Ansel Adams. Photo by Cedric Wright; courtesy Colby Library, Sierra Club.

Talk about a gold mine. A California man recently discovered he possessed a treasure trove of Ansel Adams negatives that an art appraiser valued at more than $200 million, according to CNN. The negatives were believed to have been destroyed in a 1937 darkroom fire. But 10 years ago, they were purchased by Rick Norsigian of Fresno at a garage sale for $45. Experts and historians seem to corroborate his claim. However, there are those who doubt the authenticity, including Adams's own grandson.

"Mr. Norsigian has been claiming these negatives were made by Ansel Adams for many years," he said. "I am unaware of anyone knowledgeable agreeing with him."

About eight times a year, the Ansel Adams Gallery hears from people wondering if an image in their possession could be a long-lost piece of Adams' artwork, said Dustin Nelson, staff photographer at the Yosemite National Park gallery.

"Now and again we receive phone calls from people who say, 'I found a print in a yard sale for $10 — that kind of thing," Nelson said.

Whether the negatives are authentic or not, such arguments reflect the photographer's lasting legacy. After first visiting Yosemite as a teenager, he became intimately involved with the Sierra Club for much of his life. Read more about him by clicking here.

Photo by Anne Hamersky. Used with permission.

Those of us who understand the need to protect wild places and enjoy taking a hike through them should say “thank you” out loud to Dr. Ed Wayburn, who passed away Friday night at the age of 103.

He was five-time president here at the Sierra Club, and I met him on several occasions -- sometimes in passing here in our San Francisco office, or when I interviewed him for one Club publication or another.

He was always gracious and helpful, soft-spoken and patient, and let me know that I had his full attention during our time together, though I’m certain there were myriad people and issues tugging at his sleeves and his psyche.

As he got older, Dr. Wayburn came to the office using hiking poles, which assisted him up the stairs to his corner office on the third floor. (Note to self: Hiking poles are so much cooler than a cane if you need something to help you get around.)

The quote of his I’ll remember best is: "In destroying wildness, we deny ourselves the full extent of what it means to be alive."

That rings true to my core. Thanks for that, Dr. Wayburn.

He was a quiet champion of wilderness, so if you’re just hearing about him for the first time, you can read all about him in this article written by Pat Joseph on the occasion of Dr. Wayburn’s 100th birthday.

In short: He was born in Georgia, graduated from Harvard Medical School, and moved to San Francisco in 1933 to start his own medical practice. He joined the Sierra Club in 1939 so he could take a burro trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was elected to the Sierra Club Board of Director in 1961 and served until 1964, then again from 1967 to 1969.

In that time he was the driving force behind the protection of magnificent wilderness from Alaska to California, some of it remote and some of it within spitting distance of a major metropolitan area.

In 2004, Dr. Wayburn told his story in his book, "Your Land and Mine: Evolution of a Conservationist."

There’s a small forest of trees in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Wayburn Grove, in honor of Dr. Wayburn and his wife Peggy.

I think it would be a fine place to sit and think upon the accomplishments of this great man.

Photo from iStockphoto



Back in June we had a bit of a discussion here on Sierra Club Trails about how Congress had just passed a bill to allow folks to carry concealed weapons into national parks. We set up a poll in our virtual campfire ring -- our discussion forums -- and let community members weigh in with their thoughts about that development.

Well, on Monday the new law went into effect. Anyone who has a concealed weapons permit may now pack a pistol into national parks, monuments, seashores, and wildlife refuges. You still can't hunt in these places, nor can you take a weapon into facilities such as visitor centers and ranger stations.

But yeah, the guy in the campsite next to you could have a handgun in his hammock, and there might be a Smith & Wesson in that Windstar minivan at the scenic overlook.

The Washington Post provides this helpful historical perspective:

Congress lifted the gun ban last spring, after years of efforts by a bipartisan coalition that said differences in state and federal firearms laws made it difficult for gun owners to travel between state and federal lands.

The Bush administration had lifted the ban on concealed weapons in its final months, after pressure from gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association. But a federal judge blocked the move last year. The Obama administration declined to appeal the ruling, and Congress passed the law. President Obama signed the measure without comment as part of a credit card reform package.

Now that the law is actually in effect, we'd like to know what you all here in the Trails community think. Will this change the national park experience for you at all? Does it worry you, or make you feel safer?

Share your comments on this blog post, and be sure to pop over and check out the poll.

