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The Federal Gulch and Timber Draw loop trail is located about 9 miles to the east of my driveway. For a Fathers day hike I chose this loop trail as I had not previously set foot on it. The girls (Shae and Merry Christmas Dogs) requested they join me. How in 30 years of being in the area, 10 years of living 9 miles directly to its west and hiking on trails to its east and west – I could have missed this gem is embarrassing.
The 7.5 mile loop trail contains the best elements of the best hikes in the region – trail-bed, water, sun, shade, old growth timber, open saddles, flowers and stellar 360 degree views. The hike provides a strenuous workout. However, it is a fair one in that the ascent is steady and the single track trail-bed is smooth and predictable for its entirety.
A three mile ascent up the Federal Creak drainage trail (#169) places you in a saddle just below Grays Peak (10,563 ft) where it meets the Timber Draw trail (#313). The gain is about 2,300 vertical and has you standing at about 9,100 feet. The Timber Draw trail traverses up and down on the saddle like ridge-line west-southwest for about 2 miles and then descends through heavily timbered canyon for 2.5 miles back to the trail-head. The views are 360 degrees in most places. The trail tops out at about 9,300 feet. To the north are the Pioneer Mountains that reach 12,000+ feet. To the south is the expanse of drainage that feed the Little Wood River.
It is clear to me that this loop has the advantage of not being heavily traveled. Therefore it is close, but out of the way.
 The Pioneer Mountains (Cobb Peak 11,650′ and Old Hyndman 11,755′) from top of the saddle of Federal Gulch and Timber Draw.
Have you ever noticed something interesting while driving on a regular route, told yourself you will take the time to stop and look next time by and not followed through – only to lose out and miss something that was of interest? My list of those situations is long.
Poppies are starting to come out in the valley. There is a grouping of red ones along the side of the road on Highway 75 half way between Hailey and the house. Yesterday after a hike with the girls (Shae and Merry Dog) I headed to Hailey and shop for ingredients for a Salad entree to make for dinner with Linda. As I passed by the Poppies surrounded by bursts of violet, white and golden yellow I made a promise to myself that on the return trip home I would take in these beautiful flowers. I kept my promise and At 7PM the late afternoon sunlight enhanced and already marvelous scene. I felt fortunate. Upon arriving home, I come to find that Linda had the same idea, on the salad entree not the flowers. We mixed and matched ate dinner together and watched the Tigers beat the Twins. I felt fortunate.
I had some camera gear with me and snapped some shots, but the location of the sun did not lend well to shots of my liking. It was my guess that the morning sun coming over the mountains would create a better shooting solution. So, today I got up before sunrise and waited until the sun reared itself over the ridge-lines.
I brought two completely different sets of gear for the shoot; a large [4×5] and 35MM format. A shot from each setup is below:
 Phase One IQ 180 [4×5] Digital Back, Phase One 645DF Camera and Schneider 120MM Macro Focal Shutter Lens shot at ISO:35, F8, 1/250 second, 16Bit Color and 80 MegaPixels.  Nikon D3x [35MM] camera and Nikkor 14-24 Wide Angle Zoom lens shot at ISO:75, 18MM, F8, 1/320 second, 14Bit Color and 24 MegaPixels.
The mark of a wonderful comedy film is when members of the audience are singularity laughing out loud about a previous scene a second time moments after its occurrence. This Is The End produces this kind of laughter often in its 107 running time. There are not many comedic films that can claim this accomplishment.
Written and Directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogan, This Is End is the fifth film these two have written together (Superbad, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet, The Watch). Superbad and Pineapple Express were complete winners, the other not-so-much. However, This Is The End should be considered a cut of above all of those films.
This Is The End accomplishes something few films of its ilk achieve – stringing together a boat-load of clever ideas, skits, inside-jokes, self deprecating humor and parodies seamlessly with few if any lulls. Although from a different era, using a different vehicle and a totally different genre, This Is The End is as fresh and irreverent as Blazing Saddles. Although both are replete with Potty jokes, the irony given the idiosyncrasies of Hollywood funding and public acceptance, is that Blazing Saddles could not get made today nor This Is The end in the 1970’s.
It should be noted that I feel Stripes is similar to and the equal of these films for the first 75 of its 106 minutes, but then loses steam after leaving boot-camp.
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