[at-l] Making a "record" of your hike

[shane@theplacewithnoname.com (Shane Steinkamp)]

> Basically, I want to give
> some tips on what types of things to take
> pictures of (e.g., don't take 20
> pictures of the same view; put people in your
>
> Now, I'd like
> to hear from y'all--what
> advice do y'all have regarding how to make a good
> "record" of your hiking
> trip?

Photography:  Take pictures of things from an unusual angle.
Too many photographs are taken from eye level.  What about
from ground level?  Can you get higher by climbing a rock or
a tree?

Take photos of your camp sites. Take photos of your body.
How raw do those toes get?  One of my favorite pictures
(which I can't seem to find right now, otherwise I'd scan
it...) was taken this way:  I set up my tarp, then walked
away from my tarp a few feet and dropped my pack, a foot or
two, then ditched one boot, then the next, then the socks,
then the rest of my clothes strewn all in a line leading off
into the woods.  Then I took a picture from an angle from
behind my tarp showing the 'disappearance' of the (now)
natural human into the wilderness.  It was one of those
things that just occurred to me, and it worked wonderfully.

Journaling:  Always record exactly where you are at each
entry, and what you've done and seen.  I also track the
weather.  Most people, however, forget to describe how
things smell, or the feel of a place.  Strange thoughts and
desires are often your subconscious trying to get a message
through, so I write that down too.  I also do poetry and
scribbles of things that might not make sense to other
people, but capture the spirit of the moment.

Shane