Favorite Pictures of Sunrises and Sunsets

Having to work for a living often required that I hiked at the beginning of the day or the end. The advantage of this was that I saw more sunsets than at any other time in my life. I probably also saw more sunrises, too, but I don't consider this to be an advantage. I really would have rather been sleeping.

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Nikolas sitting on rocks above La Quinta

Clouds above San Jacinto

The sun has already gone down above Pushawalla Canyon

Aerial cotton candy above the Art Smith Trail

A cloud halo above Mount San Jacinto

Clouds hover over the Desert Divide

This is one of my favorite shots and I had it as my desktop on my computer for weeks.

More clouds and sun and mountains

The temperature was as warm as this looks.

Getting ready to head home just before dark.

One thing that surprised me was how many clouds we actually have in the desert.

Not really a sunset but the glow from one.

Sunrise over Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake

Mount San Gorgonio. It was over 100 degrees when I took this one.

Sunset Palm

Halo around the sun

Clouds over La Quinta

Not a great picture but a great start. This was the sunrise of the first day.

Sunset at Joshua Tree National Park.

Sunset over the San Joaquin Valley

The last sunrise I saw this year just may be the last sunrise I see in years. I have no idea the next time I'll have to wake up that early but hopefully it'll be no time soon.

Evening Soul

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE

More often than not I hike alone. I enjoy the solitude, the time to think, soaking in the beauty, serenity and strength of desert landscape. Sometimes, however, there are moments of such sublimity and grace that it's a shame that they cannot be shared with someone else, a person you love. Tonight was one of those nights. I am only sorry that my pictures cannot do it justice.

Sometimes it is the physical exertion that makes a hike enjoyable, while other times it is the scenery, tonight it was the temperature. Every cell of my skin soaked in the absolute perfection that surrounded it. The intense heat of summer has finally come to an end.

After yesterday's long hike, a short and flat hike to Willis Palms was just what I needed. Instead of hiking to the Palms themselves, though, I climbed the hill behind them from the backside up an old abandoned and eroded road that is now used as a trail.

The sun is setting as I get to the top of the hill.

A concrete slab rests where a homestead once stood.

And while no one now lives here, in some ways it feels like home, the place I belong at this moment.

The moon rises and brings its magical light.

As the last light of day falls on the hills in the distance and the moon kisses it goodnight I head home to those I love. My only wish is that they were here instead.

The Air Burns

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO

The heat is starting to dissipate a little from the incredible highs we've been having but it's still going to be a month before it's comfortable to hike during the middle of the day. And while the heat has made it very uncomfortable here in the desert, it has been disastrous for other areas due to intense fire conditions. The Station Fire, near Los Angeles, is the largest fire in the Angeles National Forest in over 100 years. There is also a fire that has broken out in the Yucaipa area. Both of these areas are of interest to hikers because trails either go through or start at these areas. Smoke is not affecting the desert here in the desert although we can see it.

There's an area near the 1000 Palms Oasis that I've decided to go to in order to see what view I might have looking toward the west where the fires are burning.

I make my way up a hill to this Indian trail although I will soon leave it to climb a peak for a better view.

The sun is still out and the heat is intense. Even though the sun will soon disappear behind the horizon it'll stay warm although it feels better when the sun isn't beating on you.

The peak I am climbing has a little use trail heading up it so while it's rocky the climbing is pretty easy.

Looking to the west you can see smoke from the Oak Glen Fire, which just started today.

From the top of the Peak 833 I can look down over the Coachella Valley Preserve. It is a great expanse of undeveloped desert that is rare these days.

As the sun gets further beyond the horizon, the smoke starts spreading out in our direction.

Making it back to the Jeep just after dark I am happy I have a flashlight with me. It's going to be a tough fire season because although we are having one of the worst fires in LA County history the real bad months for fire season are yet to come.

Just A Little Rattled

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE

I had planned to go and hike in Palm Desert after work. That way I could get some shade and I'd hike a little loop I haven't done in a couple of months. Two things conspired against me, though. First, I forgot my camera at home when I left for work and I wanted to go home and get it. Then, when I left work I saw the clouds and the position of the sun, I thought this is going to be a nice sunset and I won't be able to see it from Palm Desert. So after getting my camera I decided to head over to the Indio Hills and see if I could get some pictures near Biskra Palms.

I get to Biskra Palms and the sun is getting real low on the horizon and I have to run to get to a viewpoint where I can get some pictures.

I'm hoping to get up this hill before the sun totally disappears.

Before I get to the hill I turn and get a shot of the sun as it disappears.

I get to the base of the hill and take this shot before I start climbing.

As I climb I continually turn around and take pictures along the way.

The footing is precarious with loose rocks and dirt. It is not fun stuff to climb but the view is worth the effort.

There is very little vegetation on these hills other than a few creosote bushes.

I figure I can hike up this trail a way and come down a different direction closer to the palms. I brought a flashlight in case it gets to dark to see and the hike is going pretty well although the trail is a bit eroded in a few places.

I get to a section where the trail is a bit washed out and I have to jump down a couple of feet to get to a stable section. As soon as my feet hit the ground I hear the unmistakable buzz of a rattlesnake. I look to see where he is and he's about four feet from me and headed in my direction. The reason he's coming toward me is so he can escape below the big rock. That's where he is right now. Trust me.

I wait from a safe location to see if he'll make an appearance and, sure enough, he does. He moves very quickly and while I try to get a close up picture it comes out blurry so this is as good as it gets.

He moves pretty fast along the rocks right where I was standing. I figure he's probably about two and a half feet long.

He heads down into this hole where he'll be safe and so will I. I decide that maybe I don't want to hike the rest of this trail and hike back through the palm oasis in the dark. I don't want to stumble into one of this guy's relatives.

The hill that leads back is like walking down an ice slope covered with ball bearings. But I take it slow and keep my eyes peeled for snakes. One thing about seeing a snake on a hike is that it makes you just a bit paranoid for the rest of the day.

I get back to the Jeep before I really need the flashlight. I check under my door to make sure there are no snakes and climb in. I really thought it would have been too hot today to have a rattler out and about but I guess they can venture out in the shade of the afternoon just like I can. I guess I'll have to start remembering to bring my snake stick along from now on.