AT Photo Regulations

[map man]

There are so many things we're never told before we start hiking the AT. For instance, by looking at many, many trail photos here at WhiteBlaze, and also at Trailjournals, I've been able to decipther several unwritten rules involving taking photos on the AT. I'm going to put them in writing here, for the first time, as a service to WhiteBlaze members.

1) Certain landmarks must be photographed and must include you in the shot:

A) The plaque imbedded in the rock on Springer -- at least one hiker must be sitting on the rock.

B) You standing under the "welcome" arch in Damascus.

C) You standing on McAfee Knob -- the photo must be taken from the same angle everyone always takes it from, but this much variation is allowed: it's up to you how close you want to stand to the edge.

D) You standing in front of ATC HQ in Harpers Ferry.

E) You and a half gallon of ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace State Park -- you can have the ice cream appear as attractive as you like in this shot, but YOU must look like you never want to eat ice cream again.

F) You on top of Mount Washington -- there must be enough wind that your clothes are flapping and you must be holding on to your hat with both hands (if you don't normally wear a hat you must procure one for this shot) -- if the wind isn't blowing that hard, you must wait there until it is -- don't worry, you won't have to wait long.

G) You and the sign on Katahdin -- several variations are required: at least one of just you; at least one of you and your hiking comanions; at least one of every thru-hiker (and ONLY THRU-HIKERS) on Katahdin at the time; at least one of everyone who happened to be in the park that day.

Other photos that must be taken:

2) All privies without walls must be photographed.

3) All signs at state borders -- the shot must be taken in such a way that it will have great sentimental value to you, but will appear really boring to anyone else -- this won't be hard.

4) Hostels must be photographed in such a way that they look like unattractive shacks.

5) Restaurant food must be photographed -- it must appear really awful in proportion to how good it tasted at the time.

6) Shot of yourself taken while holding the camera at arm's length -- anything else interesting in these photos, like scenery, is optional -- afterall, YOU are a really fascinating photo subject -- take lots of these.

7) Your bare feet -- these shots need only be taken if you have really big blisters; and/or they are bleeding; and/or toenails are badly damaged and/or in the process of falling off.

8) Hikers trudging through the snow in the southern Appalachians -- must look like Napolean's troops retreating from Moscow -- wearing bloody rags tied around your feet instead of footware helps achieve this effect.

9) All bears must be photographed -- the only shots you are allowed to take, though, are of the bear's rear end as it is running away -- also, these shots MUST BE BLURRY -- no exceptions.

10) Finally, the most important rule: ALL SNAKES MUST BE PHOTOGRAPHED -- it doesn't matter that every rattlesnake near the trail in Pennsylvania has already been photographed more often than the Grand Canyon -- THEY MUST BE PHOTOGRAPHED.

If any WhiteBlaze members can think of any rules I've overlooked, please post them here.

[TJ aka Teej]

11) Steve the Ferryman and his canoe
12) Katahdin from Abol Bridge.
13) Your first moose

[StarLyte]

HA HA verrrrry well stated Map Man and TJ !!!

[The Old Fhart]

The biggest regret most hikers have is not taking lots of photos of their fellow hikers.

[Jack Tarlin]

Excellent list, you pretty much covered it. I'd add these perennial shots:

*You and your friends convulsed in laughter next to the Trail sign that reads
"Chunky Gal Trail!"

*The sign in the laundromat in Hot Springs that reads: "Patrons MUST remain
clothed while using facilities!"

*Miss Janet's House.

*The proprietor of Miss Janet's House.

*Kincora Hostel.

*And it's proprietor.

*Tent city at Trail Days.

*Trail friends at Trail Days; probably blurred shot with red-eyed subjects.

*Humungous Oak tree near Sarver Hollow.

*Another blurry shot, from Shenandoah National Park. This one will be trees,
mostly, with a small black blob in the corner, which you'll INSIST on iden-
tifying as a bear. Nobody will believe you.

*You on July 4th somewhere far from the Trail.

*More shots, perhaps blurry, perhaps not, of you and friends in the Doyle
Hotel.

*Ridiculous picture of you with your arm around Walt Whitman at the Bear
Mt. Zoo.

*Picture of Rob Bird or Tom Levardi in Dalton.

*Weird lighthouse on top of Mt. Greylock.

*The boulders that are spilling into the barroom at the Inn at Long Trail.

*You and friends at Five Olde in Hanover. Again, blurry.

*Cool shots from Moosilauke, Lafayette Ridge, Garfield, Zealand Overlook,
Webster-Jackson cliffs, Mt. Washington, Madison, if you're lucky. Lots of
grey, nasty, miserable shots if you aren't.

*A picture of you doing rude and questionable things on the Cog Railway.

*Lots of pictures of you grinning wildly as you go thru Mahoosuc Notch.

*Pictures of you bleeding and cursing in Mahoosuc Notch after the inevitable
fall.

*A picture if you with Honey and Bear in front of the Cabin.

*Cool shots from Baldpate, Saddleback,Sugarloaf, Avery Peak, Pierce Pond.

