art.of.a.rock

Tag: adventure

Mt. Elmore Fire Tower – Winter Hike!
In this post, I have pictures taken from a hike up Mt. Elmore (2,608) to its Fire Tower on December 26th, 2017. The hike was done in about three hours total with Zeth and my dog Brixton. Vermont had accumulated a pretty substantial amount of snow in the past few days, but with some melting and freezing in the mix. With snow from the night before, this made for a great hike through the snowy forest up to a unique mountain summit.

One of the many reasons to love Vermont is the variety weather conditions to hike in. With the constant seasonal changes, hiking always becomes new again. Summer with its earthy colors and humid air. Fall with its rich fiery hues and fresh crisp breeze. And lastly, winter with it’s simplistic qualities and refreshing chill that. Winter really helps to appreciate warmth, in a good way.

It’s an underrated season when it comes to hiking. It seems that many will retreat inside their homes for the season just waiting for the snow to melt and flowers to bloom. If you’re living in Vermont especially, this isn’t the proper way to endure winter. There is another part to it that makes winter worth the struggle of getting through those below zero nights. It is a chance venture outside and witness the untouched beauty from a new perspective after each snowfall. Sure you can appreciate the sight while bundled up in your warm car but out there on the snowy forest trail is a whole ‘nother experience waiting to be had. There is nothing quite like it, so I propose that you get the full effect of winter, bundle up and…

TAKE A HIKE THIS WINTER!

There are plenty of excuses to go out for a winter hike, but here are a few that come to mind:

1. The landscape is minimalistic. Snowfall upon snowfall takes away the visual overload of the forest and simplifies it into black and white. The result of this is a feeling of calmness that is beautifully peaceful. Drawn into any direction you happen to face, a snow covered forest landscape is unique in every way. Less is more, see it for yourself!

2. Every step you take is cushioned! Those aches that come after hiking a dirt trail in the summer are thrown away when you hike in the winter months. The shock absorbance of the snow makes each step feel less abrupt and more smooth. So if you are one who isn’t able to enjoy hiking because it gives you knee or ankle pain, you might just find a new season to hike in.

Snowshoes may be useful assuming the trail has more than a few inches of fresh snow. Otherwise, thick soled boots and good tread along with doubled up socks work just fine. To supplement this and save your ankles from snow collecting, velcro trail gaiters are a good option. They will last a almost a lifetime and save your ankles from the frigid ice. Since Zeth was using these, stepping into the deep snow gave him no trouble despite wearing only ankle high boots.

3. Regulating your temperature! Wearing multiple many layers comes with the option to cool off or warm up as needed. Your neck warmer can be over you nose or scrunched down. Your hat can easily come on and off. The pits of you winter jacket can be zipped and unzipped. Overall you have a lot of control over how warm you want to be as you are making way up the mountain. As long as you are dressed appropriately and persistent with your upward travel, you will be sure to stay warm as you venture through the cold pillowy white forest. There isn’t such thing as bad weather really, it’s just the fact that appropriate gear might be lacking. As long as you are wearing enough layers, the cold will not phase you one bit, and you will begin to welcome it!

WE REACH THE SUMMIT

Atop Mt. Elmore sits its fire tower, built shortly after the State of Vermont acquired the park in 1936. The tower offers 360 degree views of the area, with sights of the Worcester range as well as many of Vermont’s small towns. I’ve hiked this mountain several times, but only in the summer. This year I was excited to hike to the tower in the winter time, because I knew it would be a completely different experience. Since Zeth was home for the holidays and we always seem to find some adventure to go on, I suggested the fire tower hike and he was game.

We were thrilled to finally have the high mountaintop structure in sight through the trees. The sense of accomplishment immediately surfaced. Usually I would also feel relieved to not be hiking anymore, but the hike wasn’t nearly as exhausting since the air is much cooler.

As Zeth and I neared the tower, Brixton bolted ahead, as he had been here before and was eager to climb to the top level. He made it to the second level before he stopped in his tracks. He must have been rethinking his intent on I called to him to come down, and like a good boy he listened. I attached his leash and secured it around the railing at ground level and laid down a shirt for him to sit. The night before, I considered not bringing him on the hike because I knew the tower would be dangerous, in addition to the cold weather. Alas, he was here having a grand time with temperatures hovering around 12° F.

“Where are you?” I asked so he’d show himself. HAH!

Zeth began his climb up the snowy stairs of the fire tower and I followed by the time he was nearing the second level. The entirety of the fabricated metal was coated with ice and recently accumulated snow. I climbed the stairs at an cautious pace with my camera strapped around my neck. Brixton was audibly unhappy as we climbed on without him, but I’m mainly grateful that he wasn’t in any danger.

Before I knew it I had reached the top level where I could relax, enjoy the view, and take photos of everything in sight. There was no wind to shake the tower and sunlight was breaking through the distant clouds, flooding onto the range ahead.

Beaming light.

Getting lost in the trees.

Pillowy spruce.

Aside from the views beyond the tower, there was beauty right inside as well, so I made sure to capture that as well.

I liked the buildup of snow, especially the drifts on the ground. Wishing I had gotten a wide shot!

A bit frosty, but not as much as we were hoping for.

We were content and it was time to head the slippery steps.

One last look.

Zeth decided to go down backwards since the stairs were tricky… not sure if he did this the whole way, but it was just as slow walking down as it was walking up.

This photo might explain how Brixton was feeling about us leaving him on ground level.

LUNCHTIME!

There was a viewpoint just a quarter mile from the summit, where we took a break for food on our descent. Zeth had brougth roast beef & swiss sandwiches and I brought a few clementines. My sandwich was wrapped in a reusable wrap called “BEES WRAP.” Made with beeswax, GOTS certified cotton, organic jojoba oil and tree resin, this wrap is sturdy and sustainable. This was my first time knowing about it, but It feels like a great alternative to plastic wrap, especially if you are one to be aware of all the waste that we create on this earth.

One way to stay warm while stationary… Whiskey flask!

The hike down was swift with big leaps through soft snow and quick skids down the snowy downhill.

I had to get just one good close up of the ice encasing each and every branch…

I’ve only done enough winter hikes to count on my hands, but they are truly a unique experience that can be enjoyed by any frequent hiker. If you aren’t much of a hiker, there are many forested trails around that can offer a similar, more mellow experience. The downfall about this is you don’t get the wintery views or the effect of elevation and increasing amounts of snow.

Some last tips:
- Hike with at least one experienced friend
- Hand warmers and face masks will work wonders
- Bring a ski pole to help with steeper inclines
- A thermos full of hot tea or soup
- Know the forecast, including windspeed
- Take a few pictures and share!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Thanks for reading along and viewing the photos, I hope I’ve inspired you to get outdoors and enjoy the snow!
December 30, 2017
An Earthly Lifestyle Shoot with Izzy

A cold-December-Saturday-morning-nature-photoshoot with Izzy. She’s into fashion, is brave and has adventure in her soul… Awesome to work with! We submerse ourselves into NATURE to get some, some-what intense shots. I hope you enjoy them for their artistic nature and beauty, as well as the pure adventure of their making!

Thank you, Izzy for doing such a great job posing, collaborating, and bringing a vision to life!

*There are landscapes, nature and water photos down below too!

From the park and ride, we drove for about 20 minutes discussing the shoot and getting familiar. After arriving to the snowy dirt road destination, we pulled to over and headed down the rocky pathway. Soon, there was a small but nice wooden bridge to our right, so we used it quickly to take some photos to start, then kept on down the path.

Walking along the brook high above, we looked down for potential spots to shoot. Izzy found a nice open area with lots of interest… icicles, a small waterfall, and an incredible amount of exposed rock with moss, leaves, and snow layered upon them. We had to jump down 4 feet to get to this spot, but once we were down there, we became inspired by all that we saw!

These are the icicles that were around the corner. I love seeing this type of thing, you never know what type of formations you will find, and they are always impressive in some way or another.

We managed to climb our way back up the drop. First, I set my camera up there, then with both arms I lifted myself up the rock. Izzy followed and I gave her a hand. We headed further down the brook, coming to another beautiful area that I had shot photos at before. We found a safe way down, and gazed our eyes upon a rounded rock as a centerpiece.

Izzy was going to attempt to hoist herself up onto it as I went around to the back and greeted her as she was thinking about how she would get up.

“Should I go around?” she asked. “You should go around,” I replied. This was one of the many amusing moments we had. It’s one of those moments where you need to do complete a task. It seems difficult at the time, like you might not be able to do it. Then suddenly it hits you and is a hundred times easier than first expected. That’s when you laugh it off and just do it!

This rock proved to be a valuable spot. All of the snowy elements around it, plus the red sweater Izzy wore, worked really well together.

This next one, I tried to create more depth by lowering my camera into the foreground snow.

After many photos taken on this rock, we decided we would head back up the path, as it was getting a little chilly. After a few minutes of trekking back to the car I spotted another area that sparked my eye. It was a long stretch of water with small falls, and lots of space to photography. I asked Izzy if we should go down. She agreed, and mentioned the walk had already warmed her up! So we carefully walked downward. I had picked up a small branch along the way and gave it to her as a prop.

We were soon done with this branch and came to the conclusion that would have to cross the narrow brook in order to get to a mossy spot across the way.

Worth the trouble? I think so. Adventurous moments like crossing an icy brook make it all the more exciting and gets photos like this!

She was by far a champ with this shot. This is the part we had to leap across to get to and from.

Once we got back to her car, the plan was to drive to her father’s house so she could switch outfits. During the car ride, passing farmland with Mt. Mansfield far ahead in our sight, we discussed other possibly locations. I mentioned how I’m into old cars, even junked. She came back with saying that there’s a little junkyard of old Saabs and VWs on her property. I got excited at this because shooting at a place like that was high on my list.

While headed to her father’s home, we were driving up to an area that that we mentioned before for how wonderful the scenery was.

We had discussed that the scenery would make a great landscape photo, but probably wasn’t worth taking portraits at, since it’s better to submerse your subject in the scene, rather than put them in front of it. This is what gives feeling, depth, and purpose to the photo.

But as soon as I saw the red gate, I wanted to at least get a few shots. After I quickly brought up the idea of stopping to take photos at the red gate, Izzy pulled over without hesitation and we began taking some photos. The sun was behind her, so it wasn’t the most idea lighting, but I got some nice shots of her and the scenery anyway.

I think it’s important for a subject to sometimes interact with the environment that they are in, so the red gate was great for this, and Izzy did a great job doing so!

We made it back to her father’s home, where she was able to switch outfits. I was also able to warm up a bit in there as well as take some photos of their Siamese cat, Florence. She is a very sweet cat who has many years behind her, but you may not notice that!

Izzy wanted to wear a dress, but it couldn’t be a summer dress. I think she was able to find one that worked well, along with a fur lined sweater that once belonged to her grandmother. 🙂 For the sake of sentimentality, we took photos on the tire swing in her front yard. There were a lot of distractions in the background, so I decided to seclude her into the sky so her and the tire swing be the only focus. It gives a different feel, but I like the look.

Once I had taken a couple dozen of her swinging back and forth, it was time to move on. We were headed to the junkyard. We drove a short distance, and soon I could see the oddly beautiful sight of wrecked, mangled, and piled vehicles.

There were two that caught our eye especially, one red VW rabbit and one a military green unknown.

Izzy cheerfully volunteered to climb in the trunk of the Rabbit. This became one of my favorite spots quickly. I don’t know if I could say the same for her for the sake of comfort, but the photos that resulted speak for themselves! The ice and snow on the window, all the junk laying around made for a unique atmosphere.

We then moved on, taking a few at the mangled orange VW beetle.

We still looked around, and ended up being led to an extremely large rusty tube that could be walked into. So she went in and I walked around to the other side where the sun was shining.

There was a birch tree grown directly next to the rusty tube. I’m unsure of which was there first, but I’m glad they can coexist, because it really made these photos special!

