2024 in the Wilderness: Old Haunts and New Adventures
Reflections on Another Adventurous Year
It's strange how it can seem like I haven't done much in the moment but when I reflect on the past year it's always filled with incredible landscapes, wonderous discoveries, and meaningful moments behind the lens. From my home mountains in Colorado, the desertscapes of the Southwest, and the wild wilderness of the Yukon and Alaska, 2024 took me on another beautiful journey. As I look back, I’m excited to share some of the highlights and images that made this year so special.
Winter in the San Juans
Settling into our new home brought a welcome change after years of living in our RV. I spent the winter photographing my local mountains, the San Juans, focusing on drone photography to capture the mountains around Telluride and Ouray from the air. I also spent my third season working part-time at Telluride Ski Resort; It's been pretty awesome to spend a couple days each week on the slopes skiing all day no matter the weather. But one of the most anticipated adventures was our annual hut trip, this time to Jackal Hut near Leadville. These trips with friends are always a highlight of my year—an opportunity to spend time with great people in some of the most serene and wintery parts of Colorado.
In addition to personal pursuits, I spent a couple weeks scouting locations for a big-budget indie film. It was a unique challenge to help find locations that could bring the script to life.
Spring Southwest Adventures
Once ski season wrapped up, it was time to head out for my first Southwest trip of the year. My journey began in the San Rafael Swell checking out some petroglyphs I've skipped on other visits. From there, I ventured to Hanksville and spent more time exploring some new spots around Factory Butte and the remote Table Mountain. After that I headed to Escalante for some slot canyon and river hiking including revisiting some favorite spots like the Cosmic Ashtray and discovering new areas along Hole-in-the-Rock Road.
A standout moment of the spring was a quick stop back in Hanksville after Escalante. It was here that I had one of those rare, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will stick with me forever. During an off-trail hike through a remote wash in the wilderness, I made an astonishing discovery: a small meteorite. The excitement of finding this rare fragment was incredible on its own, but as I continued searching the area for more, I stumbled upon something even more profound—undiscovered dinosaur bones, scattered and half-buried among the rocks. It was a surreal moment, connecting me to the ancient past of this land in a way I’ll never forget.
The journey finished in Bears Ears National Monument, where I hiked to the high canyon ruins that never cease to leave me awestruck. The sacred, quiet beauty of these historic sites is always a reminder of the importance of protecting our public lands, and it’s something I carry with me as I photograph these wild places.
Summer Blooms and High Peaks
Lupine season in the foothills of the San Juans is always a highlight, and I spent much of May and June capturing these vibrant blooms while also squeezing in mountain biking around Montrose and Ridgway. As the summer weather warmed, I embarked on my second Southwest trip. This included mountain biking the stunning Red Canyon near Bryce Canyon National Park and backpacking Zion’s West Rim Trail with family. This trek through Zion was a full-circle moment for me, as I’d previously run the trail years ago during a spring Trans-Zion Traverse attempt. This time, I could slow down, take in the landscape at a more leisurely pace, and enjoy the beauty of Zion’s vast cliffs and canyons.
From there, it was off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, where we escaped the heat dome that had Zion temps over 110ºF and enjoyed cooler backcountry camping along remote 4WD roads. I was rewarded with amazing views and a full bloom of lupines against the rugged backdrop of the canyon. It was an awe-inspiring experience—seeing such a world-famous landscape from a quieter, more secluded perspective.
Closer to home, wildflower season in the San Juans and West Elks kept me busy with hikes, backpacking, and mountain biking. In late June I spent a week around Crested Butte photographing lupine and rainbows while enjoying mountain biking with Glacier on some of my favorite trails. As it was approaching the 4th of July it was incredibly busy as the norm in CB now with camping spots and solitude harder to come by; I definitely miss the quieter CB of my earlier photographic career.
In July and early August I visited some of my favorite places like Porphyry Basin, Engineer Mountain, and Stony Pass multiple times, as well as explored some new waterfalls on South Fork Mineral Creek. Unfortunately my 20-year-old 4runner really started to show the signs of its use as it rolled over 300k miles; with 14 years of off-road exploring in the mountains and desert it's the vehicle that helped make my career. Due to the rough shape of its suspension I didn't go to as many places as I would have liked but I did head over the now heavily eroded again Cinnamon Pass to American Basin.
The Yukon and Alaska: Aurora and Adventure
One of the most memorable adventures of the year took place in the Yukon and Alaska, where I spent three weeks exploring some of the most remote and beautiful landscapes in North America. I met up with friend and fellow photographer Alex Burke in Whitehorse, where we began our journey with a week-long backpacking trip in Tombstone Territorial Park.
The weather was as unpredictable as it was intense. We experienced everything from rain and snow to freezing fog, yet despite the challenging conditions, we were treated to some truly magical light and occasional clear skies at night. Since we were in the aurora belt the Northern Lights really put on a show for us, and I had the opportunity to photograph it on numerous sleepless nights. The park’s infrastructure, such as the tent pads and barrel bathrooms, gave it a different feel from the solitude I’m used to in other wilderness areas, but it was interesting to see the way the park balances accessibility with preserving its natural beauty. The presence of so many other hikers was a bit of a surprise, but it didn’t detract from the overall sense of awe I felt while surrounded by the vastness of the tundra. That being said, I'm not likely to seek out a similar backcountry experience in the future.