Last Saturday, more than 10,000 people from across Florida gathered at more than 83 beaches to protest offshore drilling. These rousing events drew impressive turnout, despite chilly weather and rain, and were part of a state-wide effort called Hands Across the Sand. That effort was organized to protest attempts by Big Oil to drill in state waters (a mere 3-10 miles from the coast). The events could not have come at a more critical time, however, as Florida's waters are threatened both from federal and state efforts. It was inspirational to see people from all walks of life and political affiliations, citizens, and businesses stand together to protect their livelihoods and their economy. A few alligators, dolphins, and mermaids even showed up at several events!

The Sierra Club's Florida Chapter played an integral role in many of the events. Below are several photos that came out of the day.

This post was originally published on the Lay of the Land blog.

Yesterday, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar delivered a powerful keynote address at the UN Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen.  That speech, entitled "New Energy Future: The Role of Public Lands in Clean Energy Production and Carbon Capture," gave a clear message to the world just how much the Obama Administration has already accomplished moving us toward a cleaner energy economy and how we're going to finish getting there.  The Secretary made clear that our abundant lands are going to play a crucial role in that transition, both in terms of responsible renewable energy development as well as acting to naturally sequester carbon.

The speech was eloquent and meditative and deserves to be read in its entirety which can be viewed here.  Some representative highlights are excerpted below:

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On Wednesday, December 2, the Sierra Club partnered with a coalition of other environmental organizations to honor members of Congress who have championed efforts to protect our national forests' roadless areas.  In 2001, President Clinton issued the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which added protections to our country's remaining 58.5 million acres of roadless forests.  These ecologically rich areas serve as vital wildlife habitat, provide clean water, store large amounts of carbon, and offer exemplary recreational opportunities.

Photography copyrighted: John Hyde, Wild Things Photography

Despite President Bush's efforts to undermine the Roadless Rule, the majority of our country's remaining roadless forests remain protected, and thankfully President Obama and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack have made commitments to upholding and defending this landmark conservation policy.  Congressional leaders have been instrumental in the success of protecting our roadless forests and Wednesday gave us the opportunity to honor them for their efforts to build support for legislation that would more permanently protect these precious areas.  Receiving awards in person were Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY).

Although the majority of our country's roadless areas are currently protected, areas remain that are still at risk.  Idaho and Colorado submitted state-specific plans that greatly reduce the level of protections that their roadless areas receive, and the Tongass National Forest in Alaska is not protected under the national rule thanks to a temporary exemption that the Bush administration made in 2003.  As a result, there is still the need to weigh in with the Obama administration.

Take action and encourage them to uphold and defend the 2001 Roadless Rule to ensure protections of all our roadless forests, including the Tongass.

This article originally published the Lay of the Land blog.

Last week the Sierra Club, in conjunction with the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), hosted a congressional reception in the Senate to present awards to two of our champions.  Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) have taken leadership roles in addressing the ecological negative impacts of expansive and fiscally wasteful border walls.  The event also served to celebrate the culmination of a two-week photo exhibit of the borderlands and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The reception was a huge success and gave the environmental community and its coalition partners in the faith and human rights communities the chance to honor Dicks and Kerry and applaud them for their tireless efforts to advocate for a more responsible border policy that respects communities, wildlife, and the borderlands' unique natural resources.

Senator John Kerry (left) and Sierra Club Director of the Lands Protection Athan Manuel (right)

The reception capped off a two-week display of an amazing collection of photographs by the ILCP.  The photos, partially commissioned by the Sierra Club, were taken during an expedition last January across the entire border region, from Brownsville, TX to San Diego, CA.  The photographers spent three weeks traversing the borderlands and documenting the ecological and cultural values of the region as well as the devastation that the construction of the wall has left in its wake.  The stunning canvas prints that resulted from that trip have been on display in the Senate for the past two weeks to show our federal legislators a beautiful and wrenching portrait of the true effects of this irresponsible border policy.

Photo courtesy of the International League of Conservation Photographers

This article originally published on Lay of the Land.

 

Photo of Brown Pelican by Phil Eager.

