The Pursuit

Born, raised, and living in the Detroit area, I find my heart longing to be out west, among the mountains, mesas, and valleys in all their mystery, unexplored delight, and solitude. Not that Detroit’s not sweet or anything.

Wedding Pics At The Henry Ford {June 24, 2006}

By far my greatest pursuit, purpose, and adventure is, has been, and always will be my beautiful and extravagant wife and best friend. I praise God for her. We got married at our church but went to The Henry Ford for wedding pictures. My family and I live near The Henry Ford and the scenery and backdrops were perfect for the occasion. We got a lot of stares walking to location and one person, a foreigner I think, stopped my wife and asked to take her picture, LOL! It was so fun! My wife was amazing! My uncle did a great job with our photography and my aunt helped with positioning and all the details. A great team we were. The weather was perfect too! I think our story was straight out of a story book. We officially met in church after having known of one another and passed by one another for several years. Several days after we met, we decided to get married. My parents were a little disturbed by the time frame so I told them we’d wait a while before having the wedding. About a year later, we got married. I love being married! We could spend every minute together and find more and more joy in one another with each passing moment. We both hope and pray to live into our 90′s together and then both die at the same time, preferably in our sleep or in another peaceful way, lol. She’s the best part of everything and the deepest and most fulfilling love, joy, and purpose of my soul! I hope and dream of our love and life together. My greatest and most important goal in life is to serve, love, and give her everything. I am driven and I long to see her happy, loved, and in love with God. Until my last breath I will lift you up. I LOVE YOU BEAUTIFUL, AMEN!

Arches National Park {summer, 2004}

Arches National Park is one of the coolest most bizarre places out west. It’s full of strange rock formations, arches, and towers. The red rock is gorgeous and the mystery and wonder of this place permeates. You can’t help but to want to explore. I’m standing on some red rock fins here with Mt. La Sal behind me. This was a solo hike in 2004, about 5 miles into the maze of rocks and arches. My hiking attire has advanced quite a bit since then. The hat is SWEET though! This was a great hike because I ran across few other hikers, which made for a priceless time of solitude. The landscape is so big but the complete and deafening silence does not seem to match this visual grandiosity. I love getting lost in my thoughts on these epic and silent treks. Some of the best conversations take place.

Petroglyphs {summer, 2009}

These petroglyphs are the ones you see in the upper right area of the website. They change every time you go to a different page or refresh your browser. I never thought much about the many petroglyphs out west I’d hiked past, over and over. I might have taken a picture or two, but on my last journey exploring the west with a friend summer 2009, he took great interest in them and was quite fascinated. I therefore ended up spending more time than in all my trips combined looking and hunting for petroglyphs. The more we looked and discovered new and obscurely located petroglyphs, the more fun and intriguing it became to me. I ended taking many photos of the hundreds of petroglyphs we ran across and hunted down. The search almost turned disastrous on several occasions, which made it even better! I have such fond memories of precariously scaling steep canyon sides covered in lose shale, tall ledges & drop-offs, and narrow pathways with long falls on one side, all in the pursuit of discovering the unknown. It’s that primal drive to find treasure, which is nothing new. But it’s so dam fun!

Crater Lake National Park {winter, 2005}

I always wanted to see Crater Lake in Oregon. Seeing pictures of it made me want to explore. So in the dead of winter, 2005, right after I told my family I was going to marry this girl I had just met a couple weeks earlier, I went on a road trip with my dad. We explored almost the entire west coast, going along highway 101 most of the way. Crater Lake was modestly cold during the daytime and had about 15 feet of snow. Nonetheless, we endured, going on a fantastic trek along the crater rim, scaling rocky outcroppings and steep snowy cliffs. The only thing sweeter than my straw hat, two pictures above, is this pair of SWEET snow glasses! I still use these, lol! They really do work great and have these little laps on the sides to keep light out. I think I look hot in them ; ) And no, that isn’t a man-bag. It’s a camera bag!

Canyonlands National Park {summer, 2009}

My wife and I rented a Jeep and did some sweet off roading deep into Canyonlands National Park. We stopped along the way to do some short treks. This was one of those stops. We snapped a picture at a cliff ledge overlooking a large rock arch, which is off to the right out of the frame. This is also near the spot where I infamously made contact with a Raven and communicated for several minutes. You can see that video below. Same SWEET sun glasses! Much less hair.

