Photos by Daniel Brittain & Briar Nelson. Foreword by John Streit.

The essence of the adventurous spirit is the extension of one’s self outside of his/her comfort zone. While there’s no doubt that the beach and coastal lifestyle is close to the hearts of S&A alumni and crew members Daniel Brittain, Briar Nelson and Alec Truelove; the boys’ latest adventure explored some landlocked-but-majestic, mountainous environments in the western portion of our great country.

What better excuse to get the crew together for an epic journey than the necessity of Danny’s return trip home from photography college in Ventura, California. Naturally, the boys eschewed the direct route back to Virginia, opting for a northern route that opened up opportunities to hike and camp some of the most dramatic landscapes in the United States. From Yosemite National Park to Del Norte Coast Redwoods to Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons; Danny, Briar, Alec and West Coast friend Maya Sacks sought trail expeditions and documented the scenes along the way with incredible photography!

Enjoy this first part of the two-part series!

Mist Trail, Yosemite National Park, Calif. Photo: Nelson.
Daniel Brittain captures Briar Nelson getting the shot in Yosemite. Photo: Brittain.
Alec Truelove feeling those majestic Vernal Falls vibes, Yosemite. Photo: Brittain.
Vernal Falls, Yosemite. Photo: Nelson.
Mist Trail local. Photo: Nelson.
John Muir Trail, Yosemite. Photo: Brittain.
Nevada Falls with El Capitan standing tall to the right. Photo: Brittain.
Vernal Falls, Yosemite. Photo: Brittain.
Nevada Falls: The top of Mist Trail. Photo: Nelson.
Alec takes a breather in El Cap Meadows in the shadow of the famed El Capitan. Photo: Brittain.
The boys: Alec, Maya, Briar & Danny. Photo: Brittain.
Maya draws a scenic line at Glacier Point, overlooking Half Dome. Photo: Brittain.
Alec gets an eyeful of the valley below Glacier Point, Yosemite. Photo: Brittain.
The little red dot in the right corner is Briar, to give the scale of this photo some justice. Photo: Brittain.
Yosemite offers up some incredible vertical landscapes around every corner. Photo: Brittain.
Yosemite after dark. Photo: Brittain.
The Upper Yosemite Falls hike with was the most strenuous with nothing but elevation gain. Briar still had enough energy to have some fun with this photo! Photo: Brittain.
Quick stop at one of our nation's most iconic landmarks: The Golden Gate Bridge. Photo: Brittain.
Del Norte Coast Redwoods, California.
"This place was one of the quietest places on earth with low lying fog banks and giant redwoods towering above you." Photo: Brittain.
Redwoods reach to the sky. Del Norte Coast, Calif. Photo: Brittain.
Now that's a massive tree! Photo: Brittain.
A young elk grazes on the boys' way to Oregon for their next adventure. Stay tuned! Photo: Nelson.

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