A few weeks ago I took a few days off with the plan to head out to Guadalupe Mountains National Park for some camping and hiking. The forecast looked slightly windy, but I decided to give a go anyway. When I got there, the Ranger suggested staking my tent, but not standing until I was ready to be inside due to the gusty winds. I staked the tent and started on the hike to Devil's Hall.
Devil's Hall is an out and back hike that leads to a slot canyon. A portion of the trail follows a wash and requires some scrambling up several large boulders. I figured this would be an opportunity to try out my new camera. Before the trip I had decided I wanted to get a smaller and lighter medium format camera. I picked up a Voightlander Perkeo II. I camera made in the 50's with a folding bellows which makes it incredibly compact. The shots with that camera are in black and white.
That night the wind gusted and I woke up a few times, but I made it through the night. When I woke up I noticed that my neighbors had already packed it in. I decided to head to the other side of the park and visit the sand dunes. It was windy and dusty, but it actually got worse on the way out. I made it back to the campsite and it was continuing to gust. The Park Ranger said there were chances of 90 MPH gusts through the afternoon and night. I decided to pack it in myself.
I was a little disappointed with the early departure, but I ended up detouring through several smaller towns and managed to find a few cool old abandoned buildings.