“The Raven Whisperer” Canyonlands National Park {summer, 2009}

This is the infamous Raven Whisperer clip of me making contact with a Raven and talking back and forth for several minutes. My wife and I had been Jeeping in Canyonlands and stopped for a short trek to an overlook. I encountered the Raven on that trek and ensued on a mission to bridge the gap between nature and man. I feel I was indeed quite successful. The Raven Whisperer.

Chicago Aquarium {winter, 2009}

My wife has met me in Chicago the last couple years for the weekend after I attend a national conference for work. The only real reason we stay for the weekend is to eat at Tavern on Rush. And holy crap! it’s so worth it. The best filet and garlic mashed potatoes ever! And the lobster bisque is to die for when they have it. I’m so excited just thinking about it! This yearly tradition will definitely endure. The Chicago aquarium is sweet too! That’s where I was in this picture. We had to work our appetites up for Rush some how. Nothing like a good long walk around the aquarium.

Euphony Strings Photo shoot {summer, 2007}

I play violin and guitar in a string trio, Euphony Strings. Several summers ago we did a photo shoot for the website, part of which entailed the “silly” shots. They turned out quite nicely on the website. A nice touch to a genre that tends to be stuffy and too serious. We all felt really stupid fake laughing and smiling. Especially for the complete stranger we asked to do the group “silly” shots. A very unique experience indeed. I had fun yelling “look like your laughing really hard and smile!” My “silly” shot to the left was inspired, of course, by Jimmy Page’s using a bow to play the guitar in “A Whole Lotta Love”. But I didn’t actually run the bow on the guitar strings, because it tears all the bow hair apart. And I need my bow for more than one gig. Did you know it costs like $50 to rehair a bow? That’s a cheap rehairing too. Need music for your special event? I did arrange “Stairway To Heaven” for our trio.

Chicago Engagement {spring, 2006}

My wife and I got engaged in Chicago across from the John Hancock Building in this little church courtyard. It was perfect! We had just eaten at Tavern on Rush, our favorite restaurant, and were walking back toward our car. We had spent the whole lovely day in Chicago walking around and seeing the sights. The day began with me surprising my wife at 5am telling her we were going somewhere fun. She had a good hunch I was going to propose, but as we walked back toward our car after enjoying the view from atop the Hancock building, she was seriously doubting this was it. We walked out of the Hancock and across the street. As we passed the church, I said “hey, lets see what’s in there”, gesturing toward the path that led into the enclosed and hidden courtyard. We walked in and it was so perfect! The lighting and ambiance were pristine. I offered my soul and did the classic one knee pose as it began to snow. Perfect. Divine intervention is the only way that much awesomeness could have converge at one point and time.

Bachelor Party {summer, 2007}

Yeah, pretty much, we’re dorks. I threw a bachelor party for a friend several summers ago. It was sweet! I bought some round bar and flat steel strips. I cut them and had my dad weld them together as specified. They were very realistic. We christened them the day of by each hand sewing strips of black leather from an old cut up backpack around the metal round bar handles. We also had home made Chinese stars, a ball and chain, and other misc weapons. There is nothing like actually clanging steel swords together and denting up the edges. The watermelon and ball and chain were pretty dramatic too. Nothing says bachelor party for non-getting-drunk-20-something-year-olds like weapons, danger, destruction, and violence. This image was the so-serious-its-funny-pose.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Utah {summer, 2004}

On the solo road trip I took out west some time ago, I stopped at Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Very cool place. The red sand was like mars. When the sun began to lower in the sky and the sky turned that deep blue, the meeting of the sky and red sand was a brilliant contrast. The only thing more brilliant was my sweet pose there, lol. I set my camera down, set the timer, then ran down the hill a little, trying to look all I’m-looking-off-into-the-distance-coolness. Its funny. But more interesting than just smiling at the camera. Too bad I didn’t catch myself tripping and falling on my face or something instead.

Supper Sleuths Murder Mystery Dinner Games {fall, 2009}

Some good friends invited me to be a part of their company Supper Sleuths . I have taken on the development of the graphics, website, print, and other similar components of the operation. We currently have 4 good and solid Supper Sleuth Murder Mystery games that are a blast to play! We’re always thinking about the next step and the next great game idea. I don’t get involved in the actual story and character development much more than a few comments here and their. It’s fun to read through drafts as they do them and hear about the character development. I work with a superbly creative and fun team! Check out the website and try a game, you’ll love them, they’re a blast. Playing these games really bring people together and help them to get to know one another like nothing else. At the last one we played I was obviously the chef, LOL. But the only chef hat I could find at the time was this halloween “Big Chef” chef hat, LOL! The best part was the French style mustache and beard I shaved out of my week old shadow. Oui, Oui!

