At play where the midnight sun holds court
Sometime in the first few days of September, Din and I were walking the aisles of Grocery Outlet in Quincy when a woman stopped us to ask about our trip. She was skeptical about us heading into the mountains at this time of year and was asking why we were going so late. “We’re actually … Read more
Jumping ahead on the trail due to the wildfires gave us a good opportunity to see the stark differences between the southern end of the Cascades with that of the range further north. The chipmunks that we had become accustomed to seeing scurrying around the trail were gone, in their stead we found lizards. A … Read more
Among the regions of the PCT, Oregon is somewhat of an anomaly. The trail travels over terrain that is relatively flat and more often than not, enclosed in forest, leading some to call it the “green tunnel.” We took advantage of the gentler grades, upping our mileage to 22 miles per day and often finishing … Read more
“The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong, that’s when adventure starts.” -Yvon Chouinard You would think that after preparing for a multi month trip for over 6 months that you would have every little thing accounted for or at the very least, the major ones. There would be no unpleasant … Read more
During the summer of 2019, our forestry work regularly brought us over the vast mountain ranges of Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. Based in Glenallen, we regularly worked field plots north of the mountains near the border. This brought about long helicopter rides, flying over volcanic mountains, across large drainages and past dozens and dozens of … Read more
Beyond the forest, waves crashed on shore, while within, drizzle from the sky above trickled through the canopy and down to the shrubs and mosses of the forest floor. On the beach, the stones shed the droplets, the water coursing down through them to meet the crashing waves and return to the sea. Within the … Read more
“Are you gentlemen ready for a late night?” The sun sat above the mountains but it wouldn’t be more than two hours before darkness descended upon us within the throes of the valley. Dave unslung his rifle from his pack and placed his pack along the trail. We answered his question with nods and smiles … Read more
The wind whipped along the ridgeline, gusting across and ferrying the few loose flakes into the valley below. Up high among the tors, the light and the terrain made one think of winter. The soft pastels lit up the horizon beyond the mountains as the sun shone its last light for the day. Snow covered … Read more
The Lost Coast of Alaska stands as one of the more remote regions of the state. The coast receives the brunt of storms rolling in from the Pacific and into the Gulf of Alaska, with no land in between to serve as a buffer. With its many bears, storms, and rugged terrain, the area remains … Read more
Every major multi day winter ski trip that I have attempted has resulted in failure due to significant foot blisters. I wanted to be like the cool kids and use the Dynafit plastic boots but could never seem to get them to work. Shells and liners that were too tight or hotspots that couldn’t be … Read more