Illustrations by Kolby Kirk
Souvenir Stories: An Artist Goes 'Wild' With Illustrations of the Pacific Crest Trail
by John Wogan
Souvenirs aren't just mementos from a trip; they tell a story about the people, place, and time in which we're traveling. Learn the stories behind some of our favorite keepsakes.
Seventeen hundred miles: That's how far Oregon-based artist Kolby Kirk hiked in 2011 when he tackled the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from the bottom of California to the top of Washington State. Instead of whipping out his camera phone every 15 minutes, Kirk kept detailed journals, taking notes on what he saw and felt, and sketched all the minutiae around him—like the various butterflies and mushrooms seen above. "I created the journals for myself to look back on," says Kirk. "I wanted something that would spur a flood of memories when I picked them up again and revisited that time in my life." The end result? Five Moleskine notebooks packed cover to cover with watercolor images, ink drawings, and Kirk's incredibly legible handwriting—basically what all biology textbooks should look like.
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