A group of west siders are planning on meeting on the east side the weekend of June 11-13 to deliver some donated computer equipment to Lone Pine H.S., install two web cams, and maybe do a hike. One cam will be aimed at Mt. Williamson from Ft Independence, and the other will be in Lone Pine.
Initial plans are to work on the camera/computer install on Friday, and, if all is successful, then hike on Saturday.
I am putting out this announcement, in case anyone might be interested in joining in on the fun either day.
If the hike is in the Whitney Zone, we're hoping to snag some walk-in permits.
Last edited by Steve C; 03/16/1109:27 AM. Reason: change subject line
Wagga and I spent some hours yesterday and today working on the camera housing boxes. Glass is in place in the holes + @ti2d cut. Styrofoam added to the top of the boxes. Plexiglas sun-shades for the boxes are mounted. Need to paint the shades yet. Then work out the wiring.
Well, that'll defeat the purpose, since I'm never in the WZ anymore... well maybe this weekend if the new boots arrive... hurm...
So? We just call it the MooseCam, and follow your adventures. Who wants a static picture of one mountain when they could be privy to all your epical treks!
I'll be in the area 11-14 June with my Scouts. 12 June we will be at Grass Lake (hopefully). Feel free to stop by our site at the family camp ground - 19, 21, 23 and 42. You'll see our trailer - either parked or seriously stuck somewhere. It would be great to put a face to the name!.....................................DUG
It took enough for me to get a SPOT, since I really didn't like the thought of being "watched"...
Besides, isn't it more fun to wonder what silliness I got myself into over the weekend come Monday mornin'??
True dat. Mondays just wouldn't be the same. Speakining of which, today is this week's Monday, even though it's really Tuesday (who's on first?) - where's the NV skinny?
Got extra room for my wife and me? Self-sufficient. Will pay for the full cost of one space in cash. Feel free to PM me.
EMd the Hostel with no response. Will call to make a reservation. If that fails, hence the question.
What do you do to a lame horse? No worries. I will be unarmed. If trailer is stuck, I will be more than happy to get it "un-stuck."
Have fun. Semper fi.
Might have room, I just had a couple folks drop out - though I doubt the campground will be full. The only reason the trailer is gonna get stuck is cuz it and the truck are probably too big for the campground. We'll see...........................DUG
Might have room, I just had a couple folks drop out - though I doubt the campground will be full. The only reason the trailer is gonna get stuck is cuz it and the truck are probably too big for the campground. We'll see...........................DUG
Made reservations at the Hostel. Thank you, Doug!
Figured this would be the better solution since Wifey-Pooh will be assisting Steve transporting all of the computers. I believe there are 20 CPUS plus other peripherals. And we have to split that between two vehicles. Then there are the tools, too. There won't be enough room for the camping gear. So, we will be "roughing it" in Lone Pine not BEFORE but definitely AFTER Thor.
Anyhoo...we will be sure to look you up. I always want to meet people on this site. Already met Steve, wagga, MooseTracks, ynottony...and if I forgot any of you kindly give me a swift e-kick on this forum! Thank-you-very-much!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...
If you need to blow a "gasket" will probably assuage you with a cold libation of your choice!
The only thing holding me back right now is my dad is seriously ill in the hospital with cogestive heart failure and pneumonia. He has lost most cognitive function and the neurologist wanted to do a lumbar puncture on him today to determine if he has a blockage of cerebral spinal fluid on his brain causing some of his problems.I had to inform the neuro that my dad is on blood thinners and can't have a lumbar puncture untill he is off of them for a while.I am afraid to leave him right now so we are on a wait and see basis.
The only thing holding me back right now is my dad is seriously ill in the hospital with cogestive heart failure and pneumonia. He has lost most cognitive function and the neurologist wanted to do a lumbar puncture on him today to determine if he has a blockage of cerebral spinal fluid on his brain causing some of his problems.I had to inform the neuro that my dad is on blood thinners and can't have a lumbar puncture untill he is off of them for a while.I am afraid to leave him right now so we are on a wait and see basis.
Your father is your Number One priority. Our thoughts and prayers will be with and of you.
