Snake Mountain

Snake Mountain

A couple of weeks ago, my friends Emma and Lenora from Michigan came to Vermont to visit, along with a friend of theirs from Canada. Naturally, we decided that the best way to spend our time together would be to do a couple of hikes. Snake Mountain is probably the most popular hiking spot in the Middlebury area, and I sometimes felt like I was the only person at Middlebury who hadn't climbed it. Now that we were in possession of a car, I was quick to jump on the opportunity. 

All pictures are taken with an Olympus E-620 and either a Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5,6 or 70-300mm f/4-5,6.

Soft Green- 9-18mm, GND filter

Given how spectacular the view at the top is, the hike itself is extremely easy. The first part is a little muddy, but for the most part it's just a gentle uphill slope through rolling beech-maple woods. 
Intimate Woodland Scene- 70-300mm

Into the Sun- 9-18mm, GND filter

Outsider- 9-18mm
 Of course I can never resist trillium pictures. They have to be some of the most photogenic flowers in the Northeast.

Gold Highlights- 70-300mm
After about half an hour of not terribly steep but still rather tiring (for some on the hike, anyway) walking, we arrived at what I was pretty sure was the top. Everything looked right- a beautiful view across the Champlain Valley, flattish rock to rest on, and a pretty little pond at the top. We sat for a while, and I searched for various subjects while we waited for the sunset. 

Dream Trees- 70-300mm

Lines and Reflections- 70-300mm
 I always enjoy working on some more surreal pictures. 


Doll Houses- 70-300mm
 I eventually realized that this wasn't actually the top, however, so I hoofed it uphill, hoping to beat the sunset.

The Summit- 9-18mm, 3-stop GND
Once I reached the top, it was pretty easy to tell I was in the right place.

Columbine at Sunset- 70-300mm

Les Voyageurs- 9-18mm, 3-stop GND
 Emma, Lenora, and Lily at the top. I think they're supposed to be looking pensive.


Last Light- 9-18mm, reversed 3-stop GND

Climax- 9-18mm, reversed 3-stop GND
It took me a while to figure out the best combination of filters to make the sunset work, but I finally figured it out with the last two pictures. Personally, I'm pretty happy with the results. Hope everyone enjoyed!

-Forest
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Location: Snake Mountain, Vermont

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