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Home »RamblingsPage 87

Gear Review – Patagonia Lightweight Travel Pack

Posted onJuly 8, 2012June 20, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of Patagonia’s Lightweight Travel Pack  

CategoriesGearTagsdaypack, gear, gear review, hiking, packs, review

Ptarmigan Wilderness Figure 8

Posted onJuly 3, 2012September 3, 2018AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Wanting a quicker overnighter away from the heat I went backpacking in the Ptarmigan Wilderness outside of Silverthorne, CO  

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsbackpacking, Colorado, hiking

Backpacking – The Next Generation

Posted onJune 30, 2012June 22, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A Father’s Day weekend trip where my buddy Josh and I took Avery for his first backpacking trip.

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsbackpacking, Colorado, kid friendly, wildflowers

The Trail Show #2 – The BM Trail

Posted onJune 19, 2012December 17, 2015AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

  The second espisode of The Trail Show!  

CategoriesPressTagsbackpacking, hikiing, podcast, The Trail Show

Review: The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide

Posted onJune 19, 2012November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of  The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear  Guide by Andrew Skurka.  A guide that is aimed towards the backpacker that wishes to hike more and camp a bit less.  

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbackpacking, books, gear, hiking, lightweight, review

Taking my climbing gear for a walk – Notch Top Mountain

Posted onJune 18, 2012May 2, 2019AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

A quick overnight (attempted) alpine climb to Notch Top. We were going to do the Spiral Route, but the 60+ MPH gusts on Sunday morning made us bag the trip. Still, a nice overnighter if anything else….  

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsbackpacking, climbing, hiking

Hike n’ Brew – St. Vrain Mountain

Posted onJune 5, 2012August 6, 2016AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

When a good friend you've known since you met on the PCT is about to become a dad, how do you celebrate? Why with a hike, a beer and a burger after. It is a Hike n' Brew!

CategoriesOther Outdoor Jaunts

The Trailshow!

Posted onJune 5, 2012September 23, 2013AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

What do four Triple Crowners do who are now married and/or have a kid on the way, about to get married and love beer do? They talk smack. They talk trail. And have a free form discussion that, in theory, Read More …

CategoriesPressTagsThe Trail Show

Return to the Pecos : The Land of Enchanment

Posted onMay 30, 2012August 14, 2016AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Another backpacking trip in the gorgeous Pecos wilderness of northern New Mexico. Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsbackpacking, hiking, New Mexico, Pecos Wilderness

Spring in the Foothills

Posted onMay 24, 2012September 10, 2018AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

In between the ski season and when the high country opens up is one of my favorite times of the year.  Early season wildflowers bloom. The local brooks and streams are rushing with fresh snow melt. And the views of Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagsBoulder, hiking, wildflowers

Book Review: I HIKE by Lawton “Disco” Grinter

Posted onMay 18, 2012January 31, 2017AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Lawton "Disco" Grinter, best known in thru-hiking circles for producing  The Walkumentary,  has written about his ten-thousand miles of hiking. Rather than a traditional thru-hike narrative about a journey, it is a collection of short vignettes from his many years Read More …

CategoriesBooks and MediaTagsbackpacking, books, hiking, thru hiking

New Insoles: Simple change with a big difference

Posted onMay 12, 2012April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Replacing the factory insoles with something new is a trick many experienced backpackers know about. But not everyone does. Here’s why it should be done. Read More …

CategoriesGear, Getting Started, Quick TipsTagsarch supports, feet, footwear, inserts, insoles, quick tip

Gear Review: Champion C9 Clothing (Target)

Posted onMay 1, 2012November 25, 2023AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

Outdoor clothing can be expensive. When a brand of clothing is that is inexpensive, functional and durable it is rare and wonderful find. And for me, the brand of clothing that fits that criteria are the Champion C9 brand found Read More …

CategoriesGearTagsbudget gear, clothing, gear, gear review

Wilderness First Aid : A Minimalist View

Posted onApril 23, 2012November 19, 2019AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Wilderness First Aid is a basic certification for the assessing, treating and stabilizing of a person’s injuries in the backcountry.  But how does the (sometimes) gear and equipment focused backcountry medicine co-exist with a more minimalist view? Here is my Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsgear, ultralite, wilderness firs aid

Backpacking: A Beginners Primer

Posted onApril 16, 2012December 8, 2025AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A primer  I wrote for people new to backpacking. With a beginners backpacking gear list, too. Read More …

CategoriesGetting StartedTagsbackpacking, Colorado, gear list, lightweight backpacking

Teton Valley – Winter Becoming Spring

Posted onApril 16, 2012April 15, 2019AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

someone and I had planned a ski trip to the Teton Valley and nearby areas in later March. Some Nordic backcountry in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the surrounding area was the idea.. An early spring altered our Read More …

CategoriesOther Outdoor JauntsTagshike, National Parks, ski, Wyoming

Review: Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Pocket Guide

Posted onApril 11, 2012January 3, 2021AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A review of an excellent guide to the wildflowers found in the Colorado Rockies. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, Getting StartedTagsbooks, Colorado, colorado-tip, gear, wildflowers

Shameless Plug: Guided Trip in Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted onApril 10, 2012December 16, 2015AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Interested in backpacking in Colorado and want to explore one of the least visited parts of Rocky Mountain National Park? And learn some new skills in the process?

CategoriesPMags NewsTagsbackpacking, guided trip, Rocky Mountain National Park

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@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.
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.

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