From my perspective

		[{"id":1934,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2025\/08\/30\/sunrises-and-serrated-peaks-in-the-sawtooth-wilderness\/","name":"sunrises-and-serrated-peaks-in-the-sawtooth-wilderness","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Sawtooths-1-2-scaled.jpg","alt":"Baron Lake Sunrise"},"title":"Sunrises and Serrated Peaks in the Sawtooth Wilderness","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Aug 30, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-08-30 22:58:54","modifiedDate":"2025-08-30 23:00:45","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-08-30 23:00:45","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":31},"status":"publish","excerpt":"5 days, 40 miles, and breathtaking sunrises in Idaho\u2019s Sawtooth Wilderness - lakes, ridges, and unforgettable moments on and off the beaten path"},{"id":1908,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/12\/29\/the-seals-of-sandy-hook\/","name":"the-seals-of-sandy-hook","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Sandy-Hook-harbor-seals-1-scaled.jpg","alt":"Sandy Hook harbor seals"},"title":"The Seals of Sandy Hook","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Dec 29, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-12-29 03:21:50","modifiedDate":"2024-12-29 03:31:31","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-12-29 03:31:31","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":2,"sec":21},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":1875,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/12\/24\/painted-buntings-in-jersey-city\/","name":"painted-buntings-in-jersey-city","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Painted-Bunting-Harsimus-Cemetery-1-scaled.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Painted Buntings in Jersey City","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Dec 24, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-12-24 18:27:50","modifiedDate":"2024-12-26 22:01:07","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-12-26 22:01:07","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":13},"status":"publish","excerpt":""},{"id":1842,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/11\/26\/two-nyc-icons\/","name":"two-nyc-icons","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Statue-of-Liberty-ESB-6-scaled.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Capturing Two NYC Icons in One Shot","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Nov 26, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-11-26 11:17:00","modifiedDate":"2024-11-26 18:39:16","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-11-26 18:39:16","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":14},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Two of New York City's most iconic symbols - the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building - lie 5.1 miles apart - one in Midtown Manhattan and the other in the Upper Newark Bay. So how - and from where - can you capture them in one photo?"},{"id":1786,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/11\/18\/sandhill-cranes\/","name":"sandhill-cranes","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Sandhill-Crane-41-scaled.jpg","alt":"Sandhill cranes fighting"},"title":"Sandhill Cranes in New Jersey","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Nov 18, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-11-18 02:25:01","modifiedDate":"2024-11-26 16:55:19","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-11-26 16:55:19","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":25},"status":"publish","excerpt":"While sandhill cranes are the most abundant crane species in the world, it's not incredibly common to see one in New Jersey. However, they have been spotted with increasing frequency, especially during migration, and I had the chance to see them in three different locations within two weeks."},{"id":1739,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/11\/12\/palisades-peregrines\/","name":"palisades-peregrines","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Peregrine-Falcon-2-scaled.jpg","alt":"\"Una,\" the adult female peregrine falcon on the Hudson Palisades"},"title":"The Palisades Peregrines","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Nov 12, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-11-12 20:32:00","modifiedDate":"2024-11-26 16:55:07","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-11-26 16:55:07","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":57},"status":"publish","excerpt":"By the 1960s, the use of pesticides like DDT led to the local extinction of peregrine falcons in the Eastern United States, and the species was listed as endangered in 1970. A ban on DDT in 1972 combined with captive breeding and reintroduction efforts led to the remarkable success story as the falcon saw its historic U.S. range restored. Fortunately for those of us local to Greater New Jersey Metropolitan Area, there is a pair of peregrines that live on the cliffs of the Hudson Palisades year-round: \"Una\" and \"Prince.\""},{"id":1712,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/09\/15\/turnpike-exit-15x-new-jerseys-egretpalooza\/","name":"turnpike-exit-15x-new-jerseys-egretpalooza","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Secaucus-egret-roost-6-scaled.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Turnpike Exit 15X - New Jersey's Egretpalooza","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Sep 15, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-09-15 01:12:25","modifiedDate":"2024-09-15 11:09:38","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-09-15 11:09:38","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":2,"sec":25},"status":"publish","excerpt":"You might not expect to find an explosion of nature in New Jersey's most densely populated County - wedged between Newark and Manhattan - and immediately next to one of the busiest railway stations in the country and Exit 15X on the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur, but you would be wrong. Very, very wrong."