A challenge submitting a gear review to favorite retailer taught important lesson for future successful gear review submissions (based on a post here). Published review terms and conditions (T&C) diverge from how retailer moderates gear reviews. They rejected my post … Read More

Urban fast hiking Eugene in fog, smoke this morning was a treat. I left about 45 minutes before sunrise, headlamp on, right from my front door. Fog was thick on the ground, but the moon and stars visible. The plan … Read More

For an x-half marathon runner, explaining urban fast hiking is simple. Urban fast hiking uses lightweight gear to cover as many miles as possible, but missing nothing. Importantly, one leaves from their front door – camera in hand. Typical urban … Read More

Hiking Mary’s Peak in October, perfect. The weather machines saw rain coming from the west in a few days. Just enough time to get in one more good hike on ‘summer sun dried trails’ before the winter rains start. With … Read More

For the last two years, Black Diamond Carbon Cork trekking poles (Company Link) have gone with me over 2000 miles. I broke one 2 years ago crossing Elliot Creek, Mt Hood Timberline Trail (REI replaced that one as it was … Read More

With a short time window for a day hike (7:00 – 11:00) and a delivery on the way to make, I made for Spring Blvd trailhead on the Ridgeline Trail – objective was to touch the top of Spencer Butte … Read More

For an early October hike with smoke from Cedar Creek Fire filling the valley, the Ridgeline trail offered a fast hike treat. The hike started at Spring Blvd then to Spencer Butte, then to Willamette Blvd, back to Spencer and … Read More

Reminder – clicking on pic will open 90% quality resolution – it’s worth it! For possibly the last Central Cascades wilderness (Friends of Central Cascades) hike of the 2022 season, Broken Top surfaced as the preferred destination. After visiting No … Read More

Walking around town these last few days some neighbors showed up … Spiders are so difficult to photo while in web …. the hawk put on a show circling the field, and this squirrel just sat on the sign post. … Read More

With great luck, my sister and I found ourselves with free time, a Santiam Pass hiking permit and both of us at Santiam Pass. She was kind enough to start the hiking at my hour (first light as if we … Read More