Or maybe that should be GFM blog 'end'. Sorry I didn't get chance to do a blog while on the mountain - a bit hectic!
Sat back on a porch in ma rockin chair after returning from the mountain. Apparently Pizza is on the way :-) Arrived Friday about 2.30pm and was one of the first there. Ensconced in the picnic area with gear and tent. Prime position next to space for PDML Central. When Gonz arrived we shoved his car in the space where Cory would park the trailer, which he did at nearly 5.30pm I think it was. John Sessoms turned up, and Ted Beilby was already there and camped, good to meet them both. Nico also already there, as was Mark although he didn't do his usual bivouac on the ledge thousands of feet up on the Thursday night as there was too much electrical activity in the area. Bob and Lynn sailed by for a visit, and Stan Harding and his wife arrived, so the party was building. Trouble arrived in the form of Christine Aguillierrilelrera and her husband Darrel (sp?) and she won't mind me saying that. She's great fun and packs a large punch for a small package ;-) Fab to meet them and she's slipping easily into a PDML regular mode. It rained heavily with thunder cells passing through now and again, and although Friday during the day wasn't bad, Friday evening turned overcast with a low cloud base and bloody windy. Scott Loveless gave Mat Maesson and Stefan and I a lift up to the top in his Xterra with Cory following in his Xterra (they seem to be popular at GFM). Hell's bells, it was breezy - effective fog with 60mph gusts blasting through the top (Bridge) car park so we didn't dare get out. Cory drove around the car park and periodically stopped to snap some fog, his K20D popping over a lowered window now and again. We gave up and went down to the picnic site for dinner, which was a group affair. Scott cooked burgers (or was it Cory?) and beer started appearing. The wind stayed all night and sleeping was difficult with the noise in the trees. Saturday dawned bright and the wind had gone, mercifully. After breakfast Stef and I joined the Mountain Goat on Crack and one other chap on a hike up to the attic window. I'm not as fit as I was last year and carried my video gear, so slowed the going - Stef was keen (waving the *ist Ds and K17/4, 18-55 kit lens and Tokina 90/2.5 macro) so we carried on but at a reduced pace. My son Stefan was in the contest (only told him on the plane over!) and he was keen to shoot. Mark and chap carried on so we fell back and actually only went as far as the top bit of the ladders where the view is good. On the way Stef saw some very small wild mushrooms so we spent time there so he could shoot them with the macro. I was very impressed with his work :-) Back down at base camp, people reappeared and frantically sorted their images and burned onto CD for the contest. 3pm was the deadline and the museum restaurant looked like an internet cafe! Glancing around, the standard was looking impossibly high. We sat through one presentation that evening but cut the rest along with quite a few others to go looksee if there was a sunset in the offing - and luckily there was! A throng of snappers invaded the western vistas and lots of shooting - Stef got some lovely stuff, I'll put a page of it up soon - I'm naturally a proud dad.... I shot loads of video - the views but also lots of the photogs at work - lots of silhouettes. I'm pretty happy with that so watch this space. Saturday evening was excellent with a still evening and warmer than Friday, so we had a good crowd around PDML Central with beer and wine and snacks. Doug Brewer joined us and there was hearty laughter. The real spirit of the PDML showed and it was great to be amongst friends - some of whom I'd only just met - that's the real secret of this email list, and the amount of times I've heard that repeated confirms it. Saturday late afternoon at supper there was Saturday night was fun - about 4 or 5 am veritable monsoon descended and it thrashed down solid for ages. The floor of our tent was moving like the ocean! Fortunately it was under the tent and not in it - luckily it didn't leak and we stayed mostly dry, as did everyone, although I think Trouble [q.v.] had a few drips. This was their first camping experience and what an initiation! Of course it was all gone in a few hours - the ground drains quickly. There had been a few wild bears in the area, Mark Roberts heard one trying to get in the trash can near him on Thursday night. I think the wind kept them away Friday night, and maybe the rain on Saturday night. Someone reported hearing one snorting its way around the camp, but my sources tell me that it was in fact a PDMLer in fitful snoring mode. Not sure who it was but it was coming from Scott and Gonz's tent!!! John Sessoms was sleeping in his car, and Ted Bilby is far too nice a gentleman to make those gutteral noises. It honestly sounded like a wild boar having it's larynx ripped out by Godzilla. Come back Dave Brooks, all is forgiven! Sunday saw everyone up at the museum for breakfast and then the awards presentation. Cory got a 'dishonourable' mention with one of his picks but aside from that the standard was so high that none of us got a look in! Stef submitted a cracking mushroom shot which I felt was so good was sure to get in somewhere but not to be - like I said, the amateur section standard was excellent. Later Stef got some constructive criticism from Mark and Doug about his pic, and vows to work it again! Great to see this positive attitude rather than an 'I failed' one. I look forward to the redux. The Doug and Mark show was up to the usual standard and in due course there may just be a glimpse available behind the scenes of the hard work they put in - see Mr Roberts' postings on this as and when. Other things I should mention about the weekend are getting to talk with Don Nelson again - always a pleasure and although he is not at his best at the moment, his dedication to the task continues to amaze me - I am in awe of this great man. There was a presentation in the restaurant by a few colleagues and friends of his from over the years, including Crae Morton, in tribute to the work that Don puts in, and continues to put in. I shot some video of proceedings and will let Mark have this footage in due course so maybe a word on that from him at some point. I saw many others over the course of the weekend, including Bill and Phyllis Owens, Charles Braswell, and managed to give Scott Nelson his beloved Jelly Babies :-) A very special thanks to GFM staff photographer Helen Hopper who has looked after Stef and I over the weekend - she has tirelessly ferried us to and from the mountain and loaned us a tent (again!) and is our contact and pillar of strength during our visit to NC. I printed a bunch of Helen's work for her and she is an extremely talented photographer and personality - really really appreciate all the effort she put in not just for us but to her work on the mountain that she loves. Written far too much here, so sorry for the bandwidth. So great to see everyone - we are both leaving behind old friends, new friends, and our best friend - Grandfather Mountain. -- Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=====| http://www.cottysnaps.com _____________________________ -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
