​It'd been three years since we last visited May Lake. We left the house at 7:30am, picked up sandwiches in Oakdale, had lunch on the ridge overlooking Tenaya Canyon, caught some fish and were back home to Turlock in time for dinner!

Thanks to our fogged-out experience at Whalers Cove in 2022, we were determined to fish from an area that was served by planes that could fly in inclement weather. We ended-up choosing Glacier Bay Country Inn in Gustavus (Gus-day-vus) because Alaska Air has daily 737 service to the Glacier Bay airport.  My dad Jim, his friend Charlie, my borther-in-law Colin and I had a grand adventure! The weather was amazing, the wildlife viewing was excellent and the fishing was generally the best we've had in several years.  Take a look at some of the sights and awesome wildlife we saw!  And thanks to Captain Steve of Taylor Charters for putting us on the fish! We each got our keeper king this year!

Please view the full photo album to see ALL of the amazing things we witnessed on this trip. 

​My first hike with my new Z8. I had planned to hike to Chain Lakes but was thwarted by a snow drift across the road that I didn't want to cross without help to get me unstuck. So I parked and took a cross country jaunt to Grizzly Lake to see what I could see. Turns out there are some 3+lb rainbows in the lake, but none would take my offerings on this fine day.

2023 was another great year of camping at McGee Creek and I braved the trip without a camera (as I patiently waited for my Z8 to arrive). McGee Creek Canyon was absolutely exploding with color! Up at Rock Creek we had a great time crossing massive snow drifts on the trails in the middle of July thanks to a massively above-average snow season.

A great day at the boardwalk taking Grandma and Zephyr on the Giant Dipper as many times as possible. And we ran into the Bakers! Also, there are a few Disneyland photos included for good measure. 

​A great 3-day field course led by Garry Hayes (@geotripper) to Black Diamond Mine, Pt Reyes National Seashore and the UC Davis Bodega Bay research facility.

​Part of our 2023 Spring Break with Elen, Helmut, Julie and Jill. We had the best rental house in Morro Bay!

​The bookend of our Elen, Helmut, Julie and Jill spring break! One of the most epic snow seasons in history.

​A quick April jaunt to get out of the house and take advantage of a dry day to see the amazing greenery of the foothills and swollen Tuolumne River.

After taking an eleven year driving hiatus for Garry Hayes' geology trips, Laura and I returned to one of our favorite places on Earth with newly-minted 10yo, Zephyr. We perfectly threaded the weather needle and had moderately chilly nights that warmed to the low 70's in the afternoon. The students were exceptional and asked lots of great questions and had tons of great observations. It felt good to be back helping students make sense of the geology around them out in the field! Be sure to check this site for updates that include 360 images and more 3D models. In the meantime please have a look at the 250+ photos and descriptions in from our five days in the region in the Photo Journal Album.