San Diego Mountain Parks

Mildred Falls: San Diego County's Tallest Waterfall

These falls are about 300 feet tall and generally only flow this well when there has been unusually heavy rains. After work yesterday (February 18, 2019) I decided to head over here for the first time since 2017. After shooting some vertical stills of the falls, I shot a sunset timelapse. Unfortunately there was no colorful sunset here - all the amazing sunset clouds were visible along the coastal communities instead. So, I decided to just post the three photos you see here - at different levels of zoom. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z) by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

Mildred Falls: San Diego County's Tallest Waterfall

These falls are about 300 feet tall and generally only flow this well when there has been unusually heavy rains. After work yesterday (February 18, 2019) I decided to head over here for the first time since 2017. After shooting some vertical stills of the falls, I shot a sunset timelapse. Unfortunately there was no colorful sunset here - all the amazing sunset clouds were visible along the coastal communities instead. So, I decided to just post the three photos you see here - at different levels of zoom. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z) by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

Mildred Falls: San Diego County's Tallest Waterfall

These falls are about 300 feet tall and generally only flow this well when there has been unusually heavy rains. After work yesterday (February 18, 2019) I decided to head over here for the first time since 2017. After shooting some vertical stills of the falls, I shot a sunset timelapse. Unfortunately there was no colorful sunset here - all the amazing sunset clouds were visible along the coastal communities instead. So, I decided to just post the three photos you see here - at different levels of zoom. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z) by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

Encroaching Fog [2/3]

Some nice fog and sunset shots from atop Palomar Mountain in San Diego County. There are three frames from the timelapse video I posted the other day. When I first started shooting, there was some epic fog rolling up and down the hills. Then - about 5 minutes later - the fog got really thick and turned to being overcast. At first I thought my sunset timelapse was a bust, but I decided to keep recording. Fortunately the sky went from fully overcast back to rolling fog about ten minutes after that. Shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG lens. Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

Encroaching Fog [3/3]

Some nice fog and sunset shots from atop Palomar Mountain in San Diego County. There are three frames from the timelapse video I posted the other day. When I first started shooting, there was some epic fog rolling up and down the hills. Then - about 5 minutes later - the fog got really thick and turned to being overcast. At first I thought my sunset timelapse was a bust, but I decided to keep recording. Fortunately the sky went from fully overcast back to rolling fog about ten minutes after that. Shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG lens. Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

Encroaching Fog [1/3]

Some nice fog and sunset shots from atop Palomar Mountain in San Diego County. There are three frames from the timelapse video I posted the other day. When I first started shooting, there was some epic fog rolling up and down the hills. Then - about 5 minutes later - the fog got really thick and turned to being overcast. At first I thought my sunset timelapse was a bust, but I decided to keep recording. Fortunately the sky went from fully overcast back to rolling fog about ten minutes after that. Shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG lens. Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

Nice Autumn Colors Reflecting on Doane Pond in Palomar Mountain State Park

I took a random trip up to Palomar Mountain on Friday - and I certainly wasn't disappointed in what I saw. While the fall colors here pale in comparison to what people enjoy on the East Coast this time of year, this year's autumn is quite nice for San Diego County. This is yet another reason why I love San Diego. We have it all: beaches, deserts, and mountains with four seasons. Shot with a Canon 6D and Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens. Palomar Mountain is a mountain ridge in the Peninsular Ranges in northern San Diego County. It is famous as the location of the Palomar Observatory and Hale Telescope, and known for the Palomar Mountain State Park.

Take Me Home, Star Trails Road

After shooting the sunset, I stuck around a while longer to shoot some star trails with some autumn colors in the foreground. As I was wrapping up my sunset timelapse, I noticed that to the north the sky was nice and dark - even though the moon was somewhat to my back and doing a nice job of illuminating the trees and the road here. This was shot with a Canon 6D and Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens. I shot 49 exposures each at 40 sec f/5 ISO 800 and then stacked them in StarStaX to produce the image you see here. This is the equivalent of a 33 minute total exposure. Mount Laguna, California is in San Diego County and is only about a 75 minute drive from downtown San Diego. San Diego County is a big county and has very diverse climates: beaches, mountains, inland, and deserts. This is why I love living here - despite the high cost of living. I often tell people that, if given the choice, I'd rather live in a trailer in San Diego than a mansion elsewhere.

