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F1Addict
08-17-2013, 05:28 PM
Unlike my previous post here [Link:Road Trip (http://www.xjtalk.com/showthread.php?t=15442)] which was written on another forum devoted to the Jeep Cherokee (but mostly slap fights and drama), this is my first story written just for :xjtalk:... the real XJ forum.

This trip started off like all the rest, up at 3:00am Saturday morning and on the road by 3:30 to avoid getting stuck in the desert in the mid-day heat. In order to reach the Eastern Sierras from Southern California it requires traversing most of the Mojave Desert which can be extremely hot in August. My goal for this trip was to photograph (and just watch) the Perseid Meteor shower, a once-a-year phenomenon that occurs when our planet passes through the tail debris that Comet Swift-Tuttle left floating in the vacuum of space when it passed through our celestial neighborhood back in 1992. It's called the Perseid Meteor Shower because the shooting stars appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_3080_zps5de3280f.jpg
The long shadows of first light accompany me north.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_3083_zpscaa71339.jpg
The view out my windshield. As you can see, there wasn't much traffic at this hour.

I reached the campground at about 10:30 am and began building my house and stapling it to the ground. This picture represents the finished product but if you'd like to see a time-lapse of the process click here (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/F1Addict/media/Sierras%20August%202013/Setup600x338-Desktop_zps3e86c051.mp4.html). (If you choose to watch I'd like to clear up a couple things: 1. I'm not wearing knee-high white socks and 2. My legs really are that white.)

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4675_zps49d4d9ad.jpg

With camp setup complete, it was time to explore. First stop was a little spring across the highway from the campground. It's nestled up in the Aspens and very few people know about it but there's nothing better than standing in the cool, clear water after a 7 hour drive in a hot Jeep. As I was getting ready to leave, a young buck wandered out of the trees right in front of me. He clearly knew it wasn't hunting season.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4930_zps88af753f.jpg

I also saw this flower that looked like something from the Jetsons growing near the mouth of the spring so I took it's picture.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4914_zps4bd56ca3.jpg

Off to the great unknown. After standing in the spring for an hour and visiting with the deer I drove down by the lake where I found this old dump. There were lots of things in there but cars were the biggest. I'm pretty sure that half-buried Impala (1963?) was, at one time, a police car. It's black and white and you can see the spots on the roof where the lights used to be.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4937_zpsc769e8eb.jpg

This is the view from the driver's seat...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4940_zps604e6e19.jpg

Another view of the police car pile-up

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4943_zps7bbed9e8.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4945_zps9a0cb4d9.jpg
Hard to see but my XJ is on that hill.

I sat out on this hill for a long time (Actually, I fell asleep). After it got dark (and cold, which is what woke me up) I stared at the sky looking for shooting stars but there weren't very many so I went back to camp. These were my noisy neighbors which is my way of saying they made noise, not that they were any noisier than your average neighbor.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4966_zps8dcaee2d.jpg

I slept well and woke with the sun the following morning. When I looked out the mesh window of my canvas dwelling I saw another (or the same) deer eating Aspen leaves.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_3139_zpse3d8bb4b.jpg

He was docile enough that I had time to retrieve my camera from the XJ, switch lenses, and take as many pictures as I wanted. He was still there when I left. I spent the balance of the day exploring familiar territory while I waited for the sun to set. Tonight would be the peak of the meteor shower.

As dusk approached, I started warming up for the meteors. This is an airplane headed for SFO (San Francisco), I assume. There is a virtual air highway that passes overhead and, like clockwork, commercial planes follow each other west at 30 second intervals, making their path very predictable for those who might want to take their picture as they pass near the moon.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5009_zpscde3bbea.jpg

I couldn't resist taking this one...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_3730_zpsb8438d3f.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5042_zpsdd6c27b1.jpg

The moon finally dropped below the mountain peaks and the resulting darkness revealed our Milky Way galaxy in all it's splendor.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5052_zpsac7a470a.jpg

[B]To be continued...

cantab27
08-17-2013, 08:48 PM
that's unreal my friend....excellent pics and nice write up ..

4.3LXJ
08-17-2013, 09:24 PM
Someday I am going to have to learn to take pictures

bad luck
08-17-2013, 09:47 PM
I am envious of your photo taking ability, for some reason mine just don't come out near as nice. I am looking forward to the second part of this trip report.

