What a sunrise! I was riding an emotional high. My road trip was into its fifth week. Sure, there had been a minor hiccup here and there (the fires in Glacier National Park caused me to replan part of the trip), but there was always a great alternative to take advantage of (e.g., spending the …
Make Your Own GORP
GORP, more commonly called ‘trail mix,’ is a staple of backcountry enthusiasts everywhere. I love the stuff. I used to buy four-pound bags of Kirkland brand Trail Mix at Costco. “Used to” is the key phrase. But first, a little history of GORP. What does GORP stand for? According to Wiktionary (remember: the internet is …
Odds and Ends: Food and Nutrition
Summer is here, and a lot of us are heading into the backcountry. A common topic of conversation is food: specifically what to eat on long trips. I just listened to an informative, albeit, long, podcast from Backpacking Light. The hosts aren’t trying to sell you on a specific diet, or push an agenda, even …
Back from Jordan and Israel (and why it’s taken me so long to write about it.)
It’s been almost a month since I've returned from my three-week trip to Jordan and Israel, and even longer since my last post. I knew there was going to be a gap in entries due to the trip, but I didn’t expect it to take me so long to post something after I made it …
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The River’s Journey
It’s a steep pull going up the Yucca Trail in Gaviota State Park. Today’s hike is my wife’s first time on this particular route. For many years the path was so overgrown I couldn’t even find traces of it. Thankfully the Santa Barbara Trails Council restored the trail a couple of years ago, and they …
The Art of the Wild: Obi Kaufmann and the California Field Atlas
California is an incredible state, and the opportunities for adventure here are endless. You name it, California has it: mountains, deserts, oceans, rivers, wildlife, trees (big, tall, and old), the list goes on. And it’s beautiful. The late, great photographer, Galen Rowell, wrote in his book, The Art of Adventure “[California] has everything I ever …
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Volunteering: The Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival 2017, Part Three
Events like the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival rely on volunteers. Sure, you could hire extra staff to perform the same functions as the volunteers, but the cost would go up, and the festival would lose part of its unique character. We decided early on in our trip planning to volunteer at the festival. …
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Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with Shawnté Salabert
There was a brief window earlier this month, between where I had recovered enough to walk and drive, and getting waylaid by the flu; a period which serendipitously dovetailed with a presentation by author and backpacker Shawnté Salabert on Section Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Over decades of hiking and backpacking in California, I’ve …
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Make 2018 your Best Year yet!
It’s been quite a while since my last post. Too long actually. Ah, the list of excuses: There was Christmas, with cards to send out, presents to buy (one of which is listed below), friends and family to see. Ruth & I did, however, find time to get in a hike on Christmas morning, sandwiched …
Burnt Out
Driving south on Hwy 101 from Santa Barbara back home on Friday morning, the air is thick with smoke and ash. Everything is a dull gray. The daylight, such that it is, provides flat, dispersed lighting. There are no shadows; everything is dark and dreary. The hillsides to my right are burnt. Only charred remains …
Adventure-to-Adventure 