Tuolumne Meadows 2019

This year I took some friends to camp in the high country of Yosemite National Park for 4 days. There were 7 in our group. For a few people camping was a new experience. I enjoyed sharing some of my favorite hikes and seeing their excitement. One woman commented, “This is better than shopping!” We had a great trip!

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I took an additional day and night on my own to revisit a favorite location and focus on photography. Here are some of those photos.

Tenaya Lake and Half Dome are off in the distance below.
Parker Pass Creek runs along Tioga Road. The mosquitoes here were really bad. For me to say that, they had to be REALLY bad!
Peaceful – I loved roaming around before, during, and after sunset looking for compositions and being here!
The moon draws close to the western horizon as the first stars appear.

Nepal 2019

This April I began a trek in the Annapurna region in Nepal, intending to visit the ancient villages of Nar and Phu. We also intended to head over Kang La Pass, (17,500 ft). However, due to extremely high snow over the winter the pass was not possible. In addition, I had some minor stomach problems which ultimately developed into dehydration and having to cut my trekking short. The other four in the group were able to continue trekking without me. As a result, I had a short trek with an extended time in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

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My favorite photos of the trip were of a sunset over Lake Phewa in Pokhara. I had just finished eating pizza in a restaurant and I could see the sky lighting up. As soon as I finished eating, we dashed to the lake and an incredible sunset. Unfortunately, my DSLR was in the hotel. All I had was my phone camera.

Sunset over Lake Phewa in Pokhara

Another highlight was entering the valley after leaving the village of Koto. All of us trekkers were in awe of the beauty of this valley. I compared it to a scene from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings! Others thought of the pristine beauty that John Muir must have seen when he first entered Yosemite Valley.

Ancient Valley near Koto

A final highlight was paragliding in Pokhara.

Tandem Paragliding in Pokharah