Clouds and lost trails

There were cool clouds around all day, so after work I drove out to the Superstition Wilderness to see if I could get pictures of some. There were still a few around when I got there. I went a short way out the Dutchman trail. It was extremely quiet out there. The air was still and the honey bees had retired for the evening. I could hear a bird now and then, but that was it. It was wonderful.

Hanging fruit cholla flower.

I climbed up a hill and sat, enjoying the view and taking pictures. I took a lot of exposure bracketed shots for HDRIs. It seems that Photomatix has some trouble with either clouds or low light (where the only edge in all three pictures is the horizon). There wouldn't have been a problem if I'd used a tripod. I'll have to remember to carry it along on short, late hikes like this.

A lot of pictures in this direction couldn't be processed by Photomatix.

OK, there's the clouds. "But what's this about lost trails?", you ask. Remember that BMW session I had a week or so ago about the morons tearing up the desert in Bulldog Canyon? One reason that bothers me is because, if it keeps up, that area will be closed to vehicles. I ain't no spring chicken no more. If I'm not able to drive to a lot of the places I hike in there, I just won't be able to hike there anymore. So why do I bring this up again? Well, as I drove along First Water road to the trailhead, I passed the turn-off for the Massacre Grounds trailhead. The road out to that trailhead is very wide for a long way. The reason it's so wide is because, when it rains, all the yahoos that bought jeeps and trucks and then jacked them up so they almost need a ladder to get in, go out there to play in the mud. When you're doing donuts in slippery mud, it's hard to stay on the road. If you're a yahoo, you don't care because you want a wider road, anyway, so it's OK if you take out a paloverde, some cholla, or even a few saguaros. That road is also a favorite place for people to go target shooting. There's a big sign that says, "Congested area. No target shooting." The yahoos shoot it. They also bring their own targets, usually empty liquid Tide detergent bottles. No, I don't know why they are so popular, unless it's because they are so big. Sometimes they also shoot at their empty beer cans, though I suppose such a small target is hard to hit after you've emptied it, so they're usually just tossed aside. The National Forest Service has put a damper on all that good fun, though. There were three rows of dirt blockades piled up to block access to the road, and beyond them the road had been tilled to enable plants to get their roots started. They'll have to maintain the blockade weekly, though, because yahoos are stubborn and may not take the hint. At least 1.4 miles has been added to the Massacre Grounds trail. I may not be able to hike it again.

OK, that's it for this weeks BMW session. Click below to see the pictures.

2009_06_16