My friend Henry and I were driving back from a (very successful) presentation in Reno. Looking around at the wilds surrounding the city while he drove, I said to him, “Whoa, I think I’ll go take pictures of the mountains after you let me off.”

Henry, as most people do when I make these kinds of comments, looked at me like I was nuts. We had just finished a grueling 2 1/2 hour presentation that had required several hours prep beforehand… and I wanted to go wander around taking pictures of hills????

Ignoring his look of incredulity, I told him it was early enough in the afternoon that I could go shoot the sunset.

Henry’s response clearly suggested that someone should consider shooting me and putting me out of my craziness. He was, however, smart enough to suggest several places to go so I wouldn’t just bumble around and fall off a mountain or get eaten by a bear, something he obviously considered a distinct possibility. In any case, he dumped me at the hotel and drove off, shaking his head as he went. I adjourned to my room with all good intentions of losing the jacket and tie for more comfortable clothes, and heading out on Highway 80 towards the Donner Pass to catch the sunset. As usually happens, I made the mistake of looking at my computer “just to do a quick e-mail check.” A good while later I finally left the hotel in downtown Reno, headed for adventure.

Who knew the sun set in Reno at 5:30pm? I guess they do that to encourage more gambling by making the sun go down early. In any case, there I was toodling up Highway 80, realizing that it was close to pitch dark and chasing the sunset was a foregone conclusion. So, to end this sad tale, only two mediocre images from an absolutely gorgeous area with stunning visuals and sunsets.

I guess Henry was right.

November 13, 2010