The Road to China Wall

by Sherri on February 13, 2008

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Auburn-Foresthill Road nearing China Wall, Foresthill, California.

Are you planning to head up to China Wall this weekend for a little cross country skiing, snowshoeing or perhaps snowmobiling?

I shot this photo through the windshield, on our way to China Wall last Thursday. I think it does a better job of showing you how much snow there is, than any of the photos in my previous posts on China Wall. Jeff and I have been up there many times in the past and never witnessed conditions as good as this!

How I got the shot

To get this shot, I used a shutter speed of 1/10 sec and a aperture of f 22. The reason I choose this combination of settings was to enable me to use the technique of zooming to show a little motion. You can see my zoom results in the foreground, on both sides of the photo.

You can learn all about zooming in one of my most popular posts “How to create great zooms.”

For more information on China Wall

Check out my previous posts from the last few days, for more information and photos of the China Wall area.

Cross Country Skiing at China Wall

by Sherri on February 9, 2008

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Carole Andersen X-C skiing at China Wall, near Foresthill, California.

I didn’t take my camera with me while Jeff and I were skiing on Thursday. Skiing and photographing can be quite a challenge for me, especially when it’s my first time out for the season! The hardest part is protecting my camera gear if I fall.

As I mentioned in my post snowshoeing for photos and fitness, it’s a lot easier to snowshoe for photos, than it is to ski for photos. But, I wanted to post a photo of someone cross country skiing at China Wall, so I am using a photo I took on a previous trip of our friend, Carole.

The snow on Thursday looked much like this. Carole is skiing on the Auburn-Foresthill Road, which they groom periodically. But, if the road is not your thing, you can ski on either side of the road on trails and side roads. There is a really nice trail along the ridge, overlooking the American River Canyon. We actually got to make the trail along the ridge for the first time on this trip. It was awesome!

See my last post for directions to the China Wall Staging Area, near Foresthill, California.

Happy cross country skiing and snowshoeing!

China Wall Staging Area – Foresthill, CA

by Sherri on February 9, 2008

Sherri & Cocoa checking out the Sierra view at China Wall, near Foresthill, California.

We just had one of our best cross country ski days ever, this past Thursday. Jeff, Cocoa and I headed for one of our favorite cross country skiing and snowshoe spots in the Sierras, China Wall.

The conditions couldn’t have been better! There was a 4-5 foot base to ski on and only a dozen or so people were there besides us. The weather was about 45 degrees and just perfect for skiing. And the best part was, the parking area at China Wall had just been plowed the day before. We were actually some of the first people to use the area, since the series of snowfalls we just had.

More photos of the China Wall area and Sugar Pine Reservoir to come. Please check back soon!

Directions to China Wall

China Wall is about 45 minutes from Auburn, on the Foresthill Divide, in the Tahoe National Forest. Take the Auburn-Foresthill Road towards Foresthill. After a mile or so, you will cross the famous Foresthill Bridge, which is quite a site to see and an adventure to drive. Keep going on Auburn-Foreshill Road until you can’t go any further. Park at the China Wall Staging Area parking lot.

Tip

If you are going and you don’t own skis or snowshoes, you can rent them in Auburn at the Sierra Outdoor Center.

If you have any questions about recreation at China Wall, or nearby Sugar Pine Reservoir, please feel free to leave a comment, or email me at sherri@sherrimeyer.com.

New Stock Images Coming Soon!

by Sherri on February 4, 2008

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Steve Hadley kayaking Sugar Pine Reservoir, Foresthill, California.

Sugar Pine Reservoir is one of our favorite spots to visit in the summer. It’s only about 45 minutes from Auburn and it’s a great spot to kayak, canoe, fish, picnic, hike, bike, run, swim and camp.

My husband and I usually bring our kayaks or our canoe and our hiking shoes and make a day trip out of it, although we have camped there a couple of times. We like to hike the 3.5-mile loop trail around the lake, then put our boats on the water for some great paddling. Our dog, Cocoa, is always with us when we visit Sugar Pine, as it is one of her favorite “dog friendly” spots too!  After awhile of paddling, she is ready (and so are we) to hang out at our favorite spot along the shore.

During the winter months, nearby China Wall Staging Area is a popular spot for Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Sled-Dogging and Snowmobiling. There are also other great spots near China Wall and Sugar Pine to play in the snow.

Foresthill is booming right now. That is one reason why we are going to be adding new Foresthill photos to our galleries soon, along with other popular subjects.

During the next few weeks, we will be processing lots of new images to add to our galleries. And many of the images we will be adding have been featured on this blog during the past few months. Here is a partial list of subjects we will be working on.

