On day thirteen Molly and I had the pleasure of hiking over Muir Pass and past the splendid lakes that lie in it’s shadow to the north.  Wanda Lake, named for John Muir’s eldest daughter is home to a rare treat, frogs living at 11,500′.  As we walked past Wanda lake we were startled by the plop, plop, plop of frogs jumping into the lake as we passed by.  We stopped to admire the frogs living in this relatively inhospitable environment.  Check this post for more on the Mountain Yellow Legged Frog.

Muir Pass was in my opinion one of the easiest 12,000′ passes along the trail, the final ascent from Evolution Lake is just 1200′ and it is a very gradual slope all the way up.  While I was reminiscing about the Muir Pass summit experience I began to realize that more often than not I felt that reaching the summit of each of the eleven passes was relatively easy.  Why were they “easy”?  I think it has a lot to do with the strategy we used while hiking the trail.

Like most others who hike the JMT we had an itinerary planned long before we even set foot on the trail.  That itinerary remained unchanged for exactly one day before we modified it for our hiking strengths and weaknesses.  Pretty early on we decided to attack the big climbs in sections.  The basic strategy is to look at the passes and plan to hike up approximately half of the required elevation on one day, then camp and hike up the rest the next day when you are fresh and relatively full of energy.  But like the saying goes hike your own hike and follow a strategy that works for you!

8-8-2009
Once again I woke up with a sore throat and felt weak much of the day.  I tried sleeping without socks last night and that did not work very well, my feet froze.  We had only a 1200 foot ascent to Muir Pass but every foot was amazing.  The lakes were a gorgeous teal blue that Molly said looked unnatural.  The Climb to the pass was easy and the descent was long but not too difficult.  In my mind Silver Pass still holds the record for worst descent.  We are camped near Big Pete meadow and are taking advantage of the altitude with a warm campfire.

Today I am happy to be announcing the availability of a new collection of limited edition prints.

The images in this collection were taken during a restorative 20-day hike of the John Muir Trail in California’s Sierra Nevada during July and August, 2009. When I set out to hike, I expected to find jagged peaks, winding streams, and blooming flowers.  I found those things and more: stunning beauty, peace, wildness and the renewal of a soul sapped by human conflict.

Each of the 13 images in this collection is limited to editions of 25 prints and is available exclusively from Gallery La Mesa.

I invite you to come and view the prints with me during the opening reception.  I’m happy to discuss style, technique, equipment or anything else photographically related.

If you cannot join me for the reception you are welcome to visit the exhibit anytime until April 3.  I would be more than happy to view the prints with you at another time, just give me a call.

What: Fountains of Life Opening
When: February 19, 6-8PM (Opening Reception)
Where: Gallery La Mesa 8808 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942 619.462.5760

Finding images that compel me to capture them can sometimes be challenging.  Sometimes I try to force an image or take a picture that does not feel right, those images very rarely turn out to be something that I am proud of.  Other times images come at me in a flood and it takes all of my concentration to make sure all of the technical aspects of image capture come together.  One of the good days was August 7 when we were hiking through the Evolution Range.
I felt ill the whole day but really wanted to make it to Evolution Lake before we stopped for the day, and I am really glad we made it there.  As the golden hour came the mountains were wrapped in clouds and set aglow by the setting sun.  The scene felt natural and I was able to find several compelling compositions in the span of an  hour.  As a photographer, these are the days I live for!

8-7-2009
I don’t know what is going on but I still feel sick!  I still have a sore throat and still feel low on energy.  Sick or not we still gained 2800 feet and walked 12+ miles for the day.   We passed 130 miles in total today and I am determined to finish this hike!  I did not take many pictures today, mostly because I was focusing all of my energy on hiking.  When we arrived at Evolution Lake a spectacular sunset unfolded and I quickly rattled off a hundred frames or so.  We found a neat wind sheltered spot for our tent but in the process of pitching the tent I broke one of the guy lines.  I fixed it with a square knot and then found someone’s discarded shoe string.  That shoe string may come in handy.  Just before we came over the crest to Evolution Lake we heard the “Cheeseburger Bird” for the first time.  I was really starting to doubt the existence of this bird until I heard the unmistakable song.

