There’s such a thing as trail etiquette

The uppermost switchback on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park is eight feet wide. Yet the last…
Bright Angel Trail, NPS/Ty Karlovetz
MoreToo many tourists follow a leader

A spectacular picture recently appeared on social media of a young lady in Arizona. She was poised on the edge…
spencer backman, via unsplash
MoreRestoring the land can feel a lot like fun

Driving back to Colorado State University with a van full of students after a day of working to heal some…
Autumn at a cattle ranch in Colorado near Ridgway – County Road 12, Craig Zerbe Photo
MoreBackcountry heroes always try to bring us back

When I was leading groups into the Wyoming wilderness in the 1990s, once we left a trailhead we were on…
The Tetons in Wyoming, a great place to get lost, photo by Mike
MoreMountains don’t need hardware

We humans want the most out of life, so why shouldn’t we push to get more of what we want?…
A female mountain climber pulling herself up a climb. Image credit steele2123 via Istock Photo
MoreOld bones can be a small town’s movie stars

The prehistoric past can perk up the present. When woolly mammoth bones were found in my hometown in Wisconsin years…
Allosaurus jimmadseni, courtesy NPS
MoreNew Mexico court upholds public access

Every state in the West has some type of law declaring that its waters belong to the public. But what this…
The Los Alamos and Rio Grande in NM, courtesy of Jonah Saleh via Unsplash
MoreHiking public lands shouldn’t require a ladder

Imagine you were part owner of a nice piece of rural land, maybe with a trout stream running through it….
Lisa Mcintyre via Unsplash
MoreCan we live with electric mountain bikes on trails?

The first time I saw an electric bike — better known as an e-bike — I was struggling up a…
Mountain biker Celeste Young takes a break along the Big Hole Crest Trail in Idaho. 2022 image. Photo courtesy Molly Absolon
MoreNever hike without this perfect accompaniment

I have long been known to have pet peeves about the debris hikers drop along trails, but one piece of…
Buster babes with a bandana collar
MoreHow do you you-know-what in the woods

Poop talk makes everybody fidget and giggle uncomfortably. We like our poop to disappear. We want shiny white porcelain toilets…
MoreOh, Utah! When will you learn?

A new video released by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox argues the big, semi-annual trade show called Outdoor Retailer should come…
Delicate Arch Utah, image credit Solo Travel Goals, via Unsplash
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