Today I head for home.
Everyone else is going to meet at 8:30 as they head West for Telluride, but I head East for Colorado Springs. I didn't bother setting an alarm and hoped I might sleep in for a while, but I woke up at 6:00 and couldn't go back to sleep. So I might as well hit the road.
I was up, dressed, packed, and loaded by 6:25.
Last night I contemplated 3 possible routes. First was back over Cottonwood pass (4 time over in 6 days). Second was Monarch Pass to highway 50. Third was South to Saguache and the San Louis valley, then over Poncha Pass to highway 50.
I finally chose Monarch pass because if I go highway 50 it was going to get hot and I wanted to get through it as early as possible.
I grabbed a drive through breakfast as McD's, then headed East up the highway.
Traffic was pretty light so I only had to pass 1 or 2 cars. It was a chilly 60 at the bottom of the pass and only dropped to 52 at the top.
I've taken sooooooo many photos and videos that I figured I wouldn't take any today, and didn't even bother getting the cameras out. But I couldn't resist yet another photo by the Monarch pass sign.
I was half way down highway 50 before I realized it was silly to deliberately avoid taking pictures, so I pulled into a picnic area and got the cameras out. I also took a few pics by the Arkansas river and even changed my facebook profile pic.
With the cameras out, I got some video of the winding ride along the river.
Then as I got close to Cañon City I decided I should ride up Skyline Drive and even break out the drone and try some of the cool features that I've never had the nerve to try.
Using my helmet cam, I grabbed some of the ride, then on top I took a drone shots with the bike stationary. Then it was time for the challenging stuff.
I switched batteries so I'd have the maximum amount of time. I launched the drone, positioned the drone back and up a ways, selected Active Track mode selected the motorcycle and hit GO. Then I hopped on the bike and slowly drove up the road.
IT WAS WORKING!! The drone was following but very slowly. I could see it in my rearview mirror and it was even adjusting it's altitude as I went past some trees and rocks. So I rode a few minutes along the road and stopped the bike. I brought the drone over and was just about to land it when I realized it wasn't recording. In the quickshot modes it automatically records, but I guess Active Track doesn't. DOH!!
I landed the drone and switched to my 3rd and last battery. Launch, RECORD, position, active track, select, and go, I started to drive off but the camera wasn't following. It did seem to climb so it could keep me in view, but it was just hovering. It was about this time that another motorcycle came up behind me so I couldn't fiddle with the drone. I just kept driving as my drone fell farther and farther back.
Finally I found a wide spot to pull over and let the motorcycle pass. I grabbed the drone remote and tried to bring it to me but it didn't seem to want to move. I'm not sure what I'd done, but I saw a cancel button and hit it, then the drone would move and I brought it up to me.
Once again I positioned the drone, set active track, selected the bike and hit go. This time the drone followed. I drove to the end of the road, then landed the drone but somehow the drone stopped recording after just 30 seconds. maybe I accidentally hit the record button as the remote bounced around on the end of the lanyard. But I did get a few seconds of it following me.
I recorded the descent with the helmet cam and that was the end of the videos for the day. Mostly because it was already over 90 degrees and I was ready to get home.
I stopped in Penrose for a cold drink in the shade.
The drive up highway 115 is very well known to me. I spent 7 years as a prison service missionary for my church and drove down here 2 times a month. But the road is still fun after all this time.
I was home and enjoying the air conditioning by 12:30
I spent the afternoon putting together a video using what I'd taken for the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment