Dan's Outside

I go, I see, I do, I walk, I think, I like…

All Dried Up?

Thanks to Tom at Fluid Flow for referencing this story on his blog…

Lake Mead May Go Dry by 2021:

The disappearance of the manmade lake would create a tidal wave of ill effects for the southwestern U.S. The lake provides water for large cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as for several agricultural interests. The power also keeps on the lights in that region of the country. Imagine Los Angeles on a summer day with sporadic air conditioning and only a trickle of water coming out of the faucet. Then imagine that goes for a week.

“We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it was coming at us,” Barnett said in a statement. “Make no mistake, this water problem is not a scientific abstraction, but rather one that will impact each and every one of us that live in the Southwest.”

“Today, we are at or beyond the sustainable limit of the Colorado system,” he added.

… and …

Currently, the Colorado River system, which includes Lake Mead and nearby Lake Powell, is running a deficit of 1 million acre feet of water per year. An acre foot of water is the amount of water that it would take to cover an acre of land with a foot of water. It is enough water for 8 million people.

February 12, 2008 Posted by | Environment | Comments Off on All Dried Up?

California's Seasonal Transformation

In a decent rain year – unlike last year! – the seasons overlap in California. On a day like today it is a little bit of winter, spring, summer, and fall all rolled together.

I did a short midday hike at Calero Park this afternoon, climbing up onto a ridge that I frequently visit. For the first time in nearly two years, I had to avoid the muddy spots on the trail and step across small, seasonal trickles. New grasses and other plants are coming up, turning the hills green, and some trees are starting to bud. The temperature was around 70 degrees.

February 10, 2008 Posted by | Commentary | 2 Comments

State says many drivers change oil too often

An article in SF Gate (“State says many drivers change oil too often”) reports what many of us have thought for quite awhile: there is no real advantage in changing our engine oil more often than recommended by the manufacturer (note: not the dealer) and there are considerable environmental costs in doing so.

An excerpt:

Like many drivers hoping to coax a long, productive life out of a car, Durand Gist, a mailman from Castro Valley, faithfully changes the oil on his vehicle every 3,000 miles.

“That’s what they recommend – 3,000 miles, right?” asked Gist, saying he got that advice “probably from the oil-changing place. It’s good for their business, right?”

But a new state campaign is urging Gist and fellow California drivers to ignore both conventional wisdom and probably also that clear plastic sticker in the corner of their windshields. The message: Put off that oil change for a couple of thousand miles or more.

“Used oil is so much of a problem in California that if you can change your oil in less-frequent intervals, you not only save yourself money, you help save the environment,” said Jamie Cameron-Harley, a spokeswoman for the California Integrated Waste Management Board, sponsor of “The 3,000-Mile Myth” campaign.

While you certainly should follow the manufacturer’s schedule for changing the oil in your engine, you should think twice about increasing the frequency of your oil changes beyond these recommendations if you think you are going to improve the performance or life of your engine. You almost certainly won’t see any benefit at all, and you will contribute to excess oil consumption and recycling problems.

February 10, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Environment | Comments Off on State says many drivers change oil too often

Bay Area Waterfalls

An SFGate Tom Stienstra article describes a number of SF Bay Area waterfalls worth a visit.

February 10, 2008 Posted by | Places | Comments Off on Bay Area Waterfalls

OK, this is really outside

I like to think of myself as an outside kinda’ guy. But my brother has outdone me. This morning he shared a photo of a moose that wandered into his back yard. Hey, I saw an opossum in my yard once, so there! :-)

February 10, 2008 Posted by | Commentary | Comments Off on OK, this is really outside

Rocky Creek Bridge, Surf and Fog


Rocky Creek Bridge, Surf and Fog. Big Sur Coastline, California. February 9, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell.

A photo. I went to Point Lobos this morning, but arrived before the gates opened. Rather than sit in my car for a half hour I drove south on Highway 1. This was my reward. :-)

February 9, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Ocean | Comments Off on Rocky Creek Bridge, Surf and Fog

Are Americans Afraid of the Outdoors?

An article in Scientific American poses the question.

Americans have been visiting national parks and other natural reserves less and less since 1987, new research confirms. Outdoor pursuits, ranging from camping to hunting, have entered a persistent and growing decline.

“Folks are going out into nature much less and decreasingly every year,” says conservation ecologist Patricia Zaradic of the Environmental Leadership Program and co-author of the report published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. “It would take 80 million more visits this year to get the per capita number back up to the level it was in 1987.”

There is a suggestion that the fact that Americans increasingly live their lives online (he types into his computer… ;-) may be a factor.

February 7, 2008 Posted by | Commentary | Comments Off on Are Americans Afraid of the Outdoors?

Post-Groundhog Day Hike Delayed

I guess it will still be a post-Groundhog Day hike if we do it in a few weeks, right? Despite the fact that Groundhog Day means nothing in any concrete sort of way – or perhaps because of this – a group of us were going to do a hike at Coe Park. But it has rained for the past month or so. It rained all last week. It rained yesterday. It was raining this morning.

Wishing to avoid hiking in ankle-deep mud we have postponed the hike.

February 3, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Events | 3 Comments

Death Valley Photos by "w9jim"

I’m enjoying a series of Death Valley photographs posted on Flicker by w9jim, who apparently visited recently.

February 3, 2008 Posted by | Commentary, Photography, Places | Comments Off on Death Valley Photos by "w9jim"

About joining this site

If you are interested, you can join this site and leave comments and discuss posts. I’m happy to hear from readers and to discuss relevant issues with readers who enjoy the blog and share my interest in the subjects covered here.

A few important “rules” for this:

  • Participation in the discussions requires that you register for the site.
  • Anonymous registration requests will be deleted. Please include a name (and a web address if you have one) when you register.
  • If I send an email to the address you provide and it doesn’t work or you don’t respond I will delete your membership.
  • Comments are encouraged.
  • Using comments primarily or solely to promote your personal business, cause, etc. won’t be tolerated – I’ll cancel your membership.
  • Spam posts will be deleted and the membership of the person posting them will be cancelled.
  • Members are free to disagree with me but posts that I believe are disrespectful or otherwise out of line will be deleted and may result in cancellation of membership. (Start your own blog if you don’t want to worry about this.:-)

I enjoy it when people read my blog and respond, and I often enjoy the dialog – whether it takes place on these pages, in email, or between our blogs. I’ve even met and hiked with a few of you in person! :-)

Why am I posting this? Recently I’ve seen a string of “problem” membership requests, and I have to deal with them. Contact me if you think your membership request was unfairly deleted.

Thanks,

Dan

February 2, 2008 Posted by | Commentary | 1 Comment

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