Welcome to our small cyber outpost where we share images from our explorations. The theme here is simple and can be summed up with a quote from Canaan Valley, West Virginia crosscountry ski guru Chip Chase: "Simply the finest pleasure is standing on this great planet."

While we live in Washington, our passions lie in mountain and rural landscapes where much of our spare time is spent exploring highland regions near and far. You can find us hiking and mountainbiking on and off trail, scrambling over rocks and up streambeds, skiing through deep woods and paddling remote whitewater and flatwater streams. Photography, books, travel and other things that reflect life's texture also command our spare time. Mark has a slight bent for adrenaline; Clare is more cautious but also loves traveling in challenging but magnificent terrain.

Both of us share the enjoyable task of taking the pictures you'll see here. We hope these images will inspire you to escape the enclosed confines of our modern existence and scramble to the nearest trailhead, stream, mountain or forest. Nothing short of self-discovery awaits.

Best Regards, Clare & Mark

-All photos and material copyright protected. © Copyright 2004- 2009.