Hiking the Peak - Telluride

Everyone knows where to find Mike Price after a day of work. Oak is only a door and a half down from his shop and the bartender pours us beers before we even walk in. It would be a problem if it wasn’t the place where you not only found him but his boss, often co-workers, and truly the rest of the town. Or the people in town you want to be around anyway. I’m telling you all this because it was one Tuesday night at the Oak where we happened to decide to do a Peak mission the very next day. Beers and the realization the mountain will close soon got us motivated to get after it that night and I’m sure glad we did!

The Peak that I am referring to is of course Palmyra Peak the tallest point at the ski area and one of the tallest places you can ski in bounds just about anywhere I suspect. It’s taller then 1310 at Loveland and for sure gets you higher then that silly lift people talk about at Breckenridge. Google informs me that the top is 13,319 ft and I can say after hiking from Chair 12 to the top it sure feels like 13,000 ft and the exposure you feel at the top is no joke either. To make it worse they give you a small snow pack platform to balance on at the top, not usually a problem unless you are sharing it with 3 other people…

I’m not really sure how far the hike is or how many feet we had to climb but all in all it could have been much worse than it was. It took us just about an hour to get up and in all reality the hike was scarier than the ski. It’s always funny to make jokes about falling into Ophir or Alta Lakes from the resort when you are doing the short hike-tos bellow the peak but when you are on a boot pack on top of skree in hard ski boots that possibility seems much more likely. There’s at least two places that got me a little spooked between the steep narrow shoot below and the chawsy wind swept boulder you had to scramble. And really once you pass through the gate the whole hike is a no fall zone, you probably won’t die but you might be wishing you had looked at the map longer.

Once at the top and you concur the last nearly vertical boot pack, you are welcomed by a bright orange toboggan (that some poor soul undoubtedly had to hike up there) and a bamboo rope line to remind you that you are still in the boundary of the ski area. It’s an important reminder given the terrain you are about to ski. It’s no baby hike-to-ski or palma lift to above treeline, it is just what you should expect when you look at the tallest mountain out the window of the Gondola. A variable, windy, and steep 13,000 ft peak that for some reason you are allowed to ski down just like any other run on the mountain. And that’s just what we did. We clipped into our bindings, pointed our tips downhill and went for it. I wish I could say we got a fresh powder line down the couloir but it was chopped, old north facing snow that was just interesting enough to get your heart to pump when your skis did something a little different then you wanted them to. But from there you can drop 4,500ft down to town have another beer at Oak and keep skiing if you wanted to.

For me I headed back down to town and retreated into the library to get at least a half day of work done. I’m sure going to miss the ability to walk out the door, hike up a mountain, ski with good friends and then just pretend it’s another day at the office. This may be a post for another time but being able to experience all of this in the context of what I do (for those who don’t know I spend most my days supporting the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office at the US Department of Energy) makes everything just work.

On the far left side of the image if you look close there is a zig zag skin track and people hiking up from the uppers and into Ophir (my guess at least).

Fall in Telluride

Fall in Telluride could be a title for me crushing bones biking or hiking but in this case it does refer to the explosive color that happens just once a year. That fleeting last hurrah before white monochrome winter.

It almost felt like the whole summer I kept telling people, “oh yeah Telluride only gets better when the trees turn yellow and snow falls” having no real experience of this of course. That is until this last month when the season changed to fall, though now that I am a “local” in a mountain town, I know better. It’s a time when all the aspen leaf painters are hard at work and the snow dance is performed by every Telluride local only in the darkness of their basements (sheds work too) when no one is looking.

Anyway, regardless of how the leaves get their color and the mountains their snow I went out a couple days and took photos when I could. I wish that I had the leisure I usually have to plan compositions, choose the best weather conditions and load out with both film and digital. But this year between work and visiting with Catherine and friends in Chicago I took what I could get. Namly shots through gondola windows and snaps before beers at the Oak St. bar. While I’m happy with what I made happen with this constraint, I very much wish I could have just ran around all day taking pictures.

When I post I most often organize by when they were taken as it makes sense in my head, time unfolding. This time around I flipped my regular organization. That’s because my favorite picture came from the day I got back from my trip. Flying in that day I saw snow was here, clouds were still sticking around, and everything was at full peak. Sadly after +12 hours of travel all I wanted to do is see my new mountain bike (a post coming soon undoubtedly). But I did get this one snap through the gondola glass when everything was just right. Though to my disappointment after that one day all we got was blue sky and the baking melting sun… still wonderful but nothing quite as beautiful as my first day back.

First Via Ferrata (Telluride, CO)

Early morning meet up spot outside main street Patagonia. (Fuji x100s)

It’s about time I made it on the now popular via ferrata that straddles the back of Telluride’s box canyon. This route has been around for a long time but has grown in popularity as more via ferrata routes round the state (Ouray, Arapahoe Basin, etc.) and country are being installed. While these “iron trials” are relatively new in the states these routes comprised of metal steps, rails, and bolted cables are common in the European alps as a cross somewhere between rock climbing and scrambling. The idea is to have a fully protected route (or in the case of Telluride’s partially protected) that incorporates technical mountaineering skills and exposure that a hiking trail wouldn’t otherwise have.

As you may have gathered this was my first time clipping into the cables of a via ferrata and I’d argue that Telluride may offer one of the most stunning views so I felt like I had to share my experience for anyone who maybe interested in doing it. While you may not want to just walk up and do one of these things it is really meant to be accessible to most. In other words if you are comfortable with heights and are a hiker wanting to gain some crazy exposure then this is the trip for you and it won’t be a back breaking all day affair either! Just make sure you have the right gear. I’ll explain our experience so as to offer some local advice and cautions:

After hastily planning the day before, we met in front of the main street Patagonia store at 5:15 am just as the sun started to lighten the sky that morning. Piling into my land cruiser we headed down main street to drive up past Bridal Veil Falls on the lower switchbacks of Black Bear Pass (where there’s still two-way traffic permitted) to park at the via “trailhead” one turn from the falls pullout. After gearing up we headed up into the via ferrata and went out and back so as to get open our shop by 10:00am. This trail is technically one way so unless you’re the only group on the trail (we were) abide by the rules of the local guides, more information here.

Telluride’s via ferrata is known for its not entirely protected route with high exposure, loose single track downhill to cliff areas (no fall zones), and areas with climbers below. There are multiple places where some may want to clip in but there won’t be a place for it, test areas, there are two near the beginning of the trail that will filter out the people who may not want to continue. There is no easing into this trail but you’ll know if it’s for you early on. This via ferrata takes at most 3 hours but most could probably finish in about an hour in a half. Once you’re done with the ferrata you will need to hike back up the road to the car to get back.

Heading up the loose rocky switchbacks up to the first cable section. (Fuji x100s)

Looking back over at Black Bear Pass and my land cruiser parked at the “trailhead” from the first clip in point. (Fuji X100s)

There were only the three of us on this trip which made things very easy. The first person was Scott who is the local knowledge and guide in town and Erika, my boss and general outdoorsy person. They both had experience (and gear) that made me feel better on my first time out there.

Via ferratas are quite simple as all you need is a helmet, climbing harness, and some kind of leash or teather. Ideally the tether is shock absorbing with two locking carabiners (Petzl Scorpio Vertigo, below) or some places allow dynamic rope and wire carabiners (Scott’s set up to the right). Either way the two clips allow for a redundant system so that you can be secured to the cable at all times. Falls can happen but they should always be avoided if at all possible as this is afterall just protection not intended to be used. The advantage to having a designed tether is the shock absorber that would protect your body, in the case of a fall, from shock load which could be fatal. So if you are worried buy an approved tether or just make sure not to fall ; ).

Scott at the bench getting ready for the “main event” (Fuji x100s)

Petzl Scorpio Vertigo with locking carabiners, elastic leashes, and shock absorber. (Fuji X100s)

While this trip went quickly it was an absolute blast to start the morning on iron ladders with friends. If I could give any advice it would be to do it in the morning to see the light hit the peaks and to avoid windy weather. You also really don’t need a whole lot of other gear a backpack with more than water and snack is definitely not needed.

Preliminary Review: Minox 35 GL

As I have confessed in the past, one reason I love film photography is the gear. I love spending hours on deep dive explorations of film related gear whether that’s antique large format lenses, discontinued expired film, cheap plastic point and shoots your grandma probably owned, or just dreaming about that Contax G1 or Leica… well anything. And after the million or so hours I’ve spent doing this I like to think I’ve seen it all. But, just as you think that your friends goes, “Hey look at my new film camera.” *points at little black box in the cup holder that looks more like lame toy then anything else* And after 15 minutes of discussion I learned that I would eventually, definitely add this small toy like camera to my collection, the Minox 35 GL. (Thanks Tyler Truksa)

The Minox 35 GL was introduced in the 1976 shorty after the first iteration of 35mm film cameras from Minox. The German camera manufacturer was known for its small 110 “spy cameras” and the Minox 35 GL definitely fits pretty well into this category. Interestingly enough between 1974 and 2003 there were 30 different iterations of this camera sold and all have just slightly different options and colors. Being that it was an automatic camera (aperture priority) and small it became a very popular consumer camera; even won the hearts of famous artists like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.

An add for the camera from the 1970s.

So why did I cave and buy this weird plastic camera that makes you guess focus (more on that later)? Well, for me it ticks every mark I have for an everyday walk around film camera. It’s small, light, easy to carry, shoots 35mm, comes with a flash (at least mine did), and has a great lens. On top of that, it looks cool and if I keep it closed no one would have a clue that I’m even carrying a camera. I also really like that it’s aperture priority and therefore easy to just point, check your shutter speed and shoot!

The Minox 35 GL open with the leather Minox cover which let you add a camera strap. The strap is an old climbing sling I picked up used.

With all of this awesome potential there must be some downsides and there definitely are some, especially if you’re just getting into film this camera could cause some extra anxiety. First, the battery in the later models isn’t made anymore and the most readily available batteries (for mine 4 357s silver oxide coin batteries) are slightly higher voltage causing the meter to be off. For my GL the meter is off by at least 2 stops which is a lot considering it under exposes the film by that much (though you can just set the ISO dial to compensate which is no big deal). Second I’ve read the magnetic shutters can be unreliable, though Minox does say that all of their products, even discontinued ones, can be repaired.

One of the biggest reasons for buying this camera is the lens. According to the internet it is one of the best point and shoot lenses out there beating the Olympus X models and even rivaling Contax glass. Being that I scan on a Epson V550 I’m not sure I will be able to see that sharpness, but when I get back to WUSTL I will definitely put a frame or two into the Hasselblad X1 to see how it compares to the Nikon 50mm F1.8 ais which is my other 35mm lens. But, from what I can see it a pretty good performer given the sized and design.

Jump Creek ID 2019. Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

The test rolling I’m sharing are from a trip up to Stanley and Jump Creek with a great new friend. I never really need an excuse to go out and explore, but a new camera and a curious mind to coexist with sure makes it easy to escape for awhile. As I tend to do when I meet people like Eleysa is I get lost in conversation, focused on them and me in that moment. Usually this means I hike 20 pounds of gear which I never use and I get distracted from being present everytime I reach into my camera bag. But, I found the Minox allowed me to be fully aware of the possible images around me and allowed me to enjoy my time to a fuller degree then I usually would. In fact this was the only camera I took when I went to Pine Flats Hot Spring and I think it was a good choice.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL and FC 35 Flash, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

On another note, I think these images are my favorite from this summer. Not only was it a new shooting experience with a great new camera, but I realized that what makes images good in my book is more than color, sharpness, and composition. It’s the ability to share life with others, to be an observer and recorder of time passing and the relationships, friends, and places that build context for living. Recently this is what has been missing from my work, people to share it with. If you ever read this thank you so much Eleysa for sharing time with me and letting me fall in love with making images again! I think I’ve thought about this trip and our time together more than just about anything this summer.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

First impressions, I can’t get enough of this camera! It’s easy and honestly fun to frame through the little plastic finder and press the button. I find that I don’t mind guessing distance because I really do shoot further than 20 ft away often and I find that I can stick to a smaller aperture to maximize depth of field when not 20 feet away. I also find that it helps me slow down, giving me that slow process and intention I love film for. The other thing I like is that it is really not so intimidating to hand to a friend, I know the camera will do the hard work and being so small people don’t shy away from it like they do with the Pentax or other cameras I own. Finally, I just love that it is smaller than the size of my hand, literally. As I’ve mentioned before I love the form factor of the Fuji X100s and that is really why I still own and love that camera, but the Minox 35 GL is even smaller! All in all it will be great fun to have this camera around, can’t wait to keep playing outside and elsewhere with this in my pocket.

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Technical side note:

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

This was my first test roll and I just want to share what I learned and what I’ll change going forward. First things first, the lens does seem to be sharp but you do need to hit the right distance to see it! What I mean is that the hyperfocal distance scale on the lens will give you an “acceptable sharpness” not tack sharp so going forward I will make sure to guess the distance not just put infinity at the hyperfocus line on the lense. I’ll also make sure to put the film through the Hasselblad X1 to really determine the sharpness. In short, not sure my copy can rival Contax glass but it is perfectly fine for what I use this camera for.

The second thing I noticed is some unflattering flaring from the lens. Being a Canon shooter I love my sun stars that you see when shooting stopped down. Sadly there are no sun stars with this lens and I even found that the lense produces some colorful patterned flair that can really reck and image like this image in the forest. It’s not the end of the world but not ideal for sure.

Finally, the exposure seems to be really quite good! Way better than most aperture priority cameras I’ve used especially other point and shoots. I also love the x2 exposure switch, I believe I used that on the hammock shot and it really made a big difference. To really put it to a test I think the next roll I put in will be a roll of Provia 100f slide film, this will allow me to really test the sharpness and the ability of the meter!

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Two Minutes Between Frames Can Make all the Difference!

This might be my current favorite image. I’ve always told myself that there is no such thing as a favorite image because the next picture I take better be my favorite. Though, this is not usually the case and making images that I am truly proud of has become harder then ever recently. But, it’s funny because whenever I need inspiration to create this is the image that always comes to mind. A favorite image is quite subjective and I’d say there’s a difference between the best image I’ve ever taken and my favorite photograph. This fits in the favorite category because technically it’s a bit soft on a low resolution sensor, but has everything a good photograph should.

The real reason I’m writing this is that I was going over images and noticed how much this image stood out compared to ones taken slightly before and after. Also, how this image basically just made itself no fancy preparation, previsualization, just a button press. It’s a truly fleeting moment, the gold standard in photography, where minutes before or seconds after wouldn’t yield the same result. A blend of happenstance, luck, and existing to witness a moment, all intersect to create the perfect image.

The story of this image starts, like many others in 2019, with a trip hosted by the College of Idaho Outdoor Program. We spent three days climbing in Smith Rock State Park where I took some of my favorite images of the year. That first day we arrived later in the afternoon just in time to scout some crags and set up camp. As we ate dinner and settled in we could see the clouds darken and felt the cold wind of an incoming storm. I remember sitting around the campfire bundled up and not ready to move away from the warmth, but some feeling to make images as the earth shadow rose was too strong. After setting up the tripod and noticing there was only a half battery in the Canon (I still had two days left there), I grabbed the Fujifilm x100s which had two expendable batteries.

It was dark out and the sky was hard to see with the naked eye but I know from the faint city glow there was something to be had. So I mounted my little camera to the big tripod, stopped down to F/4 for sharpness, set the camera to 200 ISO in order to keep the grain down, and set up a 2 second timer to reduce shake. It took me nearly 15 minutes to focus the camera to infinity before I took a series of shots. It was amazing the subtle tones and color the camera picked up and how quickly the scene was changing between each 30 second exposure.

Somewhere in this series the picture seen above was captured. The churning of the low level clouds and subtle light from dusk peaking through creates drama in the sky. The tent in the foreground was lit up perfectly to match the ambient light and the warm glow projected on the clouds from Bend Oregon, draws the eye to the bottom of the frame giving context to the image. The best part was how a car’s light from some distance away gave the foreground densionality and a matching warm glow that ties the clouds to the ground. A million things came together here all completely out of my control and all making a striking image.

However two minutes later the image changed completely. The images below shows the same location, same shot, on the same day but 1.45 minutes later. Let me know which image you like better but for me it is a pretty obvious choice.

Smith Rock, OR. 2019. Fujifilm x100s on a tripod. Two minutes after the image above.

This is absolutely another striking image and if this was the only shot I got that night I would have been thrilled. But, it wasn’t and the first shot in my opinion is much better for a multitude of reasons. First, the ambient light dropped enough to overexpose the tent in the foreground and the orange glow is now extremely bright compared to the first image. This makes the light feel unbalanced and makes the exposure look to dark and contrasty. Second, a cloud above the tent caught some warm orange light from the setting sun causing it dominate the sky. I usually love to see color like this in the sky but for this image it draws attention away from the main subject (the tent and the idea of camping) and clutters the scene overall. Finally, and most importantly there is no warm tungsten light in the foreground around the tent like in the first image. This renders the main subject in a more 2D way that looks more boring when compared to the first images. Within just about 2 minutes an image went from my favorite to just another blue hour shot. Below I’ve put them side by side so you can make your decisions.

First image.

Same scene but 2 minutes after the picture on the left.

It was also interesting how I couldn’t get the colors to match either when editing. This is probably due to the ambient light falling, although if I spent enough time I could probably get them to match up. I’ll also confess that there is a fair amount of local adjustments in both images to further even out the tonality.

Anyways, what I’m trying to convey with this is the importance of just being present to witness the light changing. Sometimes photography is as easy as that. This picture was taken with an 8 year old camera with no prior preparation or planning, no fancy accessories, and while others were asleep. It’s not the gear, the hours of class or practice you’ve had, or the youtube videos you watched, it just getting out there and pressing the button.

Snow in St. Louis

A couple days ago we got a nice snow storm and I knew that I had to go out and shoot some images. On my walk back from lab I took my plastic Canon Snappy LXII to take some images with the on camera flash in the chucking snow. I’m excited to see how these images turned out, but after the short walk I decided I needed to bring some real cameras. So I loaded up the Pentax 67 with some expired Velvia 100 and nabed the Fujifilm x100s to go out to see what I could get. The flacks were big, the contrast low and there were a couple images I know would look amazing on the 67 with punchy Velvia film. The images I’m sharing here are all from the x100s and the film will be developed in probably a year, I hope you all enjoy.

Goals for 2021

I am lucky to have had the ability to travel home for winter break. I get to wake up everyday with the view that you see above. This is part of the Gore Range here in Silverthorne and it is now my new home away from home. My parents sold their house in Golden and have moved to Silverthorne in a nice place right next to Blue River. It’s a pretty tough place to be especially when you realize that I’m 10 minutes from Copper Mountain. Anyways, I’ve been wanting to share some images from up here and share some thoughts I had this past year.

Many people will say that 2020 was one of the worst years ever. For me it wasn’t, it was a time of growth contemplations and discovery. Which will often happen in the context of a tough year, if you have the right mindset . I was finally able to find closure from a relationship I was stuck on, I made my own prints for the first time, bought a new film camera (one from the bucket list), and I hit my first block as a photographer. This year was also one of the toughest semesters of engineering school I’ve had. It felt like there wasn’t ever time for a break so being here, away from St. Louis, has been much needed.

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Canon 7D MarkII, Canon 70-200mm F2.8 USM, Silverthorne CO, 2020

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Fuji X100s, Copper Mountain CO, 2021

I have a couple photography goals this year. The first is that I really want to get published. I’m not sure why this hasn’t been a goal in the past, but for whatever reason I finally feel ready. I want to get published in order to provide further context for making images and sharing what I think is interesting. Making images for myself has always been enough, and being able to document what happens around me has always be what drives me to create. That being said I’ve realized that my images can and probably should be used to tell stories that can be shared with a broader audience. So this year I’m hoping to get some images published in some way. I’m looking at the revampt Outdoor Idaho Magazine, Idaho Magazine, and really whomever may be interested. If you’re reading this and you’re like, “I know someone that would love to publish this guy,” please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Canon 7D MarkII, Sigma 18-35mm F1.8, Silverthorne CO, 2020

The second goal for this year is to start focusing on a a personal body of work. As I’ve said before I usually get inspired to shoot by documenting life around me. But, as I dive deeper into my film photography I want a more artistic challenge. What really made me want to start a personal project is the passing of a really special person named Paul Kresge. Paul was, among other things, my dad’s “ski instructor” a true playful child at heart who intentionally dusted his wisdom and passion onto every person he encountered. He was a true staple in the community in Summit County and I had always had it im my mind that I was going to do a short photo series with him. Some photographic project that would attempt to show others who this amazing person was. Sadly he passed away and I was never able to complete this project.

So this year it is my goal to not assume these people, places, stories, or things that I find exceptional will last forever. I want to start a body of work with the general context of Stanley, Idaho focusing on the people who live there and make it special. I now have some money saved so that when something pops into my head I will have the means to create it and hopefully be able to share it with all of you.

Film Scanning Review: $15,000 Flextight X1 v.s. $120 Epson V550

This review of sorts has been in the making for a long time. When I got to Washington University St. Louis the first thing I did was join the photography club. There I learned that the department had a pretty special scanner in their lab. At first I was told they had a drum scanner, sadly this was not the case but they did have the king of the CCD type dry scanners, the Flextight X1. This is a $15,000 CCD scanner made by Hasselblad, the world renown camera manufacturer from Germany. All I can say is that I’ve been itching to run some slide film though this scanner for a while now and I finally got to make some archival scans.

This year I was finally able to play with this wonderful machine and I can say it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Before I had access to the X1 I did all of my 35mm film scanning on an Epson V550 with the proprietary software. The results from the flatbed scanner never made me really happy although I never really knew anything else. The V550 does a fine job for 120 sized film but for 35mm it lacks the ability to pull the quality locked into the positive image. So I will attempt to compare the two scanners and share what my thoughts are.

First lets start with some specs of the scanner to try and understand why the X1 is so much more expensive and try to justify why someone may want this crazy machine. The Felxtight X1 scanner is a CCD dry scanner with a maximum optical resolution of 6300dpi, Dmax 4.6, and auto focus for the flex type film carrier. The Epson v550 is a flat bed scanner with a maximum resolution of 4800dpi (true resolution is probably closer to 1500dpi) and Dmax of 3.4. The final difference is the software used to convert the files. Hasselblad has its own software and file type to keep as much information as possible in the file from the scan, these files are large too with a 35mm scan being about 450 mb! While I mostly scanned positive film I will include a color negative example to compare how the two scanners convert negatives. The purpose of this comparison is to show the final product. I’m not going to simply make them the same because the files these scanners produce are very different. With that out of the way let’s look at some pictures, hover over the photo to know which scanner is which.

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Flextight X1 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

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Flextight X1 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

V550 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

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The first image was taken in India on my Nikon FM, I believe that it was shot at F2.8 on Fujifilm Provia 100f. The Flextight scan was done at 6300dpi and the v550 was made at 3200dpi and I would say the difference is astonishing. Not only is the Flextight scan close to 50 megapixels, but I honestly believe it’s picking up 50 megapixels of resolution from the film. The V550 on the other hand looks mushy with little detail in the cropped image even though the resolution should be somewhat comparable. Another big difference is the dynamic range, if you look at the gentleman’s jacket or the highlights on the jeans you can see just how much more detail can be pulled out using the X1 compared to the V550.

The next image to be compared is a medium format frame from the Mamiya C3 with a the Sekor 80mm F2.8. It was shot on Kodak Ektar 100 in the Sawtooth National Forest forest two years ago now. It’s one the sharpest frames I have on 120 so it should serve as a good comparison. It’s important to note that the Flegtight’s maximum resolution for 120 film is 3200 dpi which means both negatives were technically scanned at the same resolution. So this is probably the best apples to apples comparison of the two scanners.

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Flextight X1 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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Flextight X1 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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V550 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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V550 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

I’d say all the same things apply here as they do for the 35mm example, higher dynamic range and more sharpness. The other important improvement over the V550 is the color accuracy. This comes as no surprise to me because the Epson software has always bugged me when it comes to color. I was always disappointed in this photo because I could never get the rust to truly look like rust, or get the sky blue while still holding a warm tone. The amount of information locked away in the X1 file is truly impressive. When editing the X1 file the amount of latitude I had rivals even the Fuji x100s sensor which is an impressive feat on its own.

So what’s the verdict? Am I going to shell out $15,000 on this scanner? Well let’s just say if I had $15,000 I would be half tempted. This scanner is absolutely impressive and it makes me want to shoot Provia the rest of my life. The way it renders the grain in an image is really magical and the color and ease of producing an image is also something to lust over. But, $15,000 is a lot of money and there are a lot of other options out there that can do a good job too. To be honest I was surprised at how well the V550 did compared to the Flextight X1 it’s undeniably better but the results of the flatbed are still pretty darn good (at least for 120 film). Also, there’s the Nikon Coolscan scanners that have a very similar image quality for just about $4,000, though these machines are starting to get hard to find. Anyways I will be very sad when I don’t get to use this scanner anymore and I have hopes to take advantage of this scanner for as long as I have access. If you have any questions about how I scan my pictures or about these scanners just comment or send me an email.

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Update: 8/16/22

My last year at WUSTL I did one final comparison with specifically slide film and the X1 scanner. If you’d like to check out the comparisons please hit this link!

Shooting Film

Why Shoot Film?

Most people think that film can't compare to digital, that Kodak is dead, and film is impossibly hard to find. Well I can tell you that it's not only easy to find film but it is readily available and the selection is just as good if not better as back in the day (well maybe not). Kodak is still pumping out lots of film and companies like Illford and Fujifilm are here to stay. Finally, film cameras aren't being made anymore and what’s out there is all that’s left so the race is on.

Something that you find out real quick is the best image quality you can get from any medium still comes from film. Large format film cameras can produce wall sized prints with more quality then an 11x14 made with my $1400 DSLR. Not only does film allow you to capture the best images possible, but shooting film is an entirely different experience. You have one ISO, the cameras are usually more limited in the available shutter speeds, and oh yah you have 36 pictures max.

Types of Film  

• Black and White Negative Film - Obviously this is kind of film produces a negative B&W image and is the easiest to start with and often the cheaper film to buy. It is usually a silver halide based chemistry so developing this film is very easy but often expensive because of the silver waist produced. Another important piece of jargon is the newer t-grain films v.s the older traditional grain. There are pluses and minuses of both but I find t-grain to have sharper looking results but traditional film has more freedom.

• Color Negative Film - Like the B&W this film produces a color negative image. This is the most readily available film next to B&W on the market and has many choices. The easiest way to think about it is there are cheap color neg film and expensive. Cheaper film will have more noticeable grain and be less sharp when compared to more expensive film. However, unless you have the inclination to print your images it won't really be noticeable. Color negative is C-41 chemistry and is mcuh harder to develop on your own but very cheap for labs and photography stores.

• Color Positive (Slide) Film - This is not only the most exciting film you can buy but it is by far the most expensive and hardest to develop. The E-6 chemistry is expensive and doesn’t keep well, pair that with slide film being the hardest to find on the market nothing about it is cheap. The reason this film is so cool is that it produces a positive color image and therefore the detail and colors of this film is much more spot on and real. The other issue is the exposure latitude on this film is also reduced. This means that for high contrast scenes this film usually can't capture detail from highlights to darks. That being said if you get the exposure right, the detail slide film offers is unbeatable and therefore its the first choice for professionals.

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Nikon FM, Nikkor 50mm F1.8 Ais, Kodak Color 200, V550, Bogus Basin, ID

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Mamiya C3, Sekor 80mm F2.8, Fujifilm Pro 400H, V550, Bruneau Sand Duns, ID

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Caldwell, ID

What do I Shoot?

I shoot with a lot of film cameras currently and the list is always changing as new deals and film come out on the new and used market. I will save the discussion about the types of formats and good beginner film cameras for another time. It’s an a totally different discussion. I currently have a camera that shoots all formats except 6 x 4.5 medium format and the biggest and baddest of 8 x 10 film. The newest edition is my Pentax 6x7 with the 105mm F2.4 lens and it’s quickly becoming my favorite camera. I also shoot with a Nikon FM with Nikkor 50mm F1.8 ais, Canon Snappy LxII, an Anniversary Graphlex Speed Graphic, and finally my trusty Mamiya C3 with a Sekor 80mm F2.8. They all have their place in the quiver.

But back to the main point, why shoot film? For me it’s complicated and not easily explained. Though in short, it inspires me. Tearing open another roll of film just helps me point a camera and take images almost like having multiple tools allows you to complete the job correctly. Some cameras inspire projects by the way they render the images or diffuse tension in a subject. Others are pocketable and need just to be pointed and shot. It’s the lack of flexibility, knowing you have only 10-36 shots, and you need to finish a roll to move on, that’s what I like. I like the slow aspect and not being able to review your images. It’s hard to explain but film cameras have life to them that is hard to feel or see with a digital camera.

But the greatest reason why I shoot film is that it is the way I remember life going by me. I can record these fickle moments on something that will be around for ever. Something I can touch and feel just like the memories that catalyzed the images themselves.

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Nikon FM, Nikkor 50mm F1.8 Ais, Kodak Color 200, Yosemite, Ca

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Moab, UT

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Galena Summit, ID

I Need to Shoot More Black and White Film

If you have been following along with my blog you know that at the beginning of the summer I bought all I needed to develop my long overdue pile of black and white film. I ended up developing 13 rolls of film and four 4x5 sheets in CineStill Df96 monobath at 90F. While I like the convenience of this monobath and how quick and cheap it is, I found that the film didn’t clear super well and that the acutance was pretty low. This all culminated in negatives which were much harder to scan and ended up being a bit soft which is a bit of a bummer. That being said there are so many images that I absolutely adore!

This first set of images are all images taken on my Mamiya C3 with Fujifilm Acros 100 film. What I love about black and white is that it strips the image into something more simple, more refined. I found when shooting black and white I was more focused on composition, on the raw light itself and how it interacts with the subject. In this way these images are usually more interesting with more focal points and less distractions. After shooting these rolls of film especially through the Mamiya I felt like I was truly working on the craft of photography as opposed to just creating an image.

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Additionally it is important to understand that just converting a color image to black and white is not the same as having the medium only capable of producing monochromatic photographs. When B&W is all you can create you must previsualize in monochrome which is an entirely different experience to previsualizing in color. It makes you look at the light differently, the way it falls equitably on the scene without distraction of color. To me this is the real advantage of shooting with this medium is that it is almost makes you discover photography all over again.

The images below were all shot on on the Nikon FM with a 50mm F1.8 on Ilford HP5+ again developed in CineStill Df96 at 90F. I found that there are way less images that I am very smitten with that went through this camera, but that’s also the point. What I love about 35mm film cameras is that they allow for experimentation and spontaneity that a larger camera just doesn’t let you do. This usually means less keeper frames but means more images that have potential to be better.

The reason I need to shoot more black and white film is that it makes my other images look better. Without the crux of color your image has to speak based solely on luminance, composition, and subject. In addition I think I need to also keep developing it on my own. Film is meant to be a craft and if I’m going to shoot it then I should be able to develop it the way I’m satisfied with. Going forward I’m going to shoot more film by real developer, fixer, and put the time and effort into the craft it deserves.

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Late Night Adventures (No Business Fire Lookout)

This summer I’ve been dipping and dodging important things, like finding a job, getting over a past relationship, and figuring out what I really want to do with myself. With the free time and privilege to spend the summer this way I have been doing as much as I can to take advantage. I’ve spent time writing representatives about fish conservation, support of BLM, and volunteering my time to help better the place I love. The past week I have staying up in Donnelly enjoying the mountains and lakes in central Idaho. One thing that I’m spending time on is discovering new wonderful places here in the place I’m living.

Each morning I’m there and the lake’s surface is glassy smooth, air cold enough for steam to rise I wobble out of bed and drag a kayak off the dock for a paddle. What’s nice about the morning is the silence, only the sound of dripping water off the paddle, a swush for every stroke, and the clear skies. On these paddles among seeing families of otters and golden eagles I have always spotted a small white dot garnishing the top of a Northwest mountain.

At the top of No Business Mountain (West Mountain I think) lies a fire lookout built originally in the 1920 and renovated in 1967. I’m pretty sure that it is inactive currently as I couldn’t find any current information about it, though we did spot some people spending the night there. Anyways, through binoculars I knew I need to get an up close to have a look. So this last week on of my goals was to take the forest service road to the top.

Now with COVID getting worse, especially in Idaho, and being in a town where a bunch of people who don’t believe in COVID drive through I shouldn’t have done this but… I met an new friend who lives in Donnelly and since I had never been up this road before and I was going to do it in complete darkness I thought I should have another person with me. Also when I say a friend I really mean two new friends one a super cool human and the other a cute little kitten named Ginko. After being turned around at the first shorter road we wrapped around the other direction to go the longer way. We missed sunset and we arrived just as true darkness fell with NEOWISE starting to show along with the center of the milky way.

Canon 7D Mark II with a Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 on Manfrotto tripod with FLM ball head:

25 sec F1.8 ISO 1600

There are many things that I truly appreciate about the world and it was amazing how many things came together that night. Plans getting changed halfway through, a bumpy Land Cruiser ride, dark sky with some extra-terrestrial object visible from earth, a bright milky way you could mistake for a cloud, wonderful company/conversation, and time with an adventurous little kitten. I don’t usually just invite someone (and their kitten) I’m not super familiar with on late night trips like these, especially now, but I’m sure glad I did this time!

“Late night adventures with new friends are memories I will always cherish. Motion blur, sage brush, fire lookout, star studded skies, NEOWISE, and a little kitten named Ginko.”

Minimalist B&W Film Developing

Introduction

As many people know I started my photography passion in high school when I took my first photography class. It was all analog shooting film through cameras, developing that film, then enlarging and printing the film images. It was a slow process that required true tactile skill and artistic vision. It always felt more like an art form then just pressing a shutter button on a digital camera. Ever since I settled into my digital camera kit a few years back I wanted to get back to this process of film photography. But where to start?

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Mamiya C3 Sikor 80mm F2.8: HP5+ 125th @F4

Many people think film is scary, too many moving parts, things to think about, cameras that don’t automatically expose an image, and many other anxieties. For me, those have always been part of the attraction but what always got me was the price of film and more importantly the price of development.

I’ve been sending off my film for developing for some time now (yes plenty of stores still develop film) and in many cases it cost more than the roll of film itself. One way to avoid these costs is to develop the film on your own and that’s just what I started doing.

This post is going to cover my personal minimalist black and white film developing kit that I’m currently using and I’ll make sure to crunch the numbers to see what I’m actually saving! I’ll also suggest things that I wish I had or things that would make your life just a bit easier. Also just to be clear this is all you need to just develop your film in the context of a hybrid process where I scan my film instead of enlarging it onto photo paper.

Before I start with my process there are entire books devoted to just choosing the best film for the best developer and the most archival fixer for the most contrast for the light you have on your subject……. This stuff can get pretty heavy pretty quick so I won’t go into detail there I’ll just explain what I have currently and why.

The Bare-Minimum

When I say minimalist I truly mean it so I’m simply going to give you a list of the must have things I use to develop my film:

1. Daylight developing tank: These usually come with a tank, film spools, and are made of plastic or metal made to keep the film safe from light when developing. The only thing that you need worry about is the film sizes the spool can take 35mm, 120, 127, or 4x5. Otherwise just get some that are affordable and work from used websites like Craigslist or Ebay. I personally bought a Paterson Super System 4 Universal Tank because it allows me to develop 2 rolls of 35mm or one roll of 120 film as well as 127 film if I need. It’s even tall enough to be able to develop 4x5 film using the taco style. (more to come on this)

2. Developing Chemicals: There are a lot of choices here and at minimum you need developer and fixer. Some developers are reusable some are single use as well as all have certain characteristics. I avoided all the confusion and went with convenience choosing a monobath which both develops your film and fixes it in one shot. Specifically, I bought Cinestill’s Df96 in powder form to make a liter of chemistry which is good for 16 or so rolls of film.

3. Thermometer: Most film chemistry is very sensitive to temperature so you must keep track of the water temperature and chemistry temperature. I used an old electric meat thermometer because of the fast readout but anything that accurately measures temperature should be fine.

4. Measuring Cup: The best thing to use if you have the money is a graduated cylinder if you want to get the most reproducibility. I however just used a glass measuring cup from the store which works just fine. With the monobath, since it is reusable, I don’t need to worry about volumetric measurements as much as other one shot developers.

5. Small Bottle Opener: These are used to open the 35mm film canisters. If you don’t use one of these then you risk scratching your film and you will waist a great deal of time.

6. Scissors: A good pair of scissors is needed to cut the film of the spool and create a nice flat leader to load up the film spool. Some people like to use safety scissors but I just use normal scissors since cutting yourself is pretty hard.

7. A Dark Room: Obviously all the loading of the film into the daylight tank must be done in complete darkness. Most houses have a place that is truly dark or you could make truly dark. I use a half bathroom in my apartment and a dark sheet to block the stray light from the door.

8. Binder Clips: Binder clips are probably the most effective office supply to own. They are perfect for holding your film strips to dry in a dust free place.

Not Necessary But You’ll Probably Want it.

The list above is the absolute minimum and assumes you have a couple things that some people may not so this is a list of things you may want to get when you have money.

1. Photo Flo: This is a kodak chemical that is used for the final wash before you hang the film to dry. It reduces water spots that can appear on film as well as streaking on the negatives. I do personally use this in my process because the water I use where I live is mostly hard water.

2. Film Changing Bag: Effectively a black cloth bag that is a portable darkroom with enough space to load your film into the light safe tank. These are nice because you can develop film even if there is no real dark room where you live. Watch your scissors though!

3. Dedicated Timer: Yes you can use your phone or timer apps but a dedicated darkroom timer is really nice to have and can help the reproducibility of your development process.

4. Stock Bottles: Any photo supply store will have a selection of stock bottle while a one liter soda bottle works fine if stored in a dark place a good stock bottle can help keep chemistry for much longer if used correctly.

5. A Funnel: Pretty self explanatory but a good funnel can really make things easy. I’m using a makeshift funnel made from a water bottle I cut in half and melted with a liter. It works but isn’t real pretty.

6. Film Sleeves: For protecting your film for years to come it is important to store your negatives in plastic film sleeves. Not only are they great for organizing your film but they also protect the film emulsion from scratches and dust. I just recently bought a couple packs of these for my pile of negatives. Alternatively, just find a box or bin and keep them in a cool, dry, place away from sunlight.

Cost at the end of the day

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Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 Ai: Arista 400 1/60 @F1.8

That’s it really. The fact that I can just purchase one bottle of chemistry and develop my film is really quite amazing! With shipping the chemistry was $20.74 so if I truly get 16 rolls of film then I’m paying around $1.30 a rolls which is easily affordable and much cheaper then the $5.00 lab fee. Now I think I’m only going to be doing B&W at home because the lab charges about the same as what I can buy C-41 color chemistry at home for (about $4.00 a roll). Slide film is getting close to being cheaper at home with my lab charging $7.26 and at home chemistry coming in at about $5.50 but being that I can just send off all the color film to the same place I don’t find that a couple of dollars is worth it. I also don’t shoot a lot of slide film so there’s that too.

Obviously, there is some initial buyin to get started with film development but even that was surprisingly affordable. My fancy do everything tank was $32.75 and the rest of the supplies I could find around the house. The not necessary list will cost a bit more but you really don’t have to have them as long as you’re willing to sacrifice a little flexibility with your process. So if you’re going to be shooting black and white film at home developing with this “easy” minimal setup is really the way to go!

The Jewel Box

It’s spring break and I finally had time to get out for a bike ride around forest park. This art deco green house was a spot that I wanted to see for a really long time. It was a sunday so it wasn’t open to go inside but I definitely waited around for the light to get good. What I love about this structure is the tall windows gilded in turquoise copper siding, it’s really a sight to behold. At some point a reflection pond is filled and water lilies and tulips line the path up to the greenhouse. My hope is to come back later this spring and capture the same images but with clouds and a long exposure.

India

Now that classes have started and my jet lag is officially gone I can start reflecting on the trip that I took this winter break to India. As part of the McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) we attended lectures, visited labs, and connected with students from December 28th to January 8th to better explore the global contexts of engineering problems/topics. Specifically we stayed in New Delhi just across the way from the India Institute of Technology (IIT) where we spent a majority of our time. It was exciting to see the research going on at this school as well as see how research from Washington University St. Louis was influencing their programs. I personally got excited with their air monitoring and clean air center of excellence. I always thought that water was the resource I wanted to work on but air and aerosols have definitely become a topic of interest.

The technical part of the trip was definitely fun but what I was really excited for was the cultural exploration part of the trip. For me if you miss the context for what you are studying then you miss the problem you are solving all together. If we were not explore this diverse culture then there would have been not point at all in understanding the technical. While we were there we visited Agra to see the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. We also spent the whole weekend there exploring just about every site to see in Delhi. My hope is to share some more detailed stories and images as time goes on. But, as always school is a real bummer sometimes.

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For now here is a thought I had:

If you just sit and observe, you will see how restless your mind is; especially in this place. The noise, smell, motion, the cacophony of color and people force your mind into a dizzy spin. But, after some time you refocus and see the beauty in the complex energy created here. It’s completely overwhelming to those who are only visitors but, must be the fountain that fuels the frenzy of life.

Review on Saal Digital Professional Photo Book line

Last month was really busy with tests and school. As usual I was finding ways to use the creative side of my brain and as luck would have it I got an opportunity to make a book from a german company, Saal Digital! I have been working on a book depicting the time I spent in the Sawtooths last January for sometime and it finally got done.

This is my first photo book that I’ve made and I definitely learned a lot in the process. Being that I only had a month I am honestly impressed with what I made. But, there’s definitely plenty that I would change the next time around. All I can say is that I appreciate all the help from Saal Digital.

First and foremost this book looks absolutely beautiful and very profesional! This specific book is the 8 x 8 inch professional line photo book with matte photo paper option and the white linen wrap cover. I love the look and feel of this book and the layflat pages are quite nice. There is definitely no complaints on the look and craftsmanship of this book! I like the almost waxy feel of the canvas which makes me believe it might be gently cleaned if needed. Also, the paper is impressively heavey to the touch as well as resists fingerprints pretty well.

There are two things that I noticed however, and I’m not sure if it was my fault or that of the company. The first of which is in the darker areas of the two page spreads there is a slight blue line on the fold of the pages. Now it is very faint but I would say that it is noticeable in the right light. So I would try and make the fold areas on those spreads lighter if possible. The second, is with the rendering of stars in the images. In print there is very little to no definition of the stars which is frustrating when compared to the images on screen. This could totally be from the definition of the printer and possibly from the smaller size of the image, but I still feel like it should have done a better job.

I really loved working on this book and writing the excerpts that are all throughout. One of the things that I would change in the a future copy is using smaller sized font. For the most part it looks fine however I think it looks a bit corny with how large it is and with the paper’s matte finish. Finally, I definitely need to work on soft proofing and better understanding how to get the images printed to look the way they do on my screen. Soft proofing is a technique that involves color profiles and link/paper simulation in the attempt to make your pictures look better in print. I decided that the next time I make a book I am definitely going to get a proof made so that I can catch some of these issues before I get the final copy.

All in all I am very happy with the results and the help from Saal Digital to make it possible. I’ve also gotten some requests for a book and since this one set me back a pretty penny I’m going to start designing a soft cover version that will hopefully be more affordable.

Fall Break

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School has never been such a dynamic experience for me. Sure everyone has hated class before and liked others but this semester it has truly been hard to nail down why I am in the place I am. I feel that now is a crossroad, a time in my life that I need to decide, not necessarily know, what I’m going to do. Engineering has brought me some impressive opportunities and new friends but it hasn’t sparked a flame like I thought it would. I know that I need to wait and decide when I’m not taking 18 credits of math courses but at the same time how will I ever know what’s out there if I miss opportunities doing something I don’t particularly enjoy.

Photography has always held a special place in my life a time where I can focus creativity, try new things and express my thoughts. It is a way to get through times that seem unsure a way to remember the things I’ve been through. It will be interesting to see where things go from here.

Fall break this year was absolutely too short. Being used to the week long College of Idaho break, only having a measly two days was a bit hard. That being said, it was totally welcome. Having 7 tests spread in three weeks before this short getaway was a very nice reminder of the place I’m now in.

The original plan was to camp for two days in the Mark Twain National Forest and meet with friends for a hike to a waterfall. But, plans fell through and we settled for a day trip to the area. We hiked a short 1.5 mile there and back trail to Mina Sauk Falls. With little rain and a hot summer the water coming down was a sad piddle of the roaring water that comes in the spring. The trees were starting to turn and the air was brisk as we began the hike that morning. Breathing “ the mountain air” was helpful for the mind and seeing the brilliance of the sun through the colored trees was something new.

