FAVORITES POSTS OF THE YEAR ON INSTAGRAM | 2020 @ABBIHEARNE ROUND UP
It’s no secret that instagram is my go-to place to share my current thoughts and life updates, everything from the things I’m thinking about, conversations I’m having, favorite photos, and so on. I started doing an end of the year round up a couple of years ago and really loved going through my posts to find my favorite ones! I hope you enjoy this too!
JANUARY 4, 2020 | LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
We just got back from a super fun quick climbing and friends trip to Vegas! When @brianslepian and @samuelcrossley were in Moab for thanksgiving we had such a great time and I got really sad about them leaving, so they convinced me to book tickets to Vegas for this week and I’m SO glad we did!! We climbed a bit, I finally did my first lead (checked that 2020 goal off day one 🥳), watched @alexhonnold and Brian get competitive in ping pong, quested to a new area with @sannimccandless, ate too much Thai food, talked about new year goals and middle school failures and wedding ideas and so many things.
One of my hopes for this year was more friends time, and more effort toward climbing, so this trip feels like a great way to kick that off with intention. Aaaaand Vegas definitely exceeded our expectations! The patterns in the sandstone are enough to pull me back but the climbing was pretty sweet too 😉
JANUARY 18, 2020 | KAUA’I, HAWAII
The Nā Pali Coast from the air.
🚁
Yesterday we did a doors-off helicopter tour of Kaua’i and it was honestly one of the coolest things ever! I’ve been in a lot of helicopters, and I’ve been in a lot of planes with the door open, but doing a full heli tour with no doors was so wild. I highly recommend it. I get motion sick easily, so I took two Dramamine before and am glad I did - this was also some of the craziest flying I’ve done in a heli. Unfortunately being the lightest person meant I had to sit in the middle between the pilot and Cal, but it was still really mega and easy enough to see/take photos. We flew with @jackharterhelicopters!
FEBRUARY 4, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
I used to be so afraid of hiking alone. I still am pretty fearful, but I’ve learned to control it a lot more. And I’ve learned that the joy I get from time in the outdoors is worth facing, and often ignoring, the loud “what if’s” in my mind.
Over the past year, hiking has become my favorite solo activity. I love the freedom of it, leaving when I want, exploring what I want, having no input other than my own for which trail to stop at, or which side-wash to explore. But my fear is louder when I’m alone...at least, it’s harder to ignore.
Today was quite cold (especially for desert standards) and I had a lot of reasons in my head for why I didn’t want to go on a hike (mainly out of laziness), and once I left the house, fear stepped in to combat the cause. It started with some snow on the road out there, and continued even as I started to hike. I’d feel a breeze and think “I didn’t wear the right layers I’m going to be too cold” or I’d see some tracks in the sand and my mind would wander to the rare stories of animal encounters. I am honestly embarrassed to admit this...but on my casual 3.5 mile hike today, I had little fear moments of getting lost and freezing overnight, of losing Charlie and not finding him before dark, of animals, of encountering a bad person, of rock fall...and the thing is, they’re all legitimate fears. Unfortunately, people have met their match on easy hikes, on familiar roads, from unfortunate events many times. I can’t logically just write these things off.
But I also can’t let them keep me from having a pleasant afternoon with my dog in the desert. Some days, I’m fine, I don’t even worry much. Some days, I face my fear and jump out of airplanes or climb giant rocks. Some days, my fear keeps me inside all day. But I’ve found that recognizing it, naming it, and saying “nope, not today” has helped me a ton. As I sit here in my cozy home after a really delightful adventure, I’m so glad fear didn’t have a strong enough grip today. And while I don’t like to admit how much my mind wanders, I hope that by sharing it you might be more comfortable facing your own fears. Fear isn’t a good enough reason not to do something you love.
FEBRUARY 14, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Happy birthday, kid. You’re my soul dog, the four-legged love of my life, and I truly can’t imagine what these past 11 years would have been like without you. You’ve been by my side for my first heartbreak, getting my drivers license, falling in love with Cal, graduating high school, going to college, becoming my muse for painting and then photography, graduating college, marrying Cal, our first apartment, first adult jobs, starting a business, hitting the road, hiking 100s of miles together, visiting so many new places, driving to Alaska twice, ice climbing and rock climbing and canyoneering and skiing...you’ve done it all and more. Char, you’ve had a more adventurous 11 years than most humans experience in a lifetime. Let’s do at least 100 more together.
🖤 to the best dog a girl could ever ever ever ask for. I have to stop now because we’re gonna try really hard to keep the tears to a minimum today. THEY GROW UP SO FAST 😭😭😭 Happy 11th birthday dear Charlie!