When We were relaxing at VVR a weather report came in that was somewhat alarming.  The Dweeb Report (yes that is what it is called) was predicting a weather freak-show starting on the sixth.  Predictions were for three to six inches of snow down to seven thousand feet with substantially more on the passes.  A report like this presents a difficult decision for backpackers and an especially important decision for backpackers who pack as light as Molly and I do.

We are not equipped for snow travel so in the event of snow we would likely be holed up in our tent for a couple of days until it warmed up again.  Several backpackers decided to extend their stay at VVR to see how the weather played out.  I spoke with a couple attempting to hike the JMT with their two young children, they had decided to end their trip at VVR.  They had already been trapped in a hailstorm on Donahue Pass and were concerned about hypothermia in the event of a snowstorm.  Us?  Well, ever the skeptic i decided to ignore the weather report and continue Hiking.  I had bailout points marked on the map and was ready to live with the decision.

As it turned out there was no snow, no rain, just some clouds and a ten degree drop in temperature for a day.  Seldon Pass was EASY Molly and I both felt like we just flew up the pass and cruised down the other side.  In retrospect I think Seldon Pass is the easiest pass of the entire trip.

8-6-2009
Last night I had dreams about being sick and that led to me feeling ill again this morning.  We slept in so that I could recover and finally got up around 8:00.  I felt 90% but still have a scratchy throat.  Most of the day was cold and cloudy, especially the hike up to Seldon Pass.  Once late afternoon came the clouds had mostly disappeared but it was about ten degrees colder than normal.  The day’s hiking was easy and I kept thinking that Seldon Pass was the Yin to the Silver Pass Yang.  Tonight might be our last campfire as we are mostly going to be above 10,000 feet from here on.

Well, Its been way too long since I have updated the site.  First it was mid-terms then it was finals  and then a much needed vacation.  Molly and I spent Christmas in Estes Park, Colorado and New Years on the beautiful island of Kauai.  I have some photos to share from those excursions but first I have a few more to share form the JMT last summer.

VVR is somewhat of a cruel Joke, you spend a night there enjoying some nice hot food, a warm bed, and a soothing shower.  Then the next day you wake up and have to trudge straight up a 1500′ ridge only to go straight back down, no views just up and down.  In the way down I did find a gem though in this Photo which I call “Sheltering Cedar”.  I did not see it at the time but this photo has become one of my favorites from the trip.

8-5-2009
I haven’t felt well most of the day and that has made hiking hard.  I’m not sure what happened, maybe something I ate?  The hike out of the valley was brutal, by far the most elevation gain  in the shortest distance thus far.  When we had come back down into another valley we ran into a guy named Ron who used a different trail to skip the difficult up and down.  he said that he went the traditional route last year and had no desire to do it again (me either).  When we made it to our campsite near Bear Creek I was feeling horrible. Some mashed potatoes lifted me up quite a bit!  Ron then stopped by and it turns out he lives in San Diego.  We talked for quite a while about his JMT hike last year, he had a few really good suggestions for us that we hope to put to use in the days to come.  We exchanged emails and I hope we see him again.  I am feeling much better now, hopefully this bug has passed.

I am looking to expand my website a little bit which will take me beyond my web programming capabilities and well beyond my desire to learn. I am not looking to do a site redesign but I am looking to add functionality and security. If you know HTML, CSS, Wordpress and have a familiarity with ecommerce please give me a call.
Thanks,
Matt

I’ve been in a funk lately, a funk that has been hard to get out of.  I have been unable to focus on anything really and it has been bugging me.  Then, Thursday night while mindlessly surfing the web or watching TV, I can’t remember which I realized that I needed to get out of the house and see nature.  I spoke with Molly and an after school excursion was planned for Friday.  It wasn’t anything crazy, just a trip to Sunset Cliffs to let the ocean breeze blow the funk away.   The early signs point to a successful defunckification, fingers crossed.  While enjoying the ocean breeze I was able to get a few nice shots.

