Photo Journal & Trip Reports

Please enjoy these photo journals and trip reports from some of my outdoor photography adventures, starting with the most recent. You can subscribe to follow my latest blog posts (and any other blogs as well) by using a feed reader such as Inoreader or Feedly.

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Two Weeks in the Mountains of Idaho — Two Weeks in the Mountains of Idaho

August 2023 | Idaho

Back in 2011 Claudia and I did a wonderful 7-day trek through the Sawtooth Range in Idaho. With its plethora of lakes and super jagged peaks, the Sawtooths are easily the most popular mountains of Idaho, but the state is plump full of other lesser-known mountain ranges which I've been longing to explore ever since that first trip...

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Paintbrush and Columbine — Paintbrush and Columbine

August 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, what was shaping up to be an epic wildflower season in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado was a bit stunted by a month of hot sunny weather in July. Nevertheless, the residual moisture from the big winter snows and wet spring storms seem to have won out in many areas where glorious fields of wildflowers have sprung up in late July and early August...

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Above the Uncompahgre Gorge — Above the Uncompahgre Gorge

July 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week in mid-July I did a pleasant 3-day solo backpack loop through the Uncompahgre Wilderness above and east of the town of Ouray, Colorado. This is a favorite trek I've done numerous times before but this time I varied my camping destinations and did a bit of exploring along the way, and I also had a notable encounter with the local wildlife!

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Sneffels Summertime — Sneffels Summertime

July 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

At the beginning of July I spent a pleasant evening and morning on a high ridge in the Sneffels Range with a wonderful view facing my favorite mountain: Mount Sneffels.

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July Gallery Showing at 610 Arts Collective — July Gallery Showing at 610 Arts Collective

July 2023 | Ridgway, Colorado

During the month of July a bunch of my prints are on display at the 610 Arts Collective gallery in Ridgway, Colorado, as part of an exhibition along with fellow local photographers Natalie Heller and Tom Heywood...

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My Backpacking Gear — My Backpacking Gear

June 2023

UPDATED JUNE 2023! A comprehensive and continuously updated backpacking gear list with extensive recommendations, reviews, and backcountry tips, including premium and budget gear picks for tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, and much more...

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Sunrise on Wilson Peak — Sunrise on Wilson Peak

May 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late May during this spring of unusually stormy weather here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, I finally had a clear weather window to go for a more ambitious high-altitude photo mission. I've had a particular photo idea of Wilson Peak in mind for several years and now would be a good time to go for that!

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Some Early Season Backpacking in Colorado — Some Early Season Backpacking in Colorado

May 2023 | Colorado

The weather this spring has been quite wet in the mountains of southwest Colorado with frequent rain and thunderstorms, almost like an early monsoon pattern. The unsettled weather has dissuaded me from attempting any high camps in the snow so far, but with a hankering for some backpacking I have been seeking out some lower elevation destinations this May for some quick backpack outings...

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Sliding into Spring — Sliding into Spring

April/May 2023 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I'm a month late with this post, but I thought I'd share some snapshots from a few spring skiing days in late April/early May here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. I didn't get out as much as I expected this spring, due in large part to unusually thunderstormy weather in May but also just generally being too busy on the computer (something I'm trying consciously to change in my life)...

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Exploring in the Needles District — Exploring in the Needles District

April 2023 | Canyonlands National Park, Utah

With its fantastic red and pink spires, the Needles District is a spectacular and popular part of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah. In the busy spring and fall seasons, most backcountry campsites are completely reserved months in advance...

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Winter Scenes around Ridgway — Winter Scenes around Ridgway

March 2023 | Ridgway, Colorado

The 2022/23 winter has been one to remember, with numerous "atmospheric river" events bringing record breaking or near-record snowfall throughout the West (particularly in California and Utah, which both shattered their all-time snowfall records with over 800-900" inches of snow in some places!)...

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Remote Wanderings in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts — Remote Wanderings in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts

February 2023 | California & Arizona

Although the weather was still a bit on the chilly side, in February we headed southwest for two weeks of camping, backpacking, and exploring craggy desert mountain ranges. Our road trip took us through the deserts along the lower Colorado River, first through the Mojave Desert in California, then down into the western Sonoran Desert in far southeast California and west Arizona.

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Winter Skies over Sneffels — Winter Skies over Sneffels

November 2022 | Ridgway, Colorado

Earlier in the month I complained a bit about how strenuous my last backpack trip was. Turns out it was more strenuous than I initially thought, as I had badly strained my calf near the end of that trip...

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Desert Freeze Fest — Desert Freeze Fest

November 2022 | Southeast Utah

Despite a 20º weather forecast I drove out towards Moab to do an exploratory backpack trip up an obscure canyon all the way to a high rim overlooking the Fisher Towers, camping two nights along the way. Between the frigid temperature, fresh snow, rugged terrain, and torturous bushwhacking, the trek ended up being one of the more physically and mentally challenging backpack trips I've done.

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A Week at Capitol Reef — A Week at Capitol Reef

October 2022 | Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Having had my fill of autumn colors in Colorado by mid-October this year, we headed out to the desert for a week of car camping, hiking and exploring in Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah (with one little backpack trip to cap it off at the end)...

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Aspen Immersion — Aspen Immersion

October 2022 | Colorado

Autumn really put on a show this year in Colorado, with snowy peaks and brilliant aspen colors. Most notably, the golden aspen colors were nearly two weeks late and lasted for longer into October than I ever remember happening before...

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Sultan Sunset — Sultan Sunset

September 2022 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late September my wife Claudia and I spent a chilly but pleasant evening watching the sunset from the 13,368 ft. (4074 m) summit of Sultan Mountain, high above the town of Silverton in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado...

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Wildkogel — Wildkogel

September 2022 | Austria

After our 8-day trek through the Hohe Tauern in Austria, we still had two days to kill before heading to Munich for our flight back home. What to do? We thought about squeezing in another short hut trek, but the logistics would have been hectic and besides we knew we'd be too tired anyways after our big trek...

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Hut to Hut in the Hohe Tauern — Hut to Hut in the Hohe Tauern

September 2022 | Austria

In early September we headed south to Alps for an 8-day hut-to-hut trek through the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria. A north to south crossing of the Hohe Tauern range, our route started from near the town of Kaprun, took us right past Grossglockner (the tallest mountain in Austria), and ended in the town of Mörtschach – while staying at alpine huts for seven nights along the way.

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Figments of Albrechtsburg — Figments of Albrechtsburg

August 2022 | Meissen, Germany

While visiting family in Dresden, Germany recently, one day we made a trip with Claudia's mom and sister to Albrechtsburg Castle in nearby Meissen. This beautiful Gothic castle perched atop a hill above the Elbe River was built starting in 1471 on the site of a fortress castle that was originally built in 929...

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High Hanging Fruit — High Hanging Fruit

August 2022 | Sneffels Range, Colorado

When I first moved to southwest Colorado in 2006 I had a good 5-10 year stretch when the San Juan Mountains were pretty much a blank canvas for me for planning grand backpack treks and discovering loads of unique scenes to photograph...

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Wild in the Gore Range — Wild in the Gore Range

August 2022 | Gore Range, Colorado

High above the bustling ski town of Vail and the drone of cars and trucks zooming along Interstate 70 rise the rugged mountains of the Gore Range, surrounded by civilization yet harboring some of the burliest peaks and wildest valleys in Colorado...

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Light in La Platas — Light in La Platas

July 2022 | La Plata Mountains, Colorado

La Plata Mountains are located just northwest of the town of Durango, Colorado, in the southwest corner of the greater San Juan Mountains. I guess it shows how vast the San Juans are that it's taken me 16 years to finally go visit La Platas! I've spied their rugged ridges off in the distance many times from the Weminuche Wilderness or the western San Juans, but for some reason I just never got around to driving down there...

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Home Light — Home Light

July 2022 | Ridgway, Colorado

During the first week of July, the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado have experienced a strong monsoon weather pattern, bringing many moments of extraordinary weather and light. Here are some photos taken over the course of just 5 days, all from my backyard!

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Chasing Sunsets in the Weminuche — Chasing Sunsets in the Weminuche

June/July 2022 | Weminuche Wilderness, Colorado

After a dry and extremely windy spring, this summer so far a strong monsoon weather pattern has settled in over the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, bringing much needed rain along with plenty of lightning and thunder...

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A Semi-Traverse of La Sals — A Semi-Traverse of La Sals

June 2022 | La Sal Mountains, Utah

At the end of May/beginning of June, we headed over to La Sal Mountains above Moab, Utah, for our first mountain backpack adventure of this summer. The route I had in mind more or less traced the same route I did as a ski traverse of the northern La Sals back in 2008 with my friends Ann and Seth - except this time we were walking instead of skiing, we did a loop trek instead of a one-way shuttle, we stuck to the ridges instead of dropping into various basins, and we camped two nights along the way instead of powering through in one day...

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Sandstone & Ponderosas — Sandstone & Ponderosas

May 2022 | Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

In mid-May we drove west to Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah for a quick 3-day backpack trip into a unique canyon full of giant ponderosa pines amongst giant sandstone spires. A spring-fed creek provided a pleasant base camp location to relax and spend a day exploring some fascinating and seldom-visited ancient cliff dwellings...

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Winter in the San Juans — Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2022 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The 2021-22 winter season was extremely busy for me - but not with photography or snowboarding... my wife and I finished building our new house and finally moved in at the end of winter! With life settling back down I finally have a chance to post some photos from the few times I did manage to get out to photograph the mountains this winter...

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More Mojave — More Mojave

October/November 2021 | Mojave Desert, California & Arizona

In late October and early November, my wife and I hit the road for two weeks of warmth, camping, and hiking in the Mojave Desert of western Arizona and southeast California. During this trip we returned to the Black Mountains, camped at Kelso and Cadiz Dunes, spent a few days exploring The Needles along the Colorado River, and returned to the Turtle Mountains...

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Autumn Overload — Autumn Overload

October 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As I write this in mid-October, snow is falling outside my window and only a few yellow leaves cling to the aspen forests above town. It has been a phenomenal fall season here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado, with vibrant aspen colors, lots of amazing light and clouds, and fresh snowfall frosting the mountaintops...

