"Wet Hot American Summer" (July 2024)
When it comes to choosing a hike there's always the question about whether it's time to return to an old favorite or try something new. There's a solid argument for each option. Returning to the same place multiple times, in different conditions, and at different times of year can yield wildly different experiences and it also serves to establish a deeper connection with the place. On the other hand, there's an undeniable spirit of adventure in exploring a new trail and every once in a while you discover something entirely unexpected, which makes the world feel like a much larger and richer place.
In the Belknaps, this debate can be distilled into the simple question of whether or not to hike Mount Major again. It's a mountain I have hiked many times and the views from the summit are beautiful. It's a quick and familiar hike and it can be difficult to resist. But I have slowly been trying to check off the rest of the Belknap peaks over the last few years, some of which really don't have any views, but are still nice hikes. I was up at the lake for a night over Fourth of July weekend this past summer, and when my alarm woke me up at 3:00 am and my suspicions were confirmed that it would be a wet and foggy morning, I decided to skip Mount Major and opt for a hike up to the viewless East and West Quarry peaks.
It was an exceptionally damp morning. One of those "it's not the heat, but the humidity that gets you" type of days. Even though it was a relatively modest climb, I was drenched in sweat almost immediately. As I ascended up the trail in the dark, I could tell I was surrounded by some nice ferns, one of my favorite subjects, but it was dark and they would be difficult to photograph in the limited light. I started to play around with using my headlamp as a lighting source, holding the camera in one hand and light in the other. I didn't have high hopes this would lead anywhere, but it was fun to mess around with. After experimenting a bit, I ended up getting some results I actually liked, including this photograph here.
"Wet Hot American Summer" (July 2024)
When it comes to choosing a hike there's always the question about whether it's time to return to an old favorite or try something new. There's a solid argument for each option. Returning to the same place multiple times, in different conditions, and at different times of year can yield wildly different experiences and it also serves to establish a deeper connection with the place. On the other hand, there's an undeniable spirit of adventure in exploring a new trail and every once in a while you discover something entirely unexpected, which makes the world feel like a much larger and richer place.
In the Belknaps, this debate can be distilled into the simple question of whether or not to hike Mount Major again. It's a mountain I have hiked many times and the views from the summit are beautiful. It's a quick and familiar hike and it can be difficult to resist. But I have slowly been trying to check off the rest of the Belknap peaks over the last few years, some of which really don't have any views, but are still nice hikes. I was up at the lake for a night over Fourth of July weekend this past summer, and when my alarm woke me up at 3:00 am and my suspicions were confirmed that it would be a wet and foggy morning, I decided to skip Mount Major and opt for a hike up to the viewless East and West Quarry peaks.
It was an exceptionally damp morning. One of those "it's not the heat, but the humidity that gets you" type of days. Even though it was a relatively modest climb, I was drenched in sweat almost immediately. As I ascended up the trail in the dark, I could tell I was surrounded by some nice ferns, one of my favorite subjects, but it was dark and they would be difficult to photograph in the limited light. I started to play around with using my headlamp as a lighting source, holding the camera in one hand and light in the other. I didn't have high hopes this would lead anywhere, but it was fun to mess around with. After experimenting a bit, I ended up getting some results I actually liked, including this photograph here.