Capturing the Moment

   I find myself once again in Seattle at Fishermen's Terminal, on the verge of cruising up to Alaska's famous Inside Passage for a summer aboard one of the UnCruise boats. I can't help but look back through some of my old pictures and remember all of the amazing encounters and experiences I've had these past two years as an expedition leader. And I can't help but imagine what lies in store for this summer.   I've witnessed massive calving events at different tidewater glaciers. I've seen the salmon run so thick that I could literally reach in and grab one with my bare hand. I've seen hungry mama bears teach their cubs how to catch fish. I've seen eagles spar in mid-air and puffins get a running start as they take off from the water. I have walked inside a cave made completely out of ice under a glacier. I've been woken up in the middle of the night to experience the incredible lights of the Aurora Borealis. And I've been surrounded

Aboard the Safari Quest Safari Quest running the Malibu narrows Taking it all in from the top deck Cruising through the yachters paradise of British Columbia can be a addictive calling. Smooth waters, deep fjords, dense forest, and tumbling waterfalls await those willing to head out from the dock. You leave civilization behind and retrace the routes of ancient explorers like Juan de Fuca, Captain Cook, and Admirable Vancouver. The islands are crisscrossed with trails that can take you through old growth forest that was standing when those same explorers came through. The sunsets bathe the sky in a multitude of colors and wildlife abounds, even for the untrained eye. Follow this link to check out another post about this area called Into the Mist .    The area does not come without its dangers. The weather can turn in a matter of minutes, so keeping a rain jacket handy is never a bad idea. It is easy to want to walk quietly by yourself in the woods but you must re

Iconic bridge of El Dorado Soaking it in   Exploring El Dorado Canyon State Park in Colorado, USA.    Just outside of Boulder, CO you reach the foothills of the great Rocky Mountains. Here one finds a changing geology from the uplift of plates colliding into one another. The folding of the land up into mountains brings a stark change to the vast flat prairies that lead up to it. It is also here that rock climbing, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts head to find their zen, their wilderness, and their adventure. Looking down towards the prairies Climbers getting vertical   One such place that encompasses all of this is the El Dorado Canyon. The wooden bridge arcing across the rocky mountain river is one of the first things you see once you drive into the park. It is also a great place for some long exposure photography, especially if you have a neutral density filter to block out some of the light. It is an iconic picture that you often see for the state park brochures.

Deep snow in May   Rocky Mountain National Park in early May can be a slew of different weather. In one day of hiking you can go from wildflower blooming meadow to deep snow covered trails and from overcast to sun burning to rainstorm all in a matter of hours. In fact during my one day exploring the park this is exactly what happened to me. Bear Lake in the Spring Fast flow of Alberta Falls   I started out at the Bear Lake trailhead. It is a very easy, very accessible trail that is a short, mostly level jaunt from the parking lot to the edge of the lake. But at 9,475ft elevation it was covered in deep snow. I was lucky I was there early morning as the trail is popular and becomes quite slushy as the day progresses. The lake itself was mostly iced over though too thin to try and walk out on. With giant peaks of the Rockies looming just behind the lake I could imagine the early morning reflections that must draw photographers in the summer season.   An offshoot trail fr