Water surrounds Manhattan, and it is in constant motion. New York City's most famous island is set in one of the most complex harbor and waterways systems of any great city. The Atlantic Ocean meets the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan, and  the Atlantic also flows up and back down the East River, thru the Hells Gate narrows, and out to the Long Island Sound on the other side. North of Hells Gate on the East Side, the skinny Harlem River completes the water route, connecting the... Read Full Story

It takes, well, at least a small village. A Park Service lottery led to a July 1 launch permit, to float the excellent Gates of Lodore section of the Green River, through Dinosaur National Monument in NE Utah and Colorado.   And to do it right, you have to bring a mountain of gear, some old and some new friends, a pack of kids, some river veterans, some rookies, some fun Moms, a couple of boatmen, and a trip elder: Grandma Elaine, in our case. The Queen of the Green. So we did. Nineteen... Read Full Story

Escape From Bishop: Ski Mountaineering into the Kearsarge Basin The trip sounded great: we are getting the gang back together, going in with packs and alpine touring skis to  High Sierra backcountry over 11,000' Kearsarge Pass, and spending a week skiing and skinning along the Sierra Crest, in some of the most remote and spectacular mountain basins in North America. Of course, I underestimated the damage which rental ski boots could do to my feet in less than 2 days, and overestimated... Read Full Story

My dogs know what it means when the suitcases come out, and they whine and slouch around the door. I am going again, and they can't stop me,  and yet I must wait a bit. Every traveler knows the feeling, just before leaving home (again) for a big outing in the world. The accelerating rush of preparation mixed with work tasks, the must-do-before-I'm-gone list, the gradual shift in perspective from " I can get it all done before I go", to  "I can get all the vital stuff done", to "ah, this stuff... Read Full Story

Just when I thought I was done with another Grand Canyon river trip adventure, I relaxed, patted my self on the back, sighed, and then got my butt kicked by the Grand Canyon. Let me explain. River to Rim is a Mighty Long Walk Last June, our small group of river buddies hiked out from the Colorado River on the Bright Angel Trail, sadly departing on day 8 from a private river trip to return to our families and lives. The rest of our river tribe was still down there, preparing to run the big... Read Full Story

From Hayes Family Trip, Pavones, Costa Rica "A Family Vacation is a Contradiction in Terms" 1) A Scarlet Macaw, the most outrageous of wild birds, settles into Almond Tree outside the Cantina, as Ben and I watch. Two-foot long ridiculous tail flutters above us as we creep forward across the parking lot and watch it crack nuts. The locals leave their bar stools to come gaze with us, and smile with satisfaction. 2) Goofy children grinning and splashing in the hotel pool, well, like... Read Full Story

ONE GREAT THING And I think over and over again, of when, with a North wind I drifted in my kayak along the Great River and thought I was in danger. My fears, those small ones that I though so big for all the vital things I had to get and to reach. And yet, there is only One Great Thing the only thing: to live and to see, on journeys, in camps, and at home the great day that dawns and the light that fills the world... Read Full Story

Santa Cruz, California, March 2008 Returning again to Santa Cruz for a week of work, I realize how much work it is to stick there. It may be the coolest town on the planet, but being part of it is not as easy as it looks. Now, I am no tourist here. Santa Cruz is a skein of memories for me: I lived there 20 years, got a grad degree at Slug U., had my children, bought and sold houses, raised a family and a business. I got the secret local knowledge you can only acquire over years, and I paid... Read Full Story

Phantom Ranch Guitar The guitar at the Phantom Ranch cookhouse hangs on a wooden peg in the old mess hall, in reach of any hiker, river runner, or Grand Canyon wanderer who comes in and wants to play. It’s an old nylon string cowboy guitar, sturdy and a little battered, with the loving words, "Be Gentle Please" clearly lettered on the side. It has no visible brand, no fancy logo on the headstock, but it has the unmistakable patina of age and seasons, and the touch of countless caring hands... Read Full Story

Bad Night in ViIla Rivera On my ninth or tenth night in Bolivia, sleeping back in our cozy Villa Rivera  hotel after a weekend of partying in big-city Cochabamba, I awoke with bad stomach pain. Not really my stomach, I realized with a gasp, as another  surge of scary intense pain cut through my guts. Deep in my guts pain, from below the belt line, and quickly radiating into my lower back panels, like the worst slipped-disc pain I ever had. I had been dreaming about being attacked by tigers... Read Full Story