Pisgah and the Spearfish

I am currently down in Brevard NC putting the new Salsa Spearfish through its paces.  This is an amazing place to ride, photograph and enjoy good local brews.  I feel like I have just found a hidden gem on the east coast.  With miles and miles of forest roads and single track it is definitely a mountain bike playground unlike anything else I have found on the East Coast. 

The Hub, located right at the mouth of the Pisgah on the Davidson River, is an absolutely fantastic base camp.  The shop staff is super friendly, willing to help with digesting the unfathomable amount of riding options.  The shop is fully staffed with bikes and all the kit you could need as well as a cleaning station outside.  Inside they have a  little pub setup where you can grab a nice draft brew from one of the local breweries.  I have made it a practice of stopping post ride and enjoying a nice cold Pisgah Pale Ale.

The Fish, well what can I say, truly a home run by Salsa.  This is one of the nicest and most fun bikes I have ever ridden.  It climbs like a billy goat and flies down the single track in effortless fasion.  I am super stoked to be taking this bike to Arizona for the Coconino Loop in a couple of weeks.  There is no doubt that it will make for a fantastic bikepacking experience.  Loads of travel when necessary and yet rigid enough to make the flats an efficient and comfortable experience.  More on that trip in a week or so.

I will update my Photo Essays site with a full story but for now, here are a few teaser images from my first week.

Fuji X-T1- A Winner

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Fuji X-T1, 23/1.4, ISO 640 shot on a mini tripod

More to come when I have a good internet connection, but my read on this camera is very positive.  Shooting it for 5 days, in a mixture of conditions has given me a good feel for what it is capable of doing.  I would certainly not hesitate to recommend it for an adventure based camera, especially with the 23/1.4, and the 56/1.2, both of which are spectacular.  Jason would add that the 35/1.4 is a must have as well.  Once I obtain a better internet connection I will post a full writeup as well as more shots.

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You can order the Fuji X-T1 and a full assortment of lenses at B&H Photo. As always, it costs you nothing extra to purchase using my links but it does help me to fund the site and the rentals of cameras for reviews.

Place your pre-order with a trusted affiliate now:

Fuji X-T1 available at B&H

Fuji 23/1.4 available at B&H

Fuji 35/1.4 available at B&H

Fuji 56/1.2 available at B&H

NAHBS Images

I started a quick Photo Essay on my trip to NAHBS. All the color images are shot with the X-T1 while all the B&W are with the Monochrome.  I have to say, looking at the Fuji files, I am pretty impressed.  These are straight out of the camera with only a slight curve adjustment done to them.  It will be fun to see what the Raw files can produce once LR supports them.

Adventure Cameras, NAHBS Bound

I am on the road to see my first NAHBS show down in Charlotte and using this as an opportunity to test out the new Fuji X-T1.  The camera has taken the mirrorless market, especially the Fuji faithful, by storm.  I won't do a full detail write up as there are plenty of those types of reviews out there.  Instead, I am focusing on how this camera would fit into the Adventurer's kit.

Does it offer up the feature set, image quality, and a robust lens family, that would warrant a $2000 investment.  I have previously been hard on Fuji, even though the rest of the world seemed to be in love with them.  I tried the X100s and while it was a very cute camera, it was too limiting for my needs.  I rented the X-E1 and took it on a 10 day bikepacking trip and while it produced some nice images, I found its size and controls to be a bit lacking.  Additionally, the lack of a grip and my inability to really get the Raw files to 'produce' for me led me to cast it aside.

So it is with a good bit of excitement that I get to play with the new X-T1 for a week.  Shooting B&W has become mainstream for me, so switching my mind over to color will be a fun exercise in creativity and in 'seeing'.  I will be posting images from NAHBS over on Facebook and on my Exposure site so be sure and stay tuned.

