I don’t think I ever imagined 2020 in this way. It’s been a year of tremendous highs and deep lows, of heartbreak and joy and sorrow and hope.
I am very grateful to have spent much of the last few months with my family in New Jersey. It was the first time we had all lived together since I was a senior in high school. I’ll cherish those months forever.
Like many people trying to make the best of this year, I’ve been working to get back into good habits and to better prioritize my time. Since I started working, I’ve missed photography and writing for fun. Over the last few months, I’ve finally started going through photos from previous trips and gotten back into shooting film. It’s been awhile since I’ve used this website, and over the next few weeks (hopefully), I’ll be updating the site and posting updates from my current spot, Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado.
On September 4th, I started a cross country drive with two friends, Meredith and Chelsea. Over 3 days, we drove through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and 2/3s of Colorado. After some car trouble, we traveled across the country in a Dodge minivan.
Top row: from left: Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas.
Second row: Colorado Springs, Guffey, Fairplay, Colorado.
Third row: Buena Vista.
Fourth row: Nathrop.
Fifth row: Cottonwood Pass, Cottonwood Pass, Almont.
Sixth row: Almont, Almont, Crested Butte
I’ve spent majority of my life in the Northeast, and I was blown away by the space — the rolling plains and the towering mountains. I was often reminded of “America the Beautiful”, a song my extended family likes to sing every Thanksgiving (or at any other gathering). As we struggle to overcome a pandemic, effectively combat climate change, and ensure our nation lives up to its ideals, seeing the beauty of other areas of the country was faith-affirming.
We arrived on Sunday, September 6th, and after getting settled, we went on a hike on Monday. Unfortunately, smoke from fires in other parts of the state created a haze around the mountain. While concerning, the air quality was still okay and we had our masks which helped as well. We took the chair lift up and walked back down the slope, walking through the spruce, pine, and aspen trees. It was a good introduction to the area and the altitude (over 9,000 feet). We finished the day picking up some groceries, walking through Crested Butte, and having a great dinner.
I’m working remotely while I’m here and while the mornings are really early, ending work during the afternoon and having time to explore has been great. We did have some winter weather last week - it snowed heavily on Tuesday and then we got some more flurries on Wednesday and Thursday. The snow helped the wildfires in other parts of the state and helped dissipate the smoke here, but unfortunately they are still burning. Join me in supporting the American Red Cross by clicking here.
On Friday, we hiked the trails along the Slate River and got another great dinner in Crested Butte.
On Saturday, we made the best of a long drive through Gunnison County and made a stop at the Bay of Chickens section of the Blue Mesa Reservoir.
On Sunday, we wrapped up the week at Oh Be Joyful, a part of the Grand Mesa National Forest. Hiking along the Slate River, seeing some beautiful waterfalls, and walking through the valley, the park certainly lived up to its name.
I’ll try my best to keep updating this while I’m here - thanks for reading along!
(To look at the complete album of photos, click here.)
