nature
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Skiing Through It
Valentine’s Day has always mattered to Elaine and I. At this point it feels like superstition, but more than that it’s a way of marking time. Doing something together. Something intentional. And if there is a better way to spend… Continue reading
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North, Unrushed
February 12-13, 2026 Winter in Alaska does not reward urgency. The sun arrives late, almost sheepishly, and the town follows its lead. Nothing opens until midmorning and no one seems particularly concerned about it. We woke up our first full… Continue reading
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Going North in Midwinter
Taking a short break from the Greenland journal to tell about a recent trip to Alaska’s interior. February 11, 2026 Since we took over the ski shop in 2020, Elaine and I have not taken a midwinter trip. Winters are… Continue reading
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Greenland Crossing Day 19 – Wet
September 2 It rained all night. By morning, we were sealed in. A half-inch of ice had encased the shelter, locking the fabric stiff and brittle, zippers and guy lines frozen solid, stakes buried under a glazed crust. It felt… Continue reading
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June 16, 2024 – Day 9 – Into the Kaleidoscope
Today we left the desert Southwest and entered Iceland. Verdant, wild green kaleidoscope mountains capped with gray tops and snow surround our campsite this evening. Dark rain clouds move up the valley, dousing us briefly, and then disappearing as the… Continue reading
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June 15, 2024 – Day 8 – The Arctic Meets the Desert Southwest
Today we entered the desert-southwest portion of the Brooks Range, with dry canyons, arroyos and the sweetest sage I’ve smelled north of the Wind Rivers. People often compare the Arctic to the desert. Both are dry and give similar sensations… Continue reading
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Northern Wilderness: A 2019 Thru-Hike on the Great Divide Trail
In 2019 my wife Elaine and I hiked the Great Divide Trail from close to the U.S/Canada border to Kakwa Lake in British Columbia. We were unable to start at the exact Waterton National Park border due to the massive… Continue reading
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The North Star
Tonight we decided to look at the stars. In this crazy world we live in, that of mandatory lock downs and face masks and the six-feet rule, it’s good to look at the stars to gain a little perspective To… Continue reading
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Affordable, Simple Joy in Solitude
I think it’s important, in this time of trial and tribulation, to remember that there is great beauty surrounding us everywhere. Like this cup of tea I’m drinking right now. A Vanilla Sleepytime concoction, with a fair bit of honey,… Continue reading
Alta Backcountry 