Pre-Trip Warm Up

On May 11, Paul and I drove out to Johnstown, PA for a warm up to the backpacking that we are going to be doing while we're on the road. Dylan and Ethan were both busy. Our trail of choice was the Laurel Highlands Trail, which spans between Ohiopyle State Park and Johnstown.

Paul sits in meditation by the fire Sunday night at the Decker Ave shelter.

The day we set out, we trekked through "The Gap" to get to our shelter for the night. What normally would have been beautiful views and overlooks along the trail were completely fogged in, and we were thoroughly moist by the time we got to camp.

The shelters along the trail are incredible! They are by far the nicest backcountry shelters I've ever stayed in, with fireplaces built into the front of the lean-to. I would love to backpack the LHT in the winter, now that I've seen the shelters.

Speaking of winter, we encountered snow flurries as we hiked the 8 miles from the Decker Ave shelter to the Route 271 shelter. It was surreal to see the tiny white flakes in the full light of the May sunshine. I tried to take a picture of it, but the flakes can barely be seen!

Can you see the flurries?

On our final day of backpacking, Paul and I set out to put the 10 miles of trail that stood between us and the car behind us. Having eaten most of our food, our packs barely tugged against our backs. But the 18 miles already in our legs slowed us down plenty. As we made the parking lot at Route 30, Paul practically collapsed into the seat. Exhaustion blanketed us both with its soft, warm pain. Needless to say, Paul was asleep most of the 4 hours it took to get home.

Check out some more of the photos from the trip below!

One of the awesome shelters along the Laurel Highlands Trail.

A pretty landscape seen during our second day on the way to the Route 271 shelter.

A bloom of mountain laurel along the trail. The name Laurel Highlands comes from the many thickets of mountain laurel, the state flower, that are indigenous to the area.

Paul poses as we hike through a natural rock formation on day 3, not far from the Route 271 shelter.

Kickstarter Video Coming Soon!

Photo Credit: Michael Parker. CC-License Att-SA

Today, Ethan and I will be traveling to Ringing Rocks Park in Bucks County to shoot the promotional video for our Kickstarter project! With either the rocks or the waterfall cascading in the background, the video will capture what I hope will be a beautiful scene.

Once the video is complete, our Kickstarter project will go live! Be sure to check out the Natives Blog later in the week for the Kickstarter launch update!

Intriguing Thought: Networks

Theoretically, we are all interconnected in some way or another. I won't remind you of the cliched six degrees of separation, but I will say that networks have been in existence since the formation of the human mind. On our trip this summer, we will be connecting with thousands of people along the way through many different ways:

Roadways: Yes, roadways bring us all together. Tolkien once wrote, "It's a dangerous business... going out your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." This vast interconnecting system of people, goods, and ideas has been around for centuries!

Meetups: When people meet, so do their thoughts and ideas. The biggest meetup for us along the way is going to be rainbow gathering, a spontaneous gathering of the nation's counterculture. From hippies to travelers to tramps, some of the most interesting people and ideas will be found at the gathering.

Trails: The original roadways, trails will also connect us to other people along our journey. We will be spending time backpacking in the Great Smoky Mountains, the Rockies, the Cascades, and even the Grand Canyon. The beauty of trails is that it's not just a network of people; it's a network of humans, animals, plants, and the surrounding land.

The Internet: Of course, the network we all know and (hopefully) love. Along the route, the internet will help us stay up to date with followers and also connect us to helpful travel information. Let's face it, in the 21st century we aren't going to be escaping the broad expanse of "the web."

The emblem I'm using for the title of Natives is a simplified network diagram. Each bubble is connected by a line to each of the other bubbles, in this way complex communication can occur. The emblem is symbolic of the many and intricate ways that people connect with one another.

Welcome to the official blog for the documentary project "Natives: The Digital Future of Beauty." Here you will find the latest news about the project. Please bookmark this site and return soon for more updates on the project!