Some images from David's four summer 2024 trips

David777

David777

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Location
Silicon Valley
Mr David did 4 overnight backpacking wilderness trips during 2024. So will share a bit of what that life is about without being too publicly open, thank you. Little mr dave weighs about 137# but carries gear near 60#. Extra heavy due to about 16 pounds of camera gear. Don't be afraid to ask questions. :)

Dense forest opening wildflowers on an early July trip #1. The pink flowers are pu$$ypaws.

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Difficult narrow rock ledge trail section carrying a backpack where a fall would result in a long fall over steep rock. I added this graphic to a web report so others might understand why this trail required more skill. Needed to step sideways facing the rock while grabbing large hand holds.

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David's remote tent spot atop a long dried up snow melt pool without the rain fly mounted. Food was within that black canister at frame edge right next to my backpack. See my white gas cooking set? Tripod for my Sony a6700 camera that has a multi row column panoramic head atop a ball head. Just enough inner tent space for one person. (Well mr dave could fit one friendly gal haha.)

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Downsized for web image of wildflowers along lively stream on trip #2 that two of us made during mid July. Focus stack blended from 15 shots, 6150 by 4100 pixels full size.

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My remote Long Lake camp for 2 nights on summer trip #4.

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My camp was at the red dot frame right.

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Four Eastern brook and one rainbow trout I spinning reel caught on a Kastmaster lure, then ate.

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Where David tossed his sleeping bag down atop coarse granite sand between boulders after arriving at dusk. Did not bring tent for that one-night solo on trip #3.

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100% pixels crop of a 15300 by 4100 pixel stitch blended image of 3 horizontal frames. Long Lake at bottom from viewpoint during previous trip #3. My camp was at right front edge in trees while the hiking trail is on the far side. This was in August with snows till patchy. Such snows keep streams flowing through summer with water with a superb clean fresh taste.

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David777 said:
Mr David did 4 overnight backpacking wilderness trips during 2024. So will share a bit of what that life is about without being too publicly open, thank you. Little mr dave weighs about 137# but carries gear near 60#. Extra heavy due to about 16 pounds of camera gear. Don't be afraid to ask questions. :)

Dense forest opening wildflowers on an early July trip #1. The pink flowers are pu$$ypaws.

UP04375-04403-2x1vy.jpg


Difficult narrow rock ledge trail section carrying a backpack where a fall would result in a long fall over steep rock. I added this graphic to a web report so others might understand why this trail required more skill. Needed to step sideways facing the rock while grabbing large hand holds.

cx0545.jpg


David's remote tent spot atop a long dried up snow melt pool without the rain fly mounted. Food was within that black canister at frame edge right next to my backpack. See my white gas cooking set? Tripod for my Sony a6700 camera that has a multi row column panoramic head atop a ball head. Just enough inner tent space for one person. (Well mr dave could fit one friendly gal haha.)

cx0550.jpg


Downsized for web image of wildflowers along lively stream on trip #2 that two of us made during mid July. Focus stack blended from 15 shots, 6150 by 4100 pixels full size.

UQ05069-84y.jpg


My remote Long Lake camp for 2 nights on summer trip #4.

da0714.jpg


My camp was at the red dot frame right.

da0723.jpg


Four Eastern brook and one rainbow trout I spinning reel caught on a Kastmaster lure, then ate.

da0732.jpg


Where David tossed his sleeping bag down atop coarse granite sand between boulders after arriving at dusk. Did not bring tent for that one-night solo on trip #3.

cz0620.jpg


100% pixels crop of a 15300 by 4100 pixel stitch blended image of 3 horizontal frames. Long Lake at bottom from viewpoint during previous trip #3. My camp was at right front edge in trees while the hiking trail is on the far side. This was in August with snows till patchy. Such snows keep streams flowing through summer with water with a superb clean fresh taste.

