Essays

Following the Oregon Trail, digitally and on foot

Following a childhood fascination with the computer game Oregon Trail, a young archaeologist meets the real thing during a rugged, exhausting Wyoming summer.

by Laura Herrington Watson, Feb 06, 2012
Residents of Montana's High Plains are angry - but not at the real threats

Though climate change and the economy are the issues threatening their livelihoods, many of the High Plains people are angry at almost everything else.

by Joe Wilkins, Feb 03, 2012
No matter how long you live in your small town, you'll never be a native

In the West's rural lands, you might think you're invisible, but the old-timers -- and their dogs -- know you are there.

by Craig Childs, Jan 13, 2012
What is that dead deer thinking about, and why is he hanging there?

A close encounter with a deer head on the wall of an inn leads to musings on death, immortality, ancient Egypt, Lenin and Trigger the Wonder Horse.

by Andy Seiple, Dec 23, 2011
Fighting the wind on a Montana camping trip

If you want to be driven crazy by the wind, try canoeing and camping on Montana's Marias River.

by Jeremy N. Smith, Nov 28, 2011
Hunting deer on a mountain bike

Two friends go on a fossil-fuel-free deer hunt using mountain bikes.

by Nadia White, Nov 25, 2011
Wrestling with a destiny of dryness

A Utah writer struggles with his family’s predilection to always end up living in very arid places.

by John Bennion, Nov 11, 2011
Killing for conservation in national parks

Getting weeds out of the national parks is an endless war that can never be won, but many Park Service employees are willing - and happy - warriors.

by Amy Whitcomb, Oct 17, 2011
What we take and leave when wildfire comes

A writer catalogues the practical and the sentimental objects grabbed when people flee their homes

by David Frey, Oct 16, 2011
The mirage of pristine wilderness

The old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest may not be that old after all - but that doesn't mean they're not big and beautiful.

by Emma Marris, Oct 06, 2011
How I survive scorching Phoenix summers

The midsummer heat of Phoenix is unbearable to an adult human being - unless you take a lesson from the desert wildlife, and adapt.

by Aaron Gilbreath, Sep 15, 2011
River rafting -- no car required

How to enjoy a summer raft trip, fossil-fuel-free.

by Jeremy N. Smith, Aug 26, 2011
Adventuring on Colorado's big peaks

A woman finds solace and delight in climbing Colorado's highest and most challenging mountains.

by Jane Koerner, Aug 18, 2011
Wedding in the shadowed valley

What do you do when you're hit by doubts on the very morning of your wedding?

by Julie Rehmeyer, Aug 05, 2011
River Town

Flagstaff, Ariz., may not really have its own river, but to many of its residents it is a true river town.

by Christa Sadler, Jun 27, 2011
Encountering a California condor takes one writer back in time

An interaction with a rare vulture sparks reflections on dinosaurs and extinction.

by Liza Gross, Jun 24, 2011
The One-Eyed Squirrel of Ooh-Aah Point

Ol' One-Eye of Ooh-Aah Point leads a wildlife-loving trail-crew worker to act a bit out of character…

by Nathaniel Brodie, Jun 02, 2011
Walking in the body of being

Not everybody understands why pinacate beetles are such good company, but philosopher Baruch Spinoza is likely one of them.

by Sharman Apt Russell , May 27, 2011
The sign maker

The wooden signs Phil Garfoot made still offer directions to his friends, even after his death.

by Ana Maria Spagna, Apr 22, 2011
The Tao of Pow: Learning to love winter

A newcomer to Utah learns to love winter with the help of snowshoes.

by Christopher Cokinos, Apr 04, 2011