“Wait! Sorry guys – here’s another one!” “Okay, I’m coming – oh! Another! And another!” The boys stood patiently as our short afternoon hike was again interrupted. By Kelly and me. We just couldn’t help it. It started with a small patch of mountain bluebells. We were all trekking along at a brisk pace, the way we like to hike, when I stopped dead in my tracks. The flowers, some of them so blue they seemed to glow, were too stunning to pass by. But when I got out my camera to

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 like a wimpy, pathetic mountain with a runny nose. But with its spiny, jagged ridges, steep couloirs, and an altitude of 14,155 feet, this mountain is no wimp. In fact, it is more of a bully. We should know. We have been on it three times. The first time, two years ago, we knew nothing. We set out with our brand new snowshoes and slogged our wa

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 stalking this moose for hours. All so we could get a good picture without getting attacked. Because that is what moose do. A moose may decide he wants to attack, and there is nothing you can do about it. There are no tricks to deter him. If he is in a bad mood and you are in the way, then you may be the victim of his fury. I understand that. And I

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...

Photo by Jenny Venturo Dad is in the passenger seat. It is funny to see him there because he usually drives. And he does not look very...

Photo by Paul Venturo When I was in high school, we had a cheer that went, “You’ve got to want it to win it, and we want it bad . . .” I...

Photo by Jenny Venturo It’s inevitable. We have an amazing day packed with adventure. But the day must end—and we must clean up. It is...

Photo by Jenny Venturo I look above me--mist. I look to my right--mist. To my left? More mist. Looking down at my feet is my only...

Photo by Daniel Venturo You step into the ice-cold water. You wonder whether you really want to do this as the water rises about you. You...