Badger Springs Wash Awash

A number of friends have hiked Badger Springs Wash with me.  It is an easy and popular hike, pretty flat and cooler down in the canyon than up at the ridge.  The variety of birds, plants and rocks make it interesting every time you go.  I have always wanted to hike it after a good soaking rain.  Common sense would suggest that the water going over the rocks would make for interesting photography!!  So, yesterday I decided the day had arrived for hiking the wash!  Drum roll please!!  LOL  All shot with Nikon D800, Tamron 24-70mm lens and NO tripod.  I went with one camera/lens and an umbrella.

First off, I had to park quite some distance from the trailhead because the road had flooded and there were deep ruts.  Not Prius friendly.  Second, the usually easy path was a bit more of a challenge with downed trees and very soft sand that I sank in.  It was worth every step.

Along the road I chose not to take with my Prius.

Everything is clean and the color more intense than usual, well except for the sky which is in white out mode.  

In the middle, way to the back, you can spot the side of the mountain that is my destination. In other words, I am still a long way from where the Agua Fria River meets Little Bug Creek. 

Think of sinking tennies.

By now I have sunk deep into the sand several times.  My shoes are filled with small rocks and fine sand.  That back ridge, my destination did not appear to be getting closer and the debris was making this hike more uncomfortable.  Hey, no pain no gain!  Right?

I remember cleverly thinking that when I got to the river I could rinse out my shoes, clean off my feet.  But, then there was the hike back!  Sinking was going to happen again and again.  I was walking on this stuff inside my shoes.

By now stubbornness is setting in.  My folly is making me laugh and I console myself in that I will not need a pedicure to get rid of summer's dry skin!  I am in awe of the colors, the smell of 'wet' and the sounds of birds that are out celebrating that rain has gone from downpour to sprinkle.

I can hear some roaring of water over rocks.  I am getting excited!  I am also slipping and sliding more often!  Notably, I am keeping the camera up in the air each time.

Here!!  This shows the river heading westward towards Black Canyon City.  For those who have hiked this trail, the rocks in the upper right are the ones we hand out on with tripods,  I have never seen them with water this high.  They are not accessible.  The water is moving very quickly and is extremely muddy.  That middle are is nothing but super slippery mud.  I ended up climbing up backwards on my butt, moving my camera back over and over again out of danger as I went. 

Note here . . . . camera is fine.

Whoa!  This is a different view!

I stayed on the banks for a while.  I was resting and trying to rinse out my shoes in the muddy water. I did take some video on my phone but for whatever reason I never thought of taking any video on my camera.  The quality would have been so much better out of my camera and the resulting iPhone video just does not cut it!!  As I headed back I was grateful to have had the opportunity to witness how nature destroys while renewing.  My relatively clean shoes lasted just five minutes!  It had stopped sprinkling, the sun was peeking through in places.  Life is very good.

Above the bank of the river, the petroglyphs are still safe.

Walking out I see things I missed going in.  Makes the hike back a new hike.

Check back this weekend.  I will make full use of this rain!

Datura thrives along this sandy path.  

Have never seen the flowers before.  These are usually brown and brittle . . . Wow!  I had no idea how gorgeous these teeny tiny blossoms are, now covered with water droplets.

From the trailhead to the car was a long walk with soaked sand filled shoes.  But, I could look back and smile.  The sun was shining through.  Way at the back I could see where I had been.

I hope you enjoyed my "illustrated" story.  This would be a great hike this weekend if it gets no more rain.  The sand would not be as treacherous, although the debris would still be there.  I suspect the river will still be running pretty high. Take a walking stick and shoes that can get wet.  Let me know how it looks.

The Super Moon That Wasn't

Unfortunately, I think I am an opportunist when it comes to photography.  I go and see what I can find and come home.  I seldom go in search of a specific image.  That is too bad.  But, I had been eyeing an opportunity for some time and had created just the perfect image in my mind.  It was of the building just south of Tempe Lake between the Mill Avenue bridge and Rural Road.  There were at least 5 cranes, partial buildings, and I thought it would make a great photo in a blue hour.  And then . . . Super Moon!!!!

So, off I took yesterday afternoon to scout a site for capturing the much talked about super moon with the site described above as part of the foreground.  I had checked times, degrees of where it would rise, etc.  I realized that the moon would rise just as the sun set.  That could, maybe, be an advantage in leveling out the light.  Blah, blah, blah.

I found several options after hiking about for an hour without heavy gear.  I even managed to park close by.  Yeah!  Things were looking pretty good.  I was pumped!

