Morro Rock(the one on Morro Bay, not the Sierras)

[John Kasaian]

A shadow of it's self before the top was dynamited during WW2, but even so it is still a unique formation. I'll be there next week for a day and I've been thinking of interesting views of it to tackle. So many photographs have been taken of El Morro that it has become a photographic cliche, like Half Dome and El Capitan. I'm thinking that fog or other atmospheric conditions will be my best friends in attempting to capture El Morro but I'm open to suggestions, in particular less used vantage points, perhaps across the channel on the dunes at Oro de Oro? Or maybe a vista from a hilltop including the channel?

[jcoldslabs]

John,

Cliché or not you really can't go wrong taking photos of the rock in and around Morro Bay. On a clear day you can see it from the north on Hwy 46. Here's a view from there that includes the rock but only if you look closely. (Red arrow added for clarity's sake.) A longer lens would have helped, of course. Have fun!


http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/Hwy%2046%20and%20Clouds%20%28ARROW%29.jpg

Jonathan

[Bill Burk]

John,

Cliché or not you really can't go wrong taking photos of the rock in and around Morro Bay. On a clear day you can see it from the north on Hwy 46. Here's a view from there that includes the rock but only if you look closely. (Red arrow added for clarity's sake.) A longer lens would have helped, of course. Have fun!


http://www.kolstad.us/ebay/Hwy%2046%20and%20Clouds%20%28ARROW%29.jpg

Jonathan

You nailed it Jonathan!

One thing I've wanted to revisit is some shell mounds near Los Osos. Have to assume there are shell mounds everywhere and you could find one with a view of the rock.

[Joseph Dickerson]

Oro de Oro? Montana de Oro perhaps?

Try sunrise or sunset from Black Hill. There are (arguably) 10 Morros starting in San Luis Obispo, with Morro Rock the 9th in the chain, the 10th is the Davidson Sea Mount and is underwater several miles off shore. Black Hill is the 8th and is part of the State Park. The road to the trailhead is up through the golf course, I can't remember the name of the road but I'm sure Peter Mounier will pipe up here any minute now.

There are dunes, albeit small ones, to the north of the rock, and you can do some nice things with the dunes and dune grasses in the foreground if the wind cooperates. You can also take a water taxi to the sand spit and save yourself a lot of walking if you want to shoot from there.

No problem finding fog this time of the year, we're in the midst of the famous "June Gloom" season.

Don't miss lunch or dinner at the Bayside, it's located at the State Park Marina, not a bad place to shoot from either.

Enjoy yourself,

JD

[DrTang]

Oro de Oro? Montana de Oro perhaps?

There are (arguably) 10 Morros starting in San Luis Obispo, with Morro Rock the 9th in the chain, the 10th is the Davidson Sea Mount and is underwater several miles off shore.




Don't miss lunch or dinner at the Bayside, it's located at the State Park Marina, not a bad place to shoot from either.



JD

Growing up in that area...I was always told about 'the seven sisters'...so it's interesting to find out about the three others

Can one get to that sand spit across the bay w/o renting a kayak or something? I always wanted to get out there

as for lunch..is 'the Hoffbrau' still around in Morro Bay proper?

also.. lunch

[Joseph Dickerson]

It kinda depends how and what you count, but I illustrated a book (Mountains of Fire) about the geology of the Morros and the wisdom at that time (mid-80s) was that there are 10 named Morros. Please don't ask me to name all of them anymore though.

The Hofbrau is still on the embarcadero but they moved and are now closer to the rock than you probably remember.

You can get to the sand spit by hiring a water taxi or renting a boat/kayak. There is now access from a parking area just past the Montana de Oro entrance but it's at the extreme south end of the sand spit. Water taxi is the best bet, although Kayak Horizons on the Embarcadero next to the yacht club has nice boats for rent, but watch the tides, if you get pulled outside the bay at your next land fall they'll be speaking Japanese! :p

JD

[Peter Mounier]

I don't have much to add, Joseph said it all ;-) It is difficult to get to the sandspit across the bay with heavy gear, since the only way I know about is to walk it from the Montaña de Oro trail, and from there it's about a 3 or 4 mile hike on the beach. Unless someone started up a new service that I'm not aware of, the water taxi is a thing of the past. The sandspit is a great untrampled place though, and even from Montaña de Oro there are some good views with nice sand dunes.

There are nice textures in the back bay at low tide. Nice views from Los Osos. From the top of Black Hill in the state park is a good vista, and that's an easy .5 mile hike (or less). In the south of town, near the natural history museum, and adjacent to the golf course in the state park is a little pull-out with a nice view of the rock, and a trail around the museum that might offer a nice view from a slightly higher vantage point (50' maybe). Even right in the middle of town you can get to the bluffs overlooking the embarcadero with views of the t-piers (as they're called) and fishing boats. Maybe one of the least photographed views is close up, rather than from a distance. On the north side of the rock is a little trail with some nice views looking straight up. And on the south west side the waves break against the rock, and if there's a big swell it's pretty awesome.

If you're inclined, send me an email or pm me and if I'm not too busy we can meet and go shoot together. What day are you going to be in town?

