An 11-year old Boy Scout shines his headlamp on a 20-degree night while skiing in the dark late on a Friday night, searching for a remote cabin in the Gallatin National Forest, Crazy Mountains, Montana.

Are You Stealing Opportunity for Character Development From Your Scouts?

by on April 29, 2011

“It’s too cold!” “Trekking is a summer activity!” “Sleep in a snow WHAT?” When I bring up the prospect of a ski trek, I expect these sorts of reactions from some mothers, a few fathers, and certain types of boys. I don’t expect them, nor do I hear them, from the types of boys that [...]

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Reflections of an Ultralight Life: Interviewing Andrew Skurka

by on April 27, 2011

Andrew Skurka and I met “online” (who didn’t, these days?) what now seems like a long time ago, while he was preparing for a trek across the CONUS from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coasts. At that time, he was asking me questions about how to keep his feet warm during the winter while trekking [...]

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Tenkara Fly Fishing and Packrafting on Montana’s West Fork Bitterroot River and Rock Creek

by on April 26, 2011

Brian and I have been friends, and fly fishing partners, for a long time. We’ve spent a fair bit of time logging trail miles and floating together, always searching for streams off the beaten path that hold big trout. We like to spend our Spring Breaks in Western Montana. Sure, the beaches are a bit [...]

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The Futility of Going Ultralight for Ultralight’s Sake

by on February 27, 2011

I love whiteouts. When I ski in a whiteout, especially in a wild place, I often think, “now what”? In a whiteout, everything else has been stripped away. There’s nothing to look at, no particular place to go (it all looks the same anyways), and your world has been reduced to the size of a [...]

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Home Ownership: Broken Dreams and Delusions

by on February 25, 2011

This could be your home someday! No, I don’t mean that you can buy it, spruce it up, and live in it. (That door has been closed, because this neighborhood is slated for re-engineering into a green community, which is another way that developers make big profits in historic districts.) What I mean is that [...]

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Tracks, Crud, and Powder

by on February 16, 2011

Climbers and fishermen seem predisposed to becoming philosophers, driving their daily lives between guide lines emblazoned in their brain chemistry from epic memories. “Thanks for the belay on that project deadline, man.” “Chossy meeting, eh?” “Watch your presentation, she’s pretty spooky this time of day.” etc. But skiers keep it simple. To a skier, it’s [...]

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Tenkaranicity

by on November 28, 2010

“There’s more to life than fly fishing. In fact, real life offers, and demands, a lot more. And that’s a good thing. Because fly fishing can get really boring. Unless, well, you’re actually fly fishing.” – An anonymous truth ~ I love to fly fish. The satisfaction I get out of casting a rod, or [...]

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