So This Is The New Year

Although I haven't been posting, I have been shooting a decent amount over the past year.  I sold some prints, invested in a new micro 4/3rds camera (Olympus E-PL5), and it needed to be warranteed 3 times in as many months.  So after writing a bunch of bad reviews and angry emails, I turned back to my trusty Ansco Speedex.  I carried this folder camera on most of my backpacking trips and shot 20+ rolls of 120 film.  Now I just need to scan it all...In the meantime, enjoy a few that I have.  These have all been shot on Fuji Velvia 100 and scanned with my Epson flatbed.

-Tyler

 Ten Lakes, Yosemite National Park 2014 ©Tyler Gates 2015

 Grant Lake, Yosemite National Park 2014 ©Tyler Gates 2015

Looking south across Yosemite National Park 2014 ©Tyler Gates 2015

Hello there

I'm not even going to say that I'm going to try to start posting here again, but I'll say that I hope that I start posting here again.  I'm completely camera-less these days, less my 1950 medium format folder, so I don't have much motivation in that front.  I did develop a bunch of old film from that camera recently, and I might buy some more to keep it up.  In the mean time, here are some of those shots.

Also, I'm currently accepting digital camera donations if you're feeling generous.

If anyone ever checks this, thanks.

Laters

Backcountry, The Only Way to Travel

Just a little over a year ago I had a friend of mine invite me on a backcountry hut ski trip.  At this point I only had a vague idea of how an AT setup worked.  I did, however, have almost 20 years of skiing experience, unfortunately this was East Coast, inbounds, mostly groomer skiing experience.  Obviously the best way to learn was to do it with a 40+ pound pack of gear on my back!  So I rented an AT setup, and was off to Keith's Hut in B.C., Canada.  After that trip I was hooked and began tirelessly scouring the internet for a cheap used AT rig.  A year later and I'm still doing whatever I can to avoid getting on a lift.

Here are a few shots from skiing this past holiday season.

Enjoy
-Tyler
www.GoodLifePhotography.com

 Esteban getting in deep new Kendall Stump

Snoqualmie Pass, WA

 Another great air by Boon

Same area as above

 Whitey skiing near the Blueberry Chutes

Herman Saddle, WA

Life Update

Oh how the time flies.  As usual, photography has been on the back burner while life keeps chugging a long.  The last 6 or 7 months have been some crazy ones, involving probably the most aggressive weekend warrioring(?) I have ever been a part of.  I don't think that I've taken more than 4 of 5 days off at a time but have fit in so much rock climbing, skiing, and general traveling in that I can't even remember everything that I've done.  August, September and October offered up many clear nights under the stars and even more days on rock in the sun.  Then, when the Northwest got hit by a huge storm system in the last week of October, I promptly switched to backcountry skiing (OCTOBER!).  November and December offered up the deepest skiing of my life, with so many unforgettable runs, I couldn't possibly list them all here.  In January the sun came out and we got into some ski mountaineering and ripped plenty of groomers.  The clear dry weather continued into February and encouraged a couple of spectacular winter bouldering days.  Now as February comes to a close the storms are back, and it feels like it's winter in the PNW all over again.  There's almost 2 feet of fresh snow in the mountains, and it's time to break out the fat skis again!  There are few things I would change to make this life better.

This post should be followed by some photography postings.  I've been enjoying the simplicity of shooting with my little point and shoot, but I have been really missing the quality of shooting with a DSLR.  Anyone want to donate a new camera?

Waiting for the snow to soften up on the Muir Snowfield

 Mt Rainier, WA Jan 2013

Our Wonderful Rain Forest

The rain forests of the Pacific Northwest never cease to amaze me. I hope you enjoy these shots from the forest in the Hoh River Valley.

-Tyler

 

Joffre Peak, BC

Do you remember my first backcountry ski trip? Because I'll certainly never forget it.  The terrain around Keith's Hut is some of the coolest easy access alpine terrain that I've ever seen!

Mt Hood

I recently had the pleasure of climbing my first volcano here in the Pacific Northwest.  I had a few days off around the 4th of July and decided that I had to do something great.  I jumped on board with a few friends that were planning to climb and ski Mt Hood, and then do the same on Mt Adams.  Unfortunately I only had enough time off to do Mt Hood.  It was very odd to start from a ski resort parking lot and pass snow cats building jumps at 4am, but the climb was amazing.  And I have to admit the feeling of skiing groomers past kids and families with my climbing pack on my back felt pretty good.  Mt Hood had no fall zones, fairly steep snow, a knife ridge, and a beautiful summit view, I couldn't have asked for more.  Here's another one from the Point and Shoot, the night before the summit bid.

Enjoy.