Parfreys Glen was the first ever state designated natural preserve in Wisconsin. It was also once owned by an Englishman and was another place I wanted to visit this past weekend. We visited it last fall on our photography weekend, but by the time we got there, the small parking lot was full and there were cars parked on either side of the road from visitors. As a result we never stopped, figuring it would be too crowded for photography.
This time I set out at 5:30am determined to be there before anyone else. Well that worked as I arrived at the empty parting lot by 5:40am... and there I sat until almost 6:30am! It was just too dark to see anything and given I had never been into Parfreys Glen before, I figured I\'d wait until a little pre-dawn light appeared.
Once I had dim light I was off down the trail, just able to make out the path ahead. The early bird and all that. It was pretty cold and I had no gloves with me, but this is what photography is about. Being outdoors at insane-a-hour in the dim light... I tell myself!
Eventually the trail ends. They gave up trying to maintain the trail due to the glen flooding quite often and reversing the efforts, so it soon turns into a stumble up a river bed full of rocks and eventually boulders - I think them giving up on preserving walkways is probably a good thing. Walkways and hand rails would ruin this place.
At this point I stumbled. No harm done, but I made a sound to which something that was watching me made a loud screech. I have no idea what it was, but it sounded large. Maybe a coyote. It for sure knew I was there, stumbling in the dim light!
Eventually images began appearing, it was worth the climb, the next day the boys benefited from my pre-dawn explorations with a couple of hours on this parkour course.
Of course, by the time we left that next day, it was nearly 10am, and again, the parking lot was full, cars parked along the verge and the glen was full with people and cameras... and low contrast dappled light!