In a bit of good news for one species of seabird, it was announced today that the Brown Pelican is being removed from the endangered species list. The Brown Pelican was hit particularly hard in the 1970s and 1980s by its exposure to DDT (and teetered on the edge of extinction as a result), but even before then it was hunted for its feathers. Amazingly enough, the effort to save the Brown Pelican started under President Theodore Roosevelt, who established Pelican Island in Florida as the first refuge in what became the National Wildlife Refuge system. As Audubon California notes, the delisting is an encouraging development for the pelican, but it certainly doesn’t mean the species is in the clear: they face plenty of long-term challenges, including pollution, rising ocean levels, and the continued crashing of the fishing stocks in the Pacific. But it’s definitely progress.

Speaking of challenges, on the opposite end of the spectrum for seabird news were the disturbing and depressing stories in the media in the last few weeks about the albatross populations in the Pacific Ocean. You’ve probably heard about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch (or patches, unfortunately), an accumulation of floating plastic and other garbage that spans an area the size of Texas. But you might not have thought about the impact all of that floating plastic has on seabirds that forage for food that lies close to the surface of the ocean. To a seabird, the floating pieces of plastic can look dangerously similar to its food sources.

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Sierra Club Trails is the best new way online to find hiking, biking, and paddling trails, share tips, and connect with others who love to get outside.

Now, with the help of our friends at The North Face, we'll help a contest winner (you?) load up with backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, clothes -- or any other gear you need -- to help make your outdoor experience even better!

How to Enter

1. Sign up to follow @sierra_magazine on Twitter

2. Re-tweet the following message: Win a $1,000 of gear from The North Face! Follow @Sierra_magazine and RT this by Nov. 23 to enter. http://bit.ly/154yVm

A drawing will be held on December 15th from all who entered the contest, and the winner  will get $1,000 worth of gear and clothing from The North Face. (Read the full Contest Terms and Conditions.)

Okay! Now go for it!

Mayan Ruins. Photo courtesy Bob Smith.

Have you heard? The world is coming to an end on December 21, 2012. It must be true, because Hollywood’s made a blockbuster movie about the impending disaster titled 2012 starring John Cusack.

What are the claims that people are making to back up their end-of-times date of December 21, 2012? The biggest one is that the date marks the end of a 394-year period in the Mayan calendar. This interval of time, known as a “long cycle,” has been named Baktun 13. As a cycle, it repeats itself just as our modern calendar ends and repeats itself. Mayans counted their cycles from 1 to 13, which means that at the end of 13, the cycle begins again, not that time suddenly ends all together.

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El Capitan, Yosemite National Park. Photo courtesy Jenny Coyle.

Spanish speakers out there in Trails-land -- I want to make sure you know about the upcoming premiere of the Spanish-language version of the Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. Starting tonight, November 4, through January 20, the documentary series will air in one-hour segments for twelve consecutive Wednesdays on V-me TV.

The Sierra Club is proud to be working in partnership with V-me, the nation's fastest-growing Spanish-language TV network, to promote Parques Nacionales. In fact, we've got lots of materials about the series at www.sierraclub.org/parques. On that page you'll see a trailer of the film and find helpful resources -- tips for first-time national park visitors, highlighted Sierra Club Outings trips to national parks, and information about some our country's most beloved parks -- all in Spanish.

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Eagle Cliff on Cypress Island, British Columbia. Photo by Ann Kruse.

Something that struck me as I watched the National Parks series on PBS last month was how much John Muir loved being outside. He also loved getting other people out there, so they could experience the same joy he felt. And there were also times he took them along so they'd be motivated to help protect wild places.

I'm proud to say that, thanks to Muir and other early Sierra Club leaders, our Outings program has 100 years of experience as an outfitter for environmental travel. We've got it nailed -- and you don't have to believe me. Sierra Club Outings has been named one of the "best adventure travel companies" by National Geographic Adventure, and is in the "50 Tours of a Lifetime" listing (see Camp Glacier) by National Geographic Traveler.

What I like is that there are trips suited for those who want to stay in a lodge and take short hikes during the day; paddle in  to tropical climes or near glaciers; backpack in extremely remote corners of the U.S., or in exotic international locales.  There are trips that focus on birding, art and writing, women-only backpack trips.

Here's a sampling.

• Snow: ski, snowshoe, or dog mush in Alaska, Canada and the Lower 48
  
• Backpack: trek through untouched wilderness with a team of hardy explorers
  
• Lodge: enjoy the outdoors by day and return each night to the comforts of home
  
• Service: mix work with play on a fun and rewarding volunteer vacation
  
• National Parks: see the best of our spectacular national parks
  
• International: visit exotic locales from Central America to the Far East

With more than 350 trips to choose from, I'm betting you'll find something that calls your name.

