Moments in Dirt and Ink

Just one sketch from very far away for the month. Big mountains vanishing into the clouds of their own making.

Hong Kong It turns out that there is hiking in Hong Kong, which is a bit more than a city of skyscrapers. I went out to Lamma Island, which is served by two public ferries and has a (paved) trail from one port to the other plus a few other routes. When I got to the ferry terminal, both were leaving within 5 minutes of each other, so I got on the one that came less frequently which came a little later although it was supposed to be earlier. Soon enough, I was on the island at Sok Kwu Wan. There's sea food restaurants along the path into the community as well as a public bathroom (including a western style stall and pictures on the doors to indicate which one) and a temple and ... The harbor at Sok Kwu Wan. Looking out of the bay back to the skyscrapers.

Hong Kong Hong Kong has all kinds of steep hills, so there are plenty of urban hikes that are a bit of work even if they aren't so long. The trek up to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is short but steep and has a semi-urban route choice for returning. The main route is watched over by one after another large golden Buddha states each individually produced to represent a specific person. Entering the grounds, the path is suddenly lined with life sized statues.

Uttarakhand, India <- Back to day two. We climb out of bed for a breakfast, including chocolate chip pancakes, and the last bit of hiking, climbing to the top of Chandrashila. The trail up the mountain starts a little way up the road, so we drove up to it. Buildings to serve all the needs of the average tourist stood empty so no one tried to sell us postcards of where we were about to go. The trail starts off paved until an area of temple and shrines about halfway up that also stands abandoned in anticipation of the coming winter. A couple of male Himalayan monals, the state bird of Uttarakhand. The paved path snaking up the mountain side.

Uttarakhand, India The women of Sari came up the mountain in the morning early morning light, passing our still lazy selves chatting. They headed into the forest ahead of us where they climbed the trees (in their saris) and collected wood for the household. We got up for breakfast and had hot water for washing. Luxuries abound! The lake had formed a thin layer of ice on the surface in places and I wondered again about the orange trees such a short distance away. After breakfast, we packed up our personal stuff and grabbed what we wanted to have with us for the day and followed the women into the forest. Chaukhamba in the well established morning light. A small tree hanging over Deoria Tal. The growth pattern of the trees seems a bit odd, perhaps influenced by all the growth on them.

November was spent very far away from home. I brought a new watercolor book for the trip. My home for a couple weeks. A non-botanical element in Lalbagh Botanical Garden. Painting in the dark, carefully pruned bushes and lighted water features. Somehow I'm the only one in our party awake. Men (mostly) walking to the bath in the street. Waiting for the folks on a different airline to stop having their plane delayed and get here.

Uttarakhand, India I went to India, as one does. One friend was having a wedding ceremony there and another had been demanding I should go at least once. Those brought me to Bangalore and Delhi and there were a few trips from each, but can you say you've been in India if you haven't been to the mountains? I had to find a way. Also, I had some encouragement from my friend in Bangalore who likes to run off to the mountains from time to time. She was trying to get us a set trip with a tour group, but in the end couldn't go herself. There was a couple going up on the perfect trip for me who were happy to have others join their trip, so I got to be a part of their tour. It is quite a different mode of travel than I am used to for a multi day walk. The trip started in Rishikesh and I was in Delhi, so I got myself a 2nd class ticket and boarded the sleeper train up to Haridwar. I wasn't sure how well I would sleep in such a setup or even what exactly the setup was....

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India After wandering for hours around Taj Mahal, I walked over to Agra Fort, because it wasn't that far. Besides, the purely normal along the way would likely contain something new to me. From far outside the walls of the fort, looking to the many buildings within. The fort is impressive just to approach. Walls are built of brick and covered over in red sandstone that is quite striking. So far removed from thinking of the strategies of defending a piece of land, the many layers for defending armies to guard within, the slits to shoot from, the way the lowest wall is shaped to make repelling climbers easier all looks artistic. It all looks quite formidable, although it seems to have changed hands quite a few times. Plenty of grassy grounds around the formidable wall. More of the details of the outer wall.

Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India It seems to be the in thing to take a day trip to Agra and see a few of the sights. There are a number of trains leaving Dehli in the morning and arriving back in the evening. While the majority of most trains seem to be 3rd class, the one I was on had none and even served a breakfast on the way out and some supper on the way back. What luxury, but without the antics of 3rd class, how can it be a train in India? First stop for the day was the Taj Mahal. They all say you must go. The tuk-tuk driver of course offered to be my dedicated driver for the day for a flat fee, but I dislike such arrangements. Tickets are expensive for foreigners in comparison to citizens, but as Shachi points out we do not pay the national taxes that also go to keeping the place up. My camera did not also need its own ticket, an odd and all too common phenomenon in other places. Video cameras were forbidden. I almost failed at not pointing out that every still digital camera is c...

Sketches for the month. Houses on the hill in Solstice Canyon . Little waterfall by the ruins in Solstice Canyon . Drawing the wet rock to leave the water clear for the fall in Rubio Canyon .

Pasadena front country Locate the trailheads: Rubio Canyon and Eaton Canyon . There was a week or so of rain, so I decided to go out and see the waterfalls. It was not heavy rain, just drawn out. Rubio Canyon Wandering up the various Rubio named streets, I got to the trailhead. The trail hadn't suffered under the recent watering. Unfortunately the canyon hadn't really filled up, either. I didn't see water in it until about halfway up the section of the trail in the canyon where some of the bottom is visible instead of the endless stones from the water company's little mistake. As I came into the canyon bottom, I spotted this little mushroom. The first sighting of water and there's not very much of it.