Peter (from Morro Bay)

Oh, the names of the seven (remaining) sisters, heading east from Black Hill are Cerro Cabrillo, Hollister Peak, Cerro Romauldo, Chumash Peak, Bishops Peak, Cerro San Luis, and Islay Hill.

http://morrobaygiclee.com/350Baywood_Inlet.jpg http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/350CloudsOverMorroRock.jpg http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/350LowTide.jpg http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/350MB.jpg

Peter

[Peter Mounier]

This is a view towards Morro Bay with a view of 4 of the 7 sisters. Taken from Cuesta Ridge on Tower Rd., which you can access from Hwy 101 going north of SLO. At the very top of the grade, cross the southbound lanes to get off the freeway and onto the unmarked Tower Rd. Drive along the ridge in any ordinary vehicle until you see the views, probably no more than a mile.

Peter

http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/SevenSistersSunset.jpg

[Joseph Dickerson]

Hi Peter, I thought you'd show up.

You got them all. I always forget Romauldo. When we did the book these were considered the "Nine Sisters" with the Davidson Sea Mount the tenth in the chain. For you geology fans, they were formed somewhere around Palm Springs as in turn they passed over the same volcanic vent. A couple of years ago someone at the bird festival said that that wisdom had changed somewhat, but I've never heard it from any "official" source. So I'm sticking with what I think I know.:confused:

If John contacts you give me a holler, any excuse to get to Morro Bay is a good one!

BTW, sorry about abridging your name, I really do know better.

JD

[Peter Mounier]

Joseph, will definitely call you if John has the time and my schedule allows. I just got back from a 4 day trip to Las Vegas where the hotel I was staying in didn't provide free wifi (and I didn't want to pay for it), so I didn't read forum posts for a few days. Also, due to my absence, work backed up for me and I'm playing catch-up now. I probably won't be able to get together if it's early in the week, except maybe for coffee in the morning, but later in the week could be good.

Here is a shot from a hill just south of Morro Bay, which I had to trespass on to shoot, and got kicked off by the rancher/property owner, looking down the Chorro Valley at a couple of the 7 Sisters, Cabrillo Peak, and the tallest of the peaks, Hollister Peak.

Peter

http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/ChorroValley.jpg

[John Kasaian]

Boy Scout camp and a trip to Washington State derailed my timetable but I did get to spend a few hours there yesterday around noon scouting locations (sadly no view camera came along--this was a trip for my bride!) There is a neat exhibit of a submarine rescue vehicle and a 30' Coast Guard "unsinkable" rescue boat in a parking lot near the smoke stacks.
Later this summer I'll try again, and hopefully link up with the Archeologist at Camp Parks for permission to shoot the painted cave (I'm hoping!) for good measure.

[Peter Mounier]

John
Next time you're in Morro Bay drop me a pm if you're so inclined, and we can shoot together, or just meet and have a cup of coffee.
Same goes for you too Joseph, it would be good to see you again.

Peter

http://www.morrobaygiclee.com/MB.jpg
Betterlight/Sinar P

[John Kasaian]

Will do, Peter! Thanks for the invite:D

[Peter Spangenberg]

Hi John-
I may have posted this before, but it seemed relevant. I shot this on 8x10 some time ago. I thought getting close to the rock provided an interesting perspective. Also, pretty easy access.
Peter
75670

[Drew Wiley]

For some reason when I was a little kid I had an obsession with climbing sea stacks, and
remember scrambling up steep sides or Moro Rock when the family would pause there on
trips to the coast. Later when I spent summer on the Oregon coast I'd climb the stacks
there. I didn't really think of it as rock climbing per se. Didn't get into that mentality until
I started doing it in the High Sierras, although I had been scrambling up difficult rocks in the foothills for quite awhile. Arthritis in my fingers has now made that just a happy memory.

[Peter Mounier]

On Morro Rock (the Sequoia rock is Moro) there is/was a trail, if you know where to find it. It's been illegal to climb for about 40 years, and if you're caught you'll be paying, at least, a $500 fine, and more if you have to be rescued. There's a peregrine falcon nest at the top, so it's watched all the time by interested birders who aren't shy about calling the police. The Chumash indians are the only ones who have a permanent exception to the law against climbing it, and that's only for their annual solstice celebration. Back in the early 70's, Before it was illegal I climbed it with my dad and a friend. It was a scary climb for me, since I'm afraid of heights, and some parts of the trail are pretty sketchy, but the view is spectacular.

Peter

[Drew Wiley]

Thanks for the diatribe, Peter. But according to the fine print, it certainly wasn't illegal when I climbed it, and the Chumash certainly hadn't reinstated any of their alleged tribal
traditions there by that time. The return of peregrines is certainly encouraging however.
They hang out here sometimes and swoop in on the pigeons roosting under the freeway
overpass - seem to have no trouble adapting to an urban environment.

[Peter Mounier]

Drew
No offense intended, and I'm sorry if that's how you read it. Sometimes on the internet it's hard to tell what people are trying to say since there are no visible cues or body language to aid in the communication. I was just relating the current state of affairs regarding the rock, and telling my own story about climbing it.

Peter

[Drew Wiley]

No offense taken. I was just being ornery as usual. .. and being a bit cynical about revived
Native American practices which seem more like wannabee hippie culture than anything
authentic. Could be wrong... but solstice celebrations? I have a friend, a very successful
photographer in his own right, who went to live among the Chemeuvi to document their
attempt to revive tribal practices. I was an award winning documentary, but basically
looked at the futility of trying to invent something. Same with the Indians I grew up with.
90% of what their kids now know is either derived from too many John Wayne movies or
Donald Trump casino culture. There are a few notable exceptions, more the scholar type,
attempting to record the last fragments of aboriginal vocabulary and valid ethnographic
details - but for every one of them there's a few do-gooder ex-hippies trying to reinvent
a totally fictitious native American religion or whatever based upon silly stereotypes. Sad.