The hike in is grueling. You’re way behind schedule and you realize that you’ve severely underestimated the terrain you’re trying to traverse. After all, it never looks that bad on the map! To compound the matter, it’s freezing. You can’t seem to reach a balance between staying warm when the harsh wind cuts through the forest and not sweating like you’re standing before a firing squad when you’re moving.
This weekend I took a trip down to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The plan was relatively simple; Hike to the summit of Mt. Leconte (via the Alum Cave Trail) and make a video for the Youtube channel in the process. In the days leading up to the trip, I packed my gear, watched the weather, and paid attention to the daily conditions up on Leconte. The weather forecasts were calling for snow.
The prospect of snow excited me, but I was worried about the possibility of Newfound Gap Road being closed due to the snow and ice. Because of this, I came up with several backup plans. One being to do a winter ascent of Mt. Cammerer and the other being to photograph Cade’s Cove and possibly hike to Abram’s Falls. I was, or so I thought, prepared.
I suppose you could say I’m a bit of a spontaneous guy. I tend to come up with ideas at the last minute and just sort of act on them. Some of my best adventures have been the result of coming up with an idea, grabbing a pack and just going. This trip was one of those spur-of-the-moment ideas. The plan was simple, drive to Red River Gorge, hike onto Auxier Ridge, and photograph the sunset. How hard could that be?!
I just got done publishing my 4 goals for 2017 post and it got me thinking about the images I’ve taken over this past year. With 2016 winding down, I thought it might be appropriate to take a moment and share my 5 favorite images that I took during this past year. In the process, I’ll talk a little bit about the background of each image. So, without further ado, here are my 5 favorite images from 2016!
This past Saturday (April 4, 2015) I did a 17-mile hike through the heart of Kentucky’s Red River Gorge. This trip was originally meant to be a 2-day adventure, but that’s not quite how things worked out. The trip presented its own set of challenges, but at the end of the day, it was a great time. This post will outline the 17-mile adventure.
