Wildfire smoke hid many of the mountain views we had traveled to see, but Grand Teton gave us other memories: rain at String Lake, a moose crossing the water, and a quiet afternoon in our campervan beside the river.

The short trail through Culp Valley leads past cactus and tall yucca to broad views over Borrego Valley, the Santa Rosa Mountains, and the rugged country surrounding Hellhole Canyon.

The panel-loading Osprey Kestrel 32 gave me easy access to a padded camera insert, plenty of room for hiking gear, and an adjustable fit that remained comfortable through long days outside.

My compact Fujifilm X100T needed something lighter than a padded DSLR strap. The Peak Design Leash gave me soft webbing, one-finger adjustments, and an Anchor Link system I could share among several cameras.

LomoChrome Purple transformed familiar landscapes with violet foliage, cyan skies, and wonderfully unpredictable color. We photographed it at various ISO to see how exposure and light changed the results.

Our first hike to Barbara’s Lake led us to a dry basin in the middle of California’s drought. After a wet winter brought the lake back, we returned to find water, green hillsides, and ducks moving across the surface.

I learned photography on film before moving to digital, but film eventually found its way back into my camera bag. Its slower pace, limited exposures, and tangible process can change the way you see!

We backed the original Cotopaxi Allpa 35L campaign and took the pack on a four-day trip, testing its suitcase-style organization, camera storage, harness, and colorful Batac 16 daypack.

Pike Place Market won me over with buckets of fresh flowers, strong espresso, chocolate cookies, local beer, and an energy that made me want to return before I had even left.

We drove onto a ferry in Seattle and spent the day exploring Bainbridge Island, from espresso and a driftwood-covered beach to a sunset crossing with Mount Rainier in the distance.

We hiked into the Joshua Tree backcountry expecting a mild night, but cold temperatures, wind, and a leaking sleeping pad tested us before a warm spring morning changed the mood.

A short, steep climb from Tioga Pass brought us to the clear water and wide-open alpine scenery of Gaylor Lakes, including a quiet upper lake recommended by a Yosemite ranger.