Capturing the Moment

Creek Street, Ketchikan Sunset at 9:45pm in Alaska   After a wonderful break spent hiking Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon it was time to head back to work aboard the Wilderness Explorer in Southeast Alaska. It felt good coming back with most everything dialed in and done at least once. Also the company put me up at a swanky little lodge overlooking the cute town of Ketchikan where I was to meet the boat the following day. So I took the time to decompress from camping for two weeks, got a hot long shower, and even slipped in a 3D showing of Jurassic World. Male Orca Pod of Orcas   The next week was a blur of wildlife and activities with both rain and sunshine. Whale sighting occurred almost every day including a great orca encounter in the calm waters of Sea Otter Sound, and my first ever sighting of Humpback Whales bubble net feeding!!!! Luckily one of my fellow crew mates rushed down below to wake me up around 5:30 in the morning so I wouldn't miss it. I ...

The Grand Canyon A geologist's dream   It is hard to put into words or to capture with a camera the immensity of the Grand Canyon.   Stretching for 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile 6,093 feet it is easily visible from space. It has been named one of the natural wonders of the world and the National Park and Indian reservations that encompass the canyon draw millions of visitors a year. 60 Mile View Long Shadows in the Canyon   There are several ways to experience the canyon. Most visitors drive in to the Grand Canyon National Park and peer over the edge from the South Rim. A small fraction of these test their limits by hiking down almost a mile towards the canyon floor. This is also where some adventurous visitors start, by rafting the mighty Colorado River. Famed for its incredible view and notorious rapids, one could spend close to a month rafting through the canyon, never seeing th...

   A lot of people come to stare off into the vastness of the Grand Canyon. Many venture down one of the trails leading deep towards the canyon floor. Most turn back after a mile or two, and some might even make it down to a solid turn around spot like Indian Gardens. Even though I knew I would be here for almost two weeks I knew I wouldn't have much time for really big hikes. So with one of my extreme team campers from Catalina I ignored all the signs warning against hiking from the rim to the river back up the rim in one day, and off we went. Bright Angel Trail Head The Long Way Down   The Bright Angel trail is considered the premier hiking trail into the Grand Canyon. It starts on top of the South Rim in Grand Canyon Village, just behind the historic Bright Angel Lodge. Going from rim to river to rim is warned against for very good reasons. The total elevation change is around 9,000ft down and up over the span of 16 miles. You can find water along the way at ...

Located a few miles from Lake Powell on a Navajo reservation, the mysterious and beautiful Antelope Canyon has delighted onlookers and photographers since its discovery. The slot canyon was formed from flash floods eroding away the Navajo sandstone. The layered and corkscrew formations left behind a like nothing else I've seen in nature. But the part that really surprised me was the fact that standing on the ground above the canyon one would never know the extent of what lies beneath without slipping down into the slot. It looks like a fault line crack, a couple feet wide, easy to jump across. But the canyon goes thirty to fifty feet down and in some places opens up into quite wide subterranean rooms. Exiting the Lower Antelope Canyon Many tour groups run guided trips through the upper and lower antelope canyons. You can go on a special photography tour which is longer, more expensive, and tripods are allowed, or you can go on a general tour with is only $20 but no tripo...

Forest of the Pacific Northwest   Having a few days off back in Seattle and looking for some down time after a whirlwind month and a half of no days off at my new expedition leader job I decided to go for a solo exploratory mission to the nearby Mt. Rainier. I had seen the snow covered summit from the plane when I first flew into Seattle and it has been calling me ever since. I knew there was all kinds of hiking trails and camping opportunities, plus some pretty cool wildlife to be sighted as well. I also hoped that on a rainy, foggy midweek day in early June the mountain crowds would be virtually nonexistent.   There are a couple of very cute towns on the way to Mt. Rainier National Park with little general stores and churches. I stopped into one general store and saw they still had VHS movies to rent which is about as small town vibe as you can get. I stocked up on some essentials (cookies and beer) and headed off into the park. I figured a plan would present itself...