Branching Out

Rock Stacks (Digital)

On the way to Beaver Ave. to catch a CATA bus with a backpack full of crackers, drinks, and camera gear, it was starting to sink in that I'd be hiking Mt. Nittany.  A couple of friends and I knew that we'd eventually want to take to the trail, but going before noon on a Sunday was an impromptu decision completely.

However impromptu, I came prepared.  Loaded with film and ready to go were my standard Instax Mini 8, an old Pentax A3 35mm (roll film) camera.  I brought along a Nikon DSLR digital camera too, so I could be shutter button happy and take as many pictures as I liked, just in case they weren't "instant worthy".  More and more on this blog, I'll be focusing on different mediums and styles of photography, not only on instant photography like before.  Captions on photos will denote the photo type.

We jumped on the to the bus, excited that our hike was only a short ride away, but soon realized where we were headed: the complete reverse direction of Mt. Nittany.  Our bus driver was kind enough to formally point that out to us and told us that he'd do whatever he could to get us there quickly.  We passed dew-covered fields that looked they had been frozen in place.  As I stared out the frosted window, I was wondering if the trip was even worth it at this point.  The ride took over an hour and I already felt drained, even without having to slug my backpack around.

A (literal) sign that we were close (Digital)

After what seemed like an entire day, we landed at an unfamiliar intersection by a small art gallery.  Where was the mountain?  Turns out, we had to walk a bit more to start our journey.  Even as we reached the trailhead, the top of the mountain was hard to make out due to the intense fog that had settled overnight.  Though not ideal for bringing out the subtle hues of a largely homogeneous-looking winter landscape in central PA, the fog and frost made for some interesting pictures.

It was chilly at first... (Digital)

We began our ascent as mud and tiny pieces of leaves slowly began to cling  to the soles of our shoes.   Starting something is quite frequently one of the hardest things to do, and this was no different.  The harsh incline at the beginning of the hike compounded with the slippery path wasn't optimal, but it was exciting to say the least.  We passed the myriad blue and white trail-markers on the trees as the sun finally revealed itself and soon, three layers was too much and I stuffed my jacket into my backpack.  

The trail-markers I call Hansel and Gretel (35mm)

I shuffled around in my backpack a lot while on the trip.  The 35mm film camera has fixed lenses that are meant for different situations—wide angles, landscapes, or zoomed-in shots.  As I grabbed and interchanged the lenses frequently depending on the shot I was going for I realized how dense and space-consuming they are.  Changing lenses on a camera may seem like a hassle, and well, it is.  However, it's a unique experience and further makes one think about their equipment and how it aids in capturing a moment fully with the perspective they desire.  

Sure, I was swapping from camera to camera and lens to lens, but we were still making progress up the mountain.  Soon, we were near the top and classic rock stacks that marked the zenith were in our sights.  The increase in elevation coincided with the depletion of the bare deciduous trees—the same trees that were limiting our views from the mountain.  Interesting enough, the persistent fog did that for us and when we got our first glimpse from the peak, it seemed as though we were hundreds of feet above the clouds.  

One of the many views from Mt. Nittany (Instax)

Descending back down the mountain was much like pressing a rewind button.  As the ground became more moist and the trees grew in number, I glanced at my watch to make sure we had in fact spent the majority of the day on our trip.  All the photos were, of course, also mementos of the hike.  

The experience was a perfect opportunity to hone my skills with the equipment I'm not so used to, and a part of me wanted to stay and shoot more photos.  Our stomachs however, had other plans.  We got on the correct bus without a problem, and the same driver who had helped us get to Mt. Nittany greeted us again with a smile.  Half asleep and half dying for some sort of sustenance, I was glad the bus ride back to campus was much more straightforward.