Monday, August 04, 2008

Vacation in the Sierras



I recently went on a vacation with Kristel to the Sierras including Bodie, Lee Vining, Convict Lake, Mono Lake, and all along Yosemite. It was a wonderful break from work and the city. There were a lot of great moments, and I even painted and drew a bit. This painting was of Tenaya Lake in Yosemite off of Tioga Pass. The water there is amazingly clear and fresh, but the altitude made swimming more difficult than I expected.



In Bodie, there was a great little old house that was totally falling apart. I sat in the shade and sketched while the tourists all spoke out loud about the history of the house I was leaning against. Apparently, that resident was killed in a faulty dynamite accident. Since it's a ghost town, everything is abandoned, but the old mine still looks pretty cool. Kristel, an avid U2 fan, pondered the possibility that the song "Red Hill Mining Town" may have been about Bodie.



One of the great highlights of the trip was seeing a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish in its talons while we were hiking at Convict Lake. The eagle had to avoid seagulls' attempts to snatch its meal, so it flew out around the perimeter of the lake and directly by Kristel and I. I managed to snag a quick shot while he soared past us.

I had a wonderful time, and really enjoyed the mountains and high desert. I was sad the trip was over, but all good things must end, so I will have to start planning a new adventure!

6 comments:

Andy Balmet said...

A new adventure like... Ireland, motorcycling, or mountaineering school perhaps?

Dan Westerman said...

Man, it looks beautiful up there. Glad you had a good time.

chrystal chan said...

nice sketches! viewing the unenlarged photo, i thought it was 2 black goats. one in the air raming another's head that's facing the camera. : X

Ariel Alvarez said...

That painting is a beauty...and that eagle photo is tight.

Eagle eye!

Aletta said...

Love the sketch of the old house! for some reason the whole image just feels really nice.

Martin Kau said...

yer painting is perty and the drawing sweet, and the shot of the bald eagle, YO! Nice stuff man :D
DUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!