Author: DaveC
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Wild Things Tactical wind gear
I’m not convinced that actual camo is necessary for hunting ungulates. I shot my first deer ~10 years ago wearing a red and black plaid shirt, after all. I was convinced that for an autumn wear I intended to take hunting seriously, I needed performance shells in colors other than the nuclear red and orange…
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An incomplete treatise on ‘mid selection
BD Megalight with aftermarket guy points resisting the wind. A pyramid shelter is the most versatile shelter for outdoor adventure. There are many reasons to not have a quiver of tarps and tents, and the best one is that having one shelter suitable for all conditions allows you to grab and go. A ‘mid fits…
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Too much fun
The tops of my third toes are blistered and leaking pus. My achilles are tight and creaky when I stand up. My abs are tight along my ribs and spine, when I arch my back to stand tall they scrunch brittle like a sun-faded bungee cord. The skin on my hands shrunk a size and…
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Packing for the South Fork
Worth an annual visit: the highest praise a route can deserve. The South Fork of the Flathead merits exactly that.
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Things I’ve Seen
I can’t tell you about the things I’ve seen. Peaks stretching to all horizons, matching clouds step for step, recollections hidden in each valley. Each memory fits with one next drainage over, be they years apart or decades. Sit on a ridge another minute and more details come out of the shadows. Names match to…
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Clever, but not yet smart
CleverHiker.com wants to make the best backpacking tutorial videos, so you can, as narrator Dave Collins says at the end of each episode; “Hike light, hike smart, have fun.” Earlier this year they raised a pile of money, and last month the first season went live. They were kind enough to provide free downloads to…
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Hunting with Malice
It is rather common in my part of the world to hear that wolves are ruining the elk hunting. Elk numbers are down due to wolves, is the refrain, which goes along nicely with the “Smoke a Pack a Day” bumper stickers. Table from Ripple and Beschta 2012. Trophic Cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15…
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Why the Gorilla works
Disclaimer: as a trail ambassador I got this for free. M photo. I’ve been impressed with the Gossamer Gear Gorilla. One of the foremost reasons I got involved with Gossamer Gear is that their packs didn’t mesh well with my previous ideas of what a backcountry pack ought to be. Thankfully my hopes have been…
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Absurd consequence revisited
On certain occasions all ruminations cease. No more meditations about last year, no more preoccupation with the route around the ridge after the next pass, not even discussions of diner in town five hours hence. Some times you just know you’re about to be rained on and therefore must keep walking. I learned a few…
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Just another Saturday
After last weekend and a busy return to work all I wanted to do was go hiking by myself. It took a while to hitch a ride, and I eventually made it to Logan Pass around 830. When I got back to the car 10.5 hours later I couldn’t think of any other way I’d…
Bedrock & Paradox 
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