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Home »2020 (Page 2)

Year: 2020

Gifts for yourself: A practical gift guide

Posted onNovember 9, 2020April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

Here are some gift ideas that an outdoors person can get for themselves. And they can be used in all seasons and in the coming years ahead. Updated for 2020. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsgift guide, gift of time, gifts, holidays

Signs of the outdoors – Part 2

Posted onOctober 28, 2020October 28, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

More signs I found amusing over my years of wilderness travel. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagshumor, signs

Other side of the La Sals

Posted onOctober 27, 2020October 27, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

We did some camping and hikng on the other side of the La Sals from our home. So close, yet so lightly visited. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, La Sals, Paradox Valley, Unaweep Canyon, utah

Back to the 1920s – Thoughts on outdoor rec

Posted onOctober 22, 2020September 14, 2023AuthorPaul Mags15 Comments

Thoughts on the state of outdoor recreation in our modern times. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, National Parks, time bank, Wildness

Camping “go-bag”

Posted onOctober 21, 2020December 15, 2025AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

For quick camping trips the night before a backpacking trip, road trips, or an extended base-camp style trip, having pre-packed clothing makes life easier. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear list

Signs of the Outdoors – Part 1

Posted onOctober 20, 2020October 28, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A collection of signs I found amusing from my (mainly) outdoor travels. Part 1. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagshumor, signs

Grand Mesa – Crags Crest

Posted onOctober 19, 2020October 20, 2020AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

I’ve wanted to check out Grand Mesa for over a decade now. And this past weekend, Joan and I enjoyed some backpacking there. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, Grand Mesa

More time in The Maze – Horseshoe Canyon

Posted onOctober 14, 2020October 14, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Some time spent hiking and camping at the detached Horseshoe Canyon of The Maze district. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagshoreshoe canyon, The Maze, utah

More time in The Maze

Posted onOctober 13, 2020October 14, 2020AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

More backpacking in “The Maze” and the nearby detached unit of Horseshoe Canyon. Part 1. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsCanyonlands, The Maze, utah

The politics of blaze orange and COVID masks

Posted onOctober 8, 2020November 10, 2020AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

People on either side of the political divide are often more alike than different. They both eschew practicality and safety for political statements. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsCOVID, LNT, Wilderness Ethics

Bugling elks and blazing aspen – The La Sals

Posted onOctober 6, 2020October 6, 2020AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Perhaps our last high country trip before playing in the desert for a while. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsLa Sals, utah

Gaia GPS map layers – Which ones I use

Posted onOctober 1, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The various map layers I use for Gaia GPS. And some lesser-known overview map print options that complement any GPS use, too. Read More …

CategoriesVideosTagselectronics, maps, navigation, videos

Autumnal Bliss in the San Juans

Posted onSeptember 28, 2020AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

More San Juans bliss. Perhaps our last weekend this year in my favorite Colorado Range? Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, San Juan Mountains, san juans

Some time to ourselves in Bears Ears

Posted onSeptember 22, 2020September 22, 2020AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Some much needed time to disconnect, get out, and enjoy each other’s company. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsBears Ears, utah

Gear review – Boonie Hat 2.0

Posted onSeptember 21, 2020February 10, 2023AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

I retired my beloved and well-worn boonie hat 6+ months ago. Here’s a look at version 2.0 – wider, lighter, and only $13. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsboonie hat, budget gear, clothing, gear review, hats, sun protection, surplus

Sun hoodie – First impressions

Posted onSeptember 16, 2020April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags14 Comments

A wise outdoors person tries out new ideas and techniques. With that in mind, here are my first impressions of trying out a sun hoodie. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsclothing, gear review, sun protection

How to make staying local into a #epicadventure

Posted onSeptember 15, 2020October 8, 2020AuthorJoan2 Comments

Joan shares five tips on how to find joy in the local areas. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagscovid 19, Joan West, keep it local, Wilderness Ethics

Green friendly, consumerism, and minimalism – Some thoughts

Posted onSeptember 14, 2020January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Thinking (virtually) out loud about some ideas on the green-friendly movement, consumerism, and minimalism as it pertains to the outdoors. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconsuerism, favorite, green friendly

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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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  • REI: Official Coupons and Rebates page
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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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