New Techniques for Editing Star Photos

 

I need my head examined lol!

 I am going to drive 4.5 hours one way to look at a place to take star trail photos and fall leaf colors. I will also look to see if any place would be suitable for camping. Its in the Susquehannock State Forest in Pennsylvania. I will be taking photos and hiking. It will be a short trip lol to the point I will be driving more than taking in all the splendor! 

Stay tuned!

Sonder

Well success! I did not see any other foot prints other than by animals! I did not see any trash or anything that would lead me to believe that anyone else has been ther in years!  This is in the same dark zone at the dark park 1.5 miles to the south. 

Mapping Technology and the Great Outdoors

 

Mapping technology has come a long way. We used to mountaineer using a lensatic compass, a protractor, and at times with a topographical map. Whether you hike, hunt, fish, or any activity were navigating terrain is a possibility having mapping skills are a must.

I have used my dead-reckoning skills all over this globe in both hemispheres.  Technology has changed so much since I picked up a lensatic compass.

In the early 1990’s I started to fly fish and I picked up a watercraft a River Tamer II (man o man I miss that toon) from Water Skeeter.

When I purchased this watercraft, I quickly realized that I would be floating creeks and river to fish. I then realized I had a huge issue to figure out. The main concern was how many miles was any given section of river or creek that I was going to float and fish?

I quickly realized that I needed reliable aerial mapping and since this was early in aerial mapping industry it would be a struggle to get those answers. I turned to several mapping websites and before Google Earth Pro (GEP) GEP Download Link this is what it would take. Even using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) back then was a struggle.

The reason for the struggle was GIS was back then in its infancy stage.  If you were good at using a computer, you could download one of the GIS aerial maps and trace out a float route or a hiking route. Then using latitudes and longitudes you could calculate a set of coordinates. Then you could put them into your hand-held GPS device.

This was a huge undertaking and normally would mean countless hours of math and proving to oneself you are correct.

It was not until around the 2000’s that handheld GPS technology caught up with the end user. I went through several models of handheld Garmin GPS units. Well today I have a Garmin 64sx Garmin 64sx Link and it works like a champ.

There have been and still are some great websites to help one out using their hand-held GPS devices for instance.

The following website All Trails  All Trails Webpage has a vast array of information. The community has uploaded for your download pleasure trails that they have navigated. This would cut down the learning curve substantially on anyone planning a hike in each location.

Another program that has been to me one of the greatest innovations in satellite imaging in decades if Google Earth Pro (GEP).  This program has decent resolution, and you can change the seasons of the map depending on the year you want to look at. Why is this important well as you are most likely already know somethings are easier to see from aerials in the winter vs the summer because of the leaf cover. One of the greatest things about GEP is you can download if for free and create a several data bases.

The other big bonus about GEP for example I can upload and download from and to GEP to my hand-held Garmin. Now, I can’t do this directly, but I can for an example download from GEP to my hard drive say for an example a hiking route, float route, or just points of interest (POI).

Then I would open the program that Garmin uses call Base Camp and upload the data. Here I can manipulate the data. I can add more POI’s if I wish. I can find out what the elevations along the route will be like potentially.

It’s also important to point out that it is easy to send data to GEP and Base Camp. I have never had a data conversion issue ever with my Garmin 64sx exporting and importing data sets from GEP or visa versa.

I am used to the tiny screen while hiking, floating and while driving in my car.

Before I go into the next phase of this document, I need to make the reader realize something. I have had 1000’s of hours in survival training. My training comes from the Military and in the civilian sectors.  I know for myself what is an acceptable risk. I know my limitations of my abilities and I will make the best plan of approaching any given situation with a lot of thought and research.

The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information. (disclaimer author unknown)

I want to help further understand how different techniques can be used to make a float trip plan.

I will use my vacation in Montana last year as an example. After many months of conversations and trip preparations we decided to float the Kootenai River in Libby, Montana. 

I know this is not the best idea in the world to float that river in a canoe, but we thought it was an acceptable risk. We would velcro all the gear in the canoe and I would purchase a pair of out riggers from Spring Creek. They can be found here Spring Creek

I will attach photos to show you how I rigged the canoe and the other safety gear involved.

All gear was velcroed into the canoe amd their was a 22"x24"x14" dry box also velcroed into the middle of the canoe.

My first step was to choose a float route.  I have been floating rivers and fishing them most of my life. I have come to realize that an 8-mile float is a good stretch of river to fish and float. This will give you plenty of time weather you’re floating in a one-man pontoon boat or a canoe.

The steps I used are simple here they are “make sure your in one file folder in GEP it will be easier to export data”:

1.      Choose route up to 8 miles

a.      Use local maps for example I used my search engine for boat  launches Kootenai River Libby, MT Here are my results.