UR05625-05628-3x1h-cr1.jpg
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WOW!! Thank you!! I enjoyed the trip. :) Where is Long Lake? My family would drive from Sunnyvale, to Donner Lake, and we would camp in many different State Parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I loved to to fish for trout. Those trout you caught looked great. I guess those are native trout, which are so beautiful.
 
Although the universe has trillions of stars and planets within billions of galaxies, I expect if all intelligent entities were to judge various myriad worlds where organic life has arisen, that our planet Earth would rate near or at the top as a paradise of life. Yet most humans in this era now living in large urban cities unlike our ancestors, have mostly isolated themselves from nature that has given rise to a lack of awareness and concern, for we its only possible stewards. And sadly it is crying out to us.

The below is a downsized for web version of one of my most important images from last summer. One thing I do that is unique among landscape photographers is use maps (as at caltopo dot com) and Google Earth to figure out optimal locations and times of day, times of year, to take broad landscapes in high detail making large digital images. The below original panorama is 17,100 by 6000 pixels. A 4k display that many now use on their computers is 3840 by 2160 pixels, so these images are far larger than can fit in sharpest detail on such displays at 100% pixel sizes.

These images also have optimal detail frame edge to edge because I use focus stack blending where one takes multiple shots at sharpest prime lens apertures then combines them in post processing software. The below required 58 individual shots. My near new Sony a6700 camera has a focus bracket mode where it automatically calculates lens focus changes then takes such sets of shots in just a few seconds versus what I had tediously been performing manually for years.

The Sony a6700 sensor is 6142 by 4128 pixels for 26 megabytes. I also stitch blend frames in post processing that in this case combined 6 frames (each focus stacked that overlap by 1/3 frame to make the larger panorama. I have not yet made prints from such images as I used to do decades ago with 4x5 film because I am waiting for the rise of 8k pc displays that is 7860 by 4320 pixels. So many of my images will even be too large for those displays though still effectively immersive impressive. With just a small USB memory stick will be able to exhibit my large body of work on such panels instead needing an expensive temperature controlled moving van to haul around heavy fragile framed large prints.

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There are 4 lakes in the image. The below is a 100% pixels crop from the above showing the amount of actual detail in distant Lake Aloha. This was the exact location I had analyzed before the trip of offering the best view. So on my second morning, rose at dawn, then hiked up trail-less slopes about a mile to this spot where I looked for the best spot to set up my tripod at. The large lake frame mid right is Gillmore Lake where I tented 2 nights and hiked up from.

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Although most of my trips now are solo, over decades have lead groups. One of my brothers, a fishing enthusiast, that hasn't retired, will usually do at least one trip a year with me. When I shot 35mm and then 4x5 film I often did trips with another photographer tech person as a team that worked well. Although he now lives in Colorado, we still join up some springs for long southwest desert wildflower road trips.

Backpacking tends to be a younger person's activity so there are fewer peers my age still able that might be capable of joining me. That noted, the kind of photography I do is more efficient as a solo person and am usually so busy that am fine. That noted, it is true as a gregarious person, I prefer to share trips with compatible, talkative others. Especially those that have studied natural history science. As one understands more about geology, weather, plants, animals, etc, the natural world becomes increasingly more fascinating and interesting with every step through such landscapes.

Backpacking is sort of like an environment sized video game with each step requiring decisions, focus, and awareness. It is not all fun, awe, and enjoyment as carrying a heavy pack uphill in mountains and over awkward terrain is often challenging and strenuous.

The majority of backpackers set up campsites right along trails or popular lake shores in well used spots. A lot of backcountry visitors are somewhat afraid of real wilderness. I'm different in that I rarely set up camp in such places but rather will venture well away from any others then set up in pristine or rarely used zones near photographically rich areas.

Additionally, most backpackers spend most of their days hiking trails and routes all day before setting up near days end and then by following mornings heading out again. I target photography zones and then base camp multiple days thereabouts while day hiking, exploring those areas without having to lug about all that heavy gear.
 
