May 22 2015, Last weekend I took a long backpacking trip with my hiking friends of Outward Bound. We headed north of Phoenix to the Mogollon Rim where we set out on a trail called the Cabin Loop. It was a great trail through some lovely Arizona forests with weather that was far cooler than back in the city. I once hiked this trail on a previous backpacking trip but only for about 9 miles. There was still a lot more of this trail to explore. While I love the outdoors and backpacking, this trip really tested me. Our first day hiking was a breeze. We did about 10 miles with very little effort. However my luck turned that night when the temperatures dropped down very low. It was a miserable night and I got very little sleep. The next morning while everyone else made breakfast, I was feeling tired and nauseous. I couldn’t force myself to eat anything which ended up being a HUGE mistake. To be honest, I’m hardly the most athletic person. I can hike all day on flat terrain but elevation gain in what zaps my energy real quick. For the entire rest of the trail it seemed the path was all up and down hill. It was relentlessly slow progress that was hard on most of us hikers. I tried my best not to complain or slow my companions down but I struggled and despaired at times. It all reminded me of Picketpost Mountain which also challenged me back in March. Finally we reached the end of the 7.5 mile trail and came upon the dirt road leading back to our cars. However the struggle wasn’t over yet. We still had another 5 miles to walk to the parking area. At this point I was a zombie mindlessly walking. One time we stopped to rest but I wouldn’t sit or remove my 35lb backpack. I knew if I took it off, I wouldn’t have the strength to pick it back up. The day was getting darker as thick clouds started to pass overhead. By the time we hit the road’s end, I was finished. The others left to get the cars and agreed to pick me up on the way out. Relieved, I took off my pack and sat on the ground to rest. However the peaceful moment was soon interrupted by small pellets of hail raining down from the clouds above. I was too tired to care. I just sat there exhausted and reflected on how comical it all was. With our legs turned to jello, we left the Cabin Loop and drove home. The others were ecstatic that they had successfully completed the trail but I didn’t share their pride. With the exception of the great pictures I took, I felt this weekend was a personal failure. I vowed the next time I hiked the Cabin Loop, I’d be ready for her. **SIDE NOTE: It’s been three months now since I hiked the Cabin Loop. In that time I’ve started dieting and hitting the gym daily. With the way things are going, I feel confident I’ll perform better on my next backpacking trip.**
Aug 1st 2015, I’ve mentioned my friend Jayarr from Jayarr Customs in a previous blog posts back in March. His Screenprint Service helped create my Lopez Photography shirts and he also invited me to photograph the CRAP RIDE (Car Resistance Action Party) St Patrick's Day Potluck. Well recently he got in touch with me and asked if I could edit together a promo video he and his CRAP friends shot. It was an homage to the opening to the famous CHEERS Tv show. The project sounded fun and easy, so I agreed. I must say, the finished product came out far better than I had anticipated. Find out more about the CRAP Ride group at https://www.facebook.com/craptempe.
Aug 9th 2015, Today I finally set up an Instagram account for Lopez Photography. I’m still pretty new at this sort of social media. Not quite clear on how to bring traffic to my images. But I intend to do some more research into the topic and use this tool to further my business.
