Featured Photographer: David Burdeny

For the first week or so of brisk, wintry weather, I often find myself ill-prepared to fend off the chill. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was breezin' right along, with a smile and a song, short-sleeved and feeling fine. Can it really be scarf and glove time already? But when this rosy-glassed outlook is at odds with the reality of the thermometer, and you find yourself scurrying home, breathing into your cupped hands, a bare neck seeking shelter in shrugged shoulders, there really is nothing quite like that first wave of warmth as you come through the front door of your cozy abode. Even if you soon realize that the thermostat is a good ten degrees below truly warm, that initial contrast between the arctic outside and the toasty interior can make all the difference. But since it's highly impractical to run outside every few hours just to experience that blissful juxtaposition, why not check out some of David Burdeny's beautifully austere photographs of icebergs in Greenland and Antarctica? The winner of the International Photography Awards Nature Photographer of the Year in 2008, Burdeny's frigid shots are guaranteed to make you feel just a bit warmer by comparison.
 

Global Treks: Milford Sound

The Milford Track (approximately 33 miles) is in the heart of spectacular Fiordland National Park, part of the Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. Fiordland National Park has some of the oldest rocks in New Zealand. What today is known as the Milford Track was once one of the two principal trails, used by Māori, linking Fiordland with the rest of Te Wai Pounamu (South Island) for the gathering of pounamu (greenstone). Believed by many to be amongst the top hikes in the world, the 'Milford Sound' track boasts breathtaking lush mountain vistas and a jagged glacial landscape. The track may be only accessed by boat to and from the trailheads, providing scenic views of million year old glacial 'hangovers' as the ocean has slowly seeped through the hills and into this enormous body of water over thousands of years. The track is well worth the time and effort, if you ever make it to Zealand, of course. Be warned, because of its mesmerizing terrain, the Milford Track can exceed 14,000 visitors in a given year during the peak season (Oct 28 - Apr 29), and comes with a larger fee. But, our sources tell us that waiting even a few days after peak season ends in early May (to also avoid harsh winter conditions deep in the off-season), the Milford Sound will be your own playground, leaving hearty winter travelers with the time, space and solitude to take in this ancient landscape uninterrupted. We think it's worth the wait. Photograph is courtesy of William Collins, Archetype Productions.