Getting Grounded In Taos

2018

It all started in Taos, New Mexico, and when I say “it”, I mean my photography journey. I’ve had a camera at my disposal for a while, taken portraits, photographed events, and even worked in a studio, but the reason I attribute the start of my photography journey to my time in Taos is because it was the first time I could focus on the types of photography I was most interested in: landscape and travel. Thankfully, I was also there for a class so I had my professor and peers to help me learn and grow.

When I first started my studies in college, taking a photography class in the great outdoors was definitely not something I had in mind. That fact was also made pretty evident since I didn’t take the class until the second half of my senior year. However, I am grateful that I did because I started gaining an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world thanks to photography, but I never had the chance to see much of it for myself having grown up in large metropolitan areas like Hong Kong, New York City, and Dallas. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate cities though because I admire architecture and urban design, but being in Taos finally gave me the chance to explore more of nature.

I don’t quite recall the exact day I decided to go on my solo hike up into the forested hills behind our cabin, but I remember having a fantastic time despite my lack of common sense and preparation. It was midafternoon on a rather cool day when all the other guys in my cabin decided it was time to study or do homework, and since I have no idea what those words mean, I thought it would be more educational to simply go on a hike up to a mountain peak that looked close on the map. I hope by now you are able to see my inexperience and begin tallying up my mistakes.

The main driving motivation behind this hike was to go and photograph a sunset at a mountain peak and see the glorious gradient of colors across the sky as the sun went down behind the mountains. On my phone. With absolutely no real plan in mind I just went up the hill behind my cabin and kept walking in the general direction of Picuris Peak. All the way up I was having a great time listening to music straight from my phone, looking at all the trees, and trying to spot animals along the trail, but then the trail decided to split into two different directions, and both were going in the opposite direction of the peak. So, logically, I decided it was time to go straight through the forest and up the side of the ridge, climbing up boulders and tree stumps like the adventurer I aspired to be.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that I did not make it to the mountain peak in time. In fact, I didn’t even make it to the nearest peak, McGaffey Ridge, in time to see the sunset. There were also trees everywhere blocking the view which I am annoyed nobody told me about. By the time I made it to McGaffey Ridge after having climbed over some barbed wire fence, the sun was mostly gone. It was getting dark, sure, but I had a small flashlight they gave us upon starting this class, so I was well equipped. Despite limited cell service, I made a quick call/text to my cabin-mates telling them where I was and that I was (very) lost and if they could just find a way to drive up here and pick me up, that would be very much appreciated.

With my phone nearly out of battery, the darkness creeping, and my panic slowly growing, I decided it was time to start my descent because I was likely unable to be rescued. One smart thing I did do in hindsight was download an offline map of the whole town we were in onto Google Maps. Using my smartphone I navigated my dumb self to the nearest dirt road and began my trek down. However, halfway down, the road ended and led to a grass field, my favorite. Thanks to the darkness, I was now most definitely lost. I was able to point myself to the direction of the nearest road when my phone tragically died. What a time to be alive.

Walking quickly through the forest with my keychain flashlight while enveloped in darkness was actually quite therapeutic. It was nice to be able to look up and see all the stars and constellations since there was no light pollution from buildings or cars. As it got colder, I was glad I finally found the road I was seeking, but I couldn’t recall if I should go left or right. At that exact moment, I remembered learning as a child from reading atlases and maps (my literal favorite) that explorers, like myself, used to rely on constellations and stars to navigate and find their way home. Therefore, I was able to find the North Star at the end of the Little Dipper and figure out which way was east and proceed along the road because I knew my campus was northeast of me. Who knew reading books was useful?

As I advanced quickly along the road with triumphant superhero music playing in my head, I began to hear cars passing by in the distance. That sound was rather welcoming because it meant I was headed towards the state highway instead of deeper into the forest. Upon reaching the highway, I was able to resurrect my phone and contact someone, but cell service was still rather limited. I was able to tell him that I was on the highway and just fine and was notified that they will be looking for me in a car, so I kept moving north to meet them along the way. Upon being rescued, my cabin-mate said “see any elk?” The two ladies in charge who came to find me were, unfortunately, not amused.

Upon returning to our campus, I was ushered into the main building and told to sit in a classroom for a meeting. I had made the poor choice of upsetting the head of security and campus director and was told that they had to contact local police and state troopers and possibly initiate a search and rescue operation to see if I was alive. Despite knowing I was at fault I just could not stop smiling the whole time because I had an amazing hike and was just so glad to be back, which did not help my case one bit.

My mates back at my cabin were happy to see me again and thought I was absolutely ridiculous, which I took as a compliment. One of them told me that one of the ladies asked if they would have considered me the “outdoor” type or if I was an Eagle Scout in order to assess my chances of survival. To my dismay, they said “not quite”. However, what they didn’t know is I went camping one time when I was a cub scout and pretty much learned all there was to know about how to survive in the great outdoors through that traumatic childhood experience. And that was before the iPhone.

Despite being handed a curfew, barred from leaving the perimeter without permission, and required to notify someone of everywhere I was going, I would say the rest of my time there was still very enjoyable. Unfortunately, I don’t find all rules worth following so I made a few more getaways which allowed me to take the photos above. This whole two week experience really shaped a lot of my interests today as I continue to get lost on hikes and make less than smart decisions. However, it’s all worth it for the opportunity to capture the majestic landscapes of the world. Don’t forget, there’s a whole world out there. Let’s go and see it.