*My grandfather, Raymond Stejskal* (originally published in 2016, after his passing). In the late 90’s, when Radiohead had released Ok Computer and Oasis was still a thing, I took a trip to Wisconsin’s Northwoods. The reason? Ten days of demolition work on my grandfather’s cabin. Our goal was to completely remove a bedroom, and board …
Last March in Yellowstone National Park, I had an extraordinary moment with one of the most resilient animals in the world: the bison. This particular bison was a giant mop-top. Indeed a relic of the Yellowstone plateau, covered in ice yet still showing its ribs as it battled a long winter. The day appeared normal at …
Hey guys, I didn’t get a chance up until now to post a 2022 year end wrap up, so here it is. I’m sitting here in a hotel room in the Pacific Northwest working on my latest novel. There’s a lot going on. To the point I’m just trying to balance everything the best I …
I drove southwest from where I’d been filming moose in Glacier National Park, descending from fifty degree temps and rain-soaked forests into a dry plain known for good elk viewing. The day was hot as I followed a crunchy gravel road through one of the last intact Palouse prairies in the lower 48. Bison dotted …
Five years ago, I was camped deep in Glacier National Park. The leaves were long free of their branches and pirouetted across the park in bitter winds. I woke pre-dawn and hiked to a nearby lake, well aware that the country was thick with grizzlies in hyperphagia. As the sun offered its first rays of …
It’s been a great summer. I’ve been in and around Missoula, Montana, working on a variety of projects and also doing a bit of socializing. It’s been dang hot since early July and I’m doing my best to keep hydrated. I’ve been incredibly active in all contexts, and honestly could use a break but I’m …
It had been a year since I’d been to Glacier. Historically, it has always been my favorite place to spend time in nature. There’s something about its unique geology and stacked megafauna that creates a visceral ambiance like no other. But for some reason, I’d spent more time in Yellowstone recently (another favorite park) and …
On a rainy and cold day, I found myself in Yellowstone National Park. I sat across from a raging river as rain pummeled my face and camera gear. Across the river, in a sloping meadow crisscrossed with fallen timber, a sow grizzly dug into the softening soil with her two cubs of the year. The …
This image was filmed several years ago on the Montana plains. I was lucky these elk were distracted with sparring. Because of this, I was able to inch a little closer in the fog. The aspect of this moment that wasn’t luck was getting to the location pre-dawn, which allowed me to have this area …
The Day of the Lions. Spring time, Montana. They say spring is often a time of change. And that certain external events mark those changes. I’d just gotten out of a relationship and was adjusting to a new world, new patterns, new rhythms. In essence, I was trying to find myself again. But I was …