Southern Canyonlands National Park {summer, 2006}

My wife and I have done some wonderful hikes in Utah. This one in Southern Canyonlands National Park is one of the best. We hiked about a 15 mile loop this day. I think we were the only hikers out there the whole day. The weather was great and the scenery unparalleled. There is some fun bouldering on this hike and numerous strange rock formations and slots you hike through. This area is known as the “needles district”, which describes the hundreds of rock pillars and hoodoos that rise sometimes over 200 ft. We were lovin’ it!

Arizona {summer, 2004}

I did a great road trip out west with a good friend in 2004. On our way from Zion National Park in Utah to the Grand Canyon’s south rim, we stopped and got out to enjoy this vast overlook. The spaces out there are so massive and epic. Its truly amazing. You feel so miniscule against this unending backdrop. The west is one of the places where God seems evident in these huge spaces and landscapes. The only thing more awe-inspiring is that sweet wife-beater I’m wearing, LOL! I had my hand on my hat because it was really windy. It was that hot relentless wind you get out west. I love that.

Ghirardelli In Chicago {winter, 2009}

On one of our annual trips to Chicago, we stopped at one of our favorite places, the Ghirardelli store. We always go there for ice cream. It’s some of the richest tastiest ice cream, though I think we’d still take Cold Stone first. But the location is great, right in the middle of downtown Chicago. Its in the middle of it all, and a decent walk from Tavern on Rush, our favorite place to eat ever! There’s nothing quite like mixing Ghirardelli ice cream with a bunch of Ghirardelli chocolate and Ghirardelli hot fudge. You almost need a chaser with this stuff.

Harley In Vegas {summer, 2003}

Here I am on a Harley in Las Vegas. I flew out and met my brother and dad in Vegas. We took part in this huge motorcycle scavenger hunt, traveling from station to station collecting clues. The hunt took us through the city from the new side of the Vegas strip to the old side of the strip. It also took us into the mountains surrounding Vegas. After the hunt, we gorged ourselves at an amazing all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet at the Aladdin, which was demolished and replaced with a new casino/resort. It was a great way to start off an even greater road trip across southern Utah, full of hiking and mountain biking. Oh slick rock!

Off Road Jeep In Canyonlands! {summer, 2009}

With much in-trepidation and coaxing, I managed to get my wife to take the wheel of our rented off road and trail certified Jeep down the toughest section of our trail. It was a switchback that started at the top of the canyon and winded back and forth about 1500 ft down. The way was very rocky, bumpy, and narrow. On one side there was a tall cliff wall, and on the other side there was a drop off hundreds of feet down. When the Jeep got rocking hard on the rough patches, it gave me the willies, especially when my window was on the cliff side. What a treat to put my head out the window and stare down the side. It felt like the wheels were inches from the edge. Very exciting! I highly recommend renting a Jeep from Canyonlands Jeep Adventures in Moab, Ut. and going off-roading in Canyonlands!

Valentine’s Day {winter, 2006}

This is a picture of me and my wife on one of our first dates. It was Valentine’s Day and we were on our way to Johnny Carino’s. My wife actually thought I was going to propose that night, which I didn’t find out until after we were married. She seemed cheerful the whole night despite the disappointment and we had a very nice time. We happened to meet up with a lovely couple from our church who treated us to desert and good company. It was a wonderful and pleasant evening and part of our early history as a couple. We had kind of a Bonnie and Clyde look going on there, LOL!

Arizona Rock Formation {summer, 2004}

On our way to the Grand Canyon, my friend and I stopped at this rock formation in Arizona to snap some shots. It was as hot as it looks in the middle of the desert. There were some small dwelling places near the formation and some people watching from a distance. It was windy and sandy with the sun beating down relentlessly. Such a strange thing to run across in the middle of nowhere. We took our snapshots, made some phallic jokes and references, and continued on in our journey. A classic male bonding moment, LOL!