FEBRUARY 24, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Another day, another mega epic backyard quest!! I’m sorry if y’all are tired of hearing this but I absolutely can’t believe we live here. I love it so much. This desert makes me so happy.
FEBRUARY 27, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
We moved in here a year ago. I am taking some time this week to process what that year has meant to me, and I’m sure I’ll be sharing more of it. But at the moment, I am just so damn happy we took this leap. I am so thankful for our home in Moab, for the people that have filled it, for the late nights with too much wine and the early mornings with too much coffee. For the conversations around this table, the snuggles and tears and laughs in the guest room, for the times we got way too pruny in the hot tub because the conversation was too good to leave, for the hikes and climbs and canyons planned here, for the Jeep we bought as our “commuter” that has opened so many new roads to us, to the floor space for all my rug dreams and the bed space for my favorite blankets and the wall space for beloved photos…this home has been the biggest blessing.
When we bought it, we joked it was an impulse decision (similar to when we hit the road full time), and we laughed at how much of a surprise it was to us and others, but after a year in this home, I am confident this was a plan set before us, we just went with it. We jokingly called it “The Wellness Center” because we were fresh off a trip in the Alps and well, it had a hot tub. But, it’s impossible to deny that this home has provided more wellness than we’ll ever know. Our biggest prayer remains, from the beginning, that more than anything else listed above, our home brings true rest and healing to the friends we welcome in. And I have to say, reflecting on this past year, it’s done that for so many…and for us, too.
Happy first birthday to The Hearnes Wellness Center. You bring so much joy to our lives!!! PS. Because I know you’ll ask, the amazing Fitz Roy painting is by @rhiannon_klee 🖤
MARCH 6, 2020 | HAVASUPAI FALLS
Three weeks ago, I was lucky enough to score two permits for Havasupai Falls and while they sat in my cart with 15 minutes before expiring and going to the next person, I texted @briannamadia to see if she was down to backpack out there with me...and after a bit of hesitation she said sure why not 😂
Honestly? I had low expectations, mainly because I had seen a lot of photos of this place, and I figured with how quickly the permits sell out (less than 10 minutes!) it would be super crowded. But my goodness...I honestly think this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. And y’all know me, I have high standards! I’ve seen icy blue rivers flowing straight out of glaciers and I’ve spent too many days to count hiking through the most beautiful deserts! But I have never in my life experienced anything like this wild oasis in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The most blue water I’ve ever seen flowing through my favorite orange rocks! Giant waterfalls, insanely adventurous hikes, weird terraced little pools...it all looked so fake. I took a lot of videos because I feel like that’s the only way you can come close to understanding just how blue this water is! But honestly, words and photos and videos can’t do it justice. I can’t wait to share more, but for now, hi 👋🏻 we’re alive and we had the most fun!!! I highly recommend trying to get permits and hiking down here one day. And I do want to add, please please carry your own stuff if you’re capable — see Bri’s most recent post for info on this 🖤
I can’t wait to share more later! But until then...we are off to check into our hotel and shower and order some much needed cocktails 😂 (any recommendations for dinner/drinks in Flagstaff??) this beautiful trip did *not* come easy and we are very sore/exhausted/bruised 🏜🏝⛺️
MARCH 10, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
I was 11 years old the first time I opted out of swimming with friends because I didn’t really like how my body looked in a swimsuit.
When I was 12, I noticed my 14-year-old friend’s thighs touched when she sat down, and I thought that was womanly, and I thought something must be wrong because mine didn’t. I stuffed tissues in my pants hoping my jeans would be tight around my thighs like hers.
When I was 13, I surpassed 100lbs on the scale, and I didn’t like it. I remember that so clearly.
By 15, I still didn’t like how I looked in a swimsuit, unless it was a good day, in the morning. By 15, I had days I did 100 crunches just hoping my stomach would look different, and I still looked at myself in jeans and wished they looked more filled-out. Wishing my legs didn’t look so...twiggy.
When I was 22, a dear friend of mine grabbed my arm and loudly said “oh my god, you’re SO skinny.” and I was mortified. Everyone in the room heard her, and because “skinny is good,” nobody wondered if I was ok with her saying that. I wasn’t. She later said it was a compliment.
Honestly? This year, just shy of 26, is the first time I’ve truly loved the body I have. Because I finally stopped doing crunches to look better, and I’ve finally started doing things to feel better. Now, I want my arms to be stronger because I want to climb harder. I want core strength so I can stay on the wall when it curves above me. I want my legs to be able to take me far and high, carrying the weight of my food and shelter on my back. I stopped caring about looking fit but skinny but strong but small, I stopped holding myself to standards that don’t exist and that don’t match up. I started seeing what my body is capable of doing, not what it’s capable of looking like.
