Welcome to the Sunday Dispatch. Here are our top finds for the week of Nov. 7.
Lightning strikes near the Grand Teton in Wyoming. Photo by Amy Jimmerson.
01. Photographer pick: Amy Jimmerson
Based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Amy Jimmerson lives spitting distance from one of the "grandest" mountain ranges in the U.S., and isn’t shy about capturing its beauty. Standing at 13,775 feet, the Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Grand Teton National Park as well as northwest Wyoming, and a classic mountaineering destination. Jimmerson often wakes up before dawn to sneak into the park alone with her camera, beating the tourists and the sun.
But her photography doesn’t stop there. Jimmerson’s galleries include adventure, landscape, travel and nature, offering a diversified portfolio of spectacular outdoorsy photos.
See more on her website at amyjimmersonphoto.com. You can also find her on Instagram at @amyjimmerson.
Photo by Paxson Woelber / Unsplash.
02. Podcast pick: She Explores
Featuring more than 200 women’s stories, photographs and artwork, this podcast is for and about women who are inspired by the outdoors. Gale Straub, founder of She Explores, successfully brings together a variety of female voices on the podcast, which is now a growing resource for the creative and outdoorsy female community.
Our favorite episode so far is “Canine Companionship on the Trail” featuring Kylie Yang and the many adventures with her best hiking buddy Sullivan. Yang has an impressive record of thru-hiking (end-to-end backpacking, usually on a long-distance trail), and most of it has been with her four-legged companion by her side. She talks about the challenges of carrying extra food and gear, the empathy needed to communicate such a companion, and the beauty of sharing leadership roles with her pal. Even if you’re not a dog owner, the episode is all about the power of companionship and how you can be a better hiking partner — to either a human or canine friend.
She Explores is available on Apple Play, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher.
"Beyond Words" by Carl Safina.
03. Book pick: ‘Beyond Words’
One of our longer picks, “Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel” by Carl Safina brings forth powerful insight into the unique personalities of animals through extraordinary, often unbelievable stories of animal joy, grief, jealousy, anger and love. The book is divided into four distinct sections concerning African elephants, wolves in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, killer whales in the Pacific Northwest, and a section titled "Whines and Pet Peeves" in which Safina basically breaks down common thinking concerning animal cognition and intelligence, sprinkled with personal anecdotes about his two canine companions Jude and Chula. Each part was equally as fascinating and we continued to be amazed all throughout the book.
Safina is an ecologist with decades and decades of field observations. “Beyond Words” uses these observations as well as many scientific discoveries that highlight the similarities between human and nonhuman consciousness and self-awareness. It just might cause you to reevaluate your relationship with animals and your place in the world as a human.
The book is available on Thriftbooks and Amazon.
Photo by Louis Hansel / Unsplash.
04. Article pick: ‘23 of the world's best hiking trails’
Looking for hiking adventures to add to your bucket list? Featuring locations all over the world, this quick read offers a list of 23 top rated hiking trails that will inspire your inner thru-hiker. And if thru-hiking isn’t your thing, day hikes are always an option!