“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.” attributed to Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord on Coffee. Whenever I stop at a doughnut shop in the morning, I walk over and say hi to the old guys, enjoying their morning coffee with old friends. I… Continue reading
Each day brings more troubling news about the devastating wildfires raging in the western U.S. The Dixie Fire, in northern California, has burned more than 500,000 acres, including most of the town of Greenville. As I write this, on Aug. 12, the fire is less than one-third contained. In Montana… Continue reading
I was sitting around the campfire with a couple buddies one evening. We had completed another leg in a long but rewarding four-wheeling journey. Now relaxed, we were reflecting on the day’s adventures and the outdoors in general. Eventually the conversation came around to camping and campsites. We were in… Continue reading
Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. I really wanted to give this guy a chance. He said he could cook, and he expressed a strong desire to cook during one of my four-wheeling expeditions. Though he tried hard, he simply couldn’t handle the duties. From buying food to preparing the meals,… Continue reading
For most of us, off-road travel requires electrical power for an ever-increasing number of electrical devices. There’s the fridge-freezer, of course. But also, a laptop (or two), GPS receiver, two-way radios, air compressors, air pump (for mattresses), power tools, and such. Power consumption isn’t an issue while the engine is… Continue reading
We had just returned from a day of 4-wheeling. Our base campsite in the Mojave Desert was a beautiful patch of lush desert with cholla, creosote bushes, Joshua trees, and Mojave yucca. Each of us headed for our tents. At one point I heard one camper yell out, What the ¦?!. He… Continue reading
One constant in four-wheeling is the need to pack properly. Because we’re off on our own “ away from the conveniences of city life “ we have to be self-sufficient. Not only do we prepare for the expected (camping, cookouts, and such), we must try to prepare for the unexpected…. Continue reading
Summer is almost here. In southern California, that means fire restrictions take effect soon. While these restrictions seem to put a crimp on your camping, it’s really just a minor inconvenience. You still get to enjoy the outdoors. It’s just a different style of camping. During these periods, campfires and… Continue reading
Hey, buddy. Did you hear the one about the ˜gator that strolled into a leather store? He was looking for a long-lost cousin. Oh, come on. It wasn’t that bad. (Was it?) Chances are you’ve heard tons of jokes like this one. (And others I couldn’t print here). While most… Continue reading
Even after decades and thousands of miles of four wheeling in the western US, I’m still amazed to find neat stretches of trail scattered about. That was the case last year when I stumbled upon a portion of the Pony Express trail. One late winter day, I was traveling on… Continue reading
It was late January or early February. I was leading a small group on a three-day expedition on the Mojave Trail. We planned to explore parts of the trail and nearby sites. Late the first night we turned off and drove about seven miles into Carruthers Canyon, located in the… Continue reading
It was a frosty Sunday morning. I was camping in the North Dakota Badlands, Slope County. Though early, a clear blue sky surrounded us. Save for the light chatter around the campfire, there wasn’t a sound. With no plans for the morning, I stayed put for a while and enjoyed… Continue reading
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