PedalPalooza was over, but I wanted to keep the fun going. Apparently about 20 people were on the same wavelength as me! We all met up at Frazer Park at 6 PM, then departed after 6:30 for a quick three mile ride up to (you guessed it) Cully Park. We just missed the sunset by a second, the risk this time of year with earlier and earlier sunsets. But the full moon rise! It was beautiful.
This ride is probably the last organized Sunset/Moonrise of the year. There is a chance that the weather might be nice enough for October’s full moon on the 20th. And if it is, I’ll lead a ride. But after that, Daylight Savings ends meaning sunsets are at or before 5 PM until later February. That, combined with the heightened possibilities of rain and cold, mean that Sunset/Moonrise Rides will be solo affairs for me if they happen at all.
And I don’t mind doing it solo. One thing that has been lacking is the “astrophotography” part of the ride. Oh yeah, I bring the Minolta SR-T 101 with an 80-200 zoom lens (and teleconverter) plus tripod and cable release. But it’s hard to concentrate on it when there’s anywhere from 20-100 people around you, especially if one or two of them are talking in your ear while you’re trying to concentrate. Because of this, I haven’t gotten any great moon shots this year. And I’d like to at least try before the year is up! At least I get some good pictures of people…
For photos from the ride, check out the dynamic flickr album below or click here.
Urban Adventure League 