As a teenager I spent a few days in Giant Forest Lodge in Sequoia National Park, but otherwise had never explored mountains. When I left Wisconsin it was not just to finish school, but to explore natural environments new to me.
I joined the University of Colorado Hiking Club where I met lifelong friends, including my husband. We shared adventures in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona while backpacking, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Those times were as important to me as my formal education.
Wild places give me a respite from city living and a profound sense of awe. They are truly sources of spiritual sustenance. I try in my photographs to convey a sense of wonder and wildness, hoping people might recognize that the existence of such places – threatened from so many directions – holds profound value.