A Gift from the Astronomers

The yearly visit from All-Star Telescope occurred last month and a week of Canadian Astronomers were busy imaging the sky from the Painted Pony Resort.  This was their 6th year visiting and while the men take over the hanger, setting up telescopes outside, the wives spend their time hot tubing and enjoying the amenities of the main estate.  After seeing the rock formation, the Mule Ears, on our yearly hike the owner of All-Star Telescope decided the outcrop would make a nice foreground to a star filled image of the sky.  Returning for a night of photography Ken captured the constellation Orion over the Mule Ears and was kind enough to send a copy to be posted which PPR certainly appreciates. Some past visits by All-Star Telescope are documented here and here.

Photographing the Same Subject Over and Over

I frequently take and post images of the eastern side of the Chiricahua mountains as seen from around the Painted Pony Resort outside Rodeo New Mexico.  I have so many images of the same subject that a slideshow entitled "The Many Faces of the Chiricahua Mountains" was created.  The goals in constantly photographing Portal Peak and the eastern Chiricahuas are to create the perfect image as well as photo-document the changes in the landscape that create different moods I experience when observing the mountain range over time.  But what constitutes a perfect image of the Chiricahua mountains?  

From my perspective, several factors are important.  The first is scale.  Scale in this case refers to the physical distance encompassed in the image.  The landscape image below spans 5.75 miles in length, Cave Creek Canyon south to Sulphur Canyon, and 4000' in height, the floor of the San Simon valley to the top of the 8000' Portal Peak.  Since most cameras do not capture scale without forcing the subject into the background my landscape images require construction in a post production process.  A good image editor is required to piece together segments of the landscape taken closeup into a final product that recreates what I see with my eye, is pleasing to view, and encompasses the whole scene.  Since I shoot hand held with an inexpensive point and shoot camera this takes composing the final image in my mind and then collecting the individual elements for later construction.

The second factor is lighting.  Early morning just at sunrise is always the most productive time to capture images of the eastern flanks of the Chiricahua mountains.  The long light of the rising sun creates a series of colors, some lasting only a moment, across the flank of the mountains.  Starting in the reds the colors move in shorter and shorter wavelengths through the blues until the reflected colors begin to wash out.  

The third is color.  This is of course related to the lighting.  But in some cases, especially when clouds are present over the mountains and the shadows stark a presentation in black and white is more striking and evokes stronger emotions so I choose to desaturate the image after increasing contrast to to further enhance the elements of light and shadow.  

Finally depth.  A number of tools are available to enhance depth in a photograph and perhaps the most common is depth of field.  I have chased after techniques that enhance depth in 2 dimensional images to create a more realistic 3 dimensional image in the belief that good depth enhances the viewers experience. The image below shows good depth with dark clouds creating shadow over the ridges in the background while the foreground ridge line is complete sunlight.  This contrast in shadow naturally enhances the appearance of depth in the image making the almost 6 miles of ridge line stand out and away from the shadowed background.  This difference in shadowing was the result of the partial cloud cover present at that time and in combination with an old photographic technique developed in Germany in the 1930's, further enhances the depth.  Unsharp masking creates an apparent increase in resolution and is a useful tool for creating an image with increased depth helping the foreground ridge line jump out of the image. 

These are all easy to apply tools that anyone can implement to create images that capture the imagination and convey the emotions generated when viewing the scene.

Almost perfect, click on the image to see a larger version or follow this link.

Addendum:
More work with the original panoramic image data set has resulted in this new image.  Spanning further south and north, both Portal Peak and Darnell Peak are visible and the scene shifts from just Portal Peak to the whole east flank of the Chiricahua mountains. 

Oktoberfest 2014 in Portal Arizona

Time again for the annual event of Oktoberfest in Portal.  Held as a fund raising event for the Sew What Club in Portal, Oktoberfest is another chance for the community to gather, see old friends, exchange the latest gossip, and generally catch up on events in the valley and surrounding mountains.  All while enjoying a great lunch in the mountain air of Portal AZ and Cave Creek Canyon.

Oktoberfest getting started on a sunny Saturday morning.

Friends of Cave Creek Canyon at Oktoberfest

The German cafe with brats and sauerkraut.

Well, maybe one more.

An image from the McCord trail looking across Cave Creek Canyon at the rhyolite outcrops towering along the west side of the canyon.

Still the Yosemite of Arizona

One Minute of Cave Creek Canyon

A time lapse spanning several hours compressed into one minute from the Friends of Cave Creek Canyon.  Taken from the mouth of Cave Creek Canyon in the Chirichua mountains just above the Portal Store this iconic view of the canyon is what most people think about when visiting the canyon.

