DryStoneGarden

I’ve seen this video, Keep Drawing, a few times and, beyond just how cool it is to watch, I’m always impressed at the sheer number of drawings in it. It takes me diligence just to complete a single drawing, let alone an animation full of them. But I’m hoping to be good about drawing this year. I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, but, if I did, keep drawing would probably be one of them.

Or my resolution could just be to complete my unfinished sketches. It usually only takes a little more drawing and a few minutes to scan them into the computer. I did these at Joshua Tree in the Hall of Horrors area. The one above is probably abandoned rather than finished; the one below I just darkened some lines and called it done.

This view is from a ledge up on the Old Woman formation at Hidden Valley. I liked how the boulder pattern seemed to casually enclose the space the way a freestanding wall might have done. The first sketch wasn’t showing that, so I redrew it at home; I’d do better if I tried a third time. As the title says, keep drawing.

Fort Cronkhite, Marin Headlands

I spent this past weekend out at Fort Cronkhite in the Marin Headlands renewing my Wilderness First Responder (first aid) certification. I needed the certification while I was leading trail crews. I probably don’t need to stay certified now, but I’m afraid to let it expire. It’s not the most enjoyable class. It tends to make me relive every past illness, injury, and other bodily misfortune, but it’s good stuff to know and it was great doing it out at the Headlands. Classic foggy California landscape goodness.

Le Conte Memorial Building

These are my other two drawings from my trips to Yosemite, sketches of two stone buildings,the Le Conte Memorial Building and the Ahwahnee Hotel. The Le Conte was built in honor of geologist Joseph Le Conte, one of the founders of the Sierra Club. The park’s first visitor center, it was designed by Bernard Maybeck’s brother-in-law and built with granite dressed to a rough, blocky ashlar set in regular courses. The Sierra Club now runs it as a children’s library.

Ahwahnee Hotel

The Ahwahnee got listed 26th on the list of America’s Favorite Architecture. It was built in 1927 with 5,000 tons of granite, 1,000 tons of steel, and 30,000 feet of timber. Beautiful on the outside, I’ve heard that the rooms have all the chic of a 1970′s Radisson. I got some of the proportions wrong when I was working out the perspective, but what can I say, Anita and I design gardens rather than buildings.

Yosemite Falls

Along with the north coast, I went to Yosemite several times in the last couple months. Absolutely amazing place, as the millions of people who visit all know. I used to be bothered by the crowds, but I’ve learned to navigate the park and appreciate it without feeling bothered by the crowds. Bringing my bicycle with me has helped immeasurably. It’s a beautiful, flat place to ride around in, and the bicycle is the key to avoiding the daily traffic jams. (The park service really needs to figure out a way to get people parking outside the valley and just using bikes and shuttle buses inside. I’m skeptical it will ever happen, but I can dream, right?) Climbing has also helped me love the valley. Obviously because the climbing is so incredible, but also because I’ve ended up spending longer periods of time sitting and staring at specific views. And not just on the climbs. Most days I would meet up with my climbing partner at the bicycle parking at Lower Yosemite Falls, and I started to really appreciate the effect that the view of the the falls has for people.

Yosemite Falls

It’s the tallest falls in North America, 2,425 feet, and probably the most viewed and photographed. Lawrence Halprin redesigned the approach trail and picnic area a few years ago, and there is a lot of stonework done by the same company that did all the stonework at Stern Grove. I don’t really remember what the approach was like before the redesign and I couldn’t find any before photos of the project online. I remember a parking lot and a lot of crumbling asphalt; I’m pretty sure the almost French-style view of the falls was already cleared. The redesign took out the parking area, made the trail into a loop, and rehabbed a lot of degraded habitat areas. The park service has a summary of the project. I like that it’s a constructed view. That part of the valley is filled with people, so it works well to have this spot designed for maximum effect. I can’t count how many times I heard people say, ‘Wow.’

Yosemite Falls

There’s a photo of the approach here. Below is a photo from the other side of the valley.

View from 4 Mile Trail

Goat Rock State Park

As I said in my last post, I made some vacation time for myself the last month or two. Not a continuous vacation, but I made it out of town for a three day weekend almost every week, to Yosemite several times and up the coast twice. While on those trips, I made an effort to do some sketches. In the scheme of things, I’m probably more partial to photos, but sketches are good too, and I find myself doing more and more drawing for work. All of these are from the Jenner area, three in the vicinity of Goat Rock and one at Fort Ross.

Goat Rock State Beach

Fort Ross

Sunset Rocks at Goat Rock State Park

It feels like summer is finally here. I’m taking a few weeks off from the blog, enjoying these long summer days outdoors instead of at the computer. Posting should resume some time next month.