Category: Exploring

Grand Canyon to Tetons

On By mvschulzeIn 1990's, Adventure, Exploring, Family, Geology, Hiking, National;Parks, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, Summer, Travel, Vacation6 Comments

A slightly different take on two great national parks.

Above: Kaibab Trail, South Rim Grand Canyon – 8/7/95
Above: Early morning fog (referring to the photographer, me!) and Jackson Hole – 8/11/90

Thanks for viewing, and comments are always welcome. Zoooom in for a closer look. M 🙂

In Search of Pluto

On By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Astronomy, Back Yard, Corvid-19, Curiosities, Exploring, Home, New Jersey, Observation, Pandemic, Perspectives, Pondering, Remembering, Science, telescope, Uncategorized, Weather5 Comments

A tale from over fifty years ago!

Using this 10″ (255mm) reflector telescope, and a simplistic chart published in Sky and Telescope magazine, I would try to confirm seeing Pluto, …a difficult star-like pinpoint at the edge of visibility. Observing from my suburban town only twenty miles (32 km) N.W. from the brightness of New York City, proved challenging.

A second observation from a considerably darker location was planned as Pluto would have slightly changed position amongst the same stars. But it didn’t happen as unfavorable weather conditions persisted for several weeks.

ABOVE: As seen in the eyepiece, …a rough drawing of visible stars in the area of where I believed Pluto was located. The arrows, particularly “G,” indicated possible candidates. I estimated magnitude 14, (the published approximate magnitude, or brightness of Pluto,) was about the faintest I could see at the time.
ABOVE: Compare the sketch to this same very small area in the constellation Leo, as shown from “Google Sky,” a searchable photographic atlas available free on-line, and certainly not available back then!

Did I see Pluto? Maybe, or maybe not. I recently concluded there was not sufficient evidence for me to comfortably confirm a sighting.  But re-visiting this event from an “armchair viewpoint” so many years later, was …an interesting way to pass the time during this pandemic year.

Special thanks to “Cosmic Focus,” an advanced amateur astronomer/imager from Australia, for providing the incentive to re-visit this quest, …and guiding me to to the current charting resources available today. His wonderful captures of Pluto and a keyway to a remarkable WordPress site can be found here or https://cosmicfocus.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/pluto-the-previous-planet.

Thanks also for viewing. Comments are always welcome, and you can zoom in for a closer look. M 🙂

Adventure to Primitive “Judges’s Shack” on the Dunes – IBSP, NJ

On By mvschulzeIn Adventure, Ambiance, Beach, Birds, Boats, Daytrip, Exploring, Hiking, Jersey Shore, New Jersey, Photography, serenity, Summer, Sunrise7 Comments

      During this Pandemic Summer:  a Sea Doo ride across Barnegat Bay at dawn to Island Beach State Park and the resident shore birds and ghosts of the 100 plus year old fishing shack still guarding the dunes overlooking the Atlantic      Notes: The “Judge’s Shack” is the last remaining fishing shack on the ocean side, originally built over 100 years ago. It is about a mile south along the beach from the bay access path. The adventure started at sunrise, across Barnegat Bay. Except for the first image, the images are in chronological order. And yes, the sea gull in the 4th image, is YAWNING! Wake Up time!

Thanks for Viewing. Comments are always welcome, and zoom in for a closer look. M 🙂



A Place and Time Away – 4/24/06

On By mvschulzeIn Adventure, coping, Exploring, Hiking, Photography, serenity, Vacation7 Comments

         Taking a mental break from face masks, self-quarantining and some worry about family (all coping well,)  …here are some images from “York River Park,” near Williamsburg, Virginia – April 24, 2006, with my then amazing 10x optical zoom, stabilized, 2.1 Megapixel camera. 

