Posts by David Swindler
High Uintas Backpacking – Henry’s Fork & Kings Peak
The Henry’s Fork and Kings Peak area of the High Uinta Wilderness is another great option for summer backpacking. Here you’ll be treated to verdant alpine valleys, sparkling lakes, and a chance to summit Utah’s highest peak! Henry’s Fork Trailhead is easy to access via a good gravel road that is suitable for passenger cars.…
Read MoreHigh Uintas Backpacking – Red Castle Lakes
With springtime in the air, now is the time to start planning summer backpacking trips! One location I would highly recommend is Utah’s High Uinta Wilderness. Located just south of the Wyoming border in Eastern Utah, this spectacular backcountry area stretches nearly 60 miles east to west and is home to Utah’s highest peak. The…
Read MoreWinter Waterfalls in Oregon
This February, I planned a trip out to the Oregon Coast. While there, a winter storm came in a couple days sooner than forecast. With the coast hemmed in by fog and snow, I decided to head inland to photograph some of Oregon’s iconic waterfalls. My deciding factor was a webcam I saw on my…
Read MoreThor’s Well Photography
I’ve wanted to photograph Thor’s Well on the Oregon Coast for some time now. When conditions are right, this little hole in the rock can look like the drain of the Pacific Ocean! Located in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, Thor’s Well is a quick walk down from the highway. Having been a landlubber all…
Read MorePhotographing the Dalton Highway – Part 2
And now for the best part of the Dalton Highway – the Brooks Range and the North Slope! Before the trip, I had high hopes to see some wildlife in this section of the highway. When I was filling up with gas at Coldfoot, I asked some hunters if they had any luck spotting caribou.…
Read MorePhotographing the Dalton Highway – Part 1
The Dalton Highway was originally built in 1974 to support the trans-Alaska pipeline. It takes off from the Elliott Highway north of Fairbanks and runs 414 miles all the way to Deadhorse, stopping just shy of the Arctic Ocean. Unless you have special tour arrangements, you won’t actually get to see the Arctic Ocean due…
Read MoreTemples of Ta Prohm
I had the privilege of spending a few days exploring the vast archaeological complex known as Angkor Wat. Situated in northwest Cambodia, Angkor Wat was built by ancient Khmer civilizations stretching from approximately 800 to 1300 AD. At its zenith, Angkor Wat supported more than 750,000 inhabitants. However, by the 14th century, it began a…
Read MoreNorthern Lights in Alaska
The Aurora Borealis, otherwise known as the Northern Lights, is one of the most mysterious and incredible phenomenon of the night sky. Early people were so perplexed by these light shows that they came up with myriad explanations, from evil spirits and ghosts, to bushfires from the spirit world. Nowadays, we know that aurora is…
Read MoreDenali National Park – Guide to Hiking, Photography, and Camping
The wilds of Alaska have been a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts over the years. The diversity of scenery is truly staggering; wild rivers rage, endless craggy mountain peaks loom overhead, and rolling hills of tundra and trees beckon. Denali National Park is no exception. While the scenery is truly magnificent, it also boasts exceptional wildlife…
Read MoreFalse Kiva
The archaeological site known as False Kiva is one of the most dramatic places in Canyonlands National Park. However, it is seldom visited since there is no marked trailhead and the Park Service doesn’t publish directions on how to get there. The reason is simple: if too many people visited the site, it wouldn’t be…
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