Kip Havel's AdventureBlog

Windows 7 Install Issues on the iMac

noreply@blogger.com (KH) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:55:00 +0000

I encountered some issues today when installing Windows 7 on my 27" iMac i5 via Boot Camp. Thinking that some of you may also encounter these issues, I wanted to inform you that ATI graphics drivers can be the culprit. After searching for resolutions to my "black screen" issue I found out that the ATI graphics drivers that are installed as part of the setup are often not compatible with the iMac's card. Here is the solution from a blog I found:

1. Install and blue/black screen!
2. Re-boot but from the Win 7 install disk – seems to work if you hold alt on boot up and select the disk to boot from!
3. When you get into the Windows installer, click past the language selection. Then click "Repair your computer".
4. Windows will scan for installations and prompt you with a list. Select your "C" drive and click Next.
5. You should be presented with a windows titled "System Recovery Options". At the bottom of this list you should see "Command Prompt". Select the command prompt.
6. When the console opens, you can delete the offending driver using the following command:
DEL C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ATI*.SYS
7. Close the command prompt window and click the Restart button. This time, boot from your hard disk. You will complete the install with no Blue screen.

Trust me, this will save you a LOT of time...

P.S. Make sure you have V3.1 of Boot Camp or download it once you have Windows up and running. This will ensure everything runs smoothly.

Cabeza Prieta: Desert Dreamland in Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (KH) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:11:00 +0000

After settling into my new job at Aflac, I was finally able to take some time away this year to visit Arizona once again. On this trip, we visited Organ Pipe National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Reserve in Southwest Arizona.

This was my second time to the area and it didn't disappoint. The weather on the first two days was absolutely amazing with highs in 60s and beautiful and clear skies.

We were able to hit Organ Pipe for sunset and Cabeza Prieta for sunrise. Be warned, Cabeza Prieta requires a permit for access and you should be aware that a 4X4 is absolutely required there are no services, no cell phone service and usually no other people. It also borders an Air Force range and is close to the Mexican border (you'll see plenty of warnings about that).

If you can overlook all of the warnings, you will find an adventurer's and photographer's dream with miles and miles of unspoiled desert, abandoned mines and villages, great off-roading and even ancient petroglyphs. You'll also have a good chance at capturing some great wildlife there too. We could have spent days in this area if we had the time and I plan to go back soon.

To get the permit to access Cabeza Prieta, you'll need to visit the visitor center in Ajo to sign the forms (warning you about falling airplane parts and unexploded ordinance that could be encountered) and to get the permits. The center is not open on weekends, so make sure to get there during the week or call ahead.

This trip also gave us the opportunity to try out the SPOT 2, our new GPS locator. I highly recommend this device and will write about it in more detail in a future post. The trip report from the SPOT device follows:

Arizona Adventures

Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging

Visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: Getting There

noreply@blogger.com (KH) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:45:00 +0000

When I found out I had to travel to Phoenix and Tucson for a business trip, I immediately started looking for places to hike and photograph. Having never been to Arizona before, I began at my usual starting place: Google Maps.

Parks and nature areas are clearly shown on these maps and it is easy to spot parks -- especially some of the large ones like Sonoran Desert National Monument and Coronado National Forest. However, I was also interested in a large park located on the border with Mexico: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. After reading up on this park and learning that it is less often visited and offered a variety of terrain, trails and hiking options, I knew it was for me.

There isn't a lot of information about how to get to the park, where to stay and what to do, so I wanted to put this guide together for any of you interested in visiting. I will discuss the hiking, driving and photography in a separate post.

Getting There

The park is only about 150 miles from Phoenix, but plan on the drive taking 2.5-3 hours to get there You'll also be driving on a two lane road (AZ-85) for a majority of your trip. Once you get onto AZ-85 from I-10, there aren't a lot of places to stop and get supplies or gas. Only three towns are in between the highway and the park (Gila Bend, Ajo and Why), so a cooler and a full-tank of gas are a necessity.

You'll pass by some beautiful desert landscapes on your way to the park as well as some interesting towns and the Barry Goldwater Air Force range. I was lucky enough to see planes doing practice bombing runs while driving.

Lodging

The cities of Why and Ajo are within 10-20 miles of the park and only Ajo offers substantial food and lodging. I would recomment staying at the Ajo Las Siesta Motel since it gets fairly good reviews, is clean and inexpensive. Rooms or cabins are about $50/night. Don't expect a lot of frills, but there is cable and telephone, along with a pool and hot tub.

Food

There aren't a lot of options for food in Ajo and Why. Pizza Hut is the only chain restaurant I saw, but I recommend going to Marcela's Cafe. It's a locally-owned Mexican restaurant with good food and service. It closes at 8 p.m., so make sure to get there early. There is also grocery store if you are looking to get supplies or cook for yourself.

Entering the Park

AZ-85 runs North to South through the middle of the park, so you can't miss it if you stay on this highway. There is a great visitor center on the right side of the road about 15 miles after you see the sign to enter the park where I recommend stopping first.

If you continue on AZ-85 for just a few miles, you will pass Lukeville, which is simply a truck stop and then you'll be on the border of Mexico. Because this is a border area, expect A LOT of border patrol vehicles and check points.

Note: This can be a dangerous area because of the promimity to the border, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary while I was there.

In the next post, I will provide information on the two scenic drives you can take and a few of the hikes I tried. In the meantime, you can see some of my pictures from the visit on my personal site and on Flickr.

Kayaking and Photography Can Mix

noreply@blogger.com (KH) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:53:00 +0000

If you're interested in viewing nature up close like I am, then kayaking is a great way to visit wildlife in a relatively non-threatening way in their own habitat. I am always amazed that you can get so close to very skittish birds when you approach them at their own level.

Naturally, this is a wildlife photographer's dream. But the idea of kayaking with thousands of dollars of photography equipment hasn't been all that appealing to me. How do you protect the gear from water, damage, etc.? After searching the internet and consulting a few friends, I discovered that the most feasible option is to use a dry bag along with a few towels for padding and protection.

When choosing your dry bag, any one should work, but make sure your dry bag is long and wide enough to accommodate your camera and lens plus a few towels. Other options for camera protection include Camera Armor or even waterproof covers by companies like AquaPac. While these can be good solutions, they may make it more difficult to operate your camera and ultimately may be more hassle than they are worth.

Choosing your gear
When you have your dry bag and towels ready, it's time to consider what gear you want to bring. I can't stress this enough -- bring only what you really need. One camera and lens is your safest bet. I've thought about bringing a telephoto and wide angle lens on my trips, but realized that switching lenses is what could cause major problems. As far as other accessories, I would leave them at home too.

Out on the water
I have found that leaving the dry bag in an open compartment of the kayak is the best way to travel to the area where you will be photographing. It keeps it out of the way and protected. However, once you see wildlife you want to shoot, I recommend moving the dry bag to the main compartment and keeping it between your legs. This way you can take the shots you want and quickly put the camera back in the dry bag and close it.

After a lot of thought and preparation, I can say that kayaking and photography can mix -- and with very good results. The key to success is the right gear, careful use and good technique (we'll discuss that in an upcoming post).