Hiking In Lassen; Crag Lake (Chaos Crags)

Hiking In Lassen; Crag Lake (Chaos Crags)

Art, Series and Works
The first hike that I went on at Lassen National Park is also the last one that I wrote about in Lassen in 2015. Chaos Crags also known as Crag Lake. Its a nice trail that winds up the forest towards a small seasonal lake. Most years I've been out to it there is no water in the lake. But this year there was actually a lake there. It was great to see it with water in it. I took two Photo Sphere on this hike, there were really two view, one looking out from the crag and the other down inside of the crater. [sphere 590] [sphere 591] This was a fun hike to photograph, with many expansive views to take in, even more as you climb higher. [gallery columns="4" size="medium"…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Davis Gulch Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Davis Gulch Trail

Art, Series and Works
I've fallen behind on posting these, the last hike that I did at Whiskeytown was Davis Gulch Trail on July 19th. I've since been hiking in Lassen and I will start posting those soon. The Davis Gulch Trail is one that is alongside the lake, and leads over towards the Brady Creek Beach area. There are some great views of the lake on this trail, and it seems like the trail would be more interesting earlier in the season with some water still flowing in the stream. The Photo sphere is from one of the benches near the halfway mark that overlooked Whiskeytown Lake. [sphere 585]   [gallery columns="4" size="medium" ids="583,582,581,580,579,578,577,576"]
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Salt Creek Loop Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Salt Creek Loop Trail

Art, Series and Works
I don't have a lot to say about Salt Creek Loop Trail. It is one of the newer trails in a less developed area of Whiskeytown. The trail was hard to navigate and the landscape was all dry. There are only five photographs from this hike. There wasn't really any good views on this trail and it was mostly just a walk in the woods. The most memorable part of this trail was the swarm of mosquitoes that attacked anytime you were near the dried up creek bed. I do think that this trail would be really nice in late spring or really early summer when there is still water in the creek.   [sphere 555] Next week is Davis Gulch trail, right alongside the lake. This will be my…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Shasta Divide Nature Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Shasta Divide Nature Trail

Art, Series and Works
The Shasta Divide Nature trail starts right at the end of the parking lot for the Visitor Center. This is a nice easy and short trail that winds down to the lake shore and makes a small loop. I was really surprised by this trail and the views of the lake that it offered. The trail makes a small loop, overall it is around .4 miles. The photosphere from this hike is on the lakeside at the bottom section of the loop. [sphere 544]   [gallery columns="4" size="medium" ids="538,540,539,537,536"]
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Guardian Rock Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Guardian Rock Trail

Art, Series and Works
Last week I was out at Guardian Rock Trail, and came back with a ton of photographs. As a result it has taken me longer than I'd like to get this posted. There are 28 final photographs, and the majority of them are HDR or Panoramic images. I really enjoyed this trail. I cannot specifically recall having hiked this trail before, but given its proximity to the NEED Camp I assume that I was on the trail then in 6th grade. All I can remember about being at that camp is the aftermath and having poison oak covering my body. This trail starts out at the Bridge leading to the NEED Camp across Clear Creek. You make your way down to the creekside and the mile walk is almost always…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Brandy Creek Falls

Exploring Whiskeytown: Brandy Creek Falls

Art, Series and Works
Last week I hiked to Brandy Creek Falls. It is a short 1.5 mile hike with around a 500 foot elevation change. At the start you go mostly uphill on the way to the waterfall, so when you head back out its faster and almost all downhill. This is a hike that I've always felt is more about reaching the destination (Brandy Creek Waterfall) and not much else. I went early in the morning and had the trail to myself. On the way out there were two other people headed in. Unfortunately because of the time and coolness the mosquitoes were still out in swarms and if I stopped to take a photo they were on me in the dozens. Seriously I've never felt so many of them on me…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Crystal Creek Falls

Exploring Whiskeytown: Crystal Creek Falls

Art, Series and Works
Crystal Creek Falls is my favorite Waterfall to photograph out at Whiskeytown Recreation Area. It not much of a hike, being only a half mile round trip. I usually stop by this waterfall anytime I am in the area. The photographs below are from three different visits to Crystal Creek Falls, two in February, and one just last week when I was at Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail. I also have two Photo-Spheres from the falls, one was taken with my Nexus 6P last week, the other with my old Galaxy phone in February, when I took the photo it was a light drizzle that day and makes the photo look almost foggy. [sphere 460] [sphere 459] I find it interesting that in just four months my Processing style has changed.…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Crystal Creek Water Ditch Trail

Art, Series and Works
This trail just recently reopened, after being closed in 2013 due to flooding of the trail. I hiked this trail once before it was closed, and had found memories of it. So I am glad to see this trail once again open. The trail reopened on June 15th, 2017 and I was there on the 21st. I think this is one of the less known about trails at Whiskeytown. As the name implies this hike takes you along a historic water ditch that originally provided water to the Camden House Orchard, and now once again after some repairs is providing water to the same orchards. You start just above the Clean-Out house, more of a shed really. It houses a water-wheel mechanism that will rake larger debris such as a…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Mill Creek Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Mill Creek Trail

Art, Series and Works
Mill Creek trail is one of those connecting trail, it seems like its purpose is to connect to as many other trails as possible. I decided to just do the creek side of the trail that you can access from the Tower House Historical District. And even at that I cut it a bit short. According to the guide page this trail crosses the creek 20 times. I believe it from what I saw. I crossed the creek 9 times on my adventure into this trail, and eventually I was just over it. Hopping from stone to stone and then walking 500 feet and doing it again. Yep totally over it. Judging from the state of the trail it is not well traveled as it was a bit overgrown, often…
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Exploring Whiskeytown: Camden Water Ditch Trail

Exploring Whiskeytown: Camden Water Ditch Trail

Art, Series and Works
Fast forward from March to June...that was a long break from hiking looking back, I was using work as an excuse to do nothing. Anyways last week on June 15th I was back at the Tower House Historical District to walk the Camden Water Ditch Trail. Also known as the wildflower trail, to me anyways. The trail is flat and easy going and only around a mile long. [gallery columns="4" size="medium" ids="378,387,386,385,384,383,382,381,380,379"]   The Panorama Sphere for today looks down the hill at some wildflowers, and in between the trees you can see the Camden House. [sphere 390]
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