F1Addict
08-17-2013, 10:44 PM
Someday I am going to have to learn to take pictures

I said the same thing (like, 20 years ago)... Still workin' on it.


I am envious of your photo taking ability, for some reason mine just don't come out near as nice. I am looking forward to the second part of this trip report.

I'm looking forward to writing it. If anyone ever has photography related questions, don't hesitate to ask me. Either in the forum or via PM, I don't know everything but I've been doing this for kind of a long time.

Carves
08-18-2013, 12:11 AM
Great pics ... Thanks .. :thumbsup:


Since the combined ability of this household only manages to produce, generally blurry, happy snaps,

The person looking at this threads photos, over my shoulder, mumbled ...

asshole expert ... and wandered off .. :D:D:D

F1Addict
08-18-2013, 12:23 AM
Great pics ... Thanks .. :thumbsup:


Since the combined ability of this household only manages to produce, generally blurry, happy snaps,

The person looking at this threads photos, over my shoulder, mumbled ...

asshole expert ... and wandered off .. :D:D:D

LOL! Tell the lurker I said thank you. :camera:

Silverfoot
08-21-2013, 07:29 AM
Really cool pictures, thanks for sharing!

BlueXJ
08-21-2013, 09:49 AM
Someday I am going to have to learn to take pictures

Me too!!:bang:

F1Addict
08-21-2013, 12:14 PM
I'll try to get Part II up this evening...

Mudderoy
08-21-2013, 12:48 PM
I have an old 6" reflector telescope and a Nikon D300. I received that adapter that lets me connect the two together last week and just haven't had the time to play with it. Since the moon is up now, the plan is to get out there and take some shots. I may actually get to take the camera off of auto! :D

F1Addict
08-21-2013, 06:19 PM
I have an old 6" reflector telescope and a Nikon D300. I received that adapter that lets me connect the two together last week and just haven't had the time to play with it. Since the moon is up now, the plan is to get out there and take some shots. I may actually get to take the camera off of auto! :D

Nice! I've experimented a little with my telescope. I've got the adapter to mount my camera directly to the scope (using the scope as a lens) but I also made a slide plate that lets me use eyepiece projection. It works almost too well. My first endeavor was to photograph the Moon (easy) and assemble all the pieces into a huge 380 megapixel image. It worked pretty well. Here's one frame from the mosaic...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Moon/IMG_0508_pn800.jpg

F1Addict
08-21-2013, 10:51 PM
Part II (continued)...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4020_zpsf87f49ed.jpg

The headlights near the center are cars leaving the east entrance to Yosemite. I left my camera at this lake, shooting away for a time-lapse and drove the 12 miles back down to camp to see what my neighbors were up to (and to warm up a little). They were all asleep so I watched the shower from the meadow in camp for an hour and then drove back to get my camera.

IMG 3734 - YouTube

After I collected my camera I saw someone shining a light on the lake shore, then at me, then at the lake, then at me. I heard a voice say, "Did you hear that?". Since there was no one around I assumed he was talking to me so I walked over there. I had heard something down by the lake. The man told me he saw a bear so I shined my B.A.F. (big ass flashlight) across the lake but saw no bear. Turns out he's a photographer and was also shooting a time-lapse. We chatted for an hour or so about cameras, the mountains, and photography. Then he decided it was time to go get his camera, which he'd set up on the other side of the lake. Earl (that's his name) asked if I wouldn't mind hiking over there with him, in case he ran into the bear. I agreed, knowing that I could run faster than Earl. I collected my head light and walking stick and we headed out into the darkness... it was close to 2 am, at this point. I was totally prepared to hit the man in the face with my walking stick if I heard anything that sounded like banjos. Fortunately, there were no banjos and no bears and we made it to his camera without incident. I didn't get down the pass and back to my tent until about 3 am but it was fun so that's okay.