Tonight's sunset seen from Mount Laguna, California

This is a single frame from a sunset through dusk time-lapse I shot up here. I'll likely be posting the time lapse sometime on Saturday. There's still some nice fall colors up here to enjoy before all the leaves on the non-evergreen trees are gone for winter. Shot with a Canon 6D and Canon EF 17-40mm F/4L lens at 1/160 sec f/5 ISO 640 24mm.

Milky Way Behind an Oak Tree And Above Some Pine Trees

Shot in Mount Laguna, California. I really like the way the setting moon (out of frame to the right) illuminates the dead oak branches here - it really adds a nice sense of depth. Yet another shot in my serious of Milky Way shots in Mount Laguna (I hope you're not getting tired of them). Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 12 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Pine Trees, One Oak Tree, and the Milky Way in Mount Laguna

One more in my serious of Milky Way shots in Mount Laguna (I hope you're not getting tired of them). Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 12 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Pine Trees and the Milky Way in Mount Laguna During a 63% Moon

As mentioned the other day, I actually prefer some moon as it does a nice job illuminating the foreground here. It also make for a fun challenge versus shooting during a new moon. I shot this a week ago Friday on July 20, 2018. Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 12 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Camping Among the Pine Trees and Milky Way In Mount Laguna

My camper and truck in the Cleveland National Forest in Mount Laguna. The orangish object in the sky towards the center is Mars. Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. This panorama is made from several vertical frames shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 13 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000 on July 22, 2018.

Dead & Living Pine Trees and the Milky Way In Mount Laguna

Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 13 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Pine trees and the Milky Way In Mount Laguna

Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 13 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

The Milky Way Over Big Laguna Lake In Mount Laguna

The other night I hiked out to a Big Laguna Lake in Mount Laguna. The lake is quite shallow and full of weeds and algae, so I didn't get the glassy reflections of the Milky Way I was hoping for, but I'm still pleased to have found a less-photographed portion of the park. This is a single frame from the timelapse I posted the other day. Shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG lens at 35 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000. In recent years, many photographers have headed up to Mount Laguna (in San Diego County, California), but few seem to photograph the shallow lakes from which the area got its name. "Laguna" is Spanish for "lagoon". There are three lakes up here in Mount Laguna, but one has to hike to them: Big Laguna Lake, Little Laguna Lake (say that ten times really fast), and Water of the Woods lake. Little Laguna lake is often dry, but as of this posting, it has some water in it. These lakes are in Laguna Meadow - where the Kumeyaay once had a summer camp, and through pine and oak forests that provide some welcome summer shade. Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891.

Milky Way Over Big Laguna Lake In Mount Laguna

Last night I decided to photograph something "different" in Mount Laguna. The lake is quite shallow and full of weeds and algae, so I didn't get the glassy reflections of the Milky Way I was hoping for, but I'm still pleased to have found a less-photographed portion of the park. In recent years, many photographers have headed up to Mount Laguna (in San Diego County, California), but few seem to photograph the shallow lakes from which the area got its name. "Laguna" is Spanish for "lagoon". There are three lakes up here in Mount Laguna, but one has to hike to them: Big Laguna Lake, Little Laguna Lake (say that ten times really fast), and Water of the Woods lake. Little Laguna lake is often dry, but as of this posting, it has some water in it. These lakes are in Laguna Meadow - where the Kumeyaay once had a summer camp, and through pine and oak forests that provide some welcome summer shade. Mount Laguna is in The Cleveland National Forest - named after former president Grover Cleveland - and is one of the nation’s earliest forest reserves established under the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. The act originated to slow wasteful and illegal timber cutting, but in Southern California, where the state had established the California Forestry Commission even earlier in 1886, the act was used to protect watersheds. The thinking generally was “lack of protection from fire was causing serious damage to irrigation works of the late 1880s,” according to a history of Cleveland National Forest. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 15 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Milky Way, Pine Trees, and Some Clouds

The Milky Way and some pine trees in Mount Laguna, California on a somewhat cloudy night. To (somewhat) beat the record high temperatures throughout southern California, I headed up to the mountains. I was hoping for the sky to clear up a bit more, but it remained somewhat cloudy most of the night. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 13 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Cloudy Milk

The Milky Way above some pine trees in Mount Laguna, California on a somewhat cloudy night. To (somewhat) beat the record high temperatures throughout southern California, I headed up to the mountains. I was hoping for the sky to clear up a bit more, but it remained somewhat cloudy most of the night. Fortunate, I was still able to capture some Milky Way. And I kind of like how the clouds an some interest and sense of depth to this composition. Shot with a Canon 6D and Mitakon 35mm f/2 lens at 13 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

