Tanzania

An Odyssey of A Lifetime

I've dreamed of visiting Africa since I was very young. Lions adorned my bookbags, bedroom, and t-shirts. I was a toddler obsessed. But Africa felt too far and too difficult for a boy to even fathom how he'd get there.

The obsession never went away, and that boy became a man in love. My now-wife and I talked about having our honeymoon in Africa the whole 10 years we dated, almost as a joke. Then, one wedding later, we suddenly had plane tickets to Tanzania's Northern Circuit. That little boy's dream was finally real.

We experienced the magic of this place for ourselves, surrounded by creatures I've loved since childhood.

Ngorongoro Crater

Our first stop was at one of Africa's Natural Wonders. Here, I met a lion named Sam, who took my heart. He and his brother walked right in front of our safari vehicle, and showcased incredible manes and a collection of scars that tell a tale of a long, difficult reign over the crater.

Serengeti National Park

The motto of the park is "Serengeti Shall Not Die." It signals the resolve of this enormous swath of land. Larger than man's ability to conquer it. It is a land that belongs to the animals that have made home here for millions of years.

My wife and I spent 4 days in the park, and barely scratched the surface.

The Mountain Lion

My White Whale

Years of attempting to find this wild cat ended up fruitless. My favorite animal on this planet. It's elusiveness ignited a drive for discovery, and every time I ventured beyond Great Plains - no matter what else I was there for - my mission was to cross paths with the Ghost Cat.

These photos represent the first time I came face to face with this magnificent predator in the wild. They were taken while the cats were treed by dogs training for future DNR collaring missions in western Montana.

One day, perhaps, I'll catch a tail slipping into the brush on a cold Rocky Mountain evening, feeling as though the wind of the wild brought our paths together. But for now, I'll appreciate this brief pocket of time I got to spend with the most beautiful creature in North America.