featured Tag

Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Cool on Kickstarter, Film preview, People with disabilities / 08.06.2015

The world of adventure is too often defined by the exceptional accomplishments of extraordinary people. Exploits on high mountains or epic ocean excursions mark the gold standard of compelling action narratives. But after decades now of first ascents and record-breaking conquests little remains to inspire the audience toward higher expressions of the human experience. Even stories and films that depict the journeys of those struggling against impossible odds and adversity leave much to be desired as characters make their way toward the forgone conclusion of a successful achievement....

Commentary, Fly Fishing / 31.05.2015

The strike took me by surprise. As the fish tugged on the line beneath the brackish water I was slow at first to set the hook and draw my quarry from the lake into the warm evening air. Its green/yellow scales flashed in the low angle light of the setting sun as I gently removed the fly from its mouth. With a sharp snap of its tail the first bluegill of the season slapped the palm of my hand as I released it back into the rippling pool....

Diversity, High Country News, Magazines, National Parks, Yosemite / 27.05.2015

Several miles past the west entrance of Yosemite National Park, a wooden sign marks the location of an historic meeting. On May 17, 1903 President Theodore Roosevelt sat by a campfire with naturalist John Muir to discuss the preservation of America’s wild lands. Along the banks of the Merced River, near the steep granite cliffs of Half Dome and El Capitan, they talked about the creation of what would become the National Park System. One hundred and twelve years later to the day, an eclectic group of conservation professionals gathered...

Alpinist, Climbing, Expedition Denali, Fiction, Life Out Loud, Magazines / 20.05.2015

As luck would have it I just happen to be in Boulder, Colorado the same week the latest edition of Alpinist Magazine hit the newsstands. With time to kill between a conference in Yosemite and the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride I strolled the mall on Pearl Street in the hopes of buying a copy. There at the Boulder Bookstore Golden Issue #50 sat smack in the middle of the rack. The exquisite cover designed by my good friend Jeremy Collins featured an illustrated portrait of another buddy, climber...

Commentary, Diversity / 13.05.2015

An awkward silence quickly grew to fill an interminable moment of sheer agony. The thunderous clicks of my own eyelids boomed in my ears as I stood there blinking back at her. There in the crowded lounge amongst the sounds of clinking glasses and casual conversation I sighed quietly in frustration. Through clinched teeth I forced a smile and searched my mind for a politic answer to her question. As the seconds ticked past without a reply it’s possible she thought I hadn’t heard her. She asked again,...

Environmental Journalism, Environmental Protection, Magazines, River Restoration, Urban Revitalization / 04.05.2015

[caption id="attachment_2063014" align="aligncenter" width="569"] photo by Julia Stotz[/caption] Curiosity is perhaps humanity’s greatest gift. Our inquiring minds drive us forward into an exciting world of mystery and exploration. With each new question we are inspired to discover what might be over the next ridge or beyond the horizon. It is these questions, the utter uncertainty of our existence that makes life worth living. From a very young age I have been encouraged to ask questions. Long ago I learned never to trust anyone who claims to have all the answers....