Stones - Perastar

About This Exhibit

Hiking has been one of the great pleasures of my life as a resident of Utah. The mountains and canyons of Utah have provided countless opportunities to step away from ordinary life and experience the landscape on foot, and some of my most meaningful memories have been made while ascending those mountains with people I love. A summit is never simply a point on a map; the effort of reaching it, the landscape along the way, and the companionship of those who share the climb become part of the memory. This collection of stones was created as a way of preserving some of those experiences in physical form.

Each stone commemorates a particular ascent: Mount Timpanogos with my brother, Mount Timpanogos again with friends, Lone Peak, Box Elder Peak, and King's Peak in the Uintas. The stones themselves—sedimentary rock, shale, and basalt—echo the geological character of the places they commemorate, while carved and written inscriptions connect each physical object to the memory it represents. Some are inscribed in Idrani writing systems, including Khisipokhi and Neo-runica. Together, they form a small collection of personal landmarks: not records of conquest, but reminders of shared effort, companionship, and the deep affection I have developed for Utah's mountains.