I still struggle. I still see other bodies and think “I wish I had *that*” and I probably always will. But I truly feel so much more confident now; than I did when I was 11, and 15, and 22.
Also, I have to be honest, I’m terrified sharing this because...I’m conventionally small...and I’m aware that to some, this might seem trite, but this is my experience with my body, and I want to be real about more of it. 📷: @briannamadia
APRIL 28, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Golden layers and layers and layers as far as my eyes can see...I’ll never take a post-storm sunset in the desert for granted 🌤🏜
In college, I would walk to the top of parking garages to watch the sunset. That was my local version of an overlook. I still fully remember how that felt. How it felt to look out and have everything be flat in every direction. To hike on a trail and see houses the whole time, and often come to the end of the trail before I was ready to be done.
Now, I see layers everywhere. I can pick a new overlook every evening and still never watch the sunset from all of them. I have a trail I can walk to from my house that offers 8 miles of wildness, and connects to another 12+ miles at the “end.” I can pick a red dirt road and run until my legs want to scream. This massive privilege isn’t lost on me, this access is magnificent. What I have here...I’ve been so thankful for it since the first day we found it, and I am so thankful our hard work paid off in a way that allowed this to be Home.
Nobody saw a pandemic coming. Nobody knew we’d all be told to stay home. Nobody knew travel would stop. But we did all know life was unpredictable. We did know that nothing is guaranteed. There have been plenty of times in the past 4 years that I’ve questioned our decision to leave our comfort behind and pursue a life closer to these open spaces. There have been times I’ve wanted to give it up to be closer to family, to have more job security, to have a stronger community...but at this point, in this world shift, I am so thankful we chose this place. And that we found a lot of those things + more out here in the unknown.
MAY 7, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Every time we climb this tower we swear it’ll be a long time until we motivate for it again 😜 but this run was a really fun one, even though it was very hot, my shoulders are now completely fried, and my pants have new holes in them (better than my skin I guess!). I think we need to get better at waking up early + climbing in the shade if we’re going to make it through spending a lot of this summer in Utah 🥵🏜☀️
Also I tried to post this like 6 hours ago but apparently it just sent so hi late night IG fam 🤷🏼♀️
MAY 15, 2020 | UTAH
I just listened to a really amazing podcast with @brenebrown and @suemonkkidd...and first of all, go listen to every episode of Brené’s new podcast and thank me later.
But I keep thinking of a line Sue said...”One of the most eloquent ways the soul speaks to us is through longing.” She was talking about a book she wrote, and how she felt in her soul that she needed to write it. The quote stopped me in my tracks. Because honestly, I get asked a lot how I knew we were ready to hit the road, ready to quit the safe life we had in Texas, ready to go for it...and I’ve never had an answer. Because for us, we never *knew* it was the right decision. It was a huge risk, and we chose to sacrifice a lot with no guarantee of success and comfort, but the real reason we “knew” we should do it was because of the deep longing we both had for a life out west.
I’ve often referred to it as chasing the things that make my heart beat faster. I actually even said that phrase in an interview this morning. I remember living in Texas, and googling photos of Yosemite, just clicking through photo after photo and feeling that deep longing, feeling my heart beat in my chest imagining being there. I remember after we began taking a few trips a year to Moab, when I was home I’d just sit on google maps staring at different satellite images of desert roads, longing to be driving down them.
I know this idea of your soul speaking to you might sound too woo-woo, but I fully believe that quote from Sue. Hearing it validated a feeling I’ve had since we hit the road...the feeling that longing is so powerful and should be taken seriously. Even now, living in Moab and spending half our time on the road, I feel that longing for the desert sand, for the breeze in the meadow in Yosemite, for the sound of cracking glaciers in Alaska. A lot of my fulfillment has come from identifying and pursuing the things I long for.
And obviously there is more to life than simply listening to those longings, it’s all easier said than done (especially coming from a privileged young white middle class couple) but I think we’d all benefit from more time listening to and naming our longings.
MAY 17, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
I’ve walked into a lot of gas stations all over the country at late hours. I’ve walked many neighborhoods, day and night. I’ve wandered by houses with a hood on because my ears were cold or my hair was messy or any other reason. I keep my hands in my pockets often, inside stores, walking trails, walking parking lots, past peoples houses and cars, and I’ve never had to think what it might look like. I’ve never walked into a store and had an employee or fellow patron tense up, or follow me, or give me any suspicion. I’ve never heard someone lock their car doors when I walk by. I’ve slept in my car in parking lots and rest stops. I’ve stealth camped in my car illegally, I’ve even been caught at 3am and kindly asked to move. I’ve never been afraid when I see a police officer, or when I get pulled over. In fact, every experience I’ve had with police was rather pleasant.
