The group is awake and packed by 5:30AM (some with more prodding than others) for what will be our toughest climbing day. We will spend just over ten hours on the trail and cover 15 miles crossing the Salkantay Pass at 15,100 feet.

Fatigue from traversing the endless switchbacks gives way to exuberance as we reach the rock strewn pass with phenomenal views in all directions.

Our guide, Willie, takes pictures of the group as we briefly rest at the highest elevation on our trek.

Now the toughest part of the trek begins for me, the descent. I find going down far more difficult because of the impact on my knees, and I break out my trekking poles to help absorb some of the strain. I have managed to keep pace with the youngsters as we climb, but will be last into camp every day that we descend. Around 1PM, we reach Huayracmachay, where we pause for lunch and rest.

Every few hours along the trail, one can find a tiny little shack where the local farmers add to their income by selling bottled water, sodas, and snacks. They are welcome waypoints, and the group is always happy to take a break from the climbing.

Following the group all day is Taylor, the cute little dog owned by the tender of the horse carrying my photo gear. (S)he is very careful not to get underfoot and has been a great traveling companion who can be counted on to pick the easiest path through mud and water. We arrive at our camp in Chaullay with the last light of the day and enjoy a well-earned dinner by candlelight. Each tent holds two people, but as the eleventh member of the group and the one with the most stuff (read camera gear), I am afforded single occupancy.

At 4:45AM I am shuttled from my hostel to the center of town where a small bus (van) is waiting to take my trekking group to the starting point of our climb in the town of Mollepata. With each sharp right or left hand turn (of which there are many) the front tires rub on their fender wells under the weight of 12 passengers and all their gear (strapped to the roof). I was sure one of the tires would burst just as we rounded a cliff edged curve and found it hard to relax during the two hour drive. To my surprise, we arrive without incident. We sat down for breakfast during which I meet the other members of our trekking group. There is one unmarried couple in transition from Dublin to Barcelona who have been travelling through India and New Zealand, two Israeli soldiers who have just completed their military service and have been travelling through South America for months, 2 Spanish speaking women travelling together (did not get to know them too well because of the language barrier), a woman from Atlanta and one from California travelling alone through South America for months and doing charity work, a man from Manchester, England fresh off a trek in Nepal and a man from North Dakota who had just completed 4 years living in China. Of the ten, none are married, have children, or a job and the average age is less than half of mine. Each one to be admired for their journeys and acts of service. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb the group embraced me from the first minute and this would become my family for the next four days.

We climb for 7-8 hours today, covering a distance of about 11 miles. I have hired a horse to carry my photo gear (the best money I have ever spent) and can access my tripod, lenses, and gear as needed. As we climb progressively higher, the lush vegetation and fields give way to a more rocky terrain, and the temperature drops noticeably with each hour of ascent. Soon we can see the glaciers which cling to the mountain tops, creating for me a nice motivational target for the ongoing ascent.

We break for lunch at about 1 PM, enjoying tea, soup, and chicken with rice. Despite my diet, I eat everything in sight to help sustain my energy. Having come from sea level just 2 days earlier, I am being very careful to control my climbing pace. So far, no problem keeping pace with the youngsters as we spend the afternoon climbing to our campsite at Soray Pampa (8,600 feet). Our campsite has a shelter constructed of tarps over a wood pole frame, which provides shelter from wind and rain for both our tents and our dining area. With the sun rapidly setting, we get an up-close view of the Salkantay glacier, which we will climb past tomorrow.

Sleep comes quickly for me in the sub-zero temperatures, but with the lack of adequate padding, I found myself awake just a few hours later and had to settle for closed-eye resting in place of more sleep.

After a nice breakfast and brisk walk through a park adjacent to my hotel, I head back to the airport for a flight to Cusco. As my plane taxis away from the gate I notice a massive plume of smoke from a fire or explosion. I was never able to learn the cause but was grateful that my plane was already off the gate when it happened.

On arrival in Cusco my first priority was to connect with a trekking company. Jeanine made me promise that I would not climb alone and I quickly made arrangements for a 4 day, 3 night trek over the Salkantay Pass leaving very early the next morning. Next I hired a driver and guide to take me on a tour of the Sacred Valley for the remainder of the day. Before heading off I snapped a couple of pictures in Cusco.

