About the Photo #5: Alone on the Summit of Whiteface Mountain
It was race weekend for the 2018 Whiteface Sky Races. Saturday begins with a Vertical K taking athletes directly up Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks of New York. Runners begin at the lodge and climb 3,300 feet in 2.4 miles to the top! The following day has runners make their way up the mountain twice in an epic 15 mile race with over 8,000 feet of gain. These races have been going on since 2015 and are put on by Red Newt Racing.
Each year we camp out for a few days with the MPF RNR Team and either volunteer or we join in the fun and challenge ourselves by pushing our physical and mental limits on one of the more challenging mountains on the east coast.
I am usually there to capture the action and this year was no different. Jay Lemos and I headed up the mountain before race start to try to get half way up before the front runners. We barely made it before being caught by Lee Berube who finished completed the VK in an astonishing 35:51! (race results) I would then follow runners the rest of the way trying to capture them in all their glory and suffering... You can see more photos and videos from the weekend by clicking here.
After everyone makes it to the top and crosses the line at the Top Station Ski Patrol, we scramble up another 400+ feet to the true summit of Whiteface Mountain that stands at 4,867 feet. The top of Whiteface is awesome and if your lucky enough, you are treated to amazing views of the Adirondacks.
I was taking pictures of the group jumping from boulder to boulder has they made their way to the Whiteface Mountain sign. I looked back to see Jay slowly making his way to the edge. He stopped to take it all in. The wind picked up as he closed his eyes and for a moment it was just him standing alone atop of one of the iconic mountains in the ADK.
There were hundreds of people on the summit on this particular day. Granted there is a road that you can drive up, which is what 95% of the people that were there did.
Camera & Settings
Photo by Joe Azze
Camera - Olympus E-M1 Mark II
Lens - Olympus M 12-40 F2.8
Settings - ISO - 200, F/9, 1/640 sec
Focal Range - 32mm
File & Editing - Raw edited in Lightroom Mobile