Spend time with your dad, Rod. Anything else can wait.
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
Steve just headed out to get some lumber for the project.
A couple of blonde men in a ute drove into a lumberyard. One of the blonde men walked in the office and said, "We need some four-by-twos."
The clerk said, "You mean two-by-fours, don't you?"
The man said, "I'll go check," and went back to the truck and talked to the driver. He returned a minute later and said, "Yeah, I meant two-by-fours."
"Alright. How long do you need them?"
The customer paused for a minute and said, "I'd better go check." After awhile, the customer returned to the office and said, "A long time. We're gonna build a house."
Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
That looks like a fun group Bob! I bet Gary had you guys either cracking up or pumped up (or both) the entire way - although it seems wifey-pooh is a more than a match for him in the class 3 stuff. Appears you went up the MR/North Fork to Thor, then looped back to the MT on the descent?
That looks like a fun group Bob! I bet Gary had you guys either cracking up or pumped up (or both) the entire way - although it seems wifey-pooh is a more than a match for him in the class 3 stuff. Appears you went up the MR/North Fork to Thor, then looped back to the MT on the descent?
Great album, great time - thanks for sharing!
I just kept my mouth shut and listened everytime Bob spoke. I only asked one question.
Wifey-pooh had foot issues before the hike and I had concerns for her safety...she hung in there like a trooper...never complained...I got me one very tough wifey-pooh...
I sure want to thank Gary and Pam and Dave for ALL their help. This project would not have been possible with out the participation from each and every one! Pam was able to donate 23 computers and a server to Lone Pine High School. In turn, the high school is allowing us use of two of the computers to serve the web cam process.
Dave and the LPHS IT guy worked hard to get the computers up and running (they had been wiped squeaky clean... would not even boot!) Gary and Dave did all sorts of handyman work getting wiring installed and camera brackets installed.
The second web cam in Independence needs a little work -- internet connection and firewall tweaking -- and it will be on line as well.
And we should be getting a daily video of the prior day's pictures soon!
Bob R and Jay came up and accompanied/guided us on a hike up Thor via the "Secret" route, and down via the Mirror Lake breaks. (At the end, my feet were killing me, since I haven't hiked in months.) It was a Thor first for three of us, and even my first north side North Fork ascent to LBSL, too.
I have lots of pictures to post, from the camera installations AND the hike. So much to do, so little time.
Oh, and wagga and I enjoyed pizza at the WND (Whoah Nellie Deli) in Lee Vining. The live band was a great final touch.
And I almost forgot to mention: We had the pleasure of having a Moose Burger at the WPS, meeting up with Laura and DUG. Went down to talk with DUG and meet his scout crew. I hope they had a good time hunting the Rabid Grouse on the Meysan Lakes trail.
DUG, it was good to finally meet you face-to-face!
Amazed! Impressed! Wow! I'm not going to even ask you you did this (technologically).
Kinda like HikealongPete's sped-up Mt. Whitney Trail videos with even more afterburners turned on!
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
Today's (6/21) 5:53 am snap gets my vote for best sunrise. How about a video made of frames from about the same time, running over months to show the snow melt?
Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
I just cannot get enough of these sunrise pictures of Whitney! The one and only time I was there was a group trip, so when it was through, I gathered up EVERYone's professional-quality whitney shots, because they just put you in a good mood! (thanx again, Axeman -- I still love your shots!)The other morning, I had to get up really early, and it was NOT for a hike, however, the webcam shot allowed a quick commune with the mountain.
The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
I just cannot get enough of these sunrise pictures of Whitney! The one and only time I was there was a group trip, so when it was through, I gathered up EVERYone's professional-quality whitney shots, because they just put you in a good mood! (thanx again, Axeman -- I still love your shots!)The other morning, I had to get up really early, and it was NOT for a hike, however, the webcam shot allowed a quick commune with the mountain.
So, when are you going again? It's not like you're on the other side of the country (that would be me and catpappy)!
So, when are you going again? It's not like you're on the other side of the country (that would be me and catpappy)!
Catpappy! I actually met him once.
