Earth Art

If you’ve never been out to the Sun Tunnels then you should take a weekend to go visit. It’s a 3 hour 30 minute drive from Salt Lake City, heading over into Nevada, then cutting back into Northern Utah. Dusty roads take you the last 20 minutes, through the old rail town of Lucin, where large cottonwood trees surround an oasis in the desert.

The Sun Tunnels were created back in the 70’s by Nancy Holt, wife of Spiral Jetty artist, Robert Smithson. During the summer and winter solstice, the sun rise and sun set line up with two of the four large concrete tubes, creating a beautiful piece of earth art. For being such a simple installation in such a strikingly barren environment, it left me with a sense of awe and wonderment that I normally feel while looking at vast and beautiful landscapes around the globe. It’s definitely worth a visit.

Moments of Hesitation

Split, Croatia- Two men stand in the afternoon light, their wisdom and experience combine to the tale of youth. After moments of hesitation, they trail off into silence, fading like the memories behind them. Wrinkled faces share more about their lives than any story ever could. Looking into their eyes, one can only help but feel the past. A life filled with happiness and regret, misery and hope. It’s a story played out by billions and yet no story is alike.  7 billion individual stories, with 7 billion individual outcomes. It’s amazing.

Sea Breeze

Burgeo, Newfoundland - One thing I find particularly amazing about being near the ocean is the sea breeze.  There is nothing like the smell of the clean salty air or the feel of the cool wind against your face.  It really is one of my favorite experiences.  While we were on a climbing trip for The North Face, we stopped off in Burgeo, a small town off the southern coast of Newfoundland.  While we were waiting to board a boat to Francois, I wandered up from the docks, enraptured by the flowing garments.  I shot a couple photos, then went and sat down admiring the view.  The wind whipped through the grass next to me, keeping the bugs at bay.  It was a perfect spring day.

Heaven and Earth

Washington - Heaven and earth pass before us, arcing out across the skies, and yet we are transfixed on what is out of reach. The inconsequential buries us beneath a mound of insecurities, consuming our lives but we rearrange our priorities to accommodate. For what? Is it isolation that we seek? Is it solitude?

When we wake do we dream of the eternal, or do our dreams waste away in a sea of likes and comments? Our infinite wasted, our potential squandered. We float through space, among the stars and galaxies, selfishly consuming the vast quantity of garbage that inhabits the void, but the world rotates and we continue our journey on an unknown path.

The path leads us into the woods, walking through the trees, feeling the mist of water against our skin, the thundering sound reverberates deep within us. hope illuminates the horizon, trees silhouette against the mountains. The earth exhales and we feel it's warmth. It speaks and we listen. If only we listen.