Now, I could say these above statements mean that anyone who experiences otherwise must be lying or not telling the whole story. I could believe we are all equal, and therefore we’re all treated equally. But I know that isn’t true. I know, because I believe those of you who say you were treated guilty until proven innocent, and not the other way around. I know that because I have white skin and blonde hair, people don’t assume I’m up to something. I know that I am of the “more trustworthy” race, even though statistically that’s complete bullshit.
I’ve been thinking a lot about #AhmaudArbery, and every other person of color who has become a hashtag because of assumptions made about them that wouldn’t have been made if they were white. I don’t have answers, and I’ve been trying to just listen as much as possible. But I believe that an important step to solving a problem is acknowledging the problem in the first place. I know there are so many factors to consider, I know there are good people on both “sides” of most debates. I also believe that learning to listen is a really important thing we should do more of, and right now, I want to do my best to listen to the people of color who were strategically silenced since the creation of our county.
Hateful or violent comments will be deleted.
JULY 4, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK [VIA MOAB, UTAH]
I’d be lying if I said this is the first time the 4th of July feels a bit grim to celebrate. My feelings about my country have been declining for a while now. There are certainly great things, and things I’m thankful for....but so many of them came at the cost of others and are only “mine” because I happened to be born on this soil with white skin, blonde hair, and green eyes.
I used to celebrate the National Parks on the 4th, because I felt like that was one thing I could be proud of, but I’ve since learned that our parks are only “ours” because we drove out the indigenous people who called them home, and we claimed to protect the parks while killing the people who knew them and protected them for generations before us. I’m still proud of the parks, but not without acknowledging the trauma that came with their creation.
I don’t know if I can celebrate my freedom, knowing there are children in cages on the border, modern day slavery enforced in our prisons, and Black blood on the streets. I’m sorry if this post offends you, or feels ungrateful, it’s just really hard to celebrate the opportunities I have knowing they were not free...and the price was paid by people of color, by force, not choice.
This post is not political. I am a US citizen and I will use my right to vote, my freedom of speech, and my right to protest because I believe we can do so much better. I have hope, because of what I’ve seen here, and what I’ve seen from the next generation. I *am* proud to be a US citizen because I see what we can be, if we continue this revolution. If we continue to support women, people of color, and those who have been in the margins. If we believe #BlackLivesMatter and that every human deserves justice. If we actually believe in equality for ALL, and we continue to uproot the systems that have suppressed that.
I have respect for our civil servants and those who have fought for freedom. I hope that by now you know I try to think critically and I don’t blindly follow what others say. I hope you know these words are mine, from my heart, written as I sit and reflect on what this day means. I’m open to conversation, but only if it’s respectful.
JULY 17, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Last fall we had the opportunity to charter a flight to the Arctic while we were in Alaska. It was incredible and will probably be one of my favorite memories for the rest of my life (especially considering Charlie got to join!). Callen has been interested in getting his private pilots license for a few years now and we’ve had a lot of discussions about it, but this flight really made that desire real for him. Tbh, I was pretty against it for a while because as an Enneagram 7, his passions tend to be pretty diverse and...flighty 😉 changing every year or so (which is amazing in a lot of ways, I get to experience so many things because of this part of him!!), and this interest would require pretty major commitment and mastery. But we’ve spent these past 5 years planning our life around a business that is primarily “my dream.” And as we have been building our schedule more intentionally to allow more time doing things we love outside of our work, we knew this year would be a good time for him to try it out and start learning in Moab.
He started lessons in February and as you can imagine, the pandemic put a hitch in the plans for a bit, but as soon as he was able to start flying again, he did. I’ve watched him wake up early, skip out on fun activities, do homework, and heard his stories using a bunch of lingo I don’t understand. This morning, Cal did his first solo flight! I’m so dang proud. Seeing him pursue this has been super inspiring to me and hearing about his progression has been so much fun. He still has a way to go before he earns his license and we’re flying around the desert as a family...but what was a pipe dream last fall now feels more real than ever. I’m so proud of you @callenhearne, and hella stoked on the day I get to be involved in this new interest 😘☁️
JULY 26, 2020
Swipe —> to see our progression of road life rigs. In 2015 and 2016, we lived in an apartment Texas and would take road trips in our subie all over the western US, sleeping in a tent and eating peanut butter tortillas. I remember when we got a yeti cooler from an REI garage sale, we felt like it was the world’s biggest upgrade! In the summer of 2016, we took a 3 week road trip from Houston to Canada, and on our way up Callen came across this little trailer on Craigslist and we picked it up in Denver (side note: We ended up going into Canada with it unregistered like dummies but it worked out 🤦🏼♀️). It was meant as a storage trailer with a little convertible bed feature, but after sleeping in a tent or the back of the subie for all our previous trips this “real bed” and storage felt like a mansion!