Paco Dennis said:
WOW!! Thank you!! I enjoyed the trip. :) Where is Long Lake? My family would drive from Sunnyvale, to Donner Lake, and we would camp in many different State Parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I loved to to fish for trout. Those trout you caught looked great. I guess those are native trout, which are so beautiful.
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Long Lake is in the John Muir Wilderness within the South Fork of Bishop Creek basin.

CalTopo - Backcountry Mapping Evolved
 
David777 said:
Although most of my trips now are solo, over decades have lead groups. One of my brothers, a fishing enthusiast, that hasn't retired, will usually do at least one trip a year with me. When I shot 35mm and then 4x5 film I often did trips with another photographer tech person as a team that worked well. Although he now lives in Colorado, we still join up some springs for long southwest desert wildflower road trips.

Backpacking tends to be a younger person's activity so there are fewer peers my age still able that might be capable of joining me. That noted, the kind of photography I do is more efficient as a solo person and am usually so busy that am fine. That noted, it is true as a gregarious person, I prefer to share trips with compatible, talkative others. Especially those that have studied natural history science. As one understands more about geology, weather, plants, animals, etc, the natural world becomes increasingly more fascinating and interesting with every step through such landscapes.

Backpacking is sort of like an environment sized video game with each step requiring decisions, focus, and awareness. It is not all fun, awe, and enjoyment as carrying a heavy pack uphill in mountains and over awkward terrain is often challenging and strenuous.

The majority of backpackers set up campsites right along trails or popular lake shores in well used spots. A lot of backcountry visitors are somewhat afraid of real wilderness. I'm different in that I rarely set up camp in such places but rather will venture well away from any others then set up in pristine or rarely used zones near photographically rich areas.

Additionally, most backpackers spend most of their days hiking trails and routes all day before setting up near days end and then by following mornings heading out again. I target photography zones and then base camp multiple days thereabouts while day hiking, exploring those areas without having to lug about all that heavy gear.
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It sounds wonderful and totally different to anything I have ever experienced.

As you prefer to set up your camp away from the other backpackers, do you have a system in place so you can get help if needed? Things like checking in with someone, letting them know your route and/or GPS so your whereabouts can be tracked?
 
In this era for sake of safety, some people like those with dependents, now carry satellite messenger devices (ie SPOT) that require subscription services and others Personal Locater Beacons, PLB's, that require database registration for transmissions. Both are battery operated devices.

As someone backpacking since 1972, I have not had any safety nets if I ever got into trouble while alone. Even on group trips, any base camping days will often be off alone rambling about. These landscapes are vast such that if someone did get into trouble, locating them might be difficult and impossible if one is unconscious. I do carry a loud whistle. On group trips we usually give others some vague input each morning where each of us expect to be on given days. However all of us often go places we had not expected. I do leave terse itineraries with a couple of my brothers so if I fail to show up days late back home, they would be able to search the general region.

Thus the backpacking game I play is not for the foolish, unprepared, risk takers, or those unable to make wise carefully considered decisions in stressful situations. Below pic from 12 years ago climbing down a steep talus boulder field while carrying about 65 pounds of gear.

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Wow. You’re a senior and still ‘roughing’ it.’
This is really impressive David. Outstanding photos. Thanks for sharing. Do you go every spring?
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Wow. You’re a senior and still ‘roughing’ it.’ This is really impressive David. Outstanding photos. Thanks for sharing. Do you go every spring?
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I hope to be an inspiration for fit and healthy lifestyle young adults to be active physically throughout their adult life beyond usual early middle aged years when so many tend to actively shut down then suffer from "use it or lose it" degeneration.

My Sierra Nevada backpacking is almost always during summers. During spring after wet winters, I do much hike to wildflower landscape work often in lower elevation desert, redwood rain forests, and ocean coastal regions. After droughty winters usually just continue skiing into mid April. Downsized for web version from April 2024 in San Luis Obispo County, goldfields and owl's clover about a rain storm pool.

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