Hello and Welcome!
If you don’t already know who I am, my name is Grayson Nolan, AKA The Northern Nomad. I am a 24 year old photographer, climber and adventure enthusiast living in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Diving a little deeper into why I am here; I am in these mountains as an escape. An escape from the hustle and bustle of the so-called “real world.” At least, that was my original intention. From a young age I've always felt more at home in nature and the wild than in a house or city. Playing outside was, and still is, my escape from everyday life. That's why I’ve made it my goal to make outside my home, to spend more nights under the stars than under a roof. As a young kid growing up in the Midwest, there was not a whole lot to do other than be outside all the time. Luckily for me, my parents recognized that even at a young age I had a ton of energy that was impossible to contain. I’m lucky in the fact that my mother has a love of the outdoors equal to my own and had a willingness to teach me and show me how great the outdoors could be. She is the main reason I am doing what I do today, living the life I want to live. Being a Boy Scout was another outlet for me to capture that love of nature, learning all I could from my mentors in the Scouts and then eventually passing along that knowledge to those younger than me. Thus began my passion for teaching others about the outdoors, through both traditional teaching and photography. These formative experiences from my early life have shaped me into the person I am today and led me to some of the most wild and unpredictable places. They helped me meet so many amazing people and drove me to find those out of the way places to put in front of my lens and capture for all to see. It is my intention with this blog to share some of the stories from my time in the outdoors, from my four summers guiding in Northern Minnesota, to my two years of schooling in one of the harshest places I've ever lived to the wild peaks of Montana, and beyond. I will be sharing current stories and updates as well, so stay tuned for some awesome adventures and photos. Thanks for reading!
Stay Wild,
Northern Nomad