By the end of the trip, as we were driving out of Moab and headed to Texas, we both started crying because we knew our little family belonged out west, on the road. On that drive back, we had the first of many terrifying conversations about not re-signing the lease on our apartment...about leaving Texas behind and hitting the road. A month later, we’d sold our things and calculated that we could do a year on the road with our current savings...we’d figure it out from there.
A few months into road life, we photographed our first elopement and loved it so much, so we decided to turn the focus of our business from big Texas weddings to small outdoor elopements in our favorite places. As things grew, we saw this becoming a real lifestyle, not just a “break” from TX life. 10 months after hitting the road in the little trailer (dubbed the “adventure coffin”), we bought and built out a ProMaster Van. We lived in that for 1.5 years before upgrading again to our current camper, the “big jeep” (cal makes the names...) that we bought on an Isuzu flat bed but moved to a Ram 4500 a few months later for more reliability/range/etc. We’re coming up on two years with the gray camper next month! And of course, we now have a house in Moab (bought February ‘19) so we’re only on the road part-time.
“Home” has changed a lot for us in our 5.5 years of marriage. I’ve loved every one 😊
AUGUST 5, 2020 | ALASKA
One of our favorite things about Alaska is the glacier access! Yesterday we hiked on to a new (for us) glacier and had an experience. Including hiking in the rain and then exploring the glacier in the sunshine!
We’ve been pretty stoked on mountaineering/ice climbing/glacial traversing over the past few years, so last year we finally did an intro to mountaineering course here in Alaska (with @exitglacierguides, highly recommend!!) to learn some of the basics so we could safely navigate them as a team of two. It was such an incredible day and we’ve been hooked! Since then we’ve climbed on glaciers in Alaska, Canada, and Iceland. We have some bigger goals for the future but for now we really love these day missions going out on the ice and “hiking” around, sometimes setting top ropes for some easy climbing.
We bought almost all of our gear used (mainly from the shop in Anchorage) because ice gear can be really expensive and like most outdoor gear, you don’t need the newest nicest things to get started. My boots from the 90s and my old crampons work just fine :) and we had most of the standard climbing gear already! I did end up buying new pants because my old hardshell pants were children’s size from when we were super cheap back in the day 😜
For those interested in trying out ice climbing (or rock climbing or really any outdoor sport!) we highly recommend hiring a guide to teach you! It’s what we have done for new things if we didn’t have an experienced friend to show us. Guides are trained to work with all experience levels and tailor your trip to you — whether you just want to try it out or you want to build skills to do the thing yourself one day. And guides are really cool people! Most of our close friends are or have been guides. Plus, guiding companies usually provide the gear so it’s a great way to try something at a cost entry-point you usually won’t find buying your own set up and trying to self-teach. For ice climbing, our good friend @livingstonaaron guides in Ouray, CO at the ice park. If you’re interested in glaciers, Exit Glacier in Alaska, Athabasca Glacier in Canada, and many glaciers in south Iceland have good access and guiding!🧊🏔🧗
AUGUST 11, 2020 | ALASKA
I used to be so so afraid. Of heights, of difficult hikes, of getting hurt, of dying in a tragic accident. I still am, just not quite as much.
I use to hate hiking up hill, and now I choose it more often. I used be petrified of heights, and now I love climbing and jumping from planes and standing on cliff edges and rappelling into dark cracks in the ground. But I still get in my head, I still panic about what others think of my abilities, I still come up with worst-case-scenarios that threaten to paralyze me.
None of this comes easy to me, and none of it is 100% care-free fun. I love glaciers, and I absolutely love the feeling of climbing up an ice face by throwing my axes and kicking my pointy metal toes into it. I love the cracking and the rushing rivers underneath and the occasional calving, often heard but not seen. But I am also still so scared. I don’t completely trust my feet, I kick my boots in but hesitate to take a step because I picture myself losing control and sliding on the ice. I explore into crevices but then imagine an ice-quake at the wrong time. I am still scared. I am still insecure. On glaciers, on rock, on hikes, even camping in the rig at times.
