Photos-By-Location

The Ramparts of the Canadian Rockies and Amethyst Lake - Hiked 13 miles to get this photo

Benefits of getting away from technology 

Getting into the Outdoors and Nature

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Mental Health Benefits

• Reduced stress and anxiety 

Time in natural settings lowers cortisol levels and helps calm the nervous system.

• Improved focus and creativity 

Being in nature restores the ability to focus and enhances problem-solving and creativity compared to prolonged screen time.

• Mood boost 

Being outdoors and observing plants and wildlife elevates mood, decrease symptoms of depression, and fosters a greater sense of well-being.

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 Physical Health Benefits

• Exercise and movement 

Walking, hiking, and paddling in nature are low-impact and are excellent cardiovascular exercises thus improving the cardiovascular system.

• Better sleep

Fresh air, natural light, and exercise resets the sleep/wake cycle, leading to deeper, more restful sleep.

• Boosted immunity 

Fresh air, sunlight, and contact with nature supports overall health and supports a stronger immune system. 

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Cognitive & Emotional Reset

• Digital detox

Disconnecting from screens helps reduce information overload, mental fatigue, and feelings of restfulness.

• Mindfulness and presence

Observing wildlife and natural landscapes encourages living in the moment and heightens awareness.  Quiet fascination while watching clouds drift, the sun set, or wildlife creates a sense of calmness and peace.

• Resilience and perspective

Facing outdoor challenges, paddling a canoe, hiking, building a fire, navigating trails, and cooking food in the outdoors builds confidence and patience.

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Connection to Nature

• Environmental appreciation: 

Spending time outdoors nurtures respect and stewardship for natural ecosystems.

• Sense of awe: 

Observing wildlife and contemplating Earth's magnificent landscapes inspires wonder, which has been linked to improved happiness and reduced self-focus.  

There is nothing more awe inspiring than getting away from city lights and seeing the multitude of stars and the edge of Milky Way Galaxy, and contemplating the vast size and majesty the Universe.

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Keeping Food Away From Bears

Satellite Based Emergency Rescue Devices

Satellite based GPS location and rescue devices.   Let your family know where you are.  

Protection From Bears

Cold Water Kills 

Camping Gear

Not shown food or extra clothing 

Staying Safe in the Outdoors:

Stay Warm - have spare dry clothes (dry socks for night)

Stay Dry - have rain gear available

Stay Found 

know where you are on the map 

know major peaks and landmarks when hiking, know islands and bays when paddling

try to follow trails - bush whacking thru thick growth can turn you around 

know how to use a compass - know the magnetic declination for the area you are in 

Stay with your Food and Gear 

Stay Hydrated 

Especially in hot weather or if water sources are scarce

In cold weather eat hot food and have hot drinks

Stay away from steep ledges and rough terrain

Be careful crossing large streams - cross at braided channels

Stay Together

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*** All photos are from John Rust ***  

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Denali National Park

Story: Reading from notes.  (Tent/napping/grizzly digging roots/approach/flare nostrils)

Alaska Range - Late Winter 

Alaska Range - Fall. 

Denali the highest Mountain in North America.   Peeking above the clouds.  

Denali -  "The High One" in the Athabaskan language.   

Tent Beacon - day hikes, find camp again.  

Wolf or Grizzly Den

Arctic Ground Squirrel 

Down in the valley you might see dark shape lumbering along - that would be grizzly!

 Or you might see 12 caribou in the valley below - trotting along. 

Does anyone know what this is? 

Grizzly churning up the tundra.  Digging roots and tubers or trying to get an arctic ground squirrel. 

Well fed - eat mostly grass, roots, berries, carrion, or occasional young caribou.  (few salmon in Denali)

Female and young Dall Sheep

Much of the ground in Denali is frozen permafrost. 
Water collects on the surface in the summer time when the surface melts. 

Because of melting permafrost, the 90 mile long gravel road in Denali is blocked off at mile 45.  Melting permafrost caused the side of a mountain to slump downward, destroying the road.  

