Of Whoopie Pies and Wilderness

Here’s the thing about whoopie pies: They aren’t that good. Never were. The official Maine State Treat is a century-old tradition with a similar shelf life. Made mostly of sugar, flour, lard, and cocoa, they live somewhere between a cookie and a cake and are […]

Oranges and Lemons

Do you take the oranges? Outside my closed, local gym, there sits a box of oranges and lemons. The sign, scribbled in pen on a flap of the cardboard, says “Virus-free fruit. Help yourself.” There’s a plastic bag containing other plastic bags. Another message that […]

High on Hokas

Editor’s Note: Aside from her impressive accomplishments as a horsewoman, Katrin Silva is also a top ultra runner. She has competed in nineteen 100-mile races, including seven Leadville 100s, and three Western States. This year alone, Silva placed 5th among women at Bighorn 100 and […]

Dirty Work

While not typical HighCountryOutsider fare, this post is something I worked on for the Raven Narratives Story Slam of “Dirty Work.” I’m a big fan of producers Tom Yoder and Sarah Syverson, who have encouraged me to reach outside my comfort range. The theme Dirty […]

Mammut Nova III Mid Review

I am not a marathon backpacker. My demands for a good hiking shoe do not include strapping on crampons or contouring across scree for miles. But I still tend to wear the heck out of whatever footwear I have. Over the past few months, I’ve […]

A Visit to the OR

Last week, we traveled to the Outdoor Retailer at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. It’s the outdoor industry’s largest event for buyers, media, and others to gather, place orders, and show off new products. More importantly, it’s an opportunity for the outdoor recreational community […]

Riders: how long will we be relevant?

Like any other niche community, us horse owners and riders know what we like. We gravitate to anyone or anything that speaks our language. We can spot each other a mile away. In my neck of the woods, the ‘I get horseback’ uniform is: Long, […]

To Drift, Not To Push

Recently, I traveled to California for a Rancher-to-Rancher (R2R) field day, an event to address drought resilience. R2R team member, Kent Reeves, a horseman and friend, cajoled me into attending. Thanks, Kent! R2R is a network funded by the Regenerative Agriculture Foundation through the Soil […]

Embracing Winter with Good Gear

I reached a turning point about 10 years ago. After the good times of fort building and snowball fights and then introducing my sons to fort building and snowball fights, I’d come to disdain the coldest season. I’d complain through most of it and spend […]

Wolves in Colorado?

Editor’s Note: We welcome guest columnist Matt Barnes from Dolores, Colorado. Barnes works with landowners and managers to improve rangeland stewardship, and to coexist with large carnivores such as grizzly bears and wolves. He is the owner of Shining Horizons Land Management. Matt ran a […]