Smoke 'em if you got 'em: Muir Woods NM

Showing posts with label Muir Woods NM. Show all posts

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Muir Woods National Monument & Point Reyes National Seashore

May 2, 2017

I took my parents to Muir Woods and Point Reyes on Tuesday. Those are two of my favorite weekend destinations. They're even better to visit mid-week given the large weekend crowds.

California Giant Salamander -- Muir Woods National Monument, CA

We saw a good amount of wildlife on this day trip. The first animal was a surprise. It was a California giant salamander resting in the creek just above the first bridge in Muir Woods. It was a huge salamander. I'd guess it was at least five inches long, maybe more. I say it was a surprise because the last thing I expect to see in Muir Woods is wildlife. Even birds are a rare sight in the woods, although the occasional song can be heard from high up in the trees. I've seen a couple of squirrels near the visitor's center and that's about it. So, seeing this salamander was pretty cool.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

Tuesday was a bright, sunny day. Too much sun is a bit of a problem when taking photos in Muir Woods. It's normally a rainy day destination for me because I don't have to fight the high contrast of light and dark under the redwood canopy when the sky is covered with clouds. I enjoyed the challenge on this trip, though, and although the hots have their flaws I think I did better than I could have a couple of years ago.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

After Muir Woods we had lunch at Pelican Inn. I'd hoped to drive up Highway 1 to Point Reyes but the road is washed out in both directions around the Inn. So, we drove back out to 101 and then over to the Point.

Cattle & Tule Elk -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA

My parents had never seen elephant seals, so we headed out to Chimney Rock to see the seals. Along the way we saw the Southern herd of tule elk hanging out with cattle. They're often visible near the turn off to Drake's Beach, but this is the best look I've ever gotten of this group of elk.

White-crowned Sparrow -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA

There were a lot of elephant seals on the beach. They were all pups. The adults have left for the season, leaving the pups behind for a few months until they are ready to head off into the ocean on their own. These pups were pretty big, though. At first I wasn't convinced that there weren't some adults hanging behind, but the ranger at the visitor center said that there only pups on the beach and although they were large, they looked more like sea lions than elephant seals so I slowly became convinced.

Elephant Seal -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Muir Woods National Monument

For the Love of Trees

March 13, 2016

If all you've ever known about Muir Woods is what you've seen in my posts, you might think that it always rains there. Obviously, that can't be true. What is true, though, is that this is my main rainy day destination. I love this place in wet weather. For one, it thins out the ever-present crowds a little. Not completely, but this place can fill up with loud, obnoxious tourists on a nice day. The loud and the obnoxious don't seem to like bad weather. On a rainy day I can walk the paths and enjoy the peace and serenity of the place. I see plenty of people, but they seem to be the same type of people as me, the type that are seeking out a place where the wind in the tree tops and a high-flowing creek replace the urban sound-bed of the surrounding area.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

I went strictly with long exposures today. It's what seems to work best under the redwood canopy. There are a few shots I wish I'd tried with a more normal setting, especially some of the creek shots. The water was moving pretty well and I think that was lost a little bit in these photos.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

Not much else to mention, here. It was a nice day for a walk in the rain in a place that works for that kind of thing as well as any other.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

Monday, December 7, 2015

The Embarcadero & Muir Woods

December 6, 2015

Sunday was wet and overcast. A lot of destinations can be enjoyed in such weather, but the one that generally calls out to me with such weather is Muir Woods. It's a little less crowded than on a normal weekend day (only a little, unfortunately) and the muted lighting makes the woods a lot easier to photograph.

The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA

I don't normally drive through the city on my way to Marin, but I was on autopilot through the Emeryville maze and found myself at the Bay Bridge tollbooths before I realized what was happening. I'm always chastising myself for not taking more pictures in the City, so I decided this would be a nice opportunity in spite of the inclement weather.

Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA

I worked in this area of town for five years or so. That was before the ballpark was built, which dramatically changed the South end of the Embarcadero. Red's Java House still stands. That used to be a cheap lunch spot, $2.50 for a double cheese dog and a beer. I suspect their prices have gone up. The Hi Dive is still around. I think the name of that bar might have changed. Gordon Biersch Brewery is gone. That's a bummer. Mozilla has their offices there now.

Hills Brothers Plaza, San Francisco, CA

The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA

OK, I guess we need one of the Bay Bridge, too. I've teased it enough. This is kind of a dark photo but there's some mildly cool cloud action going on, so there you go.

Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA

Muir Woods

I headed to Muir Woods next. Redwood Creek was extremely low. See this post for a very different view of the creek as it flooded in a downpour that dropped seven to ten inches of rain on the mountainside that day. That was an insane day. Yesterday had nothing on that day in terms of drama. If you care to compare, the bridge below is the same bridge as in the first photo but shot from the other side.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

I suspect that technically this is my best set of photos from Muir Woods. I might actually be getting better at this photography thing.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

Muir Beach

After shooting the woods, I drove the short distance to Muir Beach. I've always preferred this spot to the more popular Stinson Beach which is a few miles up the coast. I guess this beach has more of an Oregon vibe to it. You know, it's more about surviving the visit than sunbathing. If you've been to a beach in Oregon you know what I'm talking about.

Muir Beach, CA

I made one last stop before heading home at the Pelican Inn. Had a pint. Read a bit of Anna Karenina on my kindle. A good reading pub is a treasure to be savored. It's worth a trip across the Bay just for that. It was a nice way to round out a relaxing day spent on familiar but well-regarded grounds.

Pelican Inn, Muir Beach, CA

Monday, February 9, 2015

Muir Woods National Monument

February 8, 2015

We finally got some rain after the completely dry month of January. Huzzah. I decided to make a trip out to Muir Woods to celebrate. It's a great place to visit in the rain.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

It was Sunday, but the crowd was pretty thin due to the rain. I lucked out and caught a dry patch between the morning and evening downpours. The sky was overcast, which softened the light in the forest. It was also pretty dark, meaning I'd have to use a lot of long exposures for the afternoon's photography.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

There's not much of a story to the day, I'm afraid. I stuck to the main trail and took a lot of pictures. Like I said, I had to use long exposure on the shots, anywhere from 1/10 of a second to four seconds. As you can see, the colors turned out nice. The EF 17-40mm lens performed quite well.

Muir Woods National Monument, CA

It ended up being a quiet, rewarding afternoon in the redwoods. Just what the doctor ordered.