Travel – Page 2 – C Chin Photo

Lassen Volcanic National Park

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May 292011

Lassen Volcanic National Park, located in Lassen County in northeastern California, is on the southern end of the Cascade Range. Lassen Peak last erupted in 1916, when Congress made this a national park. The eruptions started in May 1914 and forever changed the surrounding area. Lassen Peak, at 10,457 feet, was formed 27,000 years ago as a volcanic vent on the northern flank of Brokeoff Volcano.

Route 89 is the main road through the park. Within the park, there are many active volcanic features as well as areas deeply affected by past eruptions like “Devastated Area”. There are over 150 miles of hiking trails, 17 miles of which are part of the Pacific Coast Trail. There’s also plenty of backcountry areas, fishing, boating and hunting.

Our only hike during this visit was a short one into Bumpass Hell. Bumpass Hell is an area named after an early settler who severly burned his legafter falling into a boiling pool. The hike leads to an area that has the largest concentration of hydrothermic features in the park. The trail, only about a 3 mile roundtrip at an altitude of 8,000 feet, is a fairly easy one. At the end, there’s a 100 foot drop into the thermally active basin area. Sulphur is the dominant smell.

On this particular trip, we were looking for some fall foliage colors. Unfortunately, we were a bit early, off by maybe a week or two. The visit was in October, 2010. Some color was to be found by Manzanita Lake, which was about 30%. Additional color was found in the northern half of the park between Summit Lake and Manzanita Lake. More photos can be found at my Lassen Volcanic National Park gallery.

Fall Foliage Photography

Photography, Travel 1 Response »

Oct 192010

Its fall, the temperatures are dropping and for those of us here in Northern California, its time to start thinking of a fall foliage trip to capture the amazing show of colors that nature puts on for us every year. Though the colors are not as brilliant and wide in range as they are back east (aka New England area), we still get an excellent show due to the magnificent backdrops that the Sierras provide with high mountain peaks and alpine lakes, rivers and streams.

Prime fall foliage season in the Sierras generally falls between late September and early November, depending on the weather conditions for that specific year. The most popular area is in the Eastern Sierras, from Mono Lake down to Bishop. Here we find many places to shoot brilliant yellows with patches of orange and reds. The nicest places to shoot include Lundy Canyon, Rock Creek, June Lake and Bishop Canyon area (North Lake, Lake Sabrina, South Lake). Closer to Tahoe is the Hope Valley area.

Another popular area is the Plumas County area. Located in the far northern sierras, this area is known to be rich in maples, providing that rich scarlet red that many of us yearn. Many of the other trees and plants in the area fill out the color palette – California Black Oak, Indian Rhubarb, Mountain Dogwood and the perennial quaking aspens. Some of the best areas to shoot include Lake Almanor/Chester, Feather River Canyon, Quincy-Oroville Road and the Lakes Basin.

If you plan to shoot the fall foliage, here are a few essential tips;

1)      Shoot during the “golden hours” – Early morning or late afternoon.
2)      Use a tripod
3)      Shoot in RAW – This allows for an endless amount of post-shoot processing of the photo. It also provides a richer color gamut and greater flexibility to recover from errors during the capture process.
4)      Limit the use of the polarizer and don’t use full strength – Often, at full strength, the skies turn a dark blue which may look a bit unnatural. If using a wide angle lens, be careful that the saturation is distributed evenly across the sky or you may end up with an unnatural looking shot.
5)      Use a Graduated Neutral Density filter – Particularly useful in the sierras where a capture without a filter will result in a blown out sky. The ND filter helps maintain that blue sky and detail in the shade.
6)      Bring long a laptop – after a long morning of shooting, its always nice to review your photos, saving the keepers and discarding the ones that didn’t turn out so good. It also ensures that you got the photos you intended to capture and allows you to fix any problems that may be preventing you from getting the shot you came to get.
7)      Forget the enhancing/warming filters – In today’s digital age, we have Photoshop (or similar photo processing programs) which allow us to selectively enhance specific colors.
8)      White Balance settings – Instead of using Auto White Balance, you can use Shade or Cloudy to adjust overall color bias and make the shot a bit warmer.
9)      If the sky is grey, limit the amount of sky you put into the shot.
10) Close up shots – To capture the essence of fall, get some close-up shots of trees, leaves, rock and water capturing the different textures and colors.