They are building a bridge over the slumping mountain side to reopen the road - summer 2026. 

River bottom flooded.  Had to move the tent to higher ground.   Food storage - blue object. 

Calico Creek River valley. 

Stalking a caribou with a camera.   

Hiding behind a huge boulder the size of a house, I snuck up on the caribou, then crawled low thru alder brush to get this photo.   
Caribou disappeared into river valley down the otherside of the hill.  

Canada Lynx kitten prancing across paved road.  First time it had encountered a paved road.  Didn't want to touch the road.  

Ptarmigan - later winter/early spring plumage.  Perfect blending in - April time frame. 

Grizzly mother and two cubs approached my tent.   Hey there, Hey there!!!!

Calico Creek. 

Stalking a caribou with a camera in April, crawling thru brush and over snow.  

Reading a book in a river valley. 
Heard rocks tumbling behind my back.  Surprised to see this mother grizzly and two cubs.
Had to scramble quickly to get away.
When they got to my position on the valley floor the mother bear looked at me and went the other direction.  

What is the elevation of the mountain called Denali?

A)  10,736  feet

B)  12,306 feet

C) 17,776 feet

D) 20,320 feet

E) 29,032 feet

F) 249,361 feet

Yellowstone National Park 

Story: Winter camping - Cache Creek - Wolf outside of tent - growling - sniveling - whining.  Howling to another wolf nearby. 
Stood up.  

Best Place to see Wolves in the Wild - Lamar Valley Road (open even in Winter)

Lamar Valley - road open in the winter time. The best place in the world to see wild wolves!

Camp site up Slough Creek - looking for wolves.  

Soda Butte Creek. 

Elk kill.   Maybe a cougar was ambushing elk as they crossed Slough Creek. Cliffs nearby.  Several elk sculls and antlers nearby.  

Lamar River - Lamar Valley in Snow Storm.  

On Top of Specimen Ridge - Crystal Creek Watershed.  Fossilized Tree.  There are Redwood trees fossilized here. 

Shrimp Lake Pack - 6 wolves.  Soda Butte Creek. 

Pine Marten - Sitting quietly in the wilderness. 

Pronghorn Antelope - Soda Butte Valley.  2nd fastest land animal on Earth.  

Bison.  Long shaggy coat keeps it warm in the wintertime.  

Making Lunch. 

Wolf trotting by my tent.  

Ermine or Least weasel  - Winter coat.  Summertime they are brown.  

Coyote jumping up and diving into snow - getting a mouse or vole under the snow. 

At dusk, up on a hillside of Mt Norris, minding my own business looking for wildlife with a scope. 

Bison approaches and stares at me for 5 minutes - wondering what I am doing there... 

Big horn ram. 

Shrimp Lake Pack. 

Grizzlies are making a comeback in the Western US. Expanding out onto the Great Plains where Lewis and Clark encountered them 

Hiking around a grizzly with pepper spray out and my thumb on the trigger.  

Fox up on top of specimen ridge. 

What kind of Bears live in Yellowstone?

A) Black Bears

B) Polar Bears

C) Panda Bears

D) Koala Bears

E) Grizzly Bears

F) Teddy Bears

Katmai National Park

Story:  Flooded Savonoski River - tipping kayak - losing paddle - low on food - GPS lat long - backtracking 20 miles - welfare check 

Folding Kayak.  For easy transportation in a bush plane.    Travelled to Alaska, Canada, Costa Rice. 
Man-O-War jelly fish - long blue stinging tentacle on my arm - Costa Rica. 

Camp along American Creek - Katmai National Park. 

I thought I was alone.... Grass swishing back and forth.  Brown Bear walks by tent - 10 feet away. 
Standing with pepper spray ready.  

Arctic Lupine.   Low on food, losing weight.  Dizzy. 
Tempted to eat the pea pods, but they are toxic.  

Brown bear snorkeling for salmon.  
Listen for large other brown bears nearby.  

