Author: kurtstafki

Biking

Trump’s Move On Bears Ears Should Anger (And Inspire) You

When President Donald Trump today announced plans to reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument and nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, he said it was because he wants to “take back the land.” He wants to “take back” land that we already own. This is the largest elimination of public lands in US history. Bears Ears was cut by 85% (from 1.3 million acres … Continue reading Trump’s Move On Bears Ears Should Anger (And Inspire) You

kurtstafki
Hiking

It’s Beginning To Look Nothing Like Christmas

This has become somewhat of a tradition for us. Christmas tree hunting the weekend of Thanksgiving. Every year has brought different weather. The first year was snowy and frigid. Last year was just a bunch of mud. It was cold, but the mud was inescapable. This year is warm. The trusty car thermometer said 49 degrees. Sunshine through high thin clouds produced a hazy warmth. … Continue reading It’s Beginning To Look Nothing Like Christmas

kurtstafki
Hiking

#OptOutside

It’s better to spend the day outside than it is spend it packed into a store fighting over deals. That’s how REI feels and a lot of people agree. They had this idea in 2015 to encourage their co-op members to choose nature over consumerism on Black Friday. It was a big thing when they announced it. Many other stores and outdoor brands quickly followed … Continue reading #OptOutside

kurtstafki
Biking

National Bison Day

It’s about damn time we celebrate the bison. The Obama Administration dedicated the first Saturday in November to our national mammal in 2012. For such a storied, majestic creature, what the hell took us so long? Before the West was settled, upwards of 30,000,000 bison roamed our country. This was back when caribou were at home in Minnesota and elk resided in the Appalachians. By … Continue reading National Bison Day

kurtstafki
Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing In Minnesota

I’ll start by letting you in on a secret. Minnesota doesn’t have 10,000 lakes. We’ve actually got 15,291. Something like 6% of the state is covered in water. Needless to say, lots of fishing is to be had. But instead of lakes, let’s talk about rivers and the exceptional trout fishing to be had. Minnesota trout fishing is largely divided into two areas: North Shore … Continue reading Fly Fishing In Minnesota

kurtstafki