Dan's Outside

Google Directions: Grants Pass to Gold Beach, OR

The directions…
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December 6, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Google Directions: Grants Pass to Gold Beach, OR

A Second Non-Trip Report

Earlier I mentioned that I decided not to hike to the top of Mission Peak for the sunrise on Saturday after getting up at 4:15 a.m., checking the Bay Area weather forecast discussion, and reading about 40-50 mph winds along this ridge.

It turns out there was a repeat performance of these conditions on Sunday. Once again, I woke up and 4:15, checked the weather report, and decided that being on the summit at sunrise in 50 mph winds and near freezing temperatures might not be such a great idea… especially since my primary reason was to capture more summit sunrise photographs. In late November I photographed the summit at sunrise in a freezing gale that was blowing so hard that I had to hang my pack from the tripod to keep my camera from blowing away. I hear that even some Mission Peak veterans hiked to the ridge and decided to forego the summit this past weekend.

UPDATE: And now I see that Tom Mangan (of Two-Heel Drive fame) did hike to the summit this weekend. Go, Tom!
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December 4, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on A Second Non-Trip Report

For Weather Geeks Only

The Mammoth Dweeb Report posts a link to a technical discussion of factors that may affect upcoming winter conditions in the Sierra and elsewhere.
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December 2, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on For Weather Geeks Only

From the Discretion is the Better Part of Valor Department

I was planning on another pre-dawn climb of Mission Peak this morning, but when I got up at 4:00 a.m. it was windy… and my place down in the sheltered confines of Silicon Valley. Judging from the weather discussion I just saw, I think I made the right choice:

GUSTY WINDS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE EAST BAY
HILLS WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN THE OAKLAND HILLS GUSTING FROM 40
TO 50 MPH THIS MORNING.

50mph winds on December 2 at dawn on Mission Peak create pretty nasty conditions, to say the least. Perhaps I’ll work up the courage to try again tomorrow morning!
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December 2, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on From the Discretion is the Better Part of Valor Department

A Photograph of the Photographer

Tom Clifton took a picture of me on the summit of Mission Peak at sunrise that I like quite a bit! Thanks, Tom!
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November 24, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on A Photograph of the Photographer

Non-Summer Weather

Two-Heel Drive points to a story about a women who was lost but survived in snowy conditions, and goes on to comment about the importance of understanding the weather conditions during different seasons.

Many California backpackers (yes, I’m one of them) lead a sheltered life in terms of weather. Not only do we usually experience successive days of lovely, warm (and eventually boring) weather in the Sierra, but when it does rain there in the summer it rarely amounts to more than an hour or two of afternoon thundershowers followed by a glorious sunset.

However, that is summer and the other seasons are not. Many of us who have backpacked into the fall season in the Sierra recall the first time we learned the difference. My lesson was a gentle one. On a mid-October trip into the Cathedral Lakes area it began to cloud up in the afternoon – much as it might on a summer afternoon. Not thinking too much about this we ascended a ridge and were perched up high enjoying the view when one member of the party exclaimed, “Hey! It’s snowing!”

We stayed there for awhile, enjoying the surprise of light snow before it occurred to us that the reason it was snowing was that a Pacific front was moving through, and that this was not necessarily your friendly little afternoon shower. We left the ridge and headed back to our campsite as the mix of snow and rain began to come down harder.

We were lucky; the front more or less washed out over us and we had only a couple hours of this weather before it turned clear and cold. However, I have heard stories about summer-conditioned backpackers who did not recognize the difference between the weather they were used to and these winter-like Pacific storms… until they emerged from their tents two days later when it finally cleared up.
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November 21, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Non-Summer Weather

Aspen Grove, North Lake

Aspen Grove. North Lake, California. October 1, 2006. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell. (Sales)

keywords: aspen grove north lake bishop creek california sierra nevada black and white photograph
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November 18, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on Aspen Grove, North Lake

Two From Two-Heel Drive

Two posts at Two-Heel Drive caught my attention today:

Turkey Day Mini-Meetup at Mission Peak. The last two years I’ve hiked to the top of Mission Peak on Thanksgiving morning. Any of you Bay Area types wanna tag along this year? For those who haven’t done it, Mission Peak is a pretty major slog: 2000… [Two-Heel Drive]

Since Mission Peak is one of my favorite local hiking spots, I’m hoping that this event will happen early enough in the morning (also known as “about dawn”) that I’ll be able to particpate and still be home for all of the Turkey Day stuff.

Thoughts on camping under a tarp. Paul Davis of Hike-Lite blog has more aesthetic than weight-shaving reasons for tarping: On a perfect night a tarp provides the user with an incomparable sense of connection with the outdoors. Waking up to a sunrise under a tarp is… [Two-Heel Drive]

I feel like a bivy sack may get you even closer to the outdoors. Sleeping in a bivy is pretty much like sleeping right out in the open in your sleeping bag – except that you can seal out the weather and bugs if necessary. (Of course, I take a light tarp along in case it really does rain.)

November 14, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | 1 Comment

More On the Subject of Autumn

This weekend, while in Seattle, I realized that I have managed to prolong the usually short-lived autumn color experience.

I started back in late September with the first real inklings of alpine fall as tundra plants began to turn yellow and red.

A few weeks later I made it to the eastern Sierra twice during the first part of October for the peak of the aspen season.

In late October I took a one-day trip to Yosemite Valley to see the dogwoods turn red and to find an astonishing display of yellows and golds on the Valley floor.

Last weekend I was again surprised by fall color, this time in the Pacific Northwest.

If I’m lucky there is still one round to go as what passes for fall color arrives in the San Francisco Bay area. Yes, there is fall color here, though you have to look for it.
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November 13, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on More On the Subject of Autumn

My weekend…

I’ll be spending my weekend here:

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November 9, 2006 Posted by gdanmitchell | Commentary | Comments Off on My weekend…