Brown Bear caught a salmon.  

Common mergansers.  When frightened - they can run across the waters surface. 

Paddling upstream - exploring American Creek.  
Don't paddle too close to shore! 

Monk's hood - Contains Aconitine - extremely poisonous.

Used by people of the North Pacific on spear tips.
Dip spear tips in roots ground up.  for hunting whale or walrus.
Aconitine is 10 times more poisonous than strychnine.  

Black-backed woodpecker - Thrive in forests affected by spruce bark beetles and wildfires. 

Canada Lynx - Grosvenor River. 
Was not frightened by my presence.  

Large Brown bear in Water - near campsite - American Creek.  

Paddling on Coleville Lake.  

Met this large Brown bear fishing for Salmon on American Creek. 
Thought about paddling around it, and exploring up American Creek. 
But if it moved into the middle of the creek, the path coming back would have been blocked.
Didn't want to get into a tense situation.  

Campsite on the Illiuk Arm of Naknek Lake. 

Saw Raven perched on a branch near shore.   Paddled closer. 
Not a branch but an antler of a moose, with a dead moose submerged in the water. 
Bears protect their food. Back-paddled quickly. 
Look up the side oft he hill.  Brown bear sleeping 30 feet up the hillside. 

Tundra swans or Trumpeter swans - not sure which kind - Savonoski River.  

Large Alaskan Brown bear sleeping in the woods on the soft moss.     Near Brooks Lake. 
DO NOT DISTRUB!!!

How many Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears live in Katmai National Park?

A) 200

B) 500

C) 1,000

D) 2,000

E) 50,000

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

The BWCA is the most visited Wilderness in the United States. 
Winter Trek route thru the Boundary Waters. 
Snow shoeing from one frozen lake to another frozen lake.  

Beautiful Island in the BWCA - Winter Time. 

White pines on a beautiful island in the Boundary Waters. 
The BWCA has clean - pristine waters. 

Seagull Lake. The beauty of snowshoeing across a frozen lake in the wilderness!

Camping on Seagull Lake.  

Canoeing in a rainstorm. 

White pines 

Picher Plants digest insects that fall into the digestive acid in the bottom of the plant. 

Tink - Tink - Tink.  Wake up. 
Red fox licking the frozen food drippings on the side of the cooking pots.
How does such a little animal know hot to survive -40 degrees in the winter time. 
I would die of starvation or freeze to death without my equipment. 
Second Fox shows up.
Wolves howl in the distance. 
Red foxes look into the deep forest concerned about the wolves howling.  

Anyone know what animal this is?  

Beaver.

Merganser on the ice. 

Snowshoeing in a snowstorm on Lake Saganaga. 

Dropped my Map.  Had to backtrack a couple miles over a portage to find it!

How many Lakes are there in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area?  (approx) 

A) ~100

B) ~200

C) ~500

D) ~1,000

E) ~10,000

Tigers in India have doubled in number in the last 15 years. 

 Story:
Hiking 25 miles hiking in tiger territory - and camping three nights.   

During the hike - encounter fresh tiger scat, tiger tracks, scrape marks. 

Walking towards tent - but walking past the tent. Get away from my nature guides. 

Along river sandy river bottom  - find tiger tracks in the sand. 

I've seen tiger chase down prey.  They are very fast!  They will often attack from behind.  

The hairs on the back of my head stood up.   

The fear was very palatable and real.  Being alone and vulnerable. 

I have three grand children I want to see grow up.   Went back to tent. 

Walking along the sandy river bottom.   Feel very vulnerable.  

There could be a tiger just to the left or right side on the river bank.  

Asian Elephants and Spotted deer in Jim Corbett National Park.  

Giant walking stick - insect - Satpura National Park.  

Giant squirrels - twice as big as any squirrel in the US.  

What are these? 

Bee hives.  

Spotted deer -  Chital. 
Unlike North American deer, the adults retain their spots.   Tiger prey.  

Sambar deer. About the size of elk in the US.  Tiger prey.  