Las Vegas {summer, 2004}

Sunny Las Vegas! This was the starting point for an excellent adventure my friend and I went on. Actually, the starting point for the same road trip as the rock formation above. We arrived in Vegas and did some sight seeing and eating before heading out into the wilderness to explore the great west. We had fun in Vegas, though I don’t think we even did a single slot, since we’re not in to the whole gambling, drinking, partying thing. We were into the eating, gorging, tastiness thing though, LOL! Some good-ass food in Vegas! We were guilty of gluttony in Sin City. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas…

Angel’s Landing, Zion National Park, UT {summer, 2003}

Atop Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, UT, my father and I pose victoriously after summiting a very technical, steep, and treacherous trail, if it can be called that. And yes, my dad is ripped. The “trail” isn’t too bad at first, but the second half of the hike is unique. It requires a lot of bouldering on a ridge over a 1000 ft up. The path is only a foot wide in one spot, with sheer drop-offs on both sides. Gives you the willies! Along much of the path, there are chains to hold on to, which is necessary on many occasions. Without the chains, you would have a very good chance of falling to your death. Several people fall off and die every year on this hike. The reward however is awesome! This picture just does not do the view justice. It’s an amazing 360 degree panoramic view at the top. You can see the entire Zion valley. The propane powered buses that run through the park look like tiny toys. The welcome center and other buildings down the valley are barely visible they are so small. This is one of the coolest hikes in the U.S. by far! If your not afraid of heights, you have to do this hike at least once in your lifetime, just likes sky-diving. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture of myself when I went sky-diving.

Warning Primitive Trail {summer, 2006}

After hiking a good number of miles into Arches National Park, we reached this sign near the end of the loop. It was much more intimidating than the actual trail. The trail was rocky and tough at times, but not as primitive and “cave man” as was implied. We thoroughly enjoy hiking Arches. It’s a wonderfully strange and wondrous place with all the arches and rock formations. When you get deep into the hikes, it feels like a different world. A different planet. Like being in the lost world or something. It has a mysterious magical feel and ora. The photographic opportunities in Arches are superb! You want to take a picture every 5 seconds while you’re hiking. Everything draws your attention and interest. There are some nice side hikes off the main trail to several fun smaller arches. We finished up our hike their, on this occasion, in good form despite choosing to go the “primitive” route.

Bryce Canyon National Park, UT {summer, 2004}

Bryce Canyon National Park is another one of those strange cool places. It has thousands of hoodoos, tall pillars of sandstone. They can be hundreds of feet tall or a couple inches. Bryce Canyon is synonymous with hoodoo. You can’t look in any direction without seeing hundreds of them. The colors at Bryce are amazing too! All shades of red, white, pink, brown, gray, etc. Hiking among these hoodoos and other rock formations is an awesome experience. The trails are well maintained though far from flat. You go up and down throughout all the trails. Lots of turns and switchbacks too. It’s a really fun hike! This is definitely a must see for hikers. Go Michigan!

Northern Canyonlands National Park, UT {summer, 2009}

Northern Canyonlands National Park in Utah has some astoundingly amazing views! There is a simple and flat hike along the main canyon rim that goes for a couple miles. Every inch of this hike skirts some of the most scenic panoramas you could ever see. The shapes and layers of canyons below have a unique and distinct look. The reward for this hike, or rather stroll, is huge compared to the effort you put in. We really enjoyed this leisurely trek and even got to watch a storm roll across the canyons at one point, the pinnacle at which included a stunning rainbow.

Laguna Beach, California {summer, 2005}

After a long and rewarding road trip through California and Oregon, my dad and I finished in the Las Angeles area where my cousin lives. We were ragged, worn, and all the better for it when we reached L.A. My cousin was a welcomed site. He was a true host, taking us around town, showing us the sites, and taking us to dine at the tastiest restaurants. It was the perfect way to regain our strength for several days before heading home. I’m not a huge drinker. I hate beer and most other alcoholic drinks. I’d rather drink a Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke than anything else. Or a big tall glass of Calder’s chocolate milk! That’s living. We had a great time hanging out, catching up, and seeing the sites. Cheers!

Hoover Dam {summer, 2004}

The Hoover Dam lies on the Nevada, Arizona border. Its quite an amazing structure to see in person. This was one stop on my first road trip out west. I went with my dad and brother. We were staying at a campground in Vegas for a couple days doing a bike rally. Yes, there is actually a campground in Vegas, and no there are not slots at the campground. We walked around the Hoover Dam admiring its grandeur and architectural prowess. The overflow tubes are incredible. They’re enormous cement shafts that drop steeply into darkness. Like the inside of that space worm thing on Star Wars that the Millennium Falcon landed inside of. We also took the tour of the inside of the dam. Past the rows of 100 ton generators and down deep into the wall itself. The pathways were narrow and creepy in some spots, water dripping through forced in by the crushing pressure from outside. We went down hundreds of stairs and through numerous corridors. When you go to the Hoover Dam, you definitely need to take the tour to see it inside and out.

