The Empire Mine State Historic Park, Grass Valley, California

Posted on September 9, 2013 by clevelandg

Most of you know that I tend to favor black and white photography but there are many shots just crying out for color, like this one.

The red roofs are a corrugated tin that is highly reactive. Within two years of the installation of the new roofs, they had turned this color.

_DSC0670

Here is an aerial view of the mineyard I took this year. This is just part of the huge park. The Empire was the largest producer of gold in the west. There is so much to see here, including a short trip underground in the main shaft.

GOPR2426

Until next time,

Grover

Posted in California, Gold Mines, Grass Valley, Great Basin, Sierra Nevada History | 1 Comment

Flickr and The Empire Mine State Historic Park

Posted on September 7, 2013 by clevelandg

I have been adding material to my Flickr account if you would care to take a look and comment.

In the meantime here is one more from the Empire Mine. As always, click to embiggen.

Whitewash - Empire Mine State Park

Whitewash – Empire Mine State Park

Cheers to all,

Grover

Posted in Great Basin | Leave a comment

The Empire Mine

Posted on September 7, 2013 by clevelandg

Dear readers,

I haven’t forgotten you. I’m heading back to Nevada to finish the book in October.
In the meantime I started a photo series on the Empire Mine State Historic Park in Grass Valley, California.

I am a volunteer here again after an absence of some years; I work in research and also with “The Over The Hill Gang” on maintenance and construction.

Rather than a general view of the mine’s operation and history, which you can find elsewhere on the web, this project is called “The Hidden Empire” or places that are hardly noticed by the visitor.

Some of these are taken in the mineyard where numerous pieces of equipment are on plinths out in the open and sadly rusting away.

Levers

Empire Mine Yard – Levers

DSC_0481

Empire Mine Yard – Motor

I imagine these as fairly large prints when I mount them for exhibition in a few months.

Grover

For the technically curious – camera is a Nikon D600 at 24 MPixels, lens a 50mm f1.8 prime, RAW processed in Lightroom 4 using custom presets.

 

Posted in California, Gold Mines, Grass Valley, Sierra Nevada History | Tagged | 1 Comment

Dugway Range – Simpson’s Springs

Posted on April 12, 2013 by clevelandg

On the Lincoln Highway’s present-day bypass around the south end of the Army’s Dugway Proving Grounds, one comes across Simpson’s Springs, which I’ve mentioned before. Simpson explored the route from the Salt Lake area to Genoa, Nevada in 1859. His work  laid the groundwork for the Overland Stage and Pony Express.

There is a campground there where I spent a couple of days waiting for the right light over the Dugway Range to the north of me. To the south of my campsite in the Simpson Mountains, I noticed this tree bathed in the light from the setting sun. I think it is a Piñon Pine but more knowledgable folks might take this opportunity to correct me.

Simpson's Springs

Simpson’s Springs

Whatever it may be, I love the image. Photographers will note that at least three exposures have been combined in this photo to achieve the balance of light I originally visualized.

Happy travels and beautiful sunsets to all of you.

Grover

Posted in Great Basin | 1 Comment

The Lincoln Highway in the Great Basin

Posted on April 3, 2013 by clevelandg

Just a  short post to let you know that I opened my show in Grass Valley, CA on Monday.

Installation at Valentina's Bistro in Grass Valley

Installation at Valentina’s Bistro in Grass Valley

Photos in Exhibit

Lincoln Highway Collage – these photos are to be included in a larger exhibit

The show is open for the month of April with a reception this Saturday the sixth at two in the afternoon. The venue is small but quite nice and they have great coffee and meals.

I hope you can stop by. The venue is open only during weekdays from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and is located at  1041 Sutton Way, Grass Valley California 95945

Grover

Posted in Great Basin, Landscapes, Lincoln Highway | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The Lincoln Highway in Basin and Range – Carroll Summit

Posted on March 7, 2013 by clevelandg

I have been editing photos for an exhibition coming up next month but hadn’t included this until my wife noticed it and asked for a print. This is in the canyon on the east side of Carroll Summit and was taken in the Fall of 2012.

Canyon East of Carroll Summit, Nevada

Canyon East of Carroll Summit, Nevada

I’ll be heading out on the highway fairly soon. In the meantime I’ll bring you some images from my library.

Grover

Posted in Desert, Great Basin, Landscapes, Lincoln Highway, Nevada | Leave a comment

Nevada Magazine – Lincoln Highway Article

Posted on February 24, 2013 by clevelandg

Welcome to those who have just found me as a result of my article in Nevada Magazine.

To catch up on the Lincoln Highway you should go back to the blogs in 2011 and read forward from there. Start here – October 2011. You will find useful items such as detailed directions and gps coordinates in these items.

My book, to be published early 2014, will be a complete guidebook with maps, coordinates, contemporary and historic photos.

As promised, now that the article is published, I can now begin to show some new photos.

Sand Pass - Then and Now

Sand Pass – Then and Now

It was pure luck that I parked my truck in the same spot as the early photo from the University of Michigan Archives. To the left of the truck is the new Highway 50 alignment and behind that the dreaded Fallon Sink.

I wish you safe traveling in the desert,

Grover

 

 

 

Posted in Desert, Lincoln Highway, Loneliest Highway in America, Nevada | 4 Comments

The Lincoln Highway in Basin and Range – Orr’s Ranch Revisited

Posted on February 21, 2013 by clevelandg

I have shown you a few photos of Orr’s Ranch (near Dugway, Utah) before, but not this one. Orr’s Ranch was an important stop on the LHW since it was the last place for gasoline and other supplies before reaching the John Thomas Ranch (now Fish Springs N.W.R.) far to the west. Click the image to enlarge.

Orr's Ranch, Dugway, Utah

Orr’s Ranch, Dugway, Utah

The ranch is still there and may be visited.   40°18’0.76″N  112°44’0.60″W

As always, travel safely.

Grover

Posted in Desert, Dugway, Great Basin, Landscapes, Lincoln Highway, Skull Valley, Utah | 1 Comment

Sand Mountain

Posted on February 21, 2013 by clevelandg

I just received a subscription from Travis Christiansen who recently wrote about Sand Mountain, east of Fallon, Nevada.

Here is an aerial shot of Sand Mountain taken from my little camera plane.

Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain

 

Grover

Posted in Desert, Great Basin, Landscapes, Lincoln Highway | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Great Basin near Austin, Nevada

Posted on February 21, 2013 by clevelandg
Emptiness

Emptiness (Click to Embiggen)

I would like to solicit your opinion. This is a reworked version of the scene I posted recently. What do you think? Is it “over the top” or simply “rather neat”? Obviously I did a lot of processing in Photoshop and generally I don’t like to do that but my opinion is that in this case it works as a dramatic landscape.

This is a possible image in my book “The Lincoln Highway in Basin and Range” due out next year.

Grover

Posted in Desert, Great Basin, Landscapes, Lincoln Highway, Nevada | Tagged , | 7 Comments