Adventures with less
Originally published March 2013 The internet is a great and terrible tool for communication. It brings together people with diverse backgrounds, geographic ranges, and interests who all share a love for backcountry travel. Unfortunately, forum members come to the table with their own set of assumptions, and absent the subtleties of facial expression and other … Read more
Originally published March 2013 Adventure begins with the planning of a trip. Poring over maps, planning routes, and selecting gear usually begins weeks in advance, watching the weather as the date approaches to fine tune clothing systems. For me at least, this anticipation is the glue that connects the last trip to the next. Anticipation … Read more
Originally Published February 2013 I’ve never been one to let the weather dictate my activities. Changing weather patterns are an immutable fact in wilderness travel and, as such, acceptance is generally a better strategy than cursing, fighting, or running from them. I guess that’s why I found myself back in the slop again this weekend, … Read more
People worry about hiking alone in winter, but it’s the drive that’ll kill you. What should have been a six hour drive had stretched into a white-knuckled nine as I made my way north along slick-black roads through a Michigan ice storm and into an Ontario blizzard. So it was that I found myself on … Read more
Originally published January 2013 My favorite type of adventure usually spans at least 5 days and averages 100-150 miles. This type of trip gives me the range to really explore an area and the time to become completely immersed in the process. Not all days are equal though. The first day is a gradual process … Read more
Originally published October 2012 Fall had come to Michigan, and I was ready for an old school adventure. For this trip I set my sights on a section of the North Country Trail in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that I had not yet covered. I decided to add in a section through the Porkies … Read more
The city of Yakutat lies in the Gulf of Alaska at the mouth of Yakutat Bay, approximately 200 miles from Juneau. The largest city in the United States by area, Yakutat is home to only about 600ish full time inhabitants. I was traveling to Yakutat for work as I did every year at this time. … Read more
I try very hard not to let my dog see me pack for a trip, particularly when he is not coming along. Maybe I’m anthropomorphizing a little too much, but I know how excited he gets when he sees a backpack and I don’t want him to feel let down by getting left behind. I … Read more
A young dog was brought into our hospital a couple of months ago after being hit by a car. She had sustained multiple fractures of her pelvis, femur, and tibia. It had clearly not been an easy life for her up until that point either. Barely a year old, she had already been bred and … Read more