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        Thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcomed.  M:-)

The Piermont Pier

On By mvschulzeIn 1800's, 1940's, 1990's, Airplanes, Boating, Boats, Cars, Curiosities, Daytrip, driving, Exploring, Geology, Hiking, History, Hudson River, Lighthouses, Memorial, Nautical, New Jersey, New York City, New York State, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, Railroad, Remembering, Telephoto, Trains, Travel, WW II8 Comments

 

           About four weeks ago, in one of our last ventures before the Corvid-19 Pandemic, we visited the little town of Piermont, New York …on the Hudson River, and explored its 182 year old rock and earthen pier, which by 1851 served as a loading and unloading track bed for Erie Railroad trains picking up steamboat passengers from Lower Manhattan, twenty-five miles to the South.  On the then longest rail line in the world, vacationers would travel 450 miles (724 km) to Dunkirk, NY and the shores of  Lake Erie.   Some hundred years later, long after the excursions were outmoded, tens of thousands of WW II troops would depart from this same mile long pier to ferries, and transfer onto troop ships in NY Harbor. Sadly, thousands would literally leave their last footsteps on U.S. soil right here. A monument nearby is solemnly named “Last Stop, USA.”

The Piermont Pier is located about two miles (3.2 km)south of the new Mario Cuomo Bridge, jutting out a little less than one mile (1.61 km) into the Hudson River.

The old steamship/ferry slip from years ago is seen above,  …to the left.

Above: Today, the pier is a commercial, residential, and hiking park.

Remnants of the steamship/ferry docks can still be seen in this 2/23/20 view looking south. New York City would be just beyond Tallman Mountain to the right.

Above: A bollard, used for securing heavy lines, is seen here near the end of the pier, looking south.

Above: The trestle part of the new bridge, carrying the New York State Thruway, is about two miles (3.2 km) to the North; and Hook Mountain, overlooking the Hudson, is seen beyond.

Above: The striking new Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge; and two miles (3.2 km) further, Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse off Tarrytown, NY seen to the left of center span.

Taken some years ago while boating on the Hudson, Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse, also know as Tarrytown Lighthouse or Kingsland Point Lighthouse, was “installed” in 1883.

Thanks for viewing. Zoom in for a closer look.

And a special note: BE WELL, …and please use best judgement practices as we “navigate” through these un-precedented difficult times.    M

I’d like to thank the Piermont Historical Society for their added information concerning this topic, and Wikipedia. I am a proud contributer/donator to both sources.

 

 

 

Yosemite Falls – Silhouette

On By mvschulzeIn 1970's, California, Close Up, driving, Exploring, Family, Geology, Hiking, History, National;Parks, Photography, Road trip, Summer, Telephoto, Travel2 Comments

Offering a break from winter blues, below is a late summer image of the top of one of the world’s most photographed waterfalls – during the dry season.

August, 16, 1972
Cascading 2,425 feet (739m) into Yosemite Valley, California, water flow reaches maximum volumn during late spring snow melts.

EXA SLR 35mm film camera, 200mm Vivitar, f 3.5 lens

          Thanks for viewing, and comments are always welcome. M 🙂

In Quest of Punxsutawney Phil

On By mvschulzeIn Adventure, Automobile, Car, Daytrip, driving, Exploring, Family, New jersey, Pennsylvania, Photography, Road trip, snow, Travel, Trees, Uncategorized, Vacation, Winter10 Comments

         February 2nd is Groundhog Day here in the United States (and Canada.) Although the tradition begs for a relatively large imagination, lore has it that this particular rodent, Phil, who lives just outside town, can forecast the weather. As it was my wife’s birthday, we added this somewhat iconic town, Punxsutawney,  to our weekend road trip through parts of Pennsylvania. So, despite some issues with snow, we did join the throngs of Phil worshippers, and made it back home by nightfall.  Oh, and he did NOT see his shadow, indicating an early spring!

Thanks for viewing. Zoom in for a closer look. Comments are always welcome. M :-)

 

 

1813 Turnpike – Stone Arch Bridge

On By mvschulzeIn 1800's, driving, Exploring, History, Pennsylvania, Photography, Pondering, Road trip, Travel9 Comments

On a road trip in Pennsylvania last week, we came across a 207 year-old bridge spanning “Jacks Creek” in Lewiston, (located roughly in the center of each map image below.) It was constructed as part of the increasingly important “Harrisburg to Pittsburgh Turnpike.“

Thanks for viewing and comments are always welcome. Zoom in for a closer look. M 🙂