National Park Fee Free Days

National Park Fee Free Days The first time I learned about the National Park Service’s entrance fee free days was purely through luck during the fall of 2005. Taking advantage of the 3 day weekend from college courses created by Veteran’s Day falling on a Friday, my husband (then boyfriend) and I took a road … Read more

Beginner Snowshoeing: A Simple Family Past Time

Beginner Snowshoeing: A Simple Family Past Time Most new people that I meet assume that since I grew up in Alaska, I love winter and I must be a skier or a snowboarder. I don’t. I’m not. None of it.  However, I was a dedicated trail runner, so enter snowshoeing! If you are a distance … Read more

First Peak Clothing Review

First Peak Clothing Review I love stories of tenacity, perseverance and community. What I love even more is when the hero of the story is a woman, and bonus points if that woman is a mom I can relate to! That’s how I see Jocelyn Newman’s story of First Peak.  Rather than be perpetually frustrated … Read more

How to Mitigate Wildfire Risk While Recreating Outdoors

How to Mitigate Wildfire Risk I was once told that most wildfires in the United States are human caused. The first time I was told this, I laughed and said, “yeah right!” I worked on a national forest in south-central Montana and not only did we have very few wildfires annually on our forest, but … Read more

Getting Outside During Fire Season

Getting Outside During Fire Season Fire season is a fact of life for many of us here in the United States. Each year it seems as if the smokey skies last just a little bit longer than they did the year before. Wildland fires span public, private and tribal land boundaries indiscriminately, impacting the lives … Read more