Tahoe South, Summer 2017

Spent two wonderful days in the world's best ski/beach town, South Lake Tahoe with Tahoe South to develop photos and articles in partnership with The Outbound promoting South Lake and its businesses. I was joined by several outdoor adventurers I previously worked with: Jesse Biggio & Meghan White. 

In total, we captured several hundred images, provided more than a dozen Instagram posts including an Instagram takeover that general tens of thousands of likes and more than a million impressions. We also created the following articles:

• Swim in Granite Lake
• Catch a Sunset at Keys Beach
• Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga a Lakeview Commons
• Up High in Tahoe South: 48 Hours of Adventure in South Lake

Along with stories of our adventures into the mountains, lakes, and wilderness area around South Lake Tahoe, our trip featured stops at several local businesses including the Basecamp Hotel, Blue Angel Cafe, The Cork and More, Cold Water Brewery and Grill, Heidi's Pancake House, Beach Hut Deli, and South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle. 

Visit the full Tahoe South Summer 2017 Gallery

Jesse Biggio and Meghan White with boards from South Tahoe Stand Up Paddle.

Go Breck, Fall 2017

Spent three wonderful days up high in the Rocky Mountains in and around Breckenridge with Go Breck and The Outbound creating content for the wonderful outdoor adventures, restaurants, and businesses in the area. I was joined by outdoor enthusiasts & Colorado natives Kelsay Lundberg, Anna Schehrer, Sandra Fortson.

We ended up capturing several hundred images for use in articles and digital promotion efforts which thus far have resulted in tens of thousands of likes and over a million impressions. Some of the content we created:

• Hike to and Stay at Francie's Cabin
• Camp at Boreas Pass
• Up High on the Down Low: 72 Hours of Outdoor Adventure in Breckenridge, Fall Edition

Lodging included The Bivvi, Sawmill Creek Condo, and in one of the legendary 10th Mountain Division Huts: Francie's Cabin. We dined at restaurants including Amazing Grace Natural Eatery, The Dredge,  The Crown, The Lodge's Traverse Restaurant & Bar, and Angels Hollow. Nightlife content was created at local hangouts such as The Rocky Mountain Underground, and The Gold Pan Saloon.  It also featured a tour from Snow Caps Sled Dogs and a gondola ride on the ski mountain through Go Breck . 

Visit the Full Breckenridge Tourism Office, Summer 2017, Gallery.

Travel Paso Robles, Summer 2017

Paso Robles has quickly become one of the hottest wine regions in the country and Veronica and I were fortunate to get to work with Travel Paso Robles in partnership with The Outbound  to develop content to help promote the Paso Robles region, its outdoor adventure opportunities and its wonderful food and wine options.

Over the course of our three day trip we generated several hundred images for use by Travel Paso in their marketing and social media efforts along with articles and an Instagram takeover. All told we generated over a million impressions and tens of thousands of Instagram and Facebook likes. The articles created are:

• Bike the Salinas River Trail
• Bike Peachy Canyon
• Kayak Lake Nacimiento
• Stand Up Paddle Board at Lake Nacimiento
• Hike the Shoreline Trail
• Wine & Wanderlust: 72 Hours of Food & Fun in Paso Robles

Over the course of the three days we toured with Central Coast Trailrides and Paso Bike Tours, while staying at the Best Western Black Oak hotel. We visited several wineries, restaurant and breweries including Il Cortile, McLintocks, Cowgirl Cafe, Red Scooter Deli, Barrel House Brewing Co., Bistro Laurent, Springside Restaurant, Oak Hill Market, and Saxum Vineyards.

View the full Travel Paso Robles, 2017 Gallery.

Visit Napa Valley, Spring 2017

Most think of when they think of Napa think of endless vineyards and fine dining, both true, but Visit Napa Valley reached out to us to help develop content in partnership with The Outbound to promote food, wine *and* outdoor adventure in the Napa Valley area.

