After four years I have finally visited a place that has been taunting me for all of my college career.

From Geneva College this vantage point is a rock face far in the distance. In reality it is only a few miles away. I have been wanting to visit this site for quite a while, knowing that it would give an excellent view of Beaver Falls and the river. Jeff and I sure weren't disappointed about the results, this overlook provided a nearly perfect viewpoint!  The difficulty, and fun, came in getting there.

The problem came from having to hike to and from this site in the dark. The fact that Jeff and I forgot to pack flashlights didn't help. We made the hike up at late dusk, so we could see fairly well on the way there, but coming back was much scarier. A steep decent into a tall and cramped ravine, a cross over a creek, and a high climb over loose rocks and dirt up to the rock outcropping were all much more difficult at 11:30 p.m. in complete darkness with lots of camera gear. Our phones provided just enough light to avoid obstacles before we did any face plants.

Its difficult to decide how you intend to throw yourself to the ground if you slip going down an especially steep section of trail. The choice comes of whether or not to sacrifice one's body for one's camera equipment. It is a tough, agonizing choice, one that basically becomes a cost-benefit analysis. The camera equipment inevitably wins out. Healing is cheaper.

But all of this just sweetened the deal and made it a great adventure. To top it all off, it was an absolutely beautiful, clear, and warm night. 

I had two cameras going, the Sony A7 with a super wide 14mm and the Nikon D600 switching between a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm. All exposures were 25-30 seconds.

Originally we were hoping to do some stair trail images, but there turned out to be an incredible amount of light from the city hitting these rocks, so that just wasn't possible.

Overall it was nice to get out, relax, and enjoy the outdoors a bit while capturing a great view. I hope you enjoy the images. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy one in particular, or if you've had any similar experiences.