
True Confessions on the Hermit Trail
Ed Abbey and I traveled all over the Southwest. I was a college sophomore and Desert Solitare had been in print for only four years. I kept a cheap, dog-eared copy in my red Kelty external frame backpack and everywhere I hitchhiked across the Southwest, there was Ed. We had great conversations. We hitchhiked across […]

Put a Sticker on it
The perfect location is inside the door, right below the sliding lock. This spot ensures the most visibility as it’s just above eye level. Everyone who comes inside will be forced to look at it. A captive audience. I peel the backing off and carefully place a sticker atop dozens of others, hiding the competition. […]

Backcountry Skiing in the West Desert
You’ve had it happen before. You get up at a seemingly early time, make your coffee, drive your geared up car to the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the line of cars is already waiting for you. You wanted serenity, and you got the opposite: a line of cars containing increasingly aggro skiers, each […]

Powders of Persuasion
Story and Photos By Luke Mehall  Note: this piece is an excerpt from the author’s upcoming book, The Desert, due out later this year. My college years in The Desert were adventurous and crazy, a complete immersion in the unknown. After I graduated I began to roam from climbing area to climbing area, […]