2023 Year in Review

2023 is almost in the books.  Amazing how fast they go by and seem to be getting quicker.  This has been a year of change and one that showed me things do not always go as planned. 

Began the year on my mountain bike with a sunrise ride.  Took the camera and a buddy along and we rode trails and photographed the first dawn of the new year.  Biking would be my main constant for the year and how I would do most of my photography.

In February, I returned to Big Bend and brought the mountain bike with me.  Would do rides through the desert.  I also did my first bikepacking trip.  A simple overnight to a remote desert campsite.  Well, I say simple but getting 8 liters of water into a bike .....is not simple.  It was an excellent trip and something I will try again as it allows me to get down roads my vehicle will not.

Speaking of vehicle, I bought a new one in 2023. After 18 years and 280,000 miles on my amazing Honda Element I bought a new Toyota RAV4 Woodland hybrid.  The Honda still runs great, but with the miles I have been putting on it, there were many things wearing out.  So I keep the Element as a weekend fun car and use the RAV4 for trips.  

Other than day drives and bike rides it was mid summer before I would travel again.  Took some days and drove out to explore and camp in New Mexico.  Got me away from the heat, saw some dark sky and was impressed with the RAV4 as a vehicle.  Handles forest service roads like a champ.

Saw so many people fly fishing I ended up getting a fly rod when I got back home.  Then in September I did a return trip to New Mexico where my brother in law and I got in some fly fishing and had a blast catching Rio Grande Cutthroat trout.  On my return trip I explored the Rio Grande Gorge and got in some night images.

My year has been built around the October annular eclipse with a plan of a two week trip to Utah to see it.  Things didn't work out and I did a long weekend to see it in the Texas hill country.  So I watched wading the Llano River.  As a bonus, I fly fished the river and caught a few Guadalupe bass.

November and December was spent close to home with bike rides chasing fall color.  Some nice color as always in Texas.

We now sit in the last week of the year and I am turning my thoughts to where 2024 might take me.

Happy New Year!