Friday, October 26, 2007

Still Photography

One of the miracles of still photography is the shutter speed. Events that are rapidly changing can be frozen in time by a shutter capable of capturing a moment measured in 100ths of a second. My appreciation for such technology is enhanced because along with freezing a moment in time it also is able to capture me and you, the viewer, are unable to see the shaking of my knees.


Oh sure, I look like the I'm perfectly composed and comfortable in my rappelling stance (nearly text book don't you think?) but even as the picture is being taken a number of thoughts, none of them terribly reassuring, rush through my mind.


  • "I weigh more, at least 80 lbs. more, than anyone else who has already gone down this rope"

  • That webbing looks just a little bit weather-worn - perhaps it should have been replaced before I leaned backwards"

  • "What is the tensil strength of that quicklink again?"

  • "So when we pull the rope at the bottom there's no way out but down, right?"

  • "What brand is this rope?"

  • "Kristina, does this harness make my butt look fat?"

I did get better as we proceeded through Mystery Canyon and by the time we hit the Grotto rapell I was having a ball.

All of this was on a trip with our friends the Barney's down to Zion's back at the end of June. I'm hooked. We had a ball. We did Mystery the first day, Subway the second (everyone but McKay) and we ended with the whole family (except Nathan and McKay) doing Pincreek on the third day. It was, as our friend Todd described it, "a high octane" trip and it was a ball!

On Subway



The Pincreek 12




Paula - On Rappel - Pinecreek

The Barney's - Mystery Canyon

Beautiful - And the scenery isn't bad either - Subway

Danny - On Belay in Pinecreek

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