As we finally can enjoy the snow, which we so rightly deserve, it’s a good time to remember a few practical tips to keep us safe in this all beautiful white stuff. Hopefully, you’ve already figured out that taking a winter hike in the high country takes a bit more planning than a summer-day hike….
Finding your way in the woods without a map or compass can be a daunting task. Yet our ancestors traveled their wild world — sometimes hundreds of miles — on foot without a breaking a sweat. How the heck did they do it? Being guided by nature is based in reading its subtle patterns to…
It’s so easy to let the winter season bottle you up in your house in an odd mix of hibernation mode and cabin fever. But you don’t have to let winter hem you in. Take some time to go outdoors and re-expand your world. After all, there are only so many board games you can…
If you’re similar to most of the Hill populace, many of your trips into nature are characterized by toiling up a dusty path through an unidentifiable and somehow vaguely unsettling corridor of green. Sadly, most domesticated humans have an appalling lack of understanding of their vegetal surroundings and may even feel threatened by their leafy…
In our every day lives of texting, Twitter, Instagram and Angry Birds, we often don’t take the time to peel our eyes away from our iPhones and notice the amazing natural world around us. The modern media tends to over-dramatize being a part of your natural environment as a major effort. While Mother Nature can…
You’ve been asked to lead a large group of your friends out into the wilderness. Holy responsibility, Batman. What do you do? Don’t panic. Just follow these tips to help you pull off a safe and successful trip. 1. Prepare: Always research your hike. Check weather forecasts and prepare for the worst conditions possible. Make…
Every day spent hiking out in our forest brings more mysteries to be answered. This week let’s explore some partially “parasitic” partnerships that have always fascinated me out on trail. Insect gall Ever see a round woody ball growing out of a tree branch? Often it’ll have a random pattern of little holes dotting…
Have you ever asked yourself … Why do pines have both big and teeny, tiny cones? The answer lies in the basic biology of pine tree reproduction. Every conifer tree species produces male and female cones (usually both on the same tree). The male cones start out small and stay small, usually going pretty much…
Hiking around these mountains you may see all sorts of things in nature that just seem designed to boggle the mind. 1. Why is your pine tree foaming at the mouth in the rain? Don’t be alarmed; it doesn’t need rabies shots. The formation of a crude soap on the bark from fatty acids in…
One of the best ways I’ve found to get myself outside and enjoying nature is to take up a new outdoor skill. While some people can just adopt a new activity without investing much learning time, most of us need some coaching. That’s why I recommend learning your new skill from a true expert in…
