I recently had the pleasure to spend a morning with Katelyn and her dog Winnie, walking along a snowy trail. It was snowing quite hard, but with the snow came a wonderful atmosphere and soft light that played well in the portraits. Katelyn was down for pretty much everything, but her dog had a much rougher time. Winnie’s fur quickly collected the snow effectively turning her into the abominable snow dog.

So another decade is coming to a close. As I grow older the time seems to just fly by. 2019 has certainly been a wild year for me. Again I made it a priority to get out to explore the beauty of nature. And boy did I find some amazing landscapes, and had some excellent adventures.

The late fall and early winter has always been the time of year where climbers make their way to the boulder fields to test their might on hard problems. With the cooler temperatures comes dryer rock, and better friction. With an adequate warmup it’s ideal for climbing at your limit. I’ve been lucky to be able to get out a lot during this magical time of year, and have captured some astounding displays of climbing still and strength that’s been on display at the Niagara Glen.

It was calling for a clear night, so I booked another solo backpacking trip to the Bruce Peninsula National Park. I recently got a new filter system so I thought it would be a great opportunity to test out some longer exposures.

I managed to squeeze in another trip to Algonquin, and Arrowhead Provincial Parks. The fall colours were starting to pop, and the tourists were flooding in. No matter how much time I spend in these areas it still boggles me how ridiculous some people act. It seems like it’s their first time seeing a tree. Slamming on their breaks on a highway to pull over and get a photo with a tree. It’s rather silly for sure!

For the past eight years it never really sunk in that I’m chronically ill! Yes I’ve had the terrible flare ups associated with Ulcerative Colitis. The frequent bowel movements, intense pain, and weight loss are just a few of the symptoms I was dealing with. But my mind has always been focused on battling the disease. I never thought about how my life has completely changed. I mean really taken the time to let these thoughts and emotions pass.

I recently had the pleasure to do some backpacking on the Western Uplands trail in Algonquin Provincial Park. The terrain was relatively easy, so even though we were on foot, we managed to cover a lot of distance each day. Approximately 50km total to be exact.

What can I say about Squamish, BC, other than it’s an incredibly special place for me. It represents freedom, wildness, and pure adventure that brings on certain emotions that I find trouble to articulate. It’s proximity to outdoor activities make it a haven for multiple disciplines of adventures sports, and draws people from all over the world.

Stormhaven has become a special place for me in Ontario! A place I can get away, set my thoughts straight, and breath in some fresh Canadian air. It’s also a remarkably beautiful place, with white limestone shores, and turquoise waters, it’s easy to forget you’re in Canada still (until jumping in the water that is).