Dream Big, Work Hard, Be Kind: A Message For 2018
byLast week, I gave the address at the commencement ceremony for the Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning. It was a great exercise in…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 132
byMeet Maxine the Fluffy Corgi (warning, this has an f-word in it):(video) Al Humphreys gives us a look behind the scenes of self-shot adventure…
The People-Pleaser’s Plan For Climbing A Mountain
byHey, I was wondering if you might want to go climbing this weekend? I think it’ll be really fun—if you’re up for it. I…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 131
by“I’ve never done anything that has that kind of resonance or effect. Things become iconic for reasons you don’t know. It’s not intellectual or…
Nature As An Airbnb: A Review
byFor a quick getaway last weekend, my friends and I planned a three-night stay in nature. Nature is not listed as an Airbnb rental…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 130
byYou’ll probably never see a more inspiring trip report from a toddler than this one, thanks to our talented friends at Gnarly Bay (video):…
Summit Day
byA couple hundred feet from the top of Avalanche Gulch on Mount Shasta last Monday morning, my friend Abi and I had a check-in….
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 129
byHoly shit, that’s how you work a video camera—and chase thunderstorms for a whole month of your summer (video): “There really is only one…
Kanye West Tweets With Photos Of Bears
byMashing up Kanye West’s tweets with New Yorker cartoons has been done before (in 2010 here and a few weeks ago here), with wonderful…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 128
by“To me, it’s like hitting the lotto. I wake up happy in the morning. I really love what I do. I love garbage.” —Nick…
When Crappy Gear Is OK
byIn 2004, my friend Nick and I went on a 10-day road trip from Montana to Phoenix, where I was moving after graduate school….
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 127
byYes, we’d all be better off if we climbed—or at least looked up at—trees more often (video): This is a lovely chillhop live stream…
The Gas Tank Is 1/4 Full, Or 3/4 Empty
byJust east of Green River, Utah, on Interstate 70, I looked over from the passenger seat to see the car’s gas gauge hovering around…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 126
byBrad Gobright and Jim Reynolds climbed The Nose in a little over two hours last fall. You can watch them do it in a…
The Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim: A Trail Diary
by4:35 a.m. The wind blows across the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, 20 mph constant. Mitsu and I hurriedly grab hats and gloves,…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 125
byThe Hanging won the Charlie Fowler Award for best climbing film at Mountainfilm last year, and it’s finally online (video): Chris Kalman pens a…
Climbing Out Of A Huge Metaphor
byTen years ago last weekend, my old friend Jarrett didn’t have cancer anymore, so I thought it would be a good idea to take…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 124
byBlue Ridge Outdoors profiles Forest and Canyon Woodward as they run their first 50-mile race (video): Do yourself a favor and listen to this…
For Sale: Palatial Mountain Getaway
byLocation, location, location! This one-bedroom is close to nothing. Step inside the 29-square-foot ripstop nylon palace and say hello to your new home! The…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 123
byIf you’re not familiar with Chip Thomas’s work, here’s your chance (video): (Thanks, Chris) Does Having A Day Job Mean Making Better Art? “I…
Affordable Alternatives To The Seven Summits
byWant to climb the Seven Summits? Sure you do. Want to pony up $157,000 (not including flights)? If the answer to that second question…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 122
byShit yeah, solar system: (video) “Last year, a Miami newspaperman asked what he planned on doing after baseball. ‘I think I’ll just die,’ Ichiro…
Should You Keep Your Big Goals To Yourself?
byA couple years ago, I was talking to my dad on the phone and asked about his plans for the next weekend. He said…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 121
byWell, here’s a nifty-as-hell three minutes of Grand Canyon timelapses (video) “The Big Lebowski came out in the days before smartphones and Twitter and…
How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love The Strava
byI was hesitant to try Strava at first: Everybody’s heard about some jackass who almost ran over a kid on the trail because they…
Friday Inspiration, Vol. 120
by“If you’re lucky, the mountains are a forgiving teacher and you learn from your experiences. Art’s the same way—I only got better by doing…
Break In/Destroy Your New Sleeping Bag With These 11 Simple Steps
byNothing’s better than a brand-new sleeping bag, that miraculous cocoon of warmth that enables you to sleep under the stars. Nothing, that is, except…