Dear Hemingway, We just finished our first father-and-son camping trip, or at least our first attempt. You’re only three and a half years old, and we’ve already done a lot of overnight backcountry trips, but never one in snow, and never just the two of us. I was excited, and …
Snowshoe to Boston Falls Lookout: A Sunny Day below Mount Becher’s Summit
When I’m stuck inside, it sometimes feels like I won’t ever break free and get outside! If you’re passionate like I am, you probably feel the same. Now that I’ve added two kids to the equation, it’s even more difficult to balance the time between my family obligations and my …
2017 Kicking off the year of family adventure
A large group of Island Mountain Ramblers and guests assembled in the parking lot of Raven lodge, mid-morning of January 7th. The wind in the parking lot was frigid and the thermometer in my car read temperatures close to -10 C. In keeping with many of the family/novice snowshoe trips I lead, I …
A Family Kayak Trip on Kennedy Lake
View PostTapaltos Bay & Cape Beale Lighthouse Visit!
View PostKayaking the Gulf Islands with my Toddler: “We’re Going to Need a Bigger Boat”
My wife Kim thinks I’m crazy. My friends think I’m crazy. I’m sure my son Hemingway thinks I’m crazy. A colleague even accused me of being a Viking, after I described Hemingway’s first kayak trip at nine months old. I am probably the only one who believes in my sanity. I don’t make the decision …
I rebuilt a pulk sled, pulk 2.0
Over the past two months, I have been working to build a pulk sled. I’m motivated by my dream of backpack-free winter camping (as I could haul my gear behind me on my snowshoe and backcountry ski tours), and by the weight of my son (as he just won’t stop …
Family Day Weekend, Beginner Snowshoe
Family Day Weekend has come and gone, and I’m happy to say that I made the most of it. I planned three trips, including an overnight camp at a familiar trailhead in Seward. Don’t fret: I spent at least one of those days with my family! The first day was …
Simple Snowshoe around Lake Helen Mackenzie
Another beautiful day in the low alpine. On Saturday, January 30th, I led a small group of Island Mountain Ramblers, along with a special guest, on a trip through Paradise Meadows to Lake Helen Mackenzie and back. We had fine weather: a little sunshine, some light snow, and a clear …
Hemingway’s First Kayak : The Movie
GPS Route The conditions were not perfect but the day was magical. As the title suggests, this video stands as a documentation of Hemingway’s first kayak trip. A long day for a tiny man. He weathered the conditions well, laughing each time the water sprayed him in the …