State College, Pennsylvania photographer and videographer, Mike Houtz, sent me a magical image he made on Sunday morning of Mount Nittany at sunrise with the valley shrouded in fog. I’ve been riding in that fog for the past couple weeks and posting pictures on Scooter in the Sticks so with his permission I’ll share the image to give you a bird’s eye view of the place where all my rides begin.
Mount Nittany rises out of the Nittany Valley and serves as an icon for Penn State. I first set eyes on it 45 years ago and has become a welcome sight as I make my way home. My Vespa and I live in the fog on the right side of the picture. For Penn State Alumni and the Penn State faithful I figured you would appreciate this majestic view. For the rest, this is one view of central Pennsylvania and a great place to begin some great scooter, motorcycle or bicycle rides.
I’ll let Mike decide if he wants to share how he made this photograph in the comments. I’ve seen other aerials of the mountain that are just as good. Now if I can just get him to make a picture of my Vespa…
You can see more of his work at Michael Houtz Photography. If you are interested in a print for your Penn State collection I’m certain Mike can oblige.
Interesting aerial view of the hill known as Nittany. The hills of Pennsylvania are so different from where I live, basically the sea floor of Lake Iroquoia, of millions of years ago.
We have a hill/montain which is known as the Niagara Escarpment however nothing as wonderous as your Mount Nittany. So you’re telling us you and your Vespa are where in the photograph?
And morning fog reminds us all of the inevitable change of season for which suspect we in the northern hemisphere should be thankful. Four more or less distinctive season in a
twelve month period. Mind, having visited Pennsylvania most recently in the late 1970’s can recall the morning mists in the valley areas in the autumn, usually about this time.
I’d stay over near Orbisonia and wander over to the then active tourist line The East Broad Top to photograph the morning comings and goings. Then off to the Horseshoe
Curve to watch the morning parade of trains, this was before the National Park Service came in and chnaged everything naught forthe better as i understand.
One of these days I may return there; travel insurance is darn expensive these days with my maladies so best figure be well heeled before even thinking of travel. And then there is the matter of obtaining a Canadian Passport which may be not without difficulty for various reasons.
In the interim Steve may the fog in the mornings and early evenings be a natural happening and not evident when you arrive at work and sit at your desk on a Monday morning.
Yes, around the time Mike made this picture I was traveling through the foggy part of the middle of the photo. You’re right about this time of year being distinctive and misty in the mornings. Didn’t realize you are a train watcher. Lot’s of that going on in Pennsylvania. My wife grew up not far from Horseshoe Curve and all that railroad stuff. I was never close enough to know if things improved or got worse with the NPS running the curve.
You might want to check out Michael Froio’s blog and website — he’s into trains and shoots large format b&w pix.
There’s a different kind of fog when I arrive at work — Mondays or anyday!
Beautiful photo! Is it an HDR photo?
I think it’s a straight photo, not HDR. I’ve taken similar images though not from that altitude and I can confirm that there are some mornings when everything is just right that it looks like HDR.
Just: Wow.
Yeah, it is good isn’t it.