Adventures with less
Crackkk! The world around me exploded in blinding light. I ducked instinctively then chuckled grimly to myself, almost immediately recognizing the futility of this involuntary act. I had been traversing a heavily wooded ridge when the storm had blown in, soaking me in violent downpour. Throwing on my raingear, I began running headlong down the … Read more
We spend much of our days doing things that aren’t important; work-related drudgery, internet surfing, aimless daydreaming (as opposed to the productive kind which fuels our imagination), and numbing ourselves in front of the television. The days slip by and it is hard to say what was really accomplished during that time. Every now and … Read more
For as long as I could remember, I had been asking myself, “What next?” Now, as my girls were getting older, it was becoming increasingly important to me that the time I put into planning my adventures should not come at the cost of family exploration. So it was that on the last day of … Read more
Published in Backpacking Light, March 2014 “We’ll be fine”, I said, not very confidently. Doug had just asked me how far I thought we’d get before the car ran out of gas. I wasn’t sure, but had that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that we weren’t going to get very far. The … Read more
Published in Backpacking Light Magazine, December 2013. It had initially been titled “Twenty Shades of Gray” in reference to the winter skies over Lake Superior, but they thought the title too provocative. J raised an eyebrow inquisitively. She must have noticed the look of longing that had flitted across my face. “You’re not planning something … Read more
It was a bad day to be out on the water without underwear. Winter had come early to northern Michigan, bringing sub-freezing temperatures, snow, and heavy wind. Somewhat inscrutably, I had decided that it might be fun to run the big Two-Hearted River in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Now, as the frigid water ran … Read more
There’s no doubt that ultralight hikers like titles associated with arbitrary base-weights. First there was UL, then SUL (super ultralight), and when that became too commonplace, along came XUL (extreme ultralight) and RUL (ridiculously ultralight). Recently, the concept of M-SUL (mountain SUL) was introduced for those who prefer not to make the arbitrary 5 lb … Read more
Originally published in Backpacking Light Magazine, October 2013 I had pored over the squiggly blue lines for hours, trying to make them connect. Packrafting changes the way you look at a map for sure. Now my eyes were always first drawn to the waterways, those wilderness superhighways. What would they look like? Could they be … Read more
A must read for any parent, this post by Craig W had been on my mind ever since. Left to our devices Recently, when my wife was out of town for a week, I took the opportunity to have some one on one (one on two?) time with the girls, spending as much time outdoors … Read more
Originally published August 2013 I’ve always liked sleeping in airports. Draped over a couch or crashed out on the floor, I feel like a hobo, cut loose from societal norms and on the verge of a great adventure. I guess that’s why I found myself in the Anchorage airport, rolling out my quilt in the … Read more