Mountain goats on the McCullough Gulch Trail hike in Colorado
Something always stands between me and the goats. I haul all my stupid, heavy photography gear on my back for miles into thinning air, hoping I'll spot their white fur against the rocky ridges. Then, every time I see them, something terrible happens that keeps me from them. I nearly crap my pants on Grays,...
Paradise Valley, Montana: A Cabin at the Foot of Emigrant Peak
This story is continued from Western Kitsch: The Black Hills of South Dakota. After our gripping adventure rerouting several hours out of our way from the Black Hills, we pushed on to Billings and then Livingston. Just 30 miles from our final destination, the snow began to fall. In my tiny Prius, we slowed to...
The 50-Miler That Wasn’t: Indiana’s Knobstone Trail
I set two simple outdoor fitness goals this year - hike and summit at least one 14,000-foot peak, and segment hike a 50-miler. I tend to go west for mountains, so I decided to try east for my 50-miler. I researched extensively, and narrowed a list of 16 trails in the continental U.S. with at...
White Sands National Park, New Mexico
The last time I saw White Sands was more than two decades ago, when it was still a national monument. My younger brother and I spent several of our summers living in New Mexico with our mom. One of the highlights was some of the road trips we took to all different parts of the...
Dog-Friendly Minneapolis Road Trip!
Part of my beagle's bucket list was to take a short road trip. We chose Minneapolis because it is a short enough drive (about 6.5 hours - stop at the approximate midpoint in Des Moines for Zombie Burger) to do by myself from Kansas City, the weather is unbelievable in the summertime, and the city is...
19 Unforgettable Dog Bucket List Ideas From Ford & Otto
Ford's Story My 12-year-old beagle, Ford, has malignant canine lymphoma. Sitting in my car in my driveway after hanging up with the veterinarian, I wept. Ford is my love, my heart. I wasn't ready for this devastating prognosis. The day I found out Ford had cancer was the day I graduated from my two-year Masters degree...