The mornings are getting colder here in NW Montana. We’re in that interesting time of year when it’s almost freezing in the morning and then you get a nice 30-40 degree temperature swing throughout the rest of the day. It’s interesting to dress for, especially if you’re doing any kind of activity outside. But more interestingly it means the landscape is starting to change. Leaves are turning in the trees and the greens of the forest have given way to hues of gold as the grasses have long since given up in the heat of summer and leaves are starting to turn in preparation for winter.
The crew loaded up and headed out to a local trail system in what are known as the Spencer Mountains. The name sounds much more alluring than it actually is. The Spencer Mountains are more like the Spencer hills. But nevertheless there’s a nice network of trails that runs through some pleasant second growth forest. The south side of the trail system is especially nice because it’s not that heavily trafficked either by bikers or hikers. Bikers tend to prefer the North section of the trails because it’s better MTB terrain, and I’m not sure why more people don’t walk in the southern section of trails. But I’ll take it. It’s one of the few accessible places in the Flathead that still feels like what walking in Montana used to feel like. But that’s a rant for another day.
I grabbed the Leica and the trusty old Zeiss 50/2. I hadn’t shot the Zeiss in a while since I’d either been shooting the Leica Elmar or just shooting the 6D instead of the Leica. As you might expect from that combo, the results are perfectly great. The files out of the Leica are lovely and the Zeiss Planar is a wonderful lens to work with. I set up the 6D with the 50/1.8 for Jess. She ended up not liking the 50 that much. She said that it felt too restrictive. Most of her photography experience has been on cameras with 35s so it makes sense that the 50 would feel a bit too tight. All in all though it was a good time and a good walk. Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoyed the photos
