Photos from my camping/kayaking trip

[spyboy]

Got back this afternoon from my camping/kayaking trip up in Pittsburg, NH.

Here are the photos, some are from my little point & shoot, and on the calm mornings, I took out the big gun with telephoto.

Some of the shots are geocoded to the map.

I know why they call it "Moose Alley", saw about 15 moose (would have been more, but I didn't feel like going out the one night, and that's when they saw a few nice bulls)

http://www.spyboy.com/pittsburg/

Kirk

[Bretton Woods Brat]

Beautiful Falls

[mtruman]

The moose shots from the kayak on East Inlet are fantastic!!! Looks like Patrick may have some competition. Spyboy may now have to become "Paddles with Mooses". Seriously, all great pictures and obviously a great trip. Can't believe you take the 40D out in the kayak. I'd be scared to death of dropping it in the drink - calm or not.

[spyboy]

I was scared about dropping it too.

I have a deck bag I bought specifically for my camera. It has a waterproof zipper, but if you roll, water will go through the top where the 2 zippers meet (only a single zipper that goes all the way across would be waterproof, but those kinds are very hard to open/close)

This is the first time I took my 40D out on the water, it was glassy, so I figured I had a good chance of keeping it dry.

My new sea kayak (Necky Looksha IV fiberglass) is a bit more "tippy" than my old Dagger Atlantis plastic sea kayak.

We got up at 4:30am each morning to paddle East Inlet. It was a "silent paddle" and our trip organizer said she'd smack anyone who spoke upside the head with her paddle. If you don't speak and just paddle slowly, the wildlife really doesn't care. The moose kept looking at my when I'd snap a shot or if I zipped the deck bag, but then she'd continue eating.

Even the two loons with the baby seemed alright, although one kept looking at me and doing the loon call (I love that sound!)

I tried to keep at least 40 feet away from the critters, although when coasting and looking through the viewfinder, you don't realize how close you can get until you put the camera down and try to back paddle.

BTW: be glad we don't have "smell-o-vision", that dead moose in East Inlet had the super roadkill smell, ugh!

Kirk

[spyboy]

added a new column to my photos, for the 5 panos I took

www.spyboy.com/pittsburg/

[Brad]

Kirk, those pictures are awesome! We have a friend of a friend who was killed by a moose. So, be careful with them. You seemed sooooo close!

[spyboy]

70-300mm telephoto But yeah, I was still close. When we did our evening drives down Moose Alley, I always kept the truck door opened (or at least unlocked). Quite a few of the shots where out the window of my truck.

BTW: a telephoto and a sea kayaking are a dangerous mix, when your face is pressed up to the eye piece, suddenly everything gets wobbly with the boat

Kirk

[KD Talbot]

You have some really great shots, Kirk! I love the way they are geocoded and you have a choice to watch a slideshow or view a larger image. Really great presentation!

KDT