Disqualified in the photo contest

[Cyrus]

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6457/00000014um3.jpg

 

[Cyrus]

This one is here at MD where I volunteer. That kid is adrian. There are a few kids in high school that help me do restoration.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/5189/02119zs9.jpg

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7437/01210zh9.jpg

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1484/01008bj9.jpg

...thats enough pics for now.

 

[GeoMike]

More great shots, GeoMike! You submitted the best one for the contest, though. Mt. Washington is a beautiful place. On a clear day, the views from the summit are to die for. I wish I had owned a digital camera on on of my Baxter hikes - a crystal-clear fall day on Mt. Katahdin with gorgeous views of much of Maine. Katahdin is visible from our former home in Skowhegan and I tried in vain to spot it from the summitt. Then again, even with my binoculars, spotting a little white farmhouse at a distance of 80-90 miles was probably not going to happen.

Thank you! Katahdin is great too, the Knife's Edge is one of my all-time favorite sections of trail. Sadly I haven't hiked it in about 4 years (from where I live it's about three time the distance to Baxter SP as to Mt. Washington). There are a few places around here where you can see Mt. Washington, but probably no chance of finding them from the top of Mt. Washington. I do know that if it is clear you can see the sun reflecting off the Atlantic Ocean at certain times of the day from the summit.
I think my favorite place in all of New England is Huntington Ravine on the east slope of Mt. Washington. Even in the middle of the summer, when the summit is packed, it's easy to be the only one on the trail through the ravine. And the ice under the boulders sticks around well into July creating natural air conditioning.

-GeoMike-

 

[Evo]

Cyrus, where are the pictures from? What restoration? Did I MISS this? Are you insinuating that as mentor of GD I don't actually read EVERY post?

Actually, I probably read 99% of them, that's why I'm on medication now.

 

[larkspur]

i also have a cat pic. this is our new cat cocoa.

http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/5303/2000280677292571938_rs.jpg



As you can see the weird thing about him is the fact that he has a solid brown coat, exactly like a brown lab.

Cute!

 

[turbo]

Thank you! Katahdin is great too, the Knife's Edge is one of my all-time favorite sections of trail. Sadly I haven't hiked it in about 4 years (from where I live it's about three time the distance to Baxter SP as to Mt. Washington). There are a few places around here where you can see Mt. Washington, but probably no chance of finding them from the top of Mt. Washington. I do know that if it is clear you can see the sun reflecting off the Atlantic Ocean at certain times of the day from the summit.
I think my favorite place in all of New England is Huntington Ravine on the east slope of Mt. Washington. Even in the middle of the summer, when the summit is packed, it's easy to be the only one on the trail through the ravine. And the ice under the boulders sticks around well into July creating natural air conditioning.

-GeoMike-

Everybody in the NE who likes to hike ought to come do Katahdin at least once. The sheer drop on the South side of the Knife's Edge makes it seem almost like an undercut (like Table Rock at The Balsams - a baby hike for those not afflicted with acrophobia) and the winds there create strong updrafts/downdrafts that can enhance the effect. I joined some friends and relatives for a 3-day weekend at Russell Pond once and had a great time. There's a modest hike in and out (although 7.5 miles with several days' worth of gear on your back can be tiring if you haven't done it for a while), but the fishing was great, and we had to constantly keep moving our canoes to stay a "respectable" distance from the feeding moose, who frankly didn't give a damn if we were there or not. The rangers were gentle but insistent that if we had found a good spot to fish and the moose came there to feed, we had to give them space. That's all well and good, but I have been fly-fishing all my life (OK, over 40 years of it) and I know that if you are behaving yourself, feeding moose will get REALLY close to you and will never bother you if you don't bother them. I have pictures from a little pond in Pleasant Ridge when I was snapping shot after shot of a feeding moose, and when I looked up from my viewfinder, I said "holy ****", set down my camera and slowly paddled away. The bow of my little Old Town Pack Canoe was almost touching him. He was a really photogenic Swamp Donkey, and I just kept taking the shots until I realized I might be a BIT close.