We developed several hundred images, a half dozen articles, and numerous social media posts garnering tens of thousands of likes and over a million impressions. The articles included:

• Kayak the Napa River
• Hike Bald Hill in Robert Lewis Stevenson State Park
• Bike the Napa Valley Wine Trail
• The Emerald Valley: 72 Hours of Food and Adventure in Napa Valley, Winter/Spring Edition

We spent two nights at the incredible The Harvest Inn and another at the posh, boutique Andaz Napa. Dining included Dean and Deluca, The Restaurant at Auberge, The Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ, Angele, Silverado Market and Bakery, and Oxbow Public Market. Bikes were provided by Napa Valley Bike Tours and our hilarious kayak tour by Enjoy Napa Valley. We also visited Napa's own Petrified Forest and the Caldwell Snyder Gallery. 

Visit the full Visit Napa Valley, 2017 Gallery.

#MyLagunaBeach, Fall 2016

Spent a wonderful few days collaborating with Anne-Marie and the crew at Visit Laguna Beach for their upcoming Spring campaign(s). In addition to featuring brands like P I E T Y, RWorld, BirkSun, Freemans Collective, The Outbound, and Poler (celebrating their new Laguna Beach store), we also worked with the extremely talented Igor and Inka Shapoval, Brooklyn Nakakihara, Cameron Schwartz, Ross Gordon, and Ryan Ly. 

Our focus on this project was to really leverage the network effect of everyone involved in the project, in particular the CVB members. It's been a remarkable success: in Instagram likes alone engagement has been in the *hundreds* of thousands.

Jeanette did a bang-up job as 2nd photog and producer, and we stayed in the Westy at what has to be one of the best car-camping sites on the west coast at Crystal Cove State Park.

All told we shot over 4,000 photos with 90~ edited selects and have written seven articles (thus far). 

• Laguna Beach's Top Trails for Hiking, Biking, and Running
• Climb Aliso Peak via Valido Trail
• Photograph the PCH over Crystal Cove Beach
• Mountain Bike Bommer Ridge from the Pacific Ridge Trailhead
• Surf Brooks Street Beach
• Hike to Dripping Cave in Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness
• Hike the B.F.I. Trail in Crystal Cove State Park

A few more pieces are in the pipeline on Laguna's LGBTQ history (and current attractions), the remarkable Laguna Beach Marine Preserve, and the Tidepool Interpretive Programs hosted by the Laguna Ocean Foundation. 

With every visit, Laguna digs its claws into my heart and imagination. Is is, obviously, a sun-drenched bohemian-chic paradise, but I've grow to *love* it for its remarkable diversity in readily available outdoor adventures. To be able to wake up in the morning to walk a half-block to the ocean for a sunrise surf and then to catch sunset while bombing down a trail overlooking the Pacific in an untouched wilderness preserve? Simply wonderful.

View the full Visit Laguna Beach, Fall 2016

Visit Fort Collins, Fall 2016

With my partner in nursing school in northern Colorado, I have been fortunate to split my time between my home in San Francisco and the outdoor-adventurer-paradise that is Fort Collins, Colorado.

Over the last few months I have been privileged to work with Andrew, Katy and the team at Visit Fort Collins to develop evergreen content documenting city life, businesses, restaurants and outdoor experiences in addition to promotion and distribution through social media and online publications like The Outbound.

In total we've worked together to generate over 750 images with ~70 fully edited selects that have brought in (thus far) over 100,000 Instagram likes and several thousand comments on @visitftcollins, @josiahq, @visitcolorado, @theoutbound and on numerous "regrams". 

Specific articles with photos include:

• Five Must-Do Trails in Fort Collins, Colorado
• Hike the Bellvue Dome
• Hike the North Loop via the Foothills Trail
• Hike the Coyote Ridge Trail
• Climb Greyrock Mountain
• Hike Arthur's Rock in Lory State Park

You can view the full gallery here.

Here's to spring being just around the corner! Can't wait to raft the Cache la Poudre river.

Five Must-Do Adventures in Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach is famous for its beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and bohemian chic, but in addition to an array of water sports, it has also built a reputation for having an excellent network of trails that afford numerous hiking, biking, and running options in 20,000+ acres of protected land.

Here’s a list of five “Must-Do” adventures on The Outbound for the next time you Visit Laguna Beach.

Read Five Must-Do Adventures in Laguna Beach, CA on The Outbound

Visit Telluride: 2016

This July I spent a wonderful three days in Telluride, Colorado on behalf of Visit Telluride developing evergreen content (photography and stories) for marketing and social media efforts relating to their outdoor adventure, dining, and nightlife scene. You can view the full gallery here.

