Boondocking at Ironwood Forest National Monument

I’ve sort of settled into one of my winter habitats. It’s a little sooner than usual because a cold front has driven me out of some places I...

Today’s drive, from Pine, Arizona, to a boondocking spot a little north of Tucson was about 200 miles. So was Friday’s drive from the North ...

North of Tucson, east of Picacho Peak

I have a bit of a thing for Mitsubishi Delicas . Cool, four-wheel drive, high-ground-clearance, turbocharged minivans imported used from Jap...

I wanted to get to the North Rim of Grand Canyon early enough to catch the sunrise. I woke at 5:00AM and tried to do the mental math of when...

As I write this I’m camped on the Kiabab Plateau, near Jacob Lake, which is the gateway to the North Rim of Grand Canyon. (With cell service...

Walnut Canyon National Monument , about five miles east of Flagstaff, has some cliff dwelling ruins. A gooseneck in the creek created a peni...

I thought it would get uncomfortably cold last night. Not only did I have my down quilt, I added my other blanket, just in case. I woke up s...

Yesterday at the base of the Mogollon Rim, tonight at the top. I’m prepared to freeze.

Last night I camped near Pine, Arizona. About 5,300 feet up. Not terribly high. In fact, it’s lower than where I spent the past few months i...

Heart of Rocks Loop is in the center (heart) of Chiricahua National Monument. You can get there by hiking down from the top or up from the b...

 I had run out of my tough guy it’s-not-too-hot-for-me-ism, and meditating on how life is suffering and this brief moment (in the cosmic sen...

I arrived at Chiricahua National Monument just as the sun popped above the horizon. Perfect timing.  The last time I was here, I was fat and...

There are a few ways to access the Chiricahua Mountains. The more scenic (and paved) route on the east side is through Portal, Arizona, to C...