Aerial Shots of the Sierra and Yosemite

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yosguns

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 26, 2018 - 10:36pm PT
I caught some shots of the Sierra on my way back from Mammoth. Enjoy!







Grateful days.
JOEY.F

Gym climber
It's not rocket surgery
Mar 26, 2018 - 10:54pm PT
Sweet, United MMH-SFO?
yosguns

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 26, 2018 - 10:56pm PT
There's definitely a sort of vintage quality to them now that we have drones. Still, it was wonderful to be up in the sky over a place I love so much. I've been looking for years as I've flown east for Half Dome with no luck. Southern side of the plane, SFO to Mammoth (MMH) and return seem to guarantee Valley views as long as skies are clear.

Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
Mar 27, 2018 - 05:54am PT
Nice! Especially the panorama shot.

Here’s a couple I took on my way to the Robbins memorial, on an early flight from Denver to Oakland.

Mono Lake and Lee Vining


Dana and Third Pillar


Tenaya Lake

Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:00am PT
Here are a couple on a flight to/from Phoenix two weeks ago in a Cessna. The flight over was one of the most challenging flights I've made, with high winds, icing, instrument conditions, severe turbulence and ending with a crosswind landing. Scary but beautiful! You can read more about the flight with more photos on my blog: www.westcoastflyingadventures.com
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:53am PT
Thanks Yosguns! I always select my seat accordingly for my way back east or for the way home. That feeling of "coming home" over the Sierra never gets old.

Yikes Ney! Way to hold it together up there!
kunlun_shan

Mountain climber
SF, CA
Mar 27, 2018 - 09:13am PT
Cool thread!

I love the photo of Half Dome on your blog, Ney.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Mar 27, 2018 - 09:29am PT
Ney, enjoyed yer blog, especially Alaska and the avionics job with unmarked wires. LOL!
Peter Murphy

Trad climber
Oakland
Mar 27, 2018 - 11:48am PT
This is so cool! Here is a pic I got of devils tower (the only thing still lit up by the sun)
10b4me

Social climber
Lida Junction
Mar 27, 2018 - 12:27pm PT
Great shots. Ney, yours are wild.
Sierra Sustainable

Trad climber
South Lake Tahoe
Mar 27, 2018 - 12:44pm PT
Thank you sir, may I have another?
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Mar 27, 2018 - 02:00pm PT
Here is one of my favorites from that trip. It shows how massive the Dana Plateau is, and you can also make out the Third Pillar of Mt. Dana. Tuolumne in the background is strangely absent of the expected granite peaks and domes, although I think you can see Lembert Dome behind a cloud.


i-b-goB

Social climber
Wise Acres
Mar 27, 2018 - 06:03pm PT
Yo nice shots!
Minerals

Social climber
The Deli
Mar 27, 2018 - 06:08pm PT
Good stuff. Must be nice to have an eye in the sky.




Photo by Ney Grant.

Peak 9134 is the dome of leucogranite, just southwest of Glen Aulin, and above McGee Lake. It is the eastern extent of Falls Ridge, and sits just west of the thin screen of metamorphic rock that lies just west of the outer margin of the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite. The outer margin of the TIS is composed of the tonalite of Glen Aulin and all of the domes labeled in the photo are composed of Cathedral Peak Granodiorite. The Third Swiller is composed largely of swillerite.
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Mar 27, 2018 - 06:48pm PT
Minerals - that is awesome, thank you. I thought Peak 9134 was Lembert.

Ney
yosguns

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Mar 27, 2018 - 07:22pm PT
Whoa! Nice collab, Ney and Minerals!
PinkTaco

Mountain climber
Utah
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:28pm PT
Amazing shots!
Thanks for posting.

It does raise a dirty little subject, that few seem willing to discuss -- or perhaps few others notice.

I took the time to slowly backpack the JMT from Happy Valley to Whitney Portal a few years ago. There were very few moments that I enjoyed silence and a true wilderness experience. Not because of an over abundance of PCT/JMT hikers, the permit system is actually kinda working (albeit there are heavy weeks). But because of the excessive air traffic. Whether it was commercial, military, or civilian air traffic noise it seemed to ALWAYS be present. Like gnats; only gnats that vibrate the landscape and echo for an eternity into the next aircraft just a few minutes behind. They certainly detract from any sense of a "wilderness experience", at least as I would define.

Anyone else share my sentiment here, or am I turning into an angry old person determined be be alone on a crowed planet that I must learn to share? :)

Cheers, and would like to reiterate, LOVED the photos!

seano

Mountain climber
none
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:44pm PT
PinkTaco -- You think the Sierra are bad? Try backpacking in the Grand Canyon! Outside the central mule trails, it's a constant stream of heli-tours from dawn to dusk. The jets flying techies to and from the Bay Area are mildly annoying, but easily ignored.

Nice shots of the Valley, BTW. Seeing Half Dome from 35,000 feet makes you realize "holy s**t, that's huge!"
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:52pm PT
Pink Taco,

You say gnats, so I assume you mean piston/propeller aircraft (like mine)? When I fly in that area I don't see or hear on the radio a lot of traffic, so I am a little surprised. Most of us don't dally in the Sierras as it isn't safe if you have engine failure. If you notice the photos I took are over Hwy 395. I pretty much cross at a 90 degree angle to minimize my time over harsh terrain.

If you think it is getting worse it probably isn't. Private general aviation in small planes is in trouble and there are fewer pilots. Training takes significant time and money and the instant gratification that many kids desire isn't there. There is a lot of commercial jet traffic.

Also the Bishop / Whitney area is in a "MOA" or Military Operations Area so there is a lot of military jet training there. As you probably know, many climbers have a "holy shit" story of having a jet come over at 500 feet.

Anyway, I'm fully aware that I'm a nuisance and there are times I fly over the Sierras. I apologize for my noise. It isn't the engine, but it is those damn propeller tips that are approaching the speed of sound that makes the noise.
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Mar 27, 2018 - 08:55pm PT
For anyone interested, here are the rules on flying above parks and wilderness:

Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the surface of the following:

National Parks, Monuments, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas and Scenic Riverways administered by the National Park Service, National Wildlife Refuges, Big Game Refuges, Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Wilderness and Primitive areas administered by the U.S. Forest Service

FAA Advisory Circular AC 91−36, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Flight Near Noise-Sensitive Areas, defines the surface of a national park area (including parks, forests, primitive areas, wilderness areas, recreational areas, national seashores, national monuments, national lakeshores, and national wildlife refuge and range areas) as: the highest terrain within 2,000 feet laterally of the route of flight, or the upper-most rim of a canyon or valley

Federal statutes prohibit certain types of flight activity and/or provide altitude restrictions over designated U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas

Federal regulations also prohibit airdrops by parachute or other means of persons, cargo, or objects from aircraft on lands administered by the three agencies without authorization from the respective agency
Exceptions include:

Emergencies involving the safety of human life; or
Threat of serious property loss
Messages 1 - 20 of total 44 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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