The ruins at Chinchero are our first stop. The superb stonework of the terraced walls and mountainside food repositories reveal the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the Incan people.

We then move on to Ollantaytambo. During the Inca Empire, it was the royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti who conquered the region, built the town and a ceremonial center. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru it served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance.

As night time arrives we make the long drive back to Cusco where I do a little more photography before finding a nice restaurant for dinner. In the process of making the last photo here (shot from inside the restaurant) of the Plaza de Armas, I met a gentleman from Lyon, France who was also dining alone. During the ensuing conversation we discovered we shared a great deal in common and we parted by sharing invitations to visit each others homes. I arrived at my hostel by 8PM just in time to meet a representative from the trekking company to receive an orientation for the climbing to begin tomorrow.

My journey to Peru begins at 4AM this morning. I drive myself to the airport where I take a flight to Chicago, then Houston, and finally on to Lima, arriving at 10:30PM. I reach my hotel in the San Isidro district by midnight and am soon fast asleep. No opportunity for photos today.

Last week I happened upon a picture of Machu Picchu and decided it would be the destination for my next solo trekking adventure. After some quick research I determined that this week would be a perfect time to make the journey as the rainy season is mostly over and winter and the main tourist season has not yet arrived. My frequent flyer miles got me as far as Lima and I will complete the journey using a domestic air carrier, a train, a bus, and three days worth of trekking over the 15,000 foot Salkantay Pass to reach this mystical lost Incan city. I am taking a 50L pack for the trekking as well as a 25L day pack and my camera which weigh in at just over 40 pounds which is a comfortable load for me these days. I will return on May 10th and will not post again until then at which time I hope to have returned with my own Peruvian treasure trove of images. Jeanine has made me promise I will not climb alone and I will make arrangements to join up with a trekking group when I arrive in Cusco.

This morning I carpooled with teammates to Medway where we secured first place standing in our over 50 soccer league with a narrow win. With five minutes left in the match I scored the only goal of the contest. It was neither pretty nor well struck but did manage to squirm past the keeper for the win. Later in the afternoon I went for a 90 minute walk and was fortunate to capture this image in which my subject was not busy grazing as has been the case in most of my past attempts to photograph horses.

My efforts to lose some weight are really starting to pay off. I am more than half way to my goal of 20 pounds. Normally Jeanine is the one who has to coax me into taking a walk with her. Today the roles were reversed as I was looking to get in an hour of exercise and she was spent from studying for her upcoming finals. Concord is full of secret paths through the woods and Jeanine knows them all. The weather was perfect and all the trees are beginning to bloom. Just a lovely evening for a stroll.

Jeanine and Maya enjoyed watching the royal wedding of Kate and William this morning. They decided to dress for the occasion and turned the event into a party. I will admit to watching as well. All I can say is that the English really know how to do a royal affair and that their men know nothing of how to kiss a woman.

In an effort to lose 20 pounds I have been exercising for at least an hour a day for the past two weeks. Today on an extended walk near our home I encountered a rafter of wild turkeys including this strutting male. With some patience I was able to approach to within 10 feet for this shot. Low light levels translated to a slow shutter speed and hence it is not quite as sharp as I would have liked.

Yesterday, iRobot stock reached an all time high and the company reached a market capitalization of one billion dollars. The occasion was celebrated with a champagne toast and words from our CEO and co-founder. Closing at over $38 per share the stock price has made quite a run from $14 which is where it was on my first day with the company just over a year ago. Many factors have contributed to this success including the efforts of my team which have steadily worked to improve product quality while introducing a pair of exciting new products.

Featured today is a pair of photos with an artistic flair taken by Nicolai while in El Salvador. As was the case when he first defeated me in chess as a kindergartener, Nicolai has once again surpassed his teacher.

This week I will be featuring photos taken by Nicolai while on his El Salvador service project last week. Today the focus will be on portraits. Admittedly, I am biased but I feel like these are quite exceptional.