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While on the road yesterday, the much anticipated Nikon V3 was announced.  Anyone that follows along knows that i am a big fan of the 1 series.  It has so many detractors, most of whom have never even tried the V or J series cameras.  The V1 is a beautiful little camera.  It is small, fast, and produces very nice images.  On the Lost Coast bikepacking trip, it actually accounted for about 1/3 of my final selects, a number which is quite respectable for a camera with a 1" sensor. 

Nikon has now introduced the successor to the V2 and I am very excited.  They have gone with a more traditional styling and a modular approach.  The camera options include a vertical grip and an external EVF along with the announcement of two new lenses.  The 1 series lens selection is fairly decent and for those interested in video, word is the V3 has absolutely killer video capabilities.  They are still lacking a couple of primes, but you cant argue with the quality of the existing lenses.  Personally, I find shooting with the little 10/2.8 to be a real joy and I am itching to grab the 32/1.8. 

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I will have one of these new cameras in as soon as they are available.  Right now you can pre-order the V1 kit from B&H by following this link.  As always, it costs you nothing extra to purchase using my links but it does help me to fund the site and the rentals of cameras for reviews.

Place your pre-order with a trusted affiliate now:

NIKON 1 V3 with 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 NIKKOR 1 LENS at B&H

10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 NIKKOR 1 LENS at B&H

Fuji X-T1 available at B&H

Controlled Chaos

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Old City, Morocco -- Sony NEX-5 16mm @F/9.0

Celebrating the release of Bunyan Velo issue number 04, this is another shot from my Morocco bikepacking trip.  A speeding Moped races down the narrow stalls full of people, vendors, goods and bikes.  A crazy scene, which could be described as 'Controlled Chaos' is something that has to be experienced to be appreciated. 

You can read about the trip in the current issue and then next week I will upload the full Photo Essay.

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning not really in the normal sense but in the mental sense.  Inspired by my friends Jason and Dan, I am going to work on stepping back from Social Media for a while.  Not leaving it, as I think that is just too unrealistic, but trying to put it in perspective.  I will focus more time here, trying to write and share in a deeper way and continue to concentrate on my Photo Essays, which I believe are a great way for me to blend images and words.

Starting March 1, my goal is to only check FB twice a day, once in the morning and once at night and even then it is to only respond to items relevant to me.  I want to slip away from the deep dark hole of spending hours searching for interesting things without ever giving anything the mental time and effort it deserves.

I will continue to Tweet as I like that platform.

I will do away with G+ (yep, sorry, once again). Still on the fence about LN

I am amending my little competition for the Porcelain Rocket bags in that stories and images will only be shared primarily here and not on FB.  This is really a great piece of kit and I hope someone wants it.

I am committing to my craft and my new found love of Rangefinders.  The Leica MM has completely changed my perspective on contemplative shooting and I am stoked to push that a bit farther.

I want to write more about gear that helps you get out doors.  Not just to write about gear, but to share my hard won experience from countless days spent in the wild. I look forward to testing the new Fuji X-T1 for a week as I think it could make for the ultimate adventure based camera.  Lots of great things being written about it.

And lastly, I want to work on engaging a meaningful dialogue with those that want to enter the conversation.

Here is to 2014!

Fargo's, Fargo's, Fargo's -- Tis the season for Fargo's

At long last the 2014 Salsa Fargo's are really rolling out the doors.  I know the non-Ti models have been shipping for a while, but now the Ti ones are hitting peoples doors.  This means that a ton of cool Fargo Adventures are about to take place.  As incentive to share your Fargo plans, I have a brand new Porcelain Rocket handlebar Pack (and possible another goody or two) that I will give away to the person who shares the coolest story of how they intend to use their new Fargo. 

Stories must be shared on my Facebook page.  If you don't have FB, then go ahead and drop a line here and I will share it with the FB audience.  You must have a Fargo in possession or on order for this to be fair, so lets everyone play nice please...

Lets give it 30 days and then I will pick the winner.  Have fun and lets share some stories.

Ok, 1,2,3 GO!

