Swamp Walk
These are from a while ago, just after Irene came through NJ. C and I took another hike up in the Pochuck Valley. Instead of climbing the mountain to pinwheel vista (see previous post), we decided to follow the AT across the valley in the other direction. After crossing a cow pasture and railroad tracks, we lost the trail in a marsh that was a meadow a few days before. After spending 20 minutes trying to simultaneously stay dry and find the trail, we gave up on the staying dry part and made a beeline for the treeline. I knew we needed to cross the river, but there were about 10 feet of prickers between it and us. With much cursing, determination, and bleeding, we pushed our way through the brush to find that we couldn’t cross. The water was well over the banks and moving fast, so we turned back (with more bleeding) and looked for another way. As it turns out, the trail re-materialized 50 yards upstream, giving us a well trodden (and dry!) path to the bridge. The flood had done a number on the bridge, the middle section had twisted free of the opposite bank and now pointed downstream. We crossed on a tree trunk wedged against the supports and continued our journey. Here the trail climbed a small ridge through the trees. In many places along the trail were carefully balanced towers of oddly shaped rocks. On the other side of the ridge we crossed another flooded stream, no longer caring how wet we got. Beyond that were a series of nice boardwalks and a suspension bridge. On the other side of the bridge the boardwalks continued through meadows and grasslands to route 517. There were a lot of people on the boardwalks taking a stroll after work. Many of them still wore their dockers and nice shirts, and looked strangely at C and myself in full hiking gear and leaving muddy footprints. The trail wasn’t the easy stroll we anticipated, but it was an adventure I wont soon forget.
Pinwheel at Last
I finally got the chance to see Pinwheel Vista. Christine and I ended up with a free afternoon, and decided to find a trail. The original plan was to walk the relatively flat trail west from 517, but the lure of the mountain looming over us was too strong. Braving the mosquitoes and the erosion rutted trail, we set off. Not far into the woods we started climbing, and never really stopped until we reached the top. It seemed to be hike with your dog day, as every group we passed (or passed us) had one or two hikers with four wheel drive. The climb was fun, with stone steps set where it was steep. The trail is part of the AT, and is known as the Stairway to Heaven. All of the folks we met on the hike were very pleasant, until we heard a pack of wild bros in the distance. At least ten strong, they howled their way up the trail, imparting such quips as, “I don’t work out, I just lift weights.” We stopped to let them pass, then spotted more trail directly above us. The trail switch-backed up the mountain, and we decided to take a shortcut, to get in front of the bros. We scrambled up the rocks, arriving breathless on the higher trail, and set off again, waiting for the wild bros to catch us again. They never did, of course, but that is perhaps just as well. We passed the spur trail for the overlook and instead went to the summit. We found an old mailbox at the top, with a notebook that we signed, but there was no view. Another group of hikers came, and left, then returned and asked us about the view. My phone’s GPS had us at the top, but all we saw were trees. I looked up the trail online, and we discovered the spur trail was the overlook. Rested, we started back down, and heard more bros in the distance. They took another branch of the trail and passed within throwing distance, but never saw us. Eventually we found the spur, and were rewarded with a magnificent view. On the ridge across the valley you could see the highpoint monument. I laughed, “Not the highest point, but you can see it from here.” Everyone else was chuckling on the inside, I’m sure.
Summer Leftover
Summer is gone, let the fall season begin! I was browsing through my summer images and found one I never posted. As Irene was moving on, the clouds broke for the first time all day and gave me this beautiful sunset. Enjoy.
At the Boardwalk
These are from my most recent trip to Seaside with Christine. C won a pink elephant, I experimented with the Lensbaby, and good times (and oreos) were had by all.
Another Hike, Another Waterfall
Went for a hike with Dad a few weeks back. I was experimenting with shooting the moving water at different speeds, but anything slow enough to blur the water washed everything out. I don’t own any ND filters that aren’t graduated, but I figured out I can use a grad filter in each direction to approximate one. Naturally, Dad walked right into one of my favorite shots, but I’m partial to these as well.
A Shadow of Art
Christine and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday in New York. I brought my camera along, because there is always something to shoot in New York. Usually I have a hard time in museums finding something that wouldn’t just be a snapshot of someone else’s hard work, but a recent article about Kalisher’s “Art Watching” series made me start looking beyond the art. Just beyond, in fact, as I started noticing the patterns of shadows each piece cast on the walls and floors. The shots are a little unrefined, but this may make for an interesting project some day.
A Hike in Norvin Green
A few weeks back Christine and I went hiking in Norvin Green State Forest. We were aiming for a trip to the stone living room, but missed and started on the northern end of the park instead. We pushed ourselves up the hills in rapid fashion, then hung out on one of the summits to recover. In retrospect, mountain intervals might have been a bad idea. Still, C is a joy to hike with, and watching the light wane from the sky at the top was worthwhile. I even captured a shot of the sunset over the reservoir on the way out.
A Day in the Rain, Part 4
These are the last of the New York photos, and some of my favorites.
A Day In The Rain, Part 3
More New York shots!
A Day In The Rain, Part 2
I wouldn’t number these entries if there weren’t more than two. These shots are all from Belvedere Castle, with the exception of the stairs.