For more fall foliage photos, check out;
Eastern Sierras – http://cchinstudios.zenfolio.com/2009fallfoliage
Plumas County – http://cchinstudios.zenfolio.com/2010plumascounty

Two resource sites for planning your outing are;
Carol Leigh’s Fall Color Report
Plumas County Leaf Peeper Report

Napa Winery – Jarvis Winery

Food, Photography, Travel 2 Responses »

Jun 242010

Jarvis Winery and Vineyards are located above Napa in between Mt George and Milliken Canyon allowing for cooler growing temperatuers due to altitude and maritime breezes. Founded by William and Leticia Jarvis, the winery itself, 45,000 square feet, is located underground in a cave that was excavated in the Vacas Mountains, about 4 miles east of downton Napa. The overall estate is 1320 acres with 37 acres allocated for vineyards. The Jarvis’ have owned the winery for over 20 years. All winery operations and administration are located in these parabolic shaped caves designed by William with the help of consultant Gregg Korbin and the UC Berkeley computers. A stream runs through the middle of the cave and is fed by a waterfall. Tours of the vineyards and cave is by appointment only.

The two tours available are the Vintage Tasting Tour and the Platinum Tasting Tour. More information can be found on their website.

We choose to take the Vintage Tasting Tour primarily due to the last minute decision to take the tour. The tour included a walk through the caves to see the facilities and a tasting of six of their wines accompanied by cheese and crackers. This visit, we tasted;

2007 Finch Hollow Chardonnay
2005 Cabernet Franc
2004 Lake William – Blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot
2006 Merlot – my favorite of the group – tastes more like a pinot noir
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Some of the highlights of the tour included;

– the bottling room with a custom designed bottling machine by William Jarvis. Notably, the wax seal a top some of Jarvis’ premium wines is done by hand.

– underground stream and waterfall

– storage/fermentation tanks

– event room

For more information, you can visit their website at: http://www.jarviswines.com/. More photos can be found at: C Chin Studios Gallery.

Napa Winery – Kenzo Estate

Food, Photography, Travel 5 Responses »

Jun 162010

Opening to much fanfare and publicity, Kenzo Tsujimoto, Chairman and CEO of Japan’s Capcom Group (better known in the gaming circles for hit titles such as Street Fighter, MotoGP and Resident Evil), opened his winery on May 1st of this year after purchasing the property in the early nineties from the Murray family. Kenzo is a wine connoisseur who travels the world and has a large wine collection at his home in Japan (10,000 bottles). He loves wine so much that he decided to put $100 million into developing Kenzo Estate. The property, 4,000 acres a top Mt. George, was previously an equestrian center. Back in 1984, Mt George was the training site for the US Polo Team. Of the 4,000 acres owned by Kenzo, only 100 will be planted for the winery. As of now, this winery has the distinction of being the only winery in Napa with a tasting menu created by Sir Thomas Keller.

The location, about 1,000 feet above the valley floor, gives Kenzo an extended growing season due to the cooler air. Kenzo does everything in a simple, first class way. The food is done in collaboration with Sir Thomas Keller (of French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon and Ad Hoc fame), wine is done in collaboration with Heidi Barrett (of Screaming Eagle, Grace Family Vineyards, Dalla Valle and La Sirena fame), and vineyard design/management by famed perfectionist David Abreu.

