Once, as a young boy, I asked my father to race me from his office to his car. The instant he said no, I was struck by a startling realization. Dad never ran, at least not spontaneously or without purpose. Nor for that matter did any of the grown-ups in my life. It, Read More
River trips have become our favorite family adventures. As a way of experiencing the backcountry with kids, few other methods can compare. But with a little planning you can take some simple steps to help ensure your adventure is one that will be fun for the whole family. Planning for shorter days on the water makes, Read More
“Dada, can I um… can I go over to Al and Anne’s house… pleeease Dada?” asked my five year old. Al and Anne are our next-door neighbors. My son visits most days, but he’d missed them the day before. They’d been in the mountains, scouting for elk. They’re 81 and 75 years old, respectively., Read More
“Whoa, hey!” I said, voice rising as I backed involuntarily away from my five year old. He’d crept to my office door, not as stealthily as he may have thought, and paused there. I’d expected to surprise him when I yanked the door open, maybe give him a start. I hadn’t expected the coiled, mummified, Read More
Here at STS we are feeling very fortunate. We’ve been humbled lately by readers sending encouraging emails , others sharing our content across the web, and even colleagues selecting our work for a few awards. Thanks for all of your support. It’s a big reason why we do this. With that in mind it’s time, Read More
STS is incredibly honored by the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s selection of “Ultra Sensitive” as the 2014 President’s Choice “Best-of-the-Best” blog post award!
My roots are in the mountains, where life afoot requires a compromise between ease of cooking and ease of carrying. But on the river, it’s a whole new ball game. With everything floating downstream, you can rack for bear. That frees you up to high-grade your meals, and with them a big part of your backcountry experience. We’ve recently started doing that by, Read More
Carpon- A hybrid of a Carp and Tarpon The Carpon is an exceedingly rare species of fish that has never been seen by humans. Inhabiting lakes and rivers form Minnesota to Montana, the Carpon exhibits several unique life histories. It is unknown when the first hybridization occurred but some individuals are anadromous while others, Read More
My kids have reached a point where they are no longer content just to be along for the ride. They want in on the action. They want a rod in their hands. However, handing your toddler your heirloom bamboo or latest fast action wonder might be a bit risky. Fortunately, there is a great, Read More
Traveling to far flung destinations, going deep into the backcountry, or being on a river for days is awesome. We try to do it as much as possible. But short trips close to home are underrated. Recently, we decided to camp for one night with our family, only fifteen minutes from town. Talking to a, Read More