Right after Christmas, we decided to take a quick backcountry trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We had only been to the Canyon once before during our COVID summer roadtrip, but had never ventured more than 2 miles down the Bright Angel trail. We flew to Phoenix and drove a rental car toContinue reading “Family Grand Canyon Backpacking”
Tag Archives: travel
Scout Packrafting Boquillas Canyon
Austin Troop 33 has a rugged tradition of heading to West Texas every January over MLK weekend for a mini-high-adventure. This year, we were back at Big Bend NP. The national parks rules and regulations increase the complexity of scout adventures in Big Bend. For this trip we needed to obtain a “Special Use Permit”Continue reading “Scout Packrafting Boquillas Canyon”
Family Rafting Adventure on the Lower Salmon River
This summer, we took our first family multiday rafting trip. We were not lucky enough to pull a lottery ticket, so we went on the Lower Salmon from White Bird, Idaho, to the confluence with the Snake River, where you don’t need a stinking lottery ticket to have fun. Rafting is an equipment-intensive sport. LivingContinue reading “Family Rafting Adventure on the Lower Salmon River”
Why Canister Stoves Beat White Gas Stoves (or why White Gas Stoves suck)
I don’t understand the continued use of white gas stoves, such as the iconic MSR Whisperlite, on wilderness trips. White gas stoves are the standard at Philmont, Northern Tier, and among many scout troops. As far as I can tell, there are only two advantages of white gas stoves: Outside of these rare scenarios, canisterContinue reading “Why Canister Stoves Beat White Gas Stoves (or why White Gas Stoves suck)”
Canoeing at Northern Tier High Adventure Base
For me this is the summer of scout canoe trips. Last week my oldest daughter and I went on a week-long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters of northern Minnesota with a crew from Troop 19 in Austin. Instead of using a private outfitter, we booked our trip with the Northern Tier High Adventure Base.Continue reading “Canoeing at Northern Tier High Adventure Base”
Top Multiday Canoe Trips near (not in) Texas for Scout Troops
A multiday canoe trip is one of the best high-adventure options for scout troops. River canoeing can involve excitement, the fun of getting wet, fishing, wilderness, and freedom for the scouts to learn skills without a strict itinerary or program requirements. This post describes two awesome multiday trips reachable from central Texas. Although the discussionContinue reading “Top Multiday Canoe Trips near (not in) Texas for Scout Troops”
Family-Friendly Backpacking in Big Bend National Park
Just after the New Year, the Smith family went on a two-night backcountry trip to the High Chisos in Big Bend National Park. This was our first family desert trip, and it was a lot of fun. Most Big Bend backpacking trips are challenging because you must carry your own water. There are a fewContinue reading “Family-Friendly Backpacking in Big Bend National Park”
Packrafting fun in Costa Rica
I took my Gnarwal on our family trip to Costa Rica this summer to paddle a few miles of the Rio Chirripo Pacifico near San Gerardo de Rivas. On this trip in the middle of the rainy season, the section of the Rio Chirripo I intended to run was way above my skill set toContinue reading “Packrafting fun in Costa Rica”
Philmont: Top 15 tips and things I wish someone told me before the trip.
No. 1: Start Early: The activities are first come, first served, and thunderstorms occur almost every afternoon in July. The Crew Leader should set an early start to ensure that the crew gets to complete activities and to avoid setting up camp late in the day in a storm. No. 2: Tie sticks directly toContinue reading “Philmont: Top 15 tips and things I wish someone told me before the trip.”
Philmont: Registering and Picking an Itinerary
Warning: this is a paperwork and planning post, not an adventure post. Philmont offers 7-, 9- and 12-day treks of varying difficulty. This post outlines how to choose the appropriate trek for your crew and get through the registration process. This explains how the process works for individual scout units, not council contingents. In summary,Continue reading “Philmont: Registering and Picking an Itinerary”
Vamonos Baby! 