I was a little chilled sitting on the cliffs but then I saw several surfers enjoying a little defunkification of their own.  I warmed right up, and enjoyed the amazing sunset.

This Monday November 2, 2009 at 6pm Molly and I will be speaking about our experience on the John Muir Trail.  The talk will be preceded by a potluck dinner.  All are welcome to join us for an evening of reflection and discussion.

I will have a couple of prints on display at this event.

Who:  Matthew Parker and Molly Vetter
What: A Discussion of their 20 days on the John Muir Trail
When: November 2, 2009 @ 6pm
Where: First United Methodist Church San Diego

Recognizing that who I am today is a direct reflection of my experiences both good and bad i feel I owe it to myself to examine the demons hiding in my past.
I chose to write this as a letter to my Grandfather who passed away while I was in Iraq.  My Grandfather and I were very close and I have always been disappointed that I was unable to be at his funeral.

Just a warning to the reader that there is some graphic content.

Dear Grandpa,
I remember the day with the vivid detail reserved for life’s special memories. We were standing on the dock on the northwest shore of Ford Island, where berth F-11 used to be.  The wind was blowing lightly bringing with it the the smell of the open ocean.  Off in the distance, there were several small boats motoring slowly around the harbor.  In front of us laid the rusting hulk of the USS Utah, its superstructure having long ago given in to the elements.  Waves continued to gently lap the sides much like they had since the day the ship sank to the bottom and the world changed for everyone.  I know it was difficult for you to be there as you stood there silently looking out and remembering the events of December 7, 1941.  You spent your entire life keeping the war inside.  You rarely talked about the things you saw and did during the course of the war.  You were very successful at keeping the memories hidden from your family.  When our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, I saw you change.  The memories could no longer be hidden and they seemed to haunt you until you were mercifully taken from this world.
I am determined not to let the same thing happen to me.
I first went to Iraq in May of 2005 and was there until May 2006.  When I think about those twelve months, I am hit with a flood of images that unfortunately are mostly depressing.  I went back to Iraq in April 2008 and stayed a relatively short seven months.  Looking back on those seven months, I am reminded of the good friends I made, and the amazing progress that I saw the Iraqi people making.  Though it will be difficult I  would like to tell you about a trying day in late 2005.

