February isn’t typically a fun month to fly fish. Rivers are quiet, yes, but it’s usually cold, rivers are lined with ice, snow could turn to rain whenever it damn well pleases, and there’s always a risk of your reel freezing. Fish are generally sluggish, as well, as hatches are few and far between, save for sporadic midges climbing mounds of snow like first ascents. … Continue reading February Shouldn’t Be Like This
It’s one of my favorite weekends in Minneapolis. Lakes become luminary-lined parks, roads become trails, and skis are everywhere. It’s the City of Lakes Loppet. The 2013 Loppet was my first taste of winter culture in Minneapolis. The company I worked for was a sponsor and I had the opportunity to get involved. It didn’t take long before I was hooked. I attended the 2014 … Continue reading I Love Loppet
At a certain point, I lost count of the times something didn’t go right. Navigating three feet of powder on a mountain side with cross-country skis strapped to numb feet seven miles from the nearest road; losing footing while trying to cross a river in waist-deep, snowmelt raging water; finishing your last water bottle in 104F heat 17 miles from the car on a bike. You … Continue reading Get Uncomfortable
The best trips happen spontaneously. No planning require. Get in the car and go. That, at least, is how we feel. Two weeks before heading west, I had an idea. I’ve never been to Utah and I needed to use some PTO. Yeah, let’s go to Utah. After some quick research, it would take too much time to drive all the way out there. What’s … Continue reading Wyoming and Back
Things didn’t go as planned last night. We fucked up. White people, this is why we can’t have nice things. It hurt to see such a terrible person (though that would be a compliment) be elected President. It actually hurt. I’m still stunned. Who knows what’ll happen when everyone makes sense of this. I took pride in voting for a woman to become President, just … Continue reading Reflecting
Trips can go according to plan. Most often, they don’t (and that’s what makes them fun), but sometimes they do. This was one of those times. On a trip to Tettegouche State Park last summer, I was greeted by a fog rolling off the water. Lake Superior is a frigid, frigid being. It’s rare that the water is warmer than the air this time of … Continue reading A Little Bit Foggier Now
We all need time spent in the place that gives us energy. The place that replenishes drive, creativity and inner peace. Introverts crave time alone. Those who love the outdoors crave fresh air and living things. As an introverted outdoors-lover, I crave solitary time where the trees move in the breeze and the rivers flow with a determination unchanged in 10,000 years. My need for recharging … Continue reading Rush to Recharge
A guy can excuse himself from writing in his blog, right? Because that’s what I’m doing. A lot has happened since April. Professionally, I left my job at the ad agency for a position as the marketing manager at a menswear company in Minneapolis. It’s my dream job. I went from managing social media strategy at an agency to leading marketing for a brand. I … Continue reading Where I’ve Been
Bent Paddle Brewing Company is caught in the middle between a mining company (which I won’t give them the pleasure of mentioning), the mining community of Silver Bay, Minn. and 10% of the world’s freshwater (which happens to be Bent Paddle’s source of water in their beer). The town of Silver Bay voted to prohibit Bent Paddle from being sold in the town’s liquor store … Continue reading Drink More Bent Paddle
Fountain Paint Pots is a cluster of geothermal features on the west side of Yellowstone National Park. As we were approaching a pool of boiling water, our guide shared a story about a dog that jumped in and its owner who jumped in to save it. The water was 202 degrees F. Both died. The incident was detailed in a book called ‘Death in Yellowstone.’ … Continue reading Yellowstone Winter
Birch & Flannel 