},{"id":1617,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/08\/30\/five-days-in-titcomb-basin\/","name":"five-days-in-titcomb-basin","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Titcomb-Basin-5-scaled.jpg","alt":"Titcomb Basin sunset reflection"},"title":"Five Days in Titcomb Basin","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Aug 30, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-08-30 18:44:00","modifiedDate":"2024-09-09 13:44:31","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-09-09 13:44:31","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":6,"sec":49},"status":"publish","excerpt":"A friend and I spent 5 days backpacking in the Wind River Range in August 2024. While last year we explored the Cirque of the Towers area in the southern Winds, this year we sauntered further north throughout Titcomb Basin and Indian Basin."},{"id":1497,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2024\/04\/28\/not-a-valley-of-death-but-a-valley-of-red-ochre\/","name":"not-a-valley-of-death-but-a-valley-of-red-ochre","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Zabriskie-Point-3-scaled.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Not a Valley of Death, but a Valley of Red Ochre","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Apr 28, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-04-28 01:09:38","modifiedDate":"2024-04-29 14:49:52","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-04-29 14:49:52","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":5,"sec":48},"status":"publish","excerpt":"As we drove past the limit of Death Valley National Park, we pulled over for the obligatory photo opportunity at the Death Valley National Park sign. At the bottom of the sign is a subheading: \"Homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone.\""},{"id":1472,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/12\/30\/between-mama-bear-and-her-cubs\/","name":"between-mama-bear-and-her-cubs","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Bear-cubs-4-scaled.jpg","alt":"Two bear cubs in a tree"},"title":"Between mama bear and her cubs","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Dec 30, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-12-30 19:24:00","modifiedDate":"2023-12-31 00:29:46","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-12-31 00:29:46","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":8,"sec":49},"status":"publish","excerpt":"We were in dense woods when we saw him: A black bear about 100 feet ahead. I did what you're supposed to do when you encounter a bear - I reached for my camera."},{"id":1367,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/10\/24\/the-view\/","name":"the-view","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Monument-Valley-Room-With-A-View-1-scaled.jpg","alt":"The view from our balcony"},"title":"A Room with a View","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Oct 24, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-10-24 01:25:56","modifiedDate":"2023-10-26 19:27:51","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-10-26 19:27:51","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":28},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Staying at a hotel room in Monument Valley with an unforgettable view from our balcony created an opportunity for capturing the same view at multiple times of the day, including during the special golden and blue hours."},{"id":1311,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/08\/28\/look-behind-you\/","name":"look-behind-you","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Look-behind-you-sunset-scaled.jpg","alt":"Sunset in the Wind River Range"},"title":"Look behind you","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Aug 28, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-08-28 22:06:15","modifiedDate":"2023-08-28 22:29:50","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-08-28 22:29:50","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":56},"status":"publish","excerpt":"I often have a vision in mind for how I want to a landscape photo to look. When the light is changing, it's easy to get caught up in trying to capture the moment, but it's also important to look around and behind you, because you never know what you might be missing."},{"id":1260,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/08\/27\/yellowstone\/","name":"yellowstone","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Yellowstone-11-scaled.jpg","alt":"Grand Prismatic Spring"},"title":"Yellowstone Wildlife & Natural Wonders","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Aug 27, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-08-27 21:37:09","modifiedDate":"2023-08-29 00:06:34","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-08-29 00:06:34","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":3},"status":"publish","excerpt":"An intact ecosystem with bison, wolves, bears, moose, and more. Hydrothermal features, including nearly half of the world's active geysers. Geologic wonders like the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. Any one of these traits would be a must-visit destination. Yellowstone has them all and more."},{"id":1188,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/08\/20\/five-days-in-the-winds\/","name":"five-days-in-the-winds","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Wind-River-Range-14-scaled.jpg","alt":"Alpenglow on the back of the Cirque of the Towers behind Shadow Lake"},"title":"Five Days in The Winds","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Aug 20, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-08-20 20:19:50","modifiedDate":"2023-08-22 20:55:07","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-08-22 20:55:07","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"<a href='https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/tag\/backpacking\/' rel='post_tag'>backpacking<\/a><a href='https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/tag\/wind-river-range\/' rel='post_tag'>Wind River Range<\/a>"},"readTime":{"min":4,"sec":51},"status":"publish","excerpt":"On August 11-15, 2023, my father, a friend, and I spent 5 days backpacking in the Wind River Range, a combination of on- and off-trail travel that included the famous Cirque of the Towers and the less-visited Desolation Valley."