Earthcaching at Black Canyon

~I was in Montrose, Colorado again over the past few days, so naturally I had to return to Black Canyon.  On Tuesday, I hiked to the end of the Warner Point Nature Trail at the end of the south rim road, and on Wednesday I located a half-dozen earthcaches created by both the park staff and by other individuals.  Here are some of my better pictures from my latest visit to this national treasure:

A dead, fallen tree in the foreground, with Black Canyon behind.

There are many dead trees throughout the area on the canyon rim.  Many birds and smaller land-dwelling animals make their homes in them.

This is not Black Canyon, but rather Dominguez Canyon a few dozen miles from Montrose.

This is the highest cliff in Colorado, twice as tall as the Empire State Building in New York.  The broad pegmatite dikes in the rock look like mythical beasts trapped in the cliff, giving this overlook the name "Dragon Point".

A small forest atop a large stone pillar in the middle of the canyon. Come stay with us at Falcon Ridge Apartments(tm), the perfect place for a bird of prey to live!

This wide scar in the forest (which extends far outside this picture) was made by a lightning-induced forest fire in 1996.  The park had to close for several days, but fortunately the fire was put out by rain before it engulfed the rest of the park.  Despite what Smokey the Bear used to say, naturally-caused fires are an important part of the life cycle of a forest.

Red, yellow, and green lichen growing on granite.  The lichen gradually corrodes the surface of the rock, breaking it down to eventually form soil.  This is an example of bio-chemical weathering.

The twisty trunk of a juniper tree.

Exposed heartwood of a juniper.

The San Juan mountains.

A conelet on a pinyon pine tree.  These take 26 months to mature into full-size pine cones, loaded with highly nutritious pine nuts that are a staple food of animals in this area.

Looking south over the valley from Black Canyon.  There is a storm in the distance.  Can you spot the rainbow in the center-right?  You may need to click on the picture for a better look.

The other side of the rainbow, to the northwest of the canyon.  Seeing this view, with a rainbow on one side, and a rumbling thunderstorm on the other, was incredible!

This sign is at the end of the Warner Point Nature Trail.

The valley south of Black Canyon.

Sunset over the San Juan mountains.

The setting sun illuminates the south face of Black Canyon.

Time to take a load off!

The mighty Gunnison river tumbles below, flowing east to west at the bottom of Black Canyon.  Look at all those rocks!  This is not a good place for kayaking.  On the other hand, the first successful trip down the river was done on an inflatable mattress...

On the way back from the end of the Warner Point Nature Trail.

The Gunnison river, looking east towards Red Rock Canyon.

On the way back, I saw this awesome cumulonimbus cloud, with lightning crackling beneath it.  What a perfect anvil on this storm cloud!

More Microscopy

~More microscopy today, this time of a flower petal:

40x

100x.  A bit grainy, but this image appears almost like a collection of gems.

200x, including 2x digital zoom.

San Francisco: Hilly and Chilly

~I recently traveled to San Francisco for the first time, and found it disconcerting to see people bundled in coats and hats in late July.  In the morning, the city was blanketed by fog, while during midday a strong, cold wind roared through the steep streets.  It was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of North Carolina.

Here are some pictures from my trip Down By the Bay:

View of north San Francisco from my hotel room.

Panoramic picture of the harbor area, looking south, taken from a pier.  Click on it for a larger view.

Panoramic picture of the bay area, looking north. Click on it for a larger view.

The famous TransAmerica Pyramid skyscraper dominates the bay skyline.

Welcome to the Rock!  Alcatraz Island is surprisingly close to the mainland, but don't be fooled: the surrounding water has very strong currents that make swimming in the area very difficult.

Alcatraz and the bay are popular areas for sightseeing.  There were a lot of tourists, both foreign and domestic, throughout the city.

The Golden Gate Bridge hangs in the mist.

The Balclutha: a three-masted,  square-rigged, steel-hulled, many-hyphened cargo ship launched in 1886, now on display at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Graffiti poetry on display on a pier wall facing Alcatraz.

One of San Francisco's iconic street cars; SF is one of the few cities in the U.S. to retain a functioning street car system.  Nowadays, they are mostly used for sightseeing; the city has an electric bus system powered by overhead wires for actual travel.

Although the narrow, steep, crooked streets are a nightmare to drive in (and don't get me started on the cost of parking), there are lots of interesting places in San Francisco and plenty of ways to travel other than by car.  I enjoyed my brief visit and look forward to exploring more of the city at some point.