Impact
I’ve been in Seattle the last few days to attend the Passive House Northwest Conference. The German Passive House energy efficiency standard is alive and well here in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps...
View ArticleStars
A few weeks ago I made a goal to sleep under the stars more. Last weekend Sarah had a great idea for just the place to do that. I made it to Salt Lake City by Thursday night, and Friday we headed...
View ArticleTry!
“Sometimes, you just gotta jump in with both feet and try your best.” I was in over my head at work again today. Fortunately when I got home, I saw this from my friend Tom (spoiler- contains adult...
View ArticlePortland #6: A Look Back
(written Sunday night) Driving down I-84 into the Columbia River Gorge Friday night I felt my chest rise and breathe a little more easily. Portland feels like a stable vantage point to look back at the...
View ArticleSkander-ness
“…accepting what already is, what has always been, is to grasp happiness. With this in mind, we do not become happy, but rather realize the happiness that always is. Examples of this just being are...
View ArticleTies
I’ve been looking forward to writing about last weekend since before it happened. Time tends to prove the strength of ties that bind. Me, Bryce, and Laura, deep in the Alaska range on our NOLS course...
View ArticlePlasir Means Fun
Part I of III I’ve written about the Wind River mountains a few times, but despite their significance for me they’ve been a difficult place to get to in my adventures. 9 days ago I got off work late...
View ArticleThe Cirque
Part II of III I didn’t make it into the Cirque of the Towers on my 2002 Wind River trip. There was a forest fire in the southern range and most of our route headed north. I’m glad I didn’t see it...
View ArticleLander, WY
Part III of III Back at the car, another perfect moment. Sipping good coffee at my friend Sylvia’s house in Lander, the Monday morning bustle started slowly around me. I wasn’t due back at work in...
View ArticleFlooding
Where am I going? Wednesday morning I met my boss for coffee at our favorite place, halfway between our respective houses and the office. We talked about our profession, our decisions in life, the...
View ArticleTriple Header
Marko shows us how it’s done in the dark. Montana is a special place, and there is a reason that the autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I wasn’t expecting it, but taking the opportunities at hand...
View ArticleHomegrown
We’re not in Montana any more. I walked casually through the Depaul University campus. The evening was mild for December in Chicago, and it felt good to take a little extra time to notice the classic...
View Article2013 In Review
Photo: Amy O’Toole. I’m grateful to say that if nothing else, the sorrows and successes of 2013 have been real. A quick review of everything: Went to Australia. Saw family. Deepened old friendships,...
View ArticleBliss
The start to all good adventures. I had about 12 hours between getting back from a full work week in Thompson Falls and getting into a car full of friends headed to the southern Bitterroot for a...
View ArticleRed Rocks
Going someplace good. Simon and I slid together down our ropes into the blackness. Light from my headlamp faltered as the batteries strained and drained, our eyes squinting for the glint of bolts. We...
View ArticlePortland #8
My legs were stiff as they turned over the bikes cranks, 9 hours of driving back from Portland will do that. Portland was much warmer- after the long drive, the evening air had a bite that reminded me...
View ArticleStoke
Stoke might be the most over-used word in the adventure community. Usually used in conjunction with phrases like “shred the gnar”, there’s a connotation with it that often carries both excitement and...
View ArticleThe Bomber
Yup, it’s Alaska! Slogging to the Mint Glacier Hut. Straining against the endless glacial white, my eyes played tricks on me. How hard was it to miss a whole B-29 crash? Day 2 of the Bomber Traverse in...
View ArticleMagical Mystery Tour
So what of the other 5 days of my recent Alaska trip? We left our intrepid adventurers here: The cushiest hitch-hiking spot ever (no we didn’t hitch in the white truck). baking in the heat just below...
View ArticleLies and Propaganda
I spent Memorial Day with three awesome people in Ten Sleep Canyon, Wyoming. Like most of my climbing trips, it was fun, beautiful, and eye opening. Deep thanks to our veterans for their service. Ten...
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