Tioga Jenny

Thirty-one years ago, 18-year-old Daryn Dodge and three friends, all fresh out of high school, climbed Clouds Rest and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park—losing much of their food and a night's sleep to hungry bears in the process.

Little did he know what those two youthful ascents would lead to: On July 25 this year, Dodge, now 49 and a family man, became the 67th Sierra Club member to summit all 248 peaks on the Sierra Peaks Section list when he reached the summit of Cirque Peak, near Mt. Whitney. Below, Dodge nears the summit of Disappointment Peak in the eastern Sierra.

"I guess I'm sort of a goal-oriented person," says Dodge, an EPA toxicologist in Sacramento and a former competitive long-distance cyclist. Before that sport took a toll on his knees, he was regularly a top finisher in doublecentury (200-mile) races in Northern California, and he completed four Paris-Brest-Paris "brevets," covering 745 miles in 90 hours or less.

Dodge says he enjoyed short hikes with his dad when he was growing up in the Bay Area, but what really opened his eyes was a high school trip with the Yosemite Institute. "That was the beginning of everything," he says, "when I took a weeklong trip to Yosemite with other high school kids in 1977. After that I was hooked."

Dodge became a committed peak-bagger the following year with his ascents of Clouds Rest and Half Dome. "During the summers I'd try to get out every other weekend for 3-4 days, which was usually enough time to climb several peaks," he says. "I discovered the Sierra Peaks Section online in 1994, and it really fit in with what I wanted to do."

The Peaks Section was created in 1955 by the Sierra Club's Angeles Chapter, with the goal of focusing—some might say re-focusing—on mountaineering in the range that gave the organization its name. At first, even members of the group didn't think anyone would climb all 248 summits-until Sierra Club member Andy Smatko completed the list in 1964.

Thought you'd like to see this message from Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope.
                                                       -- Tioga Jenny

San Francisco -- Last night was the opening segment  on PBS of Ken Burns's six-night celebration of our national parks -- America's Best Idea. Beginning with the spectacular opening quote from John Muir superimposed over some of the most gorgeous outdoor images ever shown on television, it was a heart-stopping and inspirational two hours. Given the phenomenal job that PBS, Burns, and organizations like the Sierra Club have done in getting the word out about this series, my guess is that it might capture the largest PBS audience ever -- and the benefits of having as many as 10 million Americans spend an entire week deeply immersed in our natural treasures is tremendously exciting.

The Sierra Club is devoting this entire week to helping use America's Best Idea to build a new generation of activists  for the national parks -- we're seeking to build an army of 100,000 champions to help us ensure that the legacy of our National Park System is not only preserved but also prepared to meet new challenges from climate change and global warming.

So watch, enjoy, and sign up. A cousin in Chicago sent me an email last night saying, "We own this magnificence in common ... I love it. A burst of pride here in Chicago." I think you'll share his sentiment.

This is it, folks. I have a feeling that after The National Parks: America's Best Idea premieres on PBS this Sunday, our parks are going to be seeing a lot more traffic.

Appearing on The Colbert Report last night, Ken Burns said "I hope every superintendent of every national park is angry at us after this, because they have so many people and don't know what to do." 

After viewing a clip of grizzly bears fishing in a river, Colbert , a known arctophobe, admitted that despite his fear, he wanted to get out and see the parks, too. "Aren't you afraid you're going to load up our national parks with too many tourists? ... Because even I want to be in that beautiful stream."

And if Ken Burns can get the man who once described bears as "giant, marauding, godless killing machines" to commune with nature, expect the parks to be deluged with visitors for years to come.

If you want to run out to a park this weekend before the swarms descend, we have entries for over 100 trails in our national parks (and many, many more if you count national monuments, seashores, forests etc.)

Just be sure to be back in time for the series premiere of The National Parks: America's Best Idea; the series airs Sunday on PBS (check your local listings -- it's starting at 8pm here in California), and runs every night that week through Friday.

And be sure to share your thoughts on the show in our forums, and join our group here on Trails!

Enjoying the outdoors in the buff seems to be a popular hobby in Germany. Recently, a conservative region in Switzerland approved a ban on naked hiking after a German website declared the area a “paradise for naked ramblers."

