A pair of Muhlenberg coaches introduced Raymond “Randy” Salani III ’07 to the Appalachian Trail. Now, he’s published two photography books about the iconic route, with two more in the pipeline about Wyoming’s Teton Range.
For Raymond “Randy” Salani III ’07, the path to becoming a published author began with a preseason “active rest day.” During his first fall at Muhlenberg in 2003, the head and assistant cross country coaches took Salani, an economics and psychology double major, and his teammates to the Appalachian Trail (AT) for an eight-mile hike. That was Salani’s first exposure to the AT, and later, as a master’s student at the University of Connecticut, he became interested in photography.
More recently, Salani turned his hobbies — being outdoors and capturing his time there — into a series of book deals with Schiffer Publishing. His first book, a large-format photography book called “The Appalachian Trail: Four Seasons Along the Trail,” came out in November. His next, a large-format, photo-heavy guide book called “Iconic and Hidden Gems of the Appalachian Trail: 20 Unforgettable Hikes,” came out March 28. He is contracted for two more books, to be released this year and next, about Wyoming’s Teton Range.
Muhlenberg Magazine: How did that first hike at Muhlenberg eventually lead to these book deals?
Raymond Salani III ’07: That preseason hike planted the seed, but things didn’t happen right away. I got interested in photography during grad school, taking pictures of sunsets. In 2015, I was on a day hike at the Delaware Water Gap and realized the National Trails hadn’t been photographed as extensively as the classic National Parks. I wanted to see if I could make something out of that. I started leading hikes for the Appalachian Mountain Club to get more photo opportunities, and about 10 years after that seed was planted, it really started growing.
Some of Salani’s Photos
MM: Many people associate the AT with “thru-hiking” — that is, hiking from Georgia to Maine over several months. Is that something you’ve done?
RS: I am strictly a day hiker. I’ve actually never purposefully spent a night in the woods while on trail. I’ve hiked sections from the middle of Virginia through the end of New Hampshire by piecing together day trips between roads. I’ll go 20-plus miles in a day to get my pictures, but at the end of the day, I’m headed back to a car or a hotel to do it again the next morning.
“I view the AT books as a rite of passage. It’s like training for a marathon: If you place first in your age group during a half-marathon mid-training-cycle, you’re happy, but you aren’t at the goal yet. The Teton books are the ultimate goal (at least for now).”
MM: You’re contracted to produce two more books on the Tetons — why that mountain range?
RS: My uncle lives out there [in Wyoming], and it’s one of my favorite places to be — it’s where I feel I belong as an outdoorsman and a photographer. I view the AT books as a rite of passage. It’s like training for a marathon: If you place first in your age group during a half-marathon mid-training-cycle, you’re happy, but you aren’t at the goal yet. The Teton books are the ultimate goal (at least for now).
The sale, which has been going on since at least 1996, gives unwanted books new life and provides a valuable service to the campus and local communities. This year’s sale takes place May 1.
A pair of Muhlenberg coaches introduced Raymond “Randy” Salani III ’07 to the Appalachian Trail. Now, he’s published two photography books about the iconic route, with two more in the pipeline about Wyoming’s Teton Range.
