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Home »2026 »January

Month: January 2026

Some small, good things.

Posted onJanuary 29, 2026January 29, 2026AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

Here are some “small, good things.” Read More …

CategoriesMusings

Moab area – January 2026

Posted onJanuary 12, 2026February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Local meanderings in winter. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

On being an amateur professional

Posted onJanuary 9, 2026January 9, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

What is a professional outdoors person? Who knows for sure. But I am an avowed amateur. Post Script for 2026 Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, time bank

Gear Review – Nalgene Ultralite Wide-Mouth Bottle

Posted onJanuary 8, 2026January 8, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at the Nalgene UL widemouthed bottle that has a place in our cold weather kit. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsgear, gear review, water containers, winter

2025 in review

Posted onJanuary 7, 2026January 7, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

The annual navel gazing I call the “Year in Review.” But, hey, there are pretty photos! Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsyear in review

Quick Tip – Customize your “America the Beautiful” Pass

Posted onJanuary 6, 2026January 11, 2026AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Have a new 2026 “America the Beautiful Pass?” Want a different set of photos on said pass? Some easy tips! Read More …

CategoriesQuick TipsTagsgift of time, quick tip

Two More Nights to Close Out New Year’s

Posted onJanuary 4, 2026January 24, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Two more nights in the backcountry to welcome 2026. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

The last days of 2025

Posted onJanuary 1, 2026January 1, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Joan and I spent the last days of 2025 the best way we know how: backpacking on the Colorado Plateau. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Virtual tip jar

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                                                                                                      

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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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  • Home
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    • 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
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      • New Mexico
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      • Clothing and related
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      • Water containers
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