Independence Pass, Colorado {summer, 2006}

Colorado was one of the many highlights of me and my wife’s 2006 road trip. We started the trip from home, in Michigan, and dove down to Tulsa Oklahoma to stay with my wife’s grandparents. We had a lovely time with them and ate bacon every morning. The day didn’t start until we had our couple pounds of bacon, LOL! Gotta love that old school breakfast. When a meal revolves around eating a couple pounds of bacon, every day, you know you’ve arrived. I hope I’m eating bacon every morning when I’m closing in on 90. From Tulsa, we headed through the pan handle of Texas, shoot me in the brain, and eventually clipped New Mexico and headed into Colorado. Colorado is gorgeous! Hiking at Independence Pass was absolutely magnificent! The altitude, between 12,000 and 13,000 feet, almost killed us but was fun nonetheless. Its rare you get to START your hike at 12,000 feet. The scenery is unspoiled and vastly beautiful there. I’d like to go back to spend some real time exploring. We only stopped in passing for a couple hours, and I loved what I saw!

Zion Narrows {summer, 2004}

Zion National Park is home to the largest slot canyon in the world, the Narrows. The Narrows offers one of the most unique and amazing hikes anywhere! The scenery throughout this hike is incredible, especially when the sun is just right in the sky. As you hike through the narrows, you’re enveloped by cliff walls towering hundreds to a thousand feet above. When the sun is at the right angle, it lights the cliff walls up and reflects from one wall to another, creating this kaleidoscope of colors and hues. At a section called Wall Street, this reflecting light is especially stunning. Many photographers shoot wall street, waiting for the exact right moment and time of year when the light will be at its most brilliant and best angle. I’ve caught it once at its full brilliance, not in this image, but another on Raging Kitty Photo (scroll over several times). This is one of the must hike hikes in the U.S. Special shoes can be rented in Springdale, the cozy little town right outside of Zion National Park. They have soles that help cling and grip to the slippery rocks on the river bottom. I’m in a full dry suit in this photo because it was early summer or late spring and the water was really cold still. The Narrows hike sends you hiking in and out of the river constantly, which makes it very fun and interesting. The water ranges from ankle high to head high and deeper. This is simply an amazing hike and one for the whole family!

Pike’s Peak, Colorado {summer, 2006}

Pike’s Peak in Colorado was a fun venture for me and my wife. It was our first adventure of many in Colorado. We were on a road trip that would eventually lead us to Utah’s great national parks and Moab. The drive up Pike’s was a lot of fun. The views are enormous and too big to take in without turning your head to take in mental snapshots to stitch together in your imagination. Its a cool thing to be able to experience that kind of altitude without putting any effort into getting there. But for us, having driven from the pan handle of Texas the day before, shoot me in the eye ball, the sudden jump from pan handle to 14 plus thousand feet was painful. We could feel the oxygen depravation right away. Even walking was a huge chore and put us into panting mode. We quickly got headaches while slowly strolling around. But it was amazing and led to some scientific discoveries. We had an unopened bag of chips in our car and noticed it was severely bloated at the summit. It was like a big dead bloated beaver, ready to burst open with the tiniest prick. An interesting example of the much lower atmospheric pressure up high. There was not much to do in the way of hiking there, but it was totally worth it for the stunning views.

Wedding Day Photos {June 24, 2006}

Here are me and my peeps waiting for the ladies to finish with photos so we could do ours. It was the day of my wedding It’s a candid image of us screwing around on a beautiful and sunny Michigan day at a community park. There are few good “naturey” places in my area for photo shoots. This park is probably one of about 3. We were hamming it up with one another as the lovely ladies posed for pictures on a nice little covered bridge out of the camera frame. I’m on the far left, standing with quite a feminine pose I must say, lol. That was a perfect day.

