First post here. Been shooting digitally now for about five months. I live in Sedona, AZ and do a lot of solo hiking/climbing in search of beautiful images.
Recently I had an email exchange with my concerned twin sister and it got me to thinking about how prepared we all are when we venture into the backcountry by ourselves. Southern California, where I'm from, has seen a rash of winter solo hiking deaths this season and we lost an experienced hiker in Sedona around Thanksgiving.
Although not all of my solo safaris are as bold (and scary) as the one told below, I end up precariously perched fairly often. Just wondering who out there can relate and what do you do to keep yourself safe?
Good shooting,
Derek von Briesen
Sedona, Arizona
www.pbase.com/sedonamemories----- Original Message -----
From: Connie von Briesen <mailto:connievonbriesen@thesportsclub.com>
To: 'DEREK VONBRIESEN' <mailto:dabreeze4940@msn.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 1:03 PM
Subject: RE: Yesterday!!!
con,
got the links from yesterday. lov'd 'em. the snowflake shot with the blurred background is amazing.
can totally relate to hiking alone. can only get my work done if I'm alone aned able to meander at my own pace. very slow and tedious for anyone along for the hike. I always let teri know where I'm off to if I were to get in any trouble. I have ventured into some pretty precarious perches to get the best of angles.
scariest so far would be two shots from portfolio iv called "nestled in epic" (a reference to the amazing close juxtaposition of sedona within such epic beauty; see the city from the perch where I shot) and "far away (and a world apart)". climbed up a steep, rocky but well traveled informal or non-designated trail toward a spot I thought might result in an epic shot, and when I reached the top of the trail it stopped dead at the corner of the mountain/rock formation with two angled ledges and a thousand foot drop!
I got the pix from ledge # 1 and ventured out without camera onto # 2. it was slightly angled toward the edge, but with good traction. but to take a pic would have meant doing so less than three feet away from that thousand foot drop, on an angle toward it, no less.
as I eased myself back up off the ledge, I got a major hit of acrophobia and wasn't sure if would be able to get off the ledge. I breathed for thirty seconds, calmed myself and made the turn onto my stomach and crawled/pulled myself off the ledge. needless to say, I did not shoot any pix from ledge # 2 even though it was the best angle of all!
check the pix out with this story in mind. the two pix are not the definitive shots as I wasn't there at exactly the right time of day. it was really more of a location scout (I do a lot of those) than any actual well-timed perfect light attempt for THE pic. I will be back for sure.
dvb
----- Original Message -----
From: Connie von Briesen <mailto:connievonbriesen@thesportsclub.com>
To: 'DEREK VONBRIESEN' <mailto:dabreeze4940@msn.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 5:24 PM
Subject: RE: Yesterday!!!
Wow - sometime the picture DOESN'T tell the whole story. I hope you carry a cell phone with you. There has been a lot of stories this season of hikers perishing in and around the local and CA mountains. At least a dozen so far. If you don't have a cell phone or one won't work, I think it's a good idea that you file a "flight plan" with your girlfriend. That way, you can never be that far from where your original destination was if you don't return for some reason.
I do the same with Ted if I'm totally alone up at the barn at night and am going to ride.
Well, I can't wait to see what you'll be sending next. Some more snow pictures would be nice. Dress warm.
cvb
Original Message-----
From: DEREK VONBRIESEN [mailto:dabreeze4940@msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 6:58 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Yesterday!!!
well, I don't carry a cell phone anymore for a couple of reasons: one, no need for one other than emergencies in this town and they cost, and two, they don't work well in the outback around here, so they''re not really great for emergencies. so, in its stead, I detail where I am going, what trails, where I'm parking the truck or motorcycle, and how long I expect to be gone and when the "alarm" should go off to notify search and rescue. teri has a detailed instruction sheet with my truck info, moto info, health and meds info, identification and those to contact. as well, I carry a walkie talkie and the instruction sheet has the channel info (channel 9, subchannel 11; 911!) for search and rescue if they get close to me. I'd turn on the radio and be able to communicate when they got within 2-4 miles. I carry a space blanket, an emergency whistle (loud), always many layers of fleece and down, appropriate water and energy bars, gloves, a ski hat, and a four hour high intensity battery powered light for early morning and late afternoon (my mountain bike light, so bright it blinds oncomers and would do the same to any wild animal thinking I might be tasty!!!!). so I am pretty prepared for solo jaunts. I read of the many casualties this winter in so cal and it got me to thinking about really good precautionary measures. so there!!!!! thanks for your concern.
glad you liked the story! I bet you were on the edge of your seat! I'm thinking of early tomorrow morning for another shot at the shot. good weather early.
best,
dvb
----- Original Message -----
From: Connie von Briesen <mailto:connievonbriesen@thesportsclub.com>
To: 'DEREK VONBRIESEN' <mailto:dabreeze4940@msn.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2004 1:03 PM
Subject: RE: Yesterday!!!
Good that you're taking those protections when out in the wilderness. Remember the Malibu guy and his girlfriend who got eaten by the bear! Devilyn went for a walk out in the wilderness when we were in Montana during the filming of The Horse Whisperer and someone said, are you crazy?! There's bears out there. She hadn't any idea they would be so close.