Jeanine and Maya left early this morning for Burlington, VT where they will celebrate Easter and Jeanine’s sister’s birthday. Nico caught up on homework and posted his photos from the trip to El Salvador. I will be featuring some of them on the blog during the coming week. Kyle also used the day to complete homework and to do a quote for his Yard Dogs business. I had a morning soccer match which resulted in a very satisfying come from behind trouncing of Lexington by a margin of 4-1. We gave up a first half penalty kick but recovered nicely in the second half. I beat a bunch of defenders to score a nice left footer and also set up another goal with a diving header that rebounded off the post to one of my teammates for the tap in. After the game I took a new team photo, featured here. The boys and I enjoyed a very nice Easter dinner at Paparazzi’s.

We will be hosting a graduation party for Kyle and his friends Dave and Jamie on June 10th. The boys had fun posing for what I am calling their Brains & Brawn invitation.

Maya bagged her first 3000 foot summit today in fine form. We started climbing at 8am using the shortest and steepest White Dot trail reaching the 3165 foot peak by 10am. We enjoyed the views and a small snack for half an hour before starting our descent via the longer White Cross trail. Mount Monadnock is said to the the third most frequently climbed mountain in the world and we were rewarded for our early start by missing the throngs of climbers who we passed on the way down. For lunch we happened upon a local tavern which, according to Maya, make’s the best cheeseburgers in the world.

Timing our departure to take advantage of good weather Maya and I left mid afternoon for New Hampshire’s, Monadnock State Park. Setting up our two person tent took no time. Not so for building a fire. We used a flint and striker which proved a difficult method in light of recent rains and lack of dry tinder. Perseverance paid off and in under an hour we had a roaring fire to warm ourselves by in the sub-freezing temperatures. Our next priority was diner which included a fruit salad appetizer, followed by piping hot chicken noodle soup, with chocolate pudding and roasted marshmallows for dessert. Should Maya read this post in the distant future I will ask her to remember the world’s most perfectly cooked marshmallow that I prepared for her. Night time temperatures dipped into the mid twenties but we both stayed warm and toasty in our down sleeping bags.

We are receiving daily reports and photos from the leader of the church youth group to which Nico belongs describing daily events. Yesterday the group learned about the terrible 12-year civil war that traumatized the nation and took 75,000 lives during the 1990s from a veteran guerrilla fighter. They heard first hand accounts of the human rights atrocities committed by the military government which was funded by the United States. Today the group traveled by horse to the Guazapa region, a guerrilla stronghold during the war, where they saw the trenches and caves used by fighters for protection and housing. The region is essentially a mass cemetery where thousands of souls rest, many of their personal belongings still strewn about. A very sobering experience for everyone and a close up view of the realities of war. Nico was not sure he could ride a horse but apparently it was much harder to convince him to get off than on.

The weather has been very gray and wet for the past few days. I promised to take Maya camping this week (the kids are on spring break), and it looks like Friday and Saturday are going to be our best bet for dry conditions. This duck doesn’t seem to mind the weather conditions at all.

Celebrating Patriot’s Day in Concord is something that is taken quite seriously. Accurate reenactments, punctuated by cannon and rifle fire is just the beginning. Jeanine and I planned on an early walk at Great Meadows but instead followed these Red Coats as they marched from the town center over to the Old North Bridge.

My soccer game this morning produced a very satisfying 2-1 come from behind win over Wayland. I played for 80 minutes and had three shots hit the post. Oddly enough, I will be credited with a goal as I was the closest player to an opponent who scored an own goal (accidentally played the ball into his own net off a cross from one of our strikers).

Although the day started with short periods of rain, by afternoon the weather was just gorgeous. I got out for a few hours of photography and decided to find interesting subjects within a quarter of a mile of our home. This Weeping Willow captured my interest and I photographed a nice series of which this is my favorite.

Nico left yesterday for El Salvador where he will spend a week on a service project with his church youth group. We received word that all arrived without incident and were spending the day participating in Palm Sunday celebrations. I expect to post photos as soon as they become available.

With heavy rain in the forecast, Kyle and I decided to arrive early for Candidates Day at Villanova so that we could see the campus before the deluge arrived. Kyle remembered his way around and gave me the tour of this most beautiful campus.

The Villanova Business School was recently ranked 7th in the nation and after the presentations it became apparent why. The faculty is first rate, they make themselves entirely accessible to the students and the programs are highly experiential with significant ties to the business world. I was extremely impressed.

