In 1994, I boldly started on my own in the tech business. Looking for a way to stand out, I invested in the first commercial version of Bryce 1.0, a Macintosh software package that used fractal geometry to create realistic computer images of mountain ranges and coastlines.
I was in nerd heaven when I first got those floppy disks!
I really didn’t have a practical use for Bryce for my fledgling business, but I eventually used it to create several marketing images on my first brochures and websites. I also made an interactive demo CD-ROM that worked similarly to the once trendy game Myst. I had a blast with Bryce.
The software came with some examples of mountain ranges it could render, and at the time, I didn’t really acknowledge my love of mountains, but I suspect the images in that software may have helped me figure that out.
Imagine my surprise to learn that the software was named after Bryce Canyon, and it was a real place in Utah. I vowed right then and there that I would go to this Bryce Canyon one day and observe the inspiration that launched a pretty cool product. I also dug into learning about Ken Musgrave , Benoît Mandelbrot, Eric Wenger, and Kai Krause, the people who created Bryce.
Years went by, and I never found the time to make the trip to Utah until this past August when I went to St. George, Utah, and spent a week exploring, including a full day of hiking in Bryce Canyon.
2019 marks my 25th anniversary in tech. What a long, strange trip it has been, and what a great way to celebrate it by finally going to one of the places that inspired me to be a part of it all.