Handlebar bag will be black w/o the pouch -- Photo (c) Scott Felter

Bunyan Velo -- Issue 04

The newest issue of Bunyan Velo is out and it is better than before.  Full of amazing photographs and inspiring stories, all from the perspective of Cyclists, it is a must read.  Check it out at http://www.bunyanvelo.com/ and be sure and read my story on Bikepacking Morocco.  I will follow up in a week with the full Photo Essay from that memorable trip.

NAHBS Bound - 2 Weeks and counting

With the show being on the East Coast this year, I am going to make the pilgrimage down to Charlotte with the MM and a rented (Lensrentals.com as always!!) Fuji X-T1 in tow.  I am looking forward to seeing all of the amazing creations from some fantastic frame and bike builders. 

While checking out this segment of the bike industry is my main goal, a secondary effort will be spent evaluating the new Fuji X-T1.  A camera that is really generating a ton of buzz and one that I feel could really make a great (rugged, weather sealed) bike adventure camera.  I shot the Lost Coast trip with two Fuji cameras and a little Nikon V1 with mixed impressions.  Both of those cameras had pros but a ton of cons.  I am excited to see what Fuji has done and give it a real chance.  I am really stoked to try out the WiFi component and do some live blogging while roaming the show.

After finishing up with NAHBS, I will head to the mountains of Western NC for some trail riding on the new Salsa Cycles Spearfish.  I need to learn how to set the bike up to go tubeless in preparation for a run on the AZT in April.  An area full of flat inducing Goatheads, I have to figure this whole thing out.  Sooner or later, manufactures will make the whole process of running tubeless easier...

If you are going to be at NAHBS or out in those western regions of NC and want to connect, please comment or drop me an email.

It appears that the Fuji X-T1 is in stock at BH Photo with the kit lens, while the body only is still on 'Pre-Order'.

Magazine Happenings

Cool things happening this February and March. Keep an eye out for the latest issue of Ocean Paddler and one of my images from Kayaking up the Inside Passage.  Next up is the upcoming issue of Bunyan Velo and my photo essay on Bikepaking Morocco.  Bunyan Velo is an online magazine full of incredible images and stories from some really terrific cyclists, adventurers and photographers.  Stay tuned for details.

Winter Bikepacking in Alaska

My latest photo essay is now live from last years trip to Alaska.  A two month tour of the interior by Fatbike.  Read more about it at stories.glenncharles.pro

Finding Inspiration

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Early morning sunshine on my warm cup of coffee - Leica MM 50/1,4 Lux

It exists everywhere, it is all around us -- Open your eyes and see the world, and sometimes, capture it for eternity.

A special thanks - Salsa Cycles

There are many things that change our course as we travel along the path of life.  Some bigger than others and some more profound than others. As I sit here on my 51st birthday, I can honestly say that not many things have had as big an impact on my life as one bike and one bike company, Salsa Cycles and my Fun Guy Green Fargo. 

For three years now I have lived passionately on one of their bikes, first the Fargo, then the Mukluk, and now a new Fargo and a Spearfish.  Their bikes, their spirit and the people of that company embody the soul of Adventure by Bike.  Something that I am trying to use as a mold for this life I am living.

I wanted to simply take this moment of introspection to share my gratitude to these people and their bikes and the support and friendship they have shown me.  May the spirit of Adventure By Bike take you wherever you desire!

Two Months by Fatbike, Ti Mukluk - Alaska 2013

English Countryside, Gen 1 Fargo - 2011

Biking around the country, Gen 1 Fargo - Where it all started (c) Andrea Johnson

Touring the Gaspe Peninsula - 2012 Ti Mukluk

Fatbiking the Lost Coast, Ti Muk -- 2013

A slightly different perspective

My writeup of the Lost Coast is now live up on the Salsa Culture site.  That has a few more words about the trip and what it meant to me and the others.  Take a look and let me know what you think.  I have mentioned it before and I will say it again, an epic set of coastline that I look forward to seeing again.