After wrapping up our time in the Tombstones, we stayed a night in remote Dawson City to clean up and eat some real food before heading back out on the Dempster Highway to explore further north and more of the tundra. The road wound its way through miles of untamed wilderness, and we spent time exploring the northern reaches of the Yukon before heading south to Haines Junction. Initially, we had planned to do some glacier backpacking in the area, but that plan was foiled when a grizzly bear closure forced us to alter our plans. Instead, we opted for a smaller overnight trip to St Elias Lake, which gave us the chance to experience an area of more subdued beauty.
Next, we traveled south to Haines, Alaska, where we spent a few days photographing the rugged coastal landscape and grizzly bears before Alex dropped me off at the ferry to catch a ride to Juneau.
Once there I had the opportunity to photograph the coast, rainforest, massive glaciers, and more aurora between the rainstorms. I spent the next four days driving every road accessible from the town, capturing the varying landscapes. As the trip drew to a close, I ended with a small boat tour to watch humpbacks and orcas—an unforgettable experience that rounded out my adventure.
By the time I returned home, I was ready for a bit of a rest, but I couldn’t help but reflect on how lucky I was to have experienced such wild and remote places. The diversity of landscapes in the Yukon and Alaska provided a sharp contrast to the deserts and mountains I typically photograph, and the entire trip left me with a renewed sense of awe and gratitude for the natural places that remain on this planet.
Fall Colors and Rare Permits
Fall in Colorado is always one of my favorite times of year but it can be very different from year to year. After 2 previous years of white peaks and stormy weather a lack of snow and dramatic weather made capturing dynamic landscapes more challenging. It was a good reminder to appreciate the conditions when they’re good and find other ways to enjoy photography when they're not. I had planned to pivot to more adventure shooting with the weather but that was curtailed when I broke a toe. While this injury was a setback, it didn’t completely stop me—I adjusted my plans, avoiding scrambling but probably hiking more than I should have.
One silver lining of the fall season was capturing the aurora borealis in several unusual locations. The active solar cycle made for some incredible shows far enough south to illuminate the skies over the San Juans; witnessing the northern lights dance above my home landscape while I was surrounded by bugling elk was one of the most memorable nights of the year. I also made a side trip to Arches National Park to fulfill a long-time dream of photographing the northern lights dancing above red rock arches. I also got the treat of another comet that I was able to photograph over Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. These unexpected opportunities reminded me how quickly nature can surprise but also how important the flexibility to change plans is to capturing unique images.
Later in the season, I finally checked off a bucket list item—after 15 years of applying, I secured permits for The Wave in Coyote Buttes North. The hike started under frigid, blustery conditions with intermittent rain and winds strong enough to create small sandstorms. While the weather wasn’t ideal, the surreal landscape was more than enough to overcome it making it a truly unforgettable experience. This was one of the last pockets of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument I had left to visit so we spent 11 hours exploring every detail of the sandstone formations, marveling at their intricate patterns and vivid colors. A highlight of the day was encountering a very curious herd of bighorn sheep high above The Wave hiding from hunting parties in the next valley over.
On this trip we also spent time exploring on the west side of the Green River near Canyonlands before heading to Capitol Reef for some hiking. After that we paddled Lake Powell with Glacier to lower Antelope Canyon and later hiked to a new spot of towering hoodoos north of Vermillion Cliffs.
For my second fall southwest trip I was originally supposed to be diving in Raja Ampat for my 40th birthday but cancelled my plans to help with a movie filming in the San Juans. Unfortunately that fell through so instead I decided to go out for another fall trip to visit some of my old favorites and hike The Narrows in Zion on my birthday like I used to do. It was still a beautiful hike plus a bonus bike ride in the canyon to get there but the much greater crowds and lack of fall colors didn't leave me with much enthusiasm for the experience. I decided to head back out for solitude and explore more new areas in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument where I trekked a desolate canyon discovering petrified trees and petroglyphs among towering red sandstone walls. On my way out I decided to revisit a indigenous site where I had previously found thousands of arrowhead and tool fragments scattered amongst the sand above a salty creek. I explored it more this time and found the source in a small band of cliffs; I wonder how many generations of natives spent time there making tools and taking advantage of the rare desert water.
Ending the Year in the Mountains
As 2024 came to a close, I found myself back in the San Juans, skiing in Telluride and capturing the beauty of my state for a Colorado Tourism project with Atlas Obscura. It was a rewarding way to end the year, revisiting familiar landscapes and documenting the culture and essence of this special place. Working on this project reminded me of the profound connection I have with Colorado’s public lands, its communities, and the people who live here.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
2024 was another year of exploration, growth, and unforgettable moments. From the desert’s ancient mysteries to the tundra’s stark beauty, I feel incredibly fortunate for all the places I was able to visit, photograph, and connect with. As I look ahead to 2025, I’m excited for more adventures and the opportunity to continue sharing the stories of the wild, untamed places that are my passion.