G50: Another year same galaxy!

The Journey Continues.....

Hello everyone! I know it has been a long time since I have posted here but last year was a tough one. The last time I posted I was wrapping 2016 and an amazing trip across the Northern U.S. states. While the trip had its ups and downs, I would consider it a great success. However, there was some lagging effects from 2016 that carried over into the 2017 season and made my 2nd season chasing the Milky Way for my Galactic 50 project a very rough one.<! data-preserve-html-node="true"--more--> I'll get it to that in a second, but first be assured that 2018 is already looking up. With the season officially starting this weekend, my first trip is one that will kick off 2018 in a fantastic way.

2017's Journey

Towards the end of my trip in 2016, I started feel very "off". Constantly tired and every joint and muscle in my body was constantly hurting. Due to not feeling well and the weather that plagued me the whole trip, I cut my trip down by almost a week. Convinced I was just tired from all the travel, I figured a few good days of rest would really help out. However, after awhile and not improving, it was time to visit the Dr. After many visits and a lot of frustration, I finally found a Dr that figured out I had been infected with Anaplasma, a tic disease typically found in North Central U.S.. Thankfully, this is nowhere near as bad as Lyme Disease and after a month on some antibiotics, I was starting to feel better. There was still a long road ahead of me as the Dr. told me 6-9 months is what it would take to start to feel normal again. Luckily, the plan for 2017 was to take on the east coast. Since that is my homebase, instead of one long trip, I could take a lot of weekend trips.To start off 2017, I headed down to the New Jersey shore. Starting the season off right. I captured some beautiful scenes as the Milky Way core rose above the horizon. The beginning of the Milky Way season is definitely my favorite. Unfortunately, February is very cold at 3 a.m. on the beach, but with clear skies and only a little wind I'll take it.

2017 Milky Way Photos

After my success in the early season, I was looking forward to 2017 and what it would bring. It had been a long time since I explored the east coast and I was looking forward to it. Then the curse of the G50 project fully took hold. I would visit Connecticut, Maine, and Virginia all with no luck. Cloudy skies and light pollution kept my 2017 season from being anywhere near what I was hoping. But weather issues are nothing new to any photographer so I kept my head high and plugged on. In total I was able to photograph the Milky Way in Rhode Island, South Carolina and New Jersey.

So with 2017 behind me, I'm looking forward to a clear sky 2018. And my first trip of the year to photography the Milky Way, well you just have to wait and see! :)