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Home »2013 »December

Month: December 2013

Free Outdoor Books

Posted onDecember 20, 2013January 31, 2017AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

How to get free e-books that are all about the outdoors.

Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, books, free, hiking

Ski Touring: Wax or Waxless skis?

Posted onDecember 19, 2013February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

What’s better for Nordic touring? Wax or Waxless skis? The usual answer: It all depends! Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, gear, skiing, winter

A Quick and Dirty CDT Guide

Posted onDecember 17, 2013September 14, 2023AuthorPaul Mags38 Comments

A quick overview of the Continental Divide Trail for planning purposes. Updated regularly. Read More …

CategoriesQuick and Dirty Guides, Trip PlanningTagsContinental Divide Trail, lightweight backpacking, lightweight gear, popular

The Trail Show #19 – The Catamount Trail

Posted onDecember 17, 2013AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The Trail Show #19 featuring Vermont’s Catamount Trail and a winter theme.

CategoriesPressTagshiking, podcast, The Trail Show

The Thermos – Best Winter Gear Ever?

Posted onDecember 11, 2013April 25, 2025AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

A look at why I take a thermos on winter outings Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, MusingsTagsgear, thermos, winter

Wool vs Synthetics – What to wear?

Posted onDecember 10, 2013September 4, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

It is now winter. Should trusty wool be used or synthetics? Read on to find out more.

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, clothing, gear, hiking, winter

The Trail Show – Bonus Show 3 : Funding Your Hiking Addiction

Posted onDecember 10, 2013AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The Trail Show Bonus Show #3 – Funding Your Hiking Addiction

CategoriesPressTagsbackpacking, bonus show, hiking, podcast, The Trail Show

Early Winter

Posted onDecember 9, 2013December 9, 2013AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Some early winter hikes and skis in late October through early December

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, hiking, skiing, winter

Website of the week – Winter Trekking

Posted onDecember 4, 2013November 17, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

With the cold weather hitting Colorado, my mind is turning to winter. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbackpacking, camping, skiing, Website of the week, winter

Gear Review – Merrell Mix Master Move

Posted onDecember 3, 2013January 4, 2019AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of the Merrell Mix Master Move   There was some hiking in “dem dar foothills!” Shoes are a piece of outdoor gear we ask a lot of. We put down miles while schlepping our gear. Our shoes need to Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsfootwear, gear review

A Quick and Dirty Guide to the Appalachian Trail

Posted onDecember 3, 2013April 4, 2022AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

A planning guide and overview for planning a thru-hike or long backpack on the Appalachian Trail.
Read More …

CategoriesQuick and Dirty Guides, Trip PlanningTagsAppalachian Trail, backpacking gear, lightweight backpacking, lightweight gear, popular

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A Quick Guide to Moab

The Squak – A readily available, $60, active-focused grid fleece hoodie from a Utah-based company. Read the review.

Women’s | Men’s | Children’s   

The Squak Camp Dress 

One of Joan’s favorites!

The Squak Alpha Fleece 

                                                                    

– 15% off coupon = PMAGS-SQUAK                                                                                                      

  • REI: Shop Deal of the Day at REI Garage!
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PMags Instagram

Two years inside the Park Service, trying to balance trade and calling. I left in fall 2025, and I’m still making sense of it - part grief, part gratitude, and part closure.
With a brief but noticeable bit of winter this past week, we opted not to travel the muddy, snowy roads into more remote areas. Instead, we tackled some home projects on Saturday and spent Sunday revisiting a place we hadn’t seen in a while. Red rock, canyon wrens, images, and late winter desert light accompanied the day.
@ramblinghemlock and I pivoted from an original trip after much-needed rain on Friday. On Saturday, we avoided muddy roads that would have derailed our original plan and spent two nights poking around a place we could reach only because of temporary, water-filled potholes and a handy Ziploc bag that made it possible. We also revisited sights we hadn’t seen in a while. Red rock, grand views, and old images marked the unofficial long weekend kickoff of spring around Moab.
@ramblinghemlock and I finally felt better and took a long-overdue trip into the backcountry. We slept outside and enjoyed the peace of the wild places. Canyon wrens filled the canyon with song during the day, and owl calls echoed off the walls at night. We returned to places we had not seen in a while and saw places new to us. The land endures.
@ramblinghemlock and I are recovering from the flu, so we decided to keep things local this weekend.
Small, good things.

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Disclosure: This website may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products to which I link. These sites include Amazon, REI, Moose Jaw, Gaia GPS, Six Moon Designs, Squak Mountain Co, and ULA Equipment. There is no additional fee for purchasing items through these links.

 

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  • Home
  • Ramblings
    • Musings
    • Books and Media
    • Videos
    • From The Web
    • Thru Hikes, Long Walks, or Routes
      • My Alphabet Soup summary
      • Vermont’s Long Trail
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Pacific Crest Trail
      • Colorado Trail
      • Continental Divide Trail
      • Ring The Peak Trail (Pike’s Peak)
      • Benton Mackaye Trail
      • Tahoe Rim Trail
      • Uinta Highline Trail
      • Collegiate Loop
      • A Walk Across Southern Utah
      • Great Divide Trail (Canada)
      • The Northern New Mexico Loop
      • Grand – Moab Route
      • SEUG Circuit
      • A Walk Across New England
    • Other Outdoor Jaunts
      • Utah
      • Colorado
      • New Mexico
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Nebraska
      • New England
      • Nevada
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
    • Photos
    • PMags News
    • Press
  • Nuts and Bolts
    • New to the outdoors? Start here!
    • Getting Started
    • Quick Tips
    • Trip Planning
    • Quick and Dirty Guides
    • Food
    • Gear
      • All Gear Posts
      • Gear Reviews
      • Gear Quivers
      • Gear Lists
      • Budget Gear
      • What I’m Wearing
      • Clothing and related
      • Footwear
      • Packs
      • Shelters and related
      • Sleeping bags, quilts, and pads
      • Stoves, cooking, and related
      • Tools
      • Water containers
    • Road trip and car camping – gear and techniques
    • Winter trip reports, gear overviews, tips, and techniques
  • Subscribe by email
  • Write Me
  • About PMags.com
    • Who is Paul Mags?
    • About Joan West
      • Joan’s articles

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