Top 15 places to stargaze in California’s BLM lands

June 16, 2015

I’m stealing this wholesale from the Tumblr site of the U.S. Department of Interior, America’s Great Outdoors.

The site features great Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites often, and this week will highlight places on BLM lands in California that are great for stargazing.  They call it a “social media takeover” of the feed by California BLM.

How good is the star watching? Look at these photographs.  (I’ve added a few comments of my own.)

Piper Mountains Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

Piper Mountains Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

Another great place to see the Milky Way.

King Range National Conservation Area, California, by Bob Wick

King Range National Conservation Area, California, by Bob Wick

These photos are stunning. These .gifs also demonstrate how the atmosphere really is a fluid, flowing over mountains — “the curvaceous hills of California,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called them in a travelogue he delivered from the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.  Teachers, not just great geography illustrations, but also illustrations for environmental science and physics.

Amargosa Wild and Scenic River, California, by Bob Wick

Amargosa Wild and Scenic River, California, by Bob Wick

 

San Gorgonio Wilderness, California, by Dan Maus

San Gorgonio Wilderness, California, by Dan Maus

 

Slinkard Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

Slinkard Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

Slinkard Wilderness? I admit I do not know of some of these places.  I’m willing to learn, first hand . . .

Kingston Range Wilderness, BLM California, by Bob Wick, BLM

Kingston Range Wilderness, BLM California, by Bob Wick, BLM

 

California Coastal National Monument, California, by Bob Wick

California Coastal National Monument, California, by Bob Wick

California Coastal National Monument reminds me that Republicans in Congress push a proposal to prevent future presidents from protecting such lands with National Monument designation under the Antiquities Act. Critics say these BLM lands are not special enough to merit protection.

Do the photos say otherwise?

North Maricopa Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

North Maricopa Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

 

Cadiz Dunes Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

Cadiz Dunes Wilderness, California, by Bob Wick

 

Point Arena-Stornetta in California Coastal National Monument, California, by Bob Wick

Point Arena-Stornetta in California Coastal National Monument, California, by Bob Wick

 

A printer-friendly, and search engine-friendly list of the sites above, if you’re putting them into your GPS or search feature to plan your vacation:

mypubliclands:

June #conservationlands15 Social Media Takeover: Top 15 Places to Stargaze on the #mypubliclandsroadtrip in BLM California

1. Amargosa Wild and Scenic River
2. Cadiz Dunes Wilderness
3. California Coastal National Monument
4. Carrizo Plain National Monument
5. Fort Ord National Monument
6. Kingston Range Wilderness
7. Little Black Sands Beach in King Range National Conservation Area
8. Lost Coast Trail at King Range National Conservation Area
9. North Maricopa Wilderness
10. Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area
11. Piper Mountains Wilderness
12. Point Arena-Stornetta in California Coastal National Monument
13. San Gorgonio Wilderness
14. Slinkard Wilderness
15. Whipple Mountains Wilderness

Thanks for following the June #conservationlands15 features on My Public Lands Tumblr, and our takeover of americasgreatoutdoors Instagram account (https://instagram.com/usinterior/). Stay tuned all week as the #mypubliclandsroadtrip visits these top 15 California spots for stargazing and much more.

Bob Wick and Dan Maus may have the best jobs in U.S. government service, judging by their photos.  Nice of them to share.

What do your shots from those places look like?  Show us in comments, maybe?

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Milky Way | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Milky Way at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison N.P.

June 14, 2015

From the Facebook site of the U.S. Department of Interior: Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado and see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock and craggiest spires in North America. Pictured here is a stunning shot of the #MilkyWay rising above the Black Canyon. Photo courtesy of Greg Owens — at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

From the Facebook site of the U.S. Department of Interior: Visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado and see some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock and craggiest spires in North America. Pictured here is a stunning shot of the #MilkyWay rising above the Black Canyon. Photo courtesy of Greg Owens — at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Looking at that river, it’s difficult to understand that it’s just half the flow.  Ranchers and farmers bored a tunnel to channel half the water of the river to the Uncompahgre Valley through the 5 mile-long Gunnison Tunnel, completed in 1909.  Many of the overlooks into the incredibly steep canyon reveal only snippets of the ribbon of water that runs the whole length of the canyon.

