Have you ever taken the time to notice the treasures under your feet? Whether you’re walking on the beach, along a trail, or in a gravel parking lot, there are interesting and sometimes spectacular rocks you can find—if you’re looking for them. The sun smiled down on the glassy surface of a lake high in the mountains. Jagged spires ringed the sapphire pool, reflecting their massive outlines into its dark depths. At odd intervals, a chunk of rock came loose on one of the pinna

It is inevitable. The slog, that is. We can’t avoid it. It is part of every hike, every backpacking trip, every climb, and even every...

The hot spring in this area was part of Sawtooth National Recreation Area, outside of these beautiful Sawtooth mountains. As usual, we...

By now we are certain that things will be uncertain. By now we know that something will happen to turn our special day into a harrowing...

This year, it seems like we have found ourselves in slippery situations more often than we’d like. The reason for this boils down to a...

“Wait! Sorry guys – here’s another one!” “Okay, I’m coming – oh! Another! And another!” The boys stood patiently as our short afternoon...

It was our third backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountains. When we started out from the trailhead, with breakfast in our stomachs and...

“Just make sure you are having fun . . . you are having fun, right?” - man to us when we were NOT having fun   Mount Sneffels. Sounds...

It was some of the roughest terrain we have ever encountered. Nothing could have prepared us for it. As we hoisted our heavy backpacks...

“A moose that walks slowly toward you may be attacking.” - sign              We were getting impatient. It seemed like we had been...

It’s easy to say that we are relying on God to supply our needs and give us success in our endeavors. But how often do we show actual...

“Why sleep outside when you’ve got a house?” - Hudson the mouse   Among the things that we decided were important enough to bring with us...

“Someone’s fixed a rope,” a fellow climber called up to us from the notch, “so you’re good!” We were on the summit of 14,155 ft. Mt. Sneffels in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The weather was spectacular, the view was breathtaking, but our feelings were mixed as we crouched on the rocky crest surrounded by empty sky, the highest point for miles around. We were exultant in our triumph, apprehensive about what was yet to come, shaky and on edge from the effects of the adre

The south face of Humboldt Peak I cringed every time I thought about it. That long, sawtooth ridge sweeping up to the summit was locked...

Should you go against the current? I guess that depends on the direction of the current, the direction you want to go, and how much...

Have you ever heard of a cholla (pronounced CHOY-uh)? In case you haven’t, it is a large cactus that grows like a bush, its thick green...

We had been looking forward to paddleboarding on this river for a long time. When we pulled up to our campground, I looked out the window...

We don’t like rain. Not at all. The mere mention of rain makes us shudder. We absolutely loathe rain. Rain is a trial to be endured. And...

Photo by Jenny Venturo We are not a typical family, and we have never done things in the typical way. Nobody who travels full-time in an...

Photo by Paul Venturo “Ouch!” My elbow hits the counter. My leg knocks something off the shelf. I pull and strain. By the time I get the...