The Pothunting Problem- Thieves of Time in the American Southwest
Two hours after wearing a surveillance wire in a pot-hunting investigation, I placed a loaded .38 Colt revolver in my pickup. Just in case. I told my wife to lock the doors and windows, shut the blinds, and keep our small sons inside. The young pothunter I had just helped the feds bust knew I […]
Lone Coyote in Husbandless Canyon
“Where’s your husband?” the ranger asked. My husband? I looked at him blankly. “The rest of your party?” he continued, scanning the canyon. “I’m it.” I grinned as though this was no big deal, a matter of course. I grinned as though the assumption that I should have a husband didn’t bother me. The BLM […]
Desert R.A.T.S.- A Running Race of Heat, Sand, Slickrock, and Solidarity
In the red rocks surrounding Moab, the Earth’s skin splinters into a million, trillion towers, fins, spines, spikes, hoodoos, mesas, arches, and rock formations so strange that they yet possess no name. The on-the-ground feel of this geologic jumble is a sense that one has wandered into a massive and infinite maze, or pretty much […]
Lake Powell Pilgrimage- An Epic Adventure in Scale
Plunging into the liberal waters of Lake Powell when the summer sun blasts and blazes the landscape is an unforgettable and sublime outdoor pleasure. This year our sojourn is simply sketched. In seven days Sven and I can leisurely pilot his MacGregor sailboat up the Escalante River arm and back to Bullfrog Marina, touring remote […]
Lost Canyons of the Green River
August, 1843. John Charles Fremont, the Pathfinder, is camped on the banks of the Green River in Browns Park, in what will one day be Colorado. It’s easy to imagine his guide, Kit Carson regaling the Pathfinder with tales of the old days, but Fremont’s attention was caught by what Carson said about what […]
Spring Classics- 8 Weeks, 8 Adventures in Utah
It happens every year in Utah – winter’s death knell tolls and skiers mourn the melting snow. Spring, however, gives rise to the best time of year for outdoor recreation in the state. Mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, canyoneering and backpacking fill the void winter leaves behind. Spring is the signal for our migration towards […]
