This is a call to action. But don't worry, it’s doing something fun. Like backpacking. We have a problem in our National Parks. Kids aren’t visiting them. Rather, it’s a problem with their parents, since as we all know, kids shouldn’t drive. In today's world of both parents working,...
Years ago, when iPods were just showing up in the wilderness, there was lots of conversations about if they were appropriate. Needless to say, with the proliferation of electronics in the backcountry (and the accompanying solar chargers,) that question has mostly been answered. I've always felt...
Einstein came up with E=mc2. I came up with Less Weight = More Fun. It's my legacy. While perhaps not as significant as what Einstein came up with, mine is clearly more fun. There are lots of articles out there about how to cut the weight in your pack, but targeting those of you that are getting...
I vote this the most incredible video short I've ever seen. It's the complete package. These guys spent a LOT of time out there in the backcountry setting up for the shots. Give them some love. (Click on "Yosemite HDII" to see the video. Clicking on the image doesn't get you anywhere.)
On our way up the storm harried Pichot Pass. You can see elements of the Tidd Family as tiny dots just to the left of the middle of the photo. I recently spent nine days on the Muir Trail, entering in at Purple Lake and exiting out over Kearsarge Pass. I was surprised by how few people I met on...
Two words. Crystal Light. Occasionally we buy one of those tubes of Crystal Light that contain those little tubs that makes a pitcher of the stuff. I'm super partial to the Strawberry Orange Banana, but that's not important right now. It's all about the container. Remove the label and you have...
This guy irritates me. I haven’t even met him yet and he irritates me. He irritates me because he takes better photos of Lassen than I do. I particularly hate this one: Have you ever seen anything so ugly in your life? No, I’m not jealous. Not in the least. Stop saying that. Seriously, I’m...
A long time ago I had it in my mind that energy bars were the answer to all my backpacking problems relating to snacks. I'm one of those "let's start walking and not really sit down until we get there" kinda guys. So energy bars seemed the perfect solution. They fit in my pockets, easy to eat...
Before I put my legs away for the winter, I wanted to get in a quick overnight with lots of miles in between. Fortune smiled down on me and my wife's scheduled fishing trip allowed her to drop me off near the north end of Lassen Park and pick me up the next day, 26 miles later, at the southern end....
Sabrina Basin wasn't on my bucket list, but I went anyway. I went there because I didn't think I was in very good shape, I thought it was going to be easy, I could relax and get some fishing in, and I'd never been there before. It was nice, but it wasn't awe inspiring. There I was at 11,000' at...