The formal programs ended by late afternoon and then Kyle connected with three other CCHS students who are considering Villanova to compare notes. Kyle really appreciated the academic excellence but felt that the school might be too conservative for him. Time will tell. The 6 hour drive home was grueling. We essentially followed a massive weather system up the Eastern seaboard and remained centered under its fury the entire way.

After Kyle finished school today, he and I drove to Villanova University, just outside of Philadelphia, so that we could attend their Candidates Day tomorrow. The journey took 6.5 hours with traffic but afforded me a nice opportunity to chat with Kyle about his college options. He has been accepted at several schools but has already narrowed the field to George Washington University, the University of Santa Clara Business School and the Villanova University Business School. He has about two weeks to make his final decision.

Before work this morning, in a plan to add exercise to my daily routine, I walked out to the Concord River where I was rewarded with this nice waterscape. In the evening I added 90 minutes of soccer practice. If I am going to compete at the level I want and have my knees hold up this season I am going to need to drop 15 pounds.

In keeping with the success and growth at iRobot we are in the process of upgrading the appearance of our “town hall” area where we congregate every other week for a “huddle” during which everyone in the division learns about the activities of one of our groups. This coffee table creates the illusion of an infinite path to our offices in China. I spent the day offsite in a Quarterly Business Review followed by a nice dinner with the team and then an indoor soccer match where I racked up two goals. A busy but highly successful day.

This little girl celebrated her 48th birthday with her family this evening at Paparazzi’s. She is all grown up now but has not lost touch with her inner child. She goes to school and plays for an hour every day. She has her very own dog and three other mammalian pets she cares for as well as a boyfriend who has loved her for more than half her life.

I left for work early today and stopped by the Great Meadows National Wildlife Reserve to do a little photography. I am not a birder per say but I do enjoy the challenge of photographing these amazing creatures which requires considerable patience and a bit of skill. Most satisfying, however, is the time spent immersed in nature as apposed to zooming by it. As I was leaving I came upon the pictured Great Blue Heron who was hunting for breakfast. I captured a great series of him catching fish and preening. Click on any photo for a more detailed view.

A disappointing start to my spring outdoor soccer season. Despite dominating play and possession (20 shots on goal to our opponents 2) we lost 1-0 on a penalty kick to Ashland. I played midfield and had three solid shots on goal, one a header that rebounded off the post, none that found the back of the net. I can guarantee we will beat this team in our next encounter but for today I will have to draw cheer from Maya’s Spring Dance Recital. She performed in both a jazz number and a ballet piece.

Maya’s day was chock full of activity. Her first outdoor soccer match of the season was followed by an indoor playoff match (in which she scored her team’s only goal) and then on to a dance recital rehearsal for both ballet and jazz. I was pleased to be her assigned chauffeur for the day and to watch as she demonstrated both her power and grace. In the first photo Maya duct tapes her shorts to her belly to prevent them from sliding off her slender waist. Not exactly the method I would have employed but further proof that Maya has a potential future in engineering. On the field Maya remains one tough cookie who refuses to yield to much larger opponents.

As I drove into work this morning I came across a family of four deer and was able to get close enough for a photo of the mother and one child. Work responsibilities demanded that I arrive earlier than normal and consequently I had little dawn light to work with explaining why the photo is a bit blurry.

A car makes a good blind for shooting deer as long as you lower the windows before you drive up. Once the car stops you will have their full attention until they are satisfied you do not represent a risk. Moving a second time, however, will generally spook them.

Pictured here on the left is Martin one of the recent additions to the Product Development team at iRobot. He is a tooling engineer based in China and the first person in my department based outside of Bedford, MA. He has been in the US for two weeks to meet the team and to attend Statistical Process Control training. He has a great sense of humor and has quickly endeared himself to the team. Picture with him are his manager Scott and his manager Doug who works for me. All three are hams and happy to play to the camera.

As I began my commute to work this morning, I spotted a mature adult Bald Eagle flying overhead. What a thrill! It was on a path from the Concord River across the Concord Country Club. As luck would have it, I had my 300-800mm zoom lens in the back of my SUV. Unfortunately, by the time I was able to get it out, mount it to a camera body and find something on which to rest this 15 pound bazooka, the eagle was beyond my range. Although I have found and photographed Bald Eagles in the wild, this is the first time one found me, and just a few hundred yards from our home. Had I been a tad faster this photo would be mine rather than an internet download.