Late this last summer, I took a 11 day trek through the north half of the John Muir Trail - an incredible section of California that runs concurrent with the Pacific Coast Trail. Quite literally the closest to the middle-of-nowhere I have ever been - ridden with rocky mountain passes, long green meadows, thousands of trees - all enveloping the finest of nature's beauty and peace.

My father introduced the idea of backpacking these 100 miles nearly a year ago, though it was a daunting idea to this city slicker I knew it would create memories and experiences of a lifetime.

While we originally planned to traverse the trail as a duo, we ended up traveling with twelve others (only one of whom I knew prior). The addition of these fellow trailblazers resulted in perhaps the sweetest of all the trail's experiences it brought to us. We became what I call my "trail family" - it's truly amazing the bonds you create with others as you work towards a common goal. We shared encouragement, laughter, work, food, frustration, pain - in short - we shared life together day and night throughout our journey.

I felt that it would be most appropriate to shoot the entire trip in film - and I am so happy I did. I took 11 rolls (5 color 6 black and white) along with my Pentax 67.

Highlighted within this post is a taste of some of the trail's beauty, some of the trail's experiences, and some of the trail's family.

I hope these pictures inspire you as much as they inspired me...

As some of you may or not know, I was recently extended the opportunity to spend a week in Slovenia (for those of you who do not where that is, directly right of Italy) to teach music and guitar to the lovely people among the Christian churches within Slovenia. As many of these type of trips go, I feel any amount I might have given or contributed to these individuals was overshadowed by the love and genuine hearts of these people I now call dear friends.

Me, two other dear friends/teachers from my home church, and the Slovenes stayed on the Croatian countryside within the comfort of the homiest of farms that doubled as a boarding house.

Four days, spending day and night together, sharing meals together, playing music together, laughing and singing together, growing together... memories I will hold dear. It was and has remained amazing to me how quickly community can be formed, a feeling of belonging and love with others when you do life together and move together towards a common goal.

"They say the master key, is a selfless love - but that could only come from a heaven above"

I have left a part of my heart in Slovenia and with the people within it...but I cannot leave out the country's beauty itself. The beauty and rich history from within the cities to the countryside was endless, simply peaceful.

(That one burger picture above... is a horse burger... :D)

Much love to you all, and a very special and heartfelt thanks to those who contributed to the finances of this trip...I feel we did some great work within Slovenia...it did some good work in me as well.