I went on a hike. This is nothing new nor is it out of the ordinary. I go on plenty of hikes (though never enough). Yesterday I went on a great hike. Mount Dickerman. I hiked this trail last year and got some great shots, but it is so beautiful that I had to go back.
Mount Dickerman with Distant Three Fingers View
The problem I have is that I have too much gear (well, not really - that is not possible) and do not want to carry it all up such a hike. So, my first decision was what to leave behind. As this was a hike with stunning views, I could leave my large, heavy macro lens behind. I might find some great macro subjects, but they would have to remain unphotographed. I also decided to leave my Tamron 28-300 behind. While it is possible to sight a large animal, like a bear, that would be sweet to shoot at 300mm (and definitely NOT at 28mm), I did not think this likely. Actually, another hiker that day saw and photographed two bears in the berry patches. I left the 28-300 behind. This left me with my Tamron 11-18, My Nikon 18-70, and assorted filters and cleaning supplies and extras. Then I packed my new Bogen 190XPROB tripod with its Acratech V2 Ballhead, water, and food into my fairly new Tamrac 5549 Adventure 9 backpack.
It was still quite heavy, but I would just have to buck up and carry it. While it would be nice to carry less and hike lighter, a photographer has to be prepared! It was worth it. I only have a couple of shots posted so far, but several more will follow. Here is one for the blog:
Mount Dickerman Cliff
Sure, today I am sore, but I would rather be sore with some photos than comfy and without. If you see me on the trails, be sure to say hello.
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