Category: Trip Reports
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Creeksgiving Part 1 – Explorin’ the Needles
As fall of 2025 was creeping in, some friends extended an invite to go on a group climbing trip to Indian Creek. For the uninitiated, Indian Creek is a premier climbing destination in South East Utah just outside of Canyonlands National Park. The area is known for its endless supply of crack climbing in the…
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Ridgetop Rambling – The Taos Traverse
The mountains around Taos Ski Valley, NM form an enticing cirque of moderately rugged peaks. This includes the state high point, Wheeler Peak 13,161′, and half a dozen other peaks in the high 12,000 to low 13,000 foot range. Maggie and I had attempted to traverse the ridge line in 2020, but we had to…
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I’m a Hoodoo Child – Bryce Canyon National Park
Working for the National Park Service seems to be a bit of a tradition for Maggie and her mom, Heidi. While Maggie was working on the archeology team at Colorado National Monument summer of 2025, Heidi landed an Interpretation Ranger position at Bryce Canyon National Park. Everything aligned for us to visit Heidi in the…
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Aloha to the PCT – The Crystal Range Traverse
When I had a conference to attend in South Lake Tahoe, I made sure to book my flight so I could stay through the weekend and romp around the Sierra Nevada. In addition to business clothes in my suitcase, I packed a 70L duffel bag full of camping and adventure gear (I’ll let you guess…
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Big Days with the Boys – Mt. Massive, Jicarita, and Bandelier
I’m not going to lie, Maggie’s knee injury was a major bummer. More so for her than me, but it put a damper on all the things we love doing together outside. I had big dreams for summer 2024, which largely disintegrated along with Maggie’s ACL. I stayed by Maggie’s side as much as possible,…
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From the PCT to NM – The Pecos Wilderness and Beyond
On our first day of the Pacific Crest Trail, Maggie and I briefly met another couple, Bennett and Gina. We ended up leap-frogging each other all the way to Crater Lake, hanging out together in a handful of trail towns, and building a budding friendship. They even hosted us in Chicago when Maggie and I…
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Rim to Rim to Rim – The Grand Canyon
A seemingly insurmountable geographic barrier, The Grand Canyon is surrounded by as much lore as the canyon is deep. Traversing from rim to rim and back is a popular test piece for endurance athletes, especially now that the National Park Service has well maintained trails and water stations at several points along the way. When…
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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…
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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…
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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…