I like how this photograph captures reflected light off the water, and makes the river appear easier to see than it usually is, especially at night.

Stunning geology, great hikes — you should go.

Especially you should go if you think about the geology that contradicts creationism.  The canyon is loaded with volcanic inserts that deny flood geology and every other geological distortion offered by creationists, maybe better than the Grand Canyon in that regard.

More:

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Milky Way, National Parks, Nature, Outdoor Recreation, photography, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Milky Way from a meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park

June 3, 2015

Ready to go camping this summer?

Wilderness Society Tweeted: Starry sky from near Beaver Meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Bryce Bradford

Wilderness Society Tweeted: Starry sky from near Beaver Meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo by Bryce Bradford

Bryce Bradford captured the Milky Way from Beaver Meadows in Rocky Mountain National Park.

More:

2 Comments | Astronomy, Milky Way, National Parks, Nature, photography, Public Lands, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Moon rise over Joshua Tree National Park

May 5, 2015

Four minutes of a glorious full Moon rising over Joshua Tree National Park — reduced to a 6-second Vine.

https://www.tumblr.com/americasgreatoutdoors/118200930879/heres-an-amazing-timelapse-video-of-the-full-moon

I do like a little well-done time lapse. In this one, the action of the clouds playing peek-a-boo with the Moon is a lot of fun. It’s just the sort of astronomical action I love to watch in the National Parks.

Desert sunset at Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree NP. Photo by Brad Sutton/NPS

Desert sunset at Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree NP. Photo by Brad Sutton/NPS

I wonder where Lian Law took that time-lapse of the Moon.  Anyone know?

More:

Screen capture of the Moon rise Vine video by Lian Law, National Park Service.

Screen capture of the Moon rise Vine video by Lian Law, National Park Service.

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, photography | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Saguaro cactus and the Milky Way

March 12, 2015

Somewhere in Arizona?

Saguaro cactus and the Milky Way; photo by Bob Wick, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Via Wilderness Society on Twitter, and flickr.

Saguaro cactus and the Milky Way; photo by Bob Wick, U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Via Wilderness Society on Twitter, and flickr.

The Wilderness Society added a quote:

“I wish to know an entire heaven and an entire earth.” – Henry David Thoreau

If I had to guess, I’d say somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson, but I don’t know.  Mr. Wick managed to get a good exposure without distorting the shapes of the stars.  Somewhere far away from city lights.

Anyone have more details? Gotta track down the quote, too.

More:

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Conservation, History, Milky Way, photography, Public Lands | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

70 years ago today, U.S. flags rose on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima

February 23, 2015

February 23, 1945. It’s a date that will live in famous heroics, war brutality, photography, and bronze.

On the morning of February 23, U.S. troops raised the U.S. flag on a hill known as Mt. Suribachi, on the island of Iwo Jima — a visual signal to U.S. troops that the high ground had been taken, and the battle turned for the U.S.

First flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, on February 23, 1945. Photograph for Leatherneck Magazine by Sgt. Lou Lowery.

First flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, on February 23, 1945. Photograph for Leatherneck Magazine by Sgt. Lou Lowery.

Later in the day, an officer ordered a larger flag to be posted, to be more visible. AP photographer Joe Rosenthal caught that raising on film.

Is this the most iconic photo ever? Wikimedia caption: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal's historic photo depicts five United States Marines and one sailor raising an American flag over Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The image above is an Associated Press photograph that won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography. It was taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945.

Is this the most iconic photo ever? Wikimedia caption: Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, Joe Rosenthal’s historic photo depicts five United States Marines and one sailor raising an American flag over Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima. The image above is an Associated Press photograph that won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography. It was taken by Joe Rosenthal on February 23, 1945.

February 23 does not appear in the list of dates by law recommended for Americans to fly the U.S. flag.  You may want to fly yours today, anyway.

More:

Iwo Jima Memorial, near Washington, D.C.

