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
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