Day 2: Wheeler Peak and Night Sky Photos
Wheeler Peak
On Friday, October 13, 2023, Heidi and I hiked Wheeler Peak, my first 13er! Standing at 13,065 feet, it’s the second-highest peak in Nevada. The 8.2-mile out-and-back trail starts in a forested area, winds through alpine meadows, and climbs steadily through steep, rocky terrain. At the summit, hikers are rewarded with panoramic views of Great Basin National Park, surrounding valleys, and distant peaks.
We left our Airbnb at 6:15am, arrived at the trailhead around 6:45am.
Since the hike takes a good amount of time, I highly recommend bringing plenty of snacks and water. I used my usual Gregory Jade 28 Pack and a 3-liter Camelbak, though I ended up drinking only about 1.5 liters. For snacks, we packed tortillas with hummus and deli meat, Clif bars, Clif Blocks, Dot’s Pretzels, and trail mix.
For clothing, I wore a sports bra, baselayer long-sleeved shirt, a lightweight long-sleeved shirt over that, my Patagonia jacket, a hat, and gloves. I didn’t wear the gloves the entire time, but they were helpful to have.
I usually hike in Salomon Speedcross 5 trail runners, but for this hike, I purchased La Sportiva hiking boots. They are lightweight, very comfortable, and better suited for snowy conditions, which I anticipated near the summit. I also brought the ICEtrekkers Diamond Grip Traction System from REI for extra grip in the snow. However, the snow was light enough that I opted not to use them. In hindsight, I should have, as I slipped a couple of times on the way down.
One thing I chose not to bring on the hike was my Canon R6 camera. On its own, the camera weighs about 1.5 lbs, which isn’t too bad. But, I usually pair it with my 15-35mm f/2.8 lens, which brings the total weight to closer to 3.5 lbs. I normally carry it using a Cotton Carrier Harness, which helps distribute the weight and relieve pressure from my neck and shoulders. However, since this was my first high-elevation hike and I expected possible snowy conditions near the summit, I decided it was safer to leave the camera at the Airbnb and avoid the extra weight and the risk of damaging it if I fell, (which I did).
Instead, for this part of the trip, I just used my trusty Google Pixel 6 for photos, and Heidi shared with me photos she captured on her iPhone.
It was definitely a mentally challenging hike, especially with it being my first higher elevation hike. As we gained elevation, I moved at a slower pace, needing extra time to acclimate. With the slower pace, I started questioning my fitness level and whether I’d actually make it to the top. I’m so grateful I pushed through. It was a tough but incredibly rewarding experience, and the views from the summit were absolutely worth it. We completed the 2,684-foot climb in about 6.5 hours.
We got back to the car around 3pm and returned to the Airbnb to relax for the rest of the day.
Night Sky Photos from the Airbnb
That evening, I went out to capture some night sky photos around the property. I was so happy with how they turned out!
When I take photos at night, I use my Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 lens and shoot in RAW (in fact, I always do!), which preserves all the image data captured by the camera and allows for greater flexibility and detail during editing. For post-processing, I used a mix of Adobe Lightroom and Topaz Denoise to enhance the images and reduce noise.
I used the following settings for the night sky photos:
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter speed: 30 seconds
ISO: 6400
I recommend starting with these settings and adjusting based on your location and light conditions.