1.     Libby Montana Boat Launches

2.      Libby, Montana Boat Launches

3.      Bigskyfishing Kootenai

2.      Then when I have the geographical locations of these boat ramps        I put them into:

a.      a. Use GEP and use “add placemark”.

 

b.  When this dialogue box pops up get the coordinates from dropping a pin from Google Maps and after copying them from Google Maps place them into GEP. “click ok to save Repeat this process for any POI’s and then finally the takeout.

 

Figure "A"

 In Figure “A” you will see three Way Points:

a.      Libby Dam Boat Launch (our put in)

b.      Pinned Canoe (incident)

           We pinned the canoe on a rock and subsequently swamped the canoe. When we got to shore, I knew looking at the handheld how much farther we had to go to the takeout. If I had to walk back to the truck, I knew how long it would take me to get there.  I knew our exact position and if we had had a medical emergency and needed to use a satellite phone, I could give the coordinates to our exact location. Luck, skill, and training kept us alive that day. We should of never taken a canoe a white water raft would have been a better option, but for us it was an  acceptable risk.

c.      Take out

4.      Then using GEP your going to create a new path

a.      Select “New Path” and name it "See Red Arrow".

b.      Assign a color and style.

c.      Measurements can be in feet or meters

d.      Trace out your path

Part 1

Part 1 & Part 2

Part 4

Now onto exporting your data from GEP to Garmin BasCamp

5. 5 Having your file folder selected in GEP go to File >>> Save >>> Save Place as “save it as a KMZ file” in your designated file location”. For example mine is D:Documents/KMZ Files. At this point all the work you have done to this point that’s inside of the file folder you are working in GEP will be exported. As you grow your POI’s, Routes, and other items in GEP you will have a folder for each project.

For now I will use my Garmin 64sx along with Basecamp as my example to up-load to the handheld.

1.      Open Base Camp

Then go File/import into my collection/”locate file you exported from GEP”

You will now see those POI’s and the route you created.

This is a direct representation of the data we created with GEP. From here you can see several pieces of data. You can see how the POI and the route that was created.  Here is a breakdown of the data.

While you are on your float, hike, or other you will see your progress on your route. The handheld will tell your distance to your final destination. This case it was to our take out. It will also tell you based on your current speed how long it will take you to get to your take out. 

Todays Waxing Crescent

 I'm out here at 0130 with the hopes of taking some decent star trail photos.  

2024 Tying list for Maine

From all the help I have had to make good and clear choices here is my final list of patterns ( # = size, X = number of them to tie).

Gold Retriever # 10, x 3

Olive Spunkie # 6, x 3

Gray Ghost # 4, x 3

Maple Syrup # 10, x 3

Kennebago Muddler # 8, x 3

Woods Special # 8, x 3

Red over White deer hair streamer # 6, x 3

Olive Heron # 10, x 3

Mansfield Buck tail # 10, x 3

Wooly Buggers (white, black, olive) # 8, x 9

Black Nose Dace # 10, x 3

Micky Finn # 10, x 3

Black Leech # 10, x 3

Now, it’s time to list out the materials of each fly and see what I need to order.  That’s of course after I do an inventory of all my materials lol.

Summer for me means less fishing

I really do not enjoy fishing in the summer. The water feels like bath water and the warm water has less dissolved oxygen in it.  I am doing trip research for my 2024 return trip to Maine.  Here I will be rock hopping along her coast. I will also be hiking with my belly boat to a remote pond.  This will be an amazing trip. 

Stay tuned more details to come.

Sonder

We already knew this friend

 Minimize for better mental health

Reality – reflection while on vacation in Michigan

Being at peace with oneself is one of the greatest tools one can learn. In my middle age years, I think about all I have accomplished, my failures, and all the splendor life has given me.  Then from time to time I wonder what if, but I don’t think long on those thoughts because those moments were not my reality.

Reality is defined in the dictionary as “the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.” Our own decisions, good, bad, and the ugly define who we are as a person. 

Our Michigan trip was planned out almost a year ago. No matter what cards we were going to be dealt we would play them out.  I learned a long time ago that control is an illusion. 

When we planned this trip out, we knew that there would be several variables that would change our fishing excursions. 

Our first actual fishing day was Monday. We fished Wakely Lake, and it was a lovely artificial lure only lake. This lake is about a mile to mile and half walk in. You can bring in hand powered watercrafts to this lake.

This lake is also a loon preserve and has a lot of lilly pads like a million of them lol. You need to work the weed edges and the open pockets of water. The bluegills are 4” to 8” and there are lots of them. There are also crafty largemouth bass that are harder to hook up with, but they are there. 

If you can find where the weeds are down from the surface 4 feet – 6 feet you will have the opportunity of hooking a pike. 

