My time spent at home.

Chasing Winter: The Last, Grand Hurrah

By the time we reached Munising, on Lake Superior's south shore, seven inches of fresh powder blanketed the land. The forecast called for seven more inches in the next twelve hours. A local gas station attendant thought we were crazy for driving north in an April blizzard. (She also said, “We only have two seasons here: shovelin' and swattin'.”) For us, coming to Munising was rational: this was our final chance to climb the best ice the Midwest has seen in decades...… Read More »

Chasing Summer: Down to the Ranch

It was time to escape from a merciless Wisconsin winter. Late in March, with temperatures slightly above freezing in Madison, I drove with a group of six to the comparatively tropical climate of northern Arkansas. We had two goals: rock climbing and basking in warm sunshine...… Read More »

Late Season Ice at Lone Rock

For the first time this year, I went ice climbing near Lone Rock, WI. Next to highway 133 was a nicely formed column of ice, ending at the frozen Wisconsin River. Because of this year's lengthy winter, the ice was in better condition than last March. Not for long, though: this week's high temperatures probably mark the end of the ice climbing season, at least in southern Wisconsin. But there still should be climbable ice north of here....… Read More »

Starved Rock Ice Climbing

Here are some pictures from our day of ice climbing in Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. This continues to be an amazing winter for outdoor recreation. Despite the lengthening days, the frigid temperatures aren't rising. I know I'm weird for saying this, but I hope to get another month of this weather before the… Read More »

Tree Huggers Killers

Chuck, my host in New Orleans, has been volunteering at a local organization called Common Ground for the last few years. Following Hurricane Katrina, Common Ground dedicated itself to rebuilding homes in New Orleans. They still do some construction work, but lately they've shifted their efforts more toward restoring the local wetlands and building community… Read More »

An Impromptu Trip To New Orleans

Recently I visited New Orleans for the first time. I couch-surfed with Chuck, whom I had met a few weeks prior during his visit to Wisconsin. Chuck lives in the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.… Read More »

The Next Adventure

My girlfriend Katie accepted a job in Beijing, China. We'll be moving there together this fall. I don't know any Mandarin and know very little about Chinese culture. But really, how different can Beijing be from Madison?

Time to celebrate!

Delta Lodge 2014

It was mid-January, time for the Hoofer Outing Club's annual cross-country ski trip in northern Wisconsin. The club has been coming to Delta Lodge each winter for the last thirty years. This was my fourth Delta Lodge trip, and as usual, it was a great time.

We skied at After… Read More »

Ice Climbing at Cox Hollow

With winter in full swing, it was time for some more ice-climbing fun, this time a bit closer to home. I went with a few folks from the Hoofers Mountaineering Club to Cox Hollow in Governor Dodge State Park, about an hour from Madison. With the temperature at… Read More »