Being relatively new, the vineyard has only has only had two releases. The current release, 2006, has four varietals;

Asatsuya (morning dew) Sauvignon Blanc – bordeux style white wine – $60, $35 for 375ml
Rindo (referring to Gentians) Red Table Wine – Signature wine – blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot – $75
Murasaki (Purple) Proprietary Red Blend – blend of Sabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot – $150 – My fav of the group
Ai (Indigo) Cabernet Sauvignon – 100% Carbernet Sauvignon – $150
*** note – purple is the traditional color of Japanese royalty

Visits to the winery are by appointment only. During your visit, you may sign up for one of three tours, differentiated only by amount of wine and food. In short, the three tours are as follow;

Tour 1 – $30 – Four one ounce pours of Kenzo Estate Wines served with a plate of crackers
Tour 2 – $50 – Four two ounce pours of Kenzo Estate Wines served with charcuterie
Tour 3 – $60 – Tour two served with a full lunch brought in daily from Sir Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant in Yountville. Lunch generally consists of a choice of one of four sandwiches (French Madrange ham and gruyere, beef brisket, tuna Nicose, ) with fixins. Other food choices are available for order a la carte, including deserts from Bouchon Bakery.

The grapes are picked by hand and the vineyard is sub-divided into multiple lots so they can be picked at different times. About 6,000 cases are produced annually. The wines themselves are not available for retail sale anywhere except at the winery, where quantities are limited. The wine is served at select restaurants throughout Japan (where the majority of the wine production currently goes) and at the Thoms Keller Group restaurants in the US. There supply model is a direct producer to vendor model due to the limited production. The goal is for the wine to eventually be served at about 200 restaurants throughout the US.

The experience – upon entering through the gates, you drive about a mile past a lake and through another gate following the signs for 3200. It turns out that the estate is still actually home to several others including the previous estate owners. Arriving at the tasting room and production facilities, one notices the attention to details and the simplicity of the design. The building are of architect Backen’s California barn style with modern earth tones. For example, from the wine production (fermenting rooms) area to the cave area is a straight line, so transportation from one to the other does not unsettle the wine. The aged olive trees (@150 yrs old), recently imported, are strategically placed as are the other landscaping details (plants).

At the beginning of the tour, each guest is given their first taste of the wine, the Asatsuyu Sauvignon Blanc. As you pass the newly planted “grove” of imported aged olive trees, one starts to notice the simplicity of the overall design as well as the attention given to the smallest details.

Being such a young winery, Kenzo is still finding its way. This year, they started experimenting with concrete vats for fermentation. Other grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks. In a straight line from the “production” area are two entrances to the caves. The caves (20,000 square feet), currently sparsely populate due to the age of the winery, may eventually hold events such as dinners and private events. After the caves, we headed back to the tasting room area where outside, there were tables setup with the flights of red wines for our tasting (and food depending on tour signed up for). Overall, it was a pretty relaxing and laid back experience.

The winery is located at 3200 Monticello Road in Napa, CA (about five miles from the Silverado Trail). Visits are by appointment only. For more information, go to their website, http://www.kenzoestate.com or http://www.kenzoestate.jp for the japanese version. More photos of our visit can be found at our Kenzo Estate Winery gallery.

Wildflower 2010 Location Report – Mt Diablo – Mitchell Canyon

Photography, Travel 2 Responses »

May 082010

Location: Mt Diablo -Michell Canyon, Clayton, CA
Directions: From 680 North, exit Ygnacio Valley Road, head east for 7.5 miles until you get to Clayton Road, turn right. Go 1.0 miles, turn right onto Mitchell Canyon Road, go to end. $6 car fee for day use.
Date of visit: May 5, 2010 – Cinco de Mayo.

Mitchell Canyon, located on Mount Diablo’s North Side, is located in the town of Clayton. Known for it rock formations and wildflowers, there are wildflower viewing opportunites for all abilities. We had a chance to visit and hike this area during the past week. The wildflowers are still out in force, though some are starting to die off. Different specicies can be found at different altitudes.

