Hiking, web development, best practices, and general awesomeness
Light quickly flooded into the western Superstitions, changing the rock formations from a dull red to bright yellow as the sky woke above. From my perch on the summit of Bluff Springs Mountain I watched the scene unfold as I shivered and ate a hasty breakfast. It was beautiful, mountains and…
There is a valley on top of Bluff Spring Mountain. It is a long valley, carved by a seasonal creek that starts near the peak, runs between towering ridges, and then pours down an impressive waterfall. The mountain and the valley are within a few miles of Peralta Trailhead yet are not directly…
Our third child, Charlotte Emerick, was born early on February 13, 2017. She's our first daughter and the first granddaughter on either side of the family, which is evident by the amount of pink that has recently invaded our house. The pregnancy was easier for Katie this time around, with only a few…
The idea of conquering the Mazatzal Wilderness has slowly taken over my daydreams and random internet browsing. And why shouldn't it? Hiking in Arizona has not been as free-ranging as my Michigan adventures, thanks to hostile terrain and less-than-amiable property owners, and exploring designated…
Legs singing in a cacophony of joy, I trotted down from the top of Superstition Mountain on a most welcome descent. This was the first downhill grade that I've been on for quite some time, plus the trail was wide and easy. Ahead of me the dark clouds drifted closer, threatening, yet all that…
The gray clouds hung oppressively low overhead, muting the sunrise colors and darkening the usually-bright rock formations of Superstition Peak. I ignored the clouds and continued marching forward along Lost Goldmine Trail. Behind me, in my pack, my new phone chirped and an app I've been trying out,…
Hard pellets of water smacked into my windshield and tumbled down onto the dry dirt tracks on Peralta Road. My foot quickly alternated between the gas and brake pedal, pushing the van forward as far as my headlights could see around the many bends and little rises and then slowing when the unknown…
Coming down the north side of Tortilla Peak was a hundred times easier than my climb up. A few simple hops over jagged rocks and then a long, clear chunk of bedrock sloped gently away. Man, this approach would have been a breeze. I looked back a few times at the peak, now bright under a rising…
Yellow rock on Tortilla Peak shone in the early morning light. I stood and panted in the valley below, cold air rushing in and out of my mouth, already out of breath from the quick mile of rocky hiking in from the trailhead. With some guesswork I could make out my planned route to the peak: cut…
There was one thing that I wanted to do on New Year's weekend - go on an epic adventure to end a rough year of hiking. The weather was perfect, even a bit wet with some overnight storms, and overnight plans for Tortilla Peak and Reavis Ranch and the Mazatzals floated through my mind during the…