Point Reyes National Seashore: 12 June 2016

This was a fast-paced hike at Point Reyes National Seashore. The walk started at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. We first cranked up the Mount Wittenberg Trail, and then descended the Sky Trail to the site of the recently collapsed Arch Rock. After a fifteen-minute lunch break, we returned to the hike's start via the Bear Valley Trail. Seventeen people participated in this beautiful and somewhat challenging hike.
On 21 March 2015, Arch Rock collapsed killing one person and critically injuring another person.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph. 

A view from the site of Arch Rock, looking north.

This map shows an overview of the location of the hike. Included on the map is a GPS-generated track of the route, including mile markers. 

The hiking group on Mount Wittenberg. 

The group has been moving fast, and we are now taking a 2-3 minute rest break on the Sky Trail. 

This lovely tree is located adjacent to the Sky Trail. 

A view of Coast Creek shortly before it meets the Pacific Ocean. 

A view looking north, the Coast Trail is visible. 

About 15 months ago, Arch Rock collapsed, killing a San Francisco preschool teacher. 

 This photo was taken from a helicopter by a National Park Service photographer shortly after Arch Rock's collapse on 21 March 2015. 

A view of the remains of Arch Rock.

This graph shows the elevation changes encountered during the hike. 

The distance traveled was approximately 11.4 miles (18.3 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 1,801 feet (549 meters). Included on the map is a GPS-generated track of the route, which includes mile markers. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com.    

San Francisco, a ramble through Glen Park, Diamond Heights and Noe Valley: 31 May 2016.

Click on an image to view the full-size photograph.

Bernal Heights Park as seen from Billy Goat Hill Park. 

This is a map of the route. Mile markers are shown on the GPS generated track. 

A graph of the elevation changes encountered during the walk. 

The bottom of the Harry Street Steps.

Mount Davidson, the highest natural point in San Francisco (938 feet, 286 meters) as seen from Walter Haas Park. 

Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks, as seen from Walter Haas Park.

J-Church Muni Metro Streetcar. 

The southern terminus of Noe Street. 

A view of downtown San Francisco as seen from Billy Goat Hill Park. 

A view of San Bruno Mountain, as seen from Walter Haas Park. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com  

Vargas Plateau, East Bay Regional Park, Alameda County: 20 May 2016

Vargas Plateau Regional Park, located high in the hills between Fremont and Sunol, was a former cattle ranch. The park opened recently as the newest addition to the East Bay Regional Park District. It is a relatively small park, with approximately 6 miles of trails on 1,249 ridge-top acres.

The new park did not come easily into existence. The East Bay Regional Park District acquired most of the land in the mid-1990s for 6.6 million dollars from the two families ranching it, the Vargas and the Tavares families. But after the acquisition, a long-drawn-out legal battle with neighbors over the amount of vehicular traffic and public parking delayed the opening.

A settlement was eventually reached with nearby property owners, which involved limiting visitor parking to a small lot outside the park’s entrance. 

                          Click on an image to see the full-size photo

A view looking west, across San Francisco Bay. The Santa Cruz Mountains are in the background. The massive dirigible airship hangers are somewhat visible at Moffett Federal Airfield. The cities of Mountain View, Cupertino, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park, are across San Francisco Bay and they are within the area of this photograph. 

Sunol Peak, elevation 2,178 feet (664 meters). This view is looking east. 

This view is looking southwest. 

It was a cool, windy, and cloudy day. 

Mission Peak, elevation 2,497 feet (761 meters). 

This view is looking west, across San Francisco Bay. The  Dumbarton Bridge is visible, as are the cities across the bay of San Carlos, San Mateo, and Redwood City. The body of water at the foot of this hill is known as the Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area. In addition, Alameda Creek flows through the recreational area. Coyote Hills Regional Park is identifiable in this photograph. 

The distance traveled was approximately 3.9 miles (6.3 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 583 feet (178 meters). This GPS-generated track of the route includes mile markers. 

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"A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.” Dorothea Lange 

"Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important." Henri Carter-Bresson

"There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer." Ansel Adams

"The important thing is not the camera but the eye." Alfred Eisenstaedt

The first volume of the San Francisco Bay Area Photo Blog contains galleries of photographs that were posted on the Internet between 2002 and 2011. Click Here to view those photos.

   An Olympus camera was used to take these photographs.

Question or comment? I may be reached at neil@mishalov.com  

A bicycle ride on the Richmond portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail: 15 May 2016

I rode my bicycle from Berkeley to Point Richmond on the beautiful San Francisco Bay Trail. Photographs are displayed in the sequential order of the trip.
The distance traveled was approximately 26.1 miles (42 kilometers). The cumulative elevation gain was about 566 feet (172 meters).

