Field Trip to Owens Valley

E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/220 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

First we stopped for lunch by Tenaya Lake in Yosemite National Park.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/220 sec, f/7.4.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Ross, Rachel, and their daughter Helen joined us on the trip.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 16:03:49 -- 1/320 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Ross and family traveled in his red Jeep, while Jason and I took our yellow XTerra. This picture was taken at our next stop, Mono Lake.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 15:32:35 -- 1/400 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

We headed down to the lake on a path that started out paved,
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 15:48:23 -- 1/640 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

but quickly turned to dirt.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 15:49:32 -- 1/400 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 15:45:44 -- 1/320 sec, f/8.0.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Helen and I were fascinated by the foam at the edge of the lake.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 15:42:28 -- 1/640 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

While by the lake, we checked out the Tufa deposits.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/377 sec, f/3.6.  Flash, Compulsory.3264x2448 NORMAL. Large -- Medium

Next we stopped at the earthquake fault near Mammoth Lakes.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/427 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Compulsory.3264x2448 Large -- Medium

Jason at the Earthquake Fault -- not really a fault, but more of a fissure, since it opened without displacement.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/903 sec, f/4.5.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

At Obsidian Dome.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 2/97 sec, f/4.9.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Some of the obsidian.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/1179 sec, f/5.0.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Helen decided to climb on the rocks.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/135 sec, f/5.5.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

and inevitably found it easier to climb up than down,
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 17:12:33 -- 1/100 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

and so continued to do so.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:08 17:25:40 -- 1/200 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Rachel watched in amusement from the bottom.
movie
Helen on the rocks.
Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 10:49:18 -- 1/400 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

The next morning we hiked out to Devil's Postpile.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 11:00:10 -- 1/200 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 11:12:39 -- 1/400 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 5/1119 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 11:13:45 -- 1/100 sec, f/4.0.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Devil's Postpile is a fantastic example of columnar basalt, which forms by cooling slowing underground.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 5/731 sec, f/6.0.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Here Gwen sits on one of the collapsed hexagonal columns. Check out their size!
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 11:29:56 -- 1/160 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

On the way to the top, we saw these columns sticking out of the side of the mountain.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/115 sec, f/5.0.  Flash, Compulsory.3264x2448 NORMAL. Large -- Medium

At the top, the columns have been neatly sheared off by glacial activity, leaving the columns looking like a hexagonal tile floor.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 11:40:54 -- 1/200 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/164 sec, f/5.6.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/1569 sec, f/6.0.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 12:26:57 -- 1/125 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

The crew, waiting for the bus after the hike. Helen, not happy.
Large -- Medium

Panorama of the Sierras and White mountains taken on the way up to see the Bristlecone Pines.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 5/464 sec, f/4.5.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

The new Bristlecone Pines visitor center.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/1457 sec, f/5.0.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Unfortunately Helen was VERY unhappy at this stop, so we didn't end up seeing much.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 17:12:06 -- 1/160 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Methuselah Walk trailhead.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 17:13:47 -- 1/200 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Jason.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:09 17:24:47 -- 1/320 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Looking away from the visitor center.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 08:23:13 -- 1/640 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

A view of Mt. Whitney from outside our hotel.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 5/537 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

The last day we hiked out to Fossil Falls, a where a flood had carved out a gorge through basalt.
Large -- Medium

A panorama of Fossil Falls.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:38:44 -- 1/250 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Jason.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:48:38 -- 1/100 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto.2592x1944 Auto. Large -- Medium

Rachel.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:37:38 -- 1/640 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Ross.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 10/1827 sec, f/7.4.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Ross, Gwen, and Helen.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:52:42 -- 1/200 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Helen.
E8800, 0000:00:00 00:00:00 -- 1/140 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto.3264x2448 RED-EYE. Large -- Medium

Red Hill, a cinder cone in the background, while Gwen takes a picutre of a hole through the rock (next.)
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:41:51 -- 1/60 sec, f/5.4.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

The hole.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:37:05 -- 1/500 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

An eroded rock.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:38:05 -- 1/200 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Eroded potholes.
Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:45:28 -- 1/200 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 09:45:34 -- 1/640 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Canon PowerShot SD30, 2007:06:10 10:16:43 -- 1/250 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash, Auto, Red-Eye Reduce.2592x1944 Red-Eye Reduction (Auto). Large -- Medium

Jason, Gwen, Rachel, Helen, and Ross at the end of the trip!