If you are interested, here are the shots I took.  I put metadata and times under each shot.  Great fun . . . just . . . the moon did not show up for my party!

ISO 560, f/19, 1/60 with Nikon D800 and 24-70mm f/2.8 Tamron lens.  Taken at 6:38 PM. Camera and lens will stay the same all evening. Also, a very good polarizer was on my lens the whole time.

ISO 100, 70mm, f/8, 1/8 at 7:07 PM.  My expectation is that the moon will rise between the most left crane and the middle building under construction.  Aside from being quite bright with the sun still not having set, I am thinking the clouds to the East just might be a problem!  Check weather app.  Yep, clouds are going to be a problem.  Dang it!

ISO 100, 34mm, f/8, 1/3 at 7:15 PM.  No moon.  I comfort myself in realizing that I had wanted to be here for a long time for a blue hour shot.  No whining allowed.  Plus, just look at those pastels!

ISO 100, 44mm, f/8, 1/6 at 7:22 PM.  They say that sometimes the best photo is behind you.  I check that out, just in case.  Not bad.

ISO 100, 66mm, f/8, 1 second at 7:26 PM.  The lights are slowly coming on and I am now committed to stay for the full blue hour.  A couple of other photographers show up looking to capture reflections.  They are not interested in the Super Moon.  They point out that there is lightning in the distance (way to the left of this image).  I check my app and see that it is 39.5 miles away.  You can relax mom.

ISO 100, 46mm, f/8, 1 EV, 6 seconds at 7:33 PM.  More lights are coming on. How can one get starbursts with an f/8?

ISO 100, 46mm, f/8, 4 seconds at 7:34 PM. Still getting starbursts!  Very cool.

ISO 400, 70mm, f/22, 30 seconds at 7:48 PM.  I am now into serious blue hour and the settings show that.  The choice to use f/22 was intentional (I shot other combinations).  I like the way this one looked out of all of them shot. Unfortunately, some components are still blown out.  I am still thinking about how I might adjust, in camera, to avoid that.

By now I had made new friends on Tempe Lake!  We compared notes, watched lightning in the east and exchanged information. As we chatted, briefly, the sky changed!  The sun wow long gone.  So, where was this read coming from?

ISO 400, 32mm, f/4, 4 seconds, at 7:52 PM.

By the last image I was beginning to think about the rather long hike back to my car.  I was thirsty.  But, mainly I ease excited to get home and check my images!  I will also admit to being pleased, even without the moon, to having gotten the shot I had thought about for several months.  Now I am on to the next planned image.

Thanks for sharing.

From Lake to Candy Apples

What seemed like a great idea was, in fact, a very fun filled day.  Off to Prescott with our first stop at Watson Lake.  Weather was perfect.  Companionship more so.

This is one of many examples why this lake is also known as Mirror Lake.

Rick took this one.  It is the transition point between the rocky part and the serene riparian part of this incredible lake.

For all the color at the lake, the dynamic range and contrast suggests a B&W would work.

I am still trying to figure out if Tom flipped this image horizontally.  I think so.  Agree?

Photographers are drawn to the rocky side of Watson Lake.  I think that is because it looks so surreal, especially in unusual lighting and weather.  But, to the south of the rocks is a much different look, almost pastoral and peaceful. On the far end of the lake is an area for hiking in a developing riparian.  It even features a red wooden bridge!  So, if you ever get tired of the rocks, take a hike among the cottonwoods. Oh, and we noticed, long before reaching the lake, that the whole area was really green.  All that summer rain is making for some good photography.

We had a picnic at the lake before heading into what we knew would be a crowded town square. But, before we could even reach the highway, Rick and group spotted an unusually colored tree.  Out come the cameras.  What fun.

Once Tom took out his fish-eye lens I put my camera away!  I am going to hide that lens.  LOL

 The Mountain Artists were showing off on the square.  There was live entertainment and families and their pets everywhere.  Not the mention food!  What fun to shoot such a crowded colorful event.

This lady was showing how to spin a thread from the ball of wool on her lap.

An old sock knitting machine.  It is a collector's item as the company went out of business long ago.  The knitter showed me how she can turn the heels (I know mom would love one of these). Most interesting.

Some folks know  how to picnic in the park.

Finally, on the way home there was a 'Stop!" request.

It was such a great day and we thank you for joining us.  A special thanks to all the friend/photographers that joined up to make it such a special day.  Plus, a really big thanks for getting me images in such a short time frame.  Must tell you that they are a dedicated group.