When I start out for a day, I usually have something in mind, but I don’t fixate on it.  Finding subject matter is the process of narrowing down the possibilities.  I’m always open to whatever nature provides me.  I can be driving in the middle of nowhere and see something that attracts my eye, something that makes it special, and I have to listen – even if it’s not on my list.

This year’s trip up the Eastern Sierra did not end at its usual destination of Mono Lake.  In fact, it didn’t actually end up in the Eastern Sierra as the camping and most of the shooting was done in the White Mountains.  But nobody knows about the White Mountains or where they are.  They are one of the mountain ranges to your east as you drive up highway 395 through the Owens Valley.  Most people are gawking at the spectacular escarpment of the Eastern Sierra Nevada to the west and hardly pay any attention to the towering mountains to the east.

But starting east of Big Pine and extending north past Bishop is the White Mountain range which boasts the third tallest peak in California – White Mountain at 14,252 feet (4,344 m).  The White Mountains get their name from the dolomite formations there, a light gray sedimentary rock composed of calcium magnesium carbonate.  Dolomite gives the soil its high acidity, making this area perfect for the Ancient Bristlecone Pine.

And that brings us to the objective of this year’s Eastern Sierra trip – the Bristlecone Pine.  The trip was timed to be in the Bristlecone Pine forest for the September full moon which this year fell on Monday, September 15th.  An ancient, craggy Bristlecone Pine with the full moon rising behind it, that was the vision.

And how did it go?  Stay tuned….

The investigation of the Shulman Grove Visitor Center fire is complete but the results have not yet been released.  Here’s a recent post.  http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1304/48/

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.  The celebration in the Schulman Grove will continue as planned on September 20.  Also, the Methuselah Trail that was closed for a while after the fire has been reopened.  The Methuselah Trail winds its way through the oldest trees in the forest including the Methuselah tree whose age is determined to be 4,700 years old.  However, the tree is not identified.  Here’s the post from the Inyo National Forest regarding the celebration.  http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/bristlecone/index.shtml

Other postings announcing the celebration include:

http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/117328/27/

http://yubanet.com/california/Celebration-of-50th-Anniversary-of-Ancient-Bristlecone-Pine-Forest-September-20th_printer.php

Following the John Christiana angle of the story, Christiana pleaded not guilty to felony charges of auto theft, grand theft and receiving stolen property.  Sheriff’s investigators have enough hard evidence to link him to the rash of vandalisms that occurred in recent weeks in the Big Pine Creek and Bishop Creek areas.  The Inyo Register reports the following…

http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/116920/27/

The Schulman Grove Visitor Center fire investigation seems to be moving ahead very slowly.  It appears authorities are taking their time to unravel what they see as a complex situation to make sure their conclusions are well founded.  http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1290/48/

Meanwhile, John Thomas Christiana has been charged with more vandalism crimes.  He appears to be a complex person, one with a long history of loving the challenge of the outdoors.  But now it appears he has gone off his rocker.  http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1289/48/

I almost hesitate to add this next link but here it is.  In a way it’s very sad.  http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=325551912

Especially when you compare it to this link.  http://7summits.com/forum/index.php?topic=950.0

Here’s a quick status of the tragic loss of the Schulman Grove Visitor Center in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, a beautiful section of the Inyo National Forest.

Beginning in late August a rash of vandalism started in the Eastern Sierra with the area around Big Pine being ‘ground zero.’  http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/115766/27/

Thursday morning, September 4th, the Schulman Grove Visitor Center burned to the ground.  This was amidst a rash of vandalism events occurring at the same time in the area.  Arson is suspected.  http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/115529/1/

On Saturday, Sept 6th John Thomas Christiana of San Francisco was arrested in Lone Pine in connection with the vandalism.  He had articles in his car that had been removed from a vandalized cabin.  http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1274/48/

Christiana was arraigned in Inyo County Court on Tuesday, Sept 9th.  http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1285/48/

Here’s the link to the latest article in the Inyo Register – http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/116554/

Here’s what it looked like.  It was a truly beautiful structure.  http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2727239740033719756fZLuqQ

The visitor center will be rebuilt and efforts are underway to raise the expected $700,000 through private donations and matching funds.  More information will be posted on this blog regardging the fundraising as it becomes available.

Here are a few more posts…

http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=440245

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/news/2008/09/shulman.shtml

http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=1268

http://www.sierravisionsstock.com/sierravisions/bristlecone-pine-visitor-center-lost-to-fire/

There’s been an arrest in conjunction with the recent vandalism in the Eastern Sierra.  The cause of the fire at the Schulman Grove visitor center is still under investigation.  If it proves to be arson the person arrested will be a prime suspect.

Read more.

http://www.ksrw.sierrawave.net/site/content/view/1274/48/

The other night I was talking about the Politics of the Nature Photographer.   One comment I made was “One thing about the natural beauty we so enjoy is that it takes constant vigilance to preserve it.  One lapsed moment to greed and it’s gone forever.”

Well, it happened….  Read this…

http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/115529/1/

and this…

http://www.inyoregister.com/content/view/115766/27/

What else can I say?

Two weeks of political conventions have left me feeling a bit nauseous.  But, as a nature photographer, some things political have become clearer.

Instead of drilling for more domestic oil, why can’t our country embark on the environmental equivalent to the Manhattan project or the Apollo mission to develop alternative energy sources?  Instead of weaning ourselves from foreign oil why don’t we wean ourselves from oil in general at least to the maximum extent possible (haven’t seen a solar powered 747 yet).  If we can put a man on the moon in ten years is there any reason our great country can’t lead the world to alternative energy?  If we don’t, we’ll be giving up leadership to some other country.  Wouldn’t it be hilarious if that country was China.

One last thought – can you imaging the nature photographer overlooking a grand vista at sunset in Utah and exclaiming, “Oh man, this is amazing!  Won’t this make a stunning strip mine?”  One thing about the natural beauty we so enjoy is that it takes constant vigilance to preserve it.  One lapsed moment to greed and it’s gone forever.

Thoughts from a self-confessed tree hugger.