 Posted 6/11/2007 10:42:19 PM
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Good call! Bad weather is nothing to be caught in! Well hey, at least you are packed and ready to go, aye. (sorry, that northern accent kicks in every now and then).
I don't mean to spoil the mood and all, but is it really safe to hike that far at night? Alone?  I asume you've done this hike before?
Be careful and have fun when you do go!!!
-Joni
Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
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Posted 6/12/2007 3:37:46 AM
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Posted 6/12/2007 4:00:09 AM
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Luckily, the weather here was still good enough for me to retrieve my trash can from the street. 
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Posted 6/12/2007 4:50:37 AM
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So, at sunrise this morning, i could see Long's Peak. As i thought, interesting clouds were hanging on the peak. But, no sunrise light reached the mountaintops because of overcast skies. While I would have been able to get a photo, it would have been all greyscale. Could have been a very good b&w, but it would not have been a dramatic landscape shot without some direct sunlight filtering into the scene.
And, it rained during the night. So, i might have had a wet hike. So far, no regrets about the postponement. Will be watching the weather for tomorrow.
No cell phone on this trip. Cell phones do work when you get high enough in the mountains, but not until you climb up out of the canyons and valleys. Yes, I usually hike alone. I've done the hike several times before. My photography takes time.... other hikers would get cold and bored by the wait.... sometimes it's dangerous to stop hiking in the mountains.... muscle burn generates body warmth. Stopping to photograph invites hypothermia.
As i write this... now 20 minutes after sunrise.... still no light. it was a good decision to wait until later this week.
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Posted 6/12/2007 5:32:52 AM
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Posted 6/12/2007 7:09:43 AM
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Good call, Richard! A big part of the final photo will be the journey! How exciting!!!!!! I just wondered about communication, since you would be hiking alone in the mountains. Remember: safety first!  Hey En, I seen a few pebbles in your driveway, how did you over-come those hurdles? And with such ease!  hehe
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Posted 6/12/2007 7:41:22 AM
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Sherry (6/12/2007)
Good call, Richard! A big part of the final photo will be the journey! How exciting!!!!!! I just wondered about communication, since you would be hiking alone in the mountains. Remember: safety first!
Hey En, I seen a few pebbles in your driveway, how did you over-come those hurdles? And with such ease! hehe
Well, I gotta tell ya. That was the easy part. I had to punch in the four digit code for my garage door to put the trash can away. I am lucky to be alive!
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Posted 6/12/2007 7:56:31 AM
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Sherry (6/12/2007)
Good call, Richard! A big part of the final photo will be the journey! How exciting!!!!!! I just wondered about communication, since you would be hiking alone in the mountains. Remember: safety first!
Hey En, I seen a few pebbles in your driveway, how did you over-come those hurdles? And with such ease! hehe
The secrets to avoid becoming lost or injured in the mountains are....
1. Always tell someone back home where you are going and when you will be back. And I usually add a statement like, "If I'm not back by dark on Thursday night, contact the rangers!"
2. Be sure to take topographical maps of your hiking area. I often run into people in the high country who have no idea where they are, or where they're heading. (Metaphors for life, I think.)
3. A compass is very important. If the sky is clear, you don't need a compass. If there are heavy clouds with possible white out conditions from fog or snow, one needs to know which direction is which. (In general, when lost in the mountains, just follow the water drainage down the mountain. You'll find a trail or a road eventually. And, don't climb higher, if lost.) (If lost and scared and prone to panic, then stay in one location until someone can help you.)
4. A GPS unit can be helpful, but is not a perfect solution. In certain extreme areas of the mountains, the signal from satellites might not be available. And, GPS units consume a lot of battery power. Mine runs out of juice just when I want it to tell me something. Same with cell phones.
5. Winter snowshoe hiking should now include an avalanche beacon on your person somewhere.
6. Carry enough water. About 1 liter per person for every 5 hours of hiking. Energy food is important, too, but water is essential.
7. In the Colorado mountains, in summer, hike in the morning hours. Start early.... reach your destination before noon. Get off the mountain tops and ridges and hike below treeline before 2:00 pm to avoid the high risk of lightning strikes.
Just some high country photography tips for this diary.
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Posted 6/12/2007 8:06:44 AM
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