March 20 - Field Trip - Lake Los Caneros/Stow House with Roger Milikan and Adam Lewis

March Field Trip: Lake Los Carneros / Stow House – Saturday March 20th.

With this field trip, the Camera Club is going for a ‘Trifecta’ – generally speaking. This field trip to Lake Los Carneros in Goleta, scheduled for Saturday, March 20th is being combined help members with the April Special Assignment of Bird Photography in the nature category and to tie-in the club’s Program Night on Tuesday, March 16th, when Roger Millikan will be guest speaker with the topic of Bird Photography.

The field trip to Lake Los Carneros is scheduled to begin at 8:30am, ending around 11:00am with a tour being given by Roger Millikan and local bird photographer, Adam Lewis. A possible add-on of touring Stow House is being arranged for those camera members that wish to take a tour starting at 11:00am- after the tour & bird photography at the lake. A tour donation of $5.00 is being asked for the Stow House portion of this field trip. It is important that I have a headcount of those camera members that may wish to participate in the tour of Stow House, starting at 11:00am. The tour itself should take about 45-minutes, giving us time to end close to the lunch-hour.

Take the Los Carneros exit off Hwy 101 (both north: turn right & south: turn left) Go to 300 North Los Carneros Road, look for the Goleta Fire Station driveway. Plan on meeting up at the parking lot of Stow House on the side of the Goleta Fire Station next to the Goleta Depot Railroad Museum, off Los Carneros Road at 8:15am. Most of the trials at the lake are dirt, so wear a good pair of walking shoes or perhaps hiking shoes. Also wear jeans or a good pair of pants and perhaps a long-sleeve shirt, if you plan on going off-trail in getting that special shot that may not be available from the main trail.

Once again, I hope to see more member participation during this year’s field trips. We have a great line-up scheduled field trips for all camera club members to enjoy. Feel free to e-mail me: rguevara038@cox.net or you can contact me: 636-3123 with any questions or even suggestions and/or feedback on these field trips.

April Field Trip: Saturday April 3rd 

When it comes to wildflower locations within a 1-2 hour drive time I have no clue on great locations. I asked Stuart Wilson to help me with April’s club field trip. The thought of Figueroa Mountain on the range of Santa Ynez Mountains had been mention but for the last 3-years, club members have been going there as a field trip.

One of my goals being Field Trip Director was to try and get field trips that club members have never gone as a group or periods of time between visits. I needed the assistance of Stuart to help me out with our April trip.

The selection of Anacapa Island for wildflowers, wildlife and marine photography is our choice for an April field trip. Having a return visit to Anacapa Island after a 3-year club absence was one of my considerations for this trip – not to mention that I personally have never been on the island.  The Coreopsis wildflower found on the island should be in full bloom running from the last week in March to the first two weeks in April.

The date of this field trip to Anacapa Island (one of five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park) is Saturday, April 3rd.  Island tours will be closed to the public from April 13th though May 8th for major stair repairs that leads up to the top of the island’s visitor center.

1. Island Packers out of the Oxnard – Channel Island Harbor in Oxnard make these tours: www.islandpackers.com  - PH: (805) 642-1393 – It is imperative that club members make their own direct reservations with Island Packers, as these tours are very popular, particularly this time of year.  About 50-60 people go out on these weekend boat trips to the island.

1. Cost (roundtrip fares) from the Oxnard Harbor: $45/adult - $41/senior

1. Boat departs Oxnard Harbor to the island around 8:00 am (It is recommended that you arrive 45-minutes before departure) arriving at the island close to 9:00 am and departs Anacapa Island to the mainland around 12-noon, giving us around 3 hours on the island for some great photography. The boat to the island may make slow stops to allow for any possible discovery of marine life: dolphins, whales.

1. Cameras, backpacks & tripods are allowed. Plan on bringing your own lunch & water as none is available on the island.

1. Island tour guides are provided and Channel Island Nation Park docents help with our boat trips. Stuart informs me that our very own Eb Shortle is a park docent. Perhaps Eb can give club members some insight on the island.

1. Stairs leading up toward the 200ft cliffs to the top of the island: There are about 150 stairs/steps that lead you up to the top bluff of Anacapa Island getting to the visitor’s center. It begins with the landing at the cove and then you climb several rungs onto a wooden deck before you get to the stairs that lead you all the way to the top of the island. It is important that climbers are healthy enough to make such a climb.

One last note, this was about the only time in April to make an outing to Anacapa Island as time flowers bloom early in the month and as to the pending repairs to the stairs later in the month. Feel free to e-mail me or call me with any concerns: (805) 636-3123.