BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME?

12 Mar

We haven’t been short on footage, and for that I’m grateful. But there are certain moments when I lament we didn’t do justice to the beauty and grandeur that surrounded us. Blame it on exhaustion, uncertainty as to what was in store for the remainder of the day’s hike and, occasionally, excessive caution for gear that’s made to withstand at least some weathering.

One such instance of over-protection was our climb of Pinchot Pass. A storm started rolling in during our ascent, and as we rushed to cover our packs filled to the brim with electronics, the thought of getting dumped on (or worse, struck by lightning at the top of the pass) weighed heavy on our group.

Safety trumps artistry in moments like these, but I wish that I would’ve stopped and allowed myself the opportunity to fire off a few shots. There is nothing more impressive…more indicative of this amazing planet’s power…as the storm clouds unleashing their fury on mountain passes.

We rushed up and over the pass as quickly as we could, salvaging a handful of opportunities to snap off a shot, but that pass will not be showcased nearly as impressively in our documentary as it was that day.

In the past few days, I’ve finally come to peace with that.

We set out to capture the trail in the only way we knew how. THAT goal was accomplished. I do hope to return one day and do even more justice to what we saw on the trail. But no matter how many times I return…no matter how many shots I take…they’ll never leave me breathless like seeing it with my own eyes.

And for that, I’m glad mine weren’t always behind the lens.