Meteors Don't Fear The Reaper

This dead tree - burned in one of the major San Diego County wildfires several years ago - has been appropriately named "The Reaper" by a fellow photographer. The curved branch at the top and to the right resembles a sickle, doesn't it? And the dark, burnt, and dead nature of this tree adds to the deathliness mood here. As you can see, I managed to capture a meteor as well as the Milky Way. I'm thinking this is either a Virginid or (more likely) April Piscid meteor, but I'm not 100% sure. I shot this last night (4/20/2018) in Mount Laguna. Instead of using my 15mm lens as is the case for 99% of my nighttime shots, I decided to shoot with my Canon 50mm for a change. Shot with a Canon 6D and Canon 50mm lens at 10 sec f/2.8 ISO 6400. This shot is a single frame from a timelapse sequence I shot here for about 90 minutes. It was quite cold up here - I'm guessing the temperature was in the mid to upper 30° F range as a bottle of water I brought with me felt much colder than one fresh out of the refrigerator.

Storm Clouds From Atop Mount Laguna

I headed up to Mount Laguna (San Diego County) to shoot the snow, but was more fascinated by the clouds. This is a single frame from some timelapse sequences I shot here. This is looking east toward the desert. This was shot from Monument Peak Road - one of the higher vista points in the area.

Storm Clouds From Atop Mount Laguna

I headed up to Mount Laguna (San Diego County) to shoot the snow, but was more fascinated by the clouds. This is a single frame from some timelapse sequences I shot here. This is looking east toward the desert. This was shot from Monument Peak Road - one of the higher vista points in the area.

January 2018 Mount Laguna Snowstorm

I headed up to Mount Laguna (San Diego County) to shoot the snow. Mount Laguna got it's first snowstorm of 2018 and it dumped a bit over an inch of snow. Nothing too dramatic here other than the wind blowing the trees around and clouds moving in and out of the forest. I was hoping the snow would cling to the trees, but it was far too dry for that to happen.

Los Coyotes Indian Reservation Hot Springs Mountain at Sunset

I shot this atop a rickety old fire lookout tower atop Hot Springs Mountain in the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation in San Diego County. I want to return to this location and try to get the entire tower in the frame at sunset, but didn't have time to figure out the best way to do so (there are some obstacles in the way). At 6,533 feet, Hot Springs Mountain is the tallest peak in San Diego County, and is twenty one feet taller than the second tallest peak, Cuyamaca Peak (6,512 feet). The forest here includes Coulter, Jeffrey, and sugar pines, white fir, and incense cedar. There are also canyon live oak and black oak trees. The current tower was built in 1928. The roof and walls have caved in in recent years (this is the pile of wood you're looking at here) and the stairs leading to the top are in very bad shape. The tower is located on Los Coyotes Indian Reservation property, but it is currently open to the public every day. Note that you must check in with the guards and there is a $10 day use fee. With an ordinary sedan, you can drive up to the campground, park there, and hike the rest of the way. You will need a high clearance 4WD vehicle to make it the last three miles past the campground - if you want to drive all the way to the top.

Milky Way and Antennas Atop Mount Laguna

I shot this back in August of 2017 and just now decided to process it - perhaps because I can't wait for the 2018 Milky Way season to begin? Shot near the top of Mount Laguna, California with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG at 30 sec f/2.8 ISO 3200.

Twilight view of northern San Diego County from Palomar Mountain

To produce this image, I shot 13 vertical frames shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 17-35mm lens at 2.5 sec f/4.0 ISO 800 35mm and stitched them together in Lightroom. The Lilac Fire has been brought under about 50% control and can no longer be seen from up here.

December 2017 Supermoon From Desert View Park

The supermoon of 2017 rises in the sky as seen from Desert View Park in Julian, California.

December 2017 Supermoon From Desert View Park

The supermoon of 2017 rises in the sky as seen from Desert View Park in Julian, California.

After the Mount Laguna Sunset the Stars Appear

I shot this on November 20, 2017 along Pine Creek Road in the Cleveland National Forest in Mount Laguna, California. The last few weeks have produced many epic sunsets here in San Diego county. This is a single frame from a timelapse sequence I shot here.

Epic Colorful Sunset in Mount Laguna

I shot this on November 20, 2017 along Pine Creek Road in the Cleveland National Forest in Mount Laguna, California. The last few weeks have produced many epic sunsets here in San Diego county. This is a single frame from a timelapse sequence I shot here.