*Katahdin from Whitecap.

*Katahdin from edge of Pemadumcook Lake.

*Sunrise, Antler's Campsite

*View of Katahdin, Nesuntabunt Mt.

*View Katahdin, from Daicey Pond.

*View Katahdin, from Katahdin Stream Campground

*Plaque with Governor Baxter's quote, Katahdin Stream Campground

*You in the dark, 5:00 AM, about to start your last day.

*Summit shots. Around fifty of them!

[RITBlake]

GREAT JOB map man. I checked yes for every single one.

[ed bell]

Might have missed it, but how about that first White Blaze? While I'm at it where is the last White Blaze heading North? Any pics?:)

[briarpatch]

here ya go: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12842&c=508

[Skidsteer]

Here's one of Squeaky (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=9705&catid=favorites)literally standing on top of the first blaze(last blaze for him)at the end of his TCCY.

[Rain Man]

If any WhiteBlaze members can think of any rules I've overlooked, please post them here.

Good list. I like it! The main one you left off is that when one posts said photos on WhiteBlaze, one must try to avoid telling the Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why, but expecially the WHEN.

After all, the poster is such an important person, that whether 5 months or 5 years from now, surely everyone who's anyone will know all about each of his posted photos! ~wink~

P.S. Don't we also have to take a photo of the top of someone's head poking out of a sleeping bag? Did you mention rain? Did you mention RAIN? A fording?

Rain:sunMan

.

[Time To Fly 97]

Socks standing up on their own...steaming.
A fox from 10 feet
You, the speck, going up hump mountain (thanks Jack!)
Fresh water muscles caught in Maine ponds
Rusty giving you your first Mohawk
Foliage in Maine - raining leaves
Good friends around a campfire

Happy hiking!

TTF

[Cuffs]

I only know this place from reading TJ and WB, but have seen it listed with 2 different names: The Lemon Squeezer AKA The Widow Maker. (large boulder wedged over the trail as it passes thru rock narrows.

[c.coyle]

Any hammock hanging from any two vertical objects

[uscgretired]

The old tree in the middle of the trail at Bly Gap.

[Dances with Mice]

Y'all forgot the hiker sitting on the lawn outside a Post Office with a resupply box.

[grizzlyadam]

here is a photo of the first white blazes (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12854&catid=member&imageuser=536)heading south on katahdin.

[Footslogger]

I never get tired of seeing pictures like that !!

Ahhhh ...the memories.

'Slogger

[Cuffs]

dont forget the ponies at Greyson Highlands!

[rcli4]

Everyone has a picture at Walasi-yi (sp?) with the caption "The Trail goes right thru the building!!!"

[ShakeyLeggs]

Clingmans Dome from Rocky Top

Mid Point Marker in Pa

Every Stile

And everyones favorite a blurry pic of your boots as you prematurely hit the shutter while fumbling for your camera to get the greatest shot of that bear you just came across.

[mweinstone]

blaze top of max patch

[refreeman]

LOL, great posts

[Tin Man]

I think these could be added:

Delaware Water Gap
Trail magic cooler
Half gallon Ice cream eating celebration
Moon's eye view of the cograilway
Bunch of folks standing around the laundry dressed in rain paints

Hmm. The first one to capture on film the final scoreboard score of a fart baseball game should win a prize (like free chilli for a year).

I bet there are many more...

[DiamondDoug]

I suppose that the year of the thru hike can be determined from hikers' photo galleries depending on whether there is a shot of the "HIKERS YIELD TO TRAFFIC" sign from Sam's Gap. That was a mandatory shot for the three or four years it took for the construction of the new highway there. You can't take a picture of the sign anymore as the construction is done.

Well you can still take a picture of the sign, just not on the AT. It now sits in my office. One of the perks of working for the NC DOT...

[Daniel]

If you carry disposable windup camera's there is the inevitable "up-shorts" shot after you can't quite get a photo of an animal and then drop the wound up camera on the ground.

Or was that just me?

[Kevin A. Boyce]

Not to mention the picture of you and or your buddies lounging at the Appalchian Trail train stop near Pawling....:)

[the_iceman]

You can't lounge at the train stop or the train will really stop to pick you up and the conductor gets really ticked off if you are not planning to board.:D

BTW - This is true.

[Programbo]

I will agree with those who mentioned taking photos of your hiking friends....Normally back in my time I never bothered taking photos of people much and stuck more to shelters and scenery but in this modern age with the internet and places like White Blaze you can get photos of every shelter,view,summit etc anytime you wish to recall those places so the only personal photos you`ll need are of you and your friends etc...But if I may add a personal note...Protect and back up your photos at all cost!!!!...I left all my backpacking trip photos covering all my trips thru the early-late 70`s with my brother when I went in the service in 1978..Well he turned into a little burnout and got evicted from his place and all my photos are lost forver!...Now-A-Days there`s no excuse not to scan and store your photos in a variety of places and on the net

[mountain squid]

Fontana Dam
an orange salamander
Hump Mt steers
Congradulation 1000 miles (not a typo-that is how it was spelled on the rock)
any abandoned structure in the woods, incl that "Blair Witch" one
a whole bunch of Harpers Ferry photos, incl Jefferson Rock
all the monuments in MD
PA corn mazes
that dead mountain in PA
Bear Mt bridge
a bog bridge
your shadow
a mouse hanger
an orange DOC sign
a Moosilauke "step"
3 bears at Stratton Motel
2000 mi.
fording a river in ME
breakfast at Shaw's
a shot that attempts to show how miserable the weather was above treeline
a shot that attempts to show how steep a climb was
a shot of a shelter full of hanging wet clothes
a shot of someone hiking away
distance signs

Aren't digital cameras great...