During this visit, we had planned to take it easy and do the Mitchell Canyon Nature Trail. However, due to the lack of details and signs, we were not able to find the trail. Starting from the opposite side of the parking lot from the visitor center, we headed out on Bruce Lee Road in an attempt to find the Back Creek Trail. We ended up doing a few circle and eventually decided to hike up the Back Creek/Mitchell Canyon loop for a total of about 8.1 miles and a 1600 foot elevation gain.

Heading up what turned out to be the Back Creek Trail, we found lots of varieties of wildflowers. At the lower elevations, we found Rose Clovers, Pineapple Weed, California Poppies and Wild Mustard. As we gained elevation, we proceeded to find an abundance of Ithuriel’s Spear, Winter Vetch, Scarlet Pimpernel, Royal Larkspur, Gray Mule’s Ear and Woolly Paintbrush and Indian Paintbrush. Throughout most of the hike, wildflowers were all around affording many photo opportunities. At the top of “Twin Peaks” on Deer Flat, one is afforded a panorama viewing opportunity to see Clayton, mountains and valleys. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture the fames Fairy Lantern which is the signature wildflower of Mount Diablo. A gallery of my 2010 Wildflower photos can be found at:

http://cchinstudios.zenfolio.com/wildflowers2010

It looks like the wildflower viewing should be good for another week or two, depending on the heat. For more info on hikes and features, go to: http://mdia.org/hiking.htm

Stay tuned for more wildflower reports!

SF Bay Area Wildflowers 2010

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Apr 262010

With this spring’s on and off rains here in Northern California, one would of expected an excellent wildflower season. Most reports are saying its been a so-so season so far. With Carol Leigh’s Wildflower Hotsheet being shut down by the author, getting information on where to find wildflowers can be dificult. Even worse, if you live in the bay area and do not want to travel far, your choices are even more limited.

The good news is that unless you looking for field or hillside full of wildflowers, it is possible to find some in your own backyard(almost). For example, last weekend I was shooting from the top of Sutro Hill in San Francisco. Driving up and down from the hill there were plenty of wildflowers to be found even though I wasn’t looking or expecting them. Here’s two examples. Other notable examples are generally found roadside off the major highways, especuially in the east and south bay areas.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll continue my search for local places to shoot wildflowers (any suggestions welcome). As I visit these places, I’ll post some brief location reports and pictures. Collectively, you’ll find the gallery at: http://cchinstudios.zenfolio.com/wildflowers2010. Stay tuned!

Sunol Regional Park

Travel 1 Response »

Apr 042010

A hidden gem in the Sunol Valley is the Sunol Regional Park, part of the East Bay Parks system. A few miles east on Calaveras Road off I-680, this park has quite a variety. Fireroads, narrow single tracks, a resevoir, streams, falls, rock climable peaks, cows and wildlife, it makes for a great quick get-away to the outdoors. This kid friendly park has hikes that range from easy to strenous. Trails like Little Yosemite and McCorkie afford decent views with moderate effort. For the more adventurous, a trek into the Sunol Wilderness(and camping), a trek on the Ohlone trail (which requires a pass) or rock climbing on the basalt outcrop (Indian Joe Cave Rocks) are options. Overall, this park, has something for everyone. More information is available at the park’s website:

http://www.ebparks.org/parks/sunol

Wild Mustard Season

Photography, Travel 3 Responses »

Mar 162010

Mustard plants grow wild in northern california during the months from January to Marh, depending on weather and rainfall. As the hills turn green, mustard starts growing wild. Hues of green and yellow(from the wild mustard plants) define the hills and fields during this season.

In Napa Valley, one of culinary meccas of California, the annual mustard festival is held. This year, it runs from January 30 to March 27. Amongst the events, the feastival holds four contests;

Worldwide Mustard Contest
Mustard Recipe Contest
Art Contest
Photography Contest

This is a wonderful time of the ear to get out and explore the local landscape. The green and yellow hues change with the light and add definition to the local lanscape, especially the hills. Soon after this season, as the weather becomes warmer, the familiar brown hues return to the local landscape until the following year.

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