Epic Colorful Sunset in Mount Laguna

I shot this sequence on November 20, 2017 along Pine Creek Road in the Cleveland National Forest in Mount Laguna, California. The last few weeks have produced many epic sunsets here in San Diego county. This is a single frame from a timelapse sequence I shot here.

Epic Sunset Over a Meadow at Mount Laguna

Here's a single frame from the video I posted earlier. The past few days southern California has been treated to some amazing sunsets. Yesterday I headed to Mount Laguna (in the mountains of San Diego County) to film a time lapse sequence of the sunset.

Lightning bolt and rain over Brawley and/or El Centro, California.

Jeff Morris joined me for a night of shooting a rare lightning storm from atop Mount Laguna. Salton Sea to the left. This was taken around 11:36 PM. The moon setting to our back illuminated the clouds and the landscape. Shot with a Canon 6D and Canon EF 75-300mm at 80mm 15 sec f/4 ISO 800.

Vía Láctea in Cuyamaca

The Milky Way rises among some pine trees in the Paso Picacho campground of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This is a single frame for a time lapse shot at f/2.8 30 sec ISO 3200. Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG. Cuyamaca Rancho State Park is a state park in California, USA, located 40 miles (64 km) east of San Diego in the Laguna Mountains of the Peninsular Ranges. The park's 26,000 acres (11,000 ha) feature pine, fir, and oak forests, with meadows and streams that exist due to the relatively high elevation of the area compared to its surroundings. The park includes 6,512-foot (1,985 m) Cuyamaca Peak, the second-highest point in San Diego County. The name "Cuyamaca" is a Spanish version of the name the native Kumeyaay peoples used for this place. In water-short Southern California, the Indians called the area Ah-Ha Kwe-Ah Mac, meaning "the place where it rains."

View from the top of Mildred Falls.

The falls are flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z" by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

View from the top of Mildred Falls.

The falls are flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z" by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

View from the top of Mildred Falls.

The falls are flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z" by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

View from the top of Mildred Falls.

The falls are flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z" by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls.

Mildred Falls - Illuminated by a Nearly Full Moon

The falls are flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. According to "San Diego County Place Names, A To Z) by Leland Fetzer, the waterfall is most likely named after Mildred Williams - a Julian resident in the early 1900's. Mildred committed suicide here by leaping into the falls. I shot this at 25 sec f/6.3 ISO 1600 600 mm using my Canon 6D.

22° moon halo near Mildred Falls

Moon halo with a chemtrail through it. I shot this near Mildred Falls (the falls are out of frame to the left). A 22° halo is a halo, one type of optical phenomenon, forming a circle 22° around the sun, or occasionally the moon. It forms as sunlight is refracted in hexagonal ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. As the light beam passes through two sides of the prism forming a 60° angle, the angle of minimum deviation is almost 22° (namely, 21.84° on average; 21.54° for red and 22.37° for blue). This wavelength-dependent variation in refraction causes the inner edge of the circle to be reddish while the outer edge is bluish. A 22° halo may be visible on as many as 100 days per year.

Star Trails and a Waterfall

Mildred Falls is flowing for the first time in several years. At 300 feet, it's San Diego County's tallest waterfall. The landscape is illuminated by a waxing crescent moon out of frame to the left. To produce this image, I shot 224 frames over a period of almost two hours. Each exposure was done for 30 sec f/3.2 ISO 3200 with my Canon 6D and 50mm lens. I then spent about thee hours removing numerous airplane trails (SoCal sure has a LOT of air traffic). Finally, I stacked the images using StarStaX.

Mount Laguna snow

Winter wonderland in the mountains of San Diego. Fresh snow on the Sunrise Highway in Mount Laguna! Snow was coming down hard when I shot this.

Perseid Meteor and Star Trails

A 2016 Perseid meteor fireball and some star trails. I combined 32 frames shot at 25 sec f/2.8 ISO 3200 and then combined them using StarStax. Shot in Noble Canyon in the Cleveland National Forest in Mount Laguna, California. I stayed up until dawn this morning and the night before shooting the Perseids. While the show didn't put out 200 meteors an hour, it was the best meteor shower I've seen in a long time. Also, beginning a few hours earlier the humidity got over 80% up here and started fogging up the lens. Fortunately I had a battery-powered lens heater ( Dew-Not ) that came to the rescue. Watch on my YouTube: youtu.be/YT3BEk0LOgA