Taylor talks about his love interest in Poland, eliciting skepticism from his friend Maynard. The conversation delves into the complexities of love & personal connections, highlighting the author’s unconventional life choices & perspectives. Continue reading When Men Talk about Love
– Still Prone to Thinking Out Loud – When the men returned, there was celebration. Everyone was safe. Tristin got a fire going and they pulled a pre-cooked spaghetti feast from one of the coolers on the raft. Todd cleared space on the table for a two-burner Coleman stove. John and I did the grunt work; we cleaned up and looked for wood, which was … Continue reading Not Solo, Not This Time
– What No One Does, Where No One Does It – “Every few days like clockwork, they go straight up the road.” I pointed toward camp. “And this is where the wolves come in.” We stood in the broad rolling bottom of a creek that dried up centuries ago. It disrupted the road with its contours, a washout that had grown over with sage and … Continue reading Night Out with Wolves
– New Friends, New Life – In November, the water level was too low for boating on the upper part of the river, so late season rafters flew in to the short dirt airstrip at the confluence of Loon Creek and the Middle Fork to begin their trips. It was pretty easy to charter a couple planes with a service out of Salmon or Challis … Continue reading Adventure on the Middle Fork
– Adventures Don’t Always End Well – Honestly, I was tired of the mountain man experience. Not ‘burned out’ like I was from my business life before Idaho, but tired of the hard work, discomfort, and social sacrifice that were an unavoidable part of being a modern-day hermit. During the 2020 winter expedition, I spent months alone in the frozen Frank Church Wilderness contemplating my … Continue reading When Big Plans Fail Big-Time
– Tough Transition from Businessman to Mountain Man – It was called ‘Guide and Packer School’, but we wouldn’t graduate as big-game hunting guides. Mostly, Ron clarified, I would train to become a backcountry packer at Guide and Packer School. We would wrangle stock and saddle them and use them to transport freight through the wilderness. Those who signed up believing they would be licensed … Continue reading It’s Hard to Live a Dream
– An Expat in Syria Before the Gulf War – On the banks of the Euphrates River near the border with Iraq, there was ancient bedouin village in Syria named Deir ez-Zor. Royal Dutch Shell invested heavily in the development of nearby oilfields, not in the backward city. Historically, it served as a caravan stop on the famous Silk Road trade route. Expats called it … Continue reading The KLIM Epiphany
– 6 Sites in 6 Days; 3830 Kilometres – I’ve been a traveler all my life. Circled the globe 4 or 5 times before my 40th birthday and lived in half a dozen countries. Been through all 50 states; most of them twice, and a handful visited more times than I can count. I’ve been more places with Mileage Club Rewards than most of my … Continue reading Bus Tour Deserves a Mileage Club
– Guides & Packers Party in the Wilderness – “Good start on the season, Ron. Four elk for five hunters.” “Hard to beat, and if you add Larry the bear hunter, we went five for six!” “Right on. Did you get those hunters on the planes alright?” “Oh yeah. Could hardly get their grins through the door. They’re happy, but they won’t be back.” Too … Continue reading Backcountry Company Picnic
– Some Things Never Change – I was tired of looking out windows of aircraft… bored to the bone with the whole flying experience. Even in the Business Class comfort of the ‘80s and ‘90s – when Baked Alaska was still served and alcohol was free – international flights had lost their magic. There was nothing exciting about sitting in a flying cigar tube sharing … Continue reading Repatriation for an Expat
