My Hike, My Rules
My wife, daughter, and I were in Lisbon recently where I was reminded of a rule mine I had forgotten. It’s a rule I made up while living in the desert southwest of the US and was hiking around the Colorado plateau a lot. The rule is pretty simple: if you are on an out-and-back hike (versus a point-to-point or loop hike) don’t look behind you. My theory is that if you intentionally miss 50 percent of the hike out by not looking behind you, then everything in front of you on the way back is “fresh” and the return hike is practically a new experience. Ok, I know you don’t miss 50 percent of the views, but it works for me.
I made up the rule while hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park. I was taking some friends through and told them not to look back as we made our way up canyon. I promised they would get all of those missed views back as we made our way downstream to the trailhead. It’s also a good way to distract yourself from the aches and pains at the end of a long day. So what’s the tie into photography?
My Rules, My Tools
Personally, I use the rule to focus on enjoying and taking in what’s in front of me. It helps me not get distracted by the awe of a place when my focus is on trying to “see” like a photographer. I try to pay more attention to the detail in front of me and make sure I don’t miss the photograph moments I’d miss if my eyes were wondering all around me.
What reminded me of the rule in Lisbon was a great view of a plaza looking down a narrow street from a staircase. My wife and I, with our daughter riding in the carrier on my back, were retracing our steps en route to out next stop. As we rounded a corner, we were greeted by the view I just described. We would have seen it had we decided to look behind us on our way up the hill. As I was huffing and puffing up hill carrying a 25 pound toddler, I kept my eyes forward knowing we’d be coming back this way soon. My rule didn’t let me down.
My rule has a few drawbacks that I try to be aware of. Depending on how long the walk or hike is, you can miss out on some great light that won’t be there when you return. That’s especially true in canyons as some of the best light is what is reflected off the canyon walls. What is reflected in the morning will almost certainly not be reflected in the afternoon. For times like these, I make sure I follow my other rule: the “don’t-forget-to-look-behind-you” rule.
