Euchre Bar Trail

As soon as we hit a dirt road we knew we were going to get into an interesting adventure.  Not too far along the road you will come out of the forest of straight standing pines and onto the ridge side of the canyon where the views are magnificent. The steep canyon walls and snow mountain caps (during the right time of the year) gives you a feeling of excitement even before getting to the trailhead.  Once you arrive at the bathrooms we recommend parking and not driving any further unless you have a 4x4 vehicle with experience. This is where we parked and started the hike down to Euchre Bar. Just follow the road down from the bathrooms and this will lead you to the trail down the canyon.  You know you will be on the right track once you see an old rusty metal sign with a bunch of bullet holes in it spelling out “Euchre Bar” and an arrow pointing to the trail, also a good spot for a selfie :).  It’s a short two miles down to the river but it’s quite steep all of the way down and slippery in a few spots because of leaves on the trail so be careful.

Once you reach the river, you feel at zen.  Twisting and turning moss covered ancient oak trees, the emerald color water artistically carved the stone along the river bed and fresh smell of trees put you at ease.  It’s like you are part of a cinematic film. There is several old gold miner camps with the last surviving rusted metal parts of equipment they used is scattered around the river along with old gold mining caves.  If you bring gold panning equipment you are bound to strike some flakes and if you are lucky maybe even a nugget.  Also at the bottom there is a gorgeous green bridge built in 1965 that crosses the river.  Another great spot to take a photo.  Euchre Bar Trail on the North Fork of the American River is one of our favorites we’ve hiked yet even though the way back up is rather difficult, 1600 ft elevation gain in two miles is quite the trek but worth it on all levels. Overall it’s a very visually-appealing trail.

Independence Trail West

Independence Trail West is now one of the most popular trails in Nevada City, CA. The trailhead is located about 6 miles west of town off Highway 49.  It follows a wooded hillside, passing live streams and crossing deep gorges on restored impressive wooden flumes that once transported water for hydraulic mining. The West trail is 2.5 miles one way and is wheelchair accessible.  It is rated easy on the difficulty scale and is friendly for people of all ages and experience. We even saw a women hiking in heels lol!  For a longer option this trail can be combined with Independence Trail East but if you are feeling up to a more difficult option with a refreshing swim in the Yuba River you can take the Jones Bar Loop that can be combined with Independence Trail West.

The major attractions of this place are awesome walkways made from an old canal system and the wooden flumes only 1.1 miles from the trailhead.  Being mostly shaded during the day, it’s great for photography where you can capture beautiful waterfalls, moss, ferns covered walls and the wooden flumes that give perfect symmetry to your photo composition. The best time to visit Independence trail is during weekdays to escape from busy parking lot and crowd.

Cypress Tree Tunnel

Just north of San Francisco, California there is a prominent cape and attractive tourist destination on the Pacific coast called Point Reyes National Seashore.  It is a 71,000 acre park preserve that has many unique locations within it.  The picture above is road covered with rows of gigantic Monterey Cypress trees forming this famous "tree tunnel".  The Cypress Tree Tunnel of Point Reyes is a one of the most popular travel photography locations in the United States.  One can be very creative photographing this tree tunnel as you can capture its beauty both during sunset golden hours but also foggy days giving the picture its own unique character.  When we arrived at the entrance of Point Reyes it was sunny and by the time we reached the lighthouse on the other side of the park it was foggy and gloomy.  The best way to photograph this tree tunnel is with a zoom lens which gives you the best narrow tunnel perspective.  But if you don't have one you can get great shots as well even with an iPhone so we recommend this place to all who love the outdoors.

On our way back home, we stopped at the old abandoned ship behind the Inverness Store, which is easily assessable. This shipwreck has become iconic in photographs over the last few years. There is a worn dirt trail that takes you around the water and out near the ship. The boat is well preserved, and it is awesome to see Point Reyes lettering on the side of it as it sits in the water. All in all, Point Reyes can make a fantastic short day trip or an extended weekend getaway that you must visit.

Solar Eclipse 2017

One of the most magnificent natural phenomenons of our planet. Solar eclipses have been recorded as important events by humans for millennia.  The first solar eclipse in 99 years to stretch coast to coast in the US, as well as the fist one in the skies of 48 States in 38 years. This is a time lapse we took of it during this magical event. Even though we weren't under the path of full totality, it was enough to experience the effect a solar eclipse has. It was a challenge taking a time lapse without motion control so we had to frame it coming into and out of the shot. The result came out great but could have been better if we were able to capture a longer duration. I hope you will enjoy!

Stay Wild,

Gypsy Locus

Green Lake

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So appealing was the loneliness of wild Green Lake. Falling asleep with a calm, still surface and a great depth of water. On July 2nd, we set out for a backpacking trip to Green Lake in the Hoover Wilderness. It was a spontaneous trip since our Mono Lake plan fell through. We backpacked in Yosemite the night before so we felt like staying in Eastern Sierras one more day. After a breathtaking scenic drive along Highway 120 through Tuolumne Meadows to Mono Lake we made our way north and stopped at the Bridgeport Ranger Station to get our permits.  To get to the trailhead we had to drive up an eight mile dirt road. Green Creek and the lower canyon looked really beautiful, so we were eager to see how it was even higher up.