I awoke to the sound of my laptop playing “Happy is a Yuppy Word” by Switchfoot.  I frequently found myself drawn to their music as it seemed to put me  at peace as much as anything else at the time.  I often reflected on what it might have been like to be a soldier, sailor or marine stationed far from home in a time when comforts such as music on demand were just not available.  I made sure my teammates; John and Steve were awake and then stumbled out to the bathroom.
As I closed the door behind me the sides of our corrugated steel building shook back and forth giving away its paper thin walls.  The air had a hint of rotten egg  and was thick with the flies that gave our camp its nickname, Rustaflya.  The sewage treatment plant up the street was a special kind of punishment I suppose.
It was 0730.  The day’s mission was supposed to kick off at 0800, but Steve came back from breakfast with news that we had been pushed back until 0830.  It really did not matter though, because I already had the massively overweight armored HMMWV staged and waiting in front of Bravo Company Headquarters.  Bravo Company lived in a concrete reinforced building painted in the oh so predictable tan and green typical of old Iraqi Army buildings.  Their Company Guidon was placed out front held upright by a 60mm mortar tube captured from insurgents at some point in the past.  John, Steve and I were patiently waiting for Captain Green to arrive so that we could get the mission going.
Captain Green was a modern day Patton.  His 6’6”, 240 pound frame made the massive HMMWV seem right sized until he had to squeeze himself into the cabin, much in the way Shaq would have to squeeze into a Honda Civic.  His head was large, but his inflated ego had a difficult time fitting into even these healthy dimensions.  Maybe he was just crazy, but figuring himself to be invincible he would regularly go out onto the battlefield with only one other vehicle, at a time when the minimum number of vehicles in a patrol was three and the standard was four.  Looking back, the fact that I was frequently in that one other vehicle seems insane.  When Captain Green came running out to our vehicles with a worried look at 0810, I was immediately alert.
Captain Green said,”five minutes ago a patrol was hit just past the second bridge.  There is one casualty en-route to the base. We need to immediately get to the other casualties and secure the scene.  Mount up and give me your Green 2.”  We sprinted to our truck and were headed towards the gate inside of 60 seconds.
Just as I did on every mission, I reached into my left breast pocket and felt the cold smooth steel outline of the cross that was with you in WWII, which you gave me when we said goodbye.  I prayed, “Dear God, please be with me today and help me to act in a way that honors you.  Please be with my wife and family, and provide them comfort while I am away.  If I don’t make it through today, remind them that I love them very much.  Thank you for keeping me safe thus far.  Amen.”   The gate was quickly approaching, and a lone HMMWV was entering.
The HMMWV was carrying the casualty from the attack and was moving quickly to the base aid station.  We gave the incoming HMMWV a wide berth, but continued moving rapidly toward the gate.  Once we were out the gate, I navigated the S-turn designed to slow the approach of unauthorized vehicles at a speed attained due to the heightened senses that come with the knowledge that death could very well be around the next turn.
Two minutes later, we were on the apex of the second bridge and could see the debris field 100 meters in front of us and the disabled vehicle about 100 meters past the detonation site.  It had come to rest against a concrete wall on the east side of the road.
As we got closer and closer, the details became clear in a Powers of Ten kind of way.  The doors of the HMMWV were charred and filled with thousands of marble sized holes that penetrated completely through to the other side.  The side windows had fewer penetrations but were opaque due to a combination of fractured glass and a thin layer of bright red, arterial blood.  The doors remained open from when three of the casualties were extracted and evacuated to the aid station.  Two soldiers remained in the vehicle, having perished within moments of the attack.  I attempted to clear my mind and remember that the enemy was watching and could attack again at any moment.
I parked our HMMWV on the west side of the road and was once again trying to clear my mind, when I saw a helmet lying in the dirt five feet from our HMMWV.  The helmet belonged to the soldier who was riding in the turret at the time of the attack.  The helmet was thrown from his head as he was nearly decapitated by thousands of shards of molten metal flung mercilessly into his helpless body.  That helmet stared at me for hours, reminding me how little protection it offered from our greatest threat.  The only thing that stopped me from thinking about the headless helmet was the driver.
The driver was what we callously referred to as  “Dead Right There”.  While most of the vehicle was covered in smaller marble sized holes the driver door had a fast pitch softball sized hole in it.  Not being immune to the laws of physics the driver was essentially split in half by the glob of molten copper that had penetrated so easily into the crew compartment.  The human brain is capable of incredible amounts of denial, but seeing someone perish while doing exactly what you do on a daily basis forces you think about your own mortality.  We stayed at the site of the attack for several more hours, while an investigation took place and then headed back across the bridge to our base.
We went out again daily for the next 9 months until I came home.
These images have stayed in my mind since the day they occurred and will likely stay with me until the day I die. Thank you Grandpa for showing me how important it is to not let these images fester in the mind for decades.  Telling you about this experience has not been easy, but now the memories are not mine alone.

In trail speak a zero day is a day in which you don’t travel towards your destination.  In other words it is a relaxation day, a day of rest.  Molly and I did not take any zero days but had plenty of relaxing days.  I never felt like I needed a zero day and I attribute that to our relatively easy pace.  We walked approximately twelve miles each day and normally would take the full day to hike that distance.  The leisurely pace allowed us to stop frequently for pictures, watercolors or to just enjoy the scenery.  The one luxury we did partake in was a stay at the Vermillion Valley Resort.  VVR is a back-country resort, one of several located along the trail.  If we had more time on the trail I would have liked to check out these other back-country luxuries.  The real bed options that I am aware of are the following.

