Heather McAlpine Photography

04/08/2020

I missed a few updates to share so here’s today’s journal entry!

Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona. March 2019 April 07, 2020 Oh boy was this trip an adventure. In my 27 years of life I had never seen the Grand Canyon with my own eyes. To call it grand is an understatement. It is truly one of the most awe inspiring examples of the power of water, and the mind b...

04/04/2020

Cape Lookout State Park. Oregon. February 2017. --- Some memories you avoid revisiting because of heartbreak. Because of unanswered questions. This is the first time since starting this project that I’m almost lost for words… so many mixed feelings stirring around in my head. I look at this photo that I captured and I see a beautiful scene in front of me, but also within the forested frame, I see the chaos and change that’s a constant reality on the rugged Oregon coast. Wind, rain, and sea throwing a never ending barrage of force at land’s edge. Nothing is constant so you damn well better enjoy the moment before it’s gone. This is something I’ve learned since then. It kinda feels like we are all living this lesson as a collective societal unit. It’s nice to not feel alone.

04/03/2020

A new post is up on my blog!

Death Valley National Park. California. December 2019. April 02, 2020 --- This was my first camping trip since I broke my leg in a mountaineering accident in August. I had been itching to get outside for months. This was also a trip to celebrate my 28th birthday, a birthday I almost didn’t make it...

04/02/2020

I wanted to thank everyone for following along thus far with my daily journal! I have moved the posts to my website:

Yosemite National Park. California. September 2017. April 01, 2020 —-Yosemite is an incredibly special place. But you don’t need to hear that from me. My visits to Yosemite throughout the years hold some really awesome memories, all of them very different from one another. Some tales include  h...

04/01/2020

Hey everyone! I am excited to announce that I have joined the Los Angeles Field Guide team with Aaron Rickel and Caroline Bible. What the heck is the The Los Angeles Field Guide? As Aaron eloquently puts it: "it’s a logbook of what keeps us going in this city. People and places, stories and thoughts, musings and rants that are off the beaten path and make the city a little more wild". I am incredibly stoked to share photos, stories, and details of the rad adventures to be had in this neck of the woods. Check out the site and I hope you subscribe and follow along!

A blog of outdoor adventures, trip reports, stories, how-to, places, people, and inspiration from Los Angeles and beyond. Hiking, climbing, bicycling, running, camping—anything that helps make this city a little more wild has a home here.

04/01/2020

Carrizo Plain National Monument. California. April 2017 --- This trip was special for a number of reasons. The first was getting to spend time with one of my best friends who I rarely get to see because of the physical distance between us. The second was exploring a new part of California I had never seen before. And the third, which is elephant in the room, the goddamn flowers. And holy moly were there a lot of flowers. The spring of 2017 had what is called a Superbloom, and it's grandiosity was on full display in Carrizo Plain. An area that is almost inhospitable 90% of the time. In recent years, my camping style has shifted. I have taken to driving towards wherever I'm wanting to stay and "figuring it out when I get there" late at night. This causes me both anxiety and excitement, and this trip was one of one of those "figure it out" moments. Danielle had scoped a potential spot (via the trusty internet), up in the hills off the main road, so we would meet at the bottom of the hill and drive up to search for a campsite. There was absolutely 0 cel service out on the Plain, and I arrived at 10pm, thinking Danielle wouldn't be far behind me. I was feeling anxious because I saw a lot of cars parked off the road and I was worried that all of the good camping spots would be taken. After several more hours of worrying (I'm so good at this), Danielle and family arrived. It was close to 1:00 in the morning. I should mention how insanely dark it was outside. No moon, nothing. I had been traveling on a dirt road for literally hours, dodging kangaroo mice left and right and hoping not to hit anything larger with my car in the pitch black. I straight up had no idea where I was. The narrow dirt road we slowly wound our way up seemed to never end until it finally crested over a ridge. It was here that there were miraculously no cars, so we set up camp. It was in this spot where I woke up that morning and nearly cried over the spectacular view in front of me. Wildflowers of every color as far as the eye can see. This place has now become one of my favorite springtime camping destinations when the earth decides to show its unique colors on a grand scale.

