Category Archives: Wilderness

Landscape, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Timelapse Views: Canyons & Colors Of Moab, Utah

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Filmed and Edited by: Ron Risman

This is Moab is a film that was designed to highlight the wide variety of landscapes that you can experience when you visit Moab, Utah – and most of these locations are not located in Arches or Canyonlands National Parks.

Moab Utah is a many things to many people, but what ever it is that brings you to Moab (vacation, off-roading, rock climbing, biking, hiking, photography, painting, rafting, camping) you may not realize that if you just visit the two national parks (Arches and Canyonlands) you’re missing out on 98% of what Moab has to offer.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Moab manages over 1.8 MILLION acres of breathtaking red rock canyons, cliffs, fins, spires and hoodoos – and all of this public land is located outside of the National Parks.

Then there’s the LaSal Mountains, the second largest in all of Utah – with elevations reaching 13,000 feet. Tired of the 100 degree desert heat? Take a drive on the LaSal Mountain Loop Rd and enjoy cooler weather and spectacular mountain scenery.

Moab, Utah is one of the most amazing locations you can visit – whether you’re seeking adventure, solitude, or anything in between. If you’re a painter, photographer, hiker, biker, rock climber, rafter, off-roader, or traveling in an RV or camper – Moab has what you’re looking for. As a photographer Moab offers some of the finest landscapes anywhere on earth – with millions of acres of red-rock sandstone arches, spires, fins, canyons, and hoodoos.

Moab is also home to the second tallest mountain range in Utah – the La Sal Mountains with peaks reaching over 13,000 feet in elevation. Often these peaks are snow-capped even in the spring and early Summer – making for a beautiful contrast between desert landscape and mountains. In summer take a short 1 hour drive from the desert climate of Moab with temperatures near 100 degrees to sitting under an Aspen grove on the La Sal mountains with temperatures in the mid 70’s.

Love stargazing? You’ll love the dark skies around Moab. Head into Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, or Dead Horse Point State Park and enjoy some of the darkest skies in the country. The International Dark Sky Association has designated these locations as dark-sky parks, and you’ll soon discover why. But don’t stop there – anytime you leave town, you’ll discover that the lack of any significant light pollution and the dry high-desert climate ensures a wonderful view of the night sky on most nights. You’ll also be happy to know that Moab is also one of the safest places to hang outdoors – as there really isn’t much in the way of predatory wildlife.

Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Forest Views: Khao Jom Pa Mangroves, Thailand (4K)

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Trang, also called Mueang Thap Thiang, is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, on the west side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Strait of Malacca. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and Satun.

Trang was formerly a port involved in foreign trade. It was the first place where rubber was planted in Thailand. Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi brought rubber saplings from Malaya and planted them here in 1899, and rubber is now an important export of the country. The Trang River flows through the province from its origin in the Khao Luang mountain range, and the Palian River flows from the Banthat mountains. The province of Trang has an area of approximately 5,000 square km and 199 km of Strait of Malacca shoreline.

Adventure, Landscape, Travel, Views, Wilderness

Top Hikes: California’s Condor Trail (400 Miles)

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The rugged chaparral of California’s Sespe Wilderness lay hidden under the camouflage of mahogany and sage hues. Nearly a week into her thru-hike on the Condor Trail, Brittany Nielsen surveyed this scraggly landscape. She had already faced a downpour, severe flooding, and hypothermia. Now, she leaned against her pack in the spring sun, scanning the thickets and hoping the trail would emerge like a scrub jay.

“I learned a lesson about being calm while being lost on the trail,” Nielsen says. Earlier, behind on miles and low on her food supply, she had searched for the path in a frenzy, only to find herself exhausted. The trail on the side of Sespe Creek was fiercely overgrown in sections and required strong orienteering skills to navigate.