In total I shot over 1,100 photos (with ~55 edited selects), wrote four articles including 72 Hours in Telluride, and provided a weeks worth (2 a day) of Instagram posts.

They were kind enough to host me at Hotel Telluride, right in old town Telluride, and a short walk from all the shops, bars, galleries, and restaurants, including the only free public transportation Gondola in the US. If you make it to Telluride and only do one thing, call up Ashley Boling and ask him to give you the tour.

Additionally, the Telluride Tourism Board & I partnered with the team at Telluride Outside for excursions into the San Juan Mountain high country over Ophir and Black Bear Pass. All of the stories went up on The Outbound, including Hike Bear Creek Falls, Drive Black Bear Pass & the Ingram Basin, Drive Ophir Pass, and 72 Hours in Telluride: Summer & Fall Edition. 

A big thanks to Annie and Tom from the Tourism Board for being such great hosts. Telluride is a special place; I've never quite been to a mountain town like it. The people who live and love there have done a wonderful job in preserving *and building* its culture. I can't wait to go back.

View the Telluride 2016 Gallery

Beer Run: The Best Trail-to-Bar Pairings in the Bay Area

San Francisco, Marin County, and the surrounding Bay Area is a trail runners paradise that features hundreds (if not thousands) of miles of trails through and along coastal canyons and up and down thousand-foot peaks. And as any trail runner will tell you, there’s nothing like the restorative joy of a victory beer (or two) after a good, long run. 

Read more on The Outbound

Visit Laguna Beach: 2016

This April I spent a wonderful three days in Laguna Beach on behalf of their Visitors Bureau developing evergreen content (photography and stories) for marketing and social media efforts relating to their outdoor adventure, dining, and dive bar scene. You can view the full gallery here.

In total I shot over 2,700 photos (with ~130 edited selects), wrote six articles, and did a takeover of the Visit Laguna Beach Instagram account.

They were kind enough to host me at The Ranch at Laguna Beach tucked away in Aliso Canyon, which nearly looked like Kauai, and I’ll forever be grateful for Anne-Marie pointing me in the direction of The Sandpiper aka “The Dirty Bird”, which is a dive bar out of time and as is important for this San Franciscan, carries Fernet.

The Visitor’s Bureau & I partnered with the team at The Outbound to publish/distribute the six articles, five of which have been published thus far on Hiking the Water Tank Trail, Mountain Biking Car Wreck Trail through Aliso Canyon, Trail Running the Boat Road in the Laguna Coast Wilderness, Sea Kayaking the Laguna Beach State Preserve, and finally, Mountain Biking Emerald Canyon in the Coast Wilderness. The final article, “72 Hours in Laguna Beach”, also included my restaurant and bar recommendations.

Anne-Marie and Callie from the Visitor’s Bureau were great to work with, and I hope everyone will take an opportunity to visit Laguna Beach and take advantage of the incredible diversity of outdoor opportunities the area has. I can’t wait to go back.

View the Laguna Beach 2016 gallery.   

Gertrude's Saddle - A Gift of a Name

Born in England in 1856, Robert West Holmes moved to New Zealand in 1871 to seek his fortune. Joining the Public Works Department, he quickly became a draughtsman and then an engineer, investigating rail lines throughout the South Island. In 1884 he married Gertrude White, and in 1890, while exploring potentially rail lines between the eastern side of the island and Milford Sound, named the now-iconic, breathtaking saddle for her.

It's a must-see day-hike for anyone exploring in the Milford Sound area. Get off the damn tour bus and lace up your boots. It'll blow your mind.

Continue reading on The Outbound

Granite Dome in the Backcountry to Yosemite's Backountry

Appropriately named, Granite Dome is a massive conglomeration of granite in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness with endless hiking, climbing, and backpacking routes featuring epic views and gorgeous alpine lakes to explore, all of which are off-trail (eventually) but accessible to even a novice, multi-day backpacker.

Solitude over Lake Wanaka on Buchanans Peaks

Aotearoa, the Land of the Long White Cloud. An outdoor enthusiasts paradise. In the busy summer months the better-known attractions can be filled with tourists, but if you know how to read a topo, you can find almost limitless solitude.