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Summer Stories from the San Juans — Summer Stories from the San Juans

July/August/September 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

As summer fades to autumn, I thought I'd share some new photos and stories from the last three months of backpacking in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Including and continuing from my last blog post ("Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche"), my backpacking adventures this summer have been mainly focused on exploring hidden nooks and crannies of these mountains and finding unique perspectives to photograph...

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Originality in the Grand Landscape — Originality in the Grand Landscape

August 2021

This article was originally published at Photography Life in October 2012, but I still consider it to be the most comprehensive article I've written about my photographic methodology in the grand landscape genre...

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Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche — Monsoon Explorations in the Weminuche

June/July 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late June a record-breaking heat wave settled in over the southwestern United States. With a week of 95º heat in Ridgway and smoky skies from a huge wildfire in the nearby La Sal Mountains in southeast Utah, it was shaping up to be another dry and smoky summer here in the San Juan Mountains...

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Springtime in the San Juans — Springtime in the San Juans

May/June 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Spring is quite possibly the most beautiful time of year around the lower elevations of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, with snow capped peaks rising above brilliant green aspens and wildflower-filled meadows...

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Journey Around the San Miguel Range — Journey Around the San Miguel Range

June 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Recently I've had an itch to do an adventurous high-mileage trek - something with long hiking days to whip my winter beer belly into shape. With snow still clinging to the alpine basins in early June here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, I knew the best place to trek would be something in the lower-elevation subalpine zone where the aspens are green as can be and the meadows are filled with flowers...

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Southern Utah Getaway — Southern Utah Getaway

April 2021 | Southern Utah

Usually in the wintertime my driving force is to ride my snowboard/splitboard as much as possible whenever I'm not riding my office chair. But every year by about March or April cabin fever sets in and my powder lust wanes as I start to dream about warm weather and dry ground backpacking...

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61mp Digital vs 4x5 Large Format Film Resolution Comparison — 61mp Digital vs 4x5 Large Format Film Resolution Comparison

April 2021

For photographers producing large prints like I do, resolution is easily the single most important factor of a camera system. The higher a camera's resolution, the larger prints can be made while still retaining sharp details...

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Winter in the San Juans — Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2021 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The 2020-21 winter season in southwest Colorado got off to a slow start, with around 60% of average snowfall at the beginning of January. But in late January a potent southwest storm cycle dumped over 3 feet of much-needed powder in the San Juans, bringing us closer to average...

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2020 in the Rearview — 2020 in the Rearview

December 2020 | Colorado

I think we can all agree that 2020 was a bummer year for the record books. From struggling through an out-of-control global pandemic, to choking on wildfire smoke for months on end, to enduring the daily depredations of dumpster-fire politics -- almost every single day of 2020 seemed to serve up another steaming poo platter for us to digest...

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Into the Black Canyon — Into the Black Canyon

September-October 2020 | Colorado

With sheer walls towering over 2,000 vertical feet above the Gunnison River, there's no easy way to visit the bottom of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison; every possible hiking route is a steep, rugged scramble...

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A Sunset and a Lion — A Sunset and a Lion

October 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

By mid-October all the aspen leaves have fallen and the color is gone from the mountains. Nevertheless, on Thursday afternoon last week, with clear air and a sky full of high clouds I decided spontaneously to go for a big hike to watch the sunset from the top of a 13,500 foot peak high above the town of Telluride...

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Autumn Gold Rush in the San Juans — Autumn Gold Rush in the San Juans

September-October 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Walking through a grove of autumn aspens must be one of the most beautiful experiences that nature has to offer. Sunlight illuminates the golden leaves like a brilliant stained glass window in a cathedral of nature, like stepping into a colorful pointillist painting of Vincent van Gogh or Gustav Klimt...

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At Home in the San Juans — At Home in the San Juans

September 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-September just a few days after getting back home to Ridgway, Colorado after my big trek around Glacier Peak in the Washington Cascades, I packed my backpack once more and headed up into the Sneffels Range for a quick overnight backpack trip...

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Hanging Around Glacier Peak — Hanging Around Glacier Peak

August/September 2020 | Washington Cascades

In late August/early September I spent 9 days backpacking a 95-mile loop route around Glacier Peak, a volcano in the central Cascades of Washington. One of the more remote and wild volcanos of the Northwest, Glacier Peak is also unique in that it rises not solitarily but amongst a plethora of other surrounding rugged peaks and ranges in its namesake wilderness area...

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Around Capitol and Snowmass — Around Capitol and Snowmass

August 2020 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

At the beginning of August we ventured into the beautiful Elk Mountains near Aspen, Colorado, for a 5-day backpack trek in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness circumnavigating Capitol Peak and Snowmass Mountain...

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Columbines and Comets — Columbines and Comets

July 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid July I ventured up to a 13,000-foot ridge to photograph Comet NEOWISE above the Sneffels Range, in the San Juan Mountains above Ouray, Colorado. Here are some photos from that evening, along with some additional photos from later in July...

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Through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness — Through the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness

July 2020 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

This last week, in mid-July, we ventured out into the Sawatch Range for a 4-day, 25-mile, one-way shuttle trek through the southern bulk of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness west of Buena Vista, Colorado...

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Across the San Miguel Range — Across the San Miguel Range

July 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over the 4th of July weekend, Claudia and I headed out into the Lizard Head Wilderness near Telluride, Colorado, for an adventurous 3-day backpack trek across the San Miguel Range. A week ago I did a solo backpack trip there near Lizard Head Peak, which got me thinking about a longer one-way shuttle trek route directly across and over the bulk of the range, starting from Lizard Head Pass on the southeast end of the range and ending at Woods Lake on the northeast side...

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Lounging around Lizard Head — Lounging around Lizard Head

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week I went out on a solo 3-day backpack trip into the Lizard Head Wilderness, which encompasses the San Miguel Range of the San Juan Mountains near Telluride, Colorado. With the below average snowpack this last spring, the alpine summer is slightly ahead of schedule and already by late June the wildflowers are starting to pop out on the high tundra...

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Macey & Horn Lakes — Macey & Horn Lakes

June 2020 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

In mid-June we drove over to the Sangre de Cristo Range in south-central Colorado for four days of backpacking in some new (to us) valleys along the eastern side of the range. As usual in June, there was less snow in the Sangres compared to most other Colorado mountain ranges, and it was great to get out for our first real multi-day alpine lake type of backpack trip this summer...

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Gladstone High Camp — Gladstone High Camp

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Situated in the center of the San Miguel Range near Telluride, Colorado, Gladstone Peak (13,913 ft.) is overshadowed by its two popular neighboring fourteeners Wilson Peak and Mount Wilson. But Gladstone is an awesome peak with a dramatic pyramid shape, and in my opinion one of the more photogenic mountains of the San Juans...

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Early Summer in the San Juans — Early Summer in the San Juans

June 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Here in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado there's still snow lingering in the high peaks, as usual in June, so lately I've been doing a bunch of short backpack trips in the sub-alpine regions at or below treeline...

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Spring in the San Juans — Spring in the San Juans

May 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

May is always a glorious month in the mountains of Colorado, when the freshly budded aspen forests have a brilliant green glow and snow has mostly melted off the trails but still lingers in the high peaks...

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San Sophia High Camp — San Sophia High Camp

May 2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

It's pretty rare to be able to camp up high in Colorado. In the summer the threat of thunderstorms above treeline is too terrifying, and in the winter it's just too damn cold. But in mid-May I had a perfect window of opportunity to hike up and camp at 13,200 feet up on a high ridgeline here in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado...

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Rock, Rust, and Lichen — Rock, Rust, and Lichen

May 2020 | Ouray, Colorado

Rock textures photographed while hiking in the mountains around Ouray, Colorado.

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Canyons Close to Home — Canyons Close to Home

April 2020 | Southwest Colorado

Yearning for some closer-to-home adventure this spring, we ventured out for a few quick overnight backpack trips to explore some canyon and desert areas along the Dolores and Gunnison Rivers, both major river drainages of the San Juan Mountains where we live in southwest Colorado...

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2019-20 Winter in the San Juans — 2019-20 Winter in the San Juans

2019/2020 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Here is a collection (in chronological order) of my favorite photos taken during the 2019/20 winter here in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.

From December through March, this was one of the best backcountry splitboarding seasons in memory here in the San Juans...

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A Hair-Raising New Years in Ouray — A Hair-Raising New Years in Ouray

January 1, 2020 | Ouray, Colorado

My last hours of 2019 ended with quite a hair-raising experience, and I have a crazy story to tell you from my outings last night to photograph the New Years fireworks.

I had an idea last night to snowshoe up to a cliff overlooking town to gain a unique perspective of the fireworks over the valley, so at 10:30pm I bundled up, strapped on my snowshoes and headlamp, and started trudging up through knee deep powder towards my destination...

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19 From '19: My Favorite Photos from 2019 — 19 From '19: My Favorite Photos from 2019

December 2019

2019 has been an active, adventurous, and productive year for me, and as it comes to an end I thought I'd present a selection of my 19 personal favorite photos of the year. I'll talk a little bit about each one below...

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Autumn in the Dolomites — Autumn in the Dolomites

October-November 2019 | Dolomites, Italy

In late October and early November, Claudia and I traveled to the Dolomites in northern Italy for two weeks of hiking amongst jagged peaks and golden larch trees. I've spent time the Dolomites in the summer and winter before but was excited to visit during the autumn when the larch trees turn yellow and orange...

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Valldemossa — Valldemossa

October 2019 | Mallorca, Spain

In mid-October we traveled to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca, Spain, for a week of holiday with some of Claudia's family. Though Mallorca is most known for its beaches, we opted to stay in Valldemossa, a quaint old village full of narrow cobblestoned streets nestled in a valley at the foot of the mountains...

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Autumn in the San Juans — Autumn in the San Juans

October 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The fall colors in the San Juan Mountains have been beautiful this season, though the persistent clear blue skies have put somewhat of a damper on the photographic potential. But it's always glorious to walk through colorful aspen groves regardless of the weather, and we did have a few short windows of more interesting skies and light to enjoy...

