A subscriber asked, "What were you thinking in the moment of making an image?"

Honestly, with regard to my nature photographs, my first thought is often "Wow." I lost count of how many times I said "wow" on the last 100 miles or so of The Colorado Trail. But even before the San Juans, which are just stunning, there are so many moments that leave me in awe. I think that's a large part of why I love spending time in remote wilderness areas. Every moment is different. You can stay in the same place for days and never see the same exact thing twice. The light, the clouds, the temperature, the wildlife, the flowers in bloom or not in bloom, the trees swaying or not swaying, it's all constantly changing. One of my favorite quotes, which is tattooed on my left forearm, is "The blue mountains are constantly walking." Attributed to Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk, this quote refers to impermanence and interconnectedness. Nothing stays the same. Everything is constantly changing, even if it doesn't seem like it is. And everything (and everyone) is connected. Mountains are being shaped by wind and water, even if we don't see it happening. There are things happening in the natural world every moment that go unnoticed. The impact of one pebble in the water rippling out across the pond. All of this is to say that I feel a tremendous sense of awe in wilderness, before I make an image and after, and it leaves me feeling overwhelmingly connected to everything around me.

The photo above is one of my favorites, because it shows two moose a good distance away from where I stood on the trail, down in a valley munching on willows. You can see the wider perspective of valley, moose, trees in front of me up higher as I climbed a ridge, and a giant slope of mountain in the background, plus golden sunlight that gives the sky presence as well. To me it represents the connection I mentioned, and the "walking" movement of the mountain wilderness in that one special moment.

NATURE. all things nature/outdoors.

A subscriber asked, "How do you select a campsite?"

As a backpacker, one of the first things I look for, which I can start looking for from a pretty good distance down the trail, is any section of dead trees to avoid. Sometimes referred to as "widow-makers," a dead tree, or even a tree with a significant dead branch, can pose a serious risk to backpackers and campers, as it can fall on the tent unexpectedly, causing serious injury or even death. Particularly in the mountains, or in areas with steep downslopes, winds can pick up at night and blow things around a good bit. It's best to set up camp as far away from anything that could potentially fall on your tent. If you can find large rocks to provide a windbreak, all the better.

If I've packed "wet dinners" (meals that require water to rehydrate before eating), I'll also look for a site that's relatively close to water (a stream or a lake), as I'll likely need to refill my water bottles in order to make dinner after a long day of hiking and drinking most of the water I may have been carrying (the dogs and I go through a lot of water while hiking). The general rule regarding camping near bodies of water is to pitch your tent at least 200 feet away from them. There are a few reasons for this, including preventing contamination of water sources, and especially if you're in the backcountry, allowing for the fact that those water sources are used by wildlife in the area. Your presence may interfere with their regular water access, or it could lead to human-wildlife conflicts. I, for one, would rather not have a moose stomp through my tent en route to its nightly lake access. In addition to abiding by the general Leave No Trace rules, I'll add that it's sometimes very easy to see game trails (narrow trails typically visible through areas of grass and vegetation that have been created by regular wildlife use). If you see such a trail, it might be best to pitch your tent a good distance away from it to avoid human-wildlife encounters in the middle of the night. Also keep in mind that the closer to water you camp, the more bugs you'll likely deal with. And speaking of water, if you're pitched in a depression in the ground, you may end up with water all around you if it rains.

If dead trees aren't an issue and I've found a nice spot semi-close to a water source, I'll start looking for a piece of level, or semi-level ground that's large enough to fit my tent. Tents come in a variety of sizes, and the one I'm currently using (the Durston X-Mid Pro 2) is a little wider than some I've used in the past. So far it hasn't been an issue at all, but it's good to know that on some trails, particularly those in heavily forested areas, it may be more difficult to find wide enough spots to pitch a tent. I look for the most level spot that is mostly free of rocks, tree roots, and anything else that I might be able to feel through the tent floor, even with a sleeping pad down. I don't like to physically move things, but I will toss pine cones and small rocks out of the way if needed. It's good to also check for any toxic vegetation that might cause problems (poison ivy, etc.), and avoid areas of sensitive vegetation that you might not want to trample.

Additional things to consider, if you have the options: shade or sunlight. Distance from other campers/backpackers. Elevation (higher will be cooler, though valleys can also be quite cool and the sun will take longer to hit you in the morning). Exposure (if you're on a mountainside with no trees or boulders around you, the wind may be a bit rough).

Some things that I've encountered that made me pass up a site: food that a previous camper left in a site (if food has been left, and especially if it has been opened, wildlife may have already found it and been drawn to it, which means they may continue to visit the site throughout the evening, looking for the food that was there; same goes for trash). Wildlife markings (if there are scratch marks on trees, bear scat, or obvious areas of flattened grass where wildlife has bedded, I'll take a pass). Areas of potential food for wildlife (I'll avoid sites that are too near large patches of berries and similar that might be prime munching areas for bears, etc.). Large cave-type areas (I once pitched my tent and later saw that some large boulders nearby formed a sort of cave area that seemed like it might be prime bear-cave material. I did end up staying there, but I think I lucked out because the couple on the other side of it was visited by the bear--it played with their bear cans all night--and to my knowledge it didn't visit my tent!).

DOGS. all things dogs.

"How did you muzzle train your dog?" [Part 3, continued from Vol. 1, No. 2]...

Once your dog is really comfortable sticking their nose into the muzzle to retrieve the treat at the other end, you can fasten the muzzle. As soon as it's fastened, reward your dog with several treats all at once (the "jackpot" reward!). Then do something fun with the muzzle on! Play their favorite game. Go outside and walk around a bit. Whatever your dog really loves, go do it with the muzzle on. But limit the amount of time the muzzle is on for this first time. Even just five minutes is great. Pay attention to your dog's body language, and play it by ear. If your dog seems uncomfortable and tries to paw it off, check the fitting. It may not be the correct size, and you may want to try a different muzzle. Or, it may be that your dog just needs more time to adjust to the strange thing on its face. Remove the muzzle and reward your dog again. Give your dog a break, and try this exercise again later, as many times as you can, for brief amounts of time, until your dog gets more and more comfortable wearing the muzzle. Slowly, increase the amount of time your dog is actually wearing the muzzle, but keep it fun every time. Remember, we want your dog to have positive associations with this new piece of gear.

VAN/LIFE. all things life, including van life.

In the "life" category today, I'm running a bit late and have to be at an art festival in about thirty minutes, so I'll share a quick thought about my present state of mind.

I've been thinking since the end of last year that 2025 might be my last year of doing in-person art shows. It's a lot of work, though that's not why I'm contemplating no longer doing them. The last couple of years have been pretty rough from a sales perspective. In 2024, I came out in the negative, and so far 2025 is looking the same. Booth fees are typically in the $300-375 range, plus travel and lodging, sometimes food during the long show days, though I mostly try to bring my own. It's just a lot. And if people aren't buying, it quickly becomes a burden. It wasn't like that when I started in 2019, and even 2023 was a good year, so I'm going to blame the current economy. All of this said, as I was setting up this morning I was reminded, again, why I love doing these shows. I love the people. The other artists. The guests who come to the shows and stop in my booth to chat. There is a lot of life experience to be shared at these events, and I love that.

I don't know what I'll decide. I'm still on the fence about it. But I know whether I come out in the negative or positive at the end of this weekend, I'll leave with a smile on my face, because the people all around me here are just. good. people.

Until next time, be kind and be well.