26 Comments
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Brittany Polat's avatar

Great narrative, and I love the atmospheric fog. The photo contrasting your red car with the dark woods is really cool. Looking forward to the continuation!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thank you Brittany! I thought that photo turned out really well, too. Spoiler- ¾ days looked pretty much like this, so plenty more atmospheric fog to come!

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Holly's avatar

Wow. I wander around in the woods. You are a serious hiker. And the beginning part of this story. No wonder you get out there.

Keep writing! Loved reading!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks so much Holly! That means a lot!

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Matthew Long's avatar

Erik, I really enjoyed this. Your writing is fantastic while the photos added to the experience. I loved all of the photos but the one of your car struck me because of the contrast of color. The vibrant red against the backdrop of grays was really powerful. Well done.

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Erik Hogan's avatar

I was just looking for an establishing shot of the parking lot, but I’m very happy (and surprised!) by how well that one turned out. Thanks Matthew!

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Lou Tamposi's avatar

Awesome recap — excited for the rest!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks Lou!

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Fontinalis Rising's avatar

Excellent account. Really enjoying this. Looking forward to the next installment.

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks brother! I appreciate that!

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Baird Brightman's avatar

Excellent photos and travelogue, Erik. Hiking alone in nature must be such a tonic for the trauma you experience in your work. Smart move for sure.

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Erik Hogan's avatar

It is important. While I don't feel ‘traumatized’ at all by these things, dealing with them all the time can easily make you view everything negatively or cynically. The contrast of being in nature is the antidote! Thanks Baird!

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James Hider's avatar

There's nothing like a few days out on the trail Erik - can't wait to read more. Fantastic images, I love seeing the landscape you are travelling through.

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks! This kind of fog on 3 out of 4 days was really unusual for this region. It made for an interesting photography challenge!

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Sean Mitchell's avatar

The photos complement your writing perfectly. Great stuff!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Oh cool! Thank you!

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Kyle Shepard's avatar

The contemplations interspersed with the journey is fantastic. Photos are okay too… (incredible)

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Lol! Thanks Kyle!

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Kristi Keller 🇨🇦's avatar

Wow, so much to say, where do I start!?

First, your intro. That made me sad...I can see how you need these frequent solo getaways for solitude. 🙁

Next, these photos are otherworldly as you put it. The pic of your car could be a Toyota ad the way it stands out against the backdrop. I LOVE the mood of these photos.

Who took the one of you in the building? A tripod or a person?

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks Kristi! I love those conditions, but wish the clouds had broken at least for a time on those days. Oh well, that's just what nature gives you, right?

The pic of me in the window was with camera on a tripod. I could do a 12 sec timer, but in this case it wouldn't be enough time to get in position. So, I have an app on my phone where I can control the camera remotely. You'll see that a lot in the pics of me where one arm is hidden. Here the phone was on the sill and I was trying to hit the button without looking at it! 😂

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Niki Elle's avatar

Love this, Erik! Off to a great start, and I'm eager for Day 2! Photos are gorgeous as always. Also, I love the casual encounter with the folks who were lapping you while "training." That's always a fun feeling 😅

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Haha! They were doing a trail marathon of 20+ miles that day. But they were runners, not backpackers.🤷🏻‍♂️ Met some more really interesting people on days 3 & 4, though!

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Niki Elle's avatar

Daaaang! I have still never done a trail marathon..closest I got was 21 miles in one day. I'm excited to read about the cool folks on the next few days of your hike!

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Haha, I think you'll like day 3!

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Gill Moon Photography's avatar

Great photos Erik and an enjoyable read. I loved the mix of landscapes and smaller scenes and the addition of some self portraits definitely added to the story.

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Erik Hogan's avatar

Thanks! I had been using my GoPro footage for those elements in the past, but I didn’t bring it on this trip. I like the simplicity of only having the 1 camera with me and it’s a fun challenge to think about trying to tell the story with it through still images.

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