5cm f2 HC, the (very) little town of Union Bridge in western Maryland. The building is a historic train station. Apart from being an active railroad station it also houses the Western Maryland Railroad Musuem.
In the hills just outside Palm Springs is the Reservation belonging to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Reservation contains canyons where one finds cool, lush, palm-filled oases above the hot desert floor below. For a small fee, outsiders can explore several trails through several canyons that make up their ancestral lands. It is also the largest native stand of these kinds of palms in the world - Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) [https://www.indian-canyons.com/].
I was able to spend a few hours up there before my flight out last Friday. I didn't have time to explore too much, or see the best parts, so it is a place I need to go back to next time I am in Palm Springs. Here are a few quick captures:
In the hills just outside Palm Springs is the Reservation belonging to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Reservation contains canyons where one finds cool, lush, palm-filled oases above the hot desert floor below. For a small fee, outsiders can explore several trails through several canyons that make up their ancestral lands. It is also the largest native stand of these kinds of palms in the world - Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) [https://www.indian-canyons.com/].
I was able to spend a few hours up there before my flight out last Friday. I didn't have time to explore too much, or see the best parts, so it is a place I need to go back to next time I am in Palm Springs. Here are a few quick captures:
We spent acouple of days in Palm Springs ~6 years ago - just before I ventured into MF Nikon glass.
Lots of pictures but all AF.
There were numerous signs at the top of the canyon warning about the dangers of snakes. Coming form the UK this worried my girls but I assured then it would be ok and that any snakes wouldn't venture onto the trail. WRONG! Freaked them out and spoilt the walk. We didn't get all the way up the canyon - pity.
The airbnb we rented was interesting; located right opposite Taipei Main Station... in an office building?!
Some of the enterprising companies bought off an entire floor for a gym (6th iirc), and even a hotel (19th floor, the Sky19); the elevator would open right to their concierge desk.
In the mornings a line would form out at the ground floor lift lobby, office workers in office attire, briefcases, heels and slicked hair, all queuing up for the next one up... and me in my jammies with a sammich and hot coffee from the convenience store. Pretty surreal.
We stayed on the 18th... beside many other small-time offices (paper printers were our left sided neighbour). The building's airwell was definitely dodgy (...I might have accentuated it with the b&w treatment) but the apartment itself was a stark contrast - modern and very cool.
single frame 16mm f/3.5 AI shot - familiar subject but from a different angle. This shows Shadow Lake, a magical little lake in the Ritter Range hikers on the John Muir Trail get to visit, while my location is on the scenic alternate, the Pacific Crest Trail. This is the only section in the Sierra Nevada where the Pacific Crest Trail leaves the John Muir Trail for a different take at the journey from Mount Whitney to Yosemite. As cool as Shadow Lake is, the hike along that side of the Middle Fork San Joaquin valley is much more arduous and the crowds on that trail segment ruin the experience for me, so I keep walking along the other side, enjoying these epic views for many miles.
We spent acouple of days in Palm Springs ~6 years ago - just before I ventured into MF Nikon glass.
Lots of pictures but all AF.
There were numerous signs at the top of the canyon warning about the dangers of snakes. Coming form the UK this worried my girls but I assured then it would be ok and that any snakes wouldn't venture onto the trail. WRONG! Freaked them out and spoilt the walk. We didn't get all the way up the canyon - pity.
Did you go up Mount San Jacinto?
Colin
Colin:
No - we only had a few hours and, as you know, taking photos takes up time - so we stayed on the valley floor in "Palm Canyon" - making it only a couple of miles up before leaving for the airport. About the rattlesnakes - we were told they hibernate during the winter and come out March/April.
This was my first visit to the area, as my sister just moved there, so it was pretty much a scouting trip for places like Joshua Tree and these canyons. Next visit I will check more of those trails out (a good place to spend some time away from long, dark Montana winters).
We spent acouple of days in Palm Springs ~6 years ago - just before I ventured into MF Nikon glass.
Lots of pictures but all AF.
There were numerous signs at the top of the canyon warning about the dangers of snakes. Coming form the UK this worried my girls but I assured then it would be ok and that any snakes wouldn't venture onto the trail. WRONG! Freaked them out and spoilt the walk. We didn't get all the way up the canyon - pity.
Did you go up Mount San Jacinto?
Colin
Colin:
No - we only had a few hours and, as you know, taking photos takes up time - so we stayed on the valley floor in "Palm Canyon" - making it only a couple of miles up before leaving for the airport. About the rattlesnakes - we were told they hibernate during the winter and come out March/April.
This was my first visit to the area, as my sister just moved there, so it was pretty much a scouting trip for places like Joshua Tree and these canyons. Next visit I will check more of those trails out (a good place to spend some time away from long, dark Montana winters).
Cheers
Doug
We were there in April. Still a bit of snow on top of the mountain. Lovely trails and epic views across the valley floor.
No - we only had a few hours and, as you know, taking photos takes up time - so we stayed on the valley floor in "Palm Canyon" - making it only a couple of miles up before leaving for the airport. About the rattlesnakes - we were told they hibernate during the winter and come out March/April.
This was my first visit to the area, as my sister just moved there, so it was pretty much a scouting trip for places like Joshua Tree and these canyons. Next visit I will check more of those trails out (a good place to spend some time away from long, dark Montana winters).
In the hills just outside Palm Springs is the Reservation belonging to the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. The Reservation contains canyons where one finds cool, lush, palm-filled oases above the hot desert floor below. For a small fee, outsiders can explore several trails through several canyons that make up their ancestral lands. It is also the largest native stand of these kinds of palms in the world - Washingtonia filifera (California Fan Palm) [https://www.indian-canyons.com/].
I was able to spend a few hours up there before my flight out last Friday. I didn't have time to explore too much, or see the best parts, so it is a place I need to go back to next time I am in Palm Springs. Here are a few quick captures:
NightOwl Cat wrote:
Just send me the non-perfect one, thanks
Promise to keep it and it is yours for the shipping cost. The glass is perfect on it. Only caveat is the one I bought is truly perfect so that I will keep it.
