I’d heard good things about the hike to Devil’s Den in Bradford, VT. The area has a fabulously scandalous history of bootlegging, counterfeiting and all sorts of good stuff. It is now part of a piece of land conserved by The Upper Valley Land Trust. I’d thought I’d go for a hike with my Bessa, Super Wide and some cheap italian film.

I drove to the back of Bradford to began my journey. The Upper Valley Land Trust has made maps of the area but I found them completely useless. To be honest, they made me totally lost.

This is the first lookout on Wright’s Mountain. I think it is hilarious that the bench is chained to a tree. Only someone participating in a culture of theft would believe that a bench on the side of a mountain needed to be secured.

Continuing onward I stumbled upon a dead animal. Fun! Can you see it!

I took a wrong turn and ended up at this shelter with a stunning view of the Vermont country side.

Here another look out. Theis bench was also chained from the tree to prevent some sort act of theft.

I did actually make it to Devil’s Den and it was ok.

The building is pretty cool, the holes in the roof give the space a kind of “Tucson patio,” feel.

Look at that patio in Tucson! There is a nifty conveyor belt that would bring the wood up to a big saw to cut it and limbs.

Other side of the conveyor belt.

Big rad empty space, perfect for a patio in Tucson.

Fun!

Big empty space. fun.

This was rural urban exploration at its best. We saw cops flirting with each other while watching us and then we ate crazy amounts of fried food a diner. Oh yeah we are pro.com.

On a rainy day, my friend Joie and I headed far into the Vermont wilderness to pay the Brandon Training School a visit. The training school was one of many institutions located throughout the country that specialized in the training and rehabilitation of developmentally disabled children and adults. The reality of existing at the state school was a very different experience more like being in prison than being in a school.

In college I had a rule, “No analog media allowed in the home unless its use is purely to be ironic.” So no VHS but Betamax was ok.

That is funny considering I have given up all of my digital cameras except for my iphone and have gone back to using film. Oh the joys of analog photography. This is a nifty film made in Italy by a company named Ferrania. 10 years ago I would have considered it bad film and thrown it away. Now, I would say that it is a film that has “character,” and I embrace the grain and off colors.