John Fielder, the man who loved natural beauty

If you’ve ever bought a calendar or coffee table book featuring the grandeur of Colorado’s 14’ers, the stunning color photographs…
John Fielder, credit Gary Wockner/Save the Colorado
MoreWildland firefighters need our support

At any given moment during this smoky summer of 2023, hundreds of wildfires were blazing in the United States —…
Calwood fire, near Jamestown Colorado, by Malachi Brooks, via Unsplash
MoreTips for a new Westerner

Hurray, you’ve moved to the rural West from a crowded subdivision or city where the traffic has become an out-of-patience…
Reno Nevada Mutton bustin’ photo by Cornelius Photography
MoreA dogged reporter covers our roiling world

Usually seen with a camera slung around his neck, Allen Best edits a one-man online journalism shop he calls Big…
Allen Best at work
MoreThe problem that just won’t go away

When I read the Salt Lake Tribune editorial on July 2, my heart sank. A Utah man with severe mental…
Ante Samarzija via Unsplash
MoreAlaska needs to value its live bears

Grizzly bears in Alaska, called brown bears, that live around the town of Bethel, population 6,325, should have a good…
Grizzly bear on the beach, Alaska, USA
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
MoreBoondoggle on the Colorado River

You’d think the Earth shook recently when the three states of California, Arizona and Nevada announced they’d reached a deal…
Glen Canyon Dam, Courtesy Bureau of Reclamation
MoreRushing water closes a highway in Western Colorado

The small towns of Paonia and Hotchkiss in western Colorado are seeing fewer tourists this spring. Exceptionally high runoff blew…
Bear Creek digs a big ditch across Highway 133, Patti Kaech photo, May 15
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