Baldy Mountain

We decided to try to catch the last of the snow (before it all melted) in the mountains to the north of LA.  Baldy Mountain is an hour and half or so away from Long Beach so we trotted up there with Sharon our Aussie friend who has been visiting her sister and brother in law who also live in LA and staying with us a fair bit too.  The snow was a bit patchy but that didn't stop us having a crack at sledding...and we discovered a whole new sport called "gravel sledding".

 Fairly picturesque

 It's melting!

 Remnant snowman

 

 

 

 

 

 Me in my winter gear

 Me and Sharon

 Raquel and Sharon and Sharon's teddy bear 'Blackie' (who has faded to be sort of 'Brownie') staying warm

 Sledding

 

 Gravel Sledding - step 1 - Get a plastic thinggy

 Gravel Sledding - step 2 - Attach it to your butt

 Gravel Sledding - step 3 - Get up some speed on the snow

 Gravel Sledding - step 4 - Yay gravel !!!! Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!

 Gravel Sledding - step 5 - Try to look like cool...."I totally meant to do that"

 Gravel Sledding - what could be more fun?

 

Apparently a snowball fight could be more fun, so Sharon started a snowball fight

 Chris responded

 Snowball fight over...

 ...no it isn't dandruff.

Blackie made a new friend...

Bye bye Baldy!

The Prom (Part II)

On to Tidal River...

 Marshy bits at Tidal River

 Whale Rock

 The Olds

 Tidal River footbridge

Pillar Point trail

Erosion from flooding on the Pillar Point trail

 Looking at Mt Oberon from the Pillar Point/Squeaky beach trail

 Tidal River beach (Norman Bay)

Squeaky Beach (Leonard Bay)

 Squeaky Beach (Leonard Bay) 

Norman Bay from Pillar Point, with Mt Oberon crowned with cloud

Looking out from Pillar Point past Oberon Point with Skull Rock on the horizon

An Orchid

 Granite rocks at Squeaky beach

  Granite rocks at Squeaky beach with Mt Bishop in the background

 Looking towards Pillar Point

Crimson Rosella

The Prom (Part I)

During my visit to Australia earlier this year, my parents and I managed to get a day at Wilson's Promontory National Park, aka The Prom. This is the best place on earth* and was hit hard by flooding in 2011. It was very interesting to revisit familiar place that often looked very different to how I've known them for about 30 years or so. I was glad to have a nice camera on hand to grab some really nice shots in cool, overcast conditions.

*A statement of fact, not opinion.

 The Prom viewed from the north, shrouded in clouds

 Darby River bridge (which collapsed in the flood and has been repaired)

 Darby River has eaten away at its banks significantly

The river now flows fully out to the sea where it used to be dammed up by a sandbank and flow under the sand

View of Whiskey Bay (which was still closed to the public) looking toward Tongue Point

 

 Picnic bay with Norman Island in view