Month: March 2019

This past Saturday, I explored an area of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park that I had long wanted to explore, but never had the time to do so. I initially planned to include a route up the Carrizo Gorge in the 5th edition of Afoot and Afield San Diego County, but after one false start where we …

Continue reading "The Carrizo Gorge"

I’ve spent a lot of time banging the drum about the necessity and superiority of traditional navigation skills (map and compass). This is increasingly a lost art with the proliferation of convenient apps and devices, and even though a lot of hikers state a desire to learn how to use traditional means, the convenience of …

Continue reading "The Case for Traditional Navigation"

I’ve been spoiled. For the past 8 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to hike at least 800 miles per year despite full-time work, graduate school, and starting a family. This trail time is an extremely important factor in my life. Even half an hour of walking in open space produces a huge impact on my …

Continue reading "Maintaining an Active Hiking Life as a Working Adult"

Recently, I’ve seen a few discussions crop up that push back on the standard advice I offer to all hikers: learn how to use a map and compass. The heart of this pushback is that technology allows hikers to navigate through a variety of habitats with an ease and reliability that have never before existed …

Continue reading "So, About Your GPS App…"

“Failure is an opportunity. If you blame someone else, there is no end to the blame. Therefore the Master fulfills her own obligations and corrects her own mistakes. She does what she needs to do and demands nothing of others.” Lao Tzu   Public lands face a lot of problems. There's vandalism, accidental deaths,  climate …

Continue reading "Sure, Let’s Blame Social Media and the Milennials"