Step One of Millions

Sometimes getting started on things is the hardest part. For me this is true in nearly everything I do. This blog idea is a prime example of it, as I have been bouncing the idea around in my head for nearly 6 months. The longer it sat in my cranium, the harder it was to flush out and do. Like a french press with finely ground coffee, I nearly became stuck. My concern was that this blog will be like all the others that give tips on photography, hiking and life in general. So, with that said, lets do this. 

I think of blogging like mountain climbing. At first, looking up at the huge peak, you become overwhelmed and all your training goes out one ear, landing on the dirt at the base of the mountain. Like with climbing, your skills get more impressive after each attempt, and before you reach the peak, you suffer set backs and difficulties. This doesn't mean I have an excuse for failures in climbing or in writing, but it does helps to demonstrate the level of dedication one must make to be successful in any field. 

This first step is brutal, not knowing what the path ahead will hold for me. I know I have taken many steps just to get to this level, but it isn't the same when I have so much riding on this endeavor. Those of you that know me, know what I mean, but those of you who are new to Exotic Hikes probably don't know much about who I am and what I have done, so the following few posts will be some stories about me and my climbing, hiking, photography and life experiences. 

One thing you all should know is that I always like to be ready. I always have extra food, clothes, batteries, headlamps and shoes in my car or in a pack at all times. I never go anywhere without at least one camera. This is because the few times I went on trips or even to the store without a camera, I saw incredible things that words can't describe. I believe that is the true idea behind photography. To capture something beautiful, something incredible at that exact moment, wrapping a canvas around the world and with the blink of an eye have it all on film; this is what I plan to do until I die. My quest isn't just one peak, or one great piece of writing. My goal is to take a picture. Not just any picture, snapped off without really focusing, but a picture that shows the human spirit and the interaction that nature has with everything. I suppose in my head it sounds so simple, but if you took a picture of me in front of the TV in 1988, watching an enormous fire burn my favorite places in Yellowstone National park, you would have seen nature and my emotion, as tears flowed down my cheeks, realizing that even things that seem steady and durable can be destroyed with the blink of an eye, or click of a shutter.