I don’t know if anyone else calls him that, but after observing Mark’s adventures over the months via Instagram, I feel it’s very fitting. For him, hiking is more about the impact it has on the soul than the vertical elevation gain—although there’s definitely plenty of that.

Mark, enjoying the sunset in Neffs Canyon

I asked Mark why he loves hiking so much, and his answer was more in depth than I expected, which was a wonderful surprise. He said, “…the mountains have become a place of transformation for me—mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. They’re where I feel most grounded, most awake, and most alive…[They] remind me to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what actually matters.”

What then is something that actually matters to Mark? I asked him to share with me an event that shaped his life and he mentioned meditation. He said, “Learning how to sit with myself—my thoughts, emotions, and inner world—was the foundation for everything that came after. [It] shifted my relationship with the outdoors. Instead of seeing nature as a checklist or an achievement, it helped me experience it as presence—a place to be, rather than a place to prove.”

I’ve mentioned before that people often come to important life lessons via uncomfortable struggle, and Mark has had his share. He told me about a difficult time in his life, and with his permission I’ll share with you what he said.

“Another major turning point was in later life when I went through ketamine-assisted psychotherapy during a difficult period of depression and anxiety. Those sessions helped me process old emotional weight, confront parts of my life that weren’t serving me, and find the courage to make necessary changes…Meditation and therapy taught me that healing and growth are internal first, and once that foundation is built, everything else becomes richer, more intentional, and more authentic.”

We see the beauty of change in the fall colors of Neffs Canyon, where Mark and I met for this photoshoot. Change can be good, and though our culture teaches us that it’s important to be who you really are, no apologies, I want to add that being our authentic selves usually involves an ongoing shift of perspective. It can be a beautiful process, just like Mark’s experience.

Aside from hiking and trail running, Mark is also a photographer. When he was a teen, his hero was Chris Burkard. “He was the first person who genuinely inspired me and shifted the way I saw the world. Before he was the globally recognized outdoor photographer he is today, I discovered his work on Instagram, back when the platform was still new. His images…had a storytelling quality that went far beyond just taking a pretty picture. His work is what inspired me to buy my first real camera, and it’s the reason I’ve now been photographing landscapes and wildlife for over 15 years.”

The sheer amount of wildlife encounters Mark has are well documented on Instagram. Maybe I should have called this post Moose Man, because Mark is a moose magnet. I’m pretty sure the Utah moose population has a fan club that discusses Mark’s adventures while munching on snacks every evening. Fun fact: Mark recently went to the Grand Tetons and snapped this beauty…

I asked Mark What is the best advice you’ve ever received? And he said, “…to observe without reacting—to watch my thoughts, emotions, and internal dialogue the same way I would watch clouds pass overhead. It sounds simple…but when you don’t immediately react, you create space for clarity, emotional intelligence, and presence.” He had one more bit of advice that he lives by too. “Everyone has different wiring, a different source of joy, and a different environment where they feel most alive…[and] the world works because of that diversity.” He said that these two themes are what help him let go of comparison, expectation, and pressure in order to, “…live a life rooted in awareness rather than authopilot.” Well said, Mark.

Mark recently accomplished his 2025 goal of 250,000 feet of elevation gain, with time to spare, and now he’s bumped it to 350,000! For 2026 he’s set his sites on racing, having already signed up for two Cirque Series (mountain running races) at Alta and Snowbird, as well as the Speedgoat 50k in July. He also wants to travel more—places such as Patagonia, Yosemite, and Washington, and sell his photography at the Brighton Flea Market. “I want to share these places, not just online, but in a way people can hold, feel, and take home with them.”

If Mark’s story inspires you to get outside, he suggests to start small with consistency, “…to begin building endurance, confidence, and technical skill. The goal isn’t speed—it’s presence. You’re learning to move with the mountain, not against it.”

And maybe Mark’s story inspires you to discover more about your own. If so, you might like the idea of a themed journal to help you get started. Click here for some ideas. Your story is important, and worth telling. You are part of a bigger picture that connects us all.

Mark, The Mountaineer

Why Salt Lake City?