Hannah Mason @hlunstrum - Tumblr Blog

My rude awakening to the state of our oceans was much later in life than it should have been. I was on an island, off the coast of Belize, and the first morning there I awoke to a strange metallic scraping noise mixed with the sound of waves lapping on the shore. It was early but the sun shone through the window slats of my bungalow, so I...

I miss many things about New Zealand; the stunning, deserted beaches, towering mountains and friendly locals, but most often I miss the food. Most people probably don't think of New Zealand as a culinary destination but one of the perks of being a small island nation is that it inherently breeds creativity and independence. While New Zealand i...

On my recent trip to Brazil , I fell in love with Rio de Janeiro. It's a city where you don't have to choose between the mountains and the beach or even between wildlife and culture. It's truly unique, in that you can find the flora and fauna of the jungle, vibrant nightlife, culture, mountains, stunning beaches ...

My first adventure in Brazil was also my first step into exploring the continent of South America. Preconceived ideas and expectations started to fade away and my senses took over as soon as I walked out of the Rio de Janeiro airport. Neurons started firing, trying to make sense of the foreign feelings and smells and I...

Whether you prefer a point and shoot camera or you're a seasoned photographer, the extreme climate of Antarctica presents some special challenges for photographers. I'd consider myself somewhere in the middle, sometimes preferring to lug out my DSLR camera for that perfect shot and sometimes, espec...

Pit toilets are a dismal attempt to domesticate the mountains. The stench hit my nostrils as I rounded the corner and came in view of the toilet, a simple wooden throne with a single step up to it …

Dark muddy waves were churning up debris and crashing onto the shore when we arrived at Pelican Beach Resort in the coastal town of Dangriga, Belize. Gray clouds hung in the air, threatening rain and I started to think twice about South Water Caye, an island paradise somewhere out there in the choppy water. A pod of pelicans sat&nb...

You're very lucky, our guide, Patrick, told me when he picked me up in the morning, the ATM caves have been closed due to flooding for the past two weeks and just reopened this morning. Surprise and relief washed over me, the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) caves were the main reason I was in the Ca...

They were off on a historic adventure, expecting to be awed by the moon and the stars, but instead they found themselves looking back, overwhelmed by a deep sense of fragility and unity. The astronauts of Apollo 8 were experiencing overview effect, an overwhelming cognitive shift in awareness they experienced when they viewed earth from s...

17 Favorite Photos of 2017

1. My little sister graduating from SPU and I got to take her grad pictures. SPU has a beautiful campus so we tromped around it one sunny spring morning posing and alternating grad gowns and chords on and off to find the perfect picture. This was my favorite with the contrasting brick and bright trees.

2. When hiking plans got canceled one morning, I decided to explore Deception Pass since I was awake way too early on a Saturday morning. It was an overcast day but I caught the sun peeking through the clouds and i love how it brought out all of the different shades of greenery.

3. I drove by some frozen lakes near Bellingham on accident and stopped to tiptoe out on the ice since I wasn’t in a hurry. There were lots of people playing on the ice but the sun shining down on this family walking was my favorite.

4. It was early spring and the sun came out so we took Collins new kayak on its maiden voyage to Spada Lake. We found this secret beach surrounded by spring greenery and mountains and to my great joy, not a single soul in sight.

5. Despite the lousy spring weather we took a trip to La Push and braved the rainy trail to Third Beach. I caught Collins chewing on a toothpick and it turned out to be one of my favorites of him, especially with the whole Pacific Northwest vibe.

6. Another rainy spring day, I hiked up to Wallace Falls with a friend and despite this ominous bridge, it turned out to be a really beautiful hike. While spring is always wet and cold, the greenery always lifts my spirits.

7. In the summer we went camping in the North Cascades and kayaking on Lake Diablo. While on the lake, the wind picked up and I because uneasy so I took a break on a small island and caught Collins through the trees, happily paddling around in the wind.

8. I found this burned wooded area that same weekend near our campsite in the North Cascades. It was full of bright pink fireweed, redeeming the charred landscape.

9. My first trip to Mt. Rainer National Park was a smashing success even though it was pathetically late in my life. The skies were clear and the mountain was out in all of its glory.

10. We took a road trip down highway 101 to Califonia to see the redwoods and Avenue of the Giants was more magnificent than I imagined. It wasn’t until I saw this large truck drive by that I realized how big the trees really are.

11. Collins took this drone photo somewhere along the Oregon Coast. I love the different perspectives that a drone can give - we are two tiny specks on the beach.

12. On our way home from California, we stopped at Crater Lake and were disappointed that a fire nearby had nearly socked in the lake. We spent the night anyway and luckily in the morning much of the smoke had cleared and I got this photo from a lookout we hiked up to.

13. Maybe my favorite picture of the year, I found this fern at Rosewood Manor with the light shining through, illuminating all of its polka dots.

14. Okay, maybe this is my favorite. I got to help run this wedding and while directing the wedding party down the aisle I caught the bride hiding behind her mother, waiting for her big day to begin.

15. Nope, this is definitely my favorite. Collins surveying the North Cascades from Winchester Mountain, the first real hike he went on after moving to Seattle. This summer he finally got to return.

16. I love this drone shot of Winchester Peak and lookout, with Twin Lakes down below and Collins and I standing in front of the lookout, staring at the drone control. We shared the peak with 7 other hikers and had a marvelous night in awe of the stars and surrounding peaks.

17. This is by no means a great star shot, but it was the first one I took that I actually like the way it turned out. Cheers to a wonderful year of adventures, to learning new things and much better photos in 2018!

#nature #Adventure #adventureisoutthere #best of 2017 #pnw #pnwphotographer #hiking #gooutside #reflections

The face of adventure is changing. Not only are their more women than ever working and playing in arenas that were once dominated by men, but the definition of adventure is changing as well. Our women's travel team recently attended She Ventures, an event designed for women to celebrate and ignite adventure as a way of life. 6 women leaders from di...

Whether you're trekking in the wilderness or you're going to vacation on a beach, a travel towel is essential! Even if your staying in a hotel, you never know when you might come across a lagoon to swim in or when you'll need something clean to sit on. Travel towels have always been great because of their size and weight b...

Andean Condor The Andean condor is the most iconic of all Patagonia creatures. It plays a huge role in the folklore of South America and is the national symbol of Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. With a wingspan of over 10 feet, these massive birds are often seen circling in the sky, perhaps ...

The results of our women's travel survey are in and we're excited to share them! We polled our women alumni and women who had never traveled with us and asked them if they were interested in women's travel, where they wanted to go next, what they want to do on trips, and why they like/want to travel with other women. We were ex...

Legends live in a cloud of uncertainty, loosely believed by many, even though they are unverifiable. Ethiopia, the oldest country on the continent of Africa, is a land full of legends , believed to be the birthplace of mankind, coffee, and the Queen of Sheba. Whether or not the legends are true or merely myth is not the point; legends esp...

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Hannah Mason