Before I left I had to have one more so I snapped this through the windshield. I didn't know if it would come out the way I wanted it to but, alas, it did.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5048_NoNoise_zps4f018247.jpg

The next morning I decided to head out to the north side of the lake to see what kinds of interesting things were there. On my way I saw some fancy XJs, like this one...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4024_zps14dbe0a2.jpg

and this one...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5055_zps50b26a36.jpg

Oh, and welcome to California...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/gas_price_zpsfea8bac4.jpg

But nothing as cool as this one... just look at it! This is the road to Hawthorn, Nevada. It's like a billion miles long and has no turns. I don't think anyone ever uses it, Hawthorn must be a pretty boring place where no one ever visits and everyone who wanted to leave already has.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5084_2_zps576d11b9.jpg

I veered off the highway and into the desert that surrounds the northernmost shore of Mono Lake. This trail leads north, away from the lake. I thought this sign was peculiar, it says "No Swimming". In the middle of the desert. I figured they were just being safe.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5057_zps84a6b538.jpg

But then I came to this little pond oasis, which is fed by a hot spring, and understood the purpose of the sign.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5070_adj-1_zps435f2b93.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5068_combined_zps4d08be8b.jpg

The water flowing into the pond is over 140ยบ! I didn't check the water temperature of the actual pond because the shore was mushy so I couldn't get too close. There were birds floating around (living) so I assume it wasn't too hot.

The drangonflies didn't seem to mind the sulfurous, sauna-like conditions in the pond, either. There were hundreds of them. They liked perching on the ends of these reeds that stuck out of the water which made it nice for taking their pictures.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4034_zpse0cfe68e.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4039_zpsf5783c12.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4043_zps5dc33600.jpg

I spent an hour or so at the pond, then headed deeper into the desert, pointed east.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5076_zpsf35c8ade.jpg

I found some interesting desert art. I have no idea what this memorial is all about but somebody was feeling creative.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5079_zps3015ec4c.jpg

They weren't kidding when they said the sand was soft. Yikes! I didn't get stuck, though.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5085_2_zps49629162.jpg

I found these pants. Maybe they went swimming against the rules?

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5086_zpsacb672ee.jpg

Despite nature's tendency towards entropy, there is structure to be found. The seeds for these small shrubs and grasses took hold in the depressions of a long-ago dune and set their roots. The shifting sand has moved on but the pattern of green remains.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5106_zpsa488d5f9.jpg

My ultimate goal for the day was to find the location of the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District web cam (what a mouth full). The only clue I had to it's location was the view so I figured I would drive until I found familiar territory. How hard could it be? Well, this is the view from the web cam but that view stretches for miles. I never found the camera but oh well, I got close.

Here's a link to the web cam view if you want to see what I was looking for. It's live so if you look at night, it'll be dark...

http://www.gbuapcd.org/monolake/index.htm

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5103_zpsd679e4d9.jpg

I've photographed this old house many times but never at night. It always looked kind of spooky and haunted at night but my mom got me these little LED lights and I had this idea that I would place them throughout the interior and see what happened when I took a picture. This is what happened. It looks a lot less spooky now.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5116_combined_zpsbad4e688.jpg

The house was built around the turn of the century. It was owned by a woman who was the lone hold-out when the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power came knocking. They did so under the ruse that they wanted to use the land for ranching but that was never their intention. What they really wanted were the water rights that came with the purchase of the property. This house is strategically located on Rush Creek, the largest contributor of the Sierra watershed to Mono Lake. The house was abandoned in 1945 and has remained so since. It has been the property of the U.S. Forest Service since sometime in the late 60s. The Forest Service has no plans to do anything with the house, which is now surrounded by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. The fence has partially collapsed around the back so it's not hard to get in.

When I went back in to collect my little lights I saw these. They seemed completely unbothered by my bright flashlight and all the pictures. Well, maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but neither of them said anything.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5136_zps8d70710b.jpg

I spent the rest of the night uploading photos and watching the meteor shower which was still going strong, even in the early hours just after sunset.

The next morning, I drove up Log Cabin Mine Road with the intention of returning the arrowhead I'd found back in May. This is my Jeep posing for a picture.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5137-1_zpse9e5bf64.jpg

I had to stop from time to time to let Jeep cool off. Daytime temperatures were in the mid-90s so it was a little taxing on his cooling bits. While waiting I wandered around with my camera and took pictures of things. Like this Aspen tree that thinks it's fall. I tried explaining but to no avail, the leaves remained a golden yellow.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4068-1_zps78763c76.jpg

My new tires don't look so new anymore

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_4070_zps3a2c4d81.jpg

Another couple miles and it was time for another cool-off break. The cabin has been there for 150 years.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5139_40_41_HDR_zpsf1607ca0.jpg

While hunting for a good spot for my arrowhead on top of the hill I saw this structure (middle of photo) and decided to investigate. A.D.D. at it's best.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5145_zps39e1e461.jpg

After scrambling down about 1000 feet of steep talus I came to this... I'll explain later. Keep reading.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5148_zpscb3bdd02.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5163_zpsfd3d9070.jpg

I found this old engine, which is a very large displacement 4 cylinder. I couldn't believe how well-preserved it was having been abandoned no less than 80 years ago. The only thing missing was the distributor but it still had all the belts and hoses and spark plug wires. There was even fuel in the carburetor.

