Hiking, web development, best practices, and general awesomeness
Jacob is crazy passionate about hiking in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From the worn outcroppings of the Huron Mountains to the swamps and old growth forest deep within the Peshekee Highlands, he's either been there or is planning an adventure right now. One of Jacob's particularly fond hiking goals involved tracking down Keweenaw waterfalls.
The night air felt thick, an inky black pool that my lungs struggled to pull in fast enough. Sweat dripping off my face, fog collecting on my glasses, I stumbled forward a few steps and paused, leaning heavily on my trekking poles, and slowly turned to gaze at the city below. Palm Springs sprawled…
Summer of 2021 was a weird time. Work was hectic and I wanted to get out and do long, epic adventures, yet few destinations in Arizona seemed appealing. The challenge of exploring a remote and damaged area, like the Mazatzal and Galiuro Wilderness, in the summer heat was less than ideal, and my…
We needed to get out to the backcountry. It was early summer in 2021, and the kids and I were raring to go on an adventure. There was a spot, next to the Sierra Ancha Wilderness, that I had been looking forward to exploring, so with a loose plan and two full backpacks we headed east, driving past…
Noah and Charlotte had been asking about a camping trip for a few weeks, and Thomas, while more hesitant, was lured in by the mention of s'mores, so after work we all piled into the Jeep with a full trunk of gear and headed out to Globe. There are some great trailheads in the Eastern Superstitions…
Wind roared off the Kaibab Plateau, tumbling over gullies and canyons and thrashing through pines, plummeting into the fire-scorched forests of Saddle Mountain Wilderness to slam in the side of my Jeep. Huddled behind the tiny vehicle, curled under a strapped-down sleeping bag, I made a feeble…
South of Mount Lemmon and the Santa Catalinas is another sky island, a shorter one, that has been spared from the devasting wildfires of the last few decades. The Rincon sky island sprawls across several mountains, including Mica Mountain, Rincon Peak, and Tanque Verde, and supports a large stand of…
Galiuro Wilderness is a relatively short sky island located between the Santa Catalinas and Pinalenos. Compared to those two mountain ranges, with their lofty 9k and 10k peaks, the highest point in the Galiuros is Basset Peak, a mere 7663'. While it may lack the elevation of its neighbors, this…
On the southern edge of the Mazatzal Wilderness is a little hiking loop made up of access roads, the Arizona Trail, and an old ranching single-track on top of Black Ridge. I've been wanting to take the kids on this loop for a while and, once I felt confident in their endurance, we headed out on a…
Reavis Valley is located in the Eastern Superstitions and is regarded as one of the premier backpacking destinations of the wilderness, with tall pines surrounding a cool, grassy valley, and even an apple orchard thriving at an old ranch site. Thanks to the Arizona Trail traveling through it, trail…
There is a loop in the Western Superstition Wilderness that has intrigued me for years. Chris and I attempted a version of it, back in 2016, and even though we split the route up over three days we still struggled to finish a shorter version. I've been steadily increasing my mileage and heat…