This is the third in our summer series: Life Lessons Learned in the Woods. I realize this is mostly a story about flying, which isn’t exactly the wilderness, but wilderness guiding experience applies. You'll see, I promise. Enjoy! When I fastened my safety belt at the beginning of the flight, I had no idea how different those words would sound at 30,000 feet. We took off under clear skies. Almost a year prior I had experienced long delays and an unexpected overnight layover due to thunderstorms. I was considering myself grateful for the lack of extreme weather. But it was...

  This is the third post in our summer series "Lessons Learned in the Woods." Find the intro here. Putting ourselves at risk is not something we usually do on purpose. Risk comes hand in hand with uncertainty, neither of which are friends with modern culture. With smartphones and google ever at our fingertips, we're becoming increasingly uncomfortable with both. Yet we crave adventure! What makes an adventure an adventure? For me, it’s the thrill of new experiences, the curiosity of discovering the unknown, the challenge of problem solving with minimal resources. That means risk. And uncertainty. We learn most when...

This blog is part of our #redbudroadtrip series this summer, Life Lessons Learned in the Woods. One of my favorite parts of backpacking and canoeing trips is that you literally carry everything you need to survive. While I’m in love with this idea, it does present some challenges when packing. What do you carry, and what can you leave behind? Bring the essentials, leave the unnecessary stuff behind, right? Simple as that. Not always. For example: Food, water, shelter, those are given. But what about extra chocolate? A little wine? And should I take the thick fleece, the lightweight longsleeve...