Aeolus. God of Wind, Builder of Trails

Those who come up the mountain may see us at work, a crew of figures moving rocks, flipping with bars, moving things in bags, and crushing rocks. They may know who we are and what we are doing. Or they may think we are mining for gold. Some come up the mountain and...

Pre Project Prep: Mount Columbia

Most hikers can appreciate the amount of work it takes to build a trail from scratch. The hiking, the digging, the pushing around of giant rocks, the picking up and carrying of slightly less giant rocks… But how many folks think about what happens before anyone even...

It’s All a Learning Curve

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes , no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” This quote by Elisabeth Kubler -Ross resonates with me and...

Opening Day

4:45 in the morning. We rest by Twin Lakes, like always, waiting for the crew to regroup after the steep ascent. This morning is special, however. I lie down on the cold, unforgiving granite to get a better view of the sky, which is still the night sky at this point....

Trail Work is Wilderness Therapy

There are a wide number of fields to choose from for those who want to make their living working in the great outdoors.  Working at camps, guiding glacier hikes, battling wild fires, educating people on busy rivers about how to deal with bear encounters, and trail...