Iwo Jima Memorial, near Washington, D.C.

Mt. Suribachi's prominence is clear in this photo of the island of Iwo To, as it is known in Japan.

Mt. Suribachi’s prominence is clear in this photo of the island of Iwo To, as it is known in Japan. Suribachi is a 546-foot (166 m) dormant volcanic cone, on the southern tip of the island. Wikipedia image

12 Comments | History, History images, photography, U.S. Flag, U.S. Marines, World War II | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Queenstown, New Zealand: “Why we fly,” and what most people never get to see

February 9, 2015

Old buddy Gil Brassard (from the airline days) sent me a slightly different version of this video; this is the YouTube version from “Mr. Goodviews.” It’s shot from the cockpit of a commercial airliner coming into Queenstown, New Zealand:

Details:

Published on Oct 23, 2013

…sometimes what a pilot sees in a day, people won’t see in their lifetimes..
amazing Queenstown, New Zealand.
I invite people of the world to come visit this beautiful country and its people.

It was probably shot with a camera like a GoPro stuck on the window pointing out, in robot mode so the copilot and pilot gave full attention to flying the aircraft, and were not distracted by operating a camera in a cockpit.  I mention this because US Federal Aviation Administration is looking into claims that selfies from cockpits — usually of small planes — may have contributed to accidents in the air.  We may see some bans on shooting such videos in the future.

Enjoy ’em while you can.

Noodling around YouTube, I also found these videos of airplanes in and out of Queenstown, New Zealand.

Landing without the clouds:

Published on Apr 4, 2013

ZQN Baret arrival

And a passenger’s view of take-off and climb-out (longer piece, no music edited in):

Published on Feb 7, 2014

Flying over New Zealand from south to north. Nice views of Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown. Passing over Mount Cook – the highest mountain in New Zealand. Later a landing at Auckland Airport.

Better videos of this route anywhere?

Even cooler videos of other routes?

Can’t say how often I’ve regretted not having a good video camera on my flight from Farmington, New Mexico, to Provo, Utah, in a Cessna, especially coming down Provo Canyon.  But alas, that was before video was even portable . . .

1 Comment | Airlines, Airplanes, Aviation, Geography - Physical, photography | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Stars at night leave bright trails at Kansas home on the range

January 29, 2015

Yeah, it’s processed.  Nice image, good photography, deft hand at the computer.

Happy Statehood Day, Kansas.

Photo from the Wichita Eagle. Caption there: Star trails paint the night sky above the Home on the Range Cabin. Home on the Range cabin built was 1872 by Brewster Higley, author to the words of Home on the Range song

Photo from the Wichita Eagle. Caption there: Star trails paint the night sky above the Home on the Range Cabin. Home on the Range cabin built was 1872 by Brewster Higley, author to the words of Home on the Range song. —The photo is a composite photo of more than 500 individual photos to capture the night sky. (May 2, 2014) Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/state/article8132118.html#storylink=cpy

Photo of a cabin built in 1872 by Brewster Higley, the lyricist to the so-old-and-loved-it’s-almost-traditional “Home On the Range.”  A bill in the Kansas State Senate proposes to designate part of U.S. Highway 36 as the Home On the Range Memorial Highway.

(Who took the photo? The Wichita Eagle didn’t give a credit!)

1 Comment | Astronomy, History, Music | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Flights arriving, Klamath NWR

January 23, 2015

Flights Arriving Daily! Birds are funneling into Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex Photo: A Mize/USFWS; from @USFWSPacSWest

Flights Arriving Daily! Birds are funneling into Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex Photo: A Mize/USFWS; from @USFWSPacSWest

Photo from last fall. Some of the ducks probably overwinter.  Others continued south, and will be arriving at Klamath NWR soon, again, heading north.

Our public lands at work.

More:

1 Comment | National Wildlife Refuge, Outdoor Recreation, photography, Public Lands, Wildlife | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, and stars at night

January 5, 2015

Tweet from the Wilderness Society. Devil's Tower National Monument, in Wyoming, at night.

