December's "Cold" Moon

 I finished my hike a little after 3:30pm. Perfect timing, as December's full moon (called the "cold" moon) was scheduled to rise at 4pm. I had positioned myself behind a boulder covered hillside out in the remote Pinto Basin in Joshua Tree National Park, with a goal of capturing the moon rising over the rugged desert boulders. It seemed like a good plan! However, I noticed a dense layer of cloud cover on the horizon. If this cloud cover thickened or raised higher on the horizon, it would spoil my chances of getting the photo I wanted. So I waited. 

 

And waited. 4:15pm: Nothing. 4:30pm: Nothing. 5pm: Still nothing! I was getting stiff, bored, and impatient. By about 5:20pm I gave up. I packed up my camera gear and headed back to the car. As I left the sandy shoulder and pulled onto the highway, I almost immediately spotted it. I pulled back off the road (I had only driven about 100 yards), parked the car and grabbed my camera.

What a gorgeous moonrise, and how lucky to be in the right place at the right time! My lesson from this outing: BE PATIENT! Don't rush. Take your time. Enjoy the moment.

 

The next morning, the same full moon was now setting and was keeping me company as I drove back home from the desert. Driving west on the 10 freeway, I could see the Cabazon dinosaurs and just couldn't resist exiting the freeway for a quick photo.

Santasaurus!

 

Wishing everyone who reads this 

Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

More Coyotes

 This time I didn't see them, but I sure heard them! Turn up your volume, and then click play:

I was hiking on the trails while my granddaughter was at soccer practice, minding my own business. It's after dark, so I'm using a headlamp. You can see the soccer and baseball fields off in the distance. I hear a distant ambulance siren and all of a sudden I seem to be next to a bunch of coyotes!!

 

Did you know coyotes were called "song dogs" by Native Americans? According to Mr. Google, Coyotes have the most varied vocalizations of any mammal in North America. Coyotes can produce at least 11 different vocalizations, including barks, howls, growls, yelps, and greeting songs. They can be heard calling to each other at any time of day or night.
 

The headlamp lights things up nicely at night.

 

Thanks for stoppy by, and stay safe out there!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Water Dagger Petroglyph Revisited

 I have a favorite spot in Joshua Tree National Park... very remote, very secret. It's one of those locations that I don't share for fear of someone spoiling it. In this Designated Wilderness Area, conventional wisdom says there are almost no signs that Native Americans spent time here. There is little to no rock art, bedrock mortars or grinding stones, or even pottery sherds in this part of the park. So imagine my surprise when I stumbled across a location with all of these features! Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, there is a water source. It's the only water source that I've ever seen in the area, and I'm certain it why Native Americans spent time here. That discovery happened in 2019, and I've been making occasional visits back to the area ever since.

For quite a while I've wanted to take my friend Mitch out to see it. He's certainly trustworthy, and if I ask him not to share the site, I know he won't. So off we went...

It's been a couple years since I was last here. We come across this dry water hole. In past visits this will a slight depression filled with sand. This visit, the sand is gone and it's much deeper. It would probably hold water for at least a week or two after a rain. Continuing on just a short distance past this water hole, we reach a narrow miniature slot canyon. In the past, I've always hiked/climbed up this slot (it's only about 100 yards long) and then climbed out where it dead ends. Not this time!
 

This miniature slot canyon is shaped like the letter T, and where I'm hiking (photo above) is the base of the T. I'm surprised to find a large pool of water. In the past, this was full of sand and easy to hike. 

 

I manage to climb past this pool of water without getting my boots wet, but directly behind me is another, larger pool of water. No way past it without getting wet, so we're forced to turn back. I'm guessing the storms we had 4-5 months ago must have pushed huge amounts of water through this area, and took all the loose sand with it, leaving these bedrock pools behind. It's amazing to me that in this dry desert there is still standing water months after the last rain!
 

I tell Mitch I think I know a short-cut (don't ever follow me if I tell you that!) that will keep us from having to backtrack too far. It requires some climbing and scrambling, and in the process I manage to get us turned around and semi-lost. We eventually recover and make it to the top of the T-shaped miniature slot canyon. The section of the slot between my right foot and where Mitch is standing it the top of the "T". If the pools of water hadn't forced us to turn back, we would have climbed out of the slot right were I'm sitting. Below my right foot the sand is wet and there is standing water. There is also a small water pool over below Mitch. 
 