Eastern Sierras

Bodie State Historic Park, Buckeye Hot Springs/Buckeye Campground, Grover Hot Springs State Park, Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve, Yosemite National Park

Gold Country/Northern Sierras

Nevada City – Downtown

Auburn - Auburn Courthouse, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing Lake Clementine

Foresthill – Kayaking and hiking Sugar Pine Reservoir, scenics of Sugar Pine Reservoir and China Wall

Columbia – Columbia State Historic Park

Oregon (Central)

Sunriver – Flyfishing, scenics, biking

Lava Lake – Kayak fishing

La Pine State Park – Camping, hiking, running, scenics

Nevada (Northern)

Black Rock Desert (home of the Burning Man Festival), Sand Mountain, Winemucca Dunes

Thank you for visiting and be sure to check back often to see what’s new!

Snowshoeing for Photos and Fitness

by Sherri on January 11, 2008

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Cathy Anderson-Meyers leading a snowshoe tour, at the Sierra Club’s Clair Tappaan Lodge

Now that the new year has rolled around, it’s time to shed some of the extra pounds I’ve been carrying around for the past 3-4 years.

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Sierra County Day Trip – Sierraville, CA

by Sherri on September 28, 2007

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Photo – Downtown Sierraville, Sierra County, CA

This was our final destination for the day. We met our friends Leslie and Mark Alire at their new bar, Sid’s Place, the building in the right of this photo. We were unable to make their grand opening party the night before, so we ventured up to this tiny Gold Country town to visit them the next day after our hike. I guess we missed a great bash, but this way we were able to spend more quality time with them.

If you are looking for new experiences, stop in at Sid’s Place in Sierraville, CA for a cold beer, or a glass of wine and try your luck at a game of pool. 

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Photo – Another shot of downtown Sierraville, Sierra County, CA

There are also a few eateries in town. I haven’t personally tried any of them, but I hear the Mexican Restaurant is a good pick. If anyone out there can give me feedback on other good places to eat in Sierraville, please leave a comment on this blog and I will add it to my photo essay. You do not have to register or login to leave a comment.

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Photo – A rural scene in Sierraville, Sierra County, CA

One of the things that is so attractive about Sierraville is it’s location. I love wide open spaces and this town certainly fits that description. It is situated  in the middle of a vast valley, mostly consisting of ranchland and surrounded by mountains and National Forest.

Another great thing about Sierraville’s location is it’s close proximity to many great recreational opportunies. Fishing, canoeing, kayaking, camping, hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing to name just a few can be enjoyed nearby. And if you enjoy a good soak in a hot spring, check out Sierra Hot Springs, which is just a few minutes away also.

For more information about Sierra County, one of California’s least populated counties, visit the Sierra County Chamber of Commerce.

Photo tip of the day – always carry a spare battery!

by Sherri on February 13, 2007

By all means, test your battery power before heading out for a photo shoot. If it’s low, recharge or replace your batteries. But, don’t stop there! Carry an extra battery/batteries along with you. Certain situations will drain your battery power very quickly, such as shooting in very COLD weather and previewing your digital images as your shoot.

When I am out snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, I also tape a handwarmer to my battery storage area with DUCT tape. This keeps my battery from draining so quickly. I also look at my images as I shoot, as many people do. This is both good and bad. The good is, you can delete the obvious bad images, which saves space on your memory card. The bad is, it also uses lots of battery power. If you were to be both shooting in very COLD weather and previewing your images, the chances of needing a spare battery increases.

While teaching a photo workshop recently, one of my students failed to bring a spare battery with her. I’m pretty certain she didn’t check her battery power beforehand either. About 1/3 of the way into the workshop, she ran out of battery power. That was a hard lesson to learn!  

Don’t put your camera away just because it’s winter!

by Sherri on January 23, 2007

I used to hate winter. That is, until I became passionate about photography, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and I acquired the appropriate gear to pursue these passions.

There are benefits to photographing during the winter. First, there are many great photo opportunies that don’t occur at other times of the year. For instance, fog, frozen mud puddles, ponds, lakes, ice cycles and people doing winter activities in the snow to name just a few. It can also provide a great source for exercise. It sure beats staying inside and coming down with a case of “cabin fever.”

If you live in an area that gets cold in the winter bundle up, load up the camera gear and set out for a winter photograpic adventure in your own backyard. 

The photo below is of the American River in Auburn, California taken in December. My husband and I were on our way to shoot a photo assignment and came upon this beautiful scene. Although we visit this location often, we had never viewed it like this before. We had to stop and take a series of photos of this scene and this was one of our favorites. 

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To view more of our travel and adventure images of Northern California, Nevada and the West visit our on-line galleries.

Happy winter shooting!Â