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2 Weeks in Grand Staircase Escalante — 2 Weeks in Grand Staircase Escalante

September 2019 | Escalante, Utah

In the second half of September Claudia, her father Gundolf, and I spent two weeks in one of our favorite canyon areas of southern Utah - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument*...

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Wind River West Side Trek — Wind River West Side Trek

September 2019 | Wind River Range, Wyoming

In early September I backpacked for 10 days in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. This was my fourth long backpack trip in these fantastic mountains, but this time I did a one-way shuttle trek along the western side of the range through the Bridger Wilderness starting from the Elkhart Park trailhead and ending at Big Sandy to the south...

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Roaming the Uncompaghre Wilderness — Roaming the Uncompaghre Wilderness

August 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the first two weeks of August I revisited several of my favorite backpacking treks in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the northern San Juan Mountains of Colorado, for a total of 8 days of hiking through a good portion of the wilderness...

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High Above Ouray — High Above Ouray

August 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last night I camped up on a high ridgeline in the San Juan Mountains about 4,000 feet above Ouray, Colorado, and enjoyed a fantastic sunset and sunrise from my airy perch.

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Summer Green in the San Juans — Summer Green in the San Juans

July 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After the enormous winter of 2018-2019 in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, by the end of July the snowpack has finally melted off enough to call it summertime in the alpine now. Last weekend we hiked a very pleasant three-day shuttle route through the vibrant green mountains west of Silverton...

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Mosquito Warfare in the High Uintas — Mosquito Warfare in the High Uintas

July 2019 | High Uintas Wilderness, Utah

In late July we backpacked into the High Uintas Wilderness in Utah, to a couple high basins at the head of the Stillwater Fork of the Bear River. These lakes form the headwaters of the Bear River which flows north out of the Uintas, through Wyoming and Idaho, then back around south into Utah and the Great Salt Lake, making it the largest river in the North America that doesn't eventually reach the ocean...

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Late Early Summer in the San Juans — Late Early Summer in the San Juans

June-July 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last year in the spring of 2018 I was talking about how that winter's meager snowpack had caused summer to arrive a full month early in May, and I was able to trek from Ouray to Telluride in mid-May when normally that would be a mid-June type of thing to do...

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Through and Around the Great Sand Dunes — Through and Around the Great Sand Dunes

June 2019 | Colorado

Eager to go backpacking while the mountains are still filled with snow, in early June we returned to the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado to trek for three days all the way through the dunefield then back around them...

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Spring Skiing in the San Juans — Spring Skiing in the San Juans

April-June 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

If you've followed my blog for a while, you may wonder if I've given up on snowboarding since I haven't posted hardly any ski/snowboard photos this winter. Well, while I haven't been posting much, I have been out on the snow a lot this season, especially this spring!

2018-2019 was a winter to remember in Colorado, with roughly 160% of average snowpack by late winter...

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Starlight on Sneffels — Starlight on Sneffels

June 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The winter of 2018-2019 in the San Juan Mountains has been one for the records books, with about 600% of average snowpack at the start of June. With all this beautiful snow in the mountains this spring, lately I've been having some hairbrained photo mission ideas - one of which was to hike up Mt...

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Rainy Day Hike in the Needles District — Rainy Day Hike in the Needles District

May 2019 | Canyonlands National Park, Utah

In mid May we met up with family from Germany in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in Utah for a couple days of camping and hiking. Our timing wasn't great, as it rained more than I've ever seen in the desert! But we did get one somewhat dry-enough day for my brother-in-law and I to do the ultra-classic hike to Chesler Park and Druid Arch...

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A Snowy Sunrise in the San Juans — A Snowy Sunrise in the San Juans

May 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The exceptionally snowy winter in the San Juans keeps on going into May and our snowpack is currently 187% of average for this time of year! As I've been out splitboarding lately, I've been admiring all the peaks draped in thick snowpack, and thinking about how they'd look with colorful sunrise light...

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Explorations in the Mojave Desert — Explorations in the Mojave Desert

March 2019 | Nevada, California, Arizona

As is usual in late winter, Claudia and I have been itching for some desert hiking and backpacking time, so this March we spent three weeks camping and backpacking in various mountain ranges and wilderness areas in the Mojave Desert in Nevada, California, and Arizona...

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Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge — Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge

February 2019 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This weekend we had a wonderful stay at Eric Johnson's Mount Hayden Backcountry Lodge. Located in Richmond Basin in a remote corner of the San Juan Mountains between Ouray and Telluride, the lodge is surrounded by a powder playground of skiable terrain...

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Roaming Around Southeast Utah — Roaming Around Southeast Utah

October/November 2018 | Utah

In late October and early November we spent a dozen days camping and backpacking around in the deserts and canyonlands of southern Utah, including the San Rafael Swell, Robbers Roost/Dirty Devil area, and Cedar Mesa...

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Snowy Ice Lakes — Snowy Ice Lakes

October 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

With fresh snow in the San Juan Mountains and dreams of winter I couldn't resist heading up high for a quick early season winter camp at Ice Lakes Basin near Silverton. I got a little more than I bargained for with two feet of fresh powder and knee-deep postholing through a snowstorm up there! In the morning I was treated to some fiery light for a few moments at sunrise, for a different kind of autumn color...

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Hut Tour around Grindelwald — Hut Tour around Grindelwald

September 2018 | Switzerland

In mid-September after our treks in the Bernina Range and Val Masino in southeast Switzerland and north Italy, Claudia and I traveled north to the famous Jungfrau region near Interlaken in Switzerland...

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Val Masino — Val Masino

September 2018 | Bernina Range, Italy

Eight days into our trek around the Bernina Range, we took a little train and bus detour and visited Val Masino in Italy on the southern end of the same greater range. The mountains around here are sometimes referred to as the Val Masino Alps, or the backside of the Bergell or Bregaglia Range...

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Around the Bernina Range — Around the Bernina Range

September 2018 | Switzerland/Italy

In early September we flew to Zurich, Switzerland, took a train to St. Moritz, then embarked on a 9-day trek around the Bernina Range in the Rhaetian Alps. Named after the tallest peak in the range, Piz Bernina, the Bernina Range is a rugged and heavily glaciated mountain range along the border of southeast Switzerland and Italy...

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8 Days in the Weminuche — 8 Days in the Weminuche

August 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-August Claudia and I backpacked for eight days into the Needle Mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. This was I think the sixth or seventh time I've done a week-long trek in this particular range, but I was still able to find some new routes to take and new places to camp and photograph along with some old favorites...

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Through the Grenadier Range — Through the Grenadier Range

July 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late July we went on a 6-day backpack trek in and around the rugged Grenadier Range in the Weminuche Wilderness of the central San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Along the way we scrambled up several 13ers, hiked over numerous high passes, and visited some gorgeous remote alpine lakes...

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Trek Around Ausangate — Trek Around Ausangate

June 2018 | Ausangate, Peru

In June after our Salkantay trek to Macchu Picchu, our next big Peruvian adventure was a 7-day trek around Nevado Ausangate, a giant 20945 ft (6384m) peak in the Cordillera Vilcanota south of Cusco...

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Salkantay Trek to Macchu Picchu — Salkantay Trek to Macchu Picchu

June 2018 | Cordillera Vilcabamba, Peru

In early June we flew to Cusco, Peru for some mountain adventures south of the equator. Our first hike was the famous Salkantay to Macchu Picchu trek. Of course Macchu Picchu is the #1 tourist destination in all of Peru and perhaps all of South America for that matter...

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Hiking from Ouray to Telluride the Long Way — Hiking from Ouray to Telluride the Long Way

May 2018 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The towns of Ouray and Telluride in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are only 10 miles apart as the crow flies, but are separated by the rugged Sneffels Range. In the summertime it's possible to hike, run, bike, or even drive 17 miles over 13,114 ft...

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Candyland, Arizona — Candyland, Arizona

April 2018 | Arizona

After our trek through nearby Buckskin Gulch and Paria Canyon, we made the long, sandy drive to Coyote Buttes South (also within the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness) which we had permits to explore for a couple days...

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Buckskin Gulch/Paria River Backpack — Buckskin Gulch/Paria River Backpack

April 2018 | Utah/Arizona

With 15 miles of continuous narrows, Buckskin Gulch in southern Utah is renowned as the longest slot canyon in the world. Buckskin flows into the even longer Paria Canyon and hiking through both these canyons forms a famous backpacking trip requiring permits reserved months in advance...

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Narrowing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah — Narrowing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah

April 2018

In mid April we hit the road again for more desert time, and spent a week camping and hiking through various narrows and slot canyons in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in central southern Utah...

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Saguaro National Park — Saguaro National Park

March 2018 | Arizona

Our final destination for our desert road trip in late March was Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. We spent two nights at the campground near there and enjoyed visiting the "forests" of saguaro cacti (pronounced like "sa-waro"), as well as a bit of touring through the city of Tucson...

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Backpacking in the Superstition Mountains — Backpacking in the Superstition Mountains

March 2018 | Arizona

After our time in the Kofa Mountains in March, we drove east through Phoenix and immediately embarked on a two-night backpack trip through part of the Superstition Mountains. We hiked a clockwise loop from the Peralta Trailhead around the prominent Weavers Needle spire via the Peralta and Dutchman's Trails...

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Kofa Mountains — Kofa Mountains

March 2018 | Arizona

In the remote Sonoran desert of southwest Arizona rises a rugged volcanic mountain range called the Kofa Mountains. The mountains are named after the King of Arizona mine located in the center of range, from which millions of dollars worth of gold and silver were extracted in the early 1900s...

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Colors of Southern Nevada — Colors of Southern Nevada

March 2018 | Nevada

While the vast majority of visitors to southern Nevada only see the bright lights of Las Vegas, there is actually an abundance of wonderful wild desert lands surrounding the city which will please any nature lover...

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Backpacking through Salt Creek — Backpacking through Salt Creek

November 2017 | Canyonlands National Park, Utah

In early November a friend and I backpacked about 30 miles through Salt Creek and the Peakaboo Trail in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah. This canyon is renowned for its numerous Ancient Puebloan ruins and pictographs; in fact I've never seen so many ruins outside of the Cedar Mesa area!

