Category Archives: California

Interesting Places

Happy Birthday, Golden Gate Bridge!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The most beautiful and the most photographed bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge which links the city of San Francisco to Marin County in California opened on this day way back in 1937.  The festivities lasted for a full week before Mayor Angelo Rossi along with other officials crossed the bridge in a motorcade past three ceremonial barriers (the last being a blockade of beauty queens).

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate strait, which is a three mile long, one mile wide channel between San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Activities, Wildlife

Today, I screamed like a little girl and boldly ran away from a tiny rattlesnake

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’m not too proud to admit it: snakes are scary.  Not spider scary, but scary nonetheless.  So, since summer is quickly approaching, here’s some timely tips from the USDA so you don’t end up looking like me … running away from a tiny little 1.5′ lightning-fast rattlesnake:

Warmer weather lures humans to the outdoors about the same time snakes are increasing their activity, making encounters of the slithering kind inevitable. California has many kinds of beautiful and harmless native snakes. However, one kind of snake that is a safety concern for anyone outdoors in California is the rattlesnake. All snakes, including rattlesnakes, provide humans with a tremendous service because they control rodent populations.

Rattlesnakes are the only venomous snakes in California that can cause serious injury to humans; however, very few people die from rattlesnake bites in California. Generally not aggressive, rattlesnakes strike when threatened or deliberately provoked, and given room they will retreat. Never try to pick up a rattlesnake. Most snake bites occur when a rattlesnake is handled or accidentally touched by someone walking or climbing.

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National Forests

Will the judgement against Adventure Pass Fees cause problems for our local National Forests? #AdventurePassFees

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

In 1996 Congress authorized national forests through the Federal Lands Recreation Act (REA) to enact recreation fees that would generate revenue which would be funneled directly into forest maintenance plans. As the federal budget has continued to hack and slash at service for America (yet, oddly continues to provide billions in aid to people who don’t like us) the U.S. Forest Service has been sorely pressed to come up with funding to make investments to infrastructure and do necessary repairs – especially to those forests that butt up against urban areas and which see heavy traffic.

Many forests adopted the fees and began programs like the Adventure Pass program, which charged forest visitors for access to the lands which, by law, we’re supposed to have free access to.

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Forest Service can no longer charge visitors who just want to hike or bike on federal land. The USFS can only charge people for the use of amenities – bathrooms, developed parking lots, campgrounds, and picnic tables.

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National Forests, National Parks

Yosemite – Invasion of the Drones

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Yosemite has been invaded by drones.  Small, unmanned machines that fly through the air capturing some pretty epic footage of one of America’s great National Parks.  The National Park Service is none too keen on the GoPro shuttles, and has claimed that they’re illegal:

“…Yosemite National Park advises visitors that the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) are prohibited within park boundaries due to regulations outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Specifically, the use of drones within the park boundaries is illegal under all circumstances. Thirty Six CFR 2.17(a)(3) states, “delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit” is illegal. This applies to drones of all shapes and sizes…”

While I’m not a big fan of having my visit interrupted by a noisy little robot, I’m not so sure that HOW Yosemite is going about it is correct.  I blame the NPS – the same guys who shut Americans out of America’s National Parks last year – and their lack of legal experience.

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National Forests

Portrait of a Giant Sequoia… #NGM

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Imagine if you will, taking a picture of a tree.  Get every branch from the base to the tip in the picture.

Sounds easy, right?

Now imagine that the tree is 3,200 years old, 247 feet tall, has two billion needles and is continuing to grow even as you look at it.  All of a sudden, that little iPhone you’ve got in your pocket just isn’t going to cut it.

The Giant Sequoias only grow in Northern California, and they only grow in one tiny little area: the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.  One of the oldest and largest trees growing there is the President.  It’s 247 feet tall, sports a 27 foot diameter trunk (which is svelte compared to two of other local trees), and has the largest crown of any of the Giant Sequoias in the grove.

So how hard can it be to take a picture of a tree?  It’s not like it’s going to wander off or anything, right?  Well, this particular tree is so massive that it’s never been photographed in it’s entirety.  Ever.

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