Seizing every moment possible, the first child awake and I departed Smiley Creek northbound for Big Creek. A well-deserved breakfast after one of the most awe-inspiring approaches to a mountain airstrip were in order, and surely making the trip with Josh, whom was the first person I’ve flown into Big Creek (which coincided with my […]
A night of much-needed rest in 39°F evening mountain air invigorated an already well-vigorated adventurer and his best friend. Heading straight towards the Patron Saint of Skypark’s favorite airstrip in Idaho, Upper Loon. Approaching it from a different direction than most, the usual constrictions and Hidden Splendor characteristics didn’t set off any alarms as an […]
I’ve been down this road many times and yet no two journeys are the same. Typically the same date. Typically the same route. Typically the same weather. Months after months of yearning, planning, and executing cautiously-made plans to allow for these idyllic moments and yet no two are the same. Last year higher than normal […]
I’m always confused when I hear the idiom “you can’t see the forest for the trees” or “through the trees” or whatever it is. Apparently it has something to do with focusing on the wrong thing, but even the descriptions of the phrase leave me wondering what I’m supposed to be looking for or at. […]
If there’s one thing everyone needs, it’s time. Time is the most undervalued, overused commodity in our lives. Centuries ago we “discovered” time, later learned how to measure it, and to this day, we struggle to manage it. We’ve scheduled ourselves too thin, or perhaps we’re not scheduled enough. Either way, the consensus is for […]
It’s just a hot dog, Roy. It certainly feels a lot more than that. But I have to keep reminding myself. It’s just a hot dog. Perhaps the reminders of the physical nature of tonight’s meal are mental exercises that prevent me from a cataclysmic emotional overload that the sweet old man who’s patiently waiting […]
As a father of five children, I can attest to the vast usefulness of superglue. The wondrous medium that binds broken toys, split fingertips, and said split fingertips to said broken toys works wonders in extending the life of those favorite toys, enhancing the lack of structural engineering in other toys, and keeping the hands […]
Having been (and will continue to be) a proponent of flying stabilized traffic patterns, I’m reminded of a presentation I gave earlier. One that I’m actually preparing to give again in less than a week on the topic of backcountry flying. In this presentation I talk about three basic concepts that I believe will not […]
Perspective is something that is easily lost in the midst of our modern lives. The near-freezing temperatures that filled the night preceding brought that reality to the forefront as a cadre of astute gentleman (and one in training (read: me)) stood atop a small hill and gazed into the heavens above. Small lights emanating from […]
A colder than anticipated autumn night mixed with the faintest of winds out of the northwest made the evening a cold one. Battling the physics of sleeping on uneven ground to being slightly elevated on an ultralight cot, one soon learns that in the balance of warmth versus comfort, warmth will always win. Multiple layers […]