Okay, the problem about getting back to the Portal goes something like this:
This 9k peak (and two others hiking distance) is less than 90 min from my house
This little beauty is only about 3hrs from my house
But this Grande Dame is 8hrs away!
Peak #1 can be done as a dayhike (or access to the PCT which has endless possibilities) and I can be home before sundown
Peak #2 can be done as a weekend overnighter -- home by Sunday afternoon
Peak #3 however, requires at least 4 days off and a whole lot more driving + I have to drive through The Land of Glory (Yosemite) to get there -- with 3 more hours to go after stopping at The Land of Plenty (Whoaa Nelli Deli)Because I hate HATE to drive by myself (I fall asleep at the wheel pretty easily) I usually have to time my trips around when others are making pilgrimage.
When will I return? I have been enticed by three-day backpacking trip to Mallory/Irvine at the end of July...we shall see.
The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.
No, sorry. The web cam computer deletes and replaces the video it has every 24 hours. And if I don't log on and copy or upload it before the end of the next day, it is gone.
But usually on those stormy days, Mt W is completely obliterated by the clouds. I'll try to be more vigilant and grab the video next time stormy weather pulls through.
I hope everyone enjoys the night-time web cam views that we have. Those are ones I see and grab every so often, and place in a location for the web cam computer to upload at the end of a day. Wagga alerted me to this morning's Whitney picture. So it is the night view until another good one comes along.
I grabbed the one from 8/29 7:23pm when I saw it up there. That was the most beautiful photo I have seen of Whitney. I saw that you posted it as the night photo several nights in a row.
Question -- I noticed that the elapsed time clock was scrolling through one-minute intervals, and not the normal 10-minute intervals that the webcam uses. How did you get pics every minute to use in this awesome compilation video?
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
The webcam computer/camera setup takes a picture every minute. But only uploades every fifth picture to the internet.
For every 1-minute picture taken, it creates a smaller-sized image for the video, and stores it in a folder on the computer. At the end of the day, the SebecTec software automatically makes a video from those.
It took me quite a while to create a DOS script to keep track of which picture in the sequence was being processed.
I'd really like to take a picture every 15 or 20 seconds and try making a video from that. Even the one-minute video is jumpy with the moving clouds.
If anyone is interested, here's the 11 MB .avi video file of the above video. Due to its size, I'm not sure how long I'll leave it on the website.
I have just learned the computer driving the Whitney webcam seems to be having trouble connecting to the Internet. Russ at the museum will try working on it more this afternoon.
I was off-line for several days, so I called Russ at the museum. He had checked the line to the router and modem, and all checked out ok. So he pulled the computer out of its hiding place in the base of the tower, and opened up the case.
Inside the case, a mouse had taken up residence, gaining access through an uncovered expansion slot. The nest was built right on top of the cooling fan and communications card, and there was a lot of mouse droppings inside, too.
Russ took on the unfortunate task of cleaning up the mess, and upon reassembling it all, the webcam is back on line!
Oh, and the expansion slot is now sealed with aluminum tape.
...and now a power failure on Friday stopped the Williamson webcam. The camera needs it's power button pressed to bring it back on-line -- an easy task once you open up the box it is in.
So, our webcam computer housing a mouse ... is that what you call a mouse pad???
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
OMG!! I am laughing so hard!!! I was thinking of something in a slightly darker vein, but, I love it!!
I have another one -- how 'bout "Leader" and "Legend"? (If you're not a college football fan, that won't mean anything to you.)
Also, CaT would be happy to comply with mouse removal duty -- just move him to California!
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
This morning the Whitney cam was down for an hour or so. Steve was informed, and the Museum staff woke up the mouse or something, so it's back up again.
If you notice a problem, just email SteveC. He works, he doesn't watch the board every minute, so don't be shy.
A lot goes on behind the scenes to make this a humming board.
Verum audaces non gerunt indusia alba. - Ipsi dixit MCMLXXII
Well... after running unattended for a lot of years, the WebCam in the Lone Pine Film History Museum has stopped. The picture is frozen on August 1.
The museum director reports they are rewiring their Internet / Ethernet cabling, so that is probably the problem. Once they fix the wiring we will know.
Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do until that is done.
