I was very busy in September taking photos in the Wilderness and at Camp Smokey. I just completed post processing, printing, matting and framing my photos from the Muir Trail Ranch on private land within the Sierra National Forest.
Muir Trail Ranch
Sierra National Forest
September 6, 2006
Beyond the drive over the Kaiser Pass road, after the ferry ride to the far side of Florence Lake, five miles within the John Muir Wilderness, along the John Muir Trail, there is a small in holding of private land – the Muir Trail Ranch.
Surrounded by the Wilderness, ranch guests enjoy horseback riding, hiking, photography, wildlife observing as well as an enormous variety of fishing experiences among the headwaters of the San Joaquin River and on the shores of nearby high elevation lakes. Guests can return to the ranch after their days of exploring the pristine wild high country or take a respite from a backcountry trek along the John Muir Trail. It is an italic location to wander about free, lie on a rock, read a contemplative book or engage in peaceful meditation.
Despite my interest in musing about the value of Wilderness, I was at the Ranch on government business. Several years ago the Forest Service partially completed a land survey in response to a trail re-route project. The trail was found to be on private property and some of the Ranch’s buildings lay on public land. Now, our mission is to resolve the boundary such that the private buildings reside on private property and the public hiking trails traverse on public lands.
Now I must confess that my trip wasn’t consumed by responsibility. Between my bureaucratic discussions I took photos of the rich textures that fill this unique setting made by people and nature; where humans and wilderness values overlap.
Ranch Website: www.muirtrailranch.com
I work with digital photos taken with a Nikon D70s, equipped with a Nikon 50 mm lens 1:1.8 D lens and a Haze-1 filter. Post processing is done on my iMac using iPhoto then printed by on a HP Deskjet 5550.
I want to thank Howard Whitman, Regional Surveyor and Nancy Woolsey for a great trip in the Wilderness.