I don’t think I’ll ever be not scared. It’s who I am, and at times I believe it has saved my life. But when I do the things anyway, even when I’m scared, I get a little more comfortable and learn a little more about how to do it well. I’m less scared than I was, and I hope in a few years I’ll say the same when I think back to now.
And, I know it’s so cliche, but none of us survive this life. I love life. I want to have a really long one, but only if I actually live it. So, I’ll keep doing it. And I’ll be scared. But I prefer that over the possibility of letting fear keep me from experiencing things as glorious as glaciers and narrow desert tower summits and staggering cliff edges and free falling 10,000 feet above the ground and narrow canyons deep in the desert.
And honestly I can’t possibly write this without mentioning the best partner @callenhearne...most people would have given up years ago, but you keep bringing me along and being patient when I am afraid. I’m so thankful for that🖤
AUGUST 13, 2020 | KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
I’ve been dreaming of an aerial photo of Callen and I doing our favorite Alaska activity for a while now, I feel like it’s the only way to truly capture this incredible experience. So freaking stoked our buddy @austinmarkadams made it happen 🧊
Today we went on a pretty involved quest that I came up with and organized, the logistics were all over the place and I could have prepared/planned a lot of details way better (and as a perfectionist I’ll think about all those things for a long time) but these three buddies kept spirits high and we had an awesome time...we will not soon forget this epic adventure! Seriously so thankful for @grace_adams + Austin and their never ending stoke (and always saying yes to our crazy ideas). And the major benefit of having your adventure buddies be fellow photographers 😜 We love you two @theadamsco and happy 30th birthday Austin!!!! What a day! Let’s do it again!!!!
photo: @austinmarkadams
AUGUST 18, 2020 | ALASKA
An other-worldly experience I can’t even begin to put into words. This lil adventure felt so similar to squeezing and shimmying and scrambling my way through a Utah desert slot canyon, only the walls were wet and cold and glowing blue. And there was a roof over our heads. And we had metal spikes on our feet.
From the sweeping giant mountain top views to the narrow hidden caves deep in the glaciers...Alaska blows my mind every single day. A world-class adventure. Thank you @shiny.shannon and @baxtergeyer for showing us this wonderland. This was a day I won’t soon forget!!
I mentioned this in my story but want to say it here too: glaciers can be very dangerous and hard to predict without proper equipment and training (even with those things, they are inherently risky), we highly recommend hiring a guide whether you want to experience glacier trekking/ice climbing/etc once, or you want to learn how to explore them for yourself. We learned through @exitglacierguides last summer and had an amazing experience! Lastly, our friends asked that we not share any specifics about where this adventure took place so we will be respecting their wishes.🤍 From what I’ve read, one of the best places to experience ice caves is Iceland or near Juneau, AK in winter and early spring when they are most stable. Guided tours are a great option (all seasons, anywhere, for any activity 😜) because they usually provide all the gear you need and can teach you so much no matter what your experience level is!
AUGUST 22, 2020 | ALASKA
We woke up pretty unmotivated this morning after two big work days, but we might not come back to this glacier this season and there was one last area we really wanted to check out. Needless to say, I’m glad we went for it 🤯
I’m completely exhausted and haven’t even really processed how rad this was quite yet, but holy cow. The moment I got on the water, I teared up and knew this was one of my favorite things I’ve ever done. The blue hole was pretty straightforward (although so spooky because glaciers are always shifting, so being on a deep pool on a glacier is interesting). But the canyon was a fun puzzle. The current was stronger than we expected and it was way too narrow to paddle. We had no idea what was around the corner...a waterfall drop? water pouring into the canyon? I brought an axe to help maneuver, and Callen put me on belay with a tag line so he could pull me back if it got too strong to get back on my own. It was so exciting turning the corners...anyone who has hiked in a slot canyon knows the feeling. I could have gone for hours but the relatively short tag line adventure was absolutely incredible, and much safer :) mega.
I took a lot of photos with the big camera too, can’t wait to go through them! I think I need to do another glacier/desert comparison post after this one 😎🧊🏜
AUGUST 23, 2020 | ALASKA
This was one of those really rare times when a whole handful of my favorite things came together for one glorious adventure. I would do this a thousand more times if I could. I hope I get to.
We almost bailed, almost talked ourselves into a day off...a day to just chill out (no worries, we’re doing exactly that today 😉), we were almost too tired and too sore and not psyched. After we packed up we almost forgot the pump for the boat, we almost didn’t find the route, almost didn’t find the canyon among the endless white fins of the glacier. This quest was a slog and my $30 used mountaineering boots from the 90s that I picked up last summer are really wearing on my ankles. But we know our time in Alaska is limited, and we know these glaciers change every year, and this canyon could be gone or flooded or inaccessible tomorrow.