I also took the opportunity to photograph Mt. Mansfield and Smugglers’ Notch in a unique way.

We decided to drive a bit to warm up some more, and we came to this stone archway that we had driven past an uncountable amount of times in our lives. Since we had to turn around to go to our next location anyway, we stopped for a super quick shoot. I would have to stand in the road in order to get enough of the arch in the photo. Cars coming up and down the hill at 35mph, proved this to be a more challenging spot, but I think the photos came out well considering that.

Challenges like these really are a big reason why I love photography. It puts you in situations where you have to think on your feet and work with what you got.

As quickly as we swooped in, we swooped out and drove back up the hill. We took a left down a narrow grassy road into the woods nearing the river. Snow dusted the ground, contrasting with the green of the trees and moss. The wooded trail we ventured into was almost magical. I was really glad we chose this spot for our last location.

It was a little darker, so I had to bump up my ISO pretty high, but we still came out with some usable photos that showed off Izzy in this little wonderland full of pinecones and moss!

In this one, I wanted to create depth and movement by taking the photo as she stepped past the large tree root. I think it worked alright, though there is always room for improvement!

How did we do? Every photoshoot is a learning experience for me, so I know there are things I should have done differently, but there are also many things I learned as I was going. Always looking forward to the next!

Please share with anyone who enjoys the outdoors, nature, pinecones, art, photography, birch trees… the list goes on. Comment with any feedback you can think of, and most of all thank you for making it to the end!

P.S. I apologize for any grammatical errors or unnatural sentences; I don’t have much time to write these out, and I’m always wanting to get them out as soon as I can. I hope that doesn’t distract from it at all.

December 13, 2017
3:00 AM – Full Cold Moon – Winter Hike

On the night of November’s full moon, the sky was full on overcast, without moon or star in sight. I drove around for awhile, but wasnt able to get any photos. Last night was December’s full moon, called the Full Cold Moon. It was bigger and brighter, dubbed a “Super Moon.” It’s not the best name, I feel like it doesn’t give the moon justice. Then again, I wouldn’t know what else to call it. The sky would be clear at its brightest, and the temperatures were going to hover around 28 degrees, perfect for a night outside.

Thinking of where I should go to capture the monthly event, a few locations came into my mind, one being in the center of a rural road, another being near where I live…. Ultimately, I thought I should hike Sterling Peak at Smugglers’ Notch. After thinking about it more and more while finishing up my shift at the Pizzeria, I decided I would do it.

By the time I got home around 9:30, I attempted to sleep right away. After about and hour, sleep wasn’t happening. I was too anxious, thinking about each and every variable, every item I needed to bring.

So I decided I would get out of bed and get ready.

After much thought, also decided to take Brixton with me. My goal at this point was to “attempt” to make the hike. I would feel it out.

Once I finally had everything I needed (snowboard gear, many layers, snacks, iced coffee, camera gear, headlamp, emergency kit, etc.), I headed out, taking Brixton with me. Fast forwarding to arrival, I parked not far from the Sterling lift station. I put Yak Traks onto my winter boots (not snowboard boots), and headed up Sterling Liftline.

It was a nice night to be outside. The clouds had cleared, the full moon was shining bright. With the sky bring a vibrant dark blue, it contrasted with the chairlift, with the moonlight glimmering white onto the fronts of the dark green chairs.

I made my way up slowly, Brixton trotting fast as can be. His energy was endless the whole way up. I had to readjust and remove layers on the way up. It was much warmer than expected (around 30 degrees), so with all the movement going on, I wasn’t the least bit cold. I did have to take quite a few breaks though. I lost one yak trak, which made it difficult to go up the steep areas. I would use the lift towers ever so often as gauges for break time and rehydration.

Before not too long, I was halfway up the mountain, at lift tower 15. I decided it was time to take my first photo of the night. This would keep me going once I saw what kind of photos I’d be able to capture in the bright full moon sky.

After seeing the raw photo in the camera, I had a burst of energy and motivation to reach the top. My spirits were lifted! I put my camera away, then thought, “why not use my tripod as a skit pole?” so I did. I extend one leg all the way out and used it to help me climb the steep slopes of Exhibition, a black diamond trail. Out of curiosity, I checked to see if I still had my left Yak Trak. I lifted my boot and saw nothing. I laughed to myself.

