Backpacking Sequoia National Park

[kitvan]

This is a photo/travel log of my recent backpacking trip to Sequoia National Park. My roommate and I spent 3 nights in the backcountry, it was a great trip, and a great opportunity to take some photos! :D

My camera is a Nikon D80 with 18-200 VR Zoom Nikkor lens. I also took my manual shutter control.

----> This trip was pretty much my first opportunity to shoot in the wilderness, so I wasn't as satisfied as usual with some of the resulting shots, especially after seeing other dGrin Members' contributions. :bow <----

We spent our first night car-camping at Lodgepole (6,700 ft). This picture was from the drive into the park- the autumn colors were absolutely beautiful:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0339copy1.jpg

The following morning, we got our packs together around 9:00 and headed for Cahoon Meadow, which was about 2.5mi out. Our plan was to get to Twin Lakes (9,600ft) and see if we felt like doing the last 800ft/1.5 mile up to Sillman Pass.

(I spent the first couple miles trying to figure out how to rig my camera somewhere on the outside of my bag so I could have it handy along the trail. I couldn't find a solution, so from here on out most of the photos are of destinations that allowed enough time to lose the pack for a few minutes.)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0167copy1.jpg

We walked through yellow meadows, switchbacked up steep hills, and trotted over bubbling streams all the way up to Twin Lakes. (which was at about 7mi/ 9,600 ft if I remember correctly)
Big Twin:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0052editcopy.jpg

We got to Twin Lakes, took a break and decided to head up the hill to Sillman Pass (10,400ft). When we got up there, we were totally blown away by the beauty of the place and the site where we would camp that night. Here's a series of photos from Sillman Pass.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0092copy1.jpg
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Looking South:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0103.jpg
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http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0091copy1.jpg
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http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0096copy1.jpg
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This night was beautiful. We had a fire in an ancient rock formation and enjoyed views of the moon and the heavens all night.
Long exposure looking North:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0117copy2.jpg
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I awoke the next morning, had some tea and snapped this shot:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0139.jpg

...and we departed, going east into the valley that's home to the Ranger Lakes. (Beville, Ranger, Lost) It was a pretty leisurely day at 7mi and change, so we took our time to do a little sightseeing. That evening we arrived at Seville Lake, our home for the night.
Seville Lake:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0223.jpg
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Fall Colors at Seville Lake:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0220copy1.jpg
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http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0210.jpg

We left the following morning and continued towards JO Pass and Jennie Lake (our destination for night 3). We passed through beautiful Rowell Meadow around lunchtime. No sign of any wildlife at this meadow, which was a bit of a surprise. I guess everyone had closed shop for winter.
Rowell Meadow:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0254.jpg
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http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0244.jpg

We arrived at Jennie Lake that evening with plenty of time to relax, gather some firewood and make dinner. (Cous-cous was sort of the name of the game on this trip in terms of dinner. We had a combination of dried tomatoes and lemon-spinach to mix it up.)

(Jennie Lake was by far the most beautiful lake we saw on this trip, and I think it's because of this combined with the lake's relative accessibility that we were disappointed to find evidence of use. People had left a Nature's Way wrapper, and some cans in a firepit. We were annoyed to say the least, and packed out what we could.)

We had a beautiful campsite at the far end of Jennie Lake:
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0294.jpg
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http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0285copy1.jpg


The next morning, we climbed back up to JO Pass, and down from there to Lodgepole. The hiking this day was particularly difficult considering our feet were hating us, and almost the entire day was downhill (almost 3,000ft).

Overall it was a fantastic first backpacking trip, I couldn't have asked for more. Well, maybe some more know-how about wilderness photography. :)

Back to civilization: :cry
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b23/kitvan/DSC_0367copy1.jpg


Thanks for looking!
Kit V.

[ulrikft]

Looks like an amazing hike! Thanks for sharing! Great pictures, amazing fall colors :clap

[Cuong]

Beautiful scenery and very nice pictures. Looks like you didn't do too bad with the photos the 1st time out. Thanks for sharing.

Cuong

[CapturedByGrace]

Not bad for your 1st time out.
Awesome scenery.
This place is on my list of places to go in my lifetime.

[scottwdw]

Makes me want to get on a plane and head out west. It's been far too long since I've been out there.

The only thing I see you need to work on is hyperfocal focusing with the 18-200VR. That way you wouldn't get some of the soft focusing in some of the photos. Those lakes were mirrors!

[kitvan]

The only thing I see you need to work on is hyperfocal focusing with the 18-200VR. That way you wouldn't get some of the soft focusing in some of the photos.

Thanks for the advice- what exactly is hyperfocal focusing and what sort of technique could I use to improve on it (aside from more time shooting) ?

Which photo do you see the soft areas in? ...so I can see what you mean.

Thanks

[dogwood]

Cool -- thanks for sharing. Keeping the cam handy while backpacking is always a challenge-- especially when it's raining. Everyone has a different system. I usually shoot a bunch of staged hiking shots just as I'm leaving camp with a tripod and the self-timer (or pocket wizards lately). Then the camera gets packed up until breaks. Luckily, the best light is morning and night, so at least I don't miss too much during the days.

[ian408]

Some really nice destinations in Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP.

My last trip out to the Rae Lakes was one I'll not soon forget (even though
it was a long time ago).

You're right about signs of humans. The Rae Lakes are about 15 or so miles
from Roads End yet there were signs of the passage of large numbers of
people. Go a few miles farther and it's a whole different story.

Thanks for the trip through Sequoia!

[pantherlax]

If you dont mind asking, how old are you and how much photography experience do you have?

I ask because I'm 17 and I plan to do the same as you, go on my first backpacking trip (and take bunch of photos), but when it gets warm.

Btw, I love your pics, especially of the long exposure night shot, and amazing colors in all.

[ian408]

Hey P-lax! You should try winter camping. It's not too bad as long as you have
good gear (easily rented too).

[kitvan]

how old are you and how much photography experience do you have?
...I plan to do the same as you, go on my first backpacking trip...but when it gets warm.


Thanks for the comments- I'm 23. I only have maybe one or two collective years of shooting still photography, but I also went to film school for cinematography, so I guess that sorta counts.

Also, I agree with Ian- you definitely shouldn't limit yourself to summer camping (where do you live?), if you don't like cold, spring and fall can be some of the most beautiful times of year! And overall, never underestimate yourself- some of the hardest trips I've taken have also been the most rewarding. :clap

[pantherlax]

Thanks for the encouragement, Ian and kitvan.

Now back on topic! lol