Sierra Nevada in September: A Pashnit Ride of Elevated Proportions

[pashnit]

We picked a great place for lunch- simply called 'The Barn'.

Bridgeport is small enough where you can stand on Main Street and see the entire town from that one spot.

John & Don



Tim & John - behind them is a rather fun map of this corner of eastern California

[pashnit]

Then it was off to explore the Historic Ghost Town of Bodie. I have photographed the town before so always looking for something new to try. I'd never explored the cemetary on the adjacent hill, so thought I'd try that this time around.




"Louisa May McIntyre, Died April 17, 1899, Aged 3 months, 28 days."

[pashnit]

Rather stark landscape at 8000 feet. While the weather was a perfect 65 degrees, we learned that in the morning before we arrived it was 11 degrees. Yikes!




Some pics of the headstones- "Born 1894, Died 1897".

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Mary Elizabeth Butler, Died 1878




This one was interesting. It's a monument more or less in the Cememtary to then president James Garfield, who was assasinated while Bodie was in its boom era. "Erected January 1882"

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Panoramic--->>>


Similar view of Bodie from the Graveyard... That hilltop is where all that gold was located!

Scroll--->>

[pashnit]

Then off to shoot the town

[pashnit]

Plus spend some time in the Museum looking at all the old stuff, old log books, payroll lists, and various odds and ends from daily life in the late 1800's.






This shot was on a postcard, which is another trick to figuring out what to photograph, and how it should look. I ran through the postcards, and realized one of them was of the very building I was in. Hmm, maybe I can get a similar style shot. Old sleigh is pretty cool, get a lot of snow at 8000 feet I can imagine.

[pashnit]

Also worked on shooting more of the interiors. Trick to this shot is putting the lens right up against the glass (no flash), and not allowing any outside shadws to bounce into the camera lens. When you peer into the windows, it's apparent once the gold dried up, everyone just picked up and left. On to the next big strike.




The General Store

[pashnit]

If you see that phone on the wall, I have one of those, keep it in my office, passed on to me from my grandparents. I'm told it still works.




The more you look in the windows, the more you see. On the wall to the right, those are cans of mustard.

Below that are tins of Ginger, Cloves & Cinnamon




Bottles of Aspring, Kellogg's Tasteless Castor Oil (Yum!!), & the one on the top left reads:

"A Scientific Powder for Men. A New Shade. -Invisible- Absolutely undetectable for the man who realizes that a shiny aftershave face detracts from a well groomed appearance. Keep that Well Groomed Look."

I'm sold. Although the "Tasteless Castor Oil" doesn't sound so tasteful.

[pashnit]

Attempt # 2 of my favorite Bodie house to photograph.

Note all the wood cut and stacked in the background. Seems some folks still live here year round, presumably the park rangers.