Commentary

Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Justice, The Adventure Gap / 07.03.2015

I sometimes struggle to clearly define exactly what I mean when I talk about The Adventure Gap. The book I wrote of the same title details several specific examples of African-American women and men who had overcome their fear and apprehension to cross the divide between where they were and where they most wanted to be, to venture anywhere their hearts desired. Today most of the barriers that prevent us from achieving our full potential are in our minds. We often talk ourselves out of doing things that...

0 Likes
Book Tour, Commentary, The Adventure Gap / 28.02.2015

The Jetta rolled to a stop near the curb just outside of baggage claim at Dane County Regional Airport. Through the salt stained windshield my wife’s beaming smile shined bright as the sun. After a week of travel I couldn’t have been happier to see her as suddenly a song from my childhood came streaming through my mind. “Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself because I love you, yes, I do.” The James Taylor tune put a bounce in my step as I tossed my...

0 Likes
Adventure Media Review, Book Tour, Commentary, The Adventure Gap / 21.02.2015

Last night I had the great pleasure of addressing the community of Pomona College in Southern California. In a full presentation of Expedition Denali I shared several slides and stories detailed in my book The Adventure Gap and beautifully depicted in our film An American Ascent. As the house lights came up with the closing credits at the Rose Hills Theatre a small audience of supporters offered up a graciously round of applause. Beaming with pride I took a small bow as the student who served as the...

0 Likes
Adventure Media Review, Climbing, Commentary, Film preview, National Parks, Reel Rock Film Tour, Yosemite / 15.01.2015

Just in time to pique the interest of a curious public the Sender Films masterpiece Valley Uprising is now available for online download, DVD and Blu-Ray. Within a day of the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall on Yosemite’s 3000-foot El Capitan this grand epic details the long history of climbing in the granite Mecca of the California Sierra Range over the last 50 years. As Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgenson settle into their place as the latest heroes of mountaineering lore this film will offer the general...

0 Likes
Adventure Activism, Commentary, Environmental Journalism, Fly Fishing, River Restoration, Urban Revitalization / 09.12.2014

Few people likely realize that just a few minutes’ drive from Los Angeles International Airport is an exquisite urban park. Kenny Hahn State Recreation Area is tucked between La Cienega Blvd and La Brea immediately south of Baldwin Hills and just north of Stocker. With a small lake, a stream, hiking trails and a spectacular view of Downtown LA from the top of a scenic overlook this spot is a hidden gem in the heart of a major city. This is the neighborhood where I grew up. Here is...

0 Likes
Banff, Commentary, Diversity, Photography / 29.10.2014

When Madison photographer Eric Baillies asked me to sit for a portrait I was immediately flattered. A talented artist who has dedicated his craft to the creation of tintype prints he graciously offered to capture my picture on an emulsified metal plate. “I'd like to make an image with some of your climbing gear,” he said. “Glasses come to mind.” When I arrived in his production space at Winnebago Studio I also had with me my favorite ice ax. Last used to summit Mount Baker in 2012 along with my...

0 Likes