Hermit’s Trail, Grand Canyon, looking down on the Colorado
[Southwest USA] I went alone into the Grand Canyon for a week. While the south Canyon rim is nice in a monochromatic, postcard sort of way, being in the Canyon is profound and dramatic. The enormous scale must be experienced by going into it.
Angel’s Landing, Zion, Utah
[Southwest USA] I’ve hiked almost every trail in Zion, and it’s one of my favorite places in the world. Some love to be at the top of mountains or canyons. Not me. Up at the top, a lot of texture and drama is washed out. Best is halfway up. I want to look way down. […]
Kenai Peninsula on the second father/daughter trip
[Alaska] Sophie (11) and I went to hike in Alaska. The Kenai Peninsula is an astoundingly beautiful place. From Seward, we went on a mid-sized tour boat to the Kenai Fjords. Sophie was seasick the entire six hours. I was mad at myself – I should have remembered this about her. And to add insult […]
Cuenca and the health clinic
[Ecuador] I did a site visit to CARE Ecuador projects. We were in a health clinic and I heard about a great need for a refrigerator to store vaccines and antibiotics. The CARE budget couldn’t cover it, so I said “I’ll do it.” Later I sent $850 and got back pictures and receipts. My sisters, […]
The town of Rio Verde
[Ecuador] Moritz Thomsen is one of the couple writers who has spoken most deeply to me. In 1965, when he was 45 or so, he gave up pig farming in California and joined the Peace Corps. He ended up staying the rest of his life in Ecuador, buying a farm and living among the poorest […]
Inside Krishna Khadka’s house near Pokhara
[Nepal] There is this store in the University Village, Seattle, called Caldwell’s, and it is filled with the most exquisite array of very expensive gift objects, clocks, frames, scarves, rugs, imported art – all seemingly of such subtle and refined craftsmanship. Whenever I walk by, affluent and beautiful looking people are coming in and out. […]
The city of Pokhara
[Nepal] In the Cascades, the typical view of a mountain has one looking up between 3,000 and 5,000 feet. I remember my excitement years ago looking up from Jenny Lake at the Tetons. 7,000 feet from valley floor to the top of Mount Owen. Fantastic. It’s 19 nautical miles between Pokhara – which sits at […]
Hiking towards 17,500 foot Throng La
[Nepal] Two hours after this picture was taken I was in bad shape. I went too quickly from 12 to 15,000 feet and hit real altitude sickness. I had a night of delirium, nausea, and migraine. People were worried, but by morning I was improving. Otherwise I would have joined the ranks of “tourists carried […]
Between Pisang and Manang
[Nepal] One of the most spectacular days of hiking in my entire life was from Pisang to Manang. Sauntering along the valley floor in the sun looking straight up at 12,000 feet of rock and snow towering above. As I walked along, I found myself in conversation with a young man who was headed back […]
Near Muktinath
[Nepal] That original 1987 trek was arranged by “Journeys” – a Michigan outfitter. There were some great people on that trip, and over these last years we’ve kept in touch, including several reunions involving people flying in from all over the country.