For the five years when our two kids were between the ages of 8 and 17, our family had one sacred summer ritual: climbing Half Dome in California’s Yosemite National Park. The George Family Summer Half Dome Hike became one of those cherished family rites that will bind us throughout our lives. But the beginning […]

This June day, I spent the morning squatting in a clearing just off Upper Terrace Road at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northern edge of Yellowstone National Park, hand-digging Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens). A hermit thrush serenaded me as I worked, its fluting song echoing through the nearby grove of Douglas-fir trees: first a long clear […]

Nearly everyone seems to have a bucket list of things to do, see, and experience before they move on to the next universe. As an outdoor educator, Yellowstone park ranger, naturalist guide, and nature mentor, I’ve been lucky to list and check-off my share of amazing national parks. While it’s hard to suggest places or […]