had seen. But there is more. Photography helps you see the world in different ways. It encourages you to focus in on details you might miss, it helps you notice the differences that light and varying perspectives make, and it forces you to stop and look around.

      Today’s photos pick up where my last post left off, hiking down the PCT from Carson Pass on Highway 88 to Ebbetts Pass on Highway 4. The first four illustrate the value of stopping and looking around. They are all of the same scene from different perspectives.

      Once again, there were towering cliffs to admire. These were framed by hemlocks.
      A closer look showed junipers growing beneath the cliffs. A tiny moon appears in the upper left.
      And my telephoto brought the moon into perspective with the cliffs.
      While another photo featured one of the junipers standing tall against the cliff.
      One of the magical things about following a trail is that you never know what you will see next. It’s a thought that forever pulls me on. The PCT made its way around a large snag here and disappeared into the woods.
      I was assured that the views would just keep coming.
      The smoke did more than hassle my lungs; it also provided some interesting photos as it filtered the sun. This juniper is an example.
      And another smoke filtered scene.
      As might be expected from my last post on the PCT through the Mokelumne Wilderness, there was no end to magnificent rocks.
      Rounding a bend I came on a new view with a juniper, rock and open area leading to a distant peak.
      This perspective had the intensity of surrealism. I could see Dali carefully painting the rocks in the foreground and adding a melting clock.
      The contrast between a juniper and rock guaranteed that my camera came out.
      And then I was treated to my first view of Mt. Reynolds.
      Wow!
      I’ll conclude today with this view. I loved the contrast.

      NEXT POST: Variety, being the spice of life, it’s back to Mexico.

      Posted in On the Road US, Outdoor Adventures | Tagged adventure travel, backpacking in the Mokelumne Wilderness, Hiking on the PCT at 75, Mt. Reynolds in the Mokelumne Wilderness, older people hiking on the PCT, Pacific Crest Trail, photography, the PCT through the Mokelumne Wilderness, travel blog, writing
    • Hiking on the PCT at 75… Carson Pass to Sonora Pass: Part 3

      Posted at 9:15 am by Curt Mekemson
      Dec 28th

      As a year filled with seemingly insurmountable national and international problems draws to a close, my mind turns to the beauty and the peace of my 700 mile journey down the PCT this past year. The issues of the everyday world fade as you are hiking up a mountain, providing a different perspective on what is important. As the renowned naturalist John Muir noted, “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 

      There were tough days out there— as tough as any I have ever faced— but even the most difficult were countered by the beauty of the areas I hiked through. It was a beauty that ranged from towering mountains down to the cheerful monkey flower above. Today, I will continue to share that beauty in my third post about the Pacific Crest Trail between Carson Pass and Sonora Pass in the central section of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

      Thistles are often thought of as invasive weeds, something to be chopped down or poisoned out. It is hard to think of this fellow as anything other than a beautiful wild flower.
      I caught this Sierra thistle in full bloom.
      When I backpack by myself, as I was on this section of the trail, I try to find secluded campsites. To me, it is much more of a wilderness experience. I lucked out with this little no-name lake. I had it to myself and there was no sign of people recently camping in the area. It was a bit of a challenge to climb out on these rocks and dip up my water, however. (grin)
      The lake provided some great reflection shots, capturing the surrounding forest. They ranged from this impressionistic view…
      To clearer views.
      As evening approached, thunderheads suggested I might be in for a rip-roaring thunder and lightning storm. I put on my rainfly.
      I would have much preferred that to what I got. I woke up in the middle of the night to the strong smell of smoke creeping into my tent. I climbed out to make sure that there were no flames about! As it turned out, smoke from the Redding fire to the north and the Yosemite fire to the south had caught up with me. Above is how my little lake looked in the morning.
      And as I hiked down the trail through the Mokelumne Wilderness.
      Whenever smoke blocked views of the surrounding mountains during my hike down the PCT, I focused on closer views, like this massive granite boulder that was likely left behind by a glacier.
      This sign made me smile. It was a good thing that I knew which direction I was traveling.
      A gnarled tree caught my attention. I can’t help but think of hobbits and elves when I find such trunks.
      Junipers can almost always be depended on to have unique personalities.
      Rabbit brush provided a burst of color.
      As I made my way south, some impressive mountains came into view. Checking my map, I found I would soon be climbing them, naturally.
      And up I went, through the still smokey air. My 75 year-old lungs were not happy.
      As through-hikers say, it is what it is, however, so I hiked on—and on— into some fascinating rock country, that I will feature on my next PCT post.

      NEXT POST: Some thoughts on the New Year.

      Posted in On the Road US, Outdoor Adventures | Tagged adventure travel, Hiking down the PCT at 75, hiking on the PCT through the Mokelumne Wilderness, Pacific Crest Trail, photography, travel blog
    • Yosemite… A Photographic Journey through America’s National Parks

      Posted at 5:00 am by Curt Mekemson
      Nov 21st

      Yosemite's Half Dome captured on a hazy day. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Half Dome captured on a hazy day.

      One of our goals over the past several years has been to visit all of America’s National Parks. We’ve been to all 50 states in pursuit of this objective. There are a couple in Alaska still on our “to do list.” Since Peggy and I are presently wandering in Mexico, I’ve recruited some of our favorite National Park photos to fill in while we are gone. Enjoy.

       My feet know a lot about Yosemite. For years I led backpack trips that included sections of the National Park as I wandered from Lake Tahoe in the north to Mt. Whitney in the south on journeys ranging from 70-360 miles. The latter I did to celebrate my 60th birthday.  This is the land of John Muir and Ansel Adams: towering granite mountains, sparkling lakes, snow-fed streams, forested slopes and vistas that go on forever.

      Forest giant on northern edge of Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      I captured this forest giant on the Pacific Crest Trail, which along with the John Muir Trail, provided my major routes through Yosemite.

      Pacific Crest Trial sign in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Trail signs are always welcome reminders that you are on the right route. This Pacific Crest Trial sign has been up long enough to be buried in the tree.

      Pacific Crest trail downed tree displays beautiful grains of wood in its roots. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Downed tree along Pacific Crest Trail displaying beautiful grains of wood.

      Falls on Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Falls along the Tuolumne River. Peggy, our daughter Tasha, and I had spent the night before below the falls chasing a mother bear and her two cubs out of our camp.

      Tuolumne River flows through Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Fall photo of Tuolumne River flowing though Tuolumne Meadows.

      Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Another fall photo of Tuolumne Meadows.

      Granite in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      Granite rules in Yosemite!

      A Yosemite meadow at a lower elevation. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

      Black and white photo of Yosemite Valley. Photo by Curtis Mekemson.

      A final view looking down into Yosemite Valley. I utilized black and white here to honor the great Yosemite photographer Ansel Adams.

      NEXT BLOG: A trip into Death Valley.

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Posted in National Parks | Tagged Pacific Crest Trail, Photographs of National Parks., Photographs of Yosemite National Park, Tuolumne River, Tuolumne Valley, Yosemite, Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley
    • Bush Devil Ate Sam

      The Bush Devil Ate Sam is an important record and a serious story, yet told easily, and with delightful humor. This is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read, because it entertained me thoroughly AND made me feel better informed. —Hilary Custance Green: British Author... Click on the image to learn more about my book, the Bush Devil Ate Sam, and find out where it can be ordered.

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