I drove down to Vaca Valley today to try to take some ground level pictures.  It was quite an adventure.  I was able to walk right in through an open gate.  I had to traverse my way through knee-high thick grass.  It was like hay or something; just wild grass.  When I got to the track I had to climb up the banking on the south end.  I found myself on the track at turn  1.  Now I was expecting to walk all around the track taking lots of pictures for you. 

Well, things look a lot different from ground level than they do from 1000 feet above.  What was the track surface has deteriorated into gravel.  Over the past 30 years of neglect weeds have taken over the place.  The infield appeared to be the same kind of grass I had to walk through to get to the track.  But the track itself is covered with thigh-high thistles!  I could only walk a few feet onto the track as my legs were getting scratched up badly.  I was wearing shorts.  Also from ground level it was difficult to trace the route of the track. 

I got a new camera so the picture quality is better but there just weren't good views.    Although it really doesn't look like it, this shot is looking down the track from Turn 1 toward Turn 2.  What I couldn't shoot at the far (north) end of the track are stacks of tires.  I was really disappointed at the state of the track as it looks so good from above.  I will try to take another aerial shot with my new camera the next time I'm down that way.  Take care.

Dann Shively