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Home » Archive for  Musings

Category: Musings

My views on life, the universe, and everything.

Thoughts on 9/11

Posted onSeptember 12, 2026September 13, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Thoughts on 9/11 on its 25th anniversary. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsoff-piste

More thoughts on the once and future Bears Ears

Posted onJuly 21, 2026July 21, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Backpacking is about more than gear and permits. Drawing on the Babylon Fire and the recent Bears Ears reduction, here are some thoughts on why stewardship also means caring about the future of our public lands. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsBears Ears, public lands, utah

Rock Images Gallery

Posted onJuly 9, 2026July 21, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A gathering of some pictographs and petroglyphs we’ve seen over the years. Updated July 2026. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsArizona, canada, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Rock Images, utah, Wisconsin

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

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

Austin Grandfather?

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

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

CategoriesMusingsTagsAI

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

Two days meandering near Moab

Posted onApril 20, 2026AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Local hikes near our Moab home. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsutah

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

Thoughts on two years with the National Park Service

Posted onFebruary 22, 2026February 22, 2026AuthorPaul Mags3 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

Off-Piste: Keeping an Aging Laptop Useful

Posted onFebruary 17, 2026June 9, 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, off-piste

Some small, good things.

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

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

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite

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

2025 in review

Posted onJanuary 7, 2026January 7, 2026AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

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

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsyear in review

Small, good things.

Posted onDecember 21, 2025December 21, 2025AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

A recent social media post made me think about shorter hikes and how they add up to a collective whole; much like a collection of well-crafted short stories. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, gift of time

Gear pick of the year 2025 – Cider, rum, and chocolate

Posted onDecember 18, 2025January 12, 2026AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Gear pick of the year for 2025? Cider, chocolate, and rum. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsfavorite, gear pick of the year

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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

@ramblinghemlock and I went to a place above the desert floor, where elk bugled, and there were expansive views of Capitol Reef and the Henry Mountains.
The hot and dry summer may account for the early leaf changing and somewhat muted colors. Still, not a bad sight.
@ramblinghemlock and I did an overnight to an obscure peak with an amazing viewscape. From the summit, we could see the Abajos and La Sals (our “home” mountains), distant 13ers and 14ers along the horizon, and the red rock country over the horizon. An incredible sunset capped off the evening.
Local mountains view. A touch of fall up high.
Joan and I met up with Holly and Dan for some hiking and camping in the always enjoyable San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
A touch of fall in the mountains.

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Disclosure: This website may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products to which I link. These sites include Amazon, REI, Moose Jaw, Gaia GPS, Six Moon Designs, Squak Mountain Co, and ULA Equipment. There is no additional fee for purchasing items through these links.

 

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  • Home
  • Ramblings
    • Musings
    • Books and Media
    • 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
      • Colorado
      • New Mexico
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Nebraska
      • New England
      • Nevada
      • North Carolina
      • Oregon
      • South Dakota
      • Texas
      • Wyoming
    • Photos
    • PMags News
    • Press
  • Nuts and Bolts
    • New to the outdoors? Start here!
    • Getting Started
    • Quick Tips
    • Trip Planning
    • 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
  • Subscribe by email
  • Write Me
  • About PMags.com
    • Who is Paul Mags?
    • About Joan West
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