Orion Above, Twenty-Four Below

coldclimb · January 13, 2009

Driving home from church the other night we had an almost full moon and the frigid temperatures that have been typical for several weeks now, along with the clear skies also typical of such cold. I had to do something about it, because I figured it wouldn't stay so clear for long, so I ditched Tracy with friends and wandered partway up our local butte for a vantage point of Pioneer Peak with Orion hovering above. The bank clock read -24*F, and because this was spur-of-the-moment, I piled on my extra warm clothing I keep in the car and traded my cowboy boots for some slightly more sutable wildland firefighting boots.. I stitched this from ten shots at 2.5 minutes each, plus a few mistakes and such, so I stood on a silent mountainside in the brilliant moonlight for quite a while. I left when my battery froze up, and while folding my tripod, the brittle plastic supporting the legs snapped into several pieces.

At least it was cheap. :rofl

Sounds carry easily for miles in such still and frozen air, so I could hear people opening their doors and coughing perhaps a mile away. For the entire time I was up there, something was rustling and moving in the woods near the trail. I figured possibly a moose grazing in the willows, but I never did see it or get to take pictures. My trip back down was a fast paced pseudo-bobsled run in my heavy wildland firefighting boots down a narrow trench stamped into the steep snow. It was an adventure.

When I made it back to the car, I shot this self portrait, before jumping in and cranking the heat. This isn't the farthest I've gone for a shot, but somehow a twisted piece of me always enjoys pushing limits just to come home with a cool picture.

It warmed up a bit more today after the clouds moved in, so it's not quite so crispy outside anymore and the heater at home works a little better. I made get out sometime in the future and repeat this if I figure out something I could do better, so if you see something, let me know!

clemensphoto's · January 13, 2009

Wow! Great mountain shot!! You didn't hurt yourself removing those pesky icicles did you? <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/rolleyes1.gif" border="0" alt="" > <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Huzband · January 13, 2009

The picture you made with your camera is really quite good, but...

The one you painted in the theatre of my mind with you scurrying down the mountain in firefighter boots is even better.

dlplumer · January 13, 2009

Great shot of Orion above the mountain, and a great adventure.

Dan

redleash · January 13, 2009

Very nice shot--and I agree about the story! I could see it all more clearly in my mind than in your photo of the mountain, and the self-portrait added a lot to the story. Thanks for sharing!

jeffmeyers · January 13, 2009

Wow. Wow. And I'm relucant to step out of my warm house at night in St. Louis to snap a picture of the moon. I think I need to buck up and get with the game.

frel · January 13, 2009

Wow I am impressed by the shot and the commitment (crazyness

?) of the photographer. Below 0 F is definitely a situation were the little nature I am just look for a warm place where to go and stay

heatherfeather · January 13, 2009

Sweet! I am glad somebody captured it! It is a really great photo!

I have been just loving the full moon during those clear extra cold nights- and even read up on how to shoot it! But when the time came, each night I would be too much of a wimp to venture out! Good for you and your brave- hiking self! I have been wanting to try a pano shot from the Home Depot hill, so if you want to save me the trouble, then go for it! (And you don't have to hike!)

JAG · January 13, 2009

Very cool indeed! You did an excellent job at putting these together with 10 shots! I am very impressed!
You are alot braver than I during this last coldsnap. I went out and snapped a pic of the full moon when it was at its fullest a few weeks back. But I wouldn't have the energy to do what you did. Climbing the bute in these temps is definately cool!

I like Heather's idea about shooting at the Home depo hill. You could almost do it out of the car! Yet another good place would be on a clear night with the moon over the knick river. Or even down Knick-Goosebay Road with the old Redington boat in the forground.

Maybe with all the Alaskans...we should have a meet up!

Awais Yaqub · January 14, 2009

N-ice photos

coldclimb · January 14, 2009

Thanks for all the wonderful comments folks! I sort of morbidly enjoy suffering to get pictures, but it still does take me a while to work up to it. I'd been thinking of doing this for days before I finally did.

I like the result quite a bit.

And to all the Wasilla folks: one shot I still want is a replication of the Mat Valley Credit Union's logo. I've only seen it once, but sometime during the year the moon rises right over Pioneer Peak, and it's usually huge and orange when it's just coming over the horizon. That one would be sweet from across the valley! Maybe we should meet up sometime and shoot something local, we certainly have the scenery for it!

schmoo · January 15, 2009

WOW John great work! You're nuts but hey I think we would all be very disappointed if we saw shots achieved without a great story behind it from you

I love the lighting here, very subtle but yet bright. Is that also a layer of clouds just over the town? Fantastic

coldclimb · January 15, 2009

schmoo wrote:

WOW John great work! You're nuts but hey I think we would all be very disappointed if we saw shots achieved without a great story behind it from you

I love the lighting here, very subtle but yet bright. Is that also a layer of clouds just over the town? Fantastic

Yeah the Knik River flows right along the base of the mountains there, and during the winter there's almost always a layer of fog hovering over the open water. The temperature inversion on especially cold days makes a flat layer that contains the fog. It's pretty cool, but there's a bridge over the river that we get pileups on typically once or twice a winter, when people drive into the fog and immediately try to slow down on icy roads.

Thanks for the comments!

eL eSs Vee · January 15, 2009

Wow! These shots are cool! (Sorry for the lame pun.

)

Great story accompanying the images: A fun read that made the images that much more real. Very well done!

JAG · January 16, 2009

coldclimb wrote:

Thanks for all the wonderful comments folks! I sort of morbidly enjoy suffering to get pictures, but it still does take me a while to work up to it. I'd been thinking of doing this for days before I finally did. I like the result quite a bit.

And to all the Wasilla folks: one shot I still want is a replication of the Mat Valley Credit Union's logo. I've only seen it once, but sometime during the year the moon rises right over Pioneer Peak, and it's usually huge and orange when it's just coming over the horizon. That one would be sweet from across the valley! Maybe we should meet up sometime and shoot something local, we certainly have the scenery for it!

Yeah...I have seen that moon before too. I think its toward the fall when I saw it. I can see Pioneer Peak from my back deck...but the neighbors trees are starting to get into the way.

Doesn't seem all that long ago you took this shot...now look at the weather! easy come easy go! Mud holes!

coscorrosa · January 17, 2009

You are INSANE.

And I honestly and truly mean that as a compliment. Admirable!

Scoupe · January 18, 2009

Beautiful capture. Great story!

Orion Above, Twenty-Four Below

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