The Baggage Boater

I spent all of last weekend on my first paid baggage boater trip with NAU outdoors. Its something I had never really done before... I knew the river, but I went from messing around in kayaks with not much responsibilities to being behind a large oar rig. But I have to say, it was awesome!

When we arrived we rigged up the boats in the dark, and slept on pads on our respective rafts, waiting for the participants the next morning. I woke up to see this amazing October sunrise. I had forgotten about the fall colors in all the rush of the day before. The sunrise that night at the River House camp was not bad either.

We were even lucky to have many close interactions with the Bighorn Sheep:

As we drove back to Flagstaff I had time to reflect on how relaxing river trips always are for me and how important it is to do frequently. Its not often I can lay down on a boat in a canyon, and have hours of uninterrupted stress free sleep under the stars. Nothing to worry about, only time to clear the mind. And lastly: The Milky Way.

Sleeping in a Car, Exploring Yosemite

     I often find myself overwhelmed with doing similar things day in and day out, there is always some great reward out there when you go on an adventure without having definitive plans. This last month I embarked on a spur-of-the-moment two week trip up to Yosemite to get my WFR certification, and only really had the plan to sleep out of my car. Once again I was reminded by how many great people are out there, and how easy it is to start somewhere new.

Chris, Mike, Jeff and Nicole are only some of the fantastic people I met who explored and climbed this immense valley with me, most of which were living out of their cars right alongside me. This view in particular never got old, no matter what angle.

As much as I loved the valley and its huge granite spires that were baffling to stare at, the Toulemne Meadows had some of the most beautiful lakes and creeks I have ever seen. I spent days hitchhiking from trailhead to trailhead to hike up to some of theses lakes, and was surprised by the shear number of hidden, unmarked areas, like crystal blue lakes

I am going to miss the sensation of hiking up over a ridge to see a lake guarded by a massive spire, Cathedral lake was one of the most inspiring.

There is something to be said about being by yourself in an unfamiliar backcountry. I was laying down after a swim in a lake nearby Mt. Hoffman, and hear a noise. I joined this guy in the woods, tip toeing around with only my camera, no shoes or shirt. after a few minutes he was no longer scared of me, and let me snap a shot of him before I went on my way. 

I thought Yosemite was smaller than it is... After mapping out how much of the park I covered, and can happily say that I will be returning soon.

A Night of Bouldering at Buffalo Park

     I just returned from my WFR trip to Yosemite, and decided, with the help of friends, that I should start up a photography blog. Two of my best friends welcomed me back to Flagstaff with a night full of bouldering at Buffalo Park just nearby my house.
     In addition to my usual landscapes, I have gotten very interested in telling some stories with my images, and seeing what I can capture if I have my camera on me at all times of the day. This blog is intended to encourage me to practice photography in other areas, as well as my writing and story telling. So I started by bringing my camera with me on what I thought was going to just be a normal climbing trip.

Unloading the car at Buffalo Park, getting ready to walk out to the boulders.

As usual, we tend to take our time.

As we started our descent into the boulder field, the fantastic sunset hit its peak, illuminating the park in some nice purples and pinks.

Jarod climbing on Centerpiece, which in my opinion is one of the more beautiful rocks in the area.

Mark on Commando, about to throw to the arete.

This is my favorite shot, as it encompasses the entire night for me. All of our gear is in the photograph, as well as my two friends. The sparse lighting nicely illuminates only the important part of the scene. Not a bad return from a vacation!