03/31/2020

John Muir Wilderness. California. July 2018 --- This backpacking trip was six months in the making. Sounds dramatic but it kinda was. I recall, clear as the sunrise on that early December morning, waking up in Alabama Hills before dawn. The early rise was in order to make it into Lone Pine to siphon some wifi from the local Carls Jr, and apply for some backcountry permits. 4 people, 4 phones and 1 computer later (all thanks to "Camp Counsellor Brian") permits were secured. Flash forward to the end of June. The plan was to spend 5 days out in the backcountry. To date this would have been the longest backpacking trip I had been on, and I was determined to be prepared. What does prepared mean? Packing way too much trail mix, apparently. I have never tried so hard in my life to get rid of unwanted food. The chosen trail was one I had hike before, but without carrying an extra 25 pounds. It was rough. But the solitude and scenery made it all worth it. I took this photo while exploring some of the surrounding lakes near where we had set up camp. The wildflowers had been hiding from me until this very moment where they decided to show up in full force next to a somewhat terrifying talus field. When writing this, I told myself not to talk about how the mosquitos were so bad that we all decided to bail out a day early. But despite my best efforts, these pesky insects somehow manage to creep their way into every conversation my friends and I have about this trip. But honestly, I'd gladly trade one million mosquito bites and subsequent PTSD to relive these few days out in the wilderness with my friends.

03/30/2020

Convict Lake. California. December 2018 --- Convict Lake holds a lot of memories for me. I've come to sit at its shore many times throughout the years, during good times, and not so good times. This visit was on an evening during a particularly difficult month for me, feelings of loneliness running high. Driving south towards Los Angeles, I was drawn to the lake to watch the colors change as the sun set. The clouds whispered to me the possibility of a colorful show, but I sat there until dark and it didn't come to fruition. It was cold. The lake was more glass than liquid. I sat there, toes almost touching the water, photographing the slowly darkening scene in front of me. It made me forget about whatever was troubling me, taking in the quiet stoicism of the granite peaks and crystal clear water. The beautiful scene was mirroring beauty right back. I didn't have a single negative thought for the remainder of the drive. I think there's some sort of magic in these mountains.

03/29/2020

Glen Coe. Scotland. March 2019 --- There aren't many words to accurately describe the beauty of this place. I had visited Scotland for the first time in 2016 and it had been calling me back ever since. This magical land my grandparents always talked about held a sense of mystery and awe to me. I had just spent the last 4 days having my mind completely blown by the scenery (and the wind) in the Isle of Skye, but it was time to head south to Glasgow. I was excited to revisit Glen Coe to show my mom and brother, who were with me on this trip. One of my favorite things about the drive through this scenic glen is the scattering of cottages that are completely dwarfed by the old volcanic monoliths behind them. I came to find out the "iconic" wee cottage in my photo is a climbers hut when I struck up a conversation with some mountaineers that were just returning home from the summit of The Bauchaille. I must have sat next to this river for an hour to capture the quickly changing skyscape in front of me as the sun dipped lower and lower. The next adventure will be to climb these mountains, as I like to imagine my ancestors did. How else could I have got the last name, "McAlpine"?

03/28/2020

Malibu. California. October 2019 --- This image looks like a still from a movie. I guess this whole day was sort of like a movie. Road trip with a scruffy haired boy up the California coast, windows down, music turned up. It was a week into the fall season but it was warm like mid-summer. I had just returned to LA three weeks before, still nursing a broken leg but now meandering around with one crutch. I was worried about the sand. Walking on it and getting it inside my walking boot. I need to learn not to worry so much. That evening's sunset seemed to last forever. Driving back into town, we stopped on a bluff and watched the beachgoers below, moving with the incoming tide. I didn't want this day to end.

03/27/2020

Eastern Sierra. California. September 2016 --- This was my first time camping at Iris Meadows. A beautiful spot along a creek where you sit nestled in between shaking aspens and impossibly large mountains. About year later I came to find there is some fun climbing as well, but that was not on my radar in 2016. I was out for a fun weekend of Eastern Sierra exploring- checking out all the spots I love in the Bishop-Mammoth area. At the end of the weekend, my friends and I took a late afternoon hike a few miles into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. This spot has become something I have dreamt about ever since- as backpacking trip and goal to summit some of the amazing 13,000 ft peaks in the area. Maybe I'll actually swing it this year.

03/26/2020

Solheimajokull Glacier. Iceland. November 2016 --- This was my first time seeing a "real" glacier. Up close. Not just some distant spec on the side of a craggy mountain face. It was beautiful- The glacier emanated this teal-blue color, starkly contrasted against the black volcanic earth that was beneath it. The mountains beyond the glacier were covered with a light dusting of snow, and it truly felt like I was in another world. This thing was so massive that I was able to spot it from the road and guess it was a glacier before even driving up to the parking area. My friend and I saw small groups of people clad in brightly colored helmets hiking up to the glacier for a tour, and we wished we had done some research leading up to our day road trip to Vik. Guess I'll just have to go back. 🤷🏻‍♀️