About a year and a half ago, I got a text along with a photo from former student and friend Mark Simon. I didn’t recognize the person in the photo, but the vintage Goldline rope and the ice axe on the wall saying Mount McKinley 1971 were intriguing, because it was the same year I climbed the ...

There’s plenty to be worried about with modern technology. Social media harassment, deep fakes and artificial intelligence robots who may become smarter than humans are just a few. But there are some positives as well. Readily keeping in touch with friends and relatives is at the top of my ...

Have you ever pondered how you ended up on the path that you took? Robert Frost in his classic poem, “The Road Not Taken,” highlights the idea that choices, no matter how big or small, shape our lives. I think it was author Jack London who talked about walking down the street in San ...

My good friends and colleagues Joe Dadey and Tim Keyes recently spent a weekend hiking in the High Peaks Wilderness Complex and couldn’t wait to share their somewhat bizarre experiences with me. They hiked up Mount Redfield, one of the 46ers. From the summit, they made a short yet ...

In the early part of the 20th century, every red-blooded American knew who Pancho Villa was. Many thought of him as a brutal villain, yet to just as many, he was the poor man’s hero. He was known to be an excellent leader and a great battle strategist. While Pancho Villa was in Mexico ...

Be prepared. It’s the Boy Scout motto and the first principle of Leave No Trace, and when ignored, is the most frequent cause of backcountry emergencies. A perfect example is Aron Ralston. You may remember Ralston: He’s the mountaineer who survived a canyoneering accident by cutting off ...