DREAMING ABOUT SPERRY CHALET

November 30, 2017

Sperry Chalet lodge, after standing strong for more than 100 years up in the backcountry of Glacier National Park, has burned down. My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach when I read the news. It turns out firefighters have been fighting a lightning-sparked fire near the chalet and Lake McDonald for the past two weeks, and it finally succumbed to the flames yesterday. So sad.

Exactly two years ago today, I had the great fortune of hiking up to this magical place and spending two nights. Built in 1912 by the Great Northern Railway and opened the following year to guests, Sperry Chalet has provided a base for hikers heading up to see the amazing Sperry Glacier for 100+ years. A National Historic Landmark, the chalet was built from simple rock, rubble, and timber in an homage to the alpine architectural style that the Railway was using for all of its buildings in the area: Montana would be the Switzerland of North America.

On our previous trip to Glacier, I stayed at the more rustic of the Great Northern Railway chalets - Granite Park. At Granite Park, they provide communal facilities in which you can pack in your meals and prepare them yourself, as well as participate in fun ranger-led talks every night. All aspects of the trek are more family-friendly, including the hike in via the Highline Trail which is about 8 miles and less than 1000' of elevation gain.

Sperry Chalet, on the other hand, felt luxurious by comparison. While rustic, the accommodations are full service - beds and linens in the main lodge, full catering and delicious meals prepared by the friendly staff. Hot breakfasts, lunches packed for you to take on your hike, freshly-baked homemade cookies and pies, delicious multi-course dinners - the works. It's backcountry hiking at its ultimate best, even if you have to think really long and hard about the 2am emergency bathroom hike.

Each night, we drank hot chocolate and apple cider, played games until late and listened to stories from other guests about how they've been coming to Sperry for 20+ years with their families. The chalet was so well-loved.

The best part of Sperry was its location. The hike in is 3500' up over 7 miles, and we shared the trail with the supply pack horses. Another 4 miles and 2000' above is Sperry Glacier, one of the most stunning day hikes I've ever experienced, including a run of granite stairs dynamited out of the side of the mountain. We made the trip at the end of the season, which provided awe-inspiring vistas and dramatic fog. I'm so grateful to have experienced this amazing place and so thankful for all those who tried to save it.

Here's to the Sperry Chalet rebuild so future generations can see the few glaciers left in the park, and experience the humbling beauty of places such as these.

All photos shot with either my Nikon D750 or my iPhone.

DRIVING DOWN THE COAST OF PORTUGAL

October 1, 2016

Last year, I took a little trip to Portugal and thought Lisbon was the bee's knees. It's a super cool city with endless design shops, amazing food, and plenty of sunshine. I can't wait to find a good excuse to go back. But what I might've left out was how completely in love I fell with the countryside down south in Alentejo and along the Algarve coast.

On our way south from Lisbon, we stopped at every parque natural we could find and every last one was as gorgeous as the last. Coming home every night to a farm in Odemira, we explored the coast from Sines to Lagos. We hiked out to see the pounding surf and took long walks along the dunes. We drove through so many tiny whitewashed villages and took the long way home. We ate simply grilled fish and hearty seafood stews. Did I mention the wine?

You should find an excuse to go there, too. Be still my heart.

All photos shot with either my Pentax 645N & Kodak Portra 400 or my iPhone.

Portra just loves that Portuguese sunshine.

HIKING IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

August 14, 2016

Though I've passed through Seattle many times, I'd never actually gotten out and properly explored any of the nearby national parks. One of my closest photo-friends Peter packed up and headed to the Pacific Northwest from Brooklyn a few years ago and it’s been a joy following his work and the adventures he and his wife Emily have with their dog Aldo in the mountains.

After extending a work trip into a long weekend and intercepting one of my travel partners in crime (Alaska, Portugal), we decided to head for the hills and explore!

We took the ferry across to Bainbridge Island for an early brunch at Cafe Nola and headed into the National Park. We stopped at the lovely visitor's center at Hurricane Ridge which informed us that unexpected early-season snow (and a lack of on-duty plows) prevented us from making the drive up to see the ridge. Instead, we drove through the dramatic mist and fog to check in at one of the few hotels inside the national park - the Lake Crescent Lodge.

