Absaroka memories & an art flash sale.

Horsepacking, sabbaticals, and art made along the way

Hi there,

You’re not dreaming, it’s Wednesday. I normally stick to Monday emails, but I have two things to tell you right now, so I’m grateful for some space in your inbox this mid-week:

1.

Two years ago this week, I embarked on a journey into the heart of the Absaroka Mountains with a group of 12 strangers and a herd of 18 horses by way of the NOLS Three Peaks Ranch in Wyoming. We journeyed together across the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests and Teton Wilderness, covering over 55 miles in ten days. The expedition, the mountains, the horses, the people – they all changed me. We're not strangers anymore. In fact, some of us caught up on a Zoom call last night, and some of us are making plans to hopefully take on horsepacking together again someday. In the meantime, may we continue to find meaning and connection that becomes our reality when we walk in wild vulnerability.

This is my story of our time together. It’s the most-read and shared post on my Substack to date. Have a read or a re-read, and please share if it resonates with you!

2.

If you like the above photos, I have prints for sale. The first is called "Trust", about the tender connection and bond a horse and rider needs to continue on the journey. The second is an image of my ride horse, Buttermilk, as we learned to trust and see each other through. I call it “Soul”.

My Etsy shop is only open for one week, and everything is 10% off. After this, my store will close indefinitely! Until then, all of the profits I make will support my upcoming sabbatical.

I took the above images on my last sabbatical in 2020 and appreciate that making them then and selling them now is creating a way for new opportunities for me this year. It feels full circle: experiences that make art that makes new experiences to make new art. Thank you for being a part of that.

Thanks again for letting me pop in a little off schedule. I don’t take it for granted that you’ve entrusted me with the ability to do that.

See you Monday for a new long-form essay I’m pouring into this week about expeditions and marriage.

To wild vulnerability,