Sunrise High Sierra Camp
If you are traveling from north to south the Sunrise High Sierra Camp is the first opportunity for a prepared meal and a roof over your head.  Located one to two days from Yosemite Valley the Sunrise camp is ideally located to facilitate a very light trek up from the valley.  If you hiked from Happy Isles to the sunrise camp in one day and then on to Tuolumne Meadows the next day you would have to carry only lunch for the first day as all of your other meals would be provided by the camp.  You have to enter a lottery very early in the year to win a stay at the camp but if you can manage to get a spot it is well worth it.

Tuolumne Meadows Lodge
When you arrive at Tuolumne Meadows you will have nearly all of the comforts of home available to you. Located just off the trail there is; a post office, a restaurant, an outfitter, and general store.  The lodge is located approximately 5 minutes east (by shuttle) on highway 120.

Reds Meadow Resort
Located 3-4 days south from Tuolumne Meadows,  Reds meadow is ideally placed for resupply and a little bit of R&R.  The Reds Meadow store carries basic supplies but nothing too fancy.  If you need something they don’t have you can catch the shuttle to Mammoth lakes where you can find a multitude of outfitters eager to solve your problem.  The restaurant is good but don’t sit down unless you have some time to spend, they work at a back-country pace.

Vermillion Valley Resort
VVR was a pleasant surprise.  At our twelve mile a day pace we arrived at VVR at the end of day nine.  If you decide to stop at VVR make sure you arrive at the ferry landing no later than 4:45 so that you ca avoid the four mile trek around the lake.  Once you arrive at VVR you are immediately struck by the unique character of the place.  There are a mixture of trailers and hard sided buildings placed in a seemingly random fashion about the property.  There is a store at VVR but its selection leaves a lot to be desired.  The owner however will sell anything for the right price and his put it on your tab policy makes it oh so easy to rack up quite a bill. Be prepared to spend some money if you stop at VVR.  The restaurant serves excellent food and they have a wide variety of beer available.  If you are interested in a room at VVR your best bet would be to try and reserve one in advance of your hike.  If you are unable reserve a room they are available on a first come first served basis. Molly and I stayed in a trailer and were extremely happy with the accommodations.  The good meals and warm bed were enough to propel us with renewed energy to the finish.

Muir Trail Ranch
Located two days beyond VVR, Muir Trail Ranch is the last opportunity for on trail resupply and R&R.  The MTR website makes it sound difficult to stay for just one night, but Molly and I met a couple who decided to stay at MTR only after arriving and asking about an available cabin.  They have a small store with internet available to those who resupply with them.  There is no restaurant at MTR but they will let you scavenge as much as you want from the hiker barrels.

8-4-09
We woke to a swarm of mosquitoes hungry for my blood, so we broke camp quickly without eating breakfast.  We walked about a mile away from the mosquitoes before stopping for breakfast.  After eating our freeze dried eggs we set out to climb silver pass.  It turned out to be an easy climb and we were on top by 11:15.  While on top we met two guys; John and Drew who were hiking the trail in 14 days.  Drew told us that they were going to Vermillion Valley Resort that night.  According to him VVR was a pretty cool hiker hangout.  We quickly decided that it sounded fun, and the idea of a warm shower was nice.  We were off to catch the 4:45 ferry.  The descent from the pass was beautiful but punishing for the feet.  This area was essentially a solid piece of granite all the way down.  When we arrived at the ferry landing we were both exhausted, and I had gained my first blister of the trip.  The ferry was just a small pontoon boat.  The wind was howling  making our trip across Lake Edison pretty slow.
VVR is an odd resort made up of a few old buildings and ten or twelve fifth wheel type trailers.  We got the last room available which turned out to be a trailer called “Big Red.”  Big Red had a shower and a queen sized bed, both of which were GREAT!
I had a pork chop dinner which was surprisingly good.  I’m not sure if it was at home good but it was definitely back-country good.
After Dinner we met a guy named Gary who we have been leapfrogging with for the past few days.  Gary is from Denver and seems like a really nice guy.