 

[turbo]

Follow-up on the moose thing: When I was probably 10 or so, my dad and I went to a remote bog early in the morning to fly-fish. When we got close, we found a large, steaming placenta in the trail and my dad said "there's a new baby moose somewhere, and we've disturbed the mother." We located the "boat" made out of two Pontiac hoods cut off and welded together at their butt ends, and started fishing. The number of moose feeding in that bog was astounding and several of them swam out near us, just giving us "the eye" and moving on. About an hour after we got there, we heard some noise in a thicket of alders, and watched as a cow moose repeatedly moved her baby and got her muzzle under it to move it closer and closer to the water. She got the baby to the bog and he/she was a pretty cinnamon color and swam around freely, staying close to mom all the time. Before noon, she had him/her over near the trail that we had used to get to the pond, and the newborn was walking out of the pond, although a bit wobbly in the knees. TV and the internet is great, but I have never learned anything from them that has greater impact than my real life.

 

[Cyrus]

Cyrus, where are the pictures from? What restoration? Did I MISS this? Are you insinuating that as mentor of GD I don't actually read EVERY post?

Actually, I probably read 99% of them, that's why I'm on medication now.

Those are from the lovely, and I mean lovely Vienna. I.e. here:



http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5383/00000010uj1.jpg





The yellow one was taken at MD.

 

[franznietzsche]

Follow-up on the moose thing: When I was probably 10 or so, my dad and I went to a remote bog early in the morning to fly-fish. When we got close, we found a large, steaming placenta in the trail and my dad said "there's a new baby moose somewhere, and we've disturbed the mother." We located the "boat" made out of two Pontiac hoods cut off and welded together at their butt ends, and started fishing. The number of moose feeding in that bog was astounding and several of them swam out near us, just giving us "the eye" and moving on. About an hour after we got there, we heard some noise in a thicket of alders, and watched as a cow moose repeatedly moved her baby and got her muzzle under it to move it closer and closer to the water. She got the baby to the bog and he/she was a pretty cinnamon color and swam around freely, staying close to mom all the time. Before noon, she had him/her over near the trail that we had used to get to the pond, and the newborn was walking out of the pond, although a bit wobbly in the knees. TV and the internet is great, but I have never learned anything from them that has greater impact than my real life.

Ooooh.

Ok, I can't hold it in anymore: What sound does a moose make? What is the plural of moose? Mooses? Meese?

 

[GeoMike]

Follow-up on the moose thing:

Sounds like an awesome set of experiences...
I have yet to see a moose "on" the trail. I've seen a few on the drive to various trailheads, but never any on the trails.
I saw a bear once, through a pair of binoculars (even managed a camera shot through the binoculars. Blurry, but recognizable). I mostly see toads, snakes, Canadian jays (when they steal my food) and the odd grouse. Even saw the ass of a few deer as they took off. Not much else though.

I like to blame it on the high-use of the areas I go to, but I think the real reason is that I'm too damn noisy when I hike (I sing and talk to myself).

-GeoMike-

 

[turbo]

Ooooh.

Ok, I can't hold it in anymore: What sound does a moose make? What is the plural of moose? Mooses? Meese?

Moose are very quiet and I have not found them vocal at all.

 

[turbo]

Sounds like an awesome set of experiences...
I have yet to see a moose "on" the trail. I've seen a few on the drive to various trailheads, but never any on the trails.

Moose will do their best to avoid you, and if you give them the same space, there wil be no problem. I used to fish a section of Austin Stream that was in Moose Central, and I never had a problem with them. Go quietely, and if you hear a noise ahead of you, whistle or sing softly, and they'll go around you.

 

[larkspur]

Here are more shots from Tahoe:
http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/takeoff.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/stilltowing.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/3personglider.JPG
Three person glider
http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/balloonoverlake.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/more.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/more2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/pilotandplane.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/tow1.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~larkspur2020/tow2.JPG

 

[Cyrus]

WOW THOSE ARE GREAT! I am going to save them on my HD!

 

[turbo]

Sounds like an awesome set of experiences...
I have yet to see a moose "on" the trail. I've seen a few on the drive to various trailheads, but never any on the trails.
I saw a bear once, through a pair of binoculars (even managed a camera shot through the binoculars. Blurry, but recognizable). I mostly see toads, snakes, Canadian jays (when they steal my food) and the odd grouse. Even saw the ass of a few deer as they took off. Not much else though.

I like to blame it on the high-use of the areas I go to, but I think the real reason is that I'm too damn noisy when I hike (I sing and talk to myself).