A couple of other pics, in color, to highlight the story:

Camera Nerds - The Lost Coast

Choosing what camera gear to carry on a long distance bike trip is always a challenge.  Over the years I have spanned the gamut from the simplicity of a smart phone to the complexities of DSLRs and mirrorless bodies.  Often for me, the over-arching theme is what types of images am I hoping to capture and what is my intended goal for said images.  Am I shooting to simply blog or am I looking for large print worthy images?  Am I traveling in a capacity that allows me to carry a bit more gear or am I very much constrained by size and weight.  

Since adopting a purely Bikepacking style of traveling, size and weight have often been key components in any decision that I make.  An exception to this was my trip last year to Alaska where I knew that I would have to use rear panniers in order to carry the amount and type of food needed for a self supported tour.  That decision opened up the opportunity to carry a D800E DSLR and a set of larger Zeiss lenses with a small NEX-7 as my point and shoot body.

You can barely see the little Hubba Hubba bag on top of my roll bag.  That is how nicely it fits up there.

For the recent Lost Coast trip, I knew that I needed to travel light, so I opted for a very minimal kit, at least minimal in size and weight.  I chose to carry my little Nikon V1 with 10/2,8 lens as my go to  on the bike 'grab' camera.  For a bit higher quality imagery I carried the Fuji X100s and the Fuji X-E1 with a XF 35/1,4 and the XF 60/2,4.  This entire kit, with batteries, easily fit in a Think Tank Hubba Hubba Hiney pack that was attached to my handlebars with velcro straps.

What was so interesting to me about the choice of camera gear was the distribution of both the images that I shot and then the distribution of images that made the final cut for my Lost Coast Photo Essay.  To say it was not what I expected is an understatement.  Here are the final stats:

Images captured on the entire trip: 3527 images

• Nikon V1: 1603
• Fuji X-E1 w/35: 196
• Fuji X-E1 w/60: 268
• X100s: 1460

That proved to be a fairly reasonable result given that the Nikon V1 was my go to camera on the bike.  It was the camera that was most easily simply grabbed and shot while cruising along on the bike. At camp or for more methodical shooting I would turn to the Fuji's to do the job.  As you can see, I really did not like the X-E1 very much otherwise I would have used it way more than the little X100s.  The X100s is just a lovely little camera to hold and shoot.  I look forward to seeing what Fuji does with that little guy.

However, what was really amazing to me, although I guess not totally unexpected, was the distribution of images that I used to tell the story.  These were images that I selected not only for their meaning to the story, but also because I felt they were nicely crafted images from a Image Quality (IQ) perspective.  Now, before this trip, I was shooting almost exclusively for a year with a Nikon D800E and Zeiss glass.  Widely considered to be one of the finest cameras ever made.  So my definition of IQ is a bit biased in one direction.

The final image selection: 118 images

• Fuji X100s: 43 images
• Fuji X-E1 w/35: 9
• Fuji X-E1 w/60: 20
• Nikon V1: 46

Folks, the Nikon V1 can be had for a little more than $200 on the used market w/10mm lens, which is exactly how I acquired mine.  This little camera and those image distribution numbers just blow me away. I want to beat the crap out of Nikon because they have allowed this little guy to be pummeled by the media when the reality is, if your target is the web or small (11x14) print, this camera just rocks.  It still  has the fastest, most reliable, AF of any small camera.  Yes it has a few warts, but it produces absolutely solid B&W images. 

I admit, I am not a fan of its color, but as anyone who follows my efforts these days knows I am turning almost exclusively to B&W imagery, and the little V1 does B&W beautifully. This camera at the current price points, should be in every adventurers bag.  The V1 uses the older Nikon batteries and they just last, so you can take a little V1 with the 10/2,8 lens, two batteries, and go shoot forever.  To say I am a fan is really an understatement.

Other than promoting the little V1, which really was not my main intent, I wanted to highlight how you can go create a compelling visual story with just about any camera out there today.  They all take great pictures, which means, like it always has, it is about the person behind the lens, the one that chooses when to push the shutter button.

Learning to see, before you pull the trigger, is what it is all about.