I am a naturalist, a writer, and a leather craftsman. I developed my craft during my several years spent dwelling in the high mountains surrounding Aspen, Colorado, where I served as the resident naturalist and “mayor” of the silver mining ghost town of Ashcroft. I spent countless days hiking and snow- shoeing the area, guiding and teaching visitors from around the world, with my field journal in hand. After many journals failed to hold up to the harsh days, I designed and created a leather cover to protect my thoughts and observations. Beyond a faint, winding uphill path, I escaped for quiet time on Cold Mountain. There, at a cabin perched at 10,000 feet, Cold Mountain Craft was slowly born.
Because few belongings are more personal, often my journals are custom crafted for the individual. The blank pages of a Cold Mountain Craft journal are an invitation to explore our outer and inner landscapes. Whether scribbling notes and numbers, recording changes of the sun and seasons, or pondering matters of heart and home, my journals offer a path toward becoming rooted in place and with self. Built to last a lifetime, a Cold Mountain Craft journal is meant to travel with you, to be present through the seasons and experiences of a lifetime. Once the pages are filled, the journal covers can be refilled with a standard blank book and another chapter can begin.
I now create a variety of fine and unique leather items using hand-selected oil-tanned hides, which are hand-cut, hand-punched, hand-sewn, and hand-sold. Beautiful and functional, durable and personal, simple and authentic; my work is a reflection of me, emerging from the place that I call home.