San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

Great place to go visit on a cold foggy San Francisco afternoon. (Slideshow embedded below. Click on the play button to initiate...)

2011 Calenders are prepared and ready for you.

I've assembled two new calenders for the holiday season. You can see them if you click on the link below. They are ready now for shipping. Allow 10-15 days for delivery.

Click here to view available stock Calenders and pricing


I'd be happy to make up a custom calender just for you using any of the images from my RedBubble portfolio. The available images for custom calenders can be found at David Galson Photography. Please be aware for any custom calender orders to be shipped in time for the holiday, I need to receive your request by November 5th.

FilemakerPro writes up the EMT Flashcard Program for iPhone

FileMaker writes up the story of the EMT Flashcard program for iPhone and iPad.

Click here to read the full text...

Owens Valley Summary Trip Report

If you have a hankering for wide open spaces, love to fish, hike, take pictures, or sit in a chair with stupendous views and you want to make some really good use of shoulder season time, consider an extended tour in the Owens Valley of California on the eastern side of the Sierras.

Away from any big metropolitan areas, this valley is surrounded by mountains - the Sierras to the west and the White mountains to the east offering amazing photographic opportunities at both sunrise and sunset. With Reno at one end and Los Angeles on the other end, the 395 corridor gives you a good start and end destinations - none of which are a gamble.

My wife and I are avid hikers, but we met plenty of fishing folks, soaking folks (in the natural hot springs), and just plain sight seers along the way. Bring some good windex to keep your windshield clean and plan on cooking lots of meals in - because there are some big open spaces here. Even though there are a plethora of Federal, State, BLM, and private campgrounds to be had at most destinations, we opted to bushwack most nights - looking for manageable dirt roads off the main routes that lead invariably to isolated and peaceful camping spots away from the generators, music players, and late night campfire singers.

Starting in mid-April to view the wildflowers, and ending in early October (to avoid the snow at high elevations) you have 6 months to explore this place - although the summer months can get pretty hot unless you stay over 8,500 feet.

Starting in the north and listed going south here are the cheap or free dump station options - not including all the dump stations at the National forest campgrounds which you can use for free if you spend the night.

Bridgeport
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Mono Village at Twin Lakes 760-932-7071 April-October $10.00
Texaco Mo-Mart 760-932-7266 April-October Free with 10+ gallons of fuel - otherwise $7.00

Lee Vining
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Mobil Mo-Mart at the intersection of 120 and 395 - -free dump with fuel - they have water there too an great fish tacos

June Lake:
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Fern Creek Lodge/Store April-October 760-648-7741 Free sani-dump

Mammoth Lakes
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Community Water District 760-934-2596 - Free San-dump

Convict Lake
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Convict Lake Campground April-October - free sani-dump

Bishop
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Highlands Trailer Park year-round 760-873-7616 $5.00
Four Jeffrey Forest Service Campground - free dump with camping or $7.00 without

Death Valley
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Most of the larger campgrounds with water have free sani-dump with park entrance fee

If you go - contact the Inyo National Forest and get the newsprint visitor guide which is chock full of great information. This publication can be picked up at any of the National Forest visitor centers listed below:
Mono Basin Scenic Visitor Center 760-873-2408 near Lee Vining
Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center 760-924-5500, Main Street Mammoth
White Mountain Ranger Station (gateway to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest) 760-873-2500 in Bishop
Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center 760-876-6200 in Lone Pine, CA

Things to consider doing in the Owens Valley (from north to south)

Reno - avoid Street vibrations motorcycle rally in late September
Bodie (Ghost Town) on rt 167
Virginia Lake - great hiking and pack station
Yosemite Nationa;l Park - Tolumne Meadows (Rt 120)
Saddlebag lake (great hiker ferry in summer) off 120 east of Yosemite gate
June Lake loop - scenic, and great day hikes
Mammoth Lakes - mountain biking, spring skiing, scenic hiking
Red's Meadow - Devil's Postpile
Tom's Place, Lake Basin, Little Lakes Valley - amazing hiking, great fishing
Convict Lake - good restaurant, good day hike, nice fishing, scenic
Buttermilks Climbing area - scenic and fun
North Lake - hiking/fishing
Lake Sabrina - hiking/fishing
South Lake - hiking/fishing
Mt. Whitney - lots of easier hiking opportunities too
White Mountains and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest at 11,000 (can drive there)
Death Valley - that's a whole separate story...

Invest in a Natural Hot Springs of the Eastern Sierra book and explore - most of the springs are free, accessible via dirt road, clean, and very enjoyable after a day on the trail or behind the wheel. There are also a handful of commercial hot springs if you prefer concrete pools and adjacent locker rooms.


Happy Travels!!!

Keough Hot Springs, CA (south of Bishop)

Here are photos from Keough Hot Springs, south of Bishop, CA. These are open air, natural hot springs created by users who have piled up rocks in the creek bed to form very private feeling cascading pools of different temperatures downstream from the commercial resort. The natural pools have clean sandy bottoms and have almost no odor so prevalant in the other Owen's Valley hot springs we've visited. Drive south from Bishop and keep your eyes open for the Keough Hot Springs road (there is a sign). Drive up the hill and just before reaching the commercial resort turn right on the wide dirt road. Follow this road just less than 1/4 mile and turn left (uphill) to park beside any one of the many available pools. Typically one party occupies one pool, but approach slowly and inquire if you might join a resident party of all the pools are occupied when you arrive. These are open all year long and are free.

South Lake and Treasure Lake Fall Colors Video

Treasure Lake, South Lake and Home from David Galson on Vimeo.

South Lake and Treasure Lake Fall Colors

On Rt. 169 west of Bishop, take the south fork to South Lake. All along the roadway a beautiful mountain stream cascades down the canyon surrounded by these amazing fall colored aspens. We hiked up to the high country to Treasure Lake, and indeed the colors followed us, but by far the most dramatic displays were in the canyon bottom, at lower elevations where the larger aspens have made their home.

It is going to take me weeks to fully process and complete the work on many of these images but I am really exited to show you the drafts in this post..

There is a slide show embedded below. Click anywhere on the frame to expose the slide controls then click on the play button to run the images automatically. ..

Ancient Bristle Cone Pine Forest

Spent a few days exploring the Ancient Bristle Cone Pine forest high up in the White Mountains of Eastern California. I hope this video invokes some of the magic, and wonder of this remote, desolate, and timeless landscape...

Click on the play button to view embedded video...

Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest from David Galson on Vimeo.

Bristlecone Pine Forest - Methusila Grove from David Galson on Vimeo.

Eastern Sierra Wanderings September 2010

We explore the eastern Sierra, Ancient Bristlecone Pine forest, Convict Lake, Whitney Portal and more.

(Slideshow embedded below. Click on photo frame to expose the slide show controls...)