Arizona Landscapes

Some of my favorite landscape shots from hiking Arizona over the summer.

Sedona

Mount Baldy Aspens

Meadow

Sedona

Big Mountain Buck

This was our fourth day in the beautiful Seven Devil's range in Idaho. We were camped at a big mountain lake called Baldy. I woke up in my tent early in the morning to the sound of a big animal rustling around in the brush outside... At first I thought it was one of our neighbor's animals. They came in with horses and mules the night before, long after we had set up camp. They didn't bother tying their animals up either, and every so often one of them wandered into our camp. I kept worrying that one would mistakenly walk over my tent in the dark, with me inside. So here I was, laying there, thinking a horse was outside. I wiped the sleep out of my eyes, unzipped the door, and peeked out...  But instead of a horse or a mule, to my surprise and utter amazement, there stood not 20 feet away the biggest buck I had ever seen. I grabbed my camera and took as many pictures as I could before he bolted, but these two here are the best.

Now, I'm not a hunter or an expert on deer, but my guess is that this is a Mule Deer.

Trail Days 2

Somewhere along the way my weblog has morphed into a photo-blog. I just have so many cool pictures that I wan't to share. I hope you guys like them as much as I do. This is the sequel to Trail Days. Enjoy.

Jesse & Steve - Seven Devil's Range, Hell's Canyon Wilderness, ID

Sarah - Mount Baldy Wilderness, AZ

Unknown backpacker -  Near the Rapid River, Nez Perce National Forest, ID

Jesse & Steve - Hell's Canyon Wilderness, ID

A Bug's Life 2

The long awaited sequel to:  A Bug's Life.

Dragonfly

Caterpillar

I think this one may be a Kissing Bug, but I'm not sure.

Procreation

Horror Novel - Take 2

Well I've finally done it... Finally taken the plunge. No, I'm not getting married (yet). But I am writing a novel, and guess what? I'm over half-way done. I'ts crazy how it's all come together too. I've had an idea for a few years now, and my brother Kelly and I have been adding to it, and subtracting from it, over time, and to see it on paper finally is pretty exciting.

The first time I tried to write my idea down was a total disaster. I wrote maybe 5 pages before I hit a brick wall. This time I took a totally different route. Instead of telling the story in a chronological sequence of events (which I tried first) I started in the middle, and revealed anything pertinent from the past in flashbacks. For some reason writing is just easier for me that way. It feels more natural then just plodding along from "A" through "Z".

I can't tell you what it's about because I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that my book will be the scariest book you have ever read (I know that is a bold statement, but It's true, I totally stand by it). Yes, I am writing a horror novel. Is it weird that an outdoor writer is writing a horror novel? No, because it takes  place in the woods and the protagonist is a backpacker... Go figure. 

So, horror, indeed. I've always wanted to write horror, ever since I was a kid. Ever since I read Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark by Alvin Swartz. The cool thing about those books (there are 3) is that the illustrations are as scary as the stories. As a kid I actually became pretty obsessed with the horror genre. I bought a lot of "scary" books at the library book fairs (remember those?) and actually amassed a respectable collection. As an adult I've read tons of Stephen King. He's probably my favorite modern author, and I think his influence is apparent in my writing.

Why am I telling you this? Because I'm really excited about it. I'm hoping to be finished by Christmas. Of course half the battle with writing is getting your work published, so we shall see how that goes... I think my story is unique in a lot of ways, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that some publisher somewhere will agree. Above all though, my story is scary, in every sense of the word. So if you like a good scare, then keep a look out for it. I will update my progress here so all my loyal readers will be "in the know". 

The Lost World: Tonto Natural Bridge

Tonto Natural Bridge is one of the most amazing places I've ever been. When you step inside it's like being transported back in time, or to another world. If you're ever in Arizona, It's definitely worth stopping for.

Can you see that person standing in the bottom left corner? Really gives you a sense of how huge this opening is.

Okay, this is my favorite shot. Why? because it looks straight out of the movie "Alien".

Water Crossings

Steve crossing Rock Creek near the Canadian Border
 Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

Need a hand?
Goat Creek - Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA

South Salmo River
Salmo-Priest Wilderness, Colville National Forest, WA