As users of public lands, we are all responsible for managing our impact while out on our adventures. While it may seem at first that there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to take a walk in the woods, it may eventually occur to you that some behaviors are more impactful than others. And if you […]
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Check almost any hashtag or website dedicated to the outdoors and you’ll see one of a handful of stock images: a young, white woman staring wistfully at a high alpine lake; a young dude-bro catching air on a big mountain bike ride; a tale of epic, death-defying adventure in a remote wilderness. For a handful […]
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I’ve been hiking nearly every chance I get since 2005. In that time, I’ve learned a lot, mostly the hard way. But I’ve also taken classes, learned from mentors, read books, watched videos, attended seminars, and spent countless hours trying to improve my skills both on and off trail. Throughout my career, I’ve been an […]
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This is cross-posted from my other website, JessBFit.com. The COVID-19 outbreak has taken the world by storm, causing national, state and local governments to issue unprecedented stay-at-home orders that have changed the way most people live their lives. And while some messaging encourages people to go outside and get some exercise, land management agencies are […]
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I was sitting in a coffee shop partway through a road trip, thinking ahead to my next stop: Joshua Tree National Park. I had a hiking book, a park map and pages of notes from a variety of Internet sources. With only a few days to spend in the park, I wanted to put these […]
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Author’s note: This article was first published on Food For the Sole’s blog. Food For the Sole makes tasty, nutritious, lightweight and calorie-dense food that is perfect for backpacking. I was delighted to contribute to their blog. Now, on to the reading… In 2007 I prepared for one of my first overnight hikes: a 4-day […]
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This is part 7 of a 7 part series exploring the why’s and how’s of practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace. The seventh principle, be considerate of other visitors, provides guidelines that help you think about how your use of the outdoors may impact others’ use of the outdoors. Why be considerate of […]
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This is part 6 of a 7 part series exploring the why’s and how’s of practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace. The sixth principle, respect wildlife, encourages people to view wildlife from a distance and to minimize your impact on the animals’ natural behavior and movement patterns. Why respect wildlife? Part of the […]
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This is part 5 of a 7 part series exploring the why’s and how’s of practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace. The fifth principle, minimize campfire impacts, outlines ways you can still enjoy a fire in the woods without causing a forest fire or depleting fragile landscapes of limited resources. Why minimize campfire […]
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This is part 4 of a 7 part series exploring the why’s and how’s of practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace. The fourth principle, leave what you find, refers to minimizing your impact on a space by leaving it as it is, not removing plants, animals or artifacts. Here’s an exception: remove all […]
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