Trailhead issues and concerns
Sitting Pretty Kitty
It was getting late in the day and I was finishing up a 12 mile hike in Southern California’s lovely and wild Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Preserve. The coyotes, ubiquitous to this landscape of oak woodlands, grasslands and chaparral were now out in full force. I counted four of them as I worked my way…
Read MoreWant Peace and Quiet at the Grand Canyon? Be Part of the One Percent!
With more than 5 million annual visitors, the Grand Canyon is our 4th most visited national park. And if you’ve ever experienced the grandeur of this amazing landmark, it’s not hard to understand why. Folks come from all over the country and world to see this stunning geological feature on the Colorado Plateau. The canyon…
Read MorePandemic Ponderings
It’s been a long past 12 months. But on this First day of Spring 2021, the sun is finally shining a little bit brighter on us. I spent a lot of time on the trail this past year doing a lot of thinking about us as a society, our relationships with the land, and what…
Read MoreFinding Solitude in Motorcycle Country
I love wilderness areas—especially wilderness areas with a large W. In those federally protected areas I am assured that the land I will be hiking or camping in is protected from incompatible uses such as resource extraction, roads, and developments. It will remain untrammeled. No bikes, motorcycles, motorized equipment, drones and other modern day intrusions,…
Read MoreTrails too Crowded? Take a Break from Hiking!
Long before Covid-19 disrupted our lives and closed or strongly altered many of our activities, I avoided crowds. I just don’t care to be around large groups of people. I’m no introvert. I love company and companionship—but not crowds—and especially unruly and clueless ones. It’s no secret that our trails, parks, and forests have been…
Read MoreCovid-placent: Indifference and Selfishness goes viral
Did I miss the memo? The one that said that the Covid-19 Pandemic is over. Because by the way many of our trails and parks looked this past weekend—and how so many people were behaving in public—you’d swear that we just subdued that nasty little virus and there was nothing more to be concerned about.…
Read MoreAvoid Crowded Trails like the…Coronavirus
Many of Washington’s state parks and forests will soon be opening back up for recreation. I imagine too that soon our state’s national forests will be doing likewise. To many hikers and runners including this one who has been adhering to the governor’s stay at home decree—we welcome this news. However, many others think it…
Read MoreThe Weekend My World Forever Changed
It was a beautiful March day—a much welcomed break after weeks of incessant rain and a perpetual shroud of grey. My family and I needed to get out for a little hiking getaway. It was March 15th, and as the seriousness of the Covid-19 Pandemic began to register in the minds of most Americans, it…
Read MoreThis Week’s Featured Hike: Your Neighborhood
Hike of the Week 03.26.20 Quick Facts: Location: Throughout the Northwest Land Agency: families, HOAs, sundry municipalities and park districts Distance: as far and as long as you like, but do it regularly Elevation Gain: elevated mood Contact: Your friends and neighbors (from a safe distance) and share some good news Notes: Dogs encouraged, no…
Read MoreThis is NO Vacation! People are dying!
The world is in the midst of a pandemic. Thousands of people are dying and thousands more are seriously ill. And it is only going to get worse. Our economy is on the brink of a depression. To help fight the spread of Covid-19 we are asked to stay six feet apart from each other…
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