Planning for Magic
From forecast to frame: The photo hike that delivered!
Last Winter, hiking and backpacking in the Catskills taught me so much about landscape photography and working efficiently in the cold. I learnt to consider things such as how quickly the weather can turn, how brutally cold it gets overnight, and how tricky it can be to work a camera when the wind feels like it’s cutting straight through you. So this year, I made myself a promise: stay flexible, be prepared to change plans and learn to work quicker… oh and I’ve also bought an inordinate amount of those little hand and toe warmers!!!
Just before Thanksgiving last week I had identified a couple of days for a potential overnight but the weather forecast was suggesting a low cloud base, heavy overnight rain, as well as high winds with a brutal windchill - If photography was to be the name of the game these were conditions were best not to be ignored. Therefore I turned to Plan B and checked the forecast for sunrise / sunset on either side of the overnight. If one of those showed any promise then my plan would be to hike either in or out in the dark.
Bingo - after a closer look at the forecast Wednesday afternoon was showing real potential. Essentially one storm was clearing out which left a small window of calm before the next system rolled in a few hours later - cue excited jumping up and down in anticipation.
Basically when a storm moves through, it can leave behind a complex cloud structure giving texture, drama and mood to the landscape, then add to that Golden Hour timing, with it’s low-angle sunlight, reflections, color and layers upon layers of atmosphere …… definitely potential for my sort of perfection. If I’d stubbornly stuck to the original plan, as I did last Winter, I’d have been driving home during sunset on Thanksgiving Eve with nothing but another bust!
Now I just need an appropriate viewpoint and Blackhead Mountain fitted the bill perfectly. It’s located in the Northern Catskills, has great views south and west towards the interior, and at 3940ft has all the elevation that I need. There was also an unexpected bonus when I pulled up at the trailhead as the temperature which was in the low 50’s ….. what!!!!!! At least I can brag now about the delightful experience of carrying a heavy Winter pack in a t-shirt!!!!!! After a couple of hours slogging upwards the view that greeted us was the unmistakable outline of the Devils path and away to the right some early attempts at snow making on Hunter mountain.
We hiked a little higher to the main viewpoint and immediately saw a pop up storm barreling our way. We were going to get wet, but at the same time this was a brilliant development, the higher than normal temperature at our elevation with rain in the valley might mean trapped moisture, we could be on for an an inversion …… in November!!! In the afternoon!!!!!
So with about 90 minutes to kill before sunset and a fast moving rainstorm heading towards us we moved on, might as well bag the summit of another Catskill High Peak and find a little respite from the rain amongst the trees. What followed was nothing short of perfect - I bagged my peak then headed back to the view to watch the skies clear and enjoy the forecast window of calm. What followed was nothing short of amazing, we were able to sit in almost comfort for over an hour, cook dinner and watch a show!
As we set up on our ledge the remnants of the pop up storm blow through Lockwood Gap and across the lower slopes of the adjacent Black Dome Mountain. It was a fascinating watch.
Once the pop up cleared out a little color started to develop on the horizon which was emphasized by the rapid break up of the cloud bank blocking the sun. Then some late afternoon crepuscular rays started to develop, I zoomed out a little to capture the looming silhouette of Black Dome as my foreground. I sat back with a self satisfied grin - I had my shot, or so I thought!
If you’d asked me 3 years ago when I started to explore the Catskills what I wanted to photograph an image like this would have been absolutely top of my list - now that it was unfolding in front of me I was just a bit giddy with excitement and over the course of the next 5 minutes I nearly fell off the ledge trying to capture the absolute best photograph I could. I think this will be a favorite memory for the rest of my life.
This was the last photograph of the afternoon and I think it makes an interesting end to the story. You can see how much the sky has cleared in my immediate area giving nice color to a post sunset sky, it’s also interesting to note that there’s 75 minutes between the first photograph of the sequence (clouds scudding over Lockwood Gap) and this one. Each of the 4 images present something different and are testament to how important a trait patience is when photographing the landscape
As the last of the light faded, we checked our headlamps, reluctantly packed up, and began the hike down the mountain. Just ten minutes from the trailhead, the heavens opened—the next storm had arrived. We may have arrived back at the car soaked, but the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. With a little flexibility, a touch of risk, and careful planning, we had created a golden memory: a photo hike that truly delivered in spades.
I hope you've enjoyed this little exploration of my recent photography adventures and would be happy to answer any questions or queries that you might have. Also please note that my work is for sale and you can visit my shop to buy online, head to LAND gallery in Pawling, New York to buy in person, or just drop me a note. If your walls are already chock-a-bloc full of my photography perhaps you’d like to make a small donation in order help me in my quest to bring you interesting landscape photography? I regularly hike and backpack in the dark in order to get to or from a location, therefore in order to keep me caffeinated and awake please consider buying me a coffee…. Thank you so much
See you on the trail.