Editing Tips: Architecture in Lightroom CC

Good architectural photography is one of the most difficult genres as it requires an impressive eye and an expert knowledge of the photographic process. I’m not going to pretend that I know what I’m doing however, there are some impressive tools in Lightroom that can help set your images apart without any fancy equipment. To better understand why architectural photography is so difficult you need to learn about an inherent flaw in most camera designs. Most people don’t notice because it really does matter until you point your camera at a vertically prominent subject. The issue comes in the fact that DSLRs with a standard, non-tilt-shift, lens has a locked plane of view in relation to the sensor. This means when you point your camera up the image distorts with the lens, the wider the worse this effect is. It make the building appear as if it is falling back because the distortion exaggerates the distance away from the top of the building. To get around this issue there are specialty lenses and cameras which instead of tilting the camera up to get the frame you want the sensor stays parallel to the building and the lense physically shifts, moving the image up. While this is the best option to get rid of this problem, these cameras and lenses are really expensive.

Lucky Lightroom has a good option to make this shift digitally by deleting and adding pixels. The image above is the Aspen Lofts building in downtown Boise wich is really hard to photography as it is leaning against a parking garage and has little prominence. Here even though I was shooting with a wide angle lense I had to tilt my camera up to get the top of the building in frame. As you can see from the middle unedited raw file this pushed the building back making it appear to fall back. To fix this you can take advantage of the transform box in Lightroom. If you are like me then you almost never use this tool as it never really does anything, however here it will save your image. For this picture I used the automatic vertical option which make sure the vertical lines are straight and level. This mimics using the technical movements that a normal lense prevents and solves the building from falling over in your image. While the automatic option worked well here it doesn’t always and most of the time you need to do it manually, if you need to this I would suggest to do a preliminary movement and then a day later fine tune it. I say this because it is really easy to over do it or make it look unnatural or just bad.

Hopefully this short post will help you make your architectural images look better. Even though this is a problem most easily noticed with building be aware that it also creeps into other things like landscapes and sometimes even portraiture.

Spring Trip to Smith Rock

There are so many things that make me happy and I’d say 9 out of 10 thing that take me outside. One of the most recent new outdoor activities that I found recently is climbing. I’ve always enjoyed climbing indoors and even did some sport climbing in the beginning of my college career, but this is the first time I did any climbing with the outdoor program. This year I actually took a rock climbing class with a guy named Kordo who taught us how to make basic anchors and belay outside.

With this new knowledge I decide to go on this weekend trip to Smith Rock Oregon and get some real outdoor climbing in. It was utterly a blast! We spent three days there and got some good climbing in. The first day was filled with a long hike to crags that were already taken, but it was nice to get a lay of the land env though we didn’t get any climbing in. The next day after weathering some rain gave us a nearly full day of climbing and I even topped out on a 5.10c. I felt like it was the perfect balance between hard and still having a lot of fun on the rock. I really cant’t wait to get back some day. As always it was guided by the College of Idaho Outdoor Program director Bix who at some point deserves his own blog post.

Powder Skiing

As most people how are close to me know I am not the biggest fan of writing creatively on my own. Words for me have always be harder to create then an image, but after the winter wilderness course I saw the importance of this skill. Sometimes words can achieve higher levels of thought then even a perfectly composed images. So here’s my go at explaining skiing in powder accompanied by a picture of my good friend Beth Mixon getting pitted on a 24in bluebird powder day at the Glades near Stanley ID.

The crackle of white dendrites hitting your hard-shelled jacket and the cold penetrating your core means the snow is falling and you’ve been blessed with another extraordinary powder day. As you skin up the mountain through the Douglas Fir and Lodgepole Pine being buried in crystals, your inner child oozes through the oppressive goo of the realities of life. Worrying about grad school, homework, relationships, or even the day to day noise created by living dissipates as your lungs start burning, climbing, climbing up through the mountain air and into the blank monochrome forest. It’s only there where you can be so preciously played by gravity and snow. It’s only there one can truly understand the addiction to winter.

Being in the moment amongst the storm in the wildness of winter is more than challenging the innate human instinct to reject logic. It’s even more than being able to ski fast through the trees and thick banks of snow or being blinded by the pulsing waves of white as you turn. It is all of these things, but skiing powder is so much more because it is one of those times where one can focus so precisely that everything makes sense. A beautiful paradox of nothing that’s something, an out of body experience that can only be recreated in similar conditions. Deep light snow is not only rear but exceedingly fleeting a brilliant diamond that melts away almost as soon as one can start to appreciate it.

Williams Peak Yurt

So hopefully a lot more blog posts will be put up when I have time. Real brief this is what I was up to during the month of January: a one month trip to Stanley Idaho, backcountry skiing nearly everyday, literary analysis of creative works, learned about local history and land policy of the area, hot springs at night, journaling, great food every day, and a yurt trip at the end. That’s where I’ll start at the end of our trip up at Williams Peak Yurt.

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The whole experience was absolutely unforgettable and had altered the way I think about the places I’m in. The approach was pretty impressive since the yurt is in the Sawtooth Wilderness Area everything for the two nights had to be packed up the six mile and 1500ft vertical foot skin track that follows a steep marian. With near 50 pound packs and weather so thick you could barely see, it became a true adventure. When we were just feet from the yurt we couldn’t see it and actually ran into the director of the National Sawtooth Recreation Area and the owners of the Sawtooth Mountain Guides (SMG) who pointed it out to us.

The reason for going to this amazing place was two fold: to live in actual defined wilderness and ski the unbelievable backcountry that exists nearby. On the full day two guides from SMG came to lead us to the top of Skiers Summit which is a flat spot just underneath Williams Peak. From there you could see the entire valley and the sharp granite that make the tallest peak of the range, Thompson Peak. The way down was fun passing through variable snow on the run called Garry Garcia and picking up some amazing snow on Tortilla Flat just above the yurt. It was truly an experience I’ll never forget.

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There was a myriad of other things we did up at the yurt like building a snow fort to sleep in and a toasty sauna to bring you closer to friends. But the memory that I do not have images from was the full moon ski we did that night. It was one of those times that you must do without camera something you do with good friends to draw a tip to a close. We had no clue that the moon would even rise for the skin up, but as we got on our way in the pitch black night became bright as the yellow disk rise above the White Clouds. When we got to the top of Tortilla Flat the full moon lit the snow like a muffled sun. A magical experience with amazing people!

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