– Letting Little Things Make Me Happy – Maybe I told you this story… about living at the B-C Ranch deep in the Idaho backcountry. For three years, I served as the full-time caretaker of the ranch. It was a wilderness getaway for a wealthy Washington farmer & empty most of the time, but it was too nice a place to leave unguarded. You could … Continue reading Triggered By a Butterfly
– Wild Moments I Haven’t Shared Until Now – I returned to Middle Fork Outfitters in May 2015 to help Ron prepare for the fall hunting season. He was already at Simplot irrigating the pastures, provisioning the ranch, and getting the stock used to working again. A pile of gear and supplies awaited my arrival at the B-C Ranch; I was to sort it into … Continue reading Learning the Hard Way
– 5 Reasons to Embrace Positive Thinking – Superheroes in the 1960s weren’t as impressive as they are today. There were no computers, no CGI; Superman couldn’t really fly and Batman was funnier than he was fearsome. Instead, we had heroes with whom we could relate; men of substance stacked just a little bit higher than most. They might be stronger or faster or smarter … Continue reading Being Optimistic is Best
– How Prospecting in Alaska Sparked a New Chapter in My Life – Twenty years ago, I was neck-deep in the high-tech business world… a geek in a suit traveling 35 weeks a year. My business partner and I were riding a great wave of success but it was taking a toll on us. We had to find some new adventure. The result of our … Continue reading Adventure on the Cripple River
– Experiencing the Mystery of Poland’s Frontier – Poland’s border with Belarus and Ukraine is the eastern edge of Europe. It is a sparsely populated wonderland of lakes, forests, and open skies. Geopolitically, however, it is a place of great tension and turmoil… a territory that has been brutally disputed for hundreds of years. Our plan was to travel along the border from the top … Continue reading The Eastern Edge of Europe
– How to Find Energy & Enthusiasm for Change – I was skiing from camp at Castle Rock to my truck which was loaded with winter provisions and parked on the other side of the wilderness boundary. I made the half-day trip every two or three weeks to resupply. It would be my last run of the season, however; in a month, I’d be starting … Continue reading Starting Over Again at 40, 50, or 60
– What I Couldn’t Learn in the City – I didn’t just ‘up and disappear’. Before I left the city to begin living off-the-grid, I spent a year trying to save my marriage and a couple more trying to save my career but failed in both endeavors. It happens to everyone, more or less… and when I exhausted the possibilities of improving those chapters of … Continue reading How Living Off-the-Grid Changed My Life
Travel doesn’t require extensive time or money; many with limited resources actively seek adventure. Working-class individuals often have more opportunities to explore than wealthy ones, who are constrained by work. Embracing spontaneity and careful budgeting can lead to memorable experiences throughout life. Continue reading Adventure Planning on a Budget
– Little Adventures for Longer Lives – Ela and I want to stay fit and interested in life, so we take recreation regularly. Not vacations: we enjoy those when we can, but they’re big chunks of time that require lots of money and planning. As a supplement, we take recreation every week or two; it’s more spontaneous and easier to budget than a big vacation. … Continue reading What to Do When the Week Ends
– See the Donut, Not the Hole – I had money for food or fuel, but not enough for both. It would be a few days until my Social Security check arrived; the couple dozen dollars left in my account would finance a trip to town but there would be nothing left for groceries. “Payin’ dues,” I reminded myself… though it was of little consolation. … Continue reading 4 Strips of Bacon for Thanksgiving