Very close to the water source, Mitch surveys a bedrock mortar where Native Americans would grind plants and seeds. There is a second mortar site nearby. They are fairly common in the higher elevations of the park, where there is more rainfall, but these are the only mortar sites I know of in this area.
 

From the bedrock mortars, I take Mitch to see the water dagger petroglyph. The glyph is a series of etched dots forming something that resembles a sword or dagger, pointing upward. It's really unique, and I've not seen anything like it in the park. After visiting this area a few times, it struck me like a lightning bolt: The dagger could also be an upside down T. And if you look closely, there are circles or swirls on either side of the T. I've read that these circular swirls represent a water source or spring. The T is shaped just like the miniature slot canyon, and the swirls correspond nicely with the location of the two water sources at either end of the T. For the first time, I felt certain I knew what the creator of this petroglyph was communicating: That there is a nearby water source in an area shaped like a T. It could be critical information for a person traveling through this desolate, dry area!

Time to rest. Not sure why my right leg is so long!

 

Mitch relaxes under the grumpy old man with the big nose!

 

Another intriguing find in the area: These old glass jugs stashed away in a shallow cave. This must have been someones old water cache. The original lids are still on securely, but all the water has long ago evaporated (how many years would that take??). These must have been stashed before plastic gallon bottles were available. When full of water, these old glass jugs would be really heavy! I discovered these back in 2019, and it does my heart good that they are still just as I found them 5 years ago, and no one has touched them.
 

More petroglyphs and pictographs in the immediate area:

This one is hard to find!

Reminds me of a cowboy had. Dstretch used to enhance color.

 

 

Mitch getting sand out of his hiking boots.

 

The rocks erode in such amazing ways!

 

We take a detour to visit an old friend. I've spent the night here in my sleeping bag, waiting for the Milky Way to rise.
 

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoyed this visit to a 

remote and unique part of the desert!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

November Skies

 We've had some pretty skies so far this month. I've been hiking in the local foothills in preparation for an upcomming backpacking hike in the desert (wish me luck!). Hope the skies in your area have been pretty as well, and you've had a chance to get out and enjoy them. Next post I'll take you back out to the desert!

Can you hear me now? I was standing right next to this cell tower, and still only getting two bars of service! I guess that proves that cell towers are provider specific. I have T-Mobile, and this must not be a tower they own or share.

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Milky Way Project 2024

I didn't really identify this as a "project" until about 3 months into the Milky Way season. My first MW attempt of 2024 was during the new moon in March. By the time I got to May, I remember thinking, “I wonder if I can keep doing this every month for the entire season?” As June arrived and the temperatures were routinely climbing into the triple digits, it made sense to be out in the desert at night when things cooled off a bit. It was just too dang hot to hike during the day!

 

So here's my completed project: One photo of the Milky Way a month (except in March when I took two), starting in March 2024 and ending in October 2024. I've shared them all individually, but for some odd reason I feel compelled to compile them here in a single post. It was a very fun project, and I feel extremely lucky to have been able to do it. There's something very magical about being out under the desert sky at night, and I'm amazed I didn't have at least one or two failed attemps (such as cloudy skies or wind storms).

 

Of the nine photos here, my personal favorite is May. That's in part because I like the photo, but even more so because of the experience. I was out solo in a very remote location trying to get a photo of the MW over one of my favorite arches. Every photo I took showed a partially pink sky (which wasn't visible to the naked eye), and I couldn't figure out what was going on. I thought my camera sensor must be having issues in the hot weather. It wasn't until the next day that I learned I had captured the MW and the aurora in the same photo. A night I will never forget!

 

Please let me know if you have a favorite, and thanks for stopping by!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

PS: Happy Halloween!!

I came across this on a recent hike!

Milky Way over Heart Rock

 This will be my last Milky Way photo for 2024. I'm sad and happy at the same time. It's been a fun project and I daresay I've gotten a little better at taking pictures of the Milky Way. For me, practice doesn't make perfect, but practice makes better. 

 

By next month's new moon, the galactic center (brightest part) of the Milky Way will only be visible from about 7:30pm to 8pm, which is before the darkest night sky, bringing an end to what is sometimes called the "Milky Way season". A little after 8pm, the GC drops below the horizon. You can still take pictures of the MW... They just won't be as dramatic without the GC.

