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Home »RamblingsPage 2

Edge of the San Juans

Posted onJuly 2, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Camping and hiking at the edge of the San Juan mountains. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado

Communication Technology Options: Seven Years Later

Posted onJune 19, 2026August 30, 2026AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

I wrote about backcountry communication technologies in 2019; here are my updated thoughts seven years later. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconnectivity, electronics

More time in our local mountains

Posted onJune 19, 2026June 19, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

More time spent in our local mountains. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Building Community with Joan West

Posted onJune 19, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A great interview about Joan and the volunteer coordinating role she performs for the state of Utah. Read More …

CategoriesPressTagsJoan West

Digital mapping tools, my use in 2026

Posted onJune 14, 2026July 2, 2026AuthorPaul Mags17 Comments

State of the union for my mapping tool usage. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsapp, electronics, maps

Up in our local mountains

Posted onJune 14, 2026June 14, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

With temperatures continuing their march toward 100F, and fuel prices climbing to almost $5 a gallon, we again looked to our local mountains for outdoor fun and relief from the heat. Joan and I did a quick overnight camping and Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Austin Grandfather?

Posted onJune 9, 2026June 9, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

My mug got scooped up by an AI churn factory. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsAI

Up higher, above the desert

Posted onJune 9, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A few words from a recent jaunt. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Into the pines

Posted onJune 7, 2026June 7, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Some time spent together in the high country. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Off Piste – Nelko P21 Label Maker

Posted onMay 19, 2026May 19, 2026AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

An inexpensive and useful label maker to help organize gear, maps, and other items. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagselectronics, gear, off-piste, organization

A few days off the desert floor

Posted onMay 19, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Desert haiku. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Grab and go – Pantry tote

Posted onMay 13, 2026May 13, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Organization is not glamorous, but it buys us more time outside. Our pantry tote is a key part of that system. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Trip PlanningTagscar camping, gift of time

Budget overlook – 32 Degree Heat light puffy

Posted onMay 12, 2026May 13, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

An inexpensive, functional puffy jacket for outdoor work, go bags, day hikes, and starter backpacking kit. Not fancy, but useful. Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget, clothing, gear review

Avenza: Enshittified. Sigh.

Posted onMay 11, 2026July 2, 2026AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Another victim of enshittification – Avenza Maps Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsapp, electronics

Solo on the plateau

Posted onMay 6, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Starting another chapter soon, so I took a few days for a solo walkabout in canyon country after my WFR recert. Three days of backpacking with a quiet camp on the canyon rim proved memorable. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsutah

Thinking of the last journey

Posted onMay 5, 2026May 6, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

When the weather shut down our original plan, we shifted to a canyon we hadn’t seen and a float on the Gunnison. It worked out, but the lower flows and changing conditions echo a larger reality across the Colorado Plateau. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, packrafting

Ultralight as an auto hobby

Posted onApril 27, 2026July 2, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Ultralight hobbyists reminds me classic car aficionados. Some thoughts. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsconsumerism

Off-Piste – Brother 2170w Printer (2009 vintage)

Posted onApril 27, 2026April 27, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Another off-piste article; this time about our circa 2009 Brother printer. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagselectronics, off-piste

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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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A touch of fall in the mountains.
Words I've kept in mind often in recent times -
The Red Colored River earned its name today. All the recent rain washed an amazing amount of red rock debris into the river.
@ramblinghemlock and I attended a talk at the Devil's Garden Campground in Arches by a friend. An enjoyable program on a wonderful late-summer evening.
Between the fires, a brief monsoon season, the AQI, and life in general, we didn't make it to our summer retreat in the San Juans as much as we'd hoped. But this "weekend," Joan and I finally made it back to our favorite mountains in Colorado.
Joan and I hosted some friends this past week. We gave them the classic tour, starting with an early morning visit to the Fiery Furnace in Arches National Park. While Joan attended a meeting, I played tour guide a bit for other parts of the park. That afternoon, we headed to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park to take in the sweeping views across the Colorado Plateau. Today? We escaped to our local mountains, looking down at the desert floor far below.

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  • Home
  • Ramblings
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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
      • Utah
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    • Getting Started
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    • 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
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