Tweet from the Wilderness Society. Devil’s Tower National Monument, in Wyoming, at night. Photo by Alex Weimer, from his flickr feed

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Geography - Physical, geology, National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, photography, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Dallas in the fog

December 10, 2014

Enough of the jokes about how nature makes Dallas beautiful by covering everything up.

There were some nice views of Dallas today, with the fog, though.

From WFAA-TV’s tower camera, just before sunrise:

Dallas in the fog, December 9, 2014; photo from WFAA-TV's tower camera.

Dallas in the fog, December 9, 2014; photo from WFAA-TV’s tower camera.

This photo produced the most stir, I think.  Terry Maxon posted it at his Aviation Blog with the Dallas Morning News:

Maxon wrote:

Maxon wrote: “Mike Alvstad was flying into Dallas/Fort Worth on Tuesday morning and took a photo as his flight from Tampa, Fla., passed south and west of downtown Dallas. He shared it with Lee Evans, who shared it with us, and we liked it a lot.”

Looking for landmarks?  Maxon explained:

In the sea of clouds, you can see the top of Reunion Tower a bit lower to the right. There’s the wedge-topped Fountain Place in the lower center of the downtown cluster. Off to the left by itself is Cityplace, we believe.

Note that even though we could barely see a block ahead of us at ground level, the skyscrapers are casting shadows on the top of the fog clouds.

You want to see what it looked like from the upper floors of those buildings?  Kathryn’s office is below the clouds.  When I worked in the high floors of the old Ling/Temco/Vought Building (now Trammell Crow Tower, I think) we didn’t have cell phones with cameras, and electronic imaging was in its commercialized infancy.  I never had the old 35mm film cameras with me on those few occasions when we rode the elevators up out of the fog, and could almost wave to someone in the tower across the way.  Justin Turveen got off a few shots today, but is being stingy with the photos at his flickr site. Check it out if you wish.

It was foggy across the area starting last night, including Denton, which is home to the University of North Texas and Texas Women’s University:

Photo by Samantha Irene Balderas, at the campus of the University of North Texas (UNT), December 8, 2014

Photo by Samantha Irene Balderas, at the campus of the University of North Texas (UNT), December 8, 2014

Jeff Rogers got a sunrise in McKinney, through the fog:

Sunrise through fog in McKinney, Texas. Photo by Jeff Rogers

Sunrise through fog in McKinney, Texas. Photo by Jeff Rogers

Angelica Villalobos Yates took her camera with her walking the dog; quintessential Texas fog shot:

Angelica Villalobos Yates surprised a tree in the Texas fog.

Angelica Villalobos Yates surprised a tree in the Texas fog.

Toni Wolff Margolis caught birds on a wire in the fog.

Toni Wolff Margolis caught birds on a wire in the fog.

From the tall buildings in downtown Dallas, a shot by Cindy Ackerson Bivins:

Photo from the Bank of America Tower of other Dallas buildings in the fog, December 9, 2014. Photo by Cindy Ackerson Bivins

Photo from the Bank of America Tower of other Dallas buildings in the fog, December 9, 2014. Photo by Cindy Ackerson Bivins

Mike Prendergrast at Aerial DFW.com sent his DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus Drone to work, rising above the clouds, with good results, I think. He had me when I read that he included some time-lapse in there . . .

(Yes, Prendergrast is a great guy, and a good photographer, and he followed the rules and stayed low and out of the way of aircraft.)

Do you have a nice shot of Dallas in the fog to share?  Send it to me, or post it in comments.

More:

Tip of the old scrub brush to Suzy Bangs, who I hope is joining us again this week to take a hot Christmas meal and cheer to the good people at the Pleasant Grove Senior Recreation Center (that’s Pleasant Grove, Texas). Thanks, too, for the splash from Dubious Quality (who is this Gilbert fellow?).

Leave a Comment » | Dallas, photography, Texas, Weather | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Vancouver painted in timelapse

December 3, 2014

Nice way to see a city.  From Daniel Chen.

Details offered from the photographer:

Lights + City + Timelapse

Enjoy!

