Brave New Industrial Tourism – Chiricahua National Park
Chiricahua may soon become a national park. But will increased tourism bring the resources needed to protect it? Some thoughts on industrial tourism and public lands. Read More …
Category: Musings
My views on life, the universe, and everything.
Tragedy of The Commons
A fire ring at an archaeological site, an unleashed dog where dogs are prohibited, and a reminder that protecting public lands means more than saying we value them. The tragedy of the commons, backcountry edition. Read More …
Thoughts on 9/11
Thoughts on 9/11 on its 25th anniversary. Read More …
More thoughts on the once and future Bears Ears
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 …
Rock Images Gallery
A gathering of some pictographs and petroglyphs we’ve seen over the years. Updated July 2026. Read More …
Communication Technology Options: Seven Years Later
I wrote about backcountry communication technologies in 2019; here are my updated thoughts seven years later. Read More …
Digital mapping tools, my use in 2026
State of the union for my mapping tool usage. Read More …
Austin Grandfather?
My mug got scooped up by an AI churn factory. Read More …
Ultralight as an auto hobby
Ultralight hobbyists reminds me classic car aficionados. Some thoughts. Read More …
Off-Piste – Brother 2170w Printer (2009 vintage)
Another off-piste article; this time about our circa 2009 Brother printer. Read More …
Two days meandering near Moab
Local hikes near our Moab home. Read More …
The Gilded Age, a Catholic Nun, and Public Lands
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 …
Thoughts on two years with the National Park Service
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 …
Magic 8 Ball for Public Lands Management
Public lands increasingly look less like shared landscapes and more like economic assets. From Moab to Big Bend, the pattern keeps repeating. Read More …
Off-Piste: Keeping an Aging Laptop Useful
And now some geek talk but explained plainly – Turning my circa 2019 laptop in a usable workstation going forward. Read More …
Some small, good things.
Here are some “small, good things.” Read More …
On being an amateur professional
What is a professional outdoors person? Who knows for sure. But I am an avowed amateur. Post Script for 2026 Read More …
2025 in review
The annual navel gazing I call the “Year in Review.” But, hey, there are pretty photos! Read More …