What better time to take a trip to a warm Caribbean climate than the dead of winter? My wife and I both thought the same thing and booked a trip to the Dreams Resort in Puertos Aventura’s in Mexico. We spent 4 nights relaxing and getting away from it all. We snorkeled in the ocean, in a cenote and in a cave. Dayna swam with Dolphins, Sea Lions and Manatee’s. The resort threw a huge Super Bowl party complete with fake stadium displays, workers dressed as Cheerleaders, Security guards, players and referee’s. Plenty of food as well. There were beautiful sights, quiet nights and no work at all. A fantastic trip.
On this fairly warm Sunday, I was once again able to get some free time to go for a hike through Ohiopyle. The sky was clear, the sun was bright and the trails were mostly empty, which made it all the more peaceful. We’ve had a good amount of rain in the past week, so the river and falls were flowing more than usual. The roar of the water could be heard all along the trails.
Yough river right above the main falls. G3 + 14-42mm
I started from the visitor’s center and made my way over to Great Gorge Trail. This would take me along the river and put me right above Cucumber Fall’s. It is basically a loop around the Ferncliff Peninsula. Then I could just pick up 381 and walk back to the main Falls before heading to my car. Not a very long hike, but one full of good views. The rocky outcroppings are full of interesting detail and textures, if you look carefully.
Rock wall. G3 + 14-42mm
With all the leaves down and the sun high in the sky, it was tough to find anything very scenic or expansive to photograph. The lighting was awful and the color wasn’t much better. This harsh lighting did give me a change to really push a raw file and “HDR” it to see what I could get out of it. I am pleasantly surprised with this.
Cliff side. G3 + 14-42mm
Of course, a trip to Ohiopyle isn’t complete without at least one picture of Cucumber Falls. I love this waterfall because every time I’ve been there, it’s been different.
Cucumber Falls. G3 + 14-42mm
Further on down the trail in the shade, some puddles were still iced over. The ice was closer to melting, which gave it a nice sheen and texture.
G3 + 14-42mmG3 + 14-42mm
After this, it was time to walk back to the car. The hike only lasted for an hour and half, but it was a perfect time to reflect on things and forget about all the struggles we face daily. I need to do it more often.
Going back to work on Monday’s when the weather is this nice is always a challenge. Luckily I found time during my lunch break to grab a camera and take a short walk through town. It was a bit chilly, but the sun was shining bright and I needed to get outside and take advantage of it. So I packed up the Domke bag (G3, 14-42, 20, 45) and took off. I ended up just leaving the 14-42mm kit zoom on the entire time though.
The back alleys on the main street (there is only 1 in Scottdale) are the most interesting. The buildings are generally very old and a in some places a bit run down from the rear, but this only adds character.
And of course, when I returned home to log back into my work computer, I found this lying in wait in the bathroom sink next to my office…
The weather has done a 180 in the past few days to the point where it was above 50 and sunny today. I couldn’t pass it up. After a quick tune up of the bike, air in the tires and packed a small camera bag, I set off.
I ventured down to the local rail trail a mile from my house and set off at a pretty good pace. The trail was rather soggy and it took quite the effort to keep a quick pace. Soon enough I slowed down a bit and got the camera out.
Most of my shooting today was done around this set of railroad tracks. The landscape was very drab and I was out during the worst time of day to shoot, so my options were limited. The texture of the track was interesting though, so I focused on that.
I was back home only after 10 miles, but it felt really good to just get outside. The only thing on my mind was pedaling and photographing. Once I got home, the legs were burning pretty good, but the wife wanted to go for a walk, so off the bike and into running shoes I went.