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Autumn Aspens on Kebler Pass — Autumn Aspens on Kebler Pass

October 2017 | Colorado

Kebler Pass is easily my favorite place to enjoy the aspens in Colorado, with the largest continuous mature aspen fields in the state and perhaps the world. This October was one of the stranger autumns transitions I've seen in Colorado; the aspens up on Kebler went from mostly green to peak gold in just a couple days, and a few days after that the color faded away...

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Highlights from 2 Months of Backpacking in Colorado — Highlights from 2 Months of Backpacking in Colorado

August/September 2017 | Colorado

For all of August and September 2017, my wife and I lived out of our truck and tent while traveling around and backpacking in our great state of Colorado. We did over a dozen backpacking trips in various mountain ranges throughout the state, including the Flat Tops, Gore Range, Sawatch Range, San Juans, Sangre de Cristos, and Indian Peaks...

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Autumn Backpacking in Northern Colorado — Autumn Backpacking in Northern Colorado

September 2017 | Colorado

In mid-to-late September we went on a bunch of short backpacking and camping trips in various central/north mountain ranges of Colorado, including the Sawatch Range, Gore Range, Indian Peaks, and Rocky Mountain National Park...

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Crestone Needle & Humboldt Peak — Crestone Needle & Humboldt Peak

September 2017 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

In late August/early September, we spent five days camped at South Colony Lakes in the Sangre de Cristo range in Colorado. Surrounded by three 14ers, including the rugged Crestone Needle towering directly overhead, this basin is supremely awesome -- one of the classic gems of Colorado...

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Sunflowers in the Great Sand Dunes — Sunflowers in the Great Sand Dunes

August 2017 | Colorado

While backpacking to South Zapata Lake for a night, we got a good view of the Great Sand Dunes and I could see vast fields of sunflowers all around and in the dunes. I took a mental note of where the largest sunflower fields were and the next day we hiked into the dunes towards these areas...

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Quick Tour through the San Juans — Quick Tour through the San Juans

August 2017 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid August we found ourselves drawn back to the San Juans like moths to a flame. We spent a few nights car camping up above Red Mountain Pass, drove eastward over four old mining road passes, then did a backpack trip intp Cataract Gulch near the 14er Sunshine Peak...

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Hanging Around Huron Peak — Hanging Around Huron Peak

August 2017 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

In mid-August we backpacked around the headwaters of the South Fork Clear Creek near Huron Peak in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness and Sawatch Range of Colorado. The last time I hiked in this area was back in 2008, but this time we hiked the long way in here from the south from Taylor Park and Texas Creek, via the Continental Divide Trail and a high pass above Lake Ann...

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Exploring the Holy Cross Wilderness — Exploring the Holy Cross Wilderness

August 2017 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

In early August we set out into the Holy Cross Wilderness (in the Sawatch Range of Colorado generally between Vail and Leadville) for a 3-night backpack trek. We spent our first night at the super popular Missouri Lakes then explored an off trail route over a high ridgeline to a remote and pristine lake where we spent the second day and night...

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Exploring Mount Powell — Exploring Mount Powell

August 2017 | Gore Range, Colorado

In early August we backpacked into the rugged north end of the Gore Range and Eagles Nest Wilderness for three nights. We hiked the Upper Piney River Trail for while, branched off on a faint boot trail then camped the first night in the high basin below Mount Powell and Kneeknocker Pass...

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Over the Dachstein — Over the Dachstein

July 2017 | Austria

The final destination of our three-week northern limestone Alps tour was the Dachstein mountain range of Austria. Starting from near the Südwandhütte, above the lovely village of Ramsau on the south side of the range, we hiked for three days around and over the Dachstein to the famous village of Hallstatt on the north side, via the Hofpürglhütte, Adamek-Hütte, and Simony Hütte...

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Trek Around Watzmann — Trek Around Watzmann

July 2017 | Berchtesgaden, Germany

Berchtesgaden is a famous Bavarian mountain resort town in southeast Germany. If you look at a map of Germany, the Berchtesgaden area is the little protrusion at the bottom that’s almost totally surrounded by Austria...

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Wilder Kaiser — Wilder Kaiser

July 2017 | Austria

After our trek in the Karwendel we took a bus and train to the town of Kufstein, stocked up on some snacks, and started hiking into the Kaisergebirge, a small but incredibly rugged mountain range that rivals just about anything in the Dolomites as far as sheer jaggedness goes...

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Hut Trekking through the Karwendel — Hut Trekking through the Karwendel

July 2017 | Austria

Over the course of 5 days in early July, we hiked from west to east below the jagged spine of the Karwendel range just north of Innsbruck, Austria - from the villages of Scharnitz to Pertisau, via the Karwendelhaus, Falkenhütte, Eng Alm, and Lamsenjochhaus...

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An Evening at Lake Blanche — An Evening at Lake Blanche

July 2017 | Wasatch Range, Utah

In early June we did a quick overnight backpack hike from Big Cottonwood Canyon to Lake Blanche and Sundial Peak, in the Twin Peaks Wilderness of the Wasatch Range in Utah. Though the wind was relentless during our stay, we had fun exploring this lovely basin and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset and moonrise above the lake...

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Backpacking in Grand Gulch — Backpacking in Grand Gulch

May 2017 | Cedar Mesa, Utah

At the end of May we spent three days hiking through the upper portion of Grand Gulch, in Cedar Mesa, Utah. This was the third time I’ve backpacked in Grand Gulch, but the first since the area was designated as part of Bears Ears National Monument by President Obama in 2016...

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In, On, and Around the San Rafael Reef — In, On, and Around the San Rafael Reef

April 2017 | Utah

The San Rafael Reef is the jagged uplifted eastern edge of the greater San Rafael Swell, a giant dome-shaped anticline rising to the west of the Green River in central Utah. People who have driven Interstate 70 west of Green River will likely remember the incredible highway route that cuts right through the vertical red walls of the San Rafael Reef...

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Enchanted in New Mexico — Enchanted in New Mexico

December 2016 | New Mexico

Over the holidays my wife Claudia and I drove down to New Mexico for some desert time and to escape winter for a while. We spent a few days in Santa Fe, camped in the White Sand dunes, hiked in the Organ Mountains, explored the City of Rocks, and I even got to skate the famous ditches of Albuquerque!

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Autumn in the Wasatch — Autumn in the Wasatch

September 2016 | Wasatch Range, Utah

Here are some photos from yesterday up near Guardsman Pass at the head of the Big Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch Range of Utah. With a fresh snowfall smothering the golden aspens, along with a mystical foggy atmosphere, the photography conditions were just about as dreamy as can be!

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Best of: Road Trip from Colorado to Alaska — Best of: Road Trip from Colorado to Alaska

June-September 2016

From June-September 2016 we drove over 12,000 miles (19,000+ km), from Colorado to Alaska and back, through Nevada, northern California, Oregon, Washington, the Canadian Rockies, Alaska, and the Yukon...

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90 Days of Camping from Colorado to Alaska and back — 90 Days of Camping from Colorado to Alaska and back

June-September 2016

In June 2016 my wife Claudia and I took off on a summer-long road trip. Over the next 3 months or so we drove over 12,000 miles (19,000+ km), from Colorado to Nevada, northern California, Oregon, Washington, the Canadian Rockies, Yukon, Alaska, and back...

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Mount Robson & Berg Lake — Mount Robson & Berg Lake

September 2016 | BC, Canada

The trek to Berg Lake and Mount Robson is one of the most famous backpacking treks in the Canadian Rockies, and one that was high on our backpacking wish list. But when we drove through Jasper on our way north in July, we were disappointed to discover that the backcountry permits there were 100% reserved...

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Backpacking in the Tombstones — Backpacking in the Tombstones

September 2016 | Yukon, Canada

The Tombstone Range is a small but spiky mountain range located in the northern Yukon in Canada, almost up by the Arctic Circle. I have been dreaming of visiting and photographing these remote mountains since I first saw some photos of them almost 20 years ago...

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A View of Denali from Kesugi Ridge — A View of Denali from Kesugi Ridge

August 2016 | Alaska

In mid-August after looking at rainy forecasts in Alaska for weeks, there was finally a one-day window of sun in the weather forecast. We high-tailed it towards Denali and went on a quick one-night backpack trip up Kesugi Ridge, in Denali State Park just across the valley from Denali National Park...

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Backpacking in Kluane National Park — Backpacking in Kluane National Park

August 2016 | Yukon, Canada

After hiking up King's Throne near Kathleen Lake, we were starting to get excited about the possibility of doing a backpacking trip in Kluane National Park. (Pronounced: "clue on ee"). Plus, we still had a pretty good weather forecast in the Haines Junction and Kluane area of southwest Yukon, while all of Alaska still looked rainy...

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Salmon and Grizzlies in Hyder — Salmon and Grizzlies in Hyder

August 2016 | Alaska

After bailing from Jasper and the Canadian Rockies, three days of driving west and north through British Columbia brought us to the southeast tip of Alaska and the town of Hyder. At this point in the trip we hadn’t really done any planning or research beforehand, so didn’t really know what to expect as we rolled into Stewart and Hyder, two towns straddling the border of BC and Alaska...

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Dayhiking in Banff National Park — Dayhiking in Banff National Park

July 2016 | Canadian Rockies

Towards the end of July after our fantastic trek in the Height of the Rockies Provincial Park we ventured on to Banff, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies are undoubtedly some of the most impressive mountains on the planet, like a mix of the rugged spires of the Dolomites and the wilds of Alaska or Montana...

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Backpacking in the Height of the Rockies — Backpacking in the Height of the Rockies

July 2016 | Canadian Rockies

In July we drove over the border into British Columbia, Canada and headed east towards the Height of the Rockies Provincial Park in eastern BC. The trek I had in mind is a somewhat obscure one involving several hours of driving along dirt forestry roads to access a seldom traveled trail which eventually fades into a convoluted off-trail routefinding adventure, finally arriving at a spectacular series of high lakes in a rugged glaciated basin...

