Springtime In The Valley

Hi folks, I took a bike ride on my Friday off and took some pictures inside the wonderful Yosemite National Park. The spring run off was really busting loose as were the flowers. Enjoy.

 Yosemite Falls.

Half Dome peaking through the Valley.

 The view from my work truck.

 I believe this is Sentinel Rock.

 The Merced River moving through the Valley.

 Just outside of Mariposa, CA

 Manzanita Berries look ripe for bears.

 The long and winding road(Highway 140) to my house.

 The Highway 140 follows along the Merced River as it winds towards El Portal, CA.

El Portal, California A Cascade Of Rushing Water

Hello Folks, I am back up in Yosemite working for the National Park Service for six months. I took some photos of where I will be residing for this season in El Portal, Ca. We had one hundred days at 110 degrees and two weeks at 118 last time I was here in 2016. Let us hope the summer is not quite that brutal this year and if it is I will have to spend more time in the lovely and fresh Merced River which runs across the street from my house shack thingy the Park Service has rented to me.

This is the sweet little cascade which sits in front of my place. Nice view at any time of the day for sure. 

 Looking up the Merced River east into the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

  Looking west down the Merced River towards the Central Valley and then the Pacific Coast.

Flying At the William's Soaring Center

 Hi folks,
I went with a couple friends and family member up to Rex Mayes Williams Soaring Center and we took turns going in the gliders.  Me and little Chaska went first and we got to fly over the Sutter Buttes in a nice sweet ride. I had been waiting all my life to visit these local mountains as my grand father use to spend time up there and the place has remained a mystery to me.

The tow plane gets ready with the rope that hooks to our glider.

The Sutter Buttes, California

 My daughter Katharine Palacios and life long buddy Mike Pachin went next and took a little more darning flight with more steep climbs, deep dives and wing rolls on their flight.

  Lots of joking going on with these life long friends.

 The pilot tucks the dynamic duo into their rumble seats.

The Wetlands of Northern California

The Sacramento River winds it up south towards Sacramento.

Kevin Chaska Foley gets prepped before his flight and will go the Top Gun route and do some heavy rolls, loops and somersaults in his flight.

   Our Pilot looks ahead as we follow behind our tow plane.

Looking Southwest from the cockpit.

Submerged rice fields spread out in the valley.

 The town of Williams, CA from at about 5000 ft.

The glider gently banks to give us a cool perspective at an angle.

Looking Northwest from the cockpit.