Basically, there are two types of vacations in Nevada - one in which you gamble, and one in which you do everything else. I think this article tries to tout the "everything else" part. If all the good stuff in Nevada were in a place the size of, say, the SF Bay Area Nevada, it would be worth a major trip. As it is, everything is so rarefied that there's plenty of opportunity to get bby bpnjensen - General Discussion
No kidding. Is there a better bargain anywhere in the Universe? I doubt it...by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Grazing on public lands - ya gotta love it!by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Excellent stuff, thanks EEEK - love to see that wonderful zonal flow with embedded waves!by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
My appreciation, but not necessary - I am just happy to know where the darn things are! Now I may have to go hunting for that UCB plaque :-)by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Tell ya what - if I get a good photo, it's Nature and my camera in a beautiful partnership. If I get a bad photo, well - we won't go into that.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Just read Twain's critique - such an iconoclast! :-)by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I am sure this painting takes some artistic liberties, as do all such paintings - but I can imagine standing at a spot just west of Yosemite Creek near the base of Upper Fall where this might be a fairly accurate depiction of the view. In fact, I am now tempted to see if I can find such a location. I think it may be more accurate as a record than many of Bierstadt's otherwise gorgeous paintinby bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Wherever it is, I want to be there.by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Isn't the Kuna Crest the string of rounded peaks on the NE side of Lyell Canyon?by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteFrank Furter http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6958507.ece 97-year-old butter found at Robert Scott's Antarctic base The Antarctic hut used by Captain Robert Scott as his expedition base has released a surprising find, nearly 100 years after the explorer's death - a block of butter The butter, originally from New Zealand, was found frozen in the stable area adjacent toby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Quoteeeek The protected areas would encompass 1 million acres containing wildlife, extinct volcanoes, sand dunes and ancient petroglyphs. The senator says the bill could be enacted in late 2010. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mojave21-2009dec21,0,7093884.story Wonderful, good for her. I hope it happens before Congress changes hands again :-(by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Quotebill-e-g , And you have one not on there... Mt. Watkins. (I was hoping others would show some "different" views... o well) Taft, Starr King Lake, Snow Creek, El Cap, Watkins, Horse Ridge... I like the view from Mt. Hoffmann, which puts it in a nice perpsective. I have some photos at home - maybe post them a bit later.by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
Quotetomdisco I got a kick out of movement of the Earth's mantle referred to as the "mantle wind". So whenever the caldera erupts, is it known as "Breaking wind"? That Mantle, such an uncouth geologic feature...by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Thanks, Eeek - also posted to Facebook.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Gonna be a lot of disappointed people come January 2013.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Vince's amazing tirade notwithstanding - ...since vegetation requires CO2 to survive and make food for itself, What is the mechanism that kills trees with CO2? An overabundance of oxygen certainly will not harm those who require it for respiration...?by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Well Boy-Howdy! There's roadside geology, and then there's *Yosemite Valley Roadside Geology* - the latter pretty much puts the former in the shadeby bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I am just so damned happy that we finally get a person who knows and understands the parks and their resources, loves them and appreciates them. I hope he can be as politically astute as he is environmentally aware.by bpnjensen - General Discussion
Nice photos! The foliage shots are really pretty, and time exposures on LYF are sweet!by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
I have no doubt that this is actually true - meat based diets for ANY creature, especially those that depend on domesticated animals as the food source, are going to be carbon and resource intensive in general. However, Jane #221 in the comments below has it right - unless we stop growing the human race beyond the bounds of this planet, NOTHING we do will make enough difference to matter in theby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Quotemrcondron Bruce, YOU don't get it. We must wait until there is so little fossil fuel left that it won't be possible to fuel the factories needed to make the solar arrays. Then and only then will it be necessary to have solar energy sources. Man, I'm so naive - how could I have missed this utter truism? Say it like Bugs Bunny with a carrot in his mouth - Ironic, ain't it?by bpnjensen - General Discussion
QuoteVince Just try to put up a million acres of Great Basin solar panels without a decade of environmental impact lawsuits. OK, just once more - there are Gazillions of places, known by admins, enviros alike where the land is already developed or degraded and solar farms would be relatively easy sells. You could cover every city block in California, Arizona, and NM with rooftop and parking loby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Quotemrcondron (Watch this) When I was a kid all the garbage from the bay area was dumped into the Potato Patch via barge off the Golden Gate. The Dungeness crabs were about two feet across at the carapace because all the garbage was actually food. In the mid fifties pager and plastic packaging led to the dump at Candlestick. Now the crabs barely get to 6". You mean you still have someby bpnjensen - General Discussion
QuoteFrank Furter (What were they thinking?) http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/10/22/Town-cancels-dead-bunny-toss/UPI-10681256239497/ Published: Oct. 22, 2009 at 3:24 PM WAIAU, New Zealand, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A New Zealand town has canceled its annual dead rabbit-tossing contest for children following protests from animal welfare advocates. The "Rabbit Throw" has been a tradition iby bpnjensen - General Discussion
QuoteVince Still costs too much, not enough land available (read: environmental impact reports) to put these up, and the country is in recession. The price will come down when people are willing to buy. Can't force it on them, the USA has ample other sources of energy. Vince, I think you must not be paying attention here. In terms of land, there is ample room on degraded places where little orby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Wonderful, Bee, a great story and pix, thanks!by bpnjensen - Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion
QuoteFrank Furter What I found most interesting was that it reportedly cost $10,000 to poll 600 people ($16.667/person). Overhead will kill ya...by bpnjensen - General Discussion
The time for solar is here. We in the lower 48 USA could eliminate practically all other forms of energy generation with a mere 10,000 square miles or so of photovoltaics. That's a square about 100 x 100 miles. Does not have to be all in one place; it could easily be on top of a million rooftops, a million parkings lots, a million deserted brownfields. We could pack away fossil fuels and nuclby bpnjensen - General Discussion
Quoteeeek Two Coloradans have been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly trapping bobcats and selling their pelts without a permit. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/10/bobcats-for-sale.html I'd like to sell their pelts - creeps.by bpnjensen - General Discussion