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[Sleepy the Arab]

1. A shot of a hiker sleeping outdoors.
2. A shot of a hiker passed out in a place that one has ever thought of sleeping.
2a. A shot of several hikers passed out in positions that will ensure they will be sore when they wake up.

[Lone Wolf]

1. A shot of a hiker sleeping outdoors.
2. A shot of a hiker passed out in a place that one has ever thought of sleeping.
2a. A shot of several hikers passed out in positions that will ensure they will be sore when they wake up.

all these shots can be taken during trail days at the toxic waste campground around 6:00 each morning.

[Askus3]

Did anyone mention the plaque of the completion of the AT between Sugarloaf & Spaulding, ME?

The White blaze in Longley's Canoe?

Red White & blue pancakes at Harrison Pierce's place?

Swimming in the nude at ____________?

An interesting and tallest cairn at______________.

A swarm of black flies!!!

A shot of pretty bad bug bites.

The moon's reflection in a lake at ______________.

A photo of the Bear Mtn Zoo resident black bear.

A photo of a bunion on Charlie's Bunion.

A vicious dark cloud.

This is a tough one to get a photo of: A lightning bolt!

[Furlough]

A couple more:
1. Frozen Boots
2. You posing as the hiker on the Hiker Crossing Sign

[Pokey2006]

The original post was too funny!

Don't forget:

1) self portaits of you, bundled up in every single layer in your pack, in your balaclava AND your rain coat, on top of Clingman's Dome.

2) fog/clouds/rain on Roan Mountain. And, while you're at it, shots of Overmountain shelter and the view from Overmountain shelter.

3) you in hot tubs in Hot Springs.

4) Your tent in every single campsite -- next to rivers, streams, on top of mountains, next to shelters, surrounded by woods, etc. etc. (oops, was I the only one taking a picture of my tent every single morning????)

5) looking up at every single fire tower in the north east, starting in New Jersey and getting to the point of being crazy in Vermont. Shot must be at the same angle for every one of the dozen or so towers, so you cannot distinguish one from another.

6) Did I overlook it, or did everyone else forget the number one biggest pic you have to take on the AT: Charlie's Bunion!

[Pokey2006]

Oh, and every single highway crossing....

[Pokey2006]

The Mason-dixon Line!

[MarcnNJ]

How about Upper Goose Pond Cabin??
The PA rocks?? (that never look as bad in a picture)
A deer in Shenandoah??
James River Footbridge??
The sign entering Great Smoky Mountain National park??
Welcome to Maine, the way life should be??

Pokey, I was taking pics of each and every tentsite also.....and if I forgot to take the pic before taking my tent down, I almost would put it back up....I think rain and being in a rush cost me about 5 tentsites on the whole trip that didnt get photographed....

[SalParadise]

lying/standing in the road at 2,000 miles.
was Dragon's Tooth mentioned yet?
Hudson River bridge (wait, maybe you're not allowed to take those anymore)

funny, from the first list, there's a bunch of those shots with the specified setups that I don't have. oh well, guess I'll have to hike it again.

[Jan LiteShoe]

The 2,000-mile sign painted on the road in Maine...

Shuckstack fire tower

"Your Move," the privy

Sitting at a schoolhouse desk near Atkins, VA

Shot of your cook kit with some mess a'bubbling within

[Jan LiteShoe]

Beat me to it, Sal!
;-)

[mountain squid]

I beat both of you to it:D .

See you on the trail,
mt squid

[Another Kevin]

100 Mile Wilderness warning sign

Beaver Brook warning sign

White Mountains alpine zone warning sign

[Rain Man]

Beaver Brook warning sign

This one? Taken on August 16, 2012 near top of Moosilauke.

Rain:sunMan

.

[HikerMom58]

^ AWESOME... all these pics showing up are GREAT!! :)^ This is thread is old but really fun!

[LDog]

This one? Taken on August 16, 2012 near top of Moosilauke.

Taken just a bit down from there


http://youtu.be/-StETlrhczY

[Another Kevin]

Actually, I had in mind this one:
http://4000footers.com/moosilauke%20page%20photo.jpg

[Rightfoot]

A naked hiker on Hike Naked Day

[SunnyWalker]

ha, ha, hee, hee, ho, ho!! How about the hiker on the ground with their head propped up against the pack seemingly asleep?

[Attila]

Moon shots
17766 17767 17768

[Wombat Farm]

LOL pretty spot on map man! :D