>>4091444Backpacking is really an incredible way to see things! But I've learned that chasing mileage definitely doesn't do well with serious efforts at photography. Last year I did an attempt (50%) successful until a party member had an injury) of the Wind River High Route with some friends and we were trying to cover 100 trail-less miles of boulder hopping and glacier crossing in 9 days. I know that doesn't sound like very high mileage, but there really was no trail whatsoever. Car sized boulders made up almost the entire route, with occasional tundra and glacier crossing. There was hardly any time to pull out a camera as we were always pushing. I also ended up bring medium format (pic related) for speed as I knew it would be a sufferfest.
On this latest trip I did a lot of shorter trips. I've become a huge fan of "lazy" backpacking where I eat a late lunch in my van and set out at around 4pm with no stove. Just cameras, camping gear, and snacks. I'll walk maybe 5 miles, feel nice and fresh to take photos and then spend the night and shoot sunrise too. I probably did a couple of those trips per week on this trip.
A friend flew up and joined me for two longer expeditions, one where we flew bicycles into Denali National Park on a small Cessna and then rode them up and down the closed portion of the park road, ditched them in the bushes, and walked a few miles into the bush for the nights. That was an outstanding 8 day trip.