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Alpine Lakes Wilderness Trek — Alpine Lakes Wilderness Trek

July 2016 | Washington Cascades

In mid July after having done two backpack trips on the Olympic Peninsula, we were excited to do some more in the Cascades; however, most of the treks we had researched in the central and northern Cascades were still snowbound on the higher passes and lakes...

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High Divide Loop, Olympic Peninsula — High Divide Loop, Olympic Peninsula

July 2016 | Washington

Mount Olympus is the king of the Olympus Peninsula in Washington; laden with thick glaciers, the 7,980 foot peak soars above the surrounding rainforest valleys. Some of the finest views to be had of this remote mountain are from the High Divide trail which follows a high ridge opposite the Hoh River valley — that is, when the notorious Olympic Peninsula rain stops long enough to see it...

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Olympic Peninsula Coastal Trek — Olympic Peninsula Coastal Trek

June 2016 | Washington

At the end of June we did a 4-day backpacking trek up the wild coast of the Olympic Peninsula from Rialto Beach to Sand Point, in Olympic National Park. This was a fairly demanding hike with many rugged and rocky headlands that could only be passed at low tide, along with the ever present coastal fog and rain...

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Heli Bumps in Haines, Alaska — Heli Bumps in Haines, Alaska

March 2016 | Alaska

The glaciated and snow smothered Takhinsha Mountains near Haines, Alaska are amongst the most impressive mountains on Earth in the eyes of a skiier or snowboarder. In March 2016 I joined three friends for a week-long trip to Haines to go heli snowboarding in this legendary big mountain riding mecca...

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Two Weeks in the Utah Desert — Two Weeks in the Utah Desert

October/November 2015 | Utah

In late October/early November we headed out to Utah for a two-week road trip of car camping, hiking, and backpacking in the deserts of southern Utah. We basically drove a big counter-clockwise loop starting from Green River, heading southwards to Capitol Reef, southeast to Dark Canyon kind of near the north end of Lake Powell, to Natural Bridges National Monument, and finally to Cedar Mesa...

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Autumn Colors in Crested Butte — Autumn Colors in Crested Butte

September/October 2015 | Colorado

In September 2015 we made the move from Ouray to Crested Butte, and have been enjoying hiking the trails and savoring the golden autumn colors around here. Here's some photos!

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Along the Adriatic Coast — Along the Adriatic Coast

August 2015 | Montenegro & Croatia

After our treks in the mountains of Montenegro, we were feeling pretty trekked-out and looking forward to a more relaxing stretch of travels along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Yes, we knew it would be hot, crowded, touristy, and expensive compared to the mountains, but we wanted to visit there anyways; no trip to Montenegro would be complete without a visit to the coast...

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The Cursed Mountains - a trek through the Prokletije — The Cursed Mountains - a trek through the Prokletije

July 2015 | Montenegro and Albania

Forming a natural border between Montenegro and Albania is a jagged spine of mountains called the Prokletije in Montenegran and the Bjeshkët e Namuna in Albanian. Both names translate to “cursed mountains”, likely due to their foreboding vertical spires, deep winter snows, and inhospitable ruggedness...

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Rafting the Tara River — Rafting the Tara River

July 2015 | Montenegro

One of the highlights of a trip in Montenegro which is already full of highlights has been rafting down the Tara River. With its crystal clear turquoise spring-fed waters, the Tara is easily the most beautiful river I’ve ever seen...

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Durmitor Loop Trek — Durmitor Loop Trek

July 2015 | Montenegro

Durmitor National Park is certainly the most famous and beloved mountain range in Montenegro. The mountains here aren’t the biggest or baddest ever, but they have an undeniably wonderful and unique character, like a combination of the rugged might of the Alps with the wild solitude of the Rockies...

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Maglič & Trnovacko Jezero — Maglič & Trnovacko Jezero

July 2015 | Bosnia and Montenegro

For the first mountain adventure of our Bosnia/Montenegro trip, Claudia and I went backpacking for two nights at Trnovacko Lake along the border of Bosnia and Montenegro. The lake itself is located on the Montenegro side of the border, but is only accessible via Sutjeska National Park on the Bosnian side...

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Tapeats/Deer Creek Loop, Grand Canyon — Tapeats/Deer Creek Loop, Grand Canyon

April 2015 | Grand Canyon, Arizona

Last week we repeated a backpacking trip down into the Grand Canyon which we had done several years ago — a “lollipop” loop from the north rim down to Thunder River and Tapeats Creek, along the Colorado River, and up Deer Creek...

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Wetterhorn Ski Mission — Wetterhorn Ski Mission

April 2015 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Wetterhorn Peak stands above its surrounding basins like an ancient crumbling volcano. Rising to 14,015 feet, the pyramidal fourteener is not only one of the most photogenic mountains in Colorado, but its steep eastern face holds a classic ski descent that I’ve been wanting to snowboard for years...

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Island Hopping in Thailand — Island Hopping in Thailand

December 2014 | Thailand

Claudia and I are mountain lovers through and through; but after two treks in the Himalaya, the thought of relaxing on some Thai beaches sounded pretty appealing. With two travel weeks to spare in December, and just a 3-hour flight from Kathmandu, we quickly planned a getaway to Thailand!

Needless to say, once we were laying in the sand under the warm sun, we felt like that was a pretty damn good decision...

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Annapurna Base Camp — Annapurna Base Camp

November 2014 | Himalaya, Nepal

In November after our 20-day trek in the Khumbu/Everest region, we headed to the town of Pokhara to embark on yet another trek in the Himalaya — this time a short but strenuous 7-day trek to Annapurna Base Camp, also referred to as the ABC Trek or Annapurna Sanctuary Trek...

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Khumbu Three Pass Trek — Khumbu Three Pass Trek

October/November 2014 | Himalaya, Nepal

In October and November of this last year, Claudia and I fulfilled lifelong dreams to trek in the mighty Himalaya of Nepal – the world’s biggest mountains. We spent 20 days trekking the so-called “Three Pass Trek” over three high passes and through the four major valleys of the Khumbu/Everest region...

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Kathmandu — Kathmandu

November 2014 | Nepal

During our recent travels to Nepal, we spent some time in the capitol city of Kathmandu. Here are a few photos from this crazy and amazing city.

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Conundrum Hot Springs — Conundrum Hot Springs

September 2014 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

There are few things in life finer than soaking in natural hot springs, especially when those hot springs are situated at treeline in an alpine basin surrounded by high peaks and valley vistas! Such is the case at Conundrum Hot Springs, a remote but popular wild hot springs in the Elk Mountains between the towns of Aspen and Crested Butte in Colorado...

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8 Days in the Wind Rivers — 8 Days in the Wind Rivers

August 2014 | Wind River Range, Wyoming

The Wind River Range forms 110 miles of the Continental Divide in central Wyoming. Notable for its plethora of alpine lakes, its soaring granite walls, and some of the largest glaciers in the US Rockies, the Winds are a supremely majestic mountain range and a paradise for backpackers, climbers, and fishermen...

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Wildflower Wonderland — Wildflower Wonderland

July 2014 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Earlier this week Claudia and I backpacked for 5 days in the mountains west of Silverton, Colorado, following an improvised route that took us through numerous high alpine basins filled with endless fields of wildflowers...

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Mt. Lindsey & Lily Lake — Mt. Lindsey & Lily Lake

June 2014 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

With our San Juans still covered in quite a bit of snow up high, earlier this week we drove east for 3 nights of backpacking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where the snow is mostly gone and summer backpacking season is well underway...

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Great Sand Dunes Trek — Great Sand Dunes Trek

June 2014 | Colorado

The Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado are perhaps the most unique landscape in the Rockies, with 700-foot tall sand dunes nestled at the foot of 13,000-foot mountains. Winds that blow across the vast San Luis Valley carry sand grains which become trapped by the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the streams that flow out of the mountains keep the sand in one place, resulting in the tallest dunes of North America...

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2013-14 Winter in the San Juans — 2013-14 Winter in the San Juans

Winter 2013-14 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

A collection of my favorite photos from the winter season of 2013-2014 in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

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Death Hollow Canyon — Death Hollow Canyon

April 2014 | Escalante, Utah

The morning after returning from our previous Escalante backpack, we embarked on another even more adventurous trek – this time into the slickrock country just east of the town of Escalante, Utah...

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Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah — Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah

April 2014 | Utah

Photos from two weeks of travel and hiking in the deserts and canyons of southern Utah, including the San Rafael Swell, Capitol Reef, Escalante, and Bryce Canyon.

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Backpacking in the Needles District — Backpacking in the Needles District

March 2014 | Canyonlands National Park, Utah

As winter drags on, there are times when no matter how good the snow is, all I can think about is getting out to the desert for some warm weather backpacking. Such was the case last week when Claudia and I drove over to Utah for four days of backpacking in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park south of Moab...

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Winter Camping above Ouray — Winter Camping above Ouray

February 2014 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I headed out yesterday for a night of winter camping up on the “lower” Bridge of Heaven overlooking the town of Ouray, Colorado. I've winter camped up here once before five years previously, but this time I found a ridiculous spot to pitch my tent, right on the point of a precipitous rock outcropping! This airy perch provided a spectacular scene for tent photos, as well as an island of dry rock amongst the snow to cook and relax in ease...

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Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut — Powderfest at the Fowler/Hilliard Hut

January 2014 | Gore Range, Colorado

It had been snowing for nearly three weeks straight in the northern mountains of Colorado. With the northwest storm flow forecasted to dump a few more heavy punches before finally clearing out, last week I checked the 10th Mtn...

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Winter Camping at Blue Lakes — Winter Camping at Blue Lakes

October 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Hungry for an adventure, on Tuesday I hiked up to Blue Lakes in the Sneffels Range to camp out in the snow. Late autumn can be a good time for winter camping – kind of like “diet” winter camping since there’s less snow to deal with and usually less avalanche danger (*depending, of course)...

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Tough Luck in the Pyrenees — Tough Luck in the Pyrenees

September 2013 | France/Spain

On the first day of September Claudia and I started walking into the Pyrenees, the great mountain range that forms a natural border between France and Spain. Our plan was to trek along the Pyrenean Haute Route as far eastward through the range as we could in the next three weeks, staying in mountain huts and occasional small towns along the way...

