Author Archives: smivic

Blackfoot Pathways

40 miles to the north of us lies Missoula and its newspaper, The Missoulian (a town much like my Flagstaff, its newspaper owned by the same owner as The Arizona Daily Sun). On September 21st, I opened my daily Missoulian … Continue reading

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Monuments

I am in awe of sublime monuments. When I stand in Lone Pine, Ca and look up at the granite scarp of Mt. Whitney, my soul rises. When I listen to Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei, I imagine standing in a … Continue reading

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Roadies on the Prowl

The road rolls by. It is Saturday afternoon, the first day of another Road Scholar tour. This one, a photographic tour, is starting just 4 hours after my previous tour ended with a Colorado River float trip. I’m tired, but … Continue reading

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Muddy Water

Night was lifting at the White House Trailhead. Lights were popping up in tents and vehicles around the circular drive. I rose from my simple camper platform to the desert crispness. Not far away my son, Matthew, and five of … Continue reading

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The Soul of Snow

I looked outside and saw trees, both skeleton-like and evergreen, covered in snow. It’s that time, bright white and deep shadow. This always makes me revert back to my Ansel-Adams-devotee days, to the clarity, the snap of his images, to … Continue reading

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Forest Castles

“The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Music” sang Maria Von Trapp, rejoicing in escape into her refuge as the nazi turmoil approached. The hills are still alive and still a refuge. In them I find forests of tall … Continue reading

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Giants

A sense of place, over time, can be magic. That’s what I found recently as we followed a trail of names. Tired of our small space next to a dusty trail, Jessie and I flew the coop. We went north, … Continue reading

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Forest Rising

The forest was dense with trees and bushes, its shade cool and calming. I was sitting in that shade, among the bushes, gathering the magical berry of the northwest, the blue (Cascade) huckleberry. Such an activity up in the northern … Continue reading

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The Trip North

I had to travel north. When I talked of my 19 hour challenge, my wife suggested a twist: make it an unexpected adventure. I did, traveling the first twelve hours from Tuba City, Az, past Monument Valley (tightly closed), through … Continue reading

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Conglomerated Consequences

I took a walk, a short one not so very far from my home. I parked near the trailhead for Griffith Spring and headed down a bit, on a one mile loop trail. The trail wound through Ponderosas, both tall … Continue reading

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