A word of warning if you are in a belly boat and the winds are strong enough you will be in a rude awakening. Most of the lake is surrounded by a bog / swamp. This will make getting out of the pond a major undertaking unless you get out of your put-in. 

Our second day of fishing would be fishing in the North Branch of the Au Sable. Here I would find myself going down two track roads that rarely see traffic and the heavy cedars would be a welcoming site. The Canadian wildfires smoke has been belligerent.

The Michigan State Park system continues to do a wonderful job at maintaining access for anglers. I am sure they are not perfect, but when I needed to use their facilities, they were top notch.

The winds were blowing a bit. The sustained breezes were about 9 to 15 mph. At times it made casting a 4-weight difficult. We managed to walk about a mile and a half. This upper remote section of the North Branch (NB) is as pristine as it gets. 

We used a parachute adams walking up the NB and swung soft hackles / wet flies on the walk down. We saw a few fish rise and for me that was worth the trip to NB. To be on the NB and see all the habitat work that has been done was very humbling to witness.

The second part of the second day of fishing we would trek to the main stem of the Au Sable.  We arrived at the river edge at 2000 and waded down stream into position. We watched sporadic hatches of Hexs and Grey Drakes. 

We watched the boat’s launch, and I sipped my coffee. I would watch a few browns crush the mayflies that would be on the surface of the river. The Hexs where huge and the Grey Drakes where about ½ to almost ¾ of the size of a Hex. 

I remained bullheaded and waited for full darkness at 2200 to begin swinging my mouse in the hopes of a fish would connect. 

We had in front of us a brown with some serious shoulders. The brown trout would take a dry with such angst.  My friend would have the angry trout hooked three times, but the hook would never be bitten. The body of the hex fly was in its mouth but not the hook.

We fished until 2300 and although I never hooked a fish it was amazing to hear the browns smashing mayflies.

Day three is here and I have hit the chill button.  I have chosen to write up my trip report to date. I ate brunch just a bit ago and we are going to Gates Fly shop here in a bit.  

We will be headed back to the main stem on the Au Sable to see if we can hook up with a willing trout. 

Day four came and went. We relaxed around the house until the evening Hex hatch. The weather yesterday was not like today. Let’s talk about weather just for a minute. The wet weather has affected our fishing plans. The hatches have been sporadic at best. The Grey Drake hatch and the Hex hatch have been coming off at 2100 and 2200.

We arrived at the Au Sable and were greeted by the hoards of mosquitos and got dressed quickly. We bug doped up with some good stuff that does not harm your clothes and or waders.

We got into position along her banks. The river here has a bend in it here. This bend will funnel the hatch to our side of the river and thus where the trout will come to feed. We saw 50 percent more fish feeding this night than the other night.

Then at about 2300 I saw what I thought was honest to God these circles vibrating on the water. At first, I thought it was rain drops and then I realized “Einstein, that’s not rain”. It was the Hex hatch. Now, from all the sounds of carnage I was hearing there was a brown trout rising every three-square foot approximately of river.

I was in awe and dumbfounded by all the noise and feeding with reckless abandonment. I could get a fish to commit to my fly. This is where I would attempt to tie on a mouse pattern. 

I would have a rude awakening here in about 40 seconds! I flipped on my red headlamp and then cut my Hex dry off then selected the mouse pattern.  It was about to hit me so that I would not be able to see the eyelet to tie the fly onto the mono.  I was needless to say defeated and needless to say old. 

I do not own any magnifiers, but that will be changing. It was both the red light and my inability to see the eyelet that led me to leaving the river. I can’t lie, this was the first time in a long time I felt my age.  

We built a fire in the fire pit and talked about our past days fishing and about life in general. It was nice to just talk about life. 

I stayed up until about 0415 taking star photos and I will attach some of them. 

 

So, here comes Day 5 and it is going to be lack luster as far as fishing is concerned. The weather went from rain, hail, thunder, and lightning. This would put a stop to any fishing plans today. 

We slept, ate, and slept again. I am not bored by any means, but I am sure rested.  I decided to take a road trip into the Huron National Forest. I took photos of some of the scenic views in the forest.

Day 6 is right around the corner and here she is in all her potential splendor. Well needless to say the motivation is lower due to all our previous experiences since being on this trip. 

 

I was going to go see the Big Mac bridge and she’s being eaten by fog and smoke. So, taking any photos of her is out of the question. The other photo opportunity is tonight taking more star trail photos. 

I will go and look at the locations of the Dark Zones I found via Dark Sky Finder

Around the Grayling region it’s not hard to find areas to take good night photos. What is a challenge is the phases of the moon. She is a big old flashlight! Here is a link to help with when the moon will be in a certain phase Moon Phase Calendar

Last Night Star Photos

 These are taken from the backyard of the rental house