I love this state

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
11/17/2019 at 21:05 • Filed to: None

An easy hike to Blanca lake was anything but, as the 7.5 mile round-trip was significantly harder than expected. Weather was... Well. Peak PNW. Which is to say constant rain, moderately thick fog. The entire trail was either mud, snow, or rushing melt water. On the plus side the whole place was absolutely empty!

I hiked blind after losing my glasses, and given that... I just can’t comprehend how this ended up being the single hike of the season where I didn’t fall once. Go figure. (I found the glasses on the way down. Yeeeeeees).

No long post. Just some photos. I’m going to ask my friend to model for me next hike so I can practice a bit. I’d like to work on my photography skills. Let me know what you like. Or don’t like. Or how you’re doing. I’m home at last, and I think I earned a cider.

5 hours of sleep. 5 hours of hiking. This definitely qualifies as another one of our miserable hikes. Probably beats out Mailbox in that regard, although mostly just due to not having glasses lol

DISCUSSION (23)

Just Jeepin' > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:07

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Tho se are some slim odds !

AestheticsInMotion > Just Jeepin'
11/17/2019 at 21:09

Dude. I got so lucky. I really didn’t want to have to wear my blue, mirrored p rescription sunglasses to work in this weather...

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:11

I did Blanca Lake back in 2015, when I was still young and handsome. We were not properly prepared and barely made it back down before sundown. More switchbacks than whatever political candidate you don’t like.

SiennaMan > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:14

That is some amazing luck. Also, the pics look better than I'd expect for taking them with a sight disadvantage..

AestheticsInMotion > SiennaMan
11/17/2019 at 21:16

It was exciting going through my phone and seeing the shots, basically for the first time

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
11/17/2019 at 21:19

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB90DDA45E8C2EF45

What was the hike you did this past year..? Snow lake? I swear I saw some pretty pictures from you

VincentMalamute-Kim > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:22

Kinja'd!!!

Very pretty scenery. But I am very happy not to have that moisture. This is last Friday over here: 60 deg.

I like photo 3 where your model is in it but not it’s not a standard tourist poses or the center of attention. Adds interest. Makes it seem like I could be hiking there. The ones of nature only seem a bit sterile.

I like 7 and 9 where your model is the center of attention but again, not standard tourist or selfie poses.

I really like 9 with non-standard framing/cropping . The model looking down makes it mysterious.

You’re also lucky to have a cute friend to go out there with. I ride with an old hippie looking guy. I’d prefer the pretty female.

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:22

Beautiful area. I hope you bought a lottery ticket with your recovered glasses on the way home.

Nothing worth going out and seeing around here. There are a couple trails in the nearby national park but it’s more of a historical area than beautiful. Mostly flat, and this time of year just miserable.

Maybe if there was something worth looking at I’d be more inclined to make time to go hiking. And if I had someone to go with. Let’s face it, at this point between house-stuff, work, and living 100 miles from my (few) close friends, I’m basically a hermit.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:36

I don’t even think I’ve done a meaningful hike in the last year.

Nom De Plume > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 21:55

Looks like you made a good choice of where to hike today.

If you feel inclined, longer distance shots including a frame of reference, your friend, provide scale and insight into atmospheric conditions.

AestheticsInMotion > VincentMalamute-Kim
11/17/2019 at 22:08

I love this gloomy weather on days where I can stay in. Or better yet, spend some time in a cabin up in the mountains. But yeah it does make hikes brutal.

The cute friend helps with a lot of things. I doubt I would have gone on a single hike this year without her.

Thanks for the feedback! Getting interesting landscape shots is so difficult for me. I feel like I need a stunning environment, great framing, AND quite a bit of luck. I have a few shots that are the same, but with and without people in frame and it's so instantly noticeable how much more interesting the ones with people are

AestheticsInMotion > MM54
11/17/2019 at 22:09

Paint a face on your new engine?

This friend and oppo are basically the only things keeping me from hermit life. If I was in a position to get a dog and move into the woods I would in a heartbeat.

AestheticsInMotion > Nom De Plume
11/17/2019 at 22:10

That's a good idea. I was just thinking that in one of the lake shots it's really hard to get a good sense of scale

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 22:32

I already talk to most of my stuff, it doesn’t need a face. I’m pretty bummed that my cactus (named Mr. Cactus) died, need to find somewhere to bury it.

Merfthemadmauler > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 22:44

I envy you. I haven’t been able to hike for several years due to health issues. Your post got me looking through my old pictures and enjoying the good times. Thank you!

VincentMalamute-Kim > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 22:51

My friend does the exact same thing - he gets me out there. Not being a cute girl isn’t his fault.

yeah, people in the picture draws you in. Makes the location accessible.

wafflesnfalafel > AestheticsInMotion
11/17/2019 at 22:58

hoooo ... Blanca is tough, especially in this weather, (and how did you convince that friend to slog all the way up there with you?)

AestheticsInMotion > MM54
11/17/2019 at 23:14

And here I thought I was the only one who'd managed to kill a cactus.

AestheticsInMotion > wafflesnfalafel
11/17/2019 at 23:17

Ha! She convinced me! Sure was worth it though. It's one I think I'll have to try again in the summer

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
11/18/2019 at 09:36

That’s a good friend that will hike that with you.

Derpwagon > AestheticsInMotion
11/18/2019 at 09:57

beautiful. I’m super sad that we don’t have actual mountains in Minnesota.

MM54 > AestheticsInMotion
11/18/2019 at 12:23

I don’t know what happened, he seemed healthy as ever, but one day I got home from work and it had buckled and was leaning on the wall. I provided some water and propped the poor thing back up but it didn’t recover, and has actually shriveled down to 1/8 the size it was before. I don’t know if the internal structure collapsed or what.

CaptDale - is secretly British > AestheticsInMotion
11/18/2019 at 12:43

It is definitely on my partner and my short list for after college if we can get work in our field we’d like to do up there.