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Home » Archive for  Musings (Page 10)

Category: Musings

My views on life, the universe, and everything.

Local map store closes : Some thoughts

Posted onFebruary 1, 2017November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

A local map store closed. Some thoughts on what I think it reflects among current outdoor trends and skill sets. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsmaps, skills

Website of the week: Wayback Machine

Posted onJanuary 27, 2017November 14, 2017AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

A very useful resource for finding, reading, and making use of legacy information that is no longer readily available. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsInternet Archive, Wayback Machine, Website of the week

Alone Outdoors : One is the loneliest number?

Posted onJanuary 11, 2017January 12, 2017AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Solitude on outdoor trips is not lonely or sad. Quite the opposite. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagssolitude, solo, Wildness

2016: The theme was “Change”

Posted onDecember 29, 2016February 7, 2017AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

A look over 2016. The short version? Trips. Divorce. Pet passed on. Busy. Website did well. More to come in 2017! Read More …

CategoriesMusings, PMags NewsTagsbackpacking, hiking, time bank, work life balance, year in review

Embrace the weather

Posted onDecember 19, 2016July 4, 2018AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Just get outside. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, Other Outdoor JauntsTagsColorado, winter

Artifacts of our civilization: Random thoughts

Posted onDecember 14, 2016July 13, 2017AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

Some miscellaneous thoughts on what we seem to value in our culture. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsculture, garbage, history, silly

Planning and Packing: Pre-trip delight

Posted onNovember 30, 2016AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Getting ready for the trip is as almost exciting as the trip itself. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagspacking, planning

Giving Thanks

Posted onNovember 23, 2016December 31, 2016AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

A more personal entry. I am thankful for what is in my life. The outdoors is part of it. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfood, Italian-American, Thanksgiving

Simply Walking

Posted onNovember 18, 2016February 7, 2017AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Walking. It is simple, enjoyable and healthy. And if you are thinking of a long hike, something you should be doing. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsexercise, simplicity, time bank, walking

Mad Libs – Gear review edition

Posted onNovember 16, 2016January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Love to read about gear? Save yourself some time. Use this gear review template for the majority of your future gear review needs! Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsfavorite, gear review

Backcountry Moratorium in Arches National Park

Posted onNovember 15, 2016January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags18 Comments

The backcountry is currently closed effectively in Arches National Park. And camping will soon be, too. At least for a little bit. Some thoughts. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsColorado Plateau, utah, Wildness

Wild places: Islands in the sea?

Posted onNovember 3, 2016January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Some thoughts on recent events that perhaps show how increasingly rare wild places will become in the coming years. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsactivism, favorite, Wildness

Musings on Hatch Green Chile, 4oz can

Posted onOctober 6, 2016November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

And now for a review of something that is very important: An item of food. Why? Because if you don’t think food is important, you don’t backpack enough. 😉 Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbackpacking, food, luxury items, New Mexico

Wonderful fall

Posted onSeptember 28, 2016September 28, 2016AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Fall. The best time to be outside. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsbackpacking, camping, Fall, hiking

The AliExpress wormhole

Posted onSeptember 27, 2016April 26, 2025AuthorPaul Mags6 Comments

AliExpress is becoming more and more of a choice for outdoor gear. Some observations. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsbudget gear

FKT meets Jerry Springer

Posted onSeptember 23, 2016September 24, 2016AuthorPaul Mags10 Comments

Another FKT record. And then another controversy. So it goes. And will probably be how it will go again next year. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsFKT

Happy 100th birthday to the NPS!

Posted onAugust 25, 2016November 17, 2023AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

Today is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. And that also means the lesser known National Monuments are part of this celebration, too Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsAncestral Pueblo, anniversary, Colorado National Monument, Colorado Plateau, High Plains, National Monuments, national park service

Mountain bikes in the wilderness

Posted onAugust 15, 2016December 20, 2017AuthorPaul Mags7 Comments

Thoughts on mountain bikes in designated wilderness areas. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsmountain bikes, Wildness

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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!

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PMags Instagram

@ramblinghemlock and I had some company in town this weekend, along with some very muddy roads. A quick trip to a place just off the pavement proved perfect for our needs. Plenty of water-filled potholes, great views from the canyon rim, and a memorable sunset.
Snow in our local mountains yesterday and today. And, of course, flooding in the desert. Much-needed precip, but the wet, heavy New England-style snow caused quite a few blowdowns. Gonna be interesting...
"The mayor of Willcox in southern Arizona is optimistic that Chiricahua National Monument will soon be the country’s 64th National Park.
A few days on the Colorado Plateau. We saw new sites, revisited old favorites, and enjoyed a solo hike while @ramblinghemlock took a class at the nearby @crow_canyon
Bearing witness in a changed, post-fire landscape. Fire and flood shape the environment; some history passes away, while other traces remain untouched. The land eventually recovers: Some of it recently, some of it long after my lifetime.
On a rare group trip, we heard rain overnight and woke to this raging torrent. After the Babylon Fire, flooding was inevitable. The water carried a lot of ash.

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    • 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
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      • New Mexico
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