The Art Of Adventure

I am borrowing the title of this post from a book by Galen Rowell, the photographer and adventurer who inspired me as a young person to try my hand at photography. My first 35mm SLR camera was an Pentex MX and I shot some very nice photos with that camera if I say so myself. His books also stirred up my passion for hiking, climbing, and adventure. I had the privilege of meeting him at his studio in the Bay Area where he signed a large format print that now hangs in my office. Later he moved to Bishop, California and opened a gallery there to showcase his work. He was killed in 2002 in a plane crash returning home from a trip to Alaska. His large format photography book, The Art Of Adventure, begins with a quote by Lewis Mumford:

"There comes a time - it is the beginning of manhood or womanhood - when one realizes that adventure is as humdrum as routine unless one assimilates it, unless one relates it to a central core which grows within and gives it contour and significance. It is not what one does, but what one realizes, that keeps existence from being vain and trivial. Mankind moves about in worlds not realized. It is the artist, the knower, the sayer, who realizes human experience, who takes the raw lump of ore we find in nature, smelts it, refines it, assays it, and stamps it into coins that can pass from hand to hand and make every man who touches them the richer."

It is a privilege to share my adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail with you and I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. My goal is to go beyond simply sharing a travel log of people, places and events, and assimilate the experience into something that reveals about what God is doing in me as I throw my arms wide open to hear His voice, seek His face, and experience His grace on this journey. God knows I have never been very good at sharing on a personal level, but maybe that is one of the things He wants to teach me as part of this journey. It is my desire and prayer that something I share may be of value to you and your life may be enriched as well.