When I paid $4.39 for gas the other night, it occurred to me that hiking is getting to be an expensive hobby, given that I live in town and all the good trails around here seem to require an 80-mile…
Mangan’s memoirs
Turning kids loose in nature
by tom • May 26, 2008 • 0 Comments
Dana Hull of the Mercury News talks to people who are trying to bring back the era of unstructured play and get kids interested in outdoor adventures. As summer approaches and Wii sales climb toward 10 million, a growing number…
Morgan Hill El Toro Hike of ’08, what I really think
by tom • April 6, 2008 • 2 Comments
Yesterday we were walking back to the car, admiring our certificates for completing the 2008 El Toro Hike of Morgan Hill, when Rebecca noted the 1,420-foot elevation and said “hey, all you’d have to do is add one digit and…
The Fourteener of Morgan Hill
by tom • April 5, 2008 • 12 Comments
(A first ascent, as it might have appeared in an adventure rag of your choosing). One day a year, they open the path to El Toro. Straight up the spine of the signature peak that glowers at the edge of…
Gear shop shuttered, Google ads gone
by tom • March 24, 2008 • 4 Comments
I noticed over the weekend I was experiencing pangs of longing to check out how my attempts at e-commerce were faring. Not something you want to experience on a camp-out. That was when I realized a) the buck-chasing (well, penny-chasing)…
Carrizo Plain pictures posted
by tom • March 23, 2008 • 1 Comment
They’re here. I’ll do a write-up later (probably tomorrow, actually).
Off camping at Carrizo Plain National Monument
by tom • March 21, 2008 • 0 Comments
I’m joining 4WheelBob and his Backpacker discussion group pals for a couple days in the desert west of Bakersfield. We’ll be at the Selby Campground till Sunday. Here’s the latest from the Backpacker thread. Be back Sunday night, but it…
A vacation plan emerges: Carrizo Plain National Monument
by tom • March 16, 2008 • 5 Comments
4WheelBob mentioned this in a comment the other day: he’s joining some of his pals from Backpacker magazine’s forum for a weekend at Carrizo Plan National Monument in Southern California. They’re going this coming Friday to Sunday. I’ve decided to…
On vacation for a week
by tom • March 15, 2008 • 0 Comments
I’m not going anywhere special, it’s just a week away from the never-ending newspaper slalom. This tends to cause erratic posting, but if I do anything postworthy, well, I’ll probably post it.