Outdoor Life

Just your typical Upstate New York polar vortex bringing the air temperature somewhere well below zero. It was however, a gorgeous day with blue skies and green pines and there was fresh snow on the ground. I decided to go for a jaunt on cross country skis through our family's backwoods out to the lake for some crisp air and exercise. 

With the fall colors comes some of the best fishing of the year. In northern Minnesota there lies a lake that holds some of the largest Crappies in the country! With Rainy Lake's beauty comes great fishing. The Crappies in...

As a born-and-bred child of the North-East, I was often told fables of the perfect 72 degrees of the Southern California. And I'd hate to be the one to shatter this illusion; but after a summer in California, I can...

Should I pack a full lunch, or just a couple snacks? Sweet or salty? How much is too much? What foods are best? Those are only a few of the questions that come to mind when prepping for a (long)...

Since I moved to Alaska in the winter of 2012, the mountains have been calling me. I became an outdoor enthusiast fairly quickly and soon found myself on a quest to step beyond the tree line and seek the pristine...

There are many reasons for which I love the outdoors. Taking a break from daily life and spending time alone are obvious ones. But there is also something much more important to me: letting go. I tend to worry a...

Mid-May is some of the best to be on the water in northern Minnesota. The annual Walleye Opener brings some the of the best Minnesota has to offer: Walleye, Pike and Perch. It’s something most Minnesotans look forward to participating...

This spring was a season of change and as always, adventure. I played my last college softball game, graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, completed a black diamond rope course (it was killer), adopted a puppy, traveled to Haiti, and started...

I recently discovered a new word that encapsulates my early twenties fairly well. It is an old word that has been around since domesticated sheep: Woolgathering. Sheep naturally shed their wool when they rub up against things. And this word,...

California has got the goods when it comes to climate. I’m finding Los Angeles to be more and more of an outdoor city. There are beautiful mountain trails, camping venues from the shore to the desert, and it seems everyone...

Last week I had the fortune of coming home for Easter. The East coast ordered us up chill nights in the 40s and sunny days in the 80s. (Layers of wool were applied and removed as needed.) While home in...

Lake Winnipeg is a large body of water nestled in Manitoba strait north of Roseau, Minnesota. This lake produces some of the most sought after walleyes in North America. "Greenbacks" as they call them, are walleyes with a beautiful green...

Winters in the mountains are usually pretty quiet. Most of the wildlife has either traveled to warmer climates or gone into hibernation, the sap of the trees and bushes made its way down to the roots until the temperature rises again in the spring. The layer of snow that covers everything dampens all sounds and creates a feeling of stillness and peacefulness. 

Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a sensitive skin. I couldn’t go to the swimming pool without developing a rash from the chlorinated water. I went through spouts of eczema and allergic reactions most of my life. I...

I recently made the jump from the east coast to the west, and have just settled in the beach city of Santa Monica, where I will be doing a bit more of the same: a little bar-tending, a little sailing,...

A month of adventure. I started the New Year snowboarding with friends at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, NY. Temperatures hovered around 0 degrees Fahrenheit at the summit of the mountain. Visibility was poor at times but it was still...

On my trip from my temporary home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to my university in Rochester, New York, I made the most of the drive by camping at all of the National Parks on the way (and slightly out of the...

I have fished a lot of water over the years and this was some of roughest I have been on. These conditions create moisture and you need something that is going to keep the moisture out and keep the warmth in. Minus33 is essential to everyday fishing and hunting in Minnesota. The only way to catch fish is to be where they are regardless of weather.

Luckily, a few days after Christmas, the temperature dropped to 18 degrees and we were afforded our first taste of snow in the mountains. We decided to take advantage of the turn in weather to hike up to a pristine mountain pond situated above Lake George.

The October winds are here, and they bring with them swelling white caps and brisk gusts on the Hudson River. The sailboats that traverse these waters pitch and yaw in the sweeping currents. We also have to deal with the...

The next morning came fast and early, so we had a quick bite to eat and headed down to load up our gear for the day to come. We had a 6 mile boat ride ahead of us to get to where the crappies where holding up.