2023 – How Much Should My Pack Weigh?
My answer is the amount you are willing to carry. Suffering is optional! This question was recently posed in a local adventure group. “Just curious how heavy is everybody’s packs while they’re packing...
View ArticleCA – Trinity Alps Wilderness, Long Canyon Trailhead . . . late fall jaunting...
After a year of low visitor access due to it being a heavy snow year followed by a wildfire closure, I was anxious to spend some time in my backyard. I’d been watching the weather forecasts and October...
View Article2023 – Slow Travel, What’s It All About?
My friends, the Wander Women, recently used this term to describe their style and I realized it’s a perfect description for mine as well. Rather than rushing to reach destinations, it’s about the...
View Article2023 – Post-Travel Realities
Although travel fatigue tends to set in eventually, and home responsibilities call my name, it’s a challenging transition from living life as a free-spirited nomad to one living as a boxed-in city...
View ArticleCA – Celebrating Fall in Far NorCal (Oct-Nov 2023)
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” -Albert Camus Here in far Northern California we don’t get the flashy colors of aspen or larch. The jeweled autumn tones of oaks in our...
View ArticleMe and My CRV – 2023 Updates
My 2008 CRV is chugging along, awaiting it’s next birthday the big 200,000 miles, which will happen in 2024. She’s been exceptionally well behaved, and I’m not in any hurry to find a replacement so I...
View Article2023 – Crater Lake National Park, Hello Ranger Jan
I’d been looking for a good-fit volunteer position since retiring. I started to apply for this position in 2016 but something got in the way and it didn’t happen. With federal budget uncertainties it...
View Article2023 – Where did Jan Jaunt?
On this my 9th year in full-time adventure mode, my season started in late February with a dash to Arizona, followed by a couple of months in Canada. Then I was off to Montana, Washington, Wyoming and...
View ArticleDear Community, THANK YOU and Happy New Year!
As we close out another year I want to say thank you to the readers of my blog. You are part of my community! I appreciate your views, likes and comments. Sharing gives me purpose while out...
View ArticleOR – Crater Lake National Park, Ranger Jan Adventures, Month #1 (Winter 2023/24)
In December I posted about accepting a volunteer park ranger position at Crater Lake National Park, including my excitement and anxieties (blog link). I can now say, it’s been a wonderful opportunity,...
View ArticleOR – Crater Lake National Park, Volunteer Ranger Jan Adventures, Month #2+...
With an average of 500″ of snowfall annually, this is indeed one of the snowiest places in the lower 48. My fortress. By mid February the walls hid most of the balcony. When I arrived on December 14th,...
View ArticleOR – Crater Lake National Park, Volunteer Ranger Jan Adventures, Lessons...
This was my first volunteer gig with the National Park Service, and also my first time spending extended time living in snow. I didn’t know what to expect, relying mostly on the position posting,...
View ArticleOR – Crater Lake National Park, Volunteer Ranger Jan Adventures, Favorite...
While sorting through my photos taken during the 9.5 weeks I spent this winter living at Crater Lake National Park, I found a few worthy of highlighting. Finding viewpoints for a variety of images was...
View ArticleCA – Early Spring Jaunting, Far NorCal Style (Feb/Mar 2024)
With Crater Lake National Park and my time as a Volunteer Ranger in the rearview mirror, it was time to find spring. Far NorCal experienced a wet winter and with more clouds and cooler temperatures,...
View ArticleNV – Cathedral Gorge State Park (03/24)
It was spring jaunting season and with a date in southwest Utah, I needed to first cross California and Nevada. I was dancing with a storm, trying to stay one step ahead. Pyramid Lake When I reached...
View ArticleUT – Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain Wilderness, another J&J...
Joan and I are usually able to share some time during her spring break vacation. Last year we hiked some miles on the Arizona Trail and we’d hoped to complete another section in 2024. However, Mother...
View ArticleUT – Zion National Park, Kolob Canyons, another J&J Adventure (03/24)
Zion Canyon is spectacular, there’s no doubt. Zion National Park is the third most visited park behind only Great Smoky Mountains and Grand Canyon. As visitation has grown so has the infrastructure of...
View ArticleUT – Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Confluence Park, La Verkin Creek and Virgin...
I spent a day waiting out storms; afterward needing to find trails and roads that wouldn’t be too muddy. I was camped near La Verkin and found a wonderful coffee shop where I could enjoy good eats and...
View ArticleUT – Zion National Park, East Rim Trail (04/24)
Early bird gets the worm or more like parking in Zion. Silly me overslept then spent time in the coffee shop before starting the drive. Google quickly told me about the traffic delays but I pushed on,...
View ArticleUT – Zion National Park, Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Choose-Your-Own-Adventure...
There are only two official trails along the highway on the east side of the park, the Canyon Overlook and East Rim Trails. Off-trail wandering is encouraged with the multiple pullovers and parking...
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