“When I opened my eyes I was looking at the sky,” Nielsen says, “And up above me—I couldn’t believe it—there was a condor.” She noted the telltale band of white feathers in the shape of a scalene triangle that decorated the bird’s nine-foot wingspan. When the condor drifted out of sight, Nielsen dropped her gaze into the chaparral where, directly in front of her, she discovered a small rock cairn that marked the trail.

Over the course of her 37 days on the hike, Nielsen would lose and gain the trail numerous times as she fought through menacing brush and screamed expletives that no one could hear in the most remote pockets of Los Padres National Forest. She would travel through seven wilderness areas, along the shores of central California, past colonies of elephant seals, and across the ancestral lands of the Chumash, Salinan, Esselen, Tataviam, and Costanoan peoples.

SOURCES: BRYAN CONANT; IUCN REDLIST

Unlike California’s well-established John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails, the Condor Trail is a thru-hiking “route,” meaning its course exists—as a continuous thread of trails and roads and cross-country travel—but that it lacks proper signage and maintenance. While these popular thru-hiking routes receive hundreds of hikers a year, Nielsen took on the Condor Trail alone in 2015. When she finished on June 18th, she was the first thru-hiker to complete it.

Landscape, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Aerial Views: Landscapes And Coastlines In Oregon

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Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon’s northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The 42° north parallel delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada.

Environment, Preservation, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Preservation: Cairngorms National Park, Scotland

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“When it comes to climate change, scale is essential. We need to be scaling up our work and being really bold and ambitious, and that’s exactly what Cairngorms Connect is.” Find out how Scotland’s largest landscape-scale restoration project is fighting back against climate change in our new film for Cairngorms Connect.

Cairngorms National Park is a national park in northeast Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was set up in 2002. The park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains, and surrounding hills. Already the largest national park in the United Kingdom, in 2010 it was expanded into Perth and Kinross.

Roughly 18,000 people reside within the 4,528 square kilometre national park. The largest communities are Aviemore, Ballater, Braemar, Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie, Newtonmore, and Tomintoul. Tourism makes up about 80% of the economy.[4] In 2018, 1.9 million tourism visits were recorded. The majority of visitors are domestic, with 25 per cent coming from elsewhere in the UK, and 21 per cent being from other countries.

Tours, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Travel Tour: The Top Ten Places To Visit In Alaska

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Although it is physically separated from the rest of the United States, Alaska is one of the most scenic and fascinating parts of the country. Its seclusion only adds to the beauty and mystery of the 49th state, making it an appealing getaway spot for intrepid travelers and nature lovers. Along with the major cities like Anchorage, it is important to get out and experience the natural wonders and attractions that make Alaska so beloved. Here’s a look at the best places to visit in Alaska.

Animals, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness, Wildlife

Alaska Wildlife: The Ice Bears Of The Yukon (BBC)

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Remote and wild, the Yukon is a river of haunting beauty and dangerous extremes – a place where the ‘call of the wild’ is still strong. In summer, it is a relentless giant, carving its way 2,000 miles across Canada and Alaska. In winter, -50C temperatures transform it into a river of ice.

Home to grizzlies, moose and great runs of salmon, the Yukon lies at the heart of a vast northern wilderness. Bears delay their winter hibernation to fish for a final salmon feast, while the frozen river provides a lifeline for lynx and a race track for intrepid dog sledders. From indigenous hunters to gold-prospectors, musk ox to caribou, the Yukon’s natural riches have long sustained people and animals and continue to do so despite its changing fortunes.

Landscape, Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness, Wildlife

Views: The Wilderness & Wildlife Of Wyoming (4K)

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Wyoming is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. The 10th largest state by area, it is also the least populous and least densely populated state in the contiguous United States. Wikipedia

Travel, Videos, Views, Wilderness

Mountain Views: Two Sides Of The European Alps (4K)

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Rolling hills sit at the foot of jagged peaks. Cozy homes and warm food provide refuge from the harsh elements outside. Beautiful light paints the mountains before dark clouds wash them away. The European Alps are a place of striking linguistic, cultural, and visual duality- a duality I hope to capture here.