Although it's unclear if the regional law is legal (Switzerland's parliament removed public nudity from the penal code in 1991), nude-hiking enthusiasts in Germany will soon have a trail to call their own. The 11-mile trail begins in the village of Dankerode and runs along the Harz Mountains, and will feature signs warning hikers that they may encounter unclothed hikers. The project to create the trail was headed by a local campsite owner, who hopes the trail will promote tourism in the region.

The practice of hiking sans clothing isn't completely foreign to America, either. Each year, some hikers on the Appalachian Trail celebrate the summer solstice as "Naked Hiking Day," although the tradition is officially discouraged.

What do you think, readers? Do we need clothing-optional trails in our favorite wilderness areas? Or should getting back to nature have a dress code?

Saturday marks the culmination of Muir's March, a week-long hike and educational effort by two dozen folks who want to see the Hetch Hetchy Valley restored. This is the valley in Yosemite National Park that was dammed and flooded in 1915 to become a water source for the San Francisco Bay Area -- a project that broke the heart of Sierra Club founder John Muir.

The Muir's March group started in Tuolumne Meadows, followed the Tuolumne River down its isolated gorge (sometimes called "The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne"), and over to the rim of the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. They'll finish at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the top of the O’Shaughnessy Dam and will be greeted by a crowd of supporters and speakers, including actor Lee Stetson as John Muir.

Politics aside, if you've never seen photos of what Hetch Hetchy Valley looked like before it was flooded, check out this slide show -- and you'll feel Muir's pain.

I'm on vacation this coming week through Labor Day and, because I can't decide which mountains I'd like to hike this time, I bought a last-minute ticket for Burning Man.

While I'm off being a Burner for a week, I want Trails fans to keep the home fires burning -- and I want a lot of friends to greet me when I get back from the desert.

To that end, I've cooked up a little challenge. The Trails member who gets the most friends to register on Trails and send me a friend request by midnight on Sept. 8 (Labor Day) will receive their choice of a brand new Primus ETA Power Stove or Therm-a-Rest Woman's Trail Lite mattress (sorry, I only have a woman's). AND their friends who sign up and friend me will get a Sierra Club daypack (at least until I run of daypacks, but I have a couple of dozen brand new ones).

Not only that -- but the first person who gets at least one friend to register and then friend me will get a nifty backpacking chair. And that first new friend will get a daypack, too!

Here's how it goes:

Step One:
Invite your friends to become members of the Trails community. Go to your Dashboard (you can get to it in the green Trails banner at the top of each page when you're logged in), and on the left you'll see "Invite Friends." Click on that and you can then click on a link that lets you choose email addresses from your address book.

Step Two:
Send the following message (customize it, if you like) to your friends:

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Dear Friend:

I'm having fun finding cool trails to hike in the new Sierra Club Trails community. I think you'll enjoy it, too. If you sign up before Labor Day, you'll put me in the running for some cool outdoor gear -- and if I win, you could receive a free Sierra Club daypack.

Please register here (it's quick and easy!)
http://tinyurl.com/trailfriends

and then, while you're logged in, visit Tioga Jenny's profile
http://connect.sierraclub.org/Jenny5

and click on the "Connect as a Friend" link in the Interact box at the upper left. In the message box, be sure to mention my name and email address.

Thanks!

[your name and email address]

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Step Three:
After a few days, send a reminder to your friends!

I'll miss Trails while I'm gone, but I hope to return to lots of happy friend requests! My Trails friend Zheem promises to answer any questions on this post.

 

Coming soon: A weekly poetry blog and a new poetry group on Trails! This post on The Big Read should whet your appetite. Stay tuned...    --Tioga Jenny

_________________

….A flight of pelicans
Is nothing lovelier to look at;
The flight of the planets is nothing nobler; all the arts lose virtue
Against the essential reality
Of creatures going about their business among the equally
Earnest elements of nature.

                         --Robinson Jeffers, "Boats in a Fog," The Norton Anthology of Poetry, Third Edition

If you haven't heard of The Big Read, we're happy to introduce you to a remarkable National Endowment for the Arts program that in many cases focuses on poetry about the natural world -- which is why Trails community members should check it out. ... (more)

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Hawai'i's statehood, an occasion sure to bring out mixed feelings for those living in or familiar with The Aloha State. (For a primer in Hawai'ian history, check out Wikipedia.)

However, this is as good an opportunity as any to highlight the dozen-plus trails we currently have in the state, which span five of the six public islands. (Been hiking on Lana'i? Help us complete the set!) I've added a few of these myself, having had the good fortune to lead outings with the Sierra Club on both Maui and Kaua'i. (You can view some of our upcoming outings with the Hawai'i Chapter or with our National Outings program.)

