Pack Monadnock Mtn. 2009, trying a few different things

[Carol]

Quick backstory: this was my first time photographing one of my hikes. It was a good day for hiking (very cloudy) but not such a good day for photography. All shots in the set were taken with my camera on Auto.

I took some liberties with the processing of many of the shots on the summit. I'd be interested in hearing what you all think of the shots, if they work, or if I've just created a monster. :lol:

This is the Raptor Migration Observatory. The decoy owl has been installed to attract migrating raptors (and other carnivorous birds) so they can be counted and tracked by the NH Audubon Society. The society has volunteers that stand watch at the summit in September and October.

Looking north towards the observatory from further south on the summit:

A picnic shelter:

There are 45 photos in total (most with "normal" processing), slideshow is here in case anyone is interested:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sikaranista/sets/72157624066832278/show/with/4609176365/

 

[Carol]

A couple of my fave shots from the hike:

Near the base on the Wapack Trail -- this was one of the last spots on the trail that had some decent foliage

At the summit, overlooking Grand Monadnock

 

[tshadowchaser]

LOVE THE 2ND ONE IN THE FIRST GROUP
the first one in that group would be ok without that Sunoco sign in the background
The trail in the 2nd group is good I enjoy the color and the composition

 

[Carol]

LOVE THE 2ND ONE IN THE FIRST GROUP
the first one in that group would be ok without that Sunoco sign in the background
The trail in the 2nd group is good I enjoy the color and the composition

No Sunoco signs for miles :lol: You mean the owl?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I like them. The processing looks to be a bit HDRy yet a bit old school to me.

 

[Carol]

I like them. The processing looks to be a bit HDRy yet a bit old school to me.

Its a kluge between both :lol: I was manually redoing the exposure, and repainting, the large areas that were difficult to work with. Its a learning process, to be sure.

This particular mountain has an auto road to the top. Once the tree cover has filled in a bit more in the surrounding hills, I'll be driving up with a tripod to try out some HDR photos.

 

[MBuzzy]

I like the processing a lot!!! You should write down what you did.

Can you post a few of the originals next to the processed versions.

 

[Carol]

I like the processing a lot!!! You should write down what you did.

Can you post a few of the originals next to the processed versions.

Gladly! I'll post them up soon.

Actually none of these were tweaked in Corel, it was all done in Lightroom -- which keeps a record of what you do with each shot.

 

[Carol]

This is the Raptor Observatory, as well as an alternative B&W version. SOC original is attached

 

[Carol]

Looking towards the observatory

 

[Carol]

Overlooking Grand Monadnock.

 

[Carol]

The shelter

 

[Xue Sheng]

A picnic shelter:

PICNIC!!!

You don't picnic on Manadnock..you CLIMB IT!!!!

:xtrmshock SHELTER!!!!! on MONADNOCK!!!!!

Who the heck is climbing Monadnock these days... I don't remember those being there... It is just not that hard of a climb.

Other than that...great pictures Carol

 

[Carol]

PICNIC!!!

You don't picnic on Manadnock..you CLIMB IT!!!!

:xtrmshock SHELTER!!!!! on MONADNOCK!!!!!

Who the heck is climbing Monadnock these days... I don't remember those being there... It is just not that hard of a climb.

Other than that...great pictures Carol

Pack Monadnock, Xue, not Grand Monadnock

This is Grand Monandock's kid sister in Peterborough. (You can actually drive to the top....shhh...)

Grand Monadnock is a challenge to climb. Not hard if you're in really good shape, but it kicked my butt when I tried it. Of course...running out of water and getting mild sunstroke on the way down didn't help...LOL

 

[Xue Sheng]

Pack Monadnock, Xue, not Grand Monadnock

This is Grand Monandock's kid sister in Peterborough. (You can actually drive to the top....shhh...)