I can barely get myself to think too much on it right now...but these places are disappearing, every feature and canyon and cave and climb made of ice is fleeting, always changing. And it’s impossible for me to spend so much time here without realizing it’s mortality.
So for deep reasons and surface level reasons and everything in between, I’m glad we went out yesterday. And I’m thankful for this place, and the massive privilege of our job that required us to be here, and all the things that led to this lil moment floating in my boat through a deep slot canyon in the middle of a glacier in Alaska 💙
OCTOBER 11, 2020 | VIA MOAB, UTAH
I have an aunt & uncle who are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met. They are welcoming and loving, and anyone who knows them knows their character is made of gold. They have a wall in their house with photos of their children, and many others they’ve loved like their own, and we’ve been lucky enough to feel like their kiddos at times too. They’ve taken us in when we hadn’t showered for days and were exhausted after busy weeks of work or long stints of camping, they’ve given us a safe place when we were sick or tired or both. They’ve given advice and delicious dinners and too many favors to count, and I know I can rely on them through thick and thin.
They’ve also done an amazing job at setting boundaries, and making sure we know when they’re tired, or busy, or just need space. They’ve even taken the time to have uncomfortable conversations when Charlie was making their lives difficult and we needed to step up and do a better job. I grew up admiring their kindness and their always-open door to vagabonds and ragamuffins, their ability to connect with literally anyone, and their strong long-lasting friendships. But as I get older, and I model my own life after the things I’ve admired in theirs, I’ve also learned to look up to their boundaries. Their deep allegiance to their family. Their ability to always save time and priority for each other above all other kindness to others.
I admire how they know that they cannot actually welcome anyone if they aren’t taking care of themselves. I deeply admire the times they’ve said no. Or, not right now. Or, can you do a better job of vacuuming the pillows after Charlie is here? 🙃 Because I know they never set these boundaries to limit me, or anyone else they care for. I know they set these boundaries to protect themselves, and to keep their mission in life sustainable.
Burn out is real in everything we do. If you’re pouring too much of yourself into someone who isn’t respecting your own need to be cared for, know that it’s ok to stop pouring. Otherwise you’ll be empty in no time, and then you won’t be able to care for anyone, even yourself.
OCTOBER 28, 2020 | YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Cal took this photo a few days ago. My usual routine is to edit myself out, but I kept a few copies like this for myself this time. We all experience a lot of ‘lasts’ in our lives and most of them we don’t know it until later. But some rare times, we get to know. We get to soak in the last time we do something that was a regular thing for us.
For some reasons within our control and some outside of it, I can pretty confidently say that yesterday was the last time we will photograph a couple at Taft Point. The last high season Yosemite elopement in our schedules, as we’ve known them, at least for now. We’ve hiked this trail with a couple by our side near 50 times in the past 4 years. From J&S in 2016 to C&H last night, we’ve genuinely loved every single one of them. It’s been an incredible “commute” and the experience of seeing this place with new people each day has been one I won’t ever forget. I *still* can’t believe how big and mighty El Cap looks from here.
I feel mixed emotions. But overall, I feel peace about choosing to stop something good before burnout turns it sour. I love Yosemite deeply and did before ‘elopement’ was in my vocabulary, and my big fear of this job has been the idea that it’d feel more like a place of work than a place of spiritual peace. This month and a few times prior we’ve skirted that line, and after years of talking about it, we’ve decided we will stop shooting here in high season for the foreseeable future. We’ll still come here, but we’ll spend more time in climbing shoes than camera holsters. More time with our friend community than our work. And maybe the future will be different, but for now, we are thankful for four amazing years cutting our teeth as photographers in this valley. And we are thankful for the new horizons in our work.
This has been a year of change, of endings, of lasts. But I’ve learned that when possible, I want my endings to be because I love where I’m headed, not because I hate what I’m leaving. I want to make choices out of hope for what is ahead, not out a desire to escape. This is one of those choices. I am grateful to look back and see joy, fulfillment, and love, and to look forward to the same ❤️
NOVEMBER 1, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
I’ve had a pretty luke-warm relationship with climbing that comes and goes depending on where we are, the season, and how busy I am with work stuff, but nothing has made me love climbing more than sandstone cracks. I don’t know what it is, but something about being able to wedge my hand, arm, elbow, knee, or whatever necessary to feel secure between two pieces of rock is just really really satisfying. The first time I ever tried it was when we were actually photographing a crack climbing clinic in Indian Creek a few years ago, and everyone talked me into trying one of the routes. It was foreign and weird and super confusing. But after a while it clicked for me and it’s been my favorite climbing style since. I’m not very good, can’t spray any special numbers, and I have massively failed at my goal of getting comfortable leading this year (I’ll blame Covid but mainly it’s just fear and laziness) but I love that crack climbing feels way less about impressing anyone and a lot more about just having fun. I love it for the adventure. I love the feeling of being on a tower summit that I fought my way up to.
