In this story I try to tackle the difficulties in finding simplicity in a complex world. How can we tone down the overwhelming options before us, or silence the voices of a hundred threads coming at us at once on social media? Is there a place we can go to focus more intently on the present? On this journey I go bikepacking deep into the San Rafael Swell, a remarkable piece of Utah. I cover…
In this piece I take a look at what we can learn during time spent in the outdoors. “Life lessons on the river” is an endless topic of discussion, with the main theme being change. A river is nothing if not the embodiment of change as it scours its way down through layers of rock, changing the very face of our Earth. Through the lens of our years rafting together as a family, I ruminate…
Day 1 – May, 2021 A Hallway of Stone, A Ribbon of Sky I STAND IN A hallway of stone. The sky, a thin, winding ribbon of cerulean above me. Millions of years of the geologic record soar overhead, a towering dominion of arcane time. In fact, the rock record here displays nineteen different formations, more than any other National Park in America (yes, more even than the Grand Canyon). The sheer depth of time…
It has been just over seven months now since we landed in Fort Collins. Our trip will forever be a milestone in our lives, like COVID is for humanity. “Pre-trip” and “post-trip” will be part of our family lexicon for good. Here are some thoughts on life after a big adventure. It feels nice to be settled, but don’t get me wrong, whispers of our trip sneak in at times and rock our firm foundation.…
THE RIVER RUSHES SO swiftly that it sends up a shimmering emerald mist which hangs above the angry surface like a diaphanous blanket. The entire river corridor—bounded by verdant, moisture-laden flora—is enshrouded like this and snakes off into darkness alongside the highway. Boreas Mountain calls to me. I am standing along the banks of the North Fork of the South Platte river outside Bailey, Colorado. The summer monsoon had been in full swing for two…
