Sorry for the long lead up... Skip to below the stars if you wish:
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I have been planning to do this hike for some time now, and with the weather prime for a good sunrise yesterday, and no hiking partners available, I found myself doing my first solo overnight to the alpine zone in winter. I usually like to go with someone for added safety, but was confident I had the gear and the skills. Packed were a -20F bag, a bivy sack, snowshoes, crampons, a stove, and about 5000 calories of food. With camera gear...well, I'd rather not know what my packed weighed.
I took off up the Stony Brook Trail around noon yesterday. The trail up was pretty easy, largely snowshoepacked, but it was soft. I made the junction by about 4:30. Around 3-4 feet of snow on the ground at this elevation (~3500ft)
I was tired, but turned left instead of towards the shelter for some slackpack scouting of the ledges I was told about. Round the corner, and whoa...great view to the east. A good bit further up I came to an outcropping with a 270 view...and needed to go no further. High tailed it back to the shelter, about a mile away over largely unpacked snow, by dark...
Standard issue shelter night, except I had the hardest time getting my stove to boil up some snow...but it all worked eventually.
4AM...alarm...scramble, pack...and out.
What a joy it was to be on the Carter Moriah trail under near calm winds on this 'warm' winters night with the stars bright over head. I made quick time, and got back to the Moriah ledges well before sunrise. I think I moved a bit too quick though, as My feet, damp despite new socks, had begun to blister.
Long story short...pictures are worth a thousand words, and I had about 5 minutes of great light before the sky went quickly grey. I was happy with my five minutes of shooting.
Not wanting to risk my feet further, I went back down, foregoing summiting Moriah.
********************
A good experience doesn't make a guarentee photograph, so I'd love to hear thoughts on this...
So in the 5 minutes of alpenglow, I came away with this:
Canon 20D w/Sigma 18-200
1.3 Seconds at F11
ISO 100
Tripod
1 Stop soft GND
Posted by Mark Wilson on March 13, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Great image and story as usual Jim! I am not sure about all of the snow in the immediate foreground or the little tree peeking in on the LRC but the rest is fantastic to my eyes.
I agree that you could afford to crop out a bit of the white snow in the foreground. But either way this is very sweet light!! The color of the snow in the rising sun is fantastic. You ought to be able to sell this one somewhere it is a unique view and great light!! Pictures like this are all the sweeter when you plan the entire thing, do the work in hiking up there, and getting the shot.
Now I am wondering if you had any shots where the sun was a little high and all the snow on the peak was in the light? Or was the sky that blank grey by then??
Thanks guys...yeah...I apreciate the crop ideas, I'll play around and repost tomorrow.
Jim...I had about 5 minutes of light, and it all went grey!
Posted by Bill Whitney on March 13, 2007 at 6:18 PM
Jim...sounds like a great adventure that was definetly fruitful. Great light and nice perspective.
Bill
Posted by Jennifer Geck on March 17, 2007 at 2:05 PM
Really beautiful light. I agree about the tree on the right edge, but cropping it out would put the mountain too close to the edge, so I'd leave it...or neatly clone it out.
Discussion
6 repliesSorry for the long lead up... Skip to below the stars if you wish:
************************
I have been planning to do this hike for some time now, and with the weather prime for a good sunrise yesterday, and no hiking partners available, I found myself doing my first solo overnight to the alpine zone in winter. I usually like to go with someone for added safety, but was confident I had the gear and the skills. Packed were a -20F bag, a bivy sack, snowshoes, crampons, a stove, and about 5000 calories of food. With camera gear...well, I'd rather not know what my packed weighed.
I took off up the Stony Brook Trail around noon yesterday. The trail up was pretty easy, largely snowshoepacked, but it was soft. I made the junction by about 4:30. Around 3-4 feet of snow on the ground at this elevation (~3500ft)
I was tired, but turned left instead of towards the shelter for some slackpack scouting of the ledges I was told about. Round the corner, and whoa...great view to the east. A good bit further up I came to an outcropping with a 270 view...and needed to go no further. High tailed it back to the shelter, about a mile away over largely unpacked snow, by dark...
Standard issue shelter night, except I had the hardest time getting my stove to boil up some snow...but it all worked eventually.
4AM...alarm...scramble, pack...and out.
What a joy it was to be on the Carter Moriah trail under near calm winds on this 'warm' winters night with the stars bright over head. I made quick time, and got back to the Moriah ledges well before sunrise. I think I moved a bit too quick though, as My feet, damp despite new socks, had begun to blister.
Long story short...pictures are worth a thousand words, and I had about 5 minutes of great light before the sky went quickly grey. I was happy with my five minutes of shooting.
Not wanting to risk my feet further, I went back down, foregoing summiting Moriah.
********************
A good experience doesn't make a guarentee photograph, so I'd love to hear thoughts on this...
So in the 5 minutes of alpenglow, I came away with this:
Canon 20D w/Sigma 18-200
1.3 Seconds at F11
ISO 100
Tripod
1 Stop soft GND
I agree that you could afford to crop out a bit of the white snow in the foreground. But either way this is very sweet light!! The color of the snow in the rising sun is fantastic. You ought to be able to sell this one somewhere it is a unique view and great light!! Pictures like this are all the sweeter when you plan the entire thing, do the work in hiking up there, and getting the shot.
Now I am wondering if you had any shots where the sun was a little high and all the snow on the peak was in the light? Or was the sky that blank grey by then??
Jim...I had about 5 minutes of light, and it all went grey!
Bill
Don Gorczynski