So I want to plan my camps at or near good vantage points for magic hour and night photography. I'll have a lot of moon (for moon and moonlit landscapes) during 1st half, then good opportunity for stars, Milky Way & Perseids 2nd half. Peaks are not always the best for this sort of thing, but high ridges can be, especially if I can get info on existence of reasonable campsites.
This is filling in now, but I'm happy to hear comments and alternative ideas:
- [Starting July 26 from HI. I have 13 days to get to MTR. Moon/sun data below is for Fresno, so subtract x minutes.]
26th. Clouds Rest (camp at Clouds Rest or just past?). Moon is waxing gibbous. Moonlit valley after sunset. Moonset at 2:42am WSW 248* over valley. Continue on via Sunrise Lakes to reconnect with JMT.
27th. Cathedral Lakes. Moonrise 4:50pm ESE 113*. Sunset 8:10pm WNW 295*. Possible to frame rising moon & Cathedral Peak from lower lake, but peak is a better subject from upper lake. Reflected moon & moonscapes after sunset.
28th. Afternoon-sunset in Tuolumne Meadows. Moonrise at 5:46pm ESE 113*. Night hike under near-full moon to first legal campsite at Young Lakes. Morning on the saddle SE of Ragged Peak. Moonset 4:15am WSW 247*.
29th. [TM resupply] Lyell Canyon. Almost Full Moon (-2d) rising 6:39pm ESE 112*.
30th. Somewhere on or near Donahue Peak north of pass (per Elizabeth Wenk's JMT side trip). Are there reasonable camp locations near (other than on the JMT trail approach)??? Full Moon (-1d) rising 7:30pm ESE (109*; 35 min before sunset), setting 6:24am WSW 252*, 20 min after dawn.
31st. Plan A: Off-trail up to Catherine & Ritter Lakes. Plan B: Thousand Island Lake. Full Moon rising minutes after sunset at 8:16pm ESE (105*), setting after dawn 7:32am WSW 257* to right of Banner/Ritter.
1st. Garnet Lake. Full Moon (+1d) rising 8:59pm W 100*, setting next morning 8:42am W 263*.
2nd. Off-trail west of Garnett Lake over Whitebark Pass to Nydiver Lakes and then loop to west down to Ediza Lake. Almost Full Moon (+2d) rising 9:40pm E 94*, sets next day 9:52am W 269*.
3rd. Off-trail via Iceberg & Cecile Lakes to Minaret Lake. 3/4 Moon rises 10:19pm E 88* (stars over moonlit Minarets). Sets 11:00 am W 274* next day, so will be high over Minarets in late morning.
4th. [Resupply and burger at Red's] Move on and camp at Red Cone area.
5th. Virginia Lake
?
7th. Marie Lake.
8th. MTR cabin & resuply.
11th. Evolution Lake.
10th. Camp near Lake 11393 (S of Helen) along route to Black Giant. 3am up Black Giant.
11th. Palisade Lakes. Sunset 7:55pm WNW 290*. Up for morning Perseids and Crescent Moon rise 4:31am ENE 69*. Sunrise 6:14am ENE 71*.
12th. Lake Marjorie. Early morning Peak Perseids and Almost-New Moon rising 5:27am ENE 71*, 47 min before sun at at 6:14am ENE 71*.
13th. Dollar/Arrowhead Lakes. Peak Perseids. Sunrise 6:15 ENE 71*.
14th. Camp at Charlotte Lake (or flattish area on Bago ascent). New Moon.Sunset 7:50pm. Sunrise 6:16am ENE 72*.
15th. Lake at 12250 on way up to Forester Pass. Almost New Moon sets 8:22pm W 278*, 32 min behind and 10* left of sun. Visible? Sunrise 6:17am ENE 72*.
16th. Bighorn Plateau. Tawny Point. Crescent Moon sets 8:54pm W 273*, 1 hr behind and left of sun. Sunrise 6:18am ENE 73*.
17th. Final night on top of Whitney (weather permitting; else stop at Guitar Lake). Crescent Moon 1.5 hr behind and left of setting sun. Moonset 9:24pm W 268*. Sunrise 6:19am ENE 73*.
[Out Whitney Portal on Aug 20 ]
Your thoughts are very much appreciated!
Other photographers are welcome to gather ideas, just don't grab the single bivy site minutes before I do.