-GeoMike-

Moose are wary, but not fearful, and they will walk around you if you are on their trail. Wild black bears are as scared of humans as you can imagine, and will run away if they sense you. When I was a kid (late 50's, early 60's) bears would come to landfills (we called them "dumps", duh ) in the evening to get fed hot dogs, marshmallows, donuts, etc. Nowadays, bear hunters bait the bears with these same treats and invite out-of-staters (at high prices) to come shoot the bears that eat the bait. It's pretty sick. I am a hunter, and I hunt white-tail deer and partridge, but I without any bait (as dictated by tradition and state law). For some reason, bears don't get this respect and have been hunted over bait and with dogs wearing radio-collars for the last 30 years. It's not right. If some fat-assed dude from South Carolina wants to come up here and shoot a 400# bear, let him come up here, scout a bear, stalk it and kill it, with no bait and no dogs. I have a bear that I estimate at about 250# living in the back half of my property. He and I are sharing the berries, and although he flattens a lot of canes, I would never hurt him.

 

[scorpa]

Nowadays, bear hunters bait the bears with these same treats and invite out-of-staters (at high prices) to come shoot the bears that eat the bait. It's pretty sick. I am a hunter, and I hunt white-tail deer and partridge, but I without any bait (as dictated by tradition and state law). For some reason, bears don't get this respect and have been hunted over bait and with dogs wearing radio-collars for the last 30 years. It's not right. If some fat-assed dude from South Carolina wants to come up here and shoot a 400# bear, let him come up here, scout a bear, stalk it and kill it, with no bait and no dogs. I have a bear that I estimate at about 250# living in the back half of my property. He and I are sharing the berries, and although he flattens a lot of canes, I would never hurt him.

That is just sick. Similar thing up here, a lot of people from the States come up here to some of the deer farms, all of the deer are kept in a fenced in area, the guy picks the one with the most impressive rack of antlers shoots it, goes back home and brags to his buddies about the awesome buck he got.

 

[Cyrus]

That is just sick. Similar thing up here, a lot of people from the States come up here to some of the deer farms, all of the deer are kept in a fenced in area, the guy picks the one with the most impressive rack of antlers shoots it, goes back home and brags to his buddies about the awesome buck he got.

... LAME...that's NOT hunting...why not just hit it with his SUV and put it in the back?

 

[GeoMike]

... LAME...that's NOT hunting...why not just hit it with his SUV and put it in the back?

Why even leave the house:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4022147.stm

-GeoMike-

 

[Cyrus]

WHAT!? Thats not right...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I understand the sport in hunting, but this gets down to killing for the sake of killing.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I don't agree with it either, but I know there are certain "big game hunting expeditions" already going on that aren't much different than the internet version descibed. For a hefty fee, they put the hunter up in a big comfortable chair (with special accomodations for those with bad backs) on a high platform and then have an employee "shoo" the game out into the hunter's field of vision so a shot can be made and a trophy earned. Sometimes this is justified in that the proceeds ultimately go towards conservation.
The book I got this information from was "Dominion" by Matthew Scully.
http://www.matthewscully.com
Funny thing about Matthew is that he is a republican speech writer (and vegetarian!) and he speaks directly to politically conservative Christians in this book, shaming them for how they callously they treat animals and pointing out how it is incongruous with the Biblical concept of "dominion over the animals". I greatly respect him for bringing to the attention of his target audience that the treatment and preservation of animals is not just a left-wing enviromentalist issue, but something we all have to care about. I hope he made some people listen up. I sure did.

 

[turbo]

That is just sick. Similar thing up here, a lot of people from the States come up here to some of the deer farms, all of the deer are kept in a fenced in area, the guy picks the one with the most impressive rack of antlers shoots it, goes back home and brags to his buddies about the awesome buck he got.

Here, if you shoot a 6-point buck, he's going to run at least 165-170#, and an 8-pointer is going to be pushing 200# at the low end. However, I would much rather (in areas of high deer production) shoot a 150# doe. The meat is incredibly tender. Disclaimer: I hunt with a single-shot Ruger Model One (cal.45-70), and I will NOT take a shot if I cannot make a humane, clean kill. Despite human fallability, I have not needed a 2nd shot in over 20 years.

