Dreams

The East Face of Mt. Chephren, rising above Lower Waterfowl Lake. My brother and I were out in the mountains recently for a couple of days of camping and general hanging out. While I love the chance to go climbing when I can, it's nice sometimes to just simply camp out and enjoy the scenery, eat some real food, read, chat, relax. Naturally I was excited to use the new Summicron 50mm on the Leica MP - this photo (when clicked on for the larger version) really shows the ridiculous sharpness the 'cron is famous for. This was also my first time shooting Ilford Pan F+, which is a very slow film (50) with beautiful fine grain.

Every time I look up at the East Face of Chephren, I remember one of the first times I saw it.  As a kid growing up, my family was always going to the mountains - in particular we used to camp regularly at Waterfowl Lake Campground, and also Marble Canyon in Kootenay. Chephren and Howse Peak rise up so mighty...I'll never forget the site of them. I still regularly look up at these walls with my binoculars, dreaming away of someday that I might scale them. Imagining how Art Gran must have felt when he did the first ascent of this face back in the mid 60's.  Quite an achievement for that time....quite an achievement for any time.  I ache so bad at times to be up on that wall, hoping I could marshall the necessary heart and courage and skill. But "every goal achieved is equally a dream destroyed".  So somedays I'm happy just to sit by the lake, with my binoculars, dreaming.....