Few places have garnered as much intrigue with its vast desolate landscapes as Iceland, a place which is undeniably tranquil yet abundant with the volatile forces of nature. In recent years this remote island has brought people flocking. It has coincided with growing pains for its people and government finding balance between important economic benefits and maintaining it’s natural state.
Earth Day was something I used to overlook each year, like many people do. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always appreciated my home planet and have always treated it with respect. But it wasn’t until my passion for photography ramped up and I began spending more time outdoors that I became much more aware of how fragile Earth really is and how we as humans must be its caretakers.
Many people who want to help the environment look to recycling, water or energy conservation, or reducing emissions. And while these are very important fundamentals to adhere to, I feel compelled to talk about something many people may not easily recognize when it comes to protecting our world. That is our impact in the great outdoors and its wild places and how we can be responsible when recreating.
It seems people either love it or hate it. Winter isn’t for everyone and I’ll admit there is a limit I can take myself. But I live where there are four very distinct seasons and winter is no exception. This winter in Utah has been one for the books.
I’ve mentioned several times before how Utah is home to such diverse landscapes. You can be in high alpine forest one hour and a vast red-rock desert the next. In south-central Utah are two places I think are quite unique, Goblin Valley and Cathedral Valley.
The short-lived weeks of autumn glory are some of my favorite of the year. Spending some time in Canada this fall took me away from my home state of Utah which was putting on a pretty great show of color this year. With so much territory I wanted to cover and so little time to do it, I focused my efforts on some of the Wasatch’s best places for foliage. I was not disappointed.
Behold the Canadian Rockies, home of some of North America’s most stunning landscapes. Recently, I made a visit to some of these great places. Here are the pictures to prove it.
We are arguably well into fall by now so I can wrap up the summer recap with some more photos of places I escaped from the heat. If you haven’t yet, you should check out my previous blog entry which highlighted the wildflowers and wildlife I encountered this summer.
The summer flew by and is essentially at an end. So I’ve had the last week or so to gather some photos I’ve taken over the last few months I’ve spent hiking and camping in my backyard, the mountains of Utah. In this post, I’ll highlight the wildflowers and wildlife I’ve encountered.
The views of the Alps from Lake Como in northern Italy at sunset left me exited for the days ahead. The next morning, we boarded a short ferry ride across the lake we drove across the border into Switzerland. Soon the Italian speaking part of southern Switzerland including the city of Lugano was in the rear view mirror. Our destination was the Bernese Alps in the canton of Bern.
While it was difficult leaving Amsterdam behind after a short visit, I was really looking forward to continuing the journey through Europe and our next destination, northern Italy.