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Climbing the Zugspitze — Climbing the Zugspitze

August 2013 | Germany

At 2962m (9717 ft), Zugspitze is the tallest mountain in Germany. The white limestone massif of Wetterstein (of which Zugspitze is the summit) rockets out of the green hills below, towering above all surrounding peaks and dominating the landscape in this part of southern Bavaria near the towns of Garmish and Erwald...

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Ferrata Trek through the Rosengarten — Ferrata Trek through the Rosengarten

August 2013 | Dolomites, Italy

The Rosengarten is a group of mountains in the Dolomites with a dense cluster of exceptionally jagged peaks. 10 years ago I did two hikes through this range, and since then I’ve longed to return for some better photography and more challenging via ferrata climbing...

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Via Ferrate in the Dolomites — Via Ferrate in the Dolomites

August 2013 | Dolomites, Italy

Last week Claudia’s father and brother drove down from Dresden to join us in the Dolomites in northern Italy for a fun week of hiking and climbing via ferrata routes together. The via ferrate are climbing routes with fixed cables and ladders, and by using a climbing harness with two short ropes with locking carabiners, it’s possible to safely climb exposed routes without technical climbing skills...

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Lechtal Alps — Lechtal Alps

July 2013 | Austria

Our latest adventure in the Alps was an 8-day trek through the Lechtal Alps in Austria, the neighboring range just south of the Allgäuer Alps of our previous trek. In fact on many days of our trek we could look across the valley and see the peaks and ridges which we had just hiked and climbed over the previous week...

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Allgäuer Alps — Allgäuer Alps

July 2013 | Germany

We are relaxing in the lovely Bavarian town of Oberstdorf in southern Germany after having trekked for the last 7 days through the Allgäuer Alps, a fantastic mountain range which runs along the border of Germany and Austria...

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Wetterhorn Peak — Wetterhorn Peak

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Unlike other mountain ranges in Colorado, the San Juan Mountains have a volcanic history. Around 35 million years ago this region was home to several dozen stratovolcanoes, similar to those in the present day Pacific Northwest...

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Hiking Whitehouse Mountain — Hiking Whitehouse Mountain

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In mid-June we did a quick backpack trip and climbed up Whitehouse Mountain in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado.
Summer is in full swing in the mountains! Except for a few lingering patches, most of the snow is gone and the tundra has come alive with its vibrant green grasses and early summer wildflowers like these Spreading Globeflowers (I think that’s what they are called)...

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An Evening with Sneffels — An Evening with Sneffels

June 2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Saturday we ventured into the Sneffels Range in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado for a quick overnighter backpack trip. Taking advantage of a clear weather forecast, we camped all the way up at 12,900 feet on a high sub-peak of Sneffels...

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8 Dayhikes in the Canyons of Utah - Escalante & Capitol Reef — 8 Dayhikes in the Canyons of Utah - Escalante & Capitol Reef

April 2013 | Utah

In mid-April we spent about 10 days car camping and doing some fantastic day hikes in the canyons of Utah - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Capitol Reef National Park in particular...

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Trans Catalina Trail — Trans Catalina Trail

April 2013 | Catalina Island, California

Earlier this April, Claudia and I trekked the Trans Catalina Trail – a 45 mile hike across the entire length of Catalina Island, off the coast of southern California.

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2012-13 Winter in Ouray — 2012-13 Winter in Ouray

Winter 2012-2013 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

A selection of skiing, landscape, and town photos in and around Ouray in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado during the 2012-2013 winter season.

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Ski Hut Tour in the Gore Range — Ski Hut Tour in the Gore Range

March 2013 | Gore Range, Colorado

Last week we spent four days and three nights on a 10th Mountain Division ski hut tour in the southern Gore Range of Colorado! The first leg of our trip took us to the Jackal Hut, which is perched on a high ridge with expansive views towards Leadville and the highest peaks of Colorado in the Sawatch Range...

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3 Week Desert Road Trip — 3 Week Desert Road Trip

October/November 2012 | CA, AZ, UT, CO

In late October and early November, we spent 3 weeks on a road trip through the deserts and canyons between California and Colorado. Highlights included camping in Death Valley in California, a backpack trek into the Grand Canyon, hiking through a slot canyon in Page Arizona, visiting the cliff dwelling of Mesa Verde in Colorado, and more!

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Backpacking into the Grand Canyon — Backpacking into the Grand Canyon

November 2012 | Grand Canyon, Arizona

At the beginning of November, Claudia and I were excited to go on a backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon, which neither of us has seen before. It was a great introduction to walk down all the way down into the heart of it, and WOW, we were impressed! Our loop route took us down from Monument Point on the North Rim, down the Bill Hall Trail, over the Esplanade, across Surprise Valley, down into Tapeats Creek, along the Colorado River, up the Deer Creek Trail, then back up to the top again...

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Photos of aspens and autumn color, mostly in the San Juan Mountains. This fall was a very colorful one, with the aspens showing off much oranger and redder colors than usual.

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Autumn on Stony Pass — Autumn on Stony Pass

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Desiring a leisurely change of pace after our recent tiring backpacking treks, Claudia and I decided to go car camping this weekend up on Stony Pass in the San Juan Mountains east of Silverton, Colorado...

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The Lime Loop — The Lime Loop

September 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over Labor Day weekend some friends joined us for a strenuous 3-day loop trek in the Weminuche Wilderness, south of the area we hiked through last week. Our route took us over a high ridgeline with spectacular views of the Needle Mountains on the other side of the valley...

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The Wild Heart of the San Juans — The Wild Heart of the San Juans

August 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week we went on another 7-day trek through the high peaks of the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado. During our backpacking trip we were treated not only to spectacular mountain vistas, but to some pretty cool wildlife encounters too!

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Belly/Mokowanis Backpack, Glacier National Park — Belly/Mokowanis Backpack, Glacier National Park

July 2012 | Glacier National Park, Montana

Glacier National Park had an above-average winter snowpack this year, so unfortunately most of the high treks we wanted to do were still closed in mid July – but we managed to figure out a nice 5-day backpacking route anyways...

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Cracker Lake — Cracker Lake

July 2012 | Glacier National Park, Montana

Our first backpack trip in Glacier National Park was a one-nighter to Cracker Lake, in the Many Glacier area. This is easily one of the most spectacular mountain cirques I’ve ever had the pleasure of camping in, with a 3-4,000 foot sheer vertical wall encircling the milky turquoise glacial lake and green grass meadow slopes...

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Dunes and Sangres — Dunes and Sangres

June 2012 | Sangre de Cristos, Colorado

This last weekend we went on a little road trip to the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado, followed by a couple nights of camping and hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We arrived at the dunes in the afternoon on Friday and started the hike into the dunes under a sky full of wild ominous clouds, along with sandblasting winds...

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Supermoon on Sneffels — Supermoon on Sneffels

May 2012 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

I’ve been itching for an adventure lately, so early this morning I hiked up Mt. Sneffels in the moonlight again! I left Ouray at 1:30am (ouch!) and started hiking into Yankee Boy Basin at 2:30am. The “supermoon” – aka, the full moon at its closest orbit to Earth – was incredibly bright, and I had no troubles finding my way without headlamp...

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Coyote Gulch — Coyote Gulch

April 2012 | Escalante, Utah

In early April, we headed to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in southern Utah for another backpacking trip into one of my favorite canyons of all – Coyote Gulch. It’s been about 12 years or so since I’ve been here, but I still remembered how awesome it was...

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Dientes de Navarino — Dientes de Navarino

January 2012 | Tierra del Fuego, Chile

Last week Claudia and I and took a zodiac boat ride from Ushuaia to Isla Navarino, an island that is actually in Chile even though it’s right across the Beagle Channel from Ushuaia and Argentina. So, coming and going, four more stamps in our passports, which are nearly full of Chile and Argentina stamps after three months of border crossings between the two countries...

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El Chaltén Dream — El Chaltén Dream

December 2011 | Patagonia, Argentina

We’ve just returned to civilization after 8 days camped out in the mighty Fitz Roy range near El Chaltén in Argentine Patagonia. One of my main goals of this return trip to El Chaltén was to capture a photo that I have been dreaming about since my last trip to Patagonia four years ago...

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The W Trek - Torres del Paine — The W Trek - Torres del Paine

December 2011 | Patagonia, Chile

Last week we spent 10 days hiking the popular “W” Circuit in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine. These spectacular mountains rise abruptly 3000 vertical meters (almost 10,000 feet) above a series of huge turquoise lakes...

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Jungle Granite at Cochamó — Jungle Granite at Cochamó

November 2011 | Chile

After waiting in the rain in Puerto Varas for a week, we finally got a better weather forecast and headed out for a six day backpacking trip to the impressive Cochamó valley in Chile. We might have jumped the gun by a day or two, since it rained the entire way up; the ten mile hike was totally wet and muddy, with countless bogs and knee deep creeks to cross...

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Snowboarding Volcanoes in Chile — Snowboarding Volcanoes in Chile

November 2011 | Chile

In early November 2011 we were traveling in central Chile around Chillán and Pucón; this region of the Andes is full of stratovolcanoes (kind of like the Pacific Northwest). There had been a very snowy winter before our visit (November is spring down south), and the volcanoes were still smothered in snow...

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Valle de Aguas Calientes — Valle de Aguas Calientes

November 2011 | Chile

After our long bus ride south from northern Chile and a quick pitstop in Santiago, we’ve spent the last several days in and around Las Trancas, a sleepy mountain town set in a gorgeous forested valley below two volcanoes...

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Travels in Northern Chile — Travels in Northern Chile

October 2011 | Atacama, Chile

In late October of 2011 we rented a 4x4 pickup truck in Antofagasta and spent two weeks driving through remote regions of northern Chile including San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama desert, Lauca National Park, Salar de Surire, and more...

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A View of Aconcagua — A View of Aconcagua

October 2011 | Argentina

One of the reasons for heading through Mendoza on this trip was to photograph Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere. Though I have little desire to actually climb the peak, I was hoping to do some hikes in the valleys around the peak...