An Afternoon Walk in Cave Creek Canyon

It has been awhile since visiting the canyon from the Painted Pony Resort but with guests in residence who were interested in some hiking the opportunity seemed ripe.  So off into the canyon for a nice winter riparian hike along the nature trail which runs from the ranger station/visitors center along Cave Creek to Sunny Flats campground.  Upon emerging into the campground the view below presented itself.  A crescent moon setting over the rim of the canyon, a perfect photo opportunity.  Out came the cameras and everyone recorded the view.  With warm temperatures and a deep blue Arizona sky it was a perfect afternoon of walking in the canyon.

The crescent moon setting over Sunny Flats campground

Friends of Cave Creek Canyon and the Garden

Several weeks ago on the National Public Lands Day the Friends of Cave Creek Canyon completed the preliminary work on the new garden at the Cave Creek Canyon Visitors Center and the area was readied for planting.  Today, the rest of the story. Sixteen friends showed up for work Tuesday morning and were busy digging holes for native plant species.  The plants were laid out according to a master plan developed earlier and after several hours of work the area was completed.  By using native species, once established, no watering will be required and the area will only require periodic weeding.  The area on the other side of the drive next to the visitors center will be home to the next stage of the project, a wild flower garden.  This area is also ready for planting but no date for planting has yet been set.  The garden will be a useful tool for those wishing to identify native species they encounter in the canyon.

Overview of central planting area

Digging holes

Finished row

Portal Irish Music Week

Portal Irish Music Week is rapidly approaching soon the canyon will be filled with Irish music from students learning and improving their Irish music skills.  There will be a concert again this year on Saturday, October 13th at the Portal Peak Lodge.  Last years concert was great and this years should be even better.  Hope everyone can make this special event.

St. Patrick's Day in Portal, it's a Parade

Portal AZ's annual St. Patrick's Day parade took place today and the turnout included not only local residents from Portal, Rodeo, and around the San Simon Valley but campers from the campgrounds in Cave Creek Canyon also attended.  The Grand Marshal this year was Rick Beno from Arizona Sky Village and of course St. Patrick (who winters in Portal) was here.  And what would St. Patrick's Day be without some daytime astronomy.  A solar telescope was set up next to the Post Office to view the sun.

Parade dancing

The return parade lap

Solar astronomy at the parade

A Different view of Cave Creek Canyon

There are a number of iconic photographs of Cave Creek Canyon, many taken from vantage points along Foothills Road looking up canyon.  But other vantage points also provide impressive views of the canyon.  Below is a photograph of the eastern ridge of Cave Creek Canyon, including Portal Peak and Cathedral Rock, taken from the north slope of Silver Peak.  Captured on Sunday when many were watching the Superbowl there were a number of folks out wandering in the Chiricahua Mountains enjoying a sunny afternoon hike.

The final product is a multi-image panorama which was processed by reducing the input levels, increasing contrast, and finally desaturating the composite image.  It was hazy in the afternoon and the original photographs had very little depth, but after cleaning up the composite the final effect is pleasing.

An Old Hiking Staff in Cave Creek Canyon

Took the guests on an afternoon hike up Cave Creek Canyon.  The route took the group along the Nature Trail from the Silver Peak trail head to Sunny Flat then back along the road.  Along the way we came across this old hiking staff dated 1969, making the staff better than 40 years old.  Made from a Yucca stalk it is a relic from some earlier hiker along the canyon who found the staff, dated and used it, then left the staff for another to find.

The afternoon sun along the canyon was exceptional and illuminated Cathedral Rock highlighting the green lichen and yellows of the volcanic tuff.  Silhouetted against the deep blue Arizona sky it allowed for some excellent photography.  We did a balancing stone recapitulating the view of Cathedral Rock in the creek bed for some additional photography.

After the hike the guests retired to the Hot Tub for the evening.

40 year old hiking staff along Cave Creek Canyon

Today is Thanksgivings and the guests are planning big dinner in celebration.

A Finished Balancing Stone Image

Below is a final finished image of the single balancing stone from the stream bed in South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon.  As with all the other photography, the camera was a Canon SX110 digital IS. The original image was processed by reducing the input light level (across all colors) by about 10%, increasing contrast by about 10%, and adding a tilt shift effect.  The composition uses the sunlight reflected off the steam to highlight the balancing stone increasing apparent depth.  Click on the photograph to enlarge.

Balancing Stone in South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon.