Dead Horse Point, Canyonlands, Utah {summer, 2008}

During our off road Jeep venture in Canyonlands, we stopped at Dead Horse Point, part of Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. What a name, Dead Horse, lol. Cowboys used the point as a natural corral, fencing the narrow are in. The point is surrounded by tall sheer cliffs. Apparently, they forgot about a batch of wild horse and they died of thirst. So really it should be Dead Horses Point. Or Dead Herd Point. The overlook and vast landscape at Dead Horse is amazing! Its all such a maze of canyons and plateaus. You can’t help but want to jump down and explore each plateau and canyon to see what’s there and where it leads.

Colorado River, Maob, UT {summer, 2004}

I don’t know how it is for other people, but the Colorado river, in my mind, has always been an iconic American symbol. I had fun standing on it’s banks, sharing in its luster and glory. I felt like a frontiersman staking his claim. I’ve canoed with my wife on the Colorado but want to do some white water at some point in the future. Just outside of Moab, UT, on the north end where the Colorado rolls through, there are great cheap campsites all along the river. There is also a road that hugs the river for miles. This is a great drive! Many times there are rock climbers along this road doing their thing. My wife and I camped along the colorado at one of these cheap sites and it was very cool. All except the millions of little gnats that swarm you and your site. they’re everywhere. Thats the only drawback. Canoe trips down the colorado are beautiful and serene. Well worth the effort. I have fond memories of stopping for lunch and drinking ice cold cream sodas on a plesant little bank with my wife as we strolled in the shallow water cooling down. mmmm.

Royal Gorge, Colorado {summer, 2006}

Tourist trap, thats what the Royal Gorge has become. A big fat, gaudy tourist trap. It looks more like a circus than anything else now days. And a frickin expensive one! This is one overpriced and overhyped locale to set as a destination on a road trip. I thought it was going to be a little more naturey and less scheme. I was looking for clowns and little people to pop out with song and dance. The Royal Gorge is something I totally could have skipped and been the better for. It was a waste of time to go out of our way to visit. We didn’t go in the park. It was way more money than we wanted to pay to look at a big gorge, the likes of which are akin to drinking pound water at a wine tasting, when compared to the other wonders we had seen on the trip. My wife and I were thoroughly disappointed with the Not-So-Royal Gorge. We managed to climb up on some rocks near the parking lot to see over the fence that surrounds the whole trap. Just high enough to see the gorge and bridge. And for free. Big Thumbs down to the Royal Gorge, or should I say, Peasant Gorge.

Chicago Museum Of Natural History {winter, 2009}

On our annual trip to Chicago, we stopped to pose in front of the Chicago Museum Of Natural History, which we hadn’t actually gone into. We were passing by it on our way back from the aquarium, which was delightful. We were trying to take our own picture and capture the city in the background. We managed to do a decent job I think. We had a great time at the aquarium and all the other places we went in Chicago. Its a fun place to stroll around, especially when its warm. We happened to catch a cold spell this time. But it didn’t hold us back and made returning to our warm hotel all the more sweet!

Yosemite National Park, CA {winter, 2005}

Yosemite National Park in California is Awesome! One of the coolest national parks in the U.S. or world for that matter. It’s iconic for a reason and lives up to its name. My dad and I did a road trip, stopping to do some hiking there. It was during the dead of winter, so we were in snow up to our yin-yangs. But, it was really easy to get a campsite, LOL! We drove in, after hitting several closed off passes and going well out of our way to find an open passage, and had our pick of pretty much any campground and campsite. It was pretty empty. The nights were cold as a mug but during the day, the temperature and weather were perfect for hiking. The deep snow was enjoyable to trek through as well. During this hike, we hiked up to some waterfalls that actaully freeze before hitting the ground below, creating these snow cones where they fall. The views were stunning from the high places we hiked to.

Las Vegas Harley Rally {summer, 2004}

Biking on Harley’s me, my dad, and my brother pose for a picture at a stop we made during a scavenger hunt on the outskirts of Las Vegas. There were thousands of bikers in Vegas for a huge biker convention, rally, and scavenger hunt that took place over a weekend. The scavenger hunt took us all around Vegas and to the outskirts in the mountains. It was a superbly fun time! We had a blast biking around and taking part. The bikes were amazing, especially at the convention center where all the vendors and fabricators were. Many of the big names were there with some sweet bikes, one of which was given away as the grand prize for the scavenger hunt. My dad actually won a gift certificate at one of the auctions. like $500 of powder coating services. What a great time that was!