Gear: Canon Full Frame (5D3, 6D, someolder shots on crop)
Many lenses but mostly Rokinon 14mm, Tamron 24-70mm VC
Custom timelapse MOCO

Track: Energico by AJ Hochhalter

Tip of the old scrub brush to SuperVancouver.

Leave a Comment » | Canada, Geography - Physical, photography, Time-lapse photography, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Star trails at the Desert View Watchtower

December 3, 2014

Wilderness Society on Twitter: Star trails over the famous Desert View Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. Have a good night... (Photo by Spencer Goad)

Wilderness Society on Twitter: Star trails over the famous Desert View Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. Have a good night… (Photo by Spencer Goad)

More:

  • Desert View Watchtower – South rim lookint across to the North Rim (I wonder what are those lights across the Canyon?)
  • Who is Spencer Goad?  THE Spencer Goad?

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Geography - Physical, National Parks, photography, Travel | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Snow brings beauty to Conway Summit, California

November 21, 2014

From our public lands, from the Twitter feed of the U.S. Department of Interior:

@Interior caption: Fall foliage and snow-capped peaks make for a stunning shot of Conway Summit #California @BLMca #nature

@Interior caption: Fall foliage and snow-capped peaks make for a stunning shot of Conway Summit #California @BLMca #nature

In my winter drives through the desert mountains of the Great Basin I often marveled at how a dusting of snow could turn a landscape generally painted in tones of brown with a little green into almost black and white. Then there are those black and white landscapes slashed by stunning gashes of color, or tinted subtley.

Conway Summit shows the stunning gashes of color this week. Grays, whites, blacks — and gold and pink.  It’s in the western part of California, near Nevada and Mono Lake:

Conway Summit (el. 8,143 feet (2,482 m)) is a mountain pass in Mono County, California. It is traversed by U.S. Highway 395, which connects Bridgeport and the East Walker River on the north side of the pass to Mono Lake and Lee Vining to the south.[1][2] It marks the highest point on U.S. 395, which also traverses high passes at Deadman Summit and Devil’s Gate Pass.[3]

Conway Summit is named after John Andrew Conway, a settler in the area in 1880.[3][4] Geographically, it was formed from an upland plateau by the sinking of the land in the Mono basin area.[5] The Sawtooth Ridge of the eastern Sierra Nevada, topped by 12,279-foot (3,743 m) Matterhorn Peak, rise to the west of the pass; Green Creek and Virginia Lakes, in the Sierra Nevada to the west of the pass, are two local destinations for fishing, camping and aspen trees. The Bodie Hills and the infamous Bodie ghost town lie to the east.

This scene comes from our public lands, the undifferentiated lands held in trust by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and managed for multiple uses.  You and I may look at this photo and marvel at the beauty of America, and say a little prayer of thanks for our public lands.  Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz see potential for high-dollar vacation residences throughout this scene, if only the land could be sold off.

Leave a Comment » | Geography - Physical, Outdoor Recreation, photography, Public Lands, Travel | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Heavens at Devil’s Tower

November 14, 2014

Milky Way over Devil's Tower, Wyoming; Photo courtesy of Dave Lane Astrophotography. — at Devils Tower National Monument-Official NPS site.

Milky Way over Devil’s Tower, Wyoming; Photo courtesy of Dave Lane Astrophotography. — at Devils Tower National Monument-Official NPS site.

From the Department of Interior’s Facebook page:

America’s first national monument, Devils Tower is a geologic feature that protrudes out of the rolling prairie in Wyoming. David Lane captured this amazing 16-image panorama of the monument illuminated by the Milky Way and green airglow. Of visiting Devils Tower, David says: “From ancient stories of the Pleiades taking refuge at the top to the generations of Native Americas that held it sacred, it had a deep sense of age and a stoic nature that impressed me. It’s so unexpected, so large in person, so steeped in traditions.”

Photo courtesy of Dave Lane Astrophotography. — at Devils Tower National Monument-Official NPS site.

Dave Lane Astrophotography seems to have this photographing of the night sky down really well.

Save

Leave a Comment » | Astronomy, Milky Way, National Parks, photography | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »