It was Friday noon, and after a 5:00 am start to my day, I could no longer stare at my computer display; I just had to get out of the office! Looking outside at a glorious sunny afternoon, I grabbed my camera bag and a few staples for the trail and headed an hour and a half north to Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho.
Arriving at the lake I realized that in my rush to get away I had forgotten my jacket, head lamp, and a few other emergency provisions - this considerably narrowed my options for which trails to attempt.
With my gear in mind, I decided to stick close to a main trail to minimize risk. Trail 101 was a good safe option. My new plan, catch the 2:00 pm shuttle boat to the trail head, and be back at the trail head by 7:00 pm to catch the shuttle boat back.
After a chilly shuttle ride across the lake, I arrived at the trail head and started my ascent on trail 101. The trail starts out steep with a few switchbacks and then becomes a gradual climb for the remainder of the hike.
Trail 101 is beautifully maintained and a favorite of many hikers, in the busy season this is a crowded trail. This time of year, it is much less traveled, and I only saw a dozen or so hikers this trip.
Below is a wooded section of the trail weaving through pine trees and giant granite boulders, some the size of houses.
After a little more than a half mile of steep climb, the trail opens to a stunning view of the surrounding mountain peaks. The Grand Mogul pictured below rises to 9,733 feet (2,967 m) above sea level.
This image is a stitched vertical panorama shot at 23mm. I elected to shoot a panorama instead of a wider angle to maintain a better perspective between the foreground and mountain.
As you continue down the trail another two miles, it wanders close to Redfish Creek. Sometimes the creek is visible from the trail, other times you have to get a bit creative to get to it. The image below is a bit off the main trail, and well worth the short side trip to see.
Most of the year this section of Redfish Creek is running very fast making it a dangerous section of water. This time of year, however, it is much more manageable, and I was able to get down into the narrow canyon to get this shot.
Below is Redfish Creek with Mount Heyburn at 10,229 feet (3118 m) above sea level in the background.
This is an exposure blended image, where the rock walls and creek were exposed to capture the dark values. The trees, mountains and sky were a separate exposure to capture the bright values. By combining the two images, the result is what your eye does automatically.
Working further along the creek I noticed a reflecting pool and took the image below of the Grand Mogul reflected along Redfish Creek. It is hard to imagine, but the reflecting pool is only about one foot across. By placing the camera only inches above the water it creates the illusion of a much larger pool.
This is a focus stacked image, where multiple images focused at different points are combined to create a sharp image through the entire focal range.
As sunset approached, and temperatures began to rapidly drop, I knew I had to start back to the trail head at a brisk pace to catch the 7:00 pm shuttle boat. Even though it was perfect hiking weather when I started, missing that shuttle would mean hiking an extra three miles as the temperature dropped into the thirties. I was not equipped for that on this hike!
When you’re hiking in the wilderness, even though you may be by yourself, you’re never really alone. My hiking buddy for this trip, who was so kind as to stay still long enough for me to switch lenses and snap this photo…
Planning for a successful photo trip is important, but nothing is more important than being there. If the choice is between a spontaneous outing or staying home, the choice should be crystal clear - GET OUT THERE - You never know what you might capture!