And though no part of my experience did anything to stop the war in Ukraine, it did help to remind me that the world is still beautiful, inspiring, and meaningful in its own right. And because of this, it’s also worth fighting for. … More Hiking Brown Elfin Knob in a Time of War
As I got in my car, I realized how thankful I am for life, for fall, for the beauty of a sunset, and for places in our world where nature can still thrive. … More A Fall Hike at Occoneechee Mountain
I’ve hardly been there in the past few months due to the closure of the Overlook — over which there were health concerns due to the large crowds gathering there in the early days of the pandemic. … More Hiking to the Occoneechee Mountain Overlook and Brown Elfin Knob
Standing there amid stones and vegetation, I wondered how many times Fanny Breeze made her way from where I was standing down to the Eno River — where she crossed not only boundaries of geography but of race, sex, and class. … More A Historic Hike to the Fanny Breeze Home Site
I’ve never taken quite the number of photos of the quarry that I did on this occasion, when the light was moody and overcast but also exceptionally even and natural. This in turn allowed me to take some of my best landscape photography to date. … More Landscape Photography at the Quarry: Notes on Aspect Ratio
Mark Explores 