After months of uncertainty, world wide lock downs and shelves empty of toilet paper, A small slice of normalcy is on the horizon. This past year has been one devastation after another. Families torn apart by death, jobs lost and businesses shutting down permanently from the looming threat of Covid. Its been quite sickening to see the level of selfish behavior and blatant stupidity running rampant. Protests about pieces of cloth, hoarding food and a total lack of decency has left my wife and I feeling trapped in some alternate timeline. We felt the need to escape the crazed people and head into nature to get a much needed respite. Fortunate that where we live had no lock downs for neighboring states and low transmission levels we headed north away from the cities and where not many people were to be found.
After cancelling our trip this year to the southwest we figured a small trip where we wouldn’t be near anyone should be safe. Most of our travels are meant to be far away from people to begin with so we picked a spot we’ve been a few times before. We both got tested before leaving to make sure we weren’t spreading Covid or asymptomatic and with negative results in hand we began our journey.
We started our drive at 2am in hopes to make it to the first spot 5 hours away just before sunrise. Autumn had already begun to creep in as temperatures had started dropping and winter was approaching on its heels. Driving in the dark we made a quick stop for gas and a bathroom break. We masked up and spent as little time as possible inside before doing the hand sanitizer ritual in the car before moving on. We made it to the borders of the park just as the sun was cresting the horizon. We pulled in to the parking lot and got out into the perfect crisp fall air that my wife and I look forward to each year. No other cars in the lot meant we had this place all to ourselves. Yellow and orange leaves created a beautiful blanket in the canopy above. A raised boardwalk path guided us through the forest as the morning light started streaming through the dissipating mist. A group of birch trees on the right of the trail led to this photo.
Down the path a ways led to the main draw of this popular trail with not a soul in sight. The boardwalk curves a bit and creates a nice point of interest and a sort of tree tunnel so I took this photo as many others have before me.
As we continued on past the green and orange ferns as the rays of light dappled the area we came to a fork in the road. One way led to an open field, the other down a birch tree tunnel. In the gloomy shadows light was hitting the trees in an inviting way so we headed that way and stopped once we saw this beautiful scene.
As we shot the birch trees we could see movement in the field darting around in the tall grass. We quietly walked a short way past the birches and found the cause of the movent. A small group of deer were frolicking around in the warm sun as their breath tangled in the cool air. We had never seen deer play like this in person so it was a nice treat. After they calmed down a bit I picked out the lone doe of the group with my 100-400 and took this image.
We watched the deer from a distance for a while before leaving them to nibble on grass. We were in search of places we haven’t been to before on previous trips to the island. Sitting next to the roadside is a little museum with an arching white bridge. The fall color had fallen into the pond below and the water was calm creating a perfect reflection of everything. We parked nearby and I crouched under the road next to the pond to shoot this image.
Overcast clouds had moved in so we spent the rest of the afternoon scouting out areas for the days to come and walked around the little village area. Everyone was masked and following the guidelines up here which was nice compared to the area we live. Stopping at the local candy store has become a tradition and thankfully they were open so we got some delicious fudge. Once the time finally came we were able to check in to the little cabin we rented outside of the park and settle in for the night. With a banquet of Doritos, jerky and dehydrated chicken burrito bowl we watched TV until it was time for bed. We were excited for the sunrise in the morning and all my weather apps were predicting a colorful sunrise.
My alarm went off early the next morning so we quietly got ready as to not disturb the other cabin dwellers near us and headed towards the beach. Navigating the winding one way road of the park drove by steep cliffs, forests and the occasional rabbit in the dark before making it to the parking lot. The beach isn’t a traditional one in that there is no sand here but smooth rounded boulders. The ocean waves have created a stretch of these egg like rocks that lead to the pine covered cliff beyond them. We navigated our way down the rocks carefully to get close to the oceans edge, but not too close as the tide was slowly making its way back in. A popular spot for obvious reasons had us joined by a couple of people and a photo workshop. The clouds were thick but a gap on the horizon meant something special was coming. Blue hour faded and the warm pink glow in the clouds was a welcome sight sitting in the cold windy air. Once the sun peaked over the skyline and bathed the boulders, cliffs and clouds it was the perfect time to start shooting. After the first shot I moved closer to the water to catch the motion of the waves just as they broke over the alien looking rocks.
