Portraits from Oregon

Oregon was kind to me and introduced me to a large number of beautiful people, kindred spirits. It was profound experience connecting with these people and gratefully sharing the good in our lives. It was really hard to pick what pictures to post here, I wanted to post every picture of every friend; maybe someday I will. These are more than portraits of friends; the faces here express community and love. They are proof of joy, evidence of genuine happiness. I've left Oregon, but I did not say goodbye. Life brought us together once and will connect us again in Time.


Always ready to play, all Mark needs here is a tail to wag.


A mellow jam with Michael and Mark at Concordia Coffe shop; Rachel strikes a pose.


Drew the amatuer-turned-pro photographer in the Columbia River Gorge.


Cameron climbs Dave; it looks dirty but this is People Bouldering, and it's coming soon to a neighborhood neer you.


B Ball down at the Concrete School Yard, Lucas has ups.


The house on Ogden Ave, affectionately called the "Goodness Collective," it's a house of open-hearted, community minded, health conscious, and uniquely spirited individuals. I called it home for six blessed months.


Stephen clears Garrett; an impromtu leap-frogging session occurs in the front yard.


Climb on Garrett.


One of many good days at Smith Rock.


Josh cuts firewood for our community sweat the old fashioned way.


In a house where 6 people have worked at 3 different wilderness therepy companies, there had to be one bow-drilling picture. Go Collin go!


Alan and Asher in a tender moment.


Josh's back becomes a canvas for the two beautiful artists Chelsea and Tex


Josh croons improvised lyrics to the cuddle puddle forming at his feet.


A Fall Potluck brings the Bend Community together around food, fire, and music.


Jon and Tessa and the Flickering Flame.


The Goodness Collective is featured on film! Famous Rachel the Iditarod racer brings her documentary crew from the Discovery Chanel over.


Fireside Chess, Pensive People.


In Jon's converted Yurt, wood stove blazing, Collin and Kelly grin at the flames.


And we weren't just LOOKing this wholesome...

Catherine Freer Expeditions

In June I quit at Sage Walk, and in August I went to work for Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Expeditions. Freer is a different kind of wilderness therapy company. A small, indipendantly owned and operated company, Freer runs intense, three week expeditions into some of the most remote places in the North West. I worked three expeditions with Freer into three different use areas: the Blue Mountains in Southern Washington, Beatty's Butte in the high desert of Central Oregon, and the winter wonderland of Waldo Lake in the Cascade Range, Oregon. Every trip was memorable for something, and working at Freer put to the test my skills as a Field Instructor, especially the last. After almost 3 years and over 400 days in the field at 4 different programs, I still believe in the power of Wilderness to change lives.


Mushrooms grow abundantly during Fall in the Blues.


At an elevation around 6000ft, the bald ridgelines of the Blues are beautiful camping. Lead Guide Brooke and his dog Action.


The group gathers for a Psycho Ed group to learn about Levels of Communication.


Staff looks out on a beautiful sunset and a beautiful moment in Wilderness Therapy; the kids sit by themselves reading Impact Letters.


The dried lake in the High Desert makes an awsome space for hand stands (and Yoga!).


Cold Night falls, but with the Kids on Solo for 4 days, there is peace in Staff Land!


Through a rip in my tarp I spy the blood red sunrise spelling out bad weather for the day, precipitation and high winds.


40 mph gusts blow showers of sparks from our fire of Juniper. Another day at the office.


Our Winter Training crew, but where's the snow?


A great feature of being an independant company is Freer's ability to have dogs out on Expeditions. This Great Pyrenees named Lacy was in her element snow camping in Waldo Lakes.


Winter Expeditions are dropped off in the middle of no where by Sonny and one of his Snow Cats. Talk about Bad Ass logistics.


Hostel de Freer, the office that doubles as a home for a number of vagabond Field Instructors.

Music Rocks My World

Concerts have an energy all their own. They breath, beat, and scream their own emotions. People are in a trance, captivated by the power of Music. I love music; good music resonates inside us and gives voice to our souls. Concerts amplify those vibrations through the collective experience of the crowd. Here's some pictures of rockstars.



Michael Franti at the Lake Eden Arts Festival


Pebbles and Bam Bam? I don't remember... but these is Rock Stars fer shur!


Chattham Co. Line. Genuine unadulturated North Carolina Bluegrass anyone?


Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers.


Seth Avett, darker brother.


Keller Williams, with the Keller Willams show on behind him.


Jackie Green. Very Talented.


Yonder Mountain String Band, a bluegrass Jambori!


Just watch~


The Gourds; and Snoop blesses their Gin and Juice cover.


At the Northwest Strings Summit. On stage: Yonder.


Peacock Feathers at Horning's Hideout, for the Strings Summit.


Best concert of the year goes to Acron Family, who ROCKED the Doug Fir in Portland.


Acron Family... I'd never heard of them either.


Mark and the mighty No Go Know.


Michael Pann, musician extraordinair.

The Infatiguable West: More Adventures

I never really settled in out West. Even while I lived at the Goodness Collective I kept on the go. There was so much to see and no time to waste!


Crater Lake from the Watchman Mountain and the view from my campsite.


Wizard Island at Crater Lake in eerie dawn light.


Forest Fires haze the dawn at incomparable Glacier National Park, Montana.


Only at Glacier.


A Marmot.


The last picture before my camera battery died and I did not have a spare, day 1 of a 3 day backpacking trip. Heartbreak.


Wheat Fields in Idaho.


Oregon's very own Painted Hills at John Day Fossil Bed.


Two of the Three Sisters outside of Bend, OR. Our backyard mountains at 10k plus.


Tear Drop Lake at the summit of the mighty South Sister, OR.


The Monkey's Face at Smith Rock, my climbing playground for the summer.


Chelsea decends the long, free, double-rope rappel off the Monkey's Face. Long way down!