Our last days in Borrego Springs and some pictures for Debbie..

We rode our bicycles to a lecture on ravens the other day and on the way back we saw people climbing this hill. It's a lot higher than it looks in this picture.

Dick said he would like to try and do it on foot rather that take the truck up there (LOL). The next day we headed off and found the trail starting up the hill. It was quite a climb with lots of switch-backs and loose rocks but what a sight when we got to the top. The park says (in its literature) that it is a .5 mile hike -- that must be as the crow flies. Nice hike, and Dick was pleased that Jackie could do it (she is not known for her balance, etc., you see).

This is looking down (lower left) at the campground and our rig is in there and across the desert valley to the mountains is our last Blog.

A little bit of a close-up showing just part of the campground. Looking at it from up here it doesn't look like much, but it really is a nice park. We hiked back down and then went to town for groceries and out to a nice dinner at the Red Ocotillo restaurant here in Borrego Springs. (We have US and WA flags flying -- can you find us?)

These following pictures are for Dick's daughter Debbie; she challenged him to show the depth of the stars in a photograph. He is still trying, but needs to find an area where the north star is out and maybe get a little better shot.

Had to try and see what could be done with the moon and a long lens. This is the best that Dick could do with the equipment he has; it was fun trying.

Again with a longer lens but after the full moon was out. He is sitting out on the picnic table with his camera on a tripod. Too bright to try and see what is in the sky with that darn full moon.

The next two were taken tonight before the moon came up. Wanted to get some more but got back to the rig to change batteries and was a little concerned about all the noise out in the desert.

And finally here is the last shot Dick took. It was a 15-minute exposure at F3.8. The stars are not out-of-focus: it's just that there are so many and all at a different brightness. Two minutes after he got back home you could hear a pack of coyotes were he had set up to take these, that was the "noise out in the desert".

We are off in the morning (Wednesday January 14) for about 2 weeks on BLM land (free) near Quartzsite Arizona with 30 to 40 other Montana owners. Should be fun and maybe Dick can get out and try some more time-exposure night shots out in the desert.

To be continued...