Alec Saunders SquawkBox

We spent a couple of hours this morning heading to Palm Canyon, which is one of the so-called “Indian Canyons” around Palm Desert. Naturally occuring canyons, with small amounts of water in the form of seeps and creeks, these are the largest palm oases in North America. 

At Palm Canyon we hiked the Victory loop, which is a 3 mile trek starting in the canyons, and then up onto the adjoining ridge, before heading back to the ranger station.  With just 350 feet of elevation gain, it’s a deceptively easy sounding hike.  However, with temperatures soaring to 105+ degrees fahrenheit, the final two miles of trekking in full sun are a real challenge.

This image was shot from the ranger station at the end of the hike. It shows the palm oasis in the foreground, and then the ridge and peaks, to the left, which we hiked on the route back. 

One of my objectives on my vacation is to play a little with HDR imaging.  To make this image, I shot three exposures — an underexposed, normally exposed, and over exposed image – and then created a composite of these images with Photomatix Basic.   When compared with the three original exposures, it shows added color and detail which none of the originals had separately. You can see this by clicking the image, which will take you to the full size file. The camera, by the way, is an ancient Olympus C4000.

For the next week, I’ll be vacationing in Palm Desert, California. It’s hot here — probably as hot or hotter than any place I’ve ever been.  In any case, expect the flavour of what I write here to be a little different.