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Every time I get ready to go on a trip that requires air travel I worry about the gear. I don't trust checking luggage containing my camera gear. Too risky. That means I must carry it on. I have a large rolling bag that fits under the seat if not in the upper bins, but if I must put it there my knees are closer to my nose than the floor. On a recent trip to Chile I had to do this. Not on the Chilean Airline (Latam) mind you, but on the small United jet that carried me from Houston to ABQ.
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 This past Memorial Day weekend was memorable for us. We visited the Vietnam War Memorial and Eagle Nest and took Foxy on her first long trip. There were a number of firsts:
  There were disappointments as well. We bought a hummingbird feeder and placed it on the window. We were hearing hummers everywhere. One buzzed the feeder but did not stop. The previous day while hiking I was startled by a male broadtail hummingbird who flew almost into my face and hovered in striking distance of my right eye. He then flew at my head and I could feel his bill as he probed each of the three vent holes in my red cap. Then as quickly as he had joined us he flew away (presumably in disgust). The other disappointment was the notably poor trail markings on the various hikes in Cimarron Canyon. There were signs that marked trailheads but no information about length, elevation gain, or anything else. We blundered onto a couple of trails but lost our way and had to turn back. Disappointing, especially since we were required to pay a $5 fee each day for the privilege. Took the bikes on a nice trail along the lake, though, home to many prairie dogs who announced our presence in sequence as we rode along down the path. TookD  We flew to Calama, Chile in mid May and picked up our Hertz rental truck at the airport. Although the truck was fancy looking and new, bright red, we were disappointed that instead of the 4 x 4 we wanted our truck was a 4 x 2. This almost proved to be our undoing. On our first day of sightseeing we were headed northwest towards and past the lovely conical volcano Licancabur, elevation 19,005 feet. Excited by seeing a small group of guanacos, we pulled slightly off the road (two wheels) to capture the scene. When we tried to get back on the road the rear wheel started spinning and dug itself almost knee deep into the soft earth. We were stranded at 16, 000 feet! As good fortune would have it some local passersby stopped and rescued us by hopping on the back and jumping up and down to get the wheel engaged. It worked and we escaped.  Nice shot of a guanaco, anyway. San Pedro is a rustic town with lots of tourists, one-way dirt roads, and traffic confusion. There is only one gas station and it is a challenge to find. Still, the town is quite interesting and quaint. Tom said it feels like what Santa Fe NM might have looked like 100 years ago. Weather in mid May was very nice, with temperatures mostly in the 70's except up in the mountains, where the driving wind and biting cold can be a bit overwhelming. Visiting the local attractions, Valle de la Luna, and Valle del Muerto can be a camera sensor spoiler, as the sand can suddenly come up and pelt you and your camera with a great force. (This also can be an advantage; the shots can be pretty nice.)  We drove for miles in all directions and witnessed some of the finest scenery ever. The Atacama desert contains part of the South American section of the "Ring of Fire," with over 150 active volcanos. The ring of fire forms a U-shape, and stretches from New Zealand through the basin of the Pacific coast and down the Western coast of North and South America. Some of the volcanos in the Atakama region of Chile reach altitudes of over 20,000 feet. Blanketing the foothills, grasses wave in the wind and the area boasts many flamingo-dense lagoons. The flamingos feed on tiny shrimp-like creatures that live in the salty water. One day we visited the most famous tourist site in the area--the Tatio Geysers. If you want to visit the geysers try to get there early (which means up and out by 4:30 am), as the early morning scenes are well worth the aggravation.  If you plan to visit the Atacama region contact me and I can give you some advice about where to stay and how to get around.
To see more images of this region click the button: "This week's featured images" on the website's front page. New Mexico is a land of many (extinct, thankfully) volcanoes. As such there is a lotta lava to visit. On this trip two colleagues and I headed west, enjoying some gorgeous scenery along the route. It is the dead of winter, which usually means pretty mild weather. But today it is 18 degrees at 5:30 am when I leave the house. Hours later we arrived at our destination: the badlands. It was still 18 degrees and as I hopped out of the car, I uttered a semi-silent, "Uh Oh!" Why? Because I knew my hands and feet would soon be frozen and I didn't want to be the female wimp of the group and spoil the party. "What was that?" Lance asked. "Nothing." "It's mighty cold here." "Indeed!" Should I take my tripod? It will surely mean frozen hands, but won't I regret not shlepping it? Probably. So, I reluctantly removed it from the back of the car. I was right about one thing. My hands and feet started to freeze. Luckily after about 1/2 hour the temperature climbed and with the walking I was relieved that my appendages regained feeling. I also was correct in assuming I would want my trusty backpacking tripod. I used it for many of my images. It was a fun trip and we took lots of pictures. The snow was partially melted on the black hills. It would have been nice to have bracketed the shots. I tried, but I set my camera to capture 7 identical shots rather than the intended 7 bracketed shots. Darn! Lesson learned. Know thy camera. Below are some of my favorite shots from the trip. |
SandraWelcome to my page about foibles, search and rescue, misadventures, and travel photography. Categories
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