From an interview with Amory Lovins, who began as a photographer, and recounts how his first editor — David Brower — who pioneered the much-loved Sierra Club nature books, would edit photographers: "Everyone knows the sky is there. So don't show it unless it's doing something interesting, and then show a lot of it." MaybeContinue reading “David Brower’s Sky Rule (of photography)”
Category Archives: the land
Back on the PCT — ahead of the Mountain Fire
Yep, time to get back on the trail. Fortunately I have completed section B, from Warner Springs to i-10 at the San Gorgoinio Pass, so the Mountain Fire in the San Jacinto range is behind me. NASA can see this fire from space: I'll be mostly in the San Bernardino mountains, but descending to theContinue reading “Back on the PCT — ahead of the Mountain Fire”
How to cause an earthquake: Inject fluids into a fault
Pump large amounts of fluids — such as "produced water" from fracked oil and gas wells — down an injection well and into an existing fault. It happened at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, causing earthquakes in and around Denver back in the l960's. Geologists are concerned it could begin happening again, given the huge amount of shaleContinue reading “How to cause an earthquake: Inject fluids into a fault”
A tragic consensus: Arizona Hot Shots died for houses
They say that newspapers are dead or dying, but the reporting on the death of nineteen brave wildland firefighters in Arizona has been absolutely top-notch. The LA Times has responded by sending a team of its best people, including Julie Cart from Idaho: BOISE, Idaho — Early morning is a frenetic time at a wildfireContinue reading “A tragic consensus: Arizona Hot Shots died for houses”
New Mexico conifer forests gone by 2050: Scientist
The pine forests of New Mexico have been around since the Pleistocene, but they're not going to be around much longer, according to a scientist named Nate McDowell at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. For as long as there have been forests, there have been droughts,” [McDowell] said. “But the droughts we’re experiencing now areContinue reading “New Mexico conifer forests gone by 2050: Scientist”
Greatest nature drawing ever? by Albrecht Durer
Christopher Knight suggests such is the case for Albrecht Durer's "Great Piece of Turf": The drawing's technical mastery is astounding. Watercolor can be an unforgiving medium, allowing for few mistakes. Yet even in the face of this complicated, seemingly chaotic tangle of plants, the 32-year-old artist made no evident missteps. The viewpoint is head-on, seenContinue reading “Greatest nature drawing ever? by Albrecht Durer”
A home in the wild, under the wind
Three nights ago I slept tentless in the desert. I slept despite a breeze, moving over my pad and bag, over my face exposed to the night. The moon came up bright, woke me at midnight, but the air had gone still and quiet, and I found my way back to my dreams. A dayContinue reading “A home in the wild, under the wind”
Shepherd’s Pie: Two variations for the trail
The all-time best cookbook for backpackers, sez me, is a long out of print paperback called The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking, by Gretchen McHugh. Though it dates from l982, it's really from the l970's, complete with vaguely "Joy of Sex" illustrations, on brown paper. But my copy is dog-eared, written up, torn —Continue reading “Shepherd’s Pie: Two variations for the trail”
Back on the PCT: 100 miles, 100 miles, 100 miles…
With Chris Nottoli, getting back on the PCT for a bit. From the desert to the mountains, high above Palm Springs, and then down, down, down to I-10. Should be a little adventure. Hope to skip the snakes. Looks a little like this, a few miles to the south…. Take about a week. Will leaveContinue reading “Back on the PCT: 100 miles, 100 miles, 100 miles…”
The fall of a mighty oak: The Guardian notices
Nothing against new style longform journalism, but let's give credit where credit is due to a tradional but awesome story from The Guardian on the greatest tree in Wales, and how it fell (but could possibly have been saved). No one knew quite how old it was because it had lost its heartwood, but MichaelContinue reading “The fall of a mighty oak: The Guardian notices”
Kit Stolz 