point reyes. june 2013. 

an epic hike: nine miles in three hours, including stops for photos, berry picking, and exploring the sea shore. my knee hurt for three weeks following the hike, so i rested it; now that i've started working out again, it feels much better. it's amazing how well nature heals. at first it feels like a big sponge that can absorb everything you're feeling and take it away, and then you realize that you feel better because you're where you belong. 

i'm thinking of traveling to south america in a few months, and i'm excited to see the cities and work on the farms, but i'm also anticipating patagonia, the andes, and perhaps even antarctica. the bold, vast, empty places that feel like a strange new home.

a round pool of water

baltimore area, sierras. august, 2012.

oh, my feet

piute creek. september 2011.

it felt so good to take off my shoes. usually i kept them on at lunch, ever mindful of all the hiking left to do in the day. but this time i was ahead, just a mile to my planned stop when i plopped down for a late lunch. i knew i'd hike farther, and it made me feel triumphant and relaxed. off came the boots. i even took out my sleeping pad for extra comfort.

this trip was so much harder than i expected. the altitude, the long days, the heat, the heavy pack, the new pants that gave me blisters--on my hips--all added up to a strenuousness i wasn't quite prepared for. but really, it was the lack of a buddy. no one was helping, no one was tired, too, no one sat with me in the shade half way up a steep hill as my breathing slowed. when i stepped away from camp to read a book at the side of the creek, i was just as alone as when i returned. nature felt less of a respite and more, simply the landscape i was moving through, beautiful though it was.

there is something about knowing that someone is waiting for you to come back that makes it more soothing to be away.

low mountain light

lower dusy basin. august, 2011.

sunset, moonset

north end of evolution lake. september 2011.

laundry on the line

below lake helen, muir trail. september 2011.

dark on the right

south lake to north lake loop, kings canyon/inyo national forest. august/september, 2011.