 

I thought long and hard about a location. I don't think I could possibly best last months photo of the Milky Way over Amboy Crater. The photo is memorable, and so was the experience, with our death march out to the crater in some of the hottest temperatures I've ever experienced. Then it struck me: What about Heart Rock? It fits my requirements of being a relatively short hike and something that isn't photographed often. Let me clarify that last sentence: Heart Rock is photographed a lot, but not often at night and rarely with the MW over head. When I did a Google search, I only found a couple photos of the MW over Heart Rock, and none in late season with a vertical MW, which is what I am hoping to capture. So off I went on a hot, late afternoon hike to Heart Rock in Joshua Tree National Park.

Hiking to Heart Rock I came across this silhouette of a sky watcher!

 

I anticipated only two potential problems (pretty good for MW photography, which is fraught with challenges). First potential problem is the alignment with the MW. I hadn't been out to Heart Rock in a while and was just going from memory. If I remember correctly, the compass heading when viewing Heart Rock is roughly south to SW. If my memory is off (wouldn't be the first time), then the MW won't align over the top of the heart. Second issue is crowds. Heart Rock is now extremely popular, with a marked trail leading to it and every couple that visits the park wanting their picture in front of it for an Instagram post. With camera, tripod, and LED lights set up, I might be in the way of others.

 

Fingers crossed, I hiked out to Heart Rock about an hour before sunset. The bad news is that it was still very hot (triple digits) and I was carrying a heavy pack. The good news is that it was still very hot (hardly any other hikers on the Heart Rock trail, so crowds shouldn't be an issue). 
 

As I arrived at Heart Rock, I was anxious to check the position of the Milky Way using the PhotoPills app on my phone. Yes!! PhotoPills shows the Milky Way will be directly over the top of the heart at about 8pm. Just what I was hoping for!

 

I have about 2 1/2 hours before the MW will be in position. First order of business: Find a shady spot and relax! It turns out the heart provided some of the best shade in the area. Take off my heavy pack. Drink fluids. Once rested and rehydrated, I decided to explore the area.

The Joshua Tree boulders have their own unique personality!

 

Heart Rock looks good from either direction. For the MW, I am shooting to the SW. The photo above is the opposite view (NE). This photo also shows how Heart Rock takes on a golden color in the late afternoon light. 

 

Sunset at Heart Rock

 

As the sun sets, it's time to set up my LED lights (L and R of the heart), camera and tripod, and start taking some foreground shots. Once the camera and tripod are set up, I can't move them.
 

7PM: Blue hour. It won't be long now!

 

Voila! The galactic center is directly above the cleft in the heart. As if the heart is so full, it's bursting with stars! Ya, I'm getting carried away, but it's always fun getting the result you were hoping for. There are many things that can go wrong when it comes to MW photography, so I feel extremely fortunate to have gotten this photo. 
 

Thanks for joining me on my last Milky Way adventure of 2024!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Walking the Trails

 While my granddaughter has soccer practice, I like to go for a walk on the trails located just behind the practice fields. The area is full of wildlife because there is a year-round stream that runs through the property. My only problem is her practices start at 6:30PM, just when it's getting dark. The last week or two, I've needed to bring a headlamp with me so I can see the trail. 

Some sections of the trail are wide and fenced on either side. I turned my headlamp off before taking this photo. I was using my cellphone and was surprised to see that it wasn't a blurry mess. It was dark out, but somehow my phone's camera lightned things up nicely and steadied the shot. Impressive!! The photo properties tell me the exposure time was 1/13th of a second. With my DSLR, there is no way a hand-held shot would come out sharp at 1/13th second. Not sure how the iPhone camera manages to pull this off.

 

Hello Moon!

 

iPhone 12 mini, f 1.6, ISO 500, 1/25th second (no tripod).

 
After taking this photo, on my hike back to the soccer field, a large coyote crossed the trail in front of me and stopped and looked at me, as if trying to determine if I were a threat (or perhaps a meal?). I was in total darkness and never would have spotted him without my headlamp. He was larger than the desert coyotes I'm used to seeing, closer in size to a German Shepherd, and his fur was darker. With my headlamp shining towards him, his eyes glowed. Solitary coyotes in the desert never bother me, but this guy spooked me a bit. For the rest of my hike, I found myself turning around and facing backwards from time to time to check for glowing eyes. Maybe this helps explain why I've never seen anyone else hiking in the area after dark🫢.

 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.