Hiking in tiger country.   Tiger tracks.   Large Paw print 

Early morning dominant tiger prowling for prey.  

Young tiger in the grass - Jim Corbett National Park.  

Canoeing - looking for tigers near Satpura National Park.  Very fun! 
Marsh crocodile.
Marsh crocodiles are not quite as large as Nile crocodiles or Salt water crocodiles.
Marsh crocodile not as aggressive as Nile or Salt water crocodiles, but still have to be careful.  

Mother tiger.  Cubs nearby but not shown.  

Langur monkey and young. 
Stay in treetops when tigers or leopards are nearby. 
Have a warning call like a short <<cough>>.
More exicted warning call when a leopard is nearby. 
That is because leopards may climb trees and eat them.  

Three leopards spotted near a pond.  Got this picture as they merged back into the forest.  

Bassanti - 86 years old - used to lived in a village in the jungle in the Himilyan Foot hills.
The village was surrounded by tigers, elephants, and leopards.
She has 5 children that live around the world. 
The village and the villagers were moved outside of the jungle.
Bassanti  now lives in Dhela village - that is where I met her. 

After the villagers moved outside of the jungle, they have access to education and healthcare.  Tigers have more protection. 

A single tiger killed 6 people from one village - Sunderkhal  - near Jim Corbett National Park. (2011)
The Sunderkhal village is in a wildlife corridor and may be relocated due to conflicts with wildlife.

Another tiger killed 13 people near the Mendha-Mal village  - Sindewahi Forest Range . Near Tadoba Tiger Reserve. (2018)
Tigers kill 50 People/year in India.  

Malabar pied hornbill - Satpura National Park, India. 
The female lays  2-3 eggs in a nest inside a tree cavity.
While the female incubates the eggs, the male using  mud and fruit pulp closes access to the nest, leaving a small hole.  
The male brings food and inserts it into the hole for the female and the chicks. 

Tiger - right before it charges - evening in Satpura.  Phot has been enhanced to brighted it up.  

Drool dripping down on either side of its jaw when it opened its mouth
I thought it was drool - but I was mistaken! 
Those where the fangs glistening off the moonlight.  

Common King Fisher.  

We have Belted Kingfishers in North America.

What is this? Not a coyote.  

Asian Jackal - or Golden Jackal

Crested hawk-eagle - Satpura National Park - India.  

Malani Forest Rest House.  Very simple accommodations (not the Hilton). Has electric fence around it.  
Tiger walking nearby roared are night outside the electric fence.  

Tiger in the evening that would roar and prowl around the Malani Forest Rest House.  Photo captured in low light.

Tiger - front paw is huge.  Pench National Park, India

Nilgai or Blue Bull - Very cool antelope.   Largest antelope in Asia. 

Dhole - Asiatic Wild Dog.  More rare than tigers!  Only about 2000 left on earth. 

Spotted Owlet - Satpura National Park 

Gaur - Satpura National Park - larger than an American Bison. 

Largest bovid species .  Males can weigh up to 3000+ pounds.  

Unlike bison which have thick fur to keep them warm in the wintertime -
The gaur has very fine short hair because it lives in a hot climate.
I watched a tiger try to kill a gaur.  It just kind-of shrugged the tiger off its back. 

Crested Serpent Eagle 

Night time tour - see two eyes glowing in the dark ahead on the road.   

Looking for the larget feline predator on earth - instead found the smallest one on earth. 

Rusty- spotted cat - Satpura - India.  Much smaller than a house cat.  Weighs only 2 - 4 pounds.  

Sloth bear.  Very dangerous.  They are very aggressive because they have to protect themselves and their cubs from tigers and leopards.
They have large claws for digging into termite mounds.  

Wild boar.  - Tiger prey. 

Wooly Necked Stork

How many tigers live in India? (approx)

A) ~100

B) ~500

C) ~1,000

D) ~3,500

E) ~10,000

For more information about
these and other places see:

Thank You!!!