It’s time for another blog post with odds and ends.
Have you seen Steve Bumgardner’s Yosemite Nature Notes? They are a series of short films with terrific production values and informative content. Episode 14, on Horsetail Fall (the natural version of the famous Yosemite “firefall”) is probably my favorite. Check them out; they are well worth the time.
On a related note, last Tuesday Steve and a bunch of other folks shot the raw footage that will eventually become a documentary called “One Day in Yosemite.” I look forward to seeing the results!
Not all of us have the time for a great adventure every year (although I would argue we probably should). “The Gentle Art of Wandering,” a new book by Albuquerque author David Ryan, makes the case that there are plenty of discoveries to be made, on foot, regardless of where you live. Read an interview with the author on the REI blog, and check out the author’s blog here .
Automated cameras (digital cameras that automatically take a photo whenever anything passes in front of them) are revolutionizing the study of endangered and infrequently seen species. Here’s an example: scientists believe that there are two thriving colonies of Sierra Nevada red foxes in Oregon (Mount Hood and Crater Lake). While there had been tracks and even the occasional sighting, nothing settles the case quite like photographic evidence.
Finally, bringing this blog post back to the John Muir Trail, you should check out John Dittli and Mark Schlenz’s book “Walk the Sky: Following the John Muir Trail.” If you’re looking for that last bit of encouragement to actually hike this hike, or if you would like to reward yourself with a most apposite reminder of what you have accomplished, the breathtaking photography and illuminating essays in this large volume are just the ticket!
Good hiking, Ray