#NatureWritingChallenge: Public Lands Wish List

At present our public lands are in a state of near constant peril and crisis, and it is hard to think beyond defending them today and imagine what the future could look like for these treasured wild places. However, I think it’s important that as we fight in the metaphorical trenches it is important to keep in mind the goals and dreams for public land. What our good fight will mean for future generations.

Trails Less Travelled

The best lengths of trails in our National Parks are perhaps those which are least appreciated - though even knowing that you and I may well pass them over in preference to more glamorous pathways. I speak of those trails that lead not to the best views, the big falls, stunning canyons, glaciers, or alpine lakes. I write of the quiet forest paths, overgrown and wonderfully neglected for their obsolescence. Every park has them, and they are a treat for anyone who has had their fill of the famous sights and who now merely seeks solitude and respite from the crowds.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art Lens Review

Full frame quality on an APS-C size sensor? Well might you scoff, but that's exactly what Sigma has achieved with the 18-35mm f/1.8 Art. It is a lens purpose built to get the most out of crop sensor camera - professional results from cameras unfairly labeled as only fit for amateurs. Known as a "Bag of Primes" or the "Youtuber lens", the 18-35mm is a versatile tool for photographers and videographers alike.

The Last Wild Ride of Mr. Toad

From beneath a rock the toad took flight, running on its hind most legs like a man, fleeing for its life the slithering terror that pursued it with ravenous intent. It hid itself behind a stone, in vain it seemed, as soon it hurried on. The legless monster came on in undulating hoops as if a garden hose had sprung to life with cold intellect and malicious intent.

Encroaching Enochlophobia - a troubling future for wilderness

It is no secret that the woods and mountains are not so wonderfully lonesome as they once were. National Parks get all the press for excessive overcrowding, but the sad fact is that solitude is becoming a decidedly rare commodity practically everywhere. You may well point out that you can still get away from people if you seek out relatively unknown trails and travel in the off season in poor weather in the middle of the week. This is true, but for how much longer?

Welcoming the Alpine Dawn

The trail has been long and hard - mile upon mile of relentless climbing have made the distance stretch until the waning hours of the afternoon. An evening at the end of such an exhausting day is spent as much collapsed in a comatose heap as it is ogling the spectacular scenery around you. Only once you have had time lying dead to the world in a sleeping bag as the stars wheel overhead can you recover and actually appreciate the wonders you have worked so hard to experience. That is part of what makes dawn the next day such an incredible experience.

Wild Olympics: Wonders of the Quinault Rainforest

There is no forest more incredibly alive than that to be found in the wild northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest - an island of incredible biodiversity the scale of which boggles the mind and fires the soul. From the tidepools on the rugged wave tossed coast to the glaciers tumbling from mountain peaks into the great green carpet of the timeless rainforest.