OK, I feel better now... for a second there I thought hikers and climbers went soft... much like I have

Grand Monadnock is a challenge to climb. Not hard if you're in really good shape, but it kicked my butt when I tried it. Of course...running out of water and getting mild sunstroke on the way down didn't help...LOL

OK now I don't feel so good, sorry to hear about the trouble you had climbing Monadnock

 

[Carol]

OK now I don't feel so good, sorry to hear about the trouble you had climbing Monadnock

Not to worry. I never said I was a good hiker :lol:

But what I lack in cardio, I make up for in heart.

It wasn't an easy time...but it was partly my own fault. I learned from the mistakes. I will climb Mount Washington before too long. It may not be this year...the season is very short if you climb without gear (as I do) but it will happen.

 

[crushing]

I like them. The processing looks to be a bit HDRy yet a bit old school to me.

I kind of like the "old postcard" look they have. I think it especially works well with the 'picnic tables/overlook' picture.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Not to worry. I never said I was a good hiker :lol:

But what I lack in cardio, I make up for in heart.

It wasn't an easy time...but it was partly my own fault. I learned from the mistakes. I will climb Mount Washington before too long. It may not be this year...the season is very short if you climb without gear (as I do) but it will happen.

Washington... can be a hard climb or if you go an easy trail...long. Boott Spur is easiest but longest. It seems to me that when I went up it was either Tuckerman's Ravine or Lion's Head,. Whichever one it was it was rather steep and I was doing free climbing. And it got fairly vertical in places. Boott Spur is longer but easier. Tuckerman's is easy at first but gets nasty towards the end and lions head is just plain nasty…. Which just clicked something in my old noggin I would have to see a map but if my memory is correct we went up thinking we would do Lion's head but decided Tuckerman's was probably more our level.

However the hardest part then was getting back down. We did not want to hike it and all the vans were done for the day. We eventually got a ride with a newly wed couple and I got to tell you the drive down was considerably more scary than the climb up.

And for the record, I am not a hiker or a climber anymore... Washington would likely kill me these days

 

[Carol]

Lion's Head is nasty. That's the one that's so nasty, the AMC (or someone) re-routes it in the winter, due to avalanche deaths. Saw some photos of Boott Spur ono the web...its gorgeous!

I'm going to try the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail. It is steep, but not as steep as Lion's Head. Drawback is that its on the western face, so you get the full brunt of those (in)famous winds. As you know from being there, Mount Washington has the highest clocked windspeeds in the world...with a record of 200MPH+ at the summit. The winds are nothing to mess around with...lol.

The Lakes in the Clouds hut is about 2.5 miles up the trail....good place to find out if I've really got what it takes to finish, or if I should turn back

 

[Xue Sheng]

Lion's Head is nasty. That's the one that's so nasty, the AMC (or someone) re-routes it in the winter, due to avalanche deaths. Saw some photos of Boott Spur ono the web...its gorgeous!

I'm going to try the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail. It is steep, but not as steep as Lion's Head. Drawback is that its on the western face, so you get the full brunt of those (in)famous winds. As you know from being there, Mount Washington has the highest clocked windspeeds in the world...with a record of 200MPH+ at the summit. The winds are nothing to mess around with...lol.

The Lakes in the Clouds hut is about 2.5 miles up the trail....good place to find out if I've really got what it takes to finish, or if I should turn back

It was windy, cold with a bit of rain... NO RAIN PARKA ALLOWED.

If you wear a rain park on Washington, and this has happened, you can become a kite and they may never find you.

I had to ask my dad (since he was one of the people I was climbing with) which trail we took because Tuckerman’s does not sound right and I am pretty sure it was not Lionhead and he he said it was Huntington Ravine. I remember going across a face (rather high up) with my feet in crack and my hands on the face to get to a ledge. And I also remember having to trust a tree above the tree line to climb up to another ledge and I REALLY want to do that again someday. Oh and also remember finding the remains of a small plane crash (tin not bodies) that they had not yet removed...just before we started the climb.

When you go, be careful, it is a great climb, great views but it can be more dangerous than it looks