Roaming around the city over the weekend:

Of all possible govt programs to nix, how about this one, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Why pay to kill half a million barred owls, when any possible (far-fetched) benefit to spotted owls will be obliterated by federal plans to log their habitats and undermine ESA protections? currentaffairs.org/news/lets-not-…

Today's 22 mile stroll:

“I asked ChatGPT-“ okay well I asked the big oak tree at the center of the woods and she said you’re a lazy dork

20 miles a day keeps the off-trail blues away (lol I wish). Snaps from Saturday and Sunday:

In about a month and a half, I'll be in the Canadian Rockies with no service, swapping worries about the news for worries about bears, which honestly sounds so restful. Studying up on Ursack best practices. youtube.com/watch?v=m2MGM-…

This is an outrage. We need these scientists. The courts must stop this lawlessness and Congress needs to quit letting Mango Mussolini do whatever he wants without reference to the legislative process. Call your reps, picket the courts, ffs. hcn.org/articles/usgs-…

I tell folks about my GDT plans, they mostly go: ooh grizzlies 👀😬 this post will age poorly when I get eaten by one, but I'm not stressing the bears lol. I am, however, worrying about the rain 😂 explored various fears + on-trail dangers for The Trek: thetrek.co/fear-in-the-gr…

A proposal to sell public lands has sparked staunch opposition. In Washington, an estimated 5.4 million acres would have been eligible for these sales. seattletimes.com/seattle-news/c…

Going north.

"I don’t understand why people are so beaten down to the point where, if they believe in this democracy, they’re not willing to risk it all." - amazing interview from June with whistleblower Reality Winner. texasobserver.org/reality-winner…

Oh, and successfully finished hiking the GDT on August 20. It rained most of my ~6 weeks on trail, I was wet and cold and struggling through mud, bushwhacks, unmarked trailless bits, alpine scree, river fords etc, but I wasn't reading the news, and man did it make a nice change.

We have until September 19 to submit public comments and call our reps to urge them to stop the Trump regime's assault on roadless wilderness. Protect our precious, fragile wild places from exploitation and development. Comment button here: regulations.gov/document/FS-20…

Mighty Oaks last night with the Babelsberg Filmorchester! Awesome arrangements.

The president approved a 211-mile private industrial mining road for a foreign mining company - backed by millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars - cutting through one of Alaska's most pristine landscapes. Alaska Native governments & locals have said no to Ambler Road — and so do we.

While the government is shut down, the Trump administration’s Interior Department has announced plans to open up 1.56 million acres of lands in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to more dangerous oil and gas leasing.

With an #energytransition away from fossil fuels underway, it would be tragic to see pristine #Alaskan & other #wilderness areas around the world damaged by oil exploration & extraction. Move to #sustainableenergy is urgent. #ClimateActionNow nytimes.com/2025/10/23/cli… via @NYTimes

Been off trail longer than I was on trail this summer but time sure does move differently. Those ~6 weeks on the GDT were so full of intensity and beauty; the mind can only really process it all when the thing itself is done. You forget the constant wet feet and remember... this:

If you're into backpacking and ultralight gear made by small domestic brands, heads up: an UL Redditor has laid out a compelling case that Enlightened Equipment's ownership is spreading extremist, violently racist ideology. Spend your money elsewhere. reddit.com/r/Ultralight/c…

Jesse Ventura: “They tell us they’re making us safer? In January of 2026, there were three murders in the city of Minneapolis. Two of them were done by ICE. So ICE is the leading murderer in the month of January, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota” (Video: Paul Rieckhoff🇺🇸🇺🇦)