We decided to start the next day with a short rainforest walk near the lodge, and then make the long drive down the bay roads to the lesser-visited southeastern part of the park. Along the way, we stopped at lots of little state parks and bay beaches like Pleasant Harbor, Seal Rock and Triton Cove to enjoy the scenery. Lunch included a stop for some delicious Mexican at a tiny spot with an incredible view called El Puerto de Angeles. After fueling up, we drove back into the park at the Staircase entrance and laced up our hiking boots. We explored the North Fork of the Skokomish River for a few hours and saw waterfalls, rapids, suspension bridges, old cedar forests; it was such a great reminder of the rejuvenating power of nature.

After getting our hike in, we drove back along the beautiful Lake Cushman at sunset, and as the light slowly faded, our last treat was to see incredible colors on our way back into the city.

All photographs shot with one of my crazy vintage cameras and expired film. Just kidding. IPHONE 6, BABY!

DREAMING OF THE BIG ISLAND

March 24, 2016

Every year as we round the corner into spring and get hit with one or two last snowstorms in NYC, it's like clockwork. My brain starts its annual obsession with visions of palm trees, hikes across steam-warmed black lava fields, and boogie boards at my all-time favorite Hapuna Beach. I start googling phrases like "tips for moving to Hawaii" and "how do I bring my cat to Hawaii?" I'm convinced this longing will never go away until we finally pull the trigger.

Of the hundreds of thousands of miles I've traveled over the last dozen or so years, the one destination I’ve returned time and time again is the Big Island of Hawaii. The southernmost and easternmost island in the chain, the Big Island is larger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined and is a sparsely populated, laid-back heaven of ecological diversity. The island is made up of five volcanoes, three of which are still active, and tons of microclimates that range from arid deserts of young black lava on the leeward side to tropical rainforests on the windward side where more than 200 inches of rain falls annually. It's a dream come true for all photographers.

In addition to the enormous Volcanoes National Park where you can do an incredible day hike into lava tubes and an enormous crater, there are four National Historic Trails, Sites and Monuments where you can go to learn more about the Hawaiian culture, its people, and its phenomenal natural beauty. I promise no one will judge you if you skip the historic sites, because you can stay busy for ages exploring beaches of all colors - black sand, white sand, salt and pepper, pebble and stone, even a beautiful green beach made of sand mixed with olivine. Just be sure to pack your boogie boards, snorkel gear, a good book, and TONS of sunscreen. And sick of lazing around on the beach? I love heading up north to either Pololu Valley or Waipi'o Valley and hiking down some of the most breathtaking cliffs anywhere in the world. In Waipi'o you can even join a horseback tour and go into parts of the valley where you can see a waterfall taller than the Empire State Building. WHAT.

Oh, and did I mention you can drive from sea level to nearly 14,000 feet to watch the stars at the Mauna Kea Observatory? Just try and run your medium format camera, backpack of lenses and tripod up a hill to catch the moonrise when you get to the top. I dare you.

Excuse me while I go search for airfares and stare longingly at this photo of spicy tuna poke.

Medium format Pentax 645N, 35mm lens and Kodak Portra. A few iPhone snaps too.

DRIVING DOWN THE BIG SUR COAST

February 8, 2015

My brother is a big fan of driving down the California coast. After years of touring with his band and exploring the wide open spaces out west, he has found many drives that capture the imagination. This one is possibly his favorite; there's good reason why the drive through Big Sur is world famous. This year, I couldn't take it any longer: I had to make the trip and see it for myself.

After a week of hard work in San Francisco, I grabbed a cab to SFO airport, rented a car with solid satellite radio options, and rolled all my windows down. Aptos, Capitola, Santa Cruz, Monterey. I hugged the curves of Highway 1 and stopped at every state park I could. I strolled on beaches at sunset and hiked up redwood trails to marvel at the magic of ancient giants. I breathed deeply of fresh, green air and let the golden light warm my face. I can't wait to go back.

All photos courtesy of a (rented) Nikon D4 and a variety of fixed Nikon lenses in my collection.

EXPLORING THE ALASKAN FRONTIER

January 10, 2015

Despite the unreliable nature of September in Alaska, I convinced my BFF to head north for a long weekend. We set out with a plan to explore Kenai Fjords National Park, but got more than we bargained for. We hiked on glaciers, saw them calving into the ocean, cruised next to pods of killer whales, and watched sea lions basking in the sun. We got up close and personal with moose and caribou at a nature preserve, and may have inadvertently provoked a young buffalo to see red.

And oh, the fall foliage! We hiked through forests of yellow aspen, stretching out their long limbs for miles and miles. The vast wilderness of Alaska was overwhelmingly beautiful and I can't wait to return.