},{"id":1171,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/07\/11\/spearfishing-and-lessons-on-wildlife-photography\/","name":"spearfishing-and-lessons-on-wildlife-photography","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Great-blue-heron-spearfishing.jpg","alt":"Great blue heron spearfishing"},"title":"Spearfishing and Lessons on Wildlife Photography","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Jul 11, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-07-11 11:33:38","modifiedDate":"2023-08-29 00:06:51","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-08-29 00:06:51","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"open","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":3,"sec":0},"status":"publish","excerpt":"I used to see photos like this and think the photographer got lucky, was in the right place at the right time, and snapped the shutter at just the right moment. Getting a shot like this does take some luck, but luck is only part of it."},{"id":1089,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/05\/23\/10-tips-for-hiking-with-kids\/","name":"10-tips-for-hiking-with-kids","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tripod-Rock-web.jpg","alt":""},"title":"10 Tips for Hiking With Kids","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"May 23, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-05-23 13:49:49","modifiedDate":"2023-05-24 12:38:21","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-24 12:38:21","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":5,"sec":32},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Like parenting in general, hiking with kids can be extremely rewarding or frustrating, and it will probably be a bit of both. I partnered with The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey on a piece for NJ Family magazine on hiking with kids."},{"id":1013,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/05\/15\/east-hudson-trails-map\/","name":"east-hudson-trails-map","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Bull-Hill-web.jpg","alt":""},"title":"East Hudson Trails Map","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"May 15, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-05-15 12:50:00","modifiedDate":"2023-05-24 12:44:01","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-24 12:44:01","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":1},"status":"publish","excerpt":"A full-circle moment that brings me great joy - one of my photos of the Hudson River running between Storm King and Bull Hill taken at dawn from a ledge on the Washburn Trail will be featured on the back cover of the new East Hudson Trails map set."},{"id":1011,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2023\/04\/21\/photographing-antelope-canyon\/","name":"photographing-antelope-canyon","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Upper-Antelope-Canyon-2-web.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Tips for Handheld Photography in Antelope Canyon","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Apr 21, 2023","dateGMT":"2023-04-21 15:05:00","modifiedDate":"2023-05-24 12:55:20","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-24 12:55:20","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":54},"status":"publish","excerpt":"Tripods are no longer allowed in Upper Antelope Canyon, making the dark slot canyon both a photographer's dream and nightmare (at least mine) that needs to be tackled with handheld photography in a fast-paced, crowded setting."},{"id":1016,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2022\/10\/01\/two-pictures-two-stories\/","name":"two-pictures-two-stories","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Kilimanjaro-juan-dad.jpeg","alt":""},"title":"Two photos, two stories","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Oct 1, 2022","dateGMT":"2022-10-01 18:17:00","modifiedDate":"2023-05-24 13:30:43","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-24 13:30:43","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":32},"status":"publish","excerpt":"One photo is of me and my dad on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It's a photo of triumph, but it's a deception. The other photo is of me and my dad with the people without whom we certainly wouldn't have made it."},{"id":1001,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2022\/05\/25\/why-im-a-trail-maintainer\/","name":"why-im-a-trail-maintainer","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NYNJTC-sign-web.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Why I'm a trail maintainer","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"May 25, 2022","dateGMT":"2022-05-25 17:41:00","modifiedDate":"2023-05-24 13:33:46","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-24 13:33:46","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":4,"sec":6},"status":"publish","excerpt":"I wasn't always an avid hiker, but in a few short years, I went from hiking skeptic to becoming a trail maintainer with the volunteer-based NY-NJ Trail Conference."},{"id":1020,"link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/2021\/09\/19\/hitting-the-hiking-trail-with-booker\/","name":"hitting-the-hiking-trail-with-booker","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Juan-Booker.jpg","alt":""},"title":"Hitting the (hiking) trail with Sen. Booker","author":{"name":"Juan Melli","link":"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/author\/juanmelli_h1x4ak\/"},"date":"Sep 19, 2021","dateGMT":"2021-09-19 14:24:00","modifiedDate":"2023-05-22 19:24:14","modifiedDateGMT":"2023-05-22 19:24:14","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.juanmelli.com\/category\/all\/\" rel=\"category tag\">News<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":""},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":28},"status":"publish","excerpt":"One September weekend, I had the great privilege of guiding U.S. Senator Cory Booker on a hike in the Jersey Highlands along with NY-NJ Trail Conference Executive Director\u00a0Joshua Howard."}]