From here, could almost see the lift house at the top. I was thrilled. Brixton was a good distance ahead, but he ran back down to greet me. I was about to climb a very steep grade, using my tripod while attempting to get closer to some trailside trees. Brixton ran down this then ran back up with no effort.

I eventually made it to the Rumrunner trail, the main highway. It was groomed nicely, so I did decide to take a photo of the groom lines with the moon in the sky. I didn’t use a tripod for this one so I could get as low as possible.

In hindsight I wish my camera was higher off the ground so I could get more of the trail showing.

We made it to the top!

I turn around and see the clouds flowing over the Mount Mansfield ridge line, so that becomes my new objective. I unstrap my snowboard from my backpack and set it down. I won’t need this until I head back down. I set up my tripod and aim it at the horizon where Mansfield meets the sky. zHere I am taking many exposures in order to get it right. Brixton is getting antsy, so I put him in the hut. I take a long exposure in order to capture the smooth movements of the cloud cover.

It was an amazing site to see so high up on the snowy mountaintop. I wish I had more time up there so I could have captured many more angles and areas, but it gets cold and safety comes into mind. It was time to go into the warming hut with Brixton.

It was noticeable warmer in here, but the heaters weren’t on. I ate the food that I had and rehydrated myself and Brixton. I entertained myself with a ski magazine and Seven Days newspaper.

With Brixton curled up next time me, I thought maybe I should take a nap while the moon lowers to the horizon. I could wake up and get more photos! I began to get settled but I had a feeling of coldness in addition to wetness. My undershirt layers we sweaty, and that sweat was getting cold. With the heaters not running, I began to doubt my trust in the building and myself. I quickly changed my mind and go my things together to head down the mountain.

Once I thought I was ready, I opened the door and stepped outside. It was much colder at this point. I could feel the chill in the air unlike before. I look to grab my snowboard and it’s completely covered in frost. Not this best sign, but I remain calm. With my headlamp on, I sit down onto the groomed channels of snow and strap myself in. Once I get up and start going, Brixton is amped. He’s never snowboarded with me before this. I make a steady decline, but it doesn’t feel right. If you recall, I ended up wearing Sorel snow boots, which don’t have the sturdiness and bulk of a boot made for snowboarding. It’s freezing cold, but I decide I have to stop and fix my boots if I’m going to make it down safely. I stop on my heels and sit back, quickly unstrapping my right binding and untying the boot to tighten it. I pull snug so that boot is secure to my foot and leg. Why did I not do this when I first started? Beats me. My fingers are extremely cold, but I move onto the next binding and boot. Done. I feel much better now.

Im able to pick up more speed and turn with ease. Brixton is doing a great job, but I am still concerned about him running so fast downhill, so I slow down and I take small breaks to check on him.

I pass under the chairlift, and 100 feet later I look back. I immediately think “this is art,” so I recklessly decided to pull out my camera and take a quick long exposure. I didn’t bother to setup my tripod, so it’s just the camera and my glove. I have trouble, take two photos and move on. In the end, they were both blurry, so this was a waste (or was it?) 😦

After this, everything went smoothly, we both made it down and got into my car as soon as possibly to crank the heat and head home.

In the end, I may have not achieved the most amazing photography or got exactly what I was looking for, but this adventure in a familiar, but different setting was well worth it. I was able to experience a bright, mild, and snowy night with absolutely no wind to be felt. I’m extremely thankful for all of that, plus the fact that my dog was able to come with me. I feel that I may have put him and myself in some danger, but I wouldn’t have done this in the first place if I didn’t feel confident in our abilities. While it would have been an even better experience if a friend or two joined in, I’m just glad I was able to get out and experience our world, and my home ski resort, Smugglers’ Notch, in a new light. Bring my first time hiking with a snowboard strapped to my backpack, and my first time night riding, I think it was a nighttime well spent 🙂

December 5, 2017