Solstice Canyon Park Locate the trail head. I went out to Marina del Rey searching for particular parts and failed, so the purpose of the trip didn't work out, but that area is a fun drive with funky homes all along the way. I had also brought along a few necessities for hiking around although I only had my sandals along. I decided to drive a little further up the coast to just past Malibu. There was a hike at the bottom of the hill from the one we did a while back. I drove past the road we'd got to Pacific Crest Highway on, recognizing it. I drove past Pepperdine. I spotted the Thai and sushi place we'd had dinner. Then I saw the road up to Solstice Canyon and managed to even feel confident enough about it to turn up it. In no time, I got to the trail head. The information by the parking lot confirmed there was a loop to be hiked in a little under three miles and that I needed to be out by sunset although my hiking book said 5PM. The shore was socked in with...

Sketches for the month of September. A twisted section of the old toll road . Power lines stretching over the mountains by Alder Creek . (From an old photo.)

Glendale Locate the trailhead. I've been going up Henninger now and again to stretch the legs. Generally leaving before sunset so I can get through the gate and then coming back out the middle between the two usual spots that close at sunset. I did again the day before and sat at the junction between the trails to draw. I just got a new water system and wanted to give it a try. The mosquitoes were biting and I'd not put repellent into the little pocket, only the lamp. Score one for the usual pack that usually has the repellent in it. I decided not to go all the way up with all the bugs. I decided to go up in the Verdugo Mountains the next day, again to stretch the legs and try out the water system and this time see a bit I'd not seen before. The hike is along fire roads starting in a seemingly random spot in a neighborhood and climbs up into the emptier mountain surrounded by city, then loops around past some radio towers and back down. I somehow seem to ...

Angeles National Forest It's been a while since the last bit of hiking somewhere.  I really should.  Just not really sure where and the forest is still closed.  I think there were some changes in exactly what is open, but it's hard to figure out.  The forest service page doesn't seem to bring people's attention to the fact it is closed and hasn't for some time. I went up along the toll road a little and sketched the winding route along the side of the mountains from the intersection with the thing often referred to as the "horse trail" although I don't think I would want to ride a horse on it.  The mosquitoes were biting and I didn't have the repellent along, so I decided to go back down after sketching instead of continuing up to the top. Toll road twisting up the mountain. Going up seemed easier than usual.  Perhaps the daily walks about 1.5 miles to and from school are helping out.  Perhaps it's just easier to go with ...

No hikes for August, except for walks downtown for the concerts at Memorial Park, where I did do some sketches out in the wild. A statue in the park. Parks have to have trees, of course. Sunset colors just before the concert starts. The band.

No hiking, except down to the park for the concert, which including one sketch. A moment of joy.

Wild sketches done during the month. Stopping for a moment while wandering on the Wilcox Property. Er... I mean Douglas Family Preserve. Hanging out in the gardens at the Getty. Heading out to one of the free summer concerts . A jacaranda on campus. My campsite at Idlehour . Walking along the trail that forms the boundary between open forest and that closed by the station fire. A spot of Humboldt Lilies by the creek .

Angeles National Forest 26th | 27th | 28th The new day started again with a gentle brightening of the clear blue sky and an eruption of birdsong at 5 AM. Someone's got to eat all those bugs. I decided not to be so lazy getting up, so I could enjoy the most time going uphill in the shade. No one had stolen my cashews in the night. I didn't manage to finish off my dried fruit even though it looked like such a small stash the day before. Camp was struck fairly quickly and the pack stuffed to the top. I got some water pumped from the stream and a little dirt scrubbed off. Then splashed on some bug attracting sunscreen and followed it up with some mostly DEET to get rid of them again. About 6:15, I started up the trail. Okay, I wasn't in that much of a hurry. I met a little sunshine in the bottom of the canyon the trail had come down, but the day was still cool. There was very little on most of the trail as it wound up the north side and around the west s...

Angeles National Forest 26th | 27th | 28th Between the elevation and all the twists and turns to get through the canyon below, there was no marine layer to darken the morning and cool the initial part of the day. Light started breaking around 5 AM and the forest erupted into birdsong. The loud stream down the short cliff very near the tent was virtually drowned out in the noise of at least a dozen different ways of screaming "mine!" Having not gone down the stream bed because of the poison oak, I was suspicious I wouldn't go up it either for the same reason. Instead, I would probably follow the trail on up to the top, maybe all the way to Inspiration Point, connecting with where I've been before. I was rather lazy about getting up. Eventually I did as the sun started touching the tops of the nearby trees. It took a while with the high canyon walls. Someone had gotten into my bags and carried off most of my almonds. Not to say I had many left, but th...

Angeles National Forest Locate the trailhead. 26th | 27th | 28th Eaton Canyon is a local hike with hundreds of people headed up to the first falls on a daily basis. The falls themselves and the area around them offer no way up to the top. Apparently you can get there for another waterfall, but that one completely blocks all progress of the hiker. Most of this canyon cannot be seen unless you've got a very long rope. I've poked around Rubio enough to know that there can be a lot more waterfalls up there. I've been meaning to take the Idlehour trail but had been told it was somewhat hard to find once (not true). I realized that it was getting late in the season and I'll never get another chance, so if I really want to go up there, I better go now. I decided to make it an overnight, or rather two night. Grab the tent, but now the rain fly since the average rainfall for this month is in the hundredths of an inch. I decided to pack it all up in the ultrali...