Size: 7.5” x 7.5” on 8.5” x 11” JonCone Studio Type 5 Paper

Signed & stamped in verso

At 11,000 feet Paiute Pass opens up the expanse of granite and high country. My brother, who had tramped up with me, was quite ill with altitude sickness. If you’ve never experienced it, think being hung over and drunk at the same time: nauseousness, splitting headache and a slight propensity toward incoherent thoughts. It usually subsides in about half a day, but if never experienced before can be alarming and a bit scary. Recognizing the signs, I found us a campsite on the leeward side of some boulders so he could sleep it off.

These places can trick you into thinking you’re safe, that the ease of entry means ease of exit. It does not. If you come here be prepared to stay, indefinitely. If you allow yourself that acceptance, then what you find will change your life.

He learned something of himself and his strength on this trip. He learned that the human body can endure and the grace that comes from pushing through uncertainty can only be learned in such places.

You are free to roam up here, to follow your own personal journey of whatever; solitude, art, understanding…freedom.

Location: John Muir Wilderness, High Sierras

Technical Info: Hasselblad, Kodak T-Max 100 BW film, Zeiss 50mm, Deep Yellow #12, 3-stop ND, developed in Kodak X-tol 1:1.