His physical being has been reduced to ash; the weight of the loss is a far greater burden than the small portion I carry in my pack. My headlamp keeps me on the trail; the horizon will hide the sun for another hour. Dark skies are appropriate for the sorrow I feel, but my … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter Three
He had thought about this day, had walked this path in his mind; thought he knew what it would be like. Now he finds distance and depth eroding his imagination as the reality of the South Kaibab and Grand Canyon slowly reshapes the landscape of his mind. This man, who has motivated thousands from a … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter Two
One last tug secures my instep crampons; winter’s ice makes them necessary. Our destination is almost one mile below us, just over seven miles by trail. I have been there before; they have not. My eyes move quickly, glancing at the trail, the ice, their equipment, their faces—they are ready. Pausing for a moment, I … Continue reading Moose in the Grand Canyon: Chapter One
A delicate trace of morning illuminates the eastern sky, the sun will join us later. I am late for my meeting with the trail. I prefer seclusion offered by dark skies, the opportunity to experience all of morning, to greet the sun on the trail. Falling into a steady pace, I show little concern for … Continue reading A Brief Moment with Timpanogos
One might stand here listening to Alum Creek join the Yellowstone and think the confluence complete. Somewhere else that might be true, but not in Hayden Valley and not this morning. My mind and early fog work with the water awaiting the final piece, the morning sun. Still hidden by the hills of Hayden, it … Continue reading Hayden Valley Sunrise Chapter 2
Layered against the cold, I removed myself from the warmth of my car and stepped into the morning darkness. The nearest hour was 4AM. My memory provided what my eyes could not, a placid river twisting through a green valley, rolling hills rising into a tree line. Abundant elk, bison and waterfowl interspersed with the … Continue reading Hayden Valley Sunrise Chapter 1
The sound is faint, faint but familiar, small ripples on the Snake soften my mood; rocks and water competing for space. It seems ironic, the hard, immovable obstacles will eventually succumb to the flexible fluid. But I do not want that thought this morning, I want the present, I want the harmony they create, I … Continue reading Until Tomorrow
The river appears dissatisfied. I have just walked 7 miles down the South Kaibab Trail for another visit with a temperamental artist. Seven miles of panoramas, panoramas revealing a small segment of this masterpiece called the Grand Canyon. The river, not content with its work, continues its relentless search for perfection. It continues to carve … Continue reading Below The Rim
A picture, a captured memory, an indicator, a gauge of how we measure out world. When I am outdoors the visible light spectrum generally establishes my boundaries. Coastal trails are defined by measureless, blue horizons, mountain trails by snowcapped peaks while forested hikes are confined by surrounding vegetation. Other senses come into play but my … Continue reading A Balancing Act
The sun met me on the trail, it was a long shadow morning. Long shadows offer a unique experience, they give you every minute of morning. They offer a brief look backwards, a glimpse of nature at night, a very quick glimpse before the nocturnal world transitions. Long shadows offer solitude, an opportunity to … Continue reading Long Shadow Morning
It is an icon, it defines a park, it defines nature, it represents wilderness, it represents commitment. Half Dome will always be Norma. The role of a rock can change. Knowledge of the trail to the cables moved Half Dome from icon to obsession. The cables allow access to the top; they allow access to … Continue reading Half Dome
With five miles behind me I was closing the loop, walking back to my start point. On most mornings this would signal the end of the trail, the end of my hike. Today I was thinking of subdued color, color found on sunless flowers. My hike began in the shade of a mountain, it began … Continue reading Time With the Wild Rose
I was content with my morning, I was on a trail. This morning, a unique morning, was becoming part of my life, part of a past that would shape my future. Spring was working its way back into the fauna, back into the fabric of nature. I had paused earlier, paused and observed the miracle … Continue reading Coyote Moment Part Two
The sun came up this morning; a common event made remarkable by endless variations, by combinations of moisture, light, dust and emotion. While not as persistent as the sun, I have hiked this trail countless times. It is my training trail, four miles in Glendale’s Thunderbird Park. I have shared this landscape with rabbits, roadrunners, … Continue reading Coyote Moment
When my project began, I had a goal, this was my destination. Launch Day, May 5, 2017 Jordanelle Reservoir My journey began inside two cardboard boxes. Two boxes containing everything you need to make a kayak! One short sentence precedes each picture, I am sure you have already manipulated them into the overused phrase ‘the … Continue reading A Paddle in the Water
Other than a relatively late get-up and a slow start I did not think my morning unusual. Stepping from my car, I enjoyed cool desert air but my shadow began to talk to me, to tell me about my morning. I prefer quiet shadowless mornings, mornings when the sun has not yet crested the horizon, … Continue reading A NEEDED ADJUSTMENT
The sound no longer registers. Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of impacts have dulled my senses; I no longer hear my boot striking the trail. It is selective filtration, the repetitious, man made noise subjugated. Willow Flat stretches to my left, its dense vegetation offering life in the form of food and concealment. Frequent moose … Continue reading Depth of a Rainbow aka Lunch Tree Hill