Balancing Stones in the Chiricahua Mountains

The placing of stones to mark special places is a tradition in many cultures including ours.  We place stones at important sites like the Washington Monument at the seat of government and to mark burials .  Historically, standing stones and the megalithic sites are found around the world and the result of many cultural traditions dating back as far as 5000 BCE.  Whether a burial site, astronomical site, or other ceremonial use the common thread through all of these examples of rock placement is the recognition of a special place marked by a piece of the landscape in a manner that is recognizable to other members of the species.  In other words, someone at some time placed a rock(s) to mark, what they considered, a special spot and that location is easily recognizable to later visitors.

The Chiricahua Mountains were known as the "land of standing up rocks" by the Apache Indians who inhabited the area in reference to the unique naturally occurring pillar formations found in the Chiricahua National Monument.  But there are many other special places in the Chiricahua Mountains and the South Fork Zoological and Botanical Area of Cave Creek Canyon is just such place.  This richly diverse riparian area is flanked by high walls of volcanic tuff and is a favorite retreat for many visitors.  In acknowledgement of the uniqueness of South Fork a proof of concept balancing rock project was created.  At several points along the stream bed, where views of the canyon wall are visible, smooth rocks from the stream bed were balanced to recapitulate the view from that location.  At 4 locations balancing rocks were erected starting at the bench on east side of the parking area with one downstream and 2 upstream.  The balancing rock sculptures were comprised to 2 to 5 rocks, and only material within arms reach was utilized.  The works are unobtrusive and may easily be missed by the casual observer to the area.  In addition the works are all transitory, the next high wind or rise in the stream will obliterate all evidence of the balancing rocks and their locations.

These works illistrate several concepts:

First.  A marker of an special place.  A hiker coming around a corner of the trail frequently encounters unexpected views of the canyon in South Fork.  A balancing stone sculpture at these locations highlights these locations and acts as a marker for a special view.  Rather than signage or other methods of permanently marking locations frequently encountered, a sculpture invites the visitor to stop and figure out what is going on and enjoy the view.

Second:  The transitory nature of individuals.  The balanced rocks are not designed to be permanent additions to the landscape but rather something to be viewed, analyzed, and appreciated, then melt back into the landscape with time just like individuals.


Third:  Time. The use of eroded cobbles from the stream bed indicates that while even the mountains are not permanent fixtures of the landscape, in a geological sense, the time scale of change is beyond our capacity to observe.

Vertical panorama of Balancing Stones reproducing the 3 outcrops visible from this location.

Recapitulation of 2 outcrops with the taller on the right.

A single spire reproduced with Balancing Stones

A single balancing stone in the South Fork of  Cave Creek Canyon.

Chiricahua Mountains: Then and Now

Below is a compilation of historic and modern views from Cave Creek Canyon and Paradiase AZ in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.  The historic photographs were located online, then overlaid on Google Earth to locate the site where the original photographer made the image.  A series of trips into Cave Creek Canyon and to Paradise followed to locate the place found on Google Earth, then a replicate photograph was made.  Replicate photographs were made from:

1. The intersection of Portal Road and Forest Service Road 42B at the mouth of the canyon.
2. The entrance to the Coronado National Forest on Forest Service Road 42.
3. Just before the entrance to Sunny Flat Campground on Forest Service Road 42.
4. At several locations in Sunny Flat Campground.
5. Half way up the ridge on the NE side of Paradise just before the bridge across Turkey Creek off Forest Service Road 42B.

The historic and modern photographs were then aligned with respect to one another in Sony Vegas Pro.  Since no information was available about the original camera and owing to differences in lens between the original camera and the modern camera used to replicate the view, the aspect ratio of each photograph was not maintained allowing better transitions between the historic and modern photographs.  The tops of the mountains (or ridge lines) were visible in every historic photograph and the skyline was used to initially align the photographs vertically and horizontally, followed by compressing or expanding the vertical aspect to align elements in the fore ground.

Cave Creek Canyon: Then and Now at Sunny Flats Campground

The next series of photographs are from Sunny Flats Campground.  These photographs, from the 1920's,  were apparently taken from the open meadow in the center of the campground that has existed since at least the time of the early photograph. Note the increase in woody shrubs in the open meadow.  This area is usually mowed by the Forest Service to maintain the open space.  While the density of tree cover and vegetation visible on the hillsides seems similar in both photographs.

The replicate photograph was desaturated and cropped to fit with the 1923 image.  The location of the photograph was found using Google Earth's image overlay tool.

Photograph of Rex Rice, Harry Shea, and J.E. Stoll at Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County (Ariz), courtesy of  the History and Archives Division, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, obtained from http://azmemory.lib.az.us/

Replicate 2011 view from Sunny Flats campground

Cave Creek Canyon: Then and Now

The next in the series of then and now photographs from Cave Creek Canyon.  The original image is from a post card from the 1940's at Attic Postcards.  The location of this rock formation known as the Rabbit Ears or Mule Ears is on FS42 shortly past the turnoff to South Fork Canyon on the west side of the bridge crossing Cave Creek Canyon (at the fork on this map).  Both photographs were taken in morning and the most striking feature in a comparison is the change in the vegetation.  The early photograph shows dense underbrush and crowded foliage while the photograph taken in 2011 shows a lack of dense underbrush.  It should be noted that the 2011 photograph is a post Horseshoe 2 fire and the area along FS 42 was back burned by fire crews.  Aesthetically, the removal of the low underbrush opens up the forest floor and adds to the scene.

Then and Now in Cave Creek Canyon

Below is the next set of paired photographs spanning 90-100 years from Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.  The top photograph is a view of the entrance to cave creek canyon taken in the 1920's by the McCulloch Brothers.  While the lower photograph was taken September 22, 2011.  The location was the road fork where Portal Rd splits into Forest Service Rd 42 and 42B (the road to Paradise).  The time of day differs between the 2 photographs, since the light suggests the 1920's view was taken in the afternoon while the current photograph was taken in the morning.  Hence there is little light on the east side of the canyon in the modern photograph.

Notice the closely cropped vegetation in the 1920's photograph while the modern photograph shows an abundance of  high grasses and shrubs.

Photograph of the Chiricahua Mountains in Cochise County (Ariz.)

Photograph of the Chiricahua Mountains in Cochise County (Ariz.), courtesy of  the History and Archives Division, Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, obtained from http://azmemory.lib.az.us/"

Replicate view of Cave Creek Canyon taken September 22, 2011

Cave Creek Canyon: Then and Now

Everything changes and evolves and many are uncomfortable with that notion.  Many find security in the idea of permanence and long for places that are unchanging.  But the reality is change is the norm not the exception as exampled by the Horseshoe Two Fire of 2011 which involved a rapid change in the Chiricahua Mountains.

How is change measured and quantified?  For many it is memory based, and the first line starts "I remember when..." and frequently ends with "it is all ruined now".  But there are alternatives ways to measure change that are more quantitative and do not rely on the imperfections of memory.  One methodology is photographic.  Images captured over period of time can be used to document change and are neutral recordings of changes in the landscape.

Below are 2 images of the entrance to Cave Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains of the Coronado National Forest.  The first is a postcard taken in the 1940's, while the second is a photograph taken from the same place on September 18, 2011, a span of 60-70 years.

Note the changes in the entryway, the bronze plaque is missing as is the left stone pillar.   Cathedral Rock as well as the other outcrops are the same but an abundance of low scrubby vegetation has grown up obscuring part of the view.  But the overall density of vegetation covering the lower slopes appears similar.

1940's view of the entrance to the Coronado National Forest in Cave Creek Canyon

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The same view taken September 18, 2011.

Cave Creek Canyon Nature Trail

A dozen hikers from the  Portal Rodeo Hiking Club visited the nature trail which parallels forest service road 42 along Cave Creek in the Chiricahua Mountains and ends at Sunny Flats campground.  An easy walk along level ground, this mile long nature trail through riparian habitat is a good introduction to the Chiricahua Mountains.  After finishing the nature trail, the group proceeded up South Fork Canyon and was greeted by a male Elegant Trogon who called and followed the group for about 10 minutes.  Returning downstream the group followed the east side of the canyon through the 2 campgrounds with a total distance covered of 5 miles in the canyon.

Below is a photograph of the Elegant Trogon on a tree limb.  The enlargement does not do this beautiful bird justice and the Trogons should  be viewed in person to really appreciate this unique bird. Click on the photograph to see the full size image.  The nature trail route was added to the riparian hike map (blue line).

Elegant Trogon (center) in South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon.  Click on photograph to enlarge.

Giant Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus)

In keeping with the interests of recent guests, the LSU arthropod museum, blogging from the bootheel presents a giant vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus).  Also known as a whiptail scorpion these archnids are not closely related to scorpions but merely resemble a scorpion.  They do not have stingers and are non-venomous but will spray acetic acid (smells like vinegar) when disturbed or threatened.  A carnivorous insect, they may reach several inches in size.  This particular specimen was found on the road in Cave Creek Canyon.

Giant Vinegaroon in Cave Creek Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains