Oftentimes you read of an area that lodges a place in your mind and then you can never shake it. This was the case for Kim and I when we first skirted the Gila and likewise when we were first made aware of Red Man Canyon. Over a decade ago I learned of an area …
It was about 9 years ago when I first threw a leg over a mountain bike. It was a battered Ellsworth that a friend let me borrow for a brief ride on some easy singletrack and mixed gravel. Up until then, I had only ridden road bikes in the mountains holding off trying mountain biking …
With restrictions lifted and most travel resuming, my eyes turned towards Southeast Utah once again. During the winter I was optimistic about our chances of vaccine distribution and decided to secure permits to my favorite canyons in anticipation of spring travel. Fortunately, that included seven permits for Grand Gulch to introduce some friends and my …
Any other year and we would be out in Canyonlands ringing in the New Year by freezing at night and hunting for secrets during the day. Given the current state of the pandemic, we decided to keep it local this year, instead heading just a few hours south of Santa Fe to wander in the …
Since moving to New Mexico a full decade ago it has felt like a lot was left behind. No, not just in the literal sense, but also in the sort of mental and physical exploration I enjoyed growing up. Until last year, I had yet to draw a tag for an elk hunt here and …
Starting at the border of Colorado and following along the Continental Divide Trail, some friends helped hatch a plan to traverse the central highlands of New Mexico by bike over 3 days, covering 100 miles of unbelievably beautiful country.
The Gila Wilderness. It has been well over a decade since I first learned of this area of the Southwest and it immediately occupied a place in my mind as dangerously remote, filled with mountains and untold vistas. Finally, we made it in.
For years I have been telling Kim we would back into fishing and go on an elk hunt, but mountain biking, backpacking, and other adventures took priority. This year was about getting back to my roots and committing to an elk hunt and finally filling in the missing pieces on our fly fishing gear.
By day four we had reached plan C, amendment B, addendum E. What seemed to be a surefire plan on paper was quickly scrapped due to deep snow and mud. Beef Basin and the Needles would have to wait as we turned ourselves around and contemplated what to do next.