Devil's Punchbowl

mrlassiter

A few from The Devil's Punchbowl, a state park in California.
Whatcha think? Any suggestions?

1. A view across the desert from the parking area. The rocks you see are tilted at a crazy angle, due to tectonic pressure. This is along the San Andreas Fault.

2. Manzanita clinging to the precipice. The San Gabriel Mountains frame the south side, to the right.

3. Further to the east, a decaying scrub oak gives way to juniper and aloe.


Thanks for looking...

-mrlassiter

wfeller

I've been out there quite a few times- the location, however beautiful, can be quite challenging. You've managed to capture some of the more positive elements in the second two photos.

Late summer is the best time for out there IMO. The sun sets north of the San Gabriel range and the direct light lasts on the pink rocks longer. When the rains, or at least the clouds fill up the skyit can balance out the slope of the mountains pretty good and put some drama in there.

I've been down the loop trail that leads into the punchbowl itself a few times, but never during late in the day. The colors should be quite tripped out. The bad part is hiking uphill in the dark after the sun sets. I hate hiking uphill after I'm done for the day.

Northwest of the punchbowl (right off of the end of the nature trail 50 yards or so north of the overlook, in the park still, is a ridge that is good both in the morning and afternoon. I've done that a couple times at both sunrise and sunset. There's something like 12 or so arches in the park that offer some possibilites. Got to have shoes with good traction! It gets slippery with the granite/sand and a slide in some spots can be deadly.

Mountain lions prefer the terrain (the 'Devil' part of Devil's Punchbowl).

jstpeter

All these are great Landscapes Bravo! #3 is my favorite. The general rule of thumb is to have straight horizons but the angle here helps my eye move from the right side of the image where I take in the the great sky down to the facinating scrub oak on the left then back down into the valley and the great rock formations. This composition allows me to see you whole image for what it is!

mrlassiter

Thanks jstpeter, nothing in that area is "straight". The whole place is topsy turvy. I tried to balance the receding ridgeline of the mountains against the uptilt of the rocks. Glad you liked it.

-mrlassiter

mrlassiter

Wfeller, thank you, I have been through there often, but never from that direction, I usually hike in from the back (from the east) via So. fork of the Holcomb Creek. Along that route you get to dine on the Devil's Chair. It may be the ridge you speak of, it's a razor thine sliver of rock the juts out into the punchbowl that has the top lined with chainlink fencing. I didn't hike this daydue to this...
The little devil and his fruit cup above the Devil's Punbowl.


He sure enjoyed it.

-mrlassiter