Off Road Jeep In Canyonlands National Park, UT {summer, 2009}

Going off road Jeeping in Canyonlands National Park is spectacular! We had the most amazing time doing this! We wanted to try something new so we rented a Jeep for the day and embarked deep into the back country of Canyonlands. The back country there is so beautiful and mysterious. It gives you such a strong urge to explore and discover. We were tentative at first as to how far we could push this Jeep, but we quickly discovered they are very capable vehicles. Its amazing what you can go up and over in these things. They make quick work of most obstacles. The only restriction really was ground clearance, which is much higher than you think. Everyone needs to rent a jeep from Canyonlands Jeep Adventures in Moab, Ut. and going off-roading in Canyonlands! It was one of the coolest things we’ve done out there yet!

Reaching “Wall Street” In The Narrows At Zion National Park, UT {summer, 2004}

Wall Street in the Narrows is a highly photographed place. When you are there at the right time of year and the sun is at just the right angle, there is an amazing dance of light off the canyon walls in this section known as “Wall Street”. The canyon walls rise hundreds of feet here and glow with a rainbow of hues when the light hits perfectly. It’s a very difficult phenomenon to capture because the conditions have to be just right. I’ve caught it once at its full brilliance, not in this image, but another on Raging Kitty Photo (scroll over several times). Me, my dad, and my brother are posing in this photo, with the endless canyon walls surrounding us. We were at a fork in the canyon. To the right was a smaller much more narrow off-shoot, Orderville Canyon, while ahead down the main path was Wall Street in all its splendor. This was the same day I happened to, by pure chance, capture Wall Street in its glory. We ended up going down Orderville Canyon for a while until we hit some impassable barriers and turned around, returning to the fork and onward into Wall Street. It was an amazing hike that every hiker must do!

Highway 101 In California {winter, 2004}

Highway 101 in California is by far one of the coolest road trips you can do! My dad and I did the ultimate California road trip, driving up the east side of the state, into Oregon, and then all the way down Highway 101 back to Las Angeles where we started. This is a photo of me standing on the pacific coast in northern CA, north of Redwood National Park. The views along the 101 are unparalleled, anywhere. The sheer cliffs,rolling green hills, and grand mountains that line this legendary highway are gorgeous! The road itself is a blast to drive with all it’s twists and turns. A Porsche would be the perfect auto to blaze around the 101′s hair raising corners with. It’s a long drive, but every inch is beautiful and you just can’t take your curious awe-inspired eyes off the landscape for a second! Every American, and especially Porsche owners, needs to do this drive at least once. It is one of the best drives in the world!

Striking A Rare Pose In Northern Canyonlands National Park, UT {summer, 2009}

This may seem an odd thing to say, but I have very few pictures of myself anywhere, lol. I’m not a big fan of being in pictures and tend to avoid it. I really had to dig to gather all these images of myself on this page. My wife was happy during this trip that she had her own camera and could finally get some shots of me instead of her being the only one in every shot, appearing she went on vacation by herself, lol. So this is me in Northern Canyonlands National Park striking a pose for my wife, who is behind the camera. We did an excellent and easy hike along the canyon rim, taking in the majestic views. This hike is great because the views are there for the taking, no real effort is required to get to the viewpoints. They are accessible to almost anyone. Put your kids on a leash though, it’s a long drop.

Mount Whitney, CA {summer, 2009}

Standing in front of Mount Whitney off in the distance, my wife and I pose for the camers waiting for the timer to elapse. We were on our way to Yosemite, coming from Death Valley. I’ve always wanted to hike Mt. Whitney but haven’t gotten around to it. Whitney is actually the tallest peak in the continental United States. It’s one of the easier hikes of that altitude to do in the summer months and is fairly accessible. Permits are required though, so I would have to do some real planning. There’s no showing up the day of with this hike. It’s still cool to see it from a distance, the tallest peak around. Actually, looking closer, I think these are just some mountains in mid-eastern CA. We did stop to see Whitney, but this isn’t the picture. But close enough. Use your imagination.

Middle Of Nowhere, UT {summer, 2004}

Utah has some of the most remote regions in the U.S. I’m standing in one of them in this photo. I’m in southwest Utah here, doing a solo road trip and searching for Bluejohn Canyon. there is this little dirt road in the middle of nowhere along highway 24 that goes further into the middle of nowhere. It makes you feel very small and vulnerable. There is nothing for several hundred miles. It’s great! I love the adventure that comes from that kind of exploration. I really love this photo for some reason. This moment and all the sensations of being in that place at that moment are so vivid in my mind. I loved that moment in time!