Dream Lake

I first visited Rocky Mountain National Park in the winter of 2002-03 when visiting Colorado. I knew remarkably little about the Park then and I believe my first hikes (snowshoes, technically) were in the Cub Lake area and Deer Mountain. Beautiful areas, but not the most iconic spots in the park, either.

I moved to Colorado in January, 2004 and the Park quickly became a  frequent playground. Snowshoeing and later hiking on many days off. Then, as I got introduced to ice climbing, I discovered the world-class climbing that the park contained. Funny how you can walk by cliff faces one day and not think anything of it and the next be able to spot famous climbing routes dotted across them. 

I got to know the Park, from its seasons to specific trails, through day hikes, backpacking, climbing, and later, photography. It was the latter that really drove my familiarity with the Park. Revisiting the same area over and over hoping the light, weather, foliage, and more would all align to create a great photo.

Farewell San Francisco

Farewell, San Francisco. Nearly two years to the day since I arrived, I bid you adieu.

It’s not you. Really. Granted some things grew old – the traffic, petty crime, conversations about kale – but you offered so much more. Despite being such a big city, your small neighborhoods felt like anywhere but, and offered a lifetime of exploration.

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Love of the chase

The alarm shrieks to life. After years of early starts to go climb, ski, or photograph, the noise is still jarring. I get up, sometimes questioning my choice of hobbies. Espresso machine switched on, the microwave set to two minutes to cook my breakfast burrito. It’s somewhere in these moments that I snap out of my grogginess and get excited for what lies ahead.

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One Man’s Struggle With Gear

My name is David Kennedy and I have a gear problem.  It started innocently enough in high school.  I experimented with hiking and backpacking first.  Then I met more outdoorsy folk and started to explore caves, rivers, and rock cliffs.  Then it got serious when I moved to Colorado – skiing and ice climbing. Most recently, photography has become the umbrella in which all other outdoor activities fall. →