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MyOptic - A Visual Record of a Journey
Climbing Mount Sneffels

At 14,158 feet it's the 27th Highest Peak in Colorado. It is
located in the Mount Sneffels Wilderness of the northern
San Juan Mountains, outside the town of Ouray.
The primary route to the summit follows a creek bed up
from Yankee Boy Basin, this however was our descent
route. A secondary route follows a ridge line to the summit
from the saddle of Blue Lakes Pass. We ascended along
the more exposed ridgeline.
Mount Sneffels is one of the most photographed mountains
in Colorado.
Flying to the Grand Canyon
September 9, 2008

Pete picked me up in Denver and after a day of waiting at
the airport for the skies to clear we finally started the flight
to the Grand Canyon airport before dawn. Pete had packed
bikes and we rode the final miles into the park and up to the
rim. We hiked a short way down the canyon and back
before nightfall. After a very satisfying diner in the lodge
restaurant we headed back to the campsite we had
established while riding in that morning. We awoke well
before dawn to the sound of bugling elk and rode the bikes
back to the airport in the dark that morning. We were back
at the Animus Airpark just in time for Pete to start work.
Pocono Steep Creekin'
November 1, 2008

The Poconos is home to some of the best steep creeking
in the North East. Runs such as Shohola Falls and Gorge,
Raymondskill Creek, and other hidden gems that shall
remain unnamed are pool drop heaven gorged into the
Delaware River Valley's ancient stone.
Steep and technical with many drops it's constant and high
pitched whitewater heaven .
Running My First Class IV Creek.
Lower Big Sandy Creek in Rockville, WV
Cheat Fest weekend 2008

Its time for the Cheat Festival again and I am fondly
remembering last spring when with much rain and high
water levels many paddlers took the opportunity to run the
Lower Big Sandy. Due to the generosity of Wayne Gman
who agreed to guide me, the Lower Big Sandy became my
first Class IV run.

Boof & Rally
One Weekend, Three Rivers, and a League of Extraordinary
Individuals

Labor Day Weekend 2008

The Bottom Moose - Moose, NY

The Black - Watertown, NY

The Beaver River - Beaver, NY

Hole Brothers 2008

KCCNY & AMC Friends

Black River
Watertown, NY

Hole Brothers - Watertown, NY
June 15, 2007

The pictures included in this volume document the activities
on one wave over a one hour period. It was late in the
afternoon on Saturday the 21st of July 2007, and the action
was on the wave commonly known as Hole Brothers,
located on the Black River in Watertown, NY.

Come share the ride.
Kayakers: Jack Moskowitz, Ellen Moskowitz, Steve
McLuckie, Scott Sail, Ram Tripathi, Fergus Coffey,
Derek Snyder, Chris Gragtmans, and Tino Specht.

Winging It West

On November 27, Thanksgiving morning 2008, Dad and I
woke up early and drove to the Airport in Warwick, NY. We
pulled the plane out of the hanger where it had been stored
overnight to keep the frost off. Just before sunrise we
commenced our journey west. The plan was to try and
make to it Durango in two days, flying a southern route
through Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky,
Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, through Texas and skirting
New Mexico while avoiding the highest mountains as we
cross into Southern Colorado.
Desert Flying

We navigated to Window Rock AZ, the seat of the
government of the Navajo Nation. After lunching in
Window Rock we continued flying for the rest of the day
site seeing over Canyon de Chelly National Monument,
Monument Valley Utah, and the Goosenecks of the San
Juans by Mexican Hat Utah. We continued over Soda
Springs, Utah for a spectacular view of the otherworldly
terrain of the San Juan Canyon. We ended the day flying
over Mesa Verde as we headed back to Durango.
The Durango and Silverton - Narrow Gauge
Railroad

Along a spectacular 45-mile route between Durango and
Silverton a narrow gauge railroad was cut into a remote
and treacherous landscape as a means of extracting the
valuable mineral being mined in the majestic San Juan
Mountains. From the start the Silverton Branch, as it was
known at the time, was recognized for its unequaled
access to the fantastic vistas of the San Juan Mountains
and the roaring beauty of the Animus River. The railroad is
literally cut and hung along the Animus River Gorge.
Life & Death


The full cycle of life is played out every day
On My Doorstep

In and Around Milford
Castle Antigues
In and Around NYC

From Above

Pete has picked his way around the skies of Colorado and
the Four Corners Region for a while now, but it is his
terrestrial, literally hands-on experience that really lends
weight to his descriptions of the terrain we witness from
above. Through rock and ice climbing, skiing, hiking and
biking, Pete has collected an intimate and learned
understanding of the landscape only a passionate few will
ever attain.
Seeing these features from the sky provides a perspective
that greatly extends and deepens ones understanding of
scale and proximity.
MyOptic - A Visual Record of a Journey
by Andrew Ludke
57 Hope


UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Art, Sculpture, Installations, Paitings, and other stuff.