We don't have many deer farms, but we do have areas where outfitters fatten up bears and bait them in so they can chase them with dogs fitted with radio collars. This is pretty sick, IMO, and I would like to see it stopped, although I am shoveling uphill on this one. Many people don't give a damn for bears, and they think the miniscule amount of money these "sportsmen" spend to kill them is somehow "important" to our economy. Idiots!

To quash the "bears are bad" idiocy, the state could just revive the old "dumps" (as opposed to landfills and transfer stations) and charge people to get in and feed the bears marshmallows and hot-dogs. We used to go to the dumps in the fall and feed the bears for free, just to hang out with them. A black bear's lips can be incredibly facile and gentle when taking food from your hand - they are big sweeties! Yes, I still have all my fingers.

 

[scorpa]

Here, if you shoot a 6-point buck, he's going to run at least 165-170#, and an 8-pointer is going to be pushing 200# at the low end. However, I would much rather (in areas of high deer production) shoot a 150# doe. The meat is incredibly tender. Disclaimer: I hunt with a single-shot Ruger Model One (cal.45-70), and I will NOT take a shot if I cannot make a humane, clean kill. Despite human fallability, I have not needed a 2nd shot in over 20 years.

We don't have many deer farms, but we do have areas where outfitters fatten up bears and bait them in so they can chase them with dogs fitted with radio collars. This is pretty sick, IMO, and I would like to see it stopped, although I am shoveling uphill on this one. Many people don't give a damn for bears, and they think the miniscule amount of money these "sportsmen" spend to kill them is somehow important. Idiots!

Yeah these guys arent there to shoot an animal for meat though, all they want is a head with a huge rack of antlers to hang up on their wall to brag about. I think a lot of times the guy that owns the deer farm is the one that ends up keeping the meat.

 

[larkspur]

i also have a cat pic. this is our new cat cocoa.

http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/5303/2000280677292571938_rs.jpg



As you can see the weird thing about him is the fact that he has a solid brown coat, exactly like a brown lab.

It he a Havana Brown?

Did he look like this as as kitten?
http://www.havanabrown.com/images/Got_Milk.jpg

 

[GeoMike]

Here is a corrected cog shot from the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles thread. I didn't notice it until turbo-1 mentioned it, but the orginal shot was taken with the camera rotated clockwise a bit too much, making the grade appear a bit shallower than it really is! This one has been fixed to show the true grade:
http://www.mcschell.com/cog_fixed.jpg

EDIT:
Also included a couple of shots I took of the cog rack at center of track (from two different hikes, one upslope, one downslope).
http://www.mcschell.com/track2.jpg
http://www.mcschell.com/track1.jpg
-GeoMike-

 

[turbo]

Here is a corrected cog shot from the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles thread. I didn't notice it until turbo-1 mentioned it, but the orginal shot was taken with the camera rotated clockwise a bit too much, making the grade appear a bit shallower than it really is! This one has been fixed to show the true grade:
http://www.mcschell.com/cog_fixed.jpg

That's the shot! Good catch.

 

[scorpa]

Those pics are so awesome Geomike!

 

[Evo]

Ok, Evo trapped in an outdoor glass elevator, in the jungle, in the heat and humidity, in the sun, no air, about to die, so figure I will at least use up the roll of film in my camera. OK, so they rescued me and I lived. The picture is hazy because it is from inside of a glass elevator.

 

[nazzard]

I think I've found the official Mt. Washington thread.

"Here she comes!"

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/4764/mtw2pf7.jpg

"Changes colours too!"

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/4183/mtw1fg0.jpg

Ok, Evo trapped in an outdoor glass elevator, in the jungle, in the heat and humidity, in the sun, no air, about to die, so figure I will at least use up the roll of film in my camera.

...while watching people having fun in the hotel pool ...the definition of "Not fair!"

 

[GeoMike]

Great cog shots Nazzard!

Also, our foliage is just hitting peak now. Unfortunately, it's a bit late for the autumn photo thread, but that's what this thread is for!

My brother and I went up today.
A beautiful (but chilly) day for a fall hike!
http://www.mcschell.com/fall2.jpg http://www.mcschell.com/fall1.jpg

Full picture album here: http://www.mcschell.com/gallery/Web2_Fall
And a trip report with hot-linked images: http://www.mcschell.com/fallweb06mk.html

-GeoMike-