Last summer, my boyfriend and I took a long weekend trip to the eastern sierras. We just picked a point on the map that seemed like it had potential, based largely on the fact that it was in a national forest, and that neither of us had been to that region of California before. While plans like this might seem like a crazy roll of the dice, in my experience they more often than not yield the best accidental adventures, and this occasion was no exception. We ended up camping at North Lake in the Inyo National Forest , just a half an hour west or so from Bishop. It was perfect. We got a permit and went fishing for trout, hung out with the pack ponies by the back country outfitters, and took a short (but steep) hike into the John Muir Wilderness area to see some classic high sierra views. The weather on the east side of the sierras was completely different, and afternoon storms would hurl themselves against the mountain tops and explode in epic storms. These photos catch some of the dra...

This month's top tunes playlist kicks off with MNEK , a British musician who skillfully blends 90s R&B vocals with poppy electronic hooks and UK garage embellishments. While this talented 20 year-old has been producing top singles for other artists since 2011, this track is off his first solo album, an EP called Small Talk . It's a fine intro for a few more electro leaning songs, including two Swedish dance acts, Kate Boy and PANG! . Followed by the diamond of this set: 'heartsigh' off another eternity , the second full-length from Purity Ring . After a breakout debut in 2012, Purity Ring have neatly sidestepped the proverbial sophomore slump and hit it out of the park with this collection of songs. another eternity is full of high points, and has just enough experimentation to hint at an unfolding artful maturity, budding with the possibility of even greater things to come. Brits Mt. Wolf and Will Joseph Cook lend a hand in transitioning this playlist towards...