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Weminuche High Loop — Weminuche High Loop

August 2011 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

In late August we did a 7-day loop trek in and around the Needle Mountains, the rugged heart of the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This was the fourth time I've done a week-long backpack trip in these mountains, and as usual we had some crazy weather during our trip, including lots of lightning, thunder, and several stunning sunrises and sunsets...

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Trekking through the Sawtooths — Trekking through the Sawtooths

August 2011 | Idaho

For many years I’ve been longing to visit the Sawtooth Range in Idaho, and last week I finally got the chance! We went on a 7-day backpacking trek through the range, starting from Pettit Lake and ending at Redfish Lake, taking a few detours along the way...

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Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop — Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop

July 2011 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

In late July we spent 6 days backpacking around the famous Maroon Bells in the Elk Mountains of Colorado. The photos pretty much tell the story so I won’t say too much else except that it was another great trek in Colorado!

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Wetterhorn / Uncompahgre Loop Trek — Wetterhorn / Uncompahgre Loop Trek

July 2011 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Last week Claudia and I went on a 5-day backpacking loop in the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains east of Ouray. Our route circumnavigated the fourteeners Wetterhorn and Uncompahgre Peaks and took us through a paradise of expansive green tundra, wildflowers, and peaks...

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A Night in the Great Sand Dunes — A Night in the Great Sand Dunes

June 2011 | Colorado

On Monday I headed to the Great Sand Dunes for a quick overnighter. I hiked in at about 10pm, slept on a dune for about 4 hours, then woke up around 3:30am to shoot the setting (nearly full) moon, followed by sunrise...

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Epic Spring Ski Season in Western Colorado — Epic Spring Ski Season in Western Colorado

May/June 2011 | Colorado

With record-breaking snowfalls in April, continuing well in May, the spring ski season in the San Juans was a memorable one. May surprised us with several long snow storms that brought mid-winter-esque powder days and smiles all around! Here is a collection of my favorite ski photos from May and June...

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Bernese Oberland Ski Hut Tour — Bernese Oberland Ski Hut Tour

April 2011 | Switzerland

In early April I went on a ski hut tour in the Bernese Oberland mountains of Switzerland. This is the heart of the Swiss Alps, and during the course of 6 days we skied a variety of routes across the largest glacier system in the Alps...

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A Winter in the Alps — A Winter in the Alps

Winter 2010-11 | Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany

This gallery is a compilation of my favorite photos taken from the 2010-2011 winter season in the Alps, from November through April, in roughly chronological order. I spent most of the season in Engelberg, Switzerland but also did trips to Zermatt, Grindelwald, Mürren, and the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland; the Dolomites in Italy; Obergurgl and Mayrhofen in Austria; and the Black Forest in Germany...

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Autumn in Freiburg — Autumn in Freiburg

November 2010 | Germany

Photos of colorful autumn colors at the foot of the Black Forest near Freiburg, Germany.

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September/October 2010 | Colorado

Photos of colorful aspens in the San Juans and Elk Mountains of Colorado, during the autumn of 2010.

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Capitol Peak — Capitol Peak

September 2010 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

In late September I spent four days doing various hikes around Capitol Peak, a rugged fourteener in the Elk Mountains of Colorado.

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Ouray/Uncompahgre Loop — Ouray/Uncompahgre Loop

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This last weekend we repeated one of my favorite backpacking loop routes in the San Juan Mountains - a big circle starting from near the town of Ouray, Colorado, hiking up 5,000 vertical feet to the expansive high rolling tundra of the Uncompahgre Wilderness, then back down into the town of Ouray via the Bridge of Heaven...

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Sunset Atop Mount Sneffels — Sunset Atop Mount Sneffels

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After climbing the southwest ridge route of Mt. Sneffels on an afternoon when the clouds weren't too threatening, we stayed up on the summit to watch and photograph the sunset. We then descended the normal route in the dark with headlamps and walked back to my truck where cold beers awaited...

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Weminuche Wilderness Trek — Weminuche Wilderness Trek

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the second of week of this August 2010, Claudia and I went backpacking for 7 days in the Weminuche Wilderness, duplicating the same route that I did solo back in September 2007.

We had all kinds of crazy weather during the trek, ranging from torrential monsoons to perfect bluebird days...

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Beautiful Blue Lakes — Beautiful Blue Lakes

August 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Photos from three days of summer camping at Blue Lakes, in the Sneffels Range of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

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Sunrise on Wetterhorn Peak — Sunrise on Wetterhorn Peak

July 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Sunday I hiked into Wetterhorn Basin, in the Uncompahgre Wilderness east of Ridgway, Colorado. With all the stormy monsoon weather and fantastic sunsets we’ve been having in the San Juans lately, I had hopes of catching another great sunset in the mountains...

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Wandering in the Weminuche — Wandering in the Weminuche

July 2010 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

After another fun 4th of July in Ouray, I went on a 5-day backpacking loop in the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. I left from the Beartown trailhead, hiked south along the Continental Divide Trail for a couple days until reaching the area of Flint Lakes and Rock Lake...

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Quilcayhuanca/Cojup Loop, Cordillera Blanca — Quilcayhuanca/Cojup Loop, Cordillera Blanca

June 2010 | Cordillera Blanca, Peru

After our big Cordillera Huayhuash trek, followed by a rest day in Huaraz, four of us headed out into the Cordillera Blanca near Huaraz for a three day hike up the Quilcayhuanca valley, over a high pass, and down the Cojup valley...

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Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit — Cordillera Huayhuash Circuit

June 2010 | Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru

In June of 2010 I fulfilled one of my dreams – to trek around the remote and rugged Cordillera Huayhuash mountain range in Peru. In the city of Huaraz, the base for most of the expeditions in the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash, I signed on to a 10 day trek with burros to carry all our camping gear, an arriero (burro driver), a guide, and a cook for all our meals! Deluxe! Not only that, but our random assortment of people turned out to be a good group and we all had a great time together...

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Riding Volcanos in Washington — Riding Volcanos in Washington

May 2010 | Washington

In May my friend Scott and I did a road trip out to Washington to ski/snowboard some volcanos. We ended up scoring two phenomenal descents down Mount Saint Helens and Mount Adams.

Mount Saint Helens in a Cloud Sandwich
Mt...

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Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah — Two Weeks in the Canyons of Utah

April 2010 | Utah

In April I spent two weeks hiking, camping, and photographing in and around the canyons of southern Utah. I visited a lot of new places I haven't seen before, including Goblin Valley State Park, San Rafael Swell, Robbers Roost area, Capitol Reef National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park...

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A Winter in Jackson Hole — A Winter in Jackson Hole

Winter 2009-10 | Tetons, Wyoming

I moved up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming during the winter of 2009-2010 to snowboard as much as possible. Now that my season is wrapping up here, I have compiled this gallery of my favorite skiing and snowboarding photos from the winter, including a few shots of me snowboarding, taken by my friends...

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Winter Camping on Hurricane Pass — Winter Camping on Hurricane Pass

March 2010 | Tetons, Wyoming

This last weekend of March I went winter camping again, this time for two nights up on Hurricane Pass, on the west side of the Tetons. Hurricane Pass is pretty close to Table Mountain where I went camping in January, but it has a very different perspective of the Tetons...

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Tetons Aerial Photos — Tetons Aerial Photos

March 2010 | Tetons, Wyoming

On Thursday morning last week in mid March I flew out of Jackson airport and was treated to some incredible aerial views of the Tetons! I reserved a window seat (as always) and had my camera ready, but was disappointed when I realized that I was on the wrong side of the plane to see the mountains during takeoff...

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Winter Camping on Table Mountain — Winter Camping on Table Mountain

January 2010 | Tetons, Wyoming

With a full moon and a partly sunny weather forecast, I decided this last Thursday to do a winter camping trip up on Table Mountain, on the west side of the Teton Range. The hike in was grueling, having to put in a skin track all by myself up 4,000 vertical feet through deep heavy powder, with a heavy backpack...

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Icy Ice Lakes Basin — Icy Ice Lakes Basin

November 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

The light snowfalls amounts in the San Juan Mountains this November provided a good opportunity for me to do a quick overnight backpacking trip to Ice Lakes Basin, near Silverton, Colorado. This spectacular basin is a popular location for summertime hiking, but not many people visit in the snow...

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Grand Gulch Loop Hike — Grand Gulch Loop Hike

October 2009 | Cedar Mesa, Utah

Over three days and two nights this October I went on a ~25 mile loop hike through a portion of Grand Gulch in Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah. The hike passes through dramatic canyon scenery with vertical cliffs and dramatic rock formations...

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Lightning Disco at Blue Lakes — Lightning Disco at Blue Lakes

September 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

On Saturday I hiked up to Blue Lakes for a quick overnight backpacking trip in the Sneffels Range of southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains. The alpine tundra has turned a beautiful array of autumn colors, and even a few aspens are starting to change...

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Six Weeks in Norway — Six Weeks in Norway

July/August 2009 | Norway

During the summer of 2009, I devoted six weeks to photographing the amazing mountains and fjords of Norway. During that time I traveled more than 8500 km (5300 miles), from the capital city of Oslo in the south, as far north as Tromsø, far above the Arctic Circle...

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Spring Snowboarding Descents in the Tetons — Spring Snowboarding Descents in the Tetons

May 2009 | Tetons, Wyoming

This May 2009, I headed up to Jackson, Wyoming to snowboard some big spring lines in the Tetons with a buddy of mine who lives up there. My timing could not have been better, with solid snow conditions from top to bottom of the peaks, and perfect sunny spring weather...

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Bridge of Heaven Winter Camp — Bridge of Heaven Winter Camp

April 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over the last few days, a late season storm has come through the San Juans in Colorado, dumping almost 2 feet of snow. On Sunday, while still snowing hard outside the weather forecast called for a sunny clear Monday, so I headed out for a spur-of-the-moment winter backpacking trip, hoping to get a photo of the fresh snow smothering Ouray and the Uncompahgre Gorge...

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2009 Skiing & Snowboarding in the San Juans — 2009 Skiing & Snowboarding in the San Juans

Winter 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

My favorite shots from our backcountry skiing and snowboarding adventures during the 2009 winter and spring, in the San Juan Mountains, near Ouray, Colorado.