Now that the sun had risen it was now blocked by the thick canopy of clouds from an incoming rain storm. We thought now was the perfect time to check out one of the few waterfalls on the island so we left the beach and drove straight to the trailhead. No other cars in sight in the lot was an odd sight since this is another popular spot. Walking up the steep wide trail our footsteps were silent in the fallen orange pine needles. Closer and closer we got taking in the red maple leaves along the path wondering where the sound of the river and waterfall was. Arriving at the high stone bridge we figured out the reason for the quiet stream and empty lot, the waterfall was dry. All that walking wasn’t about to be for nothing so I made my way down the side trail under the bridge arching overhead and searched for a smaller subject. It didn’t take long before I spotted it, a small group of blood red leaves lay on top of the cool toned river rocks. (no I didn’t place them there).
As the hours passed we killed time by walking about a mile in solitude beneath a thick grove of red spruce and balsam trees breathing in their candle like aroma. We found a set of chairs at the edge of the forest facing the ocean and rocky coast before them so we sat and took a quick break. My wife had found this spot before we came and we were hoping to spot some seals that are frequently spotted here. I scanned the area with binoculars to no avail and let my wife have a try. Snoozing on a far away rock she spotted a harbor seal. We took turns watching it for a while before starting the hike back through the forest to head to our sunset spot for the night.
We finally found where all the visitors were in the park. It seemed everyone all had the same idea to visit the same pond that night. Managing to secure a parking spot we walked down the trail to the ponds edge and set up our tripods. Then waited, and waited as the sun got lower and most of the crowd filtered off back to their cars to go get dinner. Only a few people remained knowing what was coming. The clouds had dissipated a bit over the course of the day and some puffy ones were left over. I balanced on a couple rocks in the pond making sure I wasn’t going to be in anyone else’s shot and took this photo as the sun briefly lit up the clouds with a pinkish glow.
We were hungry and the coastline was not cloudless so we went back to the cabin for some more freeze dried meals as night quickly came. Something in my mind kept telling me to go back to the coast and after debating it I decided I should go. My wife opted to stay in the warm cabin and I went out in hopes of shooting something I rarely do. With no light pollution around here the sky is filled with more stars than one can imagine but still so dark that seeing your hand in front of your face isn’t an option. I walked in the middle of the abandoned park road listening for cars. Every snap in the woods had me expecting a Sasquatch to come bounding out of the woods toward me and my tiny flashlight. I reached an steep cliff edge and found two other photographers already set up in the tiny spot to set up. We said hello and they told me they were visiting from Illinois and hoping to shoot the stars. They saw me trying to squeeze in the small space beside them and offered to let me use their tripod for a few minutes which was surprising. I graciously accepted and took one single 25 second exposure and thanked them for their generosity. Hoping my shot was in focus and what I walked back to the car alone in the dark and went back to my wife waiting in the warm cabin. I knew a trip back to this cliff edge in the morning for sunrise was in order after reviewing my one shot one the back of the camera.
Our last morning of the little getaway from the Covid craziness back home was a great one. We did end up going back to the spot from the night before and were happy to find ourselves the only ones there. The wind was calm and the air not as cold so we snuggled our tripods together and set up our compositions waiting for the sun to come up. Far below us a beach of boulders similar to the other one sat as the waves gently crept over them. The big difference here is the large stone column I could hardly see in the dark the night before. A rock wall used to be here but over time the rocks eroded away and now only the pillar remained beside the remnants. A monument to the cove below it. The sun came and lit the sky in deep pinks and orange light and like the rocks of the southwest the pillar glowed in the same brilliant light. The only sounds to be heard to be heard were the quiet crashing waves below and a nearby cardinal making its morning song. I captured the last shot of the trip before we left for the 5 hour drive back to the pandemic.
Happy to find a spot to go to where the pandemic seemed to have spared, this was a much needed little getaway to refresh our mental health. Careful to avoid the few crowds up here and making sure to wear a mask in any indoor setting we managed to avoid getting sick. We tend to stay away from others on these trips to begin with so it wasn’t exactly a change of pace for us. We both came back with some photos we were happy with and a renewed sense of hope for the future where normalcy makes a return and new chapters can be made.