Green Lake is easily overlooked by fishermen working the streams and lakes along the Eastern Sierra. Tucked up a canyon near Bridgeport in Mono County, Green Lake has wonderful fishing for brook and rainbow trout. The trail began with only a gradual incline for the first mile and then grew steeper with switchbacks. Green Lake is almost at 9,000 feet in elevation, so we took it slow on the trail, pausing often to catch breath and take pictures. A few places along Green Creek look tantalizing. Overall it is a fairly moderate hike. Once at the lake you'll find use trails that provide access to most areas along both shores. Fishing was especially good at the upper end of the lake. A number of good backpacking sites are located along either side of Green Lake.

A great side trip from Green Lake is to continue up the trail to East Lake, only a mile up the trail. East Lake rivals Green Lake for beauty and quality fishing. Another option is West Lake less than a mile beyond Green Lake in another direction.

The lake and the mountains had became our landscape for day and night. Hiking up there was fun. There was so much water from the snow melt that even the trail had running water through it on some sections.  By the time we got there we were exhausted but at the same time we still wanted to explore more.  Even though it was the beginning of July there was still a lot of snow up at Green Lake.  We tried to make it to the east side of the lake but the stream coming out of it was so full there was no where to cross.  We decided to do some cross country to the west side of the lake to find a campsite and we even had to cross a big shelf of snow.  We finally found a perfect campsite.  On one side we had a vertical wall of rock and the other a wall of snow so we had nice protection on either side.  We gathered firewood and made a fire to get warm and dry our shoes.  After we ate, it was time for some night photography.  Unfortunately the milky way was in the opposite direction that we were shooting but we had the moon in our shot to get a nice dramatic photo with the moonlight shadows of trees bouncing off the glowing snow patches all over the mountains towering on either side of the lake.  It was a very magical scene.  The next morning we got a few more shots of the lake and made our way back down the mountain.  The Eastern Sierras are pack with such a unique beauty and feel we can’t wait to come back and explore some more.

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The Abandoned Davenport Pier

There is a lot of alluring beaches north of Santa Cruz, California but there is one in particular that is quite unique. It's called Davenport beach and it's a location with an abandoned pier.

Moody and mysterious, to a photographer, this seascape is a gem. That's why we decided to scout this place on a Sunday afternoon. After we parked and got our gear, we had to hop over a rail road track to make our way to the cliff side. Not knowing what to expect, we got to the cliff side and sure enough there it was, Davenport Pier. Distracted by its majestic beauty it took us a while to notice that the only way down to the beach was a steep cliff. At the top of the so-called trail, we looked down and saw someone jimmy rigged a rock climbing rope to a metal fence pole. Not looking too secure we decided to pass on using that as our lifeline down to the beach. The trail down the cliff needed a little bit of climbing experience but it wasn't as daunting as it seemed from above.

Once we got down to the beach with the sand reaching between our toes we had the perfect view. Three standing rock archways with nothing in between, holding strong against the daily crushing walls of water made it seem like the abandoned pier made a deal with time. During golden hour is the perfect time to be here. On the south end of the beach we spotted a waterfalls coming down the cliff side which was another great photo opportunity.

After many different shots the time just passed by and once it was time to depart it there was only a sliver of daylight left. I took my trusty flashlight out and made our way back up the cliff. Davenport was definitely worth the visit.

Stay wild. Stay adventurous.

American Canyon Creek Falls

American Canyon Creek Falls, if you have ever asked anyone about it, they probably don't know it exists.  That is the beauty of going to these falls, it is so secluded that you have a high chance of being the only people there.  On our first adventure here, we actually had no clue where on the trail the falls was besides being on the American Canyon Creek.  So by adventure it actually really was.  You can find the trailhead for American Canyon Trail right off of Hwy 193 after turning left on Sweetwater Trail, if you are coming from Cool, CA.  Here are the GPS coordinates you can use to get there.  There is a lot of poison oak on this trial so beware.   Make your way down the canyon and you will cross paths with Wendell T Robie Trail in a little over a half mile, turn right then go another short distance to the second intersection in which you will stay left to continue on the American Canyon Trail.  As you get further down the Canyon, you will cross American Canyon Creek.  Keep going on the trail until right before the intersection of Dead Truck Trail.  As you split away from the creek, you will find a path going down on your left.  This is what takes you directly to the waterfalls.  This two stage waterfall dives into a narrow channel between two massive rocks and runs between them before falling again into a beautiful swimming hole at its base.  We got the whole places to ourselves for the few hours that we were there.  It's very picturesque with the green forest in the back and ferns covering the walls.  Also if you are a rock climber or a ninja :) it's pretty fun to pin yourself between the two rocks on either side and make your way through the channel!  Stay wild and comment if you have any questions about this place.

Natural Bridges

Santa Cruz is a place of it's own.  Secluded by the frenzy of the Silicon Valley it's a great escape for many that want to get away to something more peaceful.  Natural Bridges State Park is one of the many attractions in Santa Cruz that bring people from all over the world.  That is where you can find the Natural Bridge we took the photo of above and it is an exceptional subject for a photograph during golden hour or sunset.  This natural bridge is the last remaining out of three arches that resided on this beach.  The Natural Bridges State Park is also home to up to 150,000 monarch butterflies when they migrate there for a winter safe haven. If you visit during mid-October to mid-February you'll be able to see thousands of them clustered in the eucalyptus trees.  Put this on your bucket list, you won't be disappointed.

Safe travels, stay wild!