.Great Basin Bird Observatory
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Danielle
and I returned to Nevada for the summer of 2007, this time working for
Great Basin Bird Observatory on a state-wide bird survey.
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 Our first view of the mountains, coming into Rocky Mountain National Park on our way to Nevada |
 The very common scene of the Olds Achieva cooling off after a strenuous climb |
 Danielle hikes across the edge of a frozen lake in RMNP |
 Sitting on a ridge in a small valley, with a ring of mountains all around us |
 The main road into and through the Park was still closed, but we still got high enough to get alot of snow |
 Following the highway south along the eastern side of the Rockies |
 Danielle cooking on the campfire in western Colorado after we'd crossed the Rockies |
 We took a detour to Colorado National Monument and were very happy we did |
 Another view of the massive valley at Colorado NM |
 Last view of the eroded pinnacles as we left to hit the road again |
 Surprisingly, I caught this guy with my bare hands, then kept him for a photo as he tried squirming out of the bander's grip |
 Evening as we entered Arches National Park |
 The castle rocks in Arches, before we left on our "backcountry trip" |
 The world's most famous arch, in a rare view without a group of tourists all around |
 The omnipresent La Sal mountains southeast of Arches |
 Danielle and I found some shade under a juniper to spend the afternoon |
 The contrast of red rock, blue sky and white flowers... |
 This was one of the most photogenic places I've ever seen! |
 Danielle walking amongst the hoodoo |
 Balanced Rock, under which Edward Abbey had his ranger's cabin in the 50's |
 One of my favourites pics: Paintbrush flowers against the red rock |
 Finally at work just north of Las Vegas as Desert National Wildlife Range. |
 A view from Desert NWR across to the Spring Mountains |
 Sunset over our camp at Desert |
 The Sheep Range, seen from the Corn Creek Field Station which was our very ritzy bunkhouse on two occasions |
 Danielle spotted these Desert Bighorn Sheep as we were driving up to do a Pinyon-Juniper transect |
 Camping out near our transect in the southern end of Nevada |
 I was just getting into "bed" when I looked up and saw this silhouetted Cholla cactus right above my head |
 Our campsite near Laughlin in southern Nevada |
 The extreme southern region was an interesting desert, with lots of exposed rocks and various cactuses |
 Cholla and Yucca; you really have to watch where you step here, especially if you are wearing sandals! |
 The rugged landscape and diversity of plant life made this area really exciting to camp and work in |
 Danielle preparing some supper in our portable "kitchen" |
 One of the few times I took my guitar out all summer. It had to be detuned every time and buried under half our possessions so it was always a hassle. |
 The "Trail Canyon" trail in the Spring Mountains outside of Las Vegas |
 After a couple weeks in the lowland desert, we were very happy to get up in the cool elevation |
 A particularly large Joshua Tree in Desert NWR. At one point there was nothing but Joshua Tree as far as we could see |
 A Pinyon-Juniper transect in Desert NWR |
 We had several transects in Mormon Mesa, one of our study sites from last year's job. |
 Although it was nice to be in familiar area (and see Virgin Peak at sunset for once) we were not enthusiastic about being back in the Tamarisk jungle! |
 Danielle towering over the top of the Mesa during "the orange phase" |
 Driving around the edge of Lake Mead |
 Prickly Poppies were all over this transect, a "Pinyon-Juniper" transect that had been burnt |
 Danielle and I were doing veg work on this transect, trying to finish up before it got too hot out |
 Getting ready to veg a Sagebrush transect... boring bird surveys, but easy veg! |
 Our first Coniferous transect, above the eastern side of Lake Tahoe. This transect was along the Tahoe Rim Trail and was one of our most memorable |
 We stopped at a small beach along the Lake to make lunch, but were approached by an attendant asking for a $5 entrance fee. We promptly left! |
 Driving from Lake Tahoe, south to our next back of transects along the Eastern Sierra |
 Our first Aspen transect was a real treat. We hadn't realized how much we missed broadleaf trees |
 The transect started at about 8200 feet and took us up nearly 1000 feet along a mountain creek and through pockets of Aspen and meadow |
 Danielle starts some paperwork for the veg |
 A cold front came in as we worked. By the end we were shivering and the wind was now carrying snow! |
 The view into the heart of the Sierras |
 Looking across to these peaks I felt like I was looking down on the top of the world |
 Sagebrush and Aspen, with the Matterhorn Peak in the background |
 An open spot on the way back down to the truck |
 After getting to our site we had the pleasant task of scoping out the area to make sure out transect was where it was supposed to be |
 This montane riparian transect was beautiful from start to finish! |
