Don’t leave your spork at home, and other tips for hungry backpackers
Cautionary Tales: Much of the time I spend on the trail is consumed by food: when to eat, how to eat, and the beer and pizza waiting for me back in town.
Everybody does it: What to know before you ‘go’ in the backcountry
Cautionary Tales: Here's a refresher on how to handle human waste, whether you're in the woods, on a glacier or out of toilet paper.
Chance meeting makes summiting North Suicide Peak all the sweeter
Cautionary Tales: It's not uncommon for me to run into people I know on Chugach State Park trails — but this was one serendipitous encounter.
Learned on Kesugi Ridge: Sometimes a sufferfest is simply inevitable
Cautionary Tales: When the weather is battering your spirit and there's nowhere to go but forward, nature gives you a lesson in acceptance.
On hikes, never trust a wet rock. In the Chugach, never trust a rock.
Cautionary Tales: Chugach crud. It's the loose, crumbling rock that Southcentral Alaska climbers learn to live with, if not love.
Start your Bomber hike early, or be willing to face the consequences
Cautionary Tales: I've lost track of how many times I've been out on the trail past midnight — but sometimes, a late start yields dividends.
Think you know where you’re hiking? Bring a map anyway.
Cautionary Tales: When geographic uncertainty creeps into the picture, a 20-mile loop hike in the Chugach Front Range can feel much, much longer.
The best way up a mountain is not always the best way down
Cautionary Tales: Slipping and sliding around thick alders on Mount Marathon left me second-guessing my route selection on a rainy October day.
If you fall during a river crossing, don't bring your friends down with you
Cautionary Tales: Like having friends to ford rivers with? Try not to kill them in places that feature strong currents and frigid waters.
Want to sleep fearlessly in camp? Choose the right tent site.
Cautionary Tales: Some people have mastered the art of picking a campsite. My record is mixed, to say the least.
Cold, wet, bleeding — and thankful for the kindness of strangers
Cautionary Tales: On a gray September day in 2015, Gerrit Verbeek climbed Delgga Mountain near Crow Pass — and then his troubles began.
Hiking without a first-aid kit? That's a bloody shame
Cautionary Tales: For those of us who don't have cat-like reflexes, carrying a first-aid kit on hikes is always a good idea.