LAST WEEKEND’S PLANNED night in the mountains almost fell through at the very last moment. The aim had been to return to an igloo I built months ago (an igloo I’ll blog about in due course) but a change in family circumstances just as I was preparing to leave home meant I’d have to return […]
The More You Go The Luckier You Get Read More »
THE WATERFALL DIDN’T last long. A day and a half, then it was done. It was a quick flood formed by the rapid thawing of two-feet of snow. It spilled over the edge of the typically desert-dry mesa; a temporary rush of water that cascaded downward, scattering sunlight with diamond flashes as it fell, spreading
I THOUGHT IT was high time I shared an update on Chris Townsend’s book, High Summer, to be republished this summer through my imprint, the Enchanted Rock Press. (Launch date to be confirmed, but watch this space!) Chris has been sorting through the 3,000 or so slides that he took during the journey, digitising a
High Summer – an update Read More »
A FEW WEEKS AGO I had the great pleasure of talking with author Sarah Lister for her ‘Wild About Kinder’ podcast: HERE. This podcast focuses on one of Britain’s most treasured mountains, Kinder Scout, a unique mountain in a multitude of ways. For various reasons, I enjoyed taking part in this podcast more than any
On Ode to Kinder Scout Read More »
THE MOUNTAIN THAT sweeps upwards above my Colorado home is pretty small as mountains go. In fact, arguably, to call it a mountain is to stretch the definition of what a mountain is. For one thing, it only rises a thousand feet from the valley floor to the highest point – hardly a big altitude
A Small Mountain Made Big Read More »
A FEW WEEKS ago I made an appearance on a podcast: The Mind Fit Method, hosted by author, entrepreneur and podcaster, Michael Fancher. (Available HERE.) As you might guess from the title, one of the podcast’s main themes (from among many) is an exploration of ‘mindset’, and in this instance the focus was on my
Overcoming: a blog about stuttering and the healing power of nature Read More »
Since The Earth Beneath My Feet was published I’ve received a variety of messages and emails from people I don’t know. To be honest, I hadn’t expected any. I had no idea if anyone would read my words, let alone react to them and reach out. But strangers have, and it has frequently been humbling
The Importance of Responsible Nature Writing Read More »
COLORADO IS FAR more frequently a sunny place than a foggy one, offering three-hundred sunny days a year – a bright gift from the climate gods that I would have appreciated while growing up in Britain! But it’s funny; one can have too much of a good thing. Too much sun often means too little
I ENJOYED A memorable encounter this weekend. It occurred while I was walking home from camp, and it involved a young couple, the only two people I met all morning out in the snowy woods. We didn’t speak for long – less than five minutes – but the exchange was unforgettable. It was heart-warming at
IT’S FASCINATING TO ME how ‘green’ summer can look when viewed from the far distance of winter. Apparently, the grass is greener on the other side of the year! I took the photos in this blog early on a July morning on the eastern edge of the ‘Blue Sky Wilderness’ – or The Quiet Side,