I Bring My Camera With Me: best

Vangaurd Alta Pro-263AT Tripod with GH100 Head

This Tripod has been with me 12,000 feet above sea level and more than 700 feet underground and everywhere in between. It has seen 128 degree weather and -16 degree weather. It has been through snow, mud, rain, and hail. It has been drug against narrow canyon walls, forded streams, and pulled through dense forest. Through all of this, it has performed flawlessly.

Here are some images I have taken while using the tripod.

All in all there is not much more you could want out of a tripod. The only negative aspects that I have encountered are that it is a little heavy (but you get better durability) (and very light weight considering the price), and the second negative thing is that it does not tilt the camera upwards (easily done just by rotating the head 90 degrees to the left).

This tripod offers amazing versatility, stability, and durability for an amazing price.

I will be doing a review video soon where I will show more features and benefits.

Lake Blanche

It is fairly easy to find the trail head. There are lots of descriptions online of how to get there but i just searched for "Lake Blanche" in Google maps on my phone and it led me right to the parking lot. Form the parking lot you follow a paved oath along the river and you see the trail head marker on the right.

Once you start on the path it is almost a straight shot to the lake. As you can see in the picture the hike is only 2.8 miles but with the elevation gain of 2700+ feet, it is a long 2.8 miles. Moving at a quick pace with a few short breaks it took me 1.5 hours to reach the lake.

Although much of the trail is bordered by shrubs and trees there are still some great views looking back down the canyon. The trial is well maintained but there are still some spots where the trail is crowded over by bushes on the sides. The trail also had a lot of insect activity. (bring insect repellent especially for when you reach the lakes)

The trail also has a lot of wildflowers. I did the hike in late July and there is likely to be even more earlier in the year. There was also a lot of wildlife along the trail. I was there early in the morning and that my have been why.

The elevation gain is steady and there are only a few level parts of the trail. Make sure to bring plenty of water for the hike. Just before arriving at the lake you will go through an area that has the names of past visitors from just months ago to a hundred years ago. The destination is just over the ridge from this point. My suggestion is to go early. I left the parking lot at 5:45 and I had the whole trail and lake to myself. The only other people I saw were on their way up as I was hiking back down. The hike back down took me actually more time than the way up. It is hard on the knees going back down because of the constant and quick elevation drop. Another reason to go early is because the side of the canyon that the trail is on was still in the shade when I hiked back down. I would definitely recommend this hike. Although it is strenuous, the destination is well worth it.