Dear Reader (2021-06-20),
There is now an Evolving List of Planned and Previous Walks and Wanders (Click here).
Friday May 28, 2021 – Karst Spring Trail <> 10 k – out and back
Around the next bend on this path there is a serene psychopath, dressed in plaid, with unkempt grey hair and a beard to match. Equally likely, there is a siren in a diaphanous stola. Either presents a challenge. I consider my options. I have bear spray to protect me from the psychopath. For the siren, all I could offer her would be a white chocolate and macadamia nut Cliff bar, which seems scant and insufficient. Only a soundtrack would give clues to the possible outcome.
The moss is thick on either side of the trail and the pale green beard lichen hanging from spruce branches muffle all sound. I turn the corner, and continue to have the forest to myself. I begin to hear the nearby creak, and start the gentle climb to the outflow of the karst spring (note 1). The cascading water is louder now.
Today is the second time this year I have been to Watridge Lake, and the first time this year I am walking the short extension (<> 1k return) to the spring. Last year I was intent on new walks. This year is emerging as a collection of new-to-me walks and familiar ones. On the familiar ones, such as today’s walk, I collect new observations and remember previous minor experiences. That is where my foot went through the late winter snow, through the slush, and into mud. Near that break in the trees a walker and I shared the joy of talking with some one new during Covid lock-down. Over there I saw a paralympian cross-country skier training on a sit-ski. These nearly trivial events and others change the lines on an external map into looped threads of memory.
On my way back from the spring I meet another solo walker, who tells me of nearby trails and features. She volunteers to take my picture on the shore of Watridge Lake with Cone Mountain in the background. We are walking at different paces, and part ways, names not exchanged.
01 – 06 I am carrying my tripod today as an aid to creating a particular series of images. Earlier in the week I had bought a new tripod which requires a different mounting plate than the one usually mounted on my camera. I was not impressed with that tripod, returned it, and am now waiting on a different model (note 2). I have forgotten to put my old mounting plate back on the camera. The intended series vanishes. Instead, I play with intentional camera movement (note 3) and hand-held long exposure techniques, and continue my multi-year water image explorations.
07 Cone Mountain – As some of you have realized by now I love a line against a sky. As well, any hint of ice cream is a good thing.
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Cheers, Sean
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- Note 1 – I first wrote about the karst spring in A Walking Report 18 (Click here).
- Note 2 – For the technically interested: Thanks to the good people at The Camera Store, I initially ordered the Leophoto LX-254 + XB-32 and am replacing it with LX-284 + XB-38. The latter is a special-order item.
- Note 3 – ICM / Intentional Camera Movement is a technique where the photographer purposefully moves the camera during an exposure.
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I am undecided about ICM. I’ve tried it a few times, with results that could be called mixed, at best. I had never thought to try it with water, and have to say the results are not as expected. Bu then, that’s one of the joys of photo, getting unexpected but interesting results.
I’m thinking 6 works best, mainly because there is something other than water.
Good luck with the new tripod. I’ll have to scope it out next walk.
Keith, as always thank you for visiting and commenting. There may be more than one walk before that tripod arrives, as it is literally on a slow boat from China.