The best I can tell, this engine...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5161_zps3389148d.jpg

Drove these cogs...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5159_zps71925b75.jpg

...that turned this pulley...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5174_zps05f2600f.jpg

...that pulled the mine cars out of the hole and up this thing...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5175_zpsd2df1d3d.jpg

...and over this hump...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5176_zps257f849a.jpg

...then out there where, presumably, some dude would dump it's contents over that cliff and jump in the car for a wild ride through the mine like on Disney's Big Thunder Mountain to finish off the whole Rube Goldberg theme. That's what I'd do.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5181_zpsda51aea4.jpg

After hiking back up that 1000 feet of talus I was exhausted and decided to head back down the mountain.

While taking this picture I realized I'd never put the arrowhead back. I'll be back in October and will do it then. Unless I see something shiny and forget.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5183_zpsc99d3ceb.jpg

After getting back to camp I decided to pack up and head back to the big city. Leaving in the afternoon meant that by the time I got to the desert it would be cooler and I wouldn't risk overheating my overstuffed XJ. That's what I thought, anyway.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5187_88_89_HDR_zpsb90bc4eb.jpg

So off I went, headed southward at the amazing top speed of 63 mph on account of a crazy headwind and a car shaped like a box.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5194_zps9b033ca8.jpg

The sun had set but the heat had not. I would pass a small gas station 50 miles after this photo was taken that had an electronic sign informing me that it was 97 degrees. Still, Heep never overheated. He came close on a couple of hills but was mostly fine.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5201_zps348072b3.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Sierras%20August%202013/IMG_5207_zpse19fe808.jpg

Back to the hustle and bustle of metropolis. I pulled into the driveway at 11:45. Adventure over...

Until next time.

4.3LXJ
08-21-2013, 11:47 PM
Very nice. Old mines are always interesting, and I love the dragon flies (damsel flies too)

Mudderoy
08-22-2013, 12:30 AM
Nice! I've experimented a little with my telescope. I've got the adapter to mount my camera directly to the scope (using the scope as a lens) but I also made a slide plate that lets me use eyepiece projection. It works almost too well. My first endeavor was to photograph the Moon (easy) and assemble all the pieces into a huge 380 megapixel image. It worked pretty well. Here's one frame from the mosaic...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/Moon/IMG_0508_pn800.jpg

That's a neat idea. Yeah tried it tonight, damn it's hot out there! Focal length is wrong, so I moved the main mirror from when I used to take pictures via my Canon AE-1, now the mirror isn't aligned! ARRRRGGGG!

Nothing but fuzzy pictures. I'll have to align the main mirror and try again.

If I do any real telescope photography I know I'm going to have to get a better balance and some more weight on the equatorial mount. That D300 is heavy.

I have the adapter tube that either allows you to use the telescope at the lens or drop an eye piece in and use it as a projector.

The moon is a great starter photography target!

cantab27
08-22-2013, 12:43 AM
nice and thanks again ...

F1Addict
08-22-2013, 12:56 AM
This is my setup. The first picture is while photographing the 2012 annular solar eclipse and the second is the adapter I made for eyepiece projection, that's the setup I used to photograph the Moon mosaic. I don't seem to have any pictures of the camera body mounted to the back of the scope.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/IMG_8247_zps82c3cd99.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/IMG_0454_zps2cf5bfbd.jpg

I've learned over the years that the mirrors can be finicky so I bought a collimation tool which has helped me keep things aligned well enough to work.

Mudderoy
08-22-2013, 09:25 AM
This is my setup. The first picture is while photographing the 2012 annular solar eclipse and the second is the adapter I made for eyepiece projection, that's the setup I used to photograph the Moon mosaic. I don't seem to have any pictures of the camera body mounted to the back of the scope.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/IMG_8247_zps82c3cd99.jpg

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/F1Addict/IMG_0454_zps2cf5bfbd.jpg

I've learned over the years that the mirrors can be finicky so I bought a collimation tool which has helped me keep things aligned well enough to work.

