Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 1 of 7

Field Notes

May 29

Day 1: Leaving Lake Tahoe

as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words

Packing for a seven day solo alpine adventure is equal parts exciting and terrifying. I stood in my van that morning running through my checklist one more time, double checking that my camera gear was there, my climbing equipment was secure, and my food was packed properly. There's always this voice in the back of your head that whispers you messed something up or forgot something critical. The truth is, you can only prepare so much. You do your best, check your lists, and then you have to trust yourself and move forward. So I did exactly that. I loaded up the van, grabbed some food from town, filled the tank with gas, and pointed myself toward Mount Lassen.

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The drive from Lake Tahoe to Lassen is long. Really long. Hours of road stretched out in front of me and I knew I needed to make the most of that time mentally. Good podcasts and music became my companions for the road. There's something powerful about driving alone for hours. Your mind wanders. You process things. You think about the project ahead, the brands you're working with, what you want to capture, and honestly, whether you're ready for it. I stopped a few times to stretch, grab coffee, and take a few phone calls. I wasn't trying to photograph everything I saw on that drive. The goal wasn't to slow down and hunt for shots. Instead, I focused on bringing people along for the ride itself. A few phone selfies here and there, some behind the scenes moments of the van and the road, simple stuff I could share on Instagram and LinkedIn to show folks what this journey actually looked like.

Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:

Sony a7r4
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Tripod
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
GoPro 13

I didn't make it all the way to Lassen on day one. The drive was longer than I expected and I wanted to arrive rested and ready. So I found some public land off the highway, pulled over, and slept under the stars. It was quiet and simple and exactly what I needed. When I woke up the next morning, fog rolled thick across the landscape. It wasn't the clear alpine morning I was hoping for. The light was flat and gray and honestly, kind of depressing. But that's adventure. You don't always get perfect conditions. You work with what you have and you make the most of it.