The list includes several of Hawai'i's premiere outdoor attractions, including the famed Kalalau Trail, a difficult 11-mile cliff-hugger out to Kalalau Beach currently featured as the backdrop for the movie The Perfect Getaway, as well as the Mauna Loa Observatory Trail, on which you may well encounter snow as you reach the mountain's summit, just shy of 14,000 feet.

Of course, there are many great hikes in Hawai'i not yet listed here. Got a favorite? Add it this weekend, and be sure to vote for your favorite Hawaiian island in our poll. Mahalo!

That's right, friends: This weekend (August 15-16) is the third and final "fee-free" weekend in your national parks this summer. Take the opportunity to visit your favorite park (or a new one) this weekend. Depending on where you go, you might even see the Commander in Chief!

The First Family is leading by example, heading to Yellowstone National Park (see artist's interpretation, above) and the Grand Canyon among other stops during a tour of the West this week.

Plus, we expect people to flock to the park in droves once PBS begins airing the new Ken Burns documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea.

Enjoy your weekend in the parks, then come back and share your experience (trails, photos, comments, etc.) with the community!

(Old Faithful photo courtesy of http://pdphoto.org.)

Great news was delivered today for those of us who love wild places: The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco reinstated the Clinton-era Roadless Conservation Rule, which will protect some 60 million acres of land from road-building, logging, and other activity.

The Oregonian provides a quick history of the rule:

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, put forward in 2001 by the Clinton administration, banned road construction or logging in 58.5 million acres of largely undeveloped forest lands, nearly a third of the total area managed by the Forest Service.

Almost immediately, the rule was challenged in court. The Bush administration chose not to defend it and in 2005 replaced it with the State Petitions Rule, which left it to the states to decide which roadless areas in their boundaries should be protected.

The decision by three judges today will reinstate the rule -- except in Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and in Idaho, which implemented its own forest plan.

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First -- a shout-out to all who entered their excellent pictures in our National Parks Photo Contest. It was a painful process narrowing the field to 20 finalists. Thanks for participating!

See the winning photo and the other 19 finalists here.

Now, on to our winner! Meet Josh Myers.

Josh was bound for law school when he decided to hike the length of the 2174.6-mile. Appalachian Trail with his fiancee Sarah in the summer of 2006.

"The hike changed my life," he says. "I realized I couldn't be the type of person who works in an office -- I need to spend as much time as possible outside."

He shot 8,000 photos on that trip, and that winter,  when his family asked him what he'd like for Christmas, he asked for a camera and got a Nikon D200. "It's been glued to my face ever since," he says. "With photography I've found my passion and my love, and I hope to do it the rest of my life."

Josh is hoping to turn his hobby into a profession, and just recently sold an image to Backpacker magazine -- his first sale!

The winning photo of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park was shot on a one-month road trip Josh took with his roommate. They arrived at the arch at sunset.

"It was beautiful, but there were people everywhere, and I had a hard time getting a clear shot without people in it," he says. "I finally walked down a really steep embankment and got one with no one in it."

The photo was taken with a fish-eye lens on his Nikon D200, with High Dynamic Range (HDR) which helps balance the broad range of exposure.

The shot came without incident, but the road trip wasn't without its challenges. Josh says the engine went out on his '91 Jeep Wrangler in the middle of nowhere in Arizona, and he and his friend had to spend a week in Page waiting for a new engine to be shipped and installed.

"Then it broke down again in the middle of the desert in Utah," he says, "and we rigged the jeep with a sail made out of a tarp and the side doors, and coasted almost 15 miles through the desert until someone finally stopped and towed us into a town that was 40 more miles away!

"The wind had actually got us going 20 mph at one point! The trip was one big adventure, now it's paying off even more with this winning photo!"

As someone who built forts in the woods as a child and recently got into mountaineering, Josh will continue taking his camera everywhere he goes.

Visit Josh's photo site here.
Visit our National Parks group on Trails to see all entries in the contest.

Finally, a way to pay homage to the King of Pop on Sierra Club Trails. I've been hoping for an opportunity, and today it hit my inbox: A video of students at the Toolik Field Station on the North Slope of Alaska in what they say is the northernmost performance of "Thriller."

Gotta love the mosquitoes banging up against the camera lens -- and the head-nets worn by the dancers.

We miss ya, Michael.