If you're really cool you'll recognize this telescope...

http://undermidnight.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/289333_2184251598450_1011785894_32528757_165533020 2_o-1.jpg

That's what I got in 10th grade. I'd love to have a bigger and better scope, but I live in the Houston area, lots of light pollution, I have about 65 other hobbies, and it's hot outside! ;)

F1Addict
08-22-2013, 12:23 PM
If you're really cool you'll recognize this telescope...

http://undermidnight.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/289333_2184251598450_1011785894_32528757_165533020 2_o-1.jpg


6" Dobsonian (Meade or Orion?) on a pier mount? I'm trying really hard to be cool ;)

Mudderoy
08-22-2013, 12:28 PM
6" Dobsonian (Meade or Orion?) on a pier mount? I'm trying really hard to be cool ;)

lol sorry, I forgot to put in the name. It's the legendary Criterion RV-6 Dynascope! Hand made 6" reflector that was apparently popular in the 50's and then a great rating in "Consumer's Reports" made them very popular in the mid 70's. I remember it was ordered for my Christmas present but it didn't come in until my birthday some 9 months later.

denverd1
08-22-2013, 02:45 PM
awesome pics and great story! I took a photog class about a year ago and learned a lot. At this point, my cell phone has higher resolution than my digital but I fell in love with it. when I have more time/money I'll be getting into it more. Again, great pics/video.

F1Addict
08-22-2013, 02:46 PM
Wow. That thing is a classic! I found this really cool write-up (http://www.company7.com/library/Criterion_RV-6/index.html) [<<my link] on the restoration (mostly cosmetic) of an RV-6. Here is another RV-6 restoration project (http://mysite.verizon.net/mwconte/rv-6.htm) [<<my link], this one a bit more comprehensive including mirror re-coating and drive motor overhaul.

Dredwolf
08-22-2013, 08:11 PM
We took my daughter's little table-top Dobsonian with us on the Utah/Colorado trip, and did get to spend one evening up at Arches National Park...it was awesome.

Being from the southeast, you can't see the Milky Way anymore, even out in the "country", like you could when I was a kid.

Mudderoy
08-23-2013, 12:22 PM
Wow. That thing is a classic! I found this really cool write-up (http://www.company7.com/library/Criterion_RV-6/index.html) [<<my link] on the restoration (mostly cosmetic) of an RV-6. Here is another RV-6 restoration project (http://mysite.verizon.net/mwconte/rv-6.htm) [<<my link], this one a bit more comprehensive including mirror re-coating and drive motor overhaul.

I might review that drive motor overhaul. I was considering the mirror recoating but I think I need to determine if it's necessary. I wish I had purchased the fast speed, slow speed controller way back when it was available. :(

BlueXJ
09-21-2013, 06:32 PM
More, More, More this is the most interesting trip I have read of in a long time. Please take more. BTW that Continental Engine has parts still available.

F1Addict
09-22-2013, 02:19 AM
More, More, More this is the most interesting trip I have read of in a long time. Please take more. BTW that Continental Engine has parts still available.

There will be more coming soon! I'm headed back on October 6th to shoot a fall preview and Naomi and I are gonna try to make it to Joshua Tree around Christmas which should be pretty unique.

bluedragon436
09-27-2013, 08:02 AM
That is awesome... and I appreciate all the pics, especially since we have nothing like that anywhere around where I live... And def love the photography!!

F1Addict
10-05-2013, 10:39 AM
Well, I ran into a few issues with the trip. Primary among them is that all but two of the campgrounds in the Eastern Sierras are managed and maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. Despite my feelings on the subject, the federal government apparently considers them non-essential and have closed them all. So frustrating. Even worse, one of the two county-run campgrounds decided to close as well. No one, not even the county public works department who runs the place, has any idea why it's been closed.

Up until yesterday I had cancelled my plans to go up there. It's 400 miles (each way) and too expensive to make the trip when there is a high likelihood that there will be no place to stay. Despite the fact that the Forest Service is no longer maintaining the campgrounds during the government shut-down, I have heard from friends in the area that they are heavily policing public lands and citing anyone camped illegally. I made a few calls and through a fairly long process I managed to get in contact with the manager of the only remaining wilderness campground. After a lengthy conversation he said he would make sure there was a space for me when I arrived on Sunday and even if it was full, he would allow me to stay in the Camp Host site until another space became available. Cool guy. So, I'm heading out in the morning. Stay tuned ;)