hiking – Page 5 – Michael Rappa

Letchworth: The Panoramas

October 5, 2015February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

Here are a few panoramas taken during my visit to Letchworth State Park in New York last month. Click on any photo for a larger view.

This shot of the Big Bend in the Genesee River gives you a sense of why Letchworth is often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East.”

This one features the Middle Falls dropping down into the gorge.

This final one was taken at ground level down in the gorge, at the site of the lost town of St. Helena.

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Letchworth Footbridge Trail

October 1, 2015February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

This photo, taken along the Footbridge Trail in New York’s Letchworth State Park, offers a view of the Lower Falls in the distance while looking back toward the steps we had just descended on our way to the stone footbridge. The footbridge is the only place you can cross the Genesee River in the entirety of the 17-mile long park.

Date: 9/9/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: The Middle Falls in Letchworth

September 22, 2015February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

We visited Letchworth State Park in Upstate New York earlier this month, often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East” because of the massive gorge that runs through the park. I highly recommend a visit; it’s easy to see why it was voted the #1 State Park in the country. It’s full of scenic beauty and not as touristy as some other parks. And if you go off season as we did, you practically have the park to yourself. We only stayed for two days but you could easily spend a week there hiking its 66 miles of trails.

This is a side view of the Middle Falls, one of the park’s main attractions.

Date: 9/8/2015
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Livin’ on the Edge

July 16, 2015February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa1 Comment

This is where we stayed on our final night on the Inca Trail. Our tents were so close to the edge of the cliff, in fact, that at one point, as I was walking behind someone who was getting something out of his tent, had he decided to back out of his tent at that moment, he would have sent me flying over the edge.

It was an amazing way to end three days of arduous hiking before beginning the final leg to Machu Picchu in the morning. Sleeping on the edge of that mountain is an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m eternally grateful to our guides and porters for staking out this prime real estate for our group.

Date: 8/26/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Grazing Along the Inca Trail

July 7, 2015February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa4 Comments

Here’s a photo of some donkeys grazing up high in the mountains, shot during the first day of my Inca Trail hike. Every time I look back on these photos I’m thankful that I decided to do the hike–there’s so much beauty along the Inca Trail that I would have missed had I chosen to take the train straight to Machu Picchu.

Date: 8/24/2012
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ40
Click for larger view

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Patallacta on the Inca Trail

June 13, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

Patallacta was the first big Inca ruin site we came across as we hiked the Inca Trail. This photo was taken from a plateau at the top of our first moderate ascent on Day 1. Unfortunately, the classic Inca Trail does not pass close enough to these ruins for a visit, but there is an alternate five-day hike during which you can camp nearby and visit the site.

You can view more featured photos at my Photo of the Day Collection.

Photo of the Day: Canal Bridge

April 17, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

This is one of my favorite photos from last year’s hike of the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Princeton. Actually, this bridge might not be technically located in Princeton, but that’s the city in which I began the hike. If you live in the area, the canal is well worth a visit, whether you want to hike it or venture out in a canoe.

Date: August, 2013
Camera: Nikon D5100
Click for larger view

Photo of the Day: Secret Waterfall

March 18, 2014February 18, 2018 Michael RappaLeave a comment

In April of 2010 we headed up to the Poconos in Pennsylvania for a long weekend. We stayed near Hickory Run State Park, primarily to see its famous boulder field. However, the highlight of the trip was our hike of the Hawk Falls trail. We arrived too early in the year to see the rhododendrons in bloom, but at the end of the trail we were treated to this gorgeous 25-foot waterfall, seemingly hidden away from humanity, as if it was our own private discovery. We stayed there for a good while just enjoying the serenity, nary another soul in sight.

So it’s not really a secret waterfall, but it felt that way.

Date: 4/30/2010
Camera: Panasonic DMC-FX8 pocket point-and-shoot
Click for larger view

Birds of Cape May

October 9, 2013February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa5 Comments

Anyone who has spent much time in Cape May, NJ knows that it is a great spot for bird watching, particularly along the various nature trails. I’ve hiked the trails in the past, but not with a camera like my Nikon D5100, which is capable of capturing in-motion shots I had never before dreamed possible. I love this camera.

Here are a few of my favorite bird photos from our trip to Cape May a couple of weeks ago. You can click on any image to see a bigger version.

Cape May: Our Home Away from Home

Hiking the D&R Canal

August 25, 2013February 18, 2018 Michael Rappa2 Comments

Last weekend my wife and I went for a late afternoon hike along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Princeton. Despite living in this area for almost 15 years, this was our first ever visit–we didn’t know what we had been missing. The canal trail is filled with beautiful scenery along the water, interesting animal and plant life, and pretty nature trails off the main path. It is a very popular canoeing destination, with rentals available near the entrance where we parked. I think we’ll try one of those on our next visit.

For photography, going near the end of the day was a perfect time. There are fewer people on the trails and fewer canoes in the water, making for some gorgeous reflections on the canal and great photo opportunities in general.

Here are a few of my favorite shots, all taken with my Nikon D5100 using a Sigma 18-250mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM zoom lens, which has proven to be incredibly versatile for everything from macros to wide angles and telephoto shots. I have been very pleased with the performance of this lens, and since I am not a professional photographer concerned with optimum quality, I may never need to change my lens again.

For these photos I decided to abandon the safety of the automatic modes and shoot almost exclusively in Aperture Priority, which is still a learning process for me (though a few of the macro photos were shot in the auto macro mode). Click on any image to view a larger version.

And one final shot, a panorama. I really miss the “panorama assist” function of my old camera, but this one didn’t come out too badly for shooting it manually.