I Wanna Talk About Ben

I want to tell you a story about a classic weekend. Originally, it was a story I was not going to write about. Why? Because at the time I decided it was going to be a break from documenting. It was going to be a true vacation with two good friends. Two good friends who flew all the way across the country to spend a weekend with me in my childhood hometown doing things we loved doing together. I had just moved away from these two friends and was so excited to spend the weekend with them that I did not want to take too much time away from the experience doing my typical documenting that I do. I did not take an incredible amount of pictures like I usually do. I do have some. Mostly because I just love taking pictures, but now more then ever I am glad that I did take these pictures. I am glad because it was the last weekend I spent with my very dear friend, Ben Geiger. Also, in thinking back on the story of the weekend it really encompasses nearly all the beautiful aspects of my friendship with Ben. The story has inter-workings that speak directly to the wonderful man, friend, business partner, and mentor to me that Ben has been to me. I knew I needed to write about his death at some point, and I feel like I am in the right place to do so now. So I will weave in and out of the story of this one particular weekend, and about my relationship with Ben. It will get long. We've been friends for twenty wonderful years in the prime of our twenties and thirties. 

Paul, Me, Ben (L to R)
^Ben and our buddy, Paul Wright, flew in from Utah on a Thursday night, and we had a classic weekend in

Stroll Through Generations

Summers in Wisconsin are all about my wife and I clamoring for time to try and make some memories with as much family and friends action as we can in what always seems like such busy and chaotic lives. I also have to spend a great deal of my off-season making plans for the upcoming winter as well as my variety of projects. Sometimes I emerge from the fog of busy and need to get out and take a long slow walk with some of my guys. I rallied up my two sons, and then we scooped up my Dad, or more popularly known around my house now as, Grandpa. One of our favorite local spots, KD Park, in my Wisconsin hometown is a really nice place to take a hike. This park was once a gravel pit that served the region. In it's next generation now it is restored and serving the community as a beautiful park. I am glad to have been able to enjoy it as three generations of my own family on a classic Wisconsin summer day.


Wisconsin Property Walk

I recently landed back in my hometown in rural Southeast Wisconsin after a very busy winter in vast mountain ranges around the globe. My wife and I bought some raw land here a few years ago in order to build a mini-ranch home here some day. I have put a lot of work in to start to get it ready over the years, but I also have a long way to go. My Dad keeps an eye on the property while I am away. The recent rains subsided, and we got out to take a walk around to see how things shaped up throughout winter while I was traveling. It is comfortable to come back here. It is the area where both my wife and I grew up. Most of both of our families are still here. Wisconsin summers are gorgeous, and my abundant family time is a blessing. My Dad has been a big part of this property project with me. I am fortunate to be able to share this time with him taking a walk around to assess the season on the land and talk through all my family's plans for it in the coming future.  

It's May

Soon I will be driving back across the Great Plains of America again for the summer, but the spring skiing in Utah continues to call me out for more. First week of May came with a couple small storms that were cold enough at elevation to yield some cold powder! I saw a chance to get in a tour in the Cottonwoods so I sent a variety of texts to my Salt Lake City touring friends and nearly all of them were pre-occupied. All but one. My friend, Travis Bellantino, linked up with me for a dawn patrol in a classic area of Little Cottonwood.


I linked up with Travis bright and early at one of Little Cottonwood Canyon's most popular trailheads above Alta, Utah. Mid-winter the parking lot is brimming with people gearing up. Even at this early hour of the cold crisp morning. However, it's May. There are few people in the lot, and Travis gives me a wave as I pulled in and we got our tour underway. 

^Superior view. This has gotta be one of the most photoed scenes

April Showers Bring... High Elevation Powder

For most people April showers bring May flowers. I am not most people. I am an obsessed skier. I see ski lines on the horizon year-round. My summer hikes usually even revolve around scouting future skiable terrain. For me, the saying goes, "April showers bring high elevation powder."

^Most everyday folks have moved on to more traditionally

Madness of the Moments

After Japan the whole ordeal of winter just sped up to break neck pace. I was in it deep, and just holding on for dear life. The best laid plans all got stacked on top of each other and became a whirlwind madness of travel, logistics, certifications, and powder chasing.

^Immediately after I landed back on American soil I was

Niseko, Japan - a Vertical Integration Trip

I recently returned from hosting a Vertical Integration trip to Niseko, Japan. I first went to Japan a decade ago for athlete work with Sweetgrass Productions on their film, Signatures. I immediately fell in love with the area and have found a way to go back nearly every year since. This latest trip was my first time hosting a Vertical Integration trip there, and I couldn't have asked for a better group of friends to take with me to the powder paradise.

^My oldest son, Amos, always likes to play in my bags as I pack at