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Home »2017 »June

Month: June 2017

Paying off some Technical Debt on PMags.com

Posted onJune 30, 2017July 4, 2017AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

A few changes this past month on my website. Some changes are aesthetic. Some are technical. But they needed to be done. Read More …

CategoriesPMags NewsTagstime bank, web site

Gear Review – Chainmate Pocket Chainsaw

Posted onJune 29, 2017November 22, 2024AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A relatively light, very portable, effective, and just plain fun tool for trail maintenance. With some loppers and a Silky, a good basic tool kit is complete. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear review, tools, trail work

Thoughts on this #EPIC PCT snow year

Posted onJune 29, 2017July 29, 2017AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Some thoughts about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the current snow conditions. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsPacific Crest Trail, snow, thru hiking

Gear review: Bank line for cord

Posted onJune 26, 2017August 12, 2020AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

A strong and inexpensive alternative to both paracord and traditional outdoor accessory cord. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbank line, budget gear, car camping, cord, gear review, shelters

Gear review: Lightspeed Camp Sleep Pad

Posted onJune 22, 2017April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Long term review of a sleeping pad typically sold at Costco in the spring and summer. Comfortable, high R-value, durable, and reasonable in price. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscamping, car camping, gear review, sleeping bag, sleeping pads

Trail Groove Issue 34

Posted onJune 20, 2017June 27, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Trail Groove Issue 34 is now out. I wrote some New Mexico-themed articles. Read More …

CategoriesPressTagsfood, New Mexico, Trail Groove, Wind River Obscure Route

Embracing the Pulaski – The Colorado Trail

Posted onJune 19, 2017July 4, 2018AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Some trail work on segments 12 and 14 of The Colorado Trail (East) over two days with some friends old and new. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, Colorado Trail, trail work

Thoughts on Song of The Open Road

Posted onJune 14, 2017October 4, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Song of The Open Road is rightfully celebrated as a poem about the joy of the journey. But there are some key lines often overlooked about this poem. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, MusingsTagsfavorite, poetry, wanderlust, Whitman

Olive Ridge camping weekend

Posted onJune 12, 2017July 4, 2018AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Some rare “camping for the sake of camping” with friends. But we did go on a hike to an obscure area in RMNP. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagscamping, Colorado, RMNP

The Culture of Connectivity Continues

Posted onJune 8, 2017January 8, 2021AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Thoughts on how our connectivity culture is increasing. And its impact upon the wild spaces. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconnectivity, favorite, Wildness

Ten outdoor documentaries to watch

Posted onJune 7, 2017January 19, 2021AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

Some documentaries I’ve enjoyed over the years. These are all available for streaming. Some for free! Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsclimate, documentaries, High Plains, Sagebrush Sea, Wildness

National Trails Day – More than just a day

Posted onJune 6, 2017AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Some thoughts about National Trails Day and what it means in terms of the outdoors overall. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsNational Trails Day, stewardship, Wildness

Long term review – ALPS Mountaineering Table

Posted onJune 2, 2017April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

If you camp in off-the-beaten-places, a good table is helpful. Here is one portable, durable, and excellent option. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagscamping, car camping, gear review, stoves

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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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Scroll Up
  • 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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