A quick check in from my first trip up the hill to camp at night. I did this primarily so that I could get some night shots, but also to test the new backpacking gear I just got. Things went well, but I soon wished I had more than a knife on my person. It's not obvious in this video, but just before filming, I discovered that the hill was alive with coyotes. I ran them off with bright lights and noise, but soon after I returned to the tent and filmed, they came back, in more numbers. They never really got close to the camp, but they were traveling on the abandoned dirt road about 70 feet away. I broke camp about 4 am, which wasn't so bad, as I had planned to stay til 5. All in all, not too bad. I will camp again, but you can bet I'll have my snake charmer in my pocket next time.
I came down the hill with a few really good shots of the crescent moon as it set in the west, as well as a few really good shots of the city from high above.
The trip also let me know about how heavy the pack was, and what I could possibly do to lighten the load. Every pound counts to your knees and legs after just a little distance. That first hike will get you over the "everything but the kitchen sink" habit.
My video is at DLive