eevy24012
Grassy Ridge Sunset- Explored
There are few things that go together better than backpacking by yourself and photography. There are precious few chores to be done up in the mountains, only setting up camp, sometimes gathering a little firewood, and cooking something to eat. With no one else around, there isn't much to do except wait for things to be right...something that can be tough if you have somewhere else to be like back at the car before dark.
I had to wait a long time for this shot, and under some rather unpleasant conditions too. The clouds were flying past at about 35 mph and the wind was right in my face. I know the weather can be unpredictable no matter what time of year on a "sixer" but this was a little surprising for June. I had on a light base layer, shirt/pants, Monkey-man jacket, hat with ear flaps, and gloves and it was still cold standing here. I guess I was here an hour and probably 45 minutes of that time featured the sun blocked by clouds and the foreground area in the shadows. Good thing I didn't have to be anywhere.
I had plenty of time to look around and determined that this was the best spot from Grassy Ridge for a sunset composition that included some rhododendron. The taller Roan Mountain that would be just left and fairly close throws out a huge black shadow that wouldn't be good in a photo, so vast areas of foreground real estate are pretty much off-limits. The mountain layers here are nice and get really defined as the sun nears the horizon.
I had planned on being here a few days and I'm sure the conditions were great at times Sunday and Monday. I had the entire mountain of Grassy Ridge Bald to myself on a Saturday night with the rhododendron in bloom! That will never happen again. Maybe everyone else knew something I didn't. The weather forecast wasn't anything special but the reality was overnight temps down in the low 40's with a steady hard wind with gusts that had to be 45 mph, wasn't fun for long. I barely had the gear to stay warm and built a really large fire after standing around taking pictures. I had been on the sheltered side of the mountain at dusk but that changed sometime during the night. I thought the tent was going to blow over and go tumbling with me and Turbo in it a few times. The pounding made it hard to sleep and despite no noisy people around partying, some moron down in the valley that had been shooting all evening carried that on sporadically until midnight I guess. Not single shots either, unloading the whole magazine rapid fire. I bet the neighbors love that fool! NOBODY else can root out this type as consistently as me on a trip somewhere.
So after some rather disappointing conditions with the never ending and always increasing wind, the clouds came in Sunday morning and it started raining. I'd had enough and the mountain ran me off. Did make use of the crappy sky on the way home stopped at a really great waterfall spot in Tennessee for some pictures there.
Grassy Ridge Sunset- Explored
There are few things that go together better than backpacking by yourself and photography. There are precious few chores to be done up in the mountains, only setting up camp, sometimes gathering a little firewood, and cooking something to eat. With no one else around, there isn't much to do except wait for things to be right...something that can be tough if you have somewhere else to be like back at the car before dark.
I had to wait a long time for this shot, and under some rather unpleasant conditions too. The clouds were flying past at about 35 mph and the wind was right in my face. I know the weather can be unpredictable no matter what time of year on a "sixer" but this was a little surprising for June. I had on a light base layer, shirt/pants, Monkey-man jacket, hat with ear flaps, and gloves and it was still cold standing here. I guess I was here an hour and probably 45 minutes of that time featured the sun blocked by clouds and the foreground area in the shadows. Good thing I didn't have to be anywhere.
I had plenty of time to look around and determined that this was the best spot from Grassy Ridge for a sunset composition that included some rhododendron. The taller Roan Mountain that would be just left and fairly close throws out a huge black shadow that wouldn't be good in a photo, so vast areas of foreground real estate are pretty much off-limits. The mountain layers here are nice and get really defined as the sun nears the horizon.
I had planned on being here a few days and I'm sure the conditions were great at times Sunday and Monday. I had the entire mountain of Grassy Ridge Bald to myself on a Saturday night with the rhododendron in bloom! That will never happen again. Maybe everyone else knew something I didn't. The weather forecast wasn't anything special but the reality was overnight temps down in the low 40's with a steady hard wind with gusts that had to be 45 mph, wasn't fun for long. I barely had the gear to stay warm and built a really large fire after standing around taking pictures. I had been on the sheltered side of the mountain at dusk but that changed sometime during the night. I thought the tent was going to blow over and go tumbling with me and Turbo in it a few times. The pounding made it hard to sleep and despite no noisy people around partying, some moron down in the valley that had been shooting all evening carried that on sporadically until midnight I guess. Not single shots either, unloading the whole magazine rapid fire. I bet the neighbors love that fool! NOBODY else can root out this type as consistently as me on a trip somewhere.
So after some rather disappointing conditions with the never ending and always increasing wind, the clouds came in Sunday morning and it started raining. I'd had enough and the mountain ran me off. Did make use of the crappy sky on the way home stopped at a really great waterfall spot in Tennessee for some pictures there.