Swimming at Millerton 2021

Dale Matson

Well, we’ve started our 17th season swimming at Millerton Lake State Park. The four of us begin and end the swimming season in wet suits. The water today was 64 degrees and the air temperature was 49 degrees. Later this summer it will get to about 80 degrees water temperature. Mike is in a speedy league of his own, Marie is next, Sharon is next and I generally swim by myself since I am the slowest. We’ve had several folks swim with us over the years with our friend Tasha a triathlete who is nearly as fast as Mike. We’ve seen our share of Eagles, Geese, Bobcats and other game, Anyway, it is great to know that at age 76 I am still getting in my lake swimming. We swim at the local club on other days but a pool is not a lake. Millerton is as low as I remember it for this time of year. Hopefully, as the remaining snowpack melts, the San Joaquin River will bring more water to Millerton.

We began in. 2004 as I was preparing for the Hawaii Ironman. It seems like forever ago! All of us have done triathlons with Mike and Marie completing the Coeur d’Alene Ironman. Sharon completed the cold Shaver Lake Triathlon.

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Mike And Marie

Sharon Returning

Yosemite Anniversary Trip 04-06-21

Dale Matson

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Yesterday

25 years ago yesterday

Sharon and I were married 25 years ago at the foot of Bridal Veil Falls. We had 24 guests and family at the wedding and our reception at the Awahanee Hotel. We decided to take a loop trip back to Yosemite. We started in Fresno, went north on Highway 41 to Highway 49 and entered Yosemite via Highway 140. We came home exiting the park on Highway 41. I have two photographs by the Merced River after It exits the park.

It was a perfect 65-degree day in Yosemite Valley. Just like it was 25 years ago. One year after that, there was a foot of snow on the valley floor.

 The road construction meant two ½ hour delays. Additionally, Bridal Veil Falls was closed because of construction. A helpful lady took our photo “near” the falls by the road with Sharon’s phone camera.

It was lunch time and we wanted to eat in the Awahanee. They were serving lunch in take-out fashion and Sharon and I found seating for two at one of the tables. We could see Lower Yosemite Falls from our table. Another Helpful lady took our photograph at our lunch table. I included a photograph of Sharon and me at our wedding reception at the Awahanee. 

I went outside while we waited for our food and photographed the Awahanee from outside with Half Dome in the background.

After lunch Sharon wanted to take the walk to Yosemite Falls. The water in all the falls was good but will be optimal in about three weeks as the snow continues to melt. We needed to park in the Yosemite Lodge parking area because the parking nearer to the falls was already full. It was about a mile hike round trip.

After Yosemite Falls, we went to El Capitan Meadow where we could watch the climbers. Sharon had 10X binoculars and I was using a Sony A7R4 camera with the 16-35 2.8 GM lens and the 200-600 G lens with a 1.5X TC. She found the climbers with her binoculars and took the photos with my camera.

After that we headed home and spent another ½ hour waiting to get back to Highway 41. How blessed we are to have Yosemite so close and the health to continue to enjoy it. 

Merced River

BridalVeil Falls

Upper Yosemite Falls

Awahanee Sitting Area

The Top Of Half Dome Above and Behind The Awahanee

Lower Yosemite Falls

El Capitan Meadow

Climbers Taken With Super telephoto Lens

Photograph Of The Day

This photograph was taken by my wife as I was photographing Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep. Beautiful surroundings.

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Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep 2021

Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep 2021

Dale Matson

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Sharon and I spent two sunny days in the Bishop area of California. I got some nice snowy landscape photographs but primarily we were there to try and locate, view, photograph and video the endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep.

Each year we do this we refine our searches with some advance information from the CDFW and Steve Yeager (AKA the sheep whisperer) We focused on about three areas with the second day bringing us the closest photographs. 

A super telephoto lens is nice but the closer you can get, the sharper the shot. Even with a good tripod, the high canyon winds make photography difficult. It is a clever cat and mouse game you play with the sheep. They have an imaginary line where they will walk away from you as you approach. 

I can’t imagine more fun on a sunny day then watching these marvelous creatures once you find them, If you find them. We located one group of about 35 sheep and one other group of about 17 sheep. 

Steve told us about a group of rams but even after three separate trips to the area, we could not find any sheep! I hope we can find time for another trip yet this winter. 

Crazy Horns

Photo by Sharon

Photograph Of The Day

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Golden Eagle

Yes, there’s snow in the Sierra and Sharon, Hobbes (our mini Golden Doodle) and I did a mile or so but the action is starting to heat up down here near Fresno.

The eagles are hard to find this year at Millerton Lake because the water is so low. The trees the birds perch in to watch for fish are so far from the water that the birds are not in their usual places. I have not gone up yet to check on the Golden Eagles on the Madera side but I did see one perched in one of the usual places with my 10 power binoculars.

Today I went out to Madera county where we followed a pair of Goldens for the last three years. I am not quite sure what is going on with the pair this year but I got a photograph of one of the Goldens in a light rain on top of the nest tree. There was no activity in the nest that I could tell for the almost two hours the two of us (the bird and me) sat there. So here is a teaser for now.

Patience is a wildlife photographer’s best friend.