Floating the Battenkill River
Arlington, VT

Crazy Eight +

An awesome group of people, perfect weather, fall colors
and a pristine river happened to conspire during a
meandering paddle through farmfeilds and mountains. How
blessed I feel to share these experiences with them.
Panoramas

Family

It is an understatemen t to say I am fortunate. I have an
awesone famlily. My parents, siblings and grand parents
each and everyone is amazing in their own unique way.


UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Click Image for Slideshow
Canyon Lands
In and Around Milford
Panoramas of MIlford PA and the Surrounding Area

Cross Merge Part : Paths I have brushed.

I have crossed paths with many people. Some as glancing
blows others were breif interludes and fewer merged for
long periods before parting again. Some of those who
touched my life most deeply are honored here.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Crestron
I work for a mad genius along with thousands of smart dedicated and fun professionals. Crestron is
an amazing place with strong company spirit, traditions, values, and pride.
This is a tribute to all who make Crestron an awesome place to work.
Ah, yes, back at the Meadowlands, where
the Grateful Dead had a long, at times
outstanding, history at both venues here,
Giants Stadium and the Brendan Byrne
Arena (aka Meadowlands Arena, aka the
current Izod Center). The band performed
30 times at the Meadowlands, with a
nearly-even split between indoor and
outdoor shows, 14 at Giants Stadium and
16 in the Arena.
The setlists to these shows keep getting
better, with virtually every night offering a
taper’s dream list. The first set opens with
what used to be one of my favourite
Grateful Dead show openers, Touch of
Grey, which then fell into the always-fun
Pride of Cucamonga.
Click Image for Slideshow
The Dead: Izod Center Meadowlands, NJ - April 29 2009
<MIXED

A collection of random images from the archive
Another great weekend with Scott, Steve,
Jordan, Jack, Ellen and so many others. It
was amazing to see so many KCCNY and
AMC paddlers out on the river at the same
time. With just under 2' of water on the
guage and beautiful weather Swimmers
was playful and friendly. Scott, Steve, and
Cameron checked out the rumored surf
wave below the take-out and it is
reportedly worth the hike back up to the
shuttle bus.

Note to who ever walked off with my shorts
but left the wet booties at the take out ... I
hope you get crabs.
Click Image for Slideshow
Lower Yough - Ohiopyle, PA - Memorial Day Weekend 2009
The Icelands highway is a stretch of
highway through the otherwise remote
Canadian Rockiy Mountains of Jasper and
Banff Nation Parks.

Thank goodness this land is being
protected. This is a remote, harsh,
beatuful, enticing, unforgiving place ....
sprinkled with the most friendly of folk, ahe!
Driving the Icelands Highway: Banff to Jaspar, May 17-18 2009
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Cedar Creek - May 30th 2009
Twisting and turning through the Pine Barrens near Toms River NJ, Cedar Creek, starting in Double
Trouble State Park is a beautiful run that is perfect for beginningers and those looking for a laid back
day. We sure had a good time. Aftewards Brett and I drove up to the Adirondaks to his cabin in
North Creek. We stopped in Kingston to coax Steve to come along eventhough Jordan and Scott
couldn't make it. On the way up the Thruway we engorged ourselves at Bomber Burrito in Albany. On
Sunday, Steve and I kayaked the Indian and Hudson with impromtu paddling partners Pierre and
Peter. WIth 6' of water on the guage the river demanded our full attention so I didnt take any pictures
... sometimes it is good to leave a reason to return.
I will return!
Lower Shohola Creek - June 14 2009
Steve McLuckie takes his personal photographer along
This is an under-appreciated run. I just wanted to put that out there at the start. While there's no
single feature that stands out, this river offers such a variety of water. You'll encounter everything from
placid pools from which to watch birds, beavers and water fowl to class IV rock slides in deep box
canyons and gorges. We putin at Dead Mans Pool which is below the falls and avoids the more
difficult water in the upper box canyon. Dead mans pool is so named as the place to catch those of
ill-fated attempts at the upper box.
(see
Pocono Steep Creekin' below for photos of us running the falls and upper box).

The beginning of the 10 mile
run starts with a very creeky
continuous boulder garden
with a decent gradient ...you
can feel the tilt on the narrow
channelized river. After about
a mile of this you end up in a
marshy flat section that is
chocked fulll of wood. Wood is
a concern throughout the run.
We only encountered a few
necesary portages, but
ducked under and scraped
over a lot of other wood in this
area. From here the river
meaneders along slowly
picking up speed over several
miles untill you are again
breezing along in nice bouncy
class II+ water.
Hang on however, the run ends with a series of escalating rockslides in a pool drop box canyon.
by Andrew Ludke
Click Image for Slideshow
Click Image for Slideshow