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Home » Archive for  Musings (Page 8)

Category: Musings

My views on life, the universe, and everything.

NPS Campground privatization and other changes

Posted onSeptember 6, 2017July 19, 2019AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

In the near future, most NPS campground will be privatized. And connected. Some thoughts on an ongoing trend. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconnectivity, electronics, National Parks, Wildness

The ethics of off-trail hiking

Posted onSeptember 4, 2017September 25, 2019AuthorPaul Mags12 Comments

Is hiking off-trail ethical? And, assuming this type of hiking is ethical, what is the best way to preserve these ethics? Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsWilderness Ethics

New Fangled Ultralight Backpacking

Posted onAugust 2, 2017May 3, 2023AuthorPaul Mags46 Comments

This lightweight “backpacking fad” is not that new or a fad. Despite what some people may state. Read More …

CategoriesGear, MusingsTagsevolving, favorite, gear list, lightweight backpacking

Survival Coffee

Posted onJuly 26, 2017July 31, 2017AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

A socially acceptable chemical stimulant to increase my time bank funds when driving to a trailhead late at night. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagscoffee, food

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: $40 Utility bucket?

Posted onJuly 14, 2017February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags24 Comments

A new one even for me: A $40 plastic utility bucket being praised by an outdoor gear blog? Cripe. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, humor, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

More musings on Whitman

Posted onJuly 12, 2017July 28, 2025AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Some later night woolgathering again on Whitman. The last for a while. 🙂 Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, MusingsTagspoetry, Whitman

Wonderful Wildflowers

Posted onJuly 11, 2017July 12, 2017AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

The mountain landscapes are impressive. I still love me some wildflowers, though. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagswildflowers

The Colorado RV & Boat Show

Posted onJuly 10, 2017February 4, 2026AuthorPaul Mags14 Comments

A phenomenon that is becoming more common in Colorado. Read More …

CategoriesMusings, Trip PlanningTagscolorado-tip, crowds, traffic

How to do a fast hike

Posted onJuly 6, 2017July 9, 2017AuthorPaul Mags3 Comments

How to do a fast hike? The real question is how to hike all day consistently. And then repeat. Here are some ideas. Read More …

CategoriesGetting Started, MusingsTagsendurance, fast, thru hiking

Thoughts on this #EPIC PCT snow year

Posted onJune 29, 2017July 29, 2017AuthorPaul Mags11 Comments

Some thoughts about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the current snow conditions. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsPacific Crest Trail, snow, thru hiking

Thoughts on Song of The Open Road

Posted onJune 14, 2017October 4, 2021AuthorPaul Mags5 Comments

Song of The Open Road is rightfully celebrated as a poem about the joy of the journey. But there are some key lines often overlooked about this poem. Read More …

CategoriesBooks and Media, MusingsTagsfavorite, poetry, wanderlust, Whitman

The Culture of Connectivity Continues

Posted onJune 8, 2017January 8, 2021AuthorPaul Mags9 Comments

Thoughts on how our connectivity culture is increasing. And its impact upon the wild spaces. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsconnectivity, favorite, Wildness

National Trails Day – More than just a day

Posted onJune 6, 2017AuthorPaul Mags2 Comments

Some thoughts about National Trails Day and what it means in terms of the outdoors overall. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsNational Trails Day, stewardship, Wildness

Reality often astonishes theory

Posted onMay 12, 2017May 12, 2017AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

Words of wisdom from the late Tom Magliozzi of Car Talk. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsCar Talk, planning, quotes

Douglas Adams on flowers

Posted onApril 27, 2017July 10, 2017AuthorPaul Mags1 Comment

The late author Douglas Adams had a memorable view of the wonders of nature put succinctly in one sentence. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsdouglas adams, quotes, spiritual

The Tahoe Rim Trail – A change of view

Posted onApril 26, 2017November 25, 2023AuthorPaul MagsLeave a comment

Why the Tahoe Rim Trail was my second most important lettered route hike. Why? This hike started the change in how I view time spent in the outdoors. Read More …

CategoriesLong Walks, MusingsTagsTahoe Rim Trail

Dating – The Interview

Posted onApril 14, 2017January 3, 2021AuthorPaul Mags8 Comments

Some Friday humor that is non-outdoors related. Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagsfavorite, humor

Buying gear is a ticket to adventure???

Posted onApril 12, 2017April 13, 2017AuthorPaul Mags4 Comments

An email had the subject line of: Buying gear is like buying a ticket to adventure. Huh??? Read More …

CategoriesMusingsTagslifestyle

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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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Our original plan had to be modified due to the weather. Putting in long miles on a dirt road with thunderstorms rolling through would not have made for a good weekend.
A couple of days meandering near Moab.
Moody day in Moab
@ramblinghemlock and I spent one last day in Wisconsin. We visited Aztalan State Park, where ancestral mound builders established an outlier connected to Cahokia further downriver. A few hundred people lived here, shaping a piece of history I did not learn about until well into my 20s.
Another day meandering through Wisconsin woods and prairie. We hiked along rivers, visited a natural landmark once used by voyageurs, and saw pictographs, petroglyphs, and mounds left by the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk people.
A rain and cold day means "section hiking" the Ice Age Trail where @ramblinghemlock 's folks live here in town.

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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
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    • Who is Paul Mags?
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