Hiker. Blogger. Photographer. CrossFitter. Dog Owner. Austinite.
Posts tagged water
Last Lake Day of Summer
Aug 23rd
Sunset from West Beach Marina on Lake Travis
Sunday was most likely my last “Lake Day” of this summer, as my pal Chris will be pulling his boat out of the water for the season next week. An intrepid crew of seven rode the faithful Cracker I and a pair of jet skis to a quiet cove on the north side of the lake, then over to Devil’s Cove, where the party was winding down. It was scorching hot, and the water felt more like a bathtub, but a great day was had by all.
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Lake Day, With Great Lighting
Jun 20th
Couldn't ask for better lighting as we wrap up a great day on the lake.
Had a great day on the lake today, with some great lighting at the end as I pull the boat up to the dock. Couldn’t ask for better lighting or camera angle! Thanks Steph!
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Sawtooth Wilderness Waterfalls
Nov 12th
Fern Falls, along the South Fork Payette River.
Despite logging more than 100 miles in the Sawtooth Wilderness, I only saw a handful waterfalls. I suspect there were more, even along the trails I was taking, but terrain and vegetation kept them audible but invisible. Water definitely falls great distances — thousands of feet from snowline to the Salmon River — but big waterfalls are rare. This post highlights six of the significant ones.
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Return to Yellowstone, Part 1
Oct 9th
Dead trees eerily stand guard over the hot waters as they slowly construct the travertine ledges which comprise Mammoth's Main Terrace.
I was last in Yellowstone National Park in July 2002. I intended to stay there for four nights but left after two, frustrated by the crush of tourists and an inconvenient wildfire burning near the campground. I retreated to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park and had the place to myself. Because I had cut my last visit short, there were several places I’d planned to visit but missed. I planned to see them this summer on my way to Idaho.
Two months ago today, I left the rainy Tetons behind and was immediately glad I had purchased an annual federal lands pass. The south entrance to Yellowstone has a special lane for pass holders. I drove by the dozens of cars stacked up in the fee lanes and breezed into the park. The first stop was a short walk to Lewis Falls, then on to the West Thumb Geyser Basin. It was a cloudy, chilly morning. Great plumes of steam rose from the many pools and holes in the ground. Beyond the smokescreen sat Yellowstone Lake. The trail is comprised of a boardwalk loop bisected by a second boardwalk. I walked the outer loop in a clockwise direction.
Abyss Pool
Abyss Pool is one the park’s deepest springs. It is a mostly quiet feature, though it has gone through periods of remarkable eruptions, the last being 1992. It sits off to itself, with the best view coming from a viewing platform a short distance from the main trail. From there the boardwalk descends to the lakeshore and various on- and off-shore features including the Big Cone and Fishing Cone. Big Cone justs out into the lake like a small shield volcano. Its little caldera bubbles and swirls while shorebirds engage in elaborately choreographed flybys.
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Lakes of the Sawtooths, Part 3
Sep 26th
Upper Cramer Lake
Previous posts showcased the beautiful lakes I encountered during the first six days of last month’s backpack through the Sawtooth Wilderness. Days seven and eight had their share of spectacular scenery, and nine of those lakes are featured here.
Day seven (August 18) began with the final leg of my resupply loop and ended back on the main backpacking loop by way of Sand Mountain Pass, the only mountain pass I encountered twice. There were two passes to cross before “Sandy,” and neither had a name. The first climb began immediately after I left my campsite alongside gorgeous Imogene Lake. I got off to a bit of a late start and didn’t hit the trail until nearly 9 a.m. It was quite a bit warmer than the previous morning but still quite chilly. It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to reach the first pass.
From it, the view back down to Imogene Lake, 850 feet below, was inspiring.
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Goat Lake
Sep 22nd
One month ago today, I visited the last three lakes in the Sawtooths as part of my epic journey. The first was the most spectacular, and the hardest to reach. This was to have been the day I ended my backpacking trek, but I ended up getting off the trail a day early. I opted not to loop around to Sawtooth Lake, the largest lake up in the mountains, and instead spent a wonderful afternoon, evening, and night in the nearby town of Stanley (population: 100). On this day, I had a choice of hiking to Sawtooth Lake, but the locals turned me on to Goat Lake, accessible from the same trailhead.
I reached the Iron Creek trailhead at 7 a.m., and it was in the upper 30s. There were just two other vehicles at the generous parking area. I was on the trail 10 minutes later. The trail roughly follows Iron Creek upstream for a little over a mile before entering the Sawtooth Wilderness. Shortly thereafter, the trail forks. The right fork climbs 1,400 feet to Sawtooth Lake via a different Alpine Lake than the one I camped at a couple nights earlier. The left fork, which I chose wraps around a narrow canyon before climbing 1,200 feet to Goat Lake. Well, the trail doesn’t make it that far, but we’ll get to that.
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Chisos Goes Swimming
Jul 6th
Just a couple of photos from yesterday afternoon’s romp in Zilker Park, including some time beside the Barton Springs pool spillway. Chisos played with the other dogs, splashed around in the water chasing tennis balls, and even went swimming.
Chisos Goes Swimming, TX09-0705-0040J, Austin, Texas | Chisos Wading in Barton Creek, TX09-0705-0041J, Austin, Texas | ©2009 Jeff Blaylock
