Winter Solstice in the Snowy Woods

A warm little cabin deep in the snowy woods on the winter solstice.... almost sounds too good to be true, but it certainly is, and here is the story.

The Highline Trail

Oweep Basin 

The Highline Trail has been on our list of things to do for a long time. Recently we completed a 70 mile traverse of the High Uintas Wilderness from Chepeta lake to Mirror Lake Trailhead. 

Jarbidge Wilderness

Lisa and I had a mid-summer chunk of time off which was prime for a high country backpacking trip.

beaten silly by the East Fork of the Jarbidge

Lower Deschutes River

Finally made it to boat the Deschutes from Shears Falls to the mouth. It was good to be on a Northwest river, back in my home stompin' grounds. I always love to get back to the columnar basalt and the deep canyons of central Oregon.

Columnar Basalt: A NW original

Oregon Backroads

On a recent trip to the NW we decided to take the scenic route, so we took five days, winding through the Oregon backroads.

An Old Oregon Pine

Happy Canyon Overlook

Poison Spring Cyn; background / Happy Cyn; foreground 

Our trip into Sams Mesa Box Canyon settled the question of a possible future backpacking trip. The next morning I sat in the sun looking at maps and drinking coffee. We didn't want to spend a bunch of time driving around so we settled on driving about 20 minutes further out onto Sams Mesa. The contour lines on the quad begged exploration along the north rim of Happy Canyon out to a point that forms between Happy Canyon and the Dirty Devil River. Long story short: We walked 11 miles for a picnic!

Sams Mesa Box Canyon

For a good while now I've been eyeing the map with the hopes of making a non-technical 5 day backpacking loop trip, out of two canyons that are popular among canyoneers for technical challenge. We lucked out by having a spell of days in the upper 60's during spring break so we gassed up and rolled south where we had 4 days of sunny solitude.

A Scottish Christmas

Sarah has been in Scotland for the better part of two years now attending graduate school at the University of Glasgow. As if we needed an excuse to go to Scotland

On getting engaged

I just asked Lisa Benson to marry me!

A photo-essay of two and a half years leading up to our getting engaged.

North Shore of Oahu

Lisa and I got an invite to a wedding in Hawaii. As if there couldn't be a better excuse to go to Hawaii........

The Wasatch Twins

Don't look down

Lisa and I were kinda thinking it was time to bag a peak

Mt. Nebo Wilderness

The view that captured my attention

Mt. Nebo, highest peak in the Wasatch at 11,928'. I'm not sure how anybody can drive past this mountain without wanting for it's summit.

High Uinta Wilderness; Four lakes Basin

Off trail camp in Naturalist Basin

Wild Yellowstone

Lisa and I keep a bucket list. On that list is a trip that has been very idealistic to me. I never really thought it'd happen. The reason that it's on our list is because I've read that it's a great place to see Grizzly bears, and hear the Wolves. I've also read that it's as wild now, as it ever was, thanks to over a decade of preservation by the National Park Service.

Lake Blanche

I wanted the first real trip of the year into the higher terrain of the Wasatch to be

Maybird Lake

Maybird Lake & Pfeifferhorn

Table Mountain Wilderness

If Winnie the Pooh is alive and well anywhere in the world; it must be that he lives in the fairy tale aspen glades of Table Mountain Wilderness in central Nevada.

Alta-Toquima Wilderness

Alta-Toquima Wilderness in central Nevada has been on our bucket list for a good while. I guess it was on the list for a bunch of reasons; it's remote as hell, it's high altitude, there's some cool archeology, it's a designated wilderness, the aspen trees are always a plus, and it just looks cool on the map, and from the big valleys below.

San Rafael Swell: Mexican Mt. Wilderness

I've been thinking about what to name a loop like this and can't come up with anything that makes any sense so that's fine.

Republica Dominicana

Lisa and I recently returned from 3 weeks in the Dominican Republic.

A Grogg of the Ages

On Thanksgiving morning Mike and I wrestled an old cider press out into the driveway to dust it off. It's been a few years since the old beast saw the light of day.

Backpacking Robbers Roost

The Dirty Devil River country must be one of the most wild places in the contiguous U.S.

Detour to Panamint Dunes

Lisa and I had every good intention of hiking to the top of Telescope Peak in Death Valley Nat'l Park on the way home from Southern California.

Who's in charge?

Notch Peak

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for big views and big country.

Last Chance Bench Trail

The Last Chance Trail crosses, what else, the Last Chance Benches. The trail runs beneath the dramatic red Roan cliffs at the portal of Desolation Canyon.

Ben Lomond Peak

Amazingly we had a summer day to kill in town, so we made a dash to go bag the most dominate peak around Ogden.

Yellowstone: Heart Lake

I guess if your gonna get an urge to go walk yer guts out then Yellowstone Nat'l Park is a darn good place to go.

Lewis Peak

We had a half a day in town before flying to Seattle for a wedding.

Backpacking Central America

I'm excited to say I finally made a trip to Central America. I've been wanting to do this for at least 12 years and just never did for one reason or another.

Ruby Mountains Wilderness

Ruby Mountains Wilderness in Nevada:

We originally planned to camp at Liberty Lake

The High Uintas: Kings Peak

The High Uintas Wilderness and Kings Peak (13,528')

We approached from the Henrys Fork trailhead

The Jug

Recently, I received another comment, from my sister, about the jug that has has a way of appearing in our photos. I wrote her a response about the jug as it appears in this photo. After I sent it I thought I would put it up as part of our story.

The Jug as it's become affectionately known

Wheeler Peak

Great Basin Nat'l Park, Wheeler Peak (13,063'), and the ancient Bristlecone Pines in Nevada.

Mt Ogden

Mt. Ogden (9570') from the Beus Cyn. trail:

A dayhike to the summit above Ogden. It was a hot day, nearly 100 degrees.

Scootchin' Sand

How we came up with the name:

It probably sounds dumb to most people, but I like it so here it is. As we know, this blog is about all things Lisa & Mick, so folks that know us well are probably not surprised to hear such a story. If you not in the mood to read about flirty stuff then close your browser.