Crossing To The West… Again!

Count Down!

T-Minus 14 days and counting until I embark on yet another cross country adventure. This time, I will be heading first to my very own state capitol in Harrisburg, PA to add another photograph to my state capitol project, then I will be heading west, hopefully grabbing a few state capitol buildings along the way. But this trip isn’t about that at all, It is about adventure, friendship, and climbing some pretty famous US peaks. Once we arrive in Oregon and do a little technical rock climbing at Smith Rocks, we will be heading to the summit of Mount Hood.

Once we attempt Mount Hood, we will be heading to the beautiful Crater Lake National Park. Last year, I got to check out this wonderful place on my way south from Seattle to LA, but only had time for a brief stop. This time, we plan to spend a night there, which will allow me to get up before the sun and shoot some hopefully fantastic photos of the lake as the sun comes up.

Next up on the agenda is Mount Shasta. Last year, after an exhausting trek to the summit of Mount Rainier, I decided to forgo a solo attempt of Shasta and press on to San Francisco. This time, there will be no passing up the mountain, we will hit it with full force and spend a night at 1o,000 feet before making a summit bid in the early am.

With Shasta, Hood, and our other stops out of the way, It is time to book it back east. As of right now, the plan is to cross through Nevada and the Utah salt flats which is a pretty exciting prospect since I have never been through those areas, but only time will tell whether or not the schedule will allow any exploring.

Remember to check back on June 1st to check out the kick off of the road trip and check us out often for more updates, travel tips, and photography. Oh! and if you have any desire to learn about planning a trip like this, check out this piece I wrote for Adventure-Inspired!

Shasta Shrouded In Clouds

The World Is Ours

I’ve been quite the slacker lately as you can tell, but I promise to share more photos. I’ve been pretty busy lately with trip planning for my upcoming road trip as well as other photo projects.

Daily Photo – The World Is Ours

We hiked a ways up the Glen Onoko Falls trail near Jim Thorpe, Pa on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I had hauled what seemed like an entire photo studio up the trail with me, and wanted to make sure it was not in vain, so we set up near one of the upper waterfalls and began to play around. This shot was one of my favorites out of the set.

Remaining Light

The countdown to road trip 2012 begins. In less that 6 weeks I will be bound for the west with my friend Bill and his brother. Our first destination being Smith Rocks in Oregon, followed by the climb of two notable peaks, Mount Hood in Oregon and Mount Shasta in California. Expect for full reports and photos from the road during the month of June. Until then, feel free to enjoy my photos!

Daily Photo – Remaining Light

It was HOT!!! but the sinking sun was providing a little relief from the heat of the day. We had just finished up a combination of photoshoot/exploration session In the forests of northeast, PA. With the sun quickly fading, I saw an opportunity, to capture the last remaining beauty of the day. Though the beautiful and warm day had ended, it was only the beginning of a season of warmth, and we still had miles to go.

2012 Patrick Gensel

She Found Her Way Through The Trees

Daily Photo – She Found Her Way Through The Trees

The temperature was soaring into the 90′s and we had just completed a 2 mile hike to the top of this ridge. Despite the fierce heat, we were rewarded with a view of the Susquehanna River and Shickshinny was visible a few miles down valley. The breeze was blowing gently which helped mitigate some of the heat. It was still early afternoon, so we sat and waited for the perfect light and began our wilderness photo shoot.

A Boat And A Boulder

Daily Photo – A Boat And A Boulder

It was an exceptionally nice November day in Pennsylvania, so we knew we had to take an extra long lunch and climb on some local boulders. Here, John is doing some traversing while a Kayaker down in the reservoir is watching.

2011 Patrick Gensel – Creative Commons Noncommercial

Pacific Sunset

Daily Photo – Pacific Sunset

As I sit here and plan out the itinerary for another cross country trip this summer, I can’t help but think of beautiful Pacific sunsets. One such sunset that comes to mind is the one I saw when I was at Ventura beach with my friends Eileen and Kelly. The golden colors were fantastic and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect.

2011 Patrick Gensel – Creative Commons Noncommercial

The Moon From Mars

Daily Photo – The Moon From Mars

I was wandering around the Earth Conservancy land yesterday while out there rock climbing. The light was getting really perfect so I had to go exploring with my camera.  I couldn’t pass up this extra terrestrial looking scene of a culm bank and the moon.

2012 Patrick Gensel – Creative Commons Noncommercial

Over The Knob

Daily Photo – Over The Knob

I took this while heading to visit my parents. It wasn’t an ideal time of day for a landscape shot, but the blue sky and clouds were just too beautiful to pass up. This feature is called Tilbury Knob and it is located in West Nanticoke, PA.

Perched In High Places

Daily Photo – Perched In High Places

Here is another shot I took last November on an unseasonably warm day. I was standing at the edge of the cliff, clipped into an anchor for safety as I watched and photographed my fellow climbers ascend the wall. This guy just finished a route and is setting up an anchor for a top rope.

(2011 Patrick Gensel – Creative Commons Noncommercial)

Feel The Move

Daily Photo – Feel The Move

Climbing is one of my favorite outdoor activities, so when I get a chance to photograph someone doing it on some awesome looking rock, I don’t hesitate. Here Aaron is climbing a route called Gemstone located on some PA rock. This beautiful line is about 160 long.

(2011 Creative Commons Noncommercial)