How to Add a Joy Checklist to Your Outdoor Adventures

A windstorm hit the area yesterday, forcing me to cancel my first hike as a newly minted Mountaineers Hike Leader. In the end, safety ruled. All eight hikers remained safe because…I notified hikers before anyone wasted gas driving to the trailhead. The rest of the weekend, I daydreamed about hikes I might lead in 2025 …

Narrowly Escaping Injury in the Alpine Lakes Area

Three weeks had passed since my last hike to Mason Lake and Bandera. I desperately needed some solitude in nature. At the beginning of the day, I had no idea that in several hours, I would be narrowly escaping injury. My dog, Ajax, and I usually start hiking at dawn. Tuesday, we tried something different. …