|
|
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 |
Click Image for Slideshow |
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 |