The United States Department of Agriculture's Western Regional Research Center. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The mouth of Marin Creek during low tide. Marin Creek is a tributary of Codornices Creek. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The remnant of a ship dock built in Richmond sometime in the 1850s. The dock was constructed in a marshy area along the bay shore. It was erected during the Gold Rush to provide a jetty for small boats to travel to San Francisco. The boats helped to provide the rapidly growing San Francisco population with fresh produce. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A yacht harbor located on the former site of Kaiser Permanente Richmond Shipyard No. 2. This view is looking west. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Outside of the Craneway Pavilion area of the Ford Motor Company's Richmond Assembly Plant. The massive cargo vessel visible in the distance is the Felicity Ace, a vehicle carrier ship built in Japan and launched in 2005. The view is looking west. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

The main entryway to Sims Metal Management's scrap metal recycling yard located in Richmond. This view is looking east. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The recycling yard is busy on a Sunday. Trucks are taking scrap metal from the yard to a ship docked fairly close to this location. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A truck loaded with scrap metal is slowly leaving the yard and is traveling a short distance to load the scrap metal on the ship. The destination of the scrap metal is Asia. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The site of Kaiser Permanente Shipyard No. 3. This shipyard produced a total of 35 Type C4-class cargo ships. Of the four Kaiser Permanente Shipyards in Richmond, Shipyard No. 3 was the only shipyard which had dry docks. Shipyard No. 3 was also designed to be a permanent shipyard. It remained active until 1970 when it closed down. Shipyards 1, 2 and 4 were designed for use only during the war and had long since been removed from the landscape. The Kaiser Permanente Richmond Shipyards combined production was 747 ships, the greatest number of ships constructed by a shipyard in the US during WWII. This view is looking south. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A view of Shipyard No. 3's five dry-dock shipways. The SS Red Oak Victory is partially visible; she was constructed at Kaiser Richmond Shipyard No. 1 and was launched on 9 November 1944. The Whirly Crane in view was used at the Kaiser Permanente Richmond Shipyards during WWII. This view is looking east. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The Red Oak Victory and the Whirly Crane. This view is looking south. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A WWII era Whirly Crane and the stern of the SS Red Oak Victory, as seen in Kaiser Richmond Shipyard No. 3. Whirly Cranes could hold up to 50 tons from their 100-foot booms. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

The Felicity Ace is a Japanese 'car-carrier' cargo ship. On this trip, she traveled from Japan to Richmond California to unload Subaru vehicles. Subaru has a large secure outdoor car storage area on the site of Shipyard No. 3, where its cars are parked before being sent to their destination areas via railroad freight cars designed specifically to transport cars, vans, and small trucks. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

This immense concrete structure was the 'General Warehouse' of Kaiser Richmond Shipyard No. 3. It was the storage location of small and necessary items needed by the Merchant Marines assigned to each ship. For example: dishes, mirrors, cabinets, toilets, stoves, etc. A commonly asked question is why was this building constructed of concrete rather than wood and steel? During WWII, the primary use of metal was for the war effort. Using metal in the construction of a building was not acceptable during the war. Civilian cars were not constructed during the war. Jeeps, tanks, ships, and bombs were fabricated. This view is looking southeast.

"This structure was constructed in an unprecedented 120 days beginning in February of 1942. At four-stories and measuring 140 feet by 260 feet, it is the tallest building in the yard; its concrete construction and lack of windows also make it the most massive. Interior surfaces are concrete, including the floors, walls end ceilings. The main level of the structure is open, with a grid of square concrete columns".

From the History of Kaiser Shipyard No. 3. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Two old brick kilns are still standing at Brickyard Cove. The Richmond Pressed Brick Company had a large brick factory located in this area. This view is looking south. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

Brickyard Cove is now an upscale waterfront neighborhood. The buildings in this picture are condominiums and the condo owners started this community garden last season. This view is looking northwest. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

Ferry Point Pier was constructed In 1899; it was the final destination on the Transcontinental Railroad. This structure enabled railroad freight cars to be removed from trains, put on barges, and then taken across San Francisco Bay to San Francisco for unloading. 

During WWII, the Ferry Point Pier was also the site to which Kaiser Richmond Shipyard workers who lived in San Francisco traveled to via ferries from San Francisco. From here it was a short bus ride to the shipyards. During WWII, more than 95,000 people at any one time, worked at all four of the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards. The construction of ships at the Kaiser Shipyards took place 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year until the conclusion of the war. This view is looking south. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

This photo, taken from the Miller/Knox Regional Shoreline, provides a view of southern Marin County. To the left of Mount Tamalpais is a view of the northeastern portion of the Tiburon Peninsula. On the right side of the photo is the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The bridge is 5.5 miles in length. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

A view of the southern entry to the Dornan Drive Tunnel, located in Richmond. The tunnel became operational in 1912; it is commonly referred to as the Richmond Tunnel. Click on the image to see the full-size photograph.

I came upon these Canadian Geese and their goslings adjacent to the Bayside Court Trail. They were very calm as I approached on foot; I made sure to move slowly and not get too close to the birds. Click on the image to see the full-size photo.

“A camera is a tool for learning how to see without a camera.”-Dorothea Lange

You are welcome to visit my primary website  www.mishalov.com