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Great Sand Dunes Megaloop — Great Sand Dunes Megaloop

March 2009 | Colorado

In mid-March I was desperate for some wilderness action, so I headed out on a backpacking trip in the Great Sand Dunes in southern Colorado. My initial plan was to do a simple three day hike up and back the Sand Ramp Trail along the eastern side of the dunes...

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Hideout Cabin — Hideout Cabin

January 2009 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This weekend I joined some friends for a three day weekend up at their backcountry cabin in the San Juan Mountains south of Telluride, Colorado. The cabin’s a real gem, situated in a rugged San Juan setting surrounded by prime ski terrain...

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Milford Track, New Zealand — Milford Track, New Zealand

December 2008 | New Zealand

Over the last four days in late November/early December I’ve been hiking the Milford Track, perhaps the most famous of New Zealand’s Great Walks. This walk belongs in its own class of Awesome, and all the other “Great Walks” I’ve been on should be renamed merely “Good Walks” in comparison...

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Fiordland, New Zealand — Fiordland, New Zealand

November 2008 | New Zealand

In late November I spent 3 days in the high mountains of Fiordland, based out of a roadside hut and hiking up to some high saddles around there. These mountains here in Fiordland are amazing and probably my favorite that I’ve seen here in New Zealand...

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Partial Kepler Track, New Zealand — Partial Kepler Track, New Zealand

November 2008 | New Zealand

Te Anau is at first glance similar to a small version of Wanaka – both on the eastern side of large lakes with mountains to the west. However, while Wanaka is known for its proximity to several famous ski fields, Te Anau is the access point to three of the famous Great Walks – the Routeburn, Milford, and Kepler Tracks...

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Routeburn Track, New Zealand — Routeburn Track, New Zealand

November 2008 | New Zealand

The Routeburn is one of New Zealand’s renowned “Great Walks”, and as such it has wide trails, huge huts, lots of people, and lots of signs telling the people where to go.

Since it is a one way hike with vast distances between the start and end points, I turned in my rental car, shipped one bag to Te Anau from Queenstown, and got a shuttle to the start...

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Backpacking in Mt. Aspiring National Park, New Zealand — Backpacking in Mt. Aspiring National Park, New Zealand

November 2008 | New Zealand

Over the last four days I’ve been tramping in Mount Aspiring National Park near Wanaka. I started in the Matukituki River valley, an idyllic mountain valley with green grass, turquoise river, soaring glacier-clad mountains, and waterfalls pouring down from the sides...

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Hut Trek in Arthurs Pass National Park, New Zealand — Hut Trek in Arthurs Pass National Park, New Zealand

November 2008 | New Zealand

For the last four or five days I’ve been hanging around Arthurs Pass, one of the three mountain passes that crosses over the South Island mountains here in New Zealand. The first two days were spent mostly lounging about the hostel as it dumped snow and the wind raged outside...

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Adventures on the West Coast, New Zealand — Adventures on the West Coast, New Zealand

October/November 2008 | New Zealand

In late October I left Wanaka and drove over Haast Pass toward the infamous West Coast. I say infamous because this region is notorious for its huge amounts of rainfall (up to 7 meters annually in some spots!)...

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Tramping by Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand — Tramping by Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

October 2008 | New Zealand

The last several days I’ve been based out of Mt. Cook Village, a little tourist outpost based mainly around the Hermitage Hotel, situated in a remote valley at the foot of New Zealand’s highest mountain – Aoraki/Mt...

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Sunset on Timpanogos — Sunset on Timpanogos

September 2008 | Wasatch Range, Utah

This last weekend I was up in Utah and took advantage of a full moon to hike Mount Timpanogos and watch the sunset from the 11,749 foot summit.

Timpanogos, or "Timp" for short, is one of Utah's most famous and beloved mountains, towering 7,000 feet over the city of Provo...

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Weminuche Wilderness Loop — Weminuche Wilderness Loop

August 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

For 7 days in August, I hiked a high loop route through the high and rugged Needle Mountains in the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juans south of Silverton, Colorado. This trip had a couple unexpected events in store for me, but fortunately, Lady Luck was really by my side this time...

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Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans — Continental Divide Trail through the South San Juans

August 2008 | South San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This last week I hiked the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) through the South San Juan Wilderness with two of my friends. It’s a 60+ mile trek from Cumbres Pass near Chama, New Mexico to Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs, Colorado...

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Cow Creek Bushwhack — Cow Creek Bushwhack

July 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

During the last three days, I bushwhacked through the Cow Creek valley, a rugged and remote mountain valley in the Uncompahgre Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains east of Ridgway. My original plan was to hike through the valley and continue up to the high alpine zone, where I would hike a high loop route around to Wetterhorn Basin and then take a trail back to my truck...

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2 Sunrises on Mount Sneffels — 2 Sunrises on Mount Sneffels

June 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

This June I made two early morning hikes high up in Yankee Boy Basin, a high mountain valley above Ouray, Colorado.
On Monday I woke up at 2am, drove up to Yankee Boy Basin, and hiked in the dark via headlamp up to the ridgeline of Cirque Mountain, a 13-thousand footer with a nice view of neighboring Mount Sneffels...

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2008 Skiing & Snowboarding in Colorado — 2008 Skiing & Snowboarding in Colorado

Winter/Spring 2008 | Colorado

The 2007-2008 snow season has been an epic one, with record breaking snowfalls in western Colorado. The town of Ouray (where I live) got over 21 feet of snow, more than twice the average, and the most in 60 years of records! The high mountains probably got twice that, if not more...

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Skiing La Sals, Utah — Skiing La Sals, Utah

April 2008 | La Sal Mountains, Utah

This weekend I met up with Ann Driggers and Seth Anderson, some new ski buddies I met through SummitPost.org, to ski some lines in La Sal Mountains, the prominent range that rises a whopping 8,700 vertical feet above the town of Moab and the surrounding canyonlands of southeast Utah...

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Winter Camping in the West Needle Mountains — Winter Camping in the West Needle Mountains

March 2008 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Lured by a full moon and a forecast of clear skies, in late March I went backpacking for two nights in the West Needle Mountains in the San Juans near Silverton, Colorado. This area is incredibly photogenic; from my campsite on a 12,200 ft ridgeline, I enjoyed broad vistas of the Needle Mountains, the West Needles, and all the peaks of the Molas Pass area...

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A Month in Patagonia — A Month in Patagonia

November/December 2007 | Argentina/Chile

From mid-November to mid-December 2007, I spent a month backpacking in Patagonia. During the first few weeks, I was hiking amongst the jagged peaks of the Fitz Roy Range in Parque Nacional los Glaciares near Chaltén, Argentina...

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Colorado Fall Colors — Colorado Fall Colors

September/October 2007 | Colorado

Autumn is probably the most spectacular season in the Colorado Rockies, as the vast fields of aspens turn bright yellow and orange under snowcapped mountain peaks. For the last several weeks, I've been searching for grand aspen vistas to photograph, mainly in the West Elk Mountains near Crested Butte, and San Juan Mountains around Telluride and Ouray...

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Weminuche Wilderness Trek — Weminuche Wilderness Trek

September 2007 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Over a span of 7 days in late August/early September, I hiked alone through a high route in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juans. The mountains here are perhaps the most rugged and remote in all of Colorado...

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Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop — Maroon Bells Four Pass Loop

July 2007 | Elk Mountains, Colorado

This popular hike in the Elk Mountains near Aspen is referred to as the Four Pass Loop. It is about 25 miles long, and passes over four high mountain passes, circumnavigating the famous Maroon Bells fourteeners...

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Spring Riding in the San Juans — Spring Riding in the San Juans

April/May 2007 | San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Instead of making separate trip reports for each spring backcountry hike and ski/snowboard trip that my friends and I do, I thought I'd just make a page with some of my favorite pictures from various hikes this spring in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado...

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Baja, Mexico — Baja, Mexico

March 2007 | Mexico

In 2007 my buddy Todd had an excess of frequent flyer miles and generously offered to fly us both to Baja, Mexico. We rented surfboards and a Jeep SUV in Cabo then spent a week camping near remote beaches and surfing (or trying our best to surf)...

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Shaken in the Julian Alps — Shaken in the Julian Alps

July 2004 | Slovenia

Based out of the village of Kranjska Gora, in mid-July of 2004 I did a couple treks in the rugged Julian Alps in Slovenia. For the first hike I ventured up to the Triglavski dom hut below the summit of Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia...

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Via Ferrate in the Dolomites — Via Ferrate in the Dolomites

June/July 2004 | Dolomites, Italy

In June and July I met my buddy Kevin and his brother Kyle in Venice, Italy and we headed into the Dolomites for three weeks of hiking and climbing the famous via ferrate routes through these incredible mountains...

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Rainy Days in Durmitor — Rainy Days in Durmitor

June 2004 | Montenegro

In June of 2004 I traveled to Montenegro, one of the countries of the former Yugoslavia. I had seen some intriguing photos of the mountains there, so I was excited to check out this relatively unknown destination...

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Turkey — Turkey

May 2004 | Turkey

In 2004 my sister invited me to join her and some friends for three weeks of traveling through Turkey. This isn't my normal type of travel destination so I was eager for the opportunity to travel there with them and experience the rich history and culture...

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Mount of the Holy Cross — Mount of the Holy Cross

October 2003 | Sawatch Range, Colorado

Notch Mountain, in the Sawatch Range just south of Vail, Colorado, has a perfect front-and-center view of Mount of the Holy Cross and its east facing cross couloir, made famous in 1873 by legendary wilderness photographer William H...

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A Winter in Las Leñas — A Winter in Las Leñas

July-September 2002 | Argentina

In the South American winter of 2002 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join five of my friends for a three month stay in the small Argentine ski resort town of Las Leñas, situated in the barren Andes south of Mendoza...

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A Year in the Cascades — A Year in the Cascades

2001-2002 | Washington Cascades

After graduating college in 2001, I moved to Washington state where I lived in Seattle for the summer, being unemployed and backpacking and exploring the great Cascade range as often as I could. During the winter I lived up near Stevens Pass where I worked at the ski resort and had the best winter of snowboarding in my life!

This was a period of time when I was just beginning to get more into photography...

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