fstopandsee

Ancient Mayan ruins at Tulum looking out at the Caribbean Sea.

When I was in Cape Cod I of course wanted to see the two lighthouses out at the very tip of the Cape. I was able to make it to one, and this was the very breakwater I crossed to get there. The view on the way back was stunning!

The hike to Round Top starts by going through a wooded area. You eventually break out to where you can finally see the top of the peak, your destination for the day, off in the distance. From this point it felt pretty far away but we all knew it would be worth it! I really like the way the trail and string of skiers extends out toward the peak, reaching out for it.

This was the very first cenote a saw on my trip to Mexico. It just so happened to be on the property of some friends who live down there! I might have seen a few later on that were more photogenic, but this one left an impression on me and it is very unique. The bright light shining in from the entrance really contrasts with the dark deeper reaches of the cenote.

I had a great weekend. I spent one day back country skiing on a peak called Round Top in the Sierras with a great group of friends. I spent the next day skiing at a resort. There wasn’t much new snow which is uncharacteristic for this time of year around here, but the hike, view and overall experience were amazing. This was one of my favorite views from the hike. It was taken from the top of Round Top just before we began our descent. The true Kirkwood fans out there will recognize the backside of the resort in the right third of the image.

This small tree was trying to grow out of a huge piece of granite. It looks like it will have a pretty hard life ahead of it. The sky was overcast and snowy, allowing me to shoot straight into the sun and still capture the scene.

If a wall with many skulls carved in it doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will. Perhaps the Mayans that built this wall were trying to warn others of their affinity for sacrifice. I think I was pretty safe when I took this photo, but many years ago that may have not been the case.

I had to do a little convincing of some in the group to hike out on this narrow point high above the water. This view alone was worth it for me, the fuzz on the tree branches framed up this rock sticking out of the ocean perfectly. We all lived to tell the tale!

This slug was really into this rock. I almost stepped on him on a trail, but after I saw him I’m not sure how I was almost able to miss him. He was huge, and slimy. There was a crazy orange stripe down each side of his body that really stood out. I’m pretty sure he was going to eat this whole rock if I had watched him long enough.

I was not looking for Salt Creek Falls.  I was planning a detour after getting rained out of a night of camping.  This gave us some extra time to get to the next spot and I was looking for things to see.  A small sign for Salt Creek Falls was all that it took to get me to stop, and I was greeted by the second highest waterfall in Oregon at 286 ft.