Deliberately placing each foot in front of the other, Greg waits between steps and breathes in and out. Mountaineering is not a fast paced activity. On really hard climbs, where the atmosphere is thinner, he spends quite a bit of time focusing on his breathing. It’s hard to believe, but that’s the really hard part. … Read more
Greg is out of breath. He stops for a moment to catch his breath and watches it condense into fog midair. The altitude certainly isn’t helping, but the real culprits here are the unwieldy contraptions attached to his feet. Greg is snowshoeing the Mount Tallac trail near Lake Tahoe. It’s his first time snowshoeing and … Read more
This last year was the first time Greg had ever been to Yosemite National Park. It was a wonder to behold. Ever since he was a child, the forest has provided a sense of wonder. Magic, even. The natural breeze and chirping of the birds have always been like an elixir for his anxious mind. … Read more
Summer is a perfect time to explore a new part of the country, and canoeing and camping in Northern Michigan is beyond amazing. Wildlife sightings. Picturesque landscape. Water for miles. Bound in the North by Lake Superior and by Lake Michigan in the East, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan looks spectacular in July. Lake Superior … Read more
Walking into the designated campsite at Glacier National Park, Greg surveyed his surroundings with anticipation. He pitched camp by a large lakeside in the middle of the park. “Just get me away from these tourists by the perimeter.” he thought to himself. He found a relatively flat spot for his tent and began to pull … Read more
Backpack set out before him, Greg lists out the items in his mind that are essential to his upcoming trip to Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada Range outside Fresno, California. Matches. Check. Stove and gas. Check. Rain gear, headlamp, compass and map. Check. Greg walks with anticipation to his newly organized garage. … Read more
Holding the piping hot mug of coffee in his gloved hands, Greg is instantly warmed. He watches the steam rising from the cup and is reminded of the beauty of this moment. Away from the regular distractions of home, he is surrounded by a cathedral of trees. Looking through the layered branches towards the light … Read more
Deliberately placing each foot in front of the other, Greg waits between steps and breathes in and out. Mountaineering is not a terribly fast paced activity. On really hard climbs, where the atmosphere is thinner, he spends quite a bit of time focusing on his breathing. The walking is actually quite simple. It’s the other … Read more
Deep in the lush green of the back-country, Greg is living his best life replete with a simple backpack, a water-bottle, and his map. He thinks to himself that this is where he truly belongs: on this hike, out in this wonderful wild, far away from cell-phone signal and the endless list of emails. As he … Read more
While Greg is out on the trail alone, he starts dreaming of higher peaks to climb. As his mind wanders, he thinks back to a TEDX talk he watched recently on Mountaineering. In it, Dawa Steven talked about what it is like to be a sherpa, leading people up Mount Everest. “How rad it would … Read more
Waking up to the cool, crisp morning air, Greg is ready to go for a hike. Even before making breakfast, before the sacred morning coffee, Greg is ready for an adventure. As he peeks over the green horizon, he remembers the trail map that the National Park guide gave him when he entered the park. … Read more
It’s the middle of the night. The stars are a silent canopy above. The quiet is lulling and Greg is starting to fall asleep. Suddenly, he hears a rustling outside his tent. An animal? A person? Without thinking, he grabs his flashlight and jumps out of the tent. There’s no time to waste. The creative … Read more
Greg stares up at the sky as the fire crackles. He exhales. Glancing back at the dancing light, he realizes he’ll need to find three or four more logs to keep the heat going. The job of building the fire is never completely done. As he gets up to chop a few more thick branches … Read more
Greg is pleased with the campfire he just created. As he sits, staring into the embers, he daydreams that the fire itself was somehow his invention. The restfulness is palpable. Then, like an ambulance siren breaking in around the corner, Greg’s thoughts careen back toward work deadlines. He reaches for his phone, and walks away from … Read more
The day before arriving at the campsite, in the midst of all of the wonderful chaos of family and work responsibilities, Greg starts daydreaming. His mind wanders to the apex of the camping experience: the campfire. He can practically smell the familiar scent of the smoky brilliance as he sees the light dancing in his … Read more
Gazing upward, Greg realizes that the Sequoia overgrowth is thinning out. Usually the perfect campsite is easy to find, but this evening it seems as though the forest has plans of its own. He can’t truly rely on technology either; cell service dropped out about a half-mile back. Greg passes another large family of trees, … Read more