 We set up the tent for a change to take refuge from the cold winds that evening. |
 That evening and through the night it snowed on us, and we woke up to about a -5 degree morning! |
 The snow on the hills was spectacular the next day |
 A small marshy area (beaver pond) along the transect |
 Pockets of Aspen like this one could be found along the length of the creek |
 Danielle gets ready to do veg under the shadow of the eastern Sierra peaks near Bridgeport, CA |
 On our way to go camping along highway 395 in California |
 This clear stream near our camping spot was begging for us to grab inner tubes and jump in |
 Our bedroom, in a different spot every night! |
 A montane lake on the climb up to the Tioga Pass into Yosemite Park |
 The famous domes of Yosemite as we enter from the north east side |
 Danielle stands in the hollowed-out (and now dead) Sequoia that once had a road going through it |
 Yosemite Valley. Beautiful but packed with more people than I have ever seen in one place in my entire life. |
 Along one of the trails in Calveras Big Trees state park in California |
 I am standing inside the partly decomposed trunk of a fallen Sequoia, taking this picture of Danielle sitting on the other half |
 An underexposure made this rose flower glow |
 Mosquito Lake on the way back over the Sierras near Ebbet's Pass |
 Looking East from Ebbet's Pass |
 A montane meadow near the town of Markleeville, CA |
 The beginning of our Wilson Canyon transect in western Nevada |
 The sunset at Wilson Canyon |
 Despite being right next to a road, the Wilson Canyon transect had really nice scenery |
 Another shot of Wilson Canyon |
 Walker Lake, a dying saline lake fed by the eastern Sierras |
 Mono Lake, another saline lake along the border of California and Nevada |
 Taking a rest along an empty highway near the Anchorite Pass |
 A deserted building in the ghost town of Grantsville, where we had two transects |
 An alkali flat in Railroad Valley |
 A view across the flat and toward the mountains on the Eastern horizon |
 Despite being in a dry flat, flooding and game management was allowing the wetland sites we were supposed to survey |
 Just after sunrise on my transect |
 This lake bed had mostly dried up on top, leaving a muddy trap just below the surface |
 An aspen transect near the Success Summit outside of Ely |
 Sunset in the Schell Creek range near Ely |
 This "salt desert" transect was definitely my most boring; nothing but Horned Larks! |
 The Kalamazoo Pass in the Schell Creek Range |
 Looking south from the Kalamazoo Pass before heading back into Spring Valley and north to our next transects |
 After hearing so much about it, we finally got into the Ruby Mountains near the end of the season for a couple transects and a few days off |
 Beginning along the Ruby Crest Trail, which runs over 40 miles along the backbone of the Rubies... |
 Looking back at Lamoile Canyon as we climb |
 The relative lack of trees along this trail led to a profusion of wildflowers |
 These were growing at exactly 10,000 feet and was the first time all summer we'd hiked that high |
 My only footwear all summer long were my Chacos, seen here once again boldly going where sandals fear to tread |
 Danielle crossing a snow patch, getting closer to the Liberty Pass |
 Stopping to eat lunch at Liberty Pass at 10,450 feet elevation |
 Having passed the Pass, we descended slightly to overlook Liberty Lake |
 The view of this lake was incredible and I couldn't stop taking pictures! |
 Liberty Lake, at just over 10,000 feet is the highest point I've ever been swimming (the water looked way too clear and inviting!) |
 Another view of the lake as we head back up and over the Liberty Pass again |
 Hiking back down... |
 A marshy lake at the foot of the mountains |
 The next morning we hiked the Island Lake trail, which switchbacked up the west side of the mountain |
 The bright sun on the slope was perfect for wildflowers, more than I have ever seen in my life! This picture doesn't even remotely do it justice! |
 Heading back from doing veg in the evening and this guy was crossing the road. It was the only rattler I saw all season, and it happily posed for my telephoto lens |
 Having worked alone all summer, Danielle and I were happy to get back with the rest of the crew during the last week |
 Tom, Danielle and I passed through Bridgeport, CA one afternoon and get caught in the first rainstorm we'd seen all summer. This guy wasn't too impressed! |
 The whole crew relaxing as the sun sets on Wilson Canyon. From left to right: Tom, Danielle, Mike and Gustavo |
 Mesa Fall, Idaho on our way back to Ontario |
 We stopped at Yellowstone for a week to visit our friend and former boss, Karen, and were fortune to help out on the wolf and bear projects, too |
 Danielle and Karen working on supper at a park cabin on our backcountry trip for Bear Management |
 We hiked up along a ridge to survey for Army Cutworm Moths (a bear food source). It was a long day and we didn't find anything, but the hike and view were awesome! |
 Right before turned around and started hiking back. We were getting quite tired at this point and the wind was almost blowing us off our feet |