Last weekend I spent Saturday in Boston, walking around the city, stopping to look, and catching up with a couple old friends.
Because we were moving almost constantly, I did not have an opportunity to stop and ponder some artistic shots, but that wasn’t really the point of the trip. The point was to spend time with my friends, not wander off and take pictures. That’s a task much more suited to solo adventures or trips with other photographers. I did get some interesting snap-shots, though, some of which are now on Flickr.
The great thing about Boston, or any large city for that matter, is that there is always something going on, something interesting to do, or somewhere to go. This is very much in contrast to Augusta Maine, where I presently reside. My two friends from college who I was with that day are considering getting a place there together down there. I hope they do. It will give me a good excuse to go down there more often.
Today we had a record high temperatures here in Maine. Most of the southern part of Maine and New Hampshire were well into the 60s for much of the afternoon. Apparently this encouraged a record turnout for the New Hampshire Primary. Global warming? I’ll leave the official statement to the scientists.
As I left the office today during lunch, it was very bizarre to feel such warmth. I saw at least a couple people out outdoors in tee-shirts. The Fed-Ex guy was in shorts. Just one week before I was stepping out my door in the morning into temperatures approaching zero and hoping that my car would warm up before my fingers went numb. Sure, warm temperatures are nice, but it’s only January. I was hoping for at least a couple more months of winter weather.
What I found most interesting, however, is that many people were still out-and-about wearing their winter jackets, or at least clinking on to them as they went for their afternoon walks. It was as though they didn’t quite believe that it was 60 degrees out in the middle of January. That a cold front would move through in a matter of minutes, leaving them hypothermic and far from warmth and safety. I’ll admit that even I brought my winter hat and gloves along with me to work today, just in case.
Ironically, this week is the 10th anniversary of the Ice Storm of 1998. About 250,000 Maine households, my family’s included, were without power for two weeks, some even longer. The storm also caused significant property damage, mostly to trees and utility lines. It was one of Maine’s worst natural disasters.
Adding to my personal irony, the snow tires I ordered were also delivered today.
But fear not, sleet and freezing rain is predicted for Thursday night, and temperatures will be dropping back to normal over the weekend. Which is why the the saying about Maine weather will always hold true: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.”
This weekend I had the very unique opportunity of staying in a yurt on Cow Mountain in Northern New Hampshire. I went with a friend of mine from college, Jason, and 3 of his friends, all of whom I’ve met before. It was the perfect groups of people for this adventure. Jason did an excellent job planning the logistics of the trip as well as preparing dinner for both nights. This was a great way to spend the New Year holiday weekend.
Arriving on Sunday, we had to hike up the mountain to the yurt. Snowshoes, ski poles, and sleds made transporting our gear very easy, and much of the 4-mile journey was along snowmobile trails. The last quarter mile was up a very steep trail, which was a little difficult; I was pulling a sled with about 50 pounds of gear in it, plus a backpack over my shoulders. (So much for packing light). We all made it without any trouble, though. Personally, I felt great after making it up. It’s nice to know that even though I sit in front of a computer to make a living, I’m still in excellent shape and can out perform most people my age when faced with a challenge such as this.
One of my plans for the weekend was to do some long-exposure night photography and capture some star motion. There were two issues that were working against me: First, it was cloudy almost the entire time we were on the mountain. Second, I forgot my digital SLR at home. It was packed away in a backpack with a few other items I was planning on taking up and I forgot to take it down to my car when I left. I was about an hour from home when I realized this, and was very upset with myself. In the end, though, it wasn’t a big deal because I still had my point-and-shoot with me and I didn’t miss any spectacular photo opportunities.
By Monday morning, it was time to do some exploring and attempt some back country skiing and snowboarding. The weather had brought about 5 inches of fresh snow over night and the trails around the yurt were prime for good skiing. I brought my back-country skiis; everyone else had downhill skis or snowboards. I attempted a little skiing, then put my snowshoes on and hiked to the top of Cow Mountain. I went on my own while everyone else was still having fun in the powder. When I reached the top it was very overcast and I could only see a few miles across the valley, but it was still very beautiful. Clouds were slowly floating and breaking, and all the trees were caked with fresh snow. The quiet was amazing. Being alone on a remote mountain top is, for me, is an incredibly zen experience.
Later on in the day I met back up with the others and decided to try filming some of the downhill action on my point-and-shoot digital camera. The shot I took below is probably the best. Obviously, Jason and Nolan were having a lot of fun. Thanks to Jason for putting the video together with some of my photographs.
New Years eve was spent as one would expect of five twenty-something men. The stars did come out briefly between the clouds that night; the lack of light pollution made them pop right out of the sky. It was fantastic.
New Years day we woke up early to make it down the mountain and hit the road before the next snow storm came. We arrived back at the cars, tired, but very satisfied with what we had accomplished and the we had had a great weekend.
Thanks to:
Jason Arsenault – Organizing the trip; I see management in your future.
Dan Blackler – The very tasty Sardines.
Dan Brian – Convenient iPod speakers and DJ skills.
Barry Nolan – Having the foresight to bring Pabst Blue Ribbon.
