Invitation to an Uncharted Retreat

Uncharted Explorers - you're invited to come join us during our annual retreat in May. Beta-testers also welcome. We are having the following events free for Explorers. Come to either just one or all of them, your choice:

May 7th, 5:00 pm: Uncharted hike and spring cleaning.

Come with us to enjoy a spring hike and at the same time we will do spring cleaning of the trails we enjoy so much. If you can make it to Cache Valley come join us at Green Canyon at 5pm. If you're somewhere else, join us in the effort by going to your favorite local trail any time on Thursday and invite other explorers and friends to come along to give the trail some TLC.


May 8th, 2:30 - 4:00 pm: Photography workshop - "Shooting Photos with What You Have"

Where: Kensington Place Clubhouse- http://tinyurl.com/c2krq4 * Park on the street on 1800 N, clubhouse is on east side of tennis court.

What: Uncharted's Executive Director Alan Murray, long-time photojournalist and photo editor, will be teaching a photojournalism workshop. The seminar, free to Uncharted Explorers, will discuss what all digital cameras have in common and how to use those components to take dynamic photos. Techniques will also be presented on how to shoot photos that will be more likely to be selected for publication on Uncharted's homepage or the cover of Uncharted Magazine. A question and answer session will follow the seminar.


May 9th, 12:00 noon: International flavors lunch.

Where: Kensington Place Clubhouse- http://tinyurl.com/c2krq4 * Park on the street on 1800 N, clubhouse is on east side of tennis court.

What: Come mingle with Uncharted's staff and other Explorers and dig into some great flavors from all over the world. Also share your own international culinary skills, if you feel so inclined, by bringing something to add to the potluck!

** If you would like to come to any of the events, please visit our Facebook event page and mark yourself as attending so we know you're coming...or RSVP by replying to this thread with your name and how many people are coming. We will be keeping info updated on the Facebook event page and this thread**

Uncharted Brings You the Universe

Part of our goal at Uncharted is to provide, through our stories and photos, a burning desire in those who read and view what we produce to replicate those experiences in their own lives. Our update this weekend is a prime example of a story and photo package offering just that.

Take me, for instance. Long have I harbored the desire to be an astronomer. When I was eight years old, Carl Sagan's Cosmos debuted on television. Color me mesmerized. For weeks. I watched those shows. I borrowed every book from the library on astronomy. I even wrote a fan letter to Carl Sagan at Cornell University, and he wrote back, advising me to work hard on my math skills if I wanted to be an astronomer like him.

Alas, it was not to be. A straight line of Cs in algebra -- despite my efforts to learn it better than that -- dashed my hopes. My only consolation came through geometry, where I was able to understand the stuff enough to pull As. So I became a writer instead.

Then I read Joseph Burkhead's story on his adventure at Arizona's Kitt Peak Observatory, where he got to go to the top of that sacred mountain and actually have astronomers at his elbow -- both elbows -- unlocking the secrets of the cosmos. Suddenly, it all came back -- right to replaying that eerie Vangelis theme music in my head, from Sagan's television series.

So click here quickly and begin to read. And if you're a Cosmos fan like I am, hit Hulu.com and queue up one of the old shows. Listen to Vangelis' opening theme as you read Joseph's story. That cosmic desire will all come back to you.

I'm leaving now. Going outside to stare at the stars.

Uncharted Goes Underground

One of the things I enjoy the most about writing and taking photos for Uncharted is that I get to show off some of the wonderful places that make eastern Idaho such a fantastic place to explore. 17-Mile Cave is one of those places.

The cave is a mix of the ancient and modern. Ancient, because it's a remnant of Idaho's volcanic era, a time that saw volcanoes sprouting from the desert, great cracks opening in the Earth oozing lava and, of course, underwater rivers of lava forming caves and tubes under the upper crust, then draining, leaving a place for moderns like us to plow underground. And modern, because the cave is filled with graffiti, has a chamber large enough to host touch football games and is uncomplicated enough to allow amateur cave explorers a place to go without worrying about getting lost.

So, stop reading this and go on to read about 17-Mile Cave. Enjoy.