I love that two days ago I was enjoying some alone time on a spontaneous hike a few minutes from my house and I saw a crack that looked like the perfect size, so I came back the next day with shoes and a chalk bag and climbed a section of it to a little ledge and walked off. Nothing special, just simple, challenging, and extremely satisfying. I love that it was scarier than I expected but I did it anyway because I knew I could.
As someone who has never felt particularly athletic, strong, or skilled at anything physical growing up, I love that I’m finding those things inside of me in my twenties and not letting seasons of fear or less stoke mean I can’t have really good seasons too. I don’t want to jinx it, but that isn’t a real thing so, I am hoping this little adventure and this little bit of stoke is a sign of what this season has ahead of me. After such a tumultuous year, and even a time that I questioned if I wanted to still call this place home, I’m so thankful to be back in the desert with a solid reminder of what made me love it in the first place.
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
Favorite guy, favorite dog, and favorite month in our favorite place. 100 Novembers in Moab with these two wouldn’t be near enough but we’re 5 deep and every single one has been the best yet. I feel so lucky ❤️🏜 Thank you for the family photo & the epic day @britt.in.wanderland!
DECEMBER 10, 2020 | MOAB, UTAH
not a lot going on at the moment
•
•
•
I braid my hair & wear this wool coat almost every day, but for some reason today it hit a little different...happy bi-annual Taylor Swift day, y’all know I couldn’t resist this one 😉 my tear ducts are all warmed up just in time for #Evermore @taylorswift
-
(second photo cred: @bethgarrabrant)
DECEMBER 20, 2020 | BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
We always said we were done with shooting weddings in Texas...unless someone was down for Big Bend. This park is the first place we backpacked together, the first place I learned to love hiking, the first place that showed us how beautiful the desert really is. In a lot of ways, it was the first major stepping stone to the life we’re living now and it’s always so special to come back here.
Two Decembers ago I got this tattoo of two ocotillos and a century tree (the classic Big Bend plants) on the back of my arm to represent this first desert we fell in love with. Today we scouted for an elopement we’re shooting here this week and fell even more in love with this lovely, wacky little corner of Texas so far from the rest of Texas it might as well be a different state 🙃 swipe to see some throwbacks of baby abbi & cal learning to love the desert!
DECEMBER 24, 2020 | VIA MOAB, UTAH
We’ve wrapped up our work for the year & naturally I’ve begun reflecting on the lessons learned, the bad days, the good days, the buried trauma, the broken relationships, the losses and gains...this year was dynamic, carrying some of the lowest lows and highest highs. In some ways it felt like an obstacle course at an unsustainable speed, every time I felt like I couldn’t continue, another harder and scarier thing was in front of me. I’m sitting here now, seemingly catching my breath, and still remembering and reflecting on events from months ago that I hadn’t realized were still hurting me.
To be candid, I have never questioned myself so much as I have this year. I have never experienced such inner turmoil over my own decisions, such grief over my own shortcomings. When processing this with friends I’ve learned I’m not alone in that. Thank God for friends...I truly don’t know where I’d be right now without Callen, and without the friends who answered my phone calls out of the blue, processed my long texts, held my hand when there were no possible words, asked about my family, asked about my well being. If I’ve learned any lesson this year, it’s that we can’t do any of this alone. And that none of us are immune to deep sadness. And that we will continue to make mistakes but usually the self-punishment is not just, or helpful.
I think I came into this year with a unique perspective, having experienced the world-shattering grief of my dad’s brain cancer in 2018 (and still), and the recent tragic losses of two friends that were too young to die in freak accidents within a few months of each other. These experiences have shaped me, and in many ways they inform a lot of my pursuits and choices when I consider the world around me, the unknown in my own life, and the way I hope to spend these years whether I’m given 27 or 105 of them.
I still have a lot to process, I believe we will all be processing the grief of this year for a very long time. But for now, I am counting my reasons to be grateful; starting with how grateful I am to be alive, to be loved well, and to love who I am. Every year I get to end with at least those things, I know I’ll be ok.
…
The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US. You can typically find them in Moab, Utah or Yosemite National Park, California, with side-quests to wild places like Patagonia, Alaska, or the Swiss Alps. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.
…