-
Archeological Eclipse – A Reunion of Wayward Adventurers
Maggie was making her way from Montana down to New Mexico, there were a few places on her route we wanted to explore. The timing happened to be perfect for catching the annular solar eclipse that was passing over New Mexico! 11 October 2023 Maggie and I made plans to meet up in Mesa Verde…
-
So Long and Thanks for all the Adventures, Salida
I could see my time in Colorado coming to a close. I had received a job offer to return to Los Alamos National Lab. I tried to avoid this possibility, but it was a job I knew I could do which came with benefits and a good salary. After six months of job searching, I…
-
Russell Gets a Job… Briefly
After a couple weeks of bopping around, I returned to Salida, CO. Back on the job hunt, my prospects felt grim, at least until my mom sent me a link to a Facebook post on the Salida Community page. It was a simple job ad: While this opportunity was by no means a new career,…
-
Old Stompin’ Grounds, New Adventures – New Mexico
Maggie and I explored a good portion of New Mexico in the three years we lived there. Even so, it is thrilling to look at a map and find there is yet more to do. Fired up by the recent backpacking trip in Montana, I felt compelled to get out and explore new places in…
-
A Glacial Confluence – Glacier National Park
I was hoping to have a job by July or August, but despite my job hunting efforts, I was still drifting through the summer. Maggie and I talked on the phone almost every night. As it became clear that my job prospects were still months out, Maggie convinced me to fly up to Montana for…
-
A Brief Stint as a River Rat (Featuring Motion Pictures!)
I don’t exclusively climb mountains. As skiing is to winter, rafting is to summer. How cool is it that you get to float on the very water you skied on?! While I don’t actively seek out water sports, I have a few friends that have worked as raft guides. When an invite comes my way,…
-
Fourteener Frenzy – Colorado
I spent a majority of my summer in Salida, CO, a place where several fourteen thousand foot peaks dominate the skyline. The draw to climb them is inescapable…. With temperatures routinely soaring into the mid-nineties, I often felt trapped indoors. Without Maggie or any appreciable community in town, I also felt quite lonely. The job…
-
Throw Them Peaks in the Bag – CO & NM High Country
In between the dreadful days of job hunting this past summer, I got out peak bagging in the Rocky Mountains. As the snow finally melted out above treeline in mid-June, I set my sights high. There is something wonderful about the alpine that I can’t put into words. The clear air, the wide open views,…
-
Una Boda en Colombia – Cali
15-20 June 2023 No, not that Cali. My cousin invited Maggie and me to his wedding in Cali, Colombia. This wasn’t necessarily intended to be a destination wedding. Rather, his fiancé (now wife) is from Cali and it made the most sense for the American invitees to make the trip instead of the reverse. Maggie…
-
Dune Cool Stuff With Cool People – Great Sand Dunes National Park
1 June 2023 It’s hard to express the bond formed between thru hikers. Even though Maggie and I rarely spent more than a handful of days with the friends we made on the PCT, there is something special about the shared experience. When I got a text from Noodle that he was passing through Salida,…