Most visitors to Wanaka Climb Roy's Peak, but if you'd like to avoid crowds and lines, drive a few minutes further and hike to the summit of the even more breathtaking Buchanans Peaks. You'll be rewarding with 360 degree views of Lake Wanaka, the Southern Alps, and Mount Aspiring.

Read more on The Outbound

Climbing That Goddamn Mountain

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” - Jack Kerouac

Matterhorn Peak, made famous by a Kerouac's telling of his failed ascent in "Dharma Bums", marks the beginning of the High Sierra's, and is a beautiful mountain deserving of its list as an Emblem Peak. 

Continue reading on The Outbound

From the Sea to the Sky in Big Sur

The overlook at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Angel's Rest in Zion National Park. Glacier Point in Yosemite. Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. All iconic, best-of, and breathtaking views, and Cone Peak in Big Sur belongs on that list, and is easily the most beautiful coastal view in the United States, towering some 5,155' above the Pacific Ocean less than three miles distant. 

Continue reading on The Outbound.

Hidden Tank Hill

In 1894 the Spring Valley Water Company needed a place to store water that was pumped from the Laguna Honda Reservoir on the western side of the ridge of hills that runs through the center of San Francisco. Tank Hill was perfectly positioned just east of the saddle running between Twin Peaks and Mount Sutro and the Reservoir and rapidly growing downtown. 

The tank was removed in the 50's, and the City wisely rejected plans for a housing development and instead purchased the land with monies from the Open Space Fund.

Nowadays it remains one of San Francisco's best-kept *secrets*. Most people miss it as they drive buy on their way to Twin Peaks. Tank Hill gives panoramic views from Ocean Beach to Point Reyes and all the way to Oakland and Bayview, with benches and a rope swing. There are two official trails to the summit, but enterprising hikers (and trail runners) know of a glorious (but short) single-track n' scramble up the northern, rugged face.

Read more on The Outbound.

The Podi Menike Train across Sri Lanka

The Podi Menike ("The Little Maiden") is one of the world's iconic train rides, taking you 180 miles from the capital of Sri Lanka across the central mountains to Badulla. Along the way you will pass sacred mountains such as Adam's Peak and Batalegala ("Bible Rock"), the old British colonial resort town of Nuwara Eliya, and some of the finest tea plantations in the world.

Sunrise on the mountain top over Burning Man

My favorite piece of dialogue from the film Lawrence of Arabia:

Bentley: What is it, Major Lawrence, that attracts you personally to the desert?
Lawrence: It's clean.
Bentley: Well, now, that's a very illuminating answer.

That thing in the desert is my favorite week of the year, and for the past three years I've led a sunrise climb of the nearby and iconic Old Razorback mountain (Mount Trego on old topo maps). Any sunrise in the desert is a sight to behold, but from 1500' above the vast, seemingly endless playa and a temporary city of 80,000 people, well, it's indescribable. 

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The Hilleberg Jannu on Black Sands Beach, The Lost Coast

The Hilleberg Jannu is perhaps the finest self-supported, all-season alpine mountaineering and expedition tent in the world. It sets up in under 2 minutes (in ideal conditions in my backyard), is bomb-proof, and weighs only 6 lbs. So why would I take it to the Lost Coast? Two reasons: gale force winds and miserable, driving rain. And it held up like a champ. In gusts over 60 MPH.

We stayed safe, dry, and warm, and even the single-entrance vestibule did a solid job of keeping our packs and boots dry. The linked inner and outer linings is a mark of design brilliance, as is the plethora of high-strength lightweight guy-lines. 

The one downside to the Jannu is that it only has one entrance. If you're not backpacking and are primarily setting up a basecamp in the gnarliest of conditions, consider the Hilleberg Tarra or Mountain Hardware Trango. 

Read more about camping at Black Sands Beach in the Lost Coast on The Outbound

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek

There are mountains and then there are the Himalayas. From jungles to glaciers to the Annapurna Base Camp ("ABC") high within the Annapurna Sanctuary, those who make the trek are rewording with standing in front of the 10th tallest mountain in the world, Annapurna 1 over 8K meters tall, looking up a 13,000' wall of granite over a glacial canyon 1,000 feet deep.

Given its proximity to Pokhara it's one of the most popular treks in Nepal but for good reason.

Continue reading on The Outbound