Abundant ferns and moss glisten with yesterday’s rain. Banana slugs drag slime across flats of mud. The mid-morning sun peeks between...

We start the hike cold: cold ears and cold arms and we walk in the shade and I stuff my fingers in my pockets and I think about mom like...

The road to Bronco Trail is mostly paved except for the last couple of miles, when I dodge occasional potholes on packed gravel. My...

On Wednesday, my first official day off from work, I head back to the Superstition Mountains, a place I haven't been since 2022, when...

I start the Sonoran desert hike just before 9 am, the rocky peaks of the McDowell mountains a crisp outline against the cloudless blue....

THE HIKES Gantrisch Nature Park, Nunenenberg Leiterepass Schwalmere: The hike started out in cold fog that shrouded two mountain peaks;...

Monday I decided I wanted to try to get into a doctor Monday morning (before Doug and I took our road trip outside of the main city)...

The rest of Sunday was lovely; we went to the Selfoss community center, which was swarming with kids and pale-skinned Icelanders...

The robo-vaccum is sweeping; Ivar's chatting in Icelandic in the laundry room, folding clothes. Lucy's laying on the ground next to my...

It's nearing midnight and I'm sitting in the quiet kitchen, jazz on my laptop, water cascading off the roof; I can see boughs of trees...

The hike to the summit takes some time because it's so impossibly beautiful we have to stop and stay awhile.

I took the day off work to get up early, which is something I rarely do. Doug pulled up around 7:45 am and we headed East again to the...

We scour our AllTrails maps for days, looking for hiking trails with water and cooler temps to escape the dry scorching sun. The state...

Outside there's a grey sky and intense desert breeze, bringing in the only rain of spring. The darkness feels luxurious in a place that...

The islands were tall and green, wind-swept with sheep but industry, too. When the ladders ended, a grassy hiking path lay before me.

Friday I waited nearly an hour at the entrance of Arches National Park, snacking on Ruffle chips and a banana and envying the Bronco next...

I'd caught the end of a geology talk, where the park ranger held up time-stamped photos of the bewitching tall spires.

Tuesday On a recommendation from a coworker the week earlier, I arrived at Zion Cycles in Springdale just after 8:30 am. Both the man and...

Sunday I donned my red plastic sunglasses, snake-maus bandana and breezy long dress and missed sixth gear on Dad's Honda Accord. With the...

Now I wanted the red-rock-warmth, the open sky and land, the cacti and the sun. I wanted an inviting land, because I felt shaken and cold.