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Home »Ramblings

A Walk Across New England – An Overview

Posted onSeptember 21, 2025December 4, 2025AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

An initial look at my overall plans for Walking Across New England (WANE) in Fall of 2025. Read More …

CategoriesLong WalksTagsAppalachian Trail, cohos trail, Massachusetts, midstate trail, monadnock sunapee greenway trail, New England, New Hampshire, north south trail, Rhode Island, wane, wapack trail

On “Structured Rambling”

Posted onMay 16, 2024March 16, 2025AuthorPaul Mags16 Comments

What got directed as an insult months ago seems less an insult and more of an aspirational idea worth striving for. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, structured rambling

On the South East Utah Group (SEUG) Circuit

Posted onMay 24, 2023April 27, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

My experiences walking and packrafting ~250 miles connecting the four NPS units and the lands in between of the South East Utah Group (SEUG). Read More …

CategoriesLong WalksTagspackrafting, SEUG Circuit, utah

Thoughts on the Seventh Principle of Leave No Trace

Posted onMay 22, 2020January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

Some thoughts about the Seventh Principle of Leave No Trace: “Be Considerate of Other Visitors.” Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagscommunity, favorite, LNT, Wilderness Ethics

Western Snap shirts vs. Sun Hoodies- Hot and Dry Weather

Posted onMarch 24, 2026March 26, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

I’ve tried several sun hoodies over the years. I still find my poly-cotton Western snap shirt works better in hot, dry weather. Here’s why. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, sun protection

Higher up, a little early

Posted onMarch 24, 2026March 24, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A trip to an area we usually see in May and not March. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

More local hiking – Moab in March

Posted onMarch 22, 2026March 22, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Some local hiking others parts our life take precedence. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Some volunteering and camping

Posted onMarch 17, 2026March 17, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Some volunteering and camping locally. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

The Gilded Age, a Catholic Nun, and Public Lands

Posted onMarch 5, 2026March 5, 2026AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Public lands once felt like places anyone could enter with a pair of boots and a bit of curiosity. Today they feel increasingly exclusive. A lesson from a Rhode Island nun still lingers. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagspublic lands

Local jaunts in 3D

Posted onMarch 4, 2026March 8, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Three dimensional hiking near home. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

One Year Review – OYGSieg Sun Hoodie

Posted onFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A look at some effective sun hoodies for cool to cold weather use. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbackpacking, budget gear, clothing, gear, gear review, hiking, shirt, sun protection

A bit of winter in Moab

Posted onFebruary 23, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A walk on a late winters’ day. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Thoughts on two years with the National Park Service

Posted onFebruary 22, 2026February 22, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Thoughts on two years balancing my trade with my passion at the National Park Service, and on still processing the decision to leave. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagswork life balance

Magic 8 Ball for Public Lands Management

Posted onFebruary 19, 2026February 23, 2026AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Public lands increasingly look less like shared landscapes and more like economic assets. From Moab to Big Bend, the pattern keeps repeating. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagspublic lands

Presidents Day Weekend 2026

Posted onFebruary 18, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A transitional weekend from this warm and dry winter to the upcoming spring season. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Standard vs Grid vs Alpha vs Octa Fleece for Backpacking: Real-World Pros and Cons

Posted onFebruary 18, 2026February 19, 2026AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Solid, grid, Alpha, and Octa fleece for backpacking and hiking. Real-world durability, breathability, cost, and when each layer works best. Updated Feb 2026. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting StartedTagsclothing, fleece

Off-Piste: Keeping an Aging Laptop Useful

Posted onFebruary 17, 2026February 19, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

And now some geek talk but explained plainly – Turning my circa 2019 laptop in a usable workstation going forward. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagselectronics

Canyon Country in February

Posted onFebruary 10, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

A long over due trip due to a bug that hit us. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Local in Moab – Flu Recovery

Posted onFebruary 10, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Some moderate hiking as we recovered from the flu. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Some small, good things.

Posted onJanuary 29, 2026March 2, 2026AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

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

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite

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

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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                                                                                                      

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@ramblinghemlock and I changed our plans because our usual March haunts were already pushing 90°F. We headed higher to places we usually visit in May. The blooming paintbrush, greening plants, and the lack of snow on the 11,000+ foot peaks in the distance made me wonder what the coming fire season might bring.
@ramblinghemlock and I have had to do some adulting lately. A career transition and a 1956-era house will do that. It sometimes means skipping overnight trips.
We did some volunteer work for an organization we are active with on Saturday and Sunday, and made it into a local camping trip in between the assignments.
Some local hiking this weekend. I scouted a route for a possible packrafting trip later this month, and on Sunday, @ramblinghemlock and I meandered through a canyon we’ve been curious about for a while.
I can’t imagine this landscape with a wall.
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.

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      • Appalachian Trail
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      • Colorado Trail
      • Continental Divide Trail
      • Ring The Peak Trail (Pike’s Peak)
      • Benton Mackaye Trail
      • Tahoe Rim Trail
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