GOOD TIMES JOURNAL // PHOTO SERIES 014 // NATHANIEL MARTIN

Nathaniel Martin is an adventure photographer and social ambassador based out of Vancouver, Canada.

As far back as I can remember I’ve always been a person who thrives on spontaneity. That’s why I love when opportunities like this one come around. My friend Tyler phoned me up mid October to plan a three week road trip down the West coast. I learned a couple lessons this trip, one of the most evident being that November isn’t necessarily the best time to camp. Despite all the rain, short days and other obstacles we ran into this was an amazing trip. I feel like it’s always the adversity and challenges that make the trip an adventure.

Tyler and I spent a few days trekking down through Washington and Oregon. We visited Cape Flattery, Cape Kiwanda and Cannon Beach, stopping leisurely along the 101 to camp and shoot. One of my favourite nights on that leg of the trip was camping near Brookings. We set up our tent on the tip of a sea stack right on the ocean. That night I did some long exposures and was surprised to see that the moon was casting a rainbow over the water.

The last few days of the trip were by far the most noteworthy. Tyler and I had deliberated over a few different locations and wound up driving to Leavenworth on a whim to hike to Colchuck Lake. It’s about a four hour hike in, but we had plans to ascend into the Enchantments, a range of mountains known for their beautiful lakes and vistas. After making the hard climb up Aasgard Pass we arrived at the Enchantment trailhead only to be met by a blinding fog. Thankfully it let up before sundown and we witnessed a truly stunning sunset. What we didn’t know then is that we  had lost our way on the trail. We pieced it together the next day and ended up bushwalking our entire way out. What was supposed to be a four hour hike turned into a fourteen hour long slog before finally arriving at a road and hitchhiking back to the truck.

Needless to say we were both pretty happy to have gotten out safe and sound. That hike taught us both more about the respect that the great outdoors demands. It was an epic end to a fun trip and I’m glad that it happened. Moments like these are where great friendships and strong connections are forged. I can’t wait to revisit the Enchantments in the coming months and make some new stories, until then #keepitwild.