Ptarmigan Traverse

When it comes to adventure I can't think of something better than to take five friends and head off for a six day adventure in the North Cascades.  Timing our trip for the full moon rise we planned our trip for late July hoping for solid snow and as few crevasses as possible.

Our first day the weather was so bad we had to navigate by GPS for most of the day.  We even found a party that had been camping on the snow for two days within twenty minutes of there destination because they were completely lost in the whiteout.

Being a group of photographers we planned to spend a rest day in what seemed to be the most photogenic area to shoot the rising moon over Gunsight Peak. 

After the first day the weather cleared and we had amazingly clear skies and weather that was so warm that by afternoon the snow was like walking through mashed potatoes.  Being a self propelled mountaineering trip I was not able to carry my full kit of professional photo gear, but the compromise allowed me to be far more Mobile and creative.  By only taking my Nikon D300 and Nikon 16-85mm with a few filters in an old chest pack was able to keep my overall camera wight down allowing me have the energy to find unique vantage points and create dynamic scenes. 

It is the conscious act of leaving gear at home that allows me to participate in such remote self propelled adventures.  Sure I missed a few shots that would have been amazing, but the overall experience of participating in the adventure easily outweighs the missed shots.  By using my light weight kit to its strengths and avoiding its weaknesses. I can have images just as sharp as my pro lenses, allowing me to bring home photos from farther in afield that are far more unique and original than the typical roadside photo ops.