– A Secret Destination in Burmese Waters – Sixty miles off the west coast of Myanmar on the east side of the triangle formed by the Bay of Bengal, we queued up for shark diving in the open ocean somewhere between India and Indochina. There were fourteen guests on the trip; me and my oilfield buddy and a dozen total strangers. The live-aboard boat carried … Continue reading Shark Diving Adventures in Thailand
– 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
– 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
– 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
– 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
– Still Relies on Experience – Sixty-eight isn’t old, but I can see old age from here… and I’m mindful to keep my distance. My body moves well but sometimes complains; it might be a little past its prime. Definitely past roped climbs and long winters alone, but I’m still excited to visit wild places and see things seldom seen. My recent trip to Austria … Continue reading Old Dog Learns New Trick
– A New Alpine Experience – Ela and I enjoy long meandering conversations during our road trips. Age doesn’t matter much; we talk and feel and dream like young people when we’re alone together. There’s something about rolling down the open road that stimulates a flow of thoughts and, like the endless scenery, it’s different from the everyday mix. “Where would you go on an … Continue reading Age Doesn’t Matter (Much)
– Two Weeks in Olympic Beach – It was Ela’s idea; a two-week vacation in Greece bracketed by road trips through Central Europe. “We can drive through Serbia,” she said… as though that was something to get excited about. “Is it safe?” I asked. And she laughed. Olympic Beach We booked a couple weeks in an apartment suite a block off the water near the … Continue reading South Through Serbia
– November is Bad for Whitewater – We pushed off from Funston the next morning with the idea of moving our adventure to Little Pine. Usually, there was excitement and energy to share when we packed up the boats, but it was quiet and somewhat sullen that day. Our hands were cold and limbs stiff as we lugged the gear to the beach and struggled … Continue reading Weather Can Ruin Your Plans
