Author: Riley McAdams
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Mining Towns Reimagined: From Boom-Bust to Resilient Futures
Mining towns have a powerful story: they emerge quickly, reshape landscapes and communities, and face unique challenges when resource demand changes. Today’s conversations about mining towns focus less on nostalgia and more on resilience — how places built around extraction adapt to economic shifts, environmental pressure, and new opportunities tied to clean energy and tourism.…
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How to Safely Climb Colorado’s Fourteeners: Gear, Acclimatization & Route Tips
Colorado’s fourteeners—peaks that top 14,000 feet—are a magnet for hikers seeking big views, physical challenge, and alpine solitude. Whether you’re aiming for a first summit or refining high-altitude skills, careful planning and respect for the mountain environment make the difference between a memorable climb and an emergency. Why Colorado fourteeners stand outThese peaks combine dramatic…
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Buying a Wyoming Ranch: Essential Guide to Working Operations, Guest Stays & Conservation
Wyoming ranches capture a unique blend of rugged working landscapes and refined guest experiences, making them appealing to buyers, vacationers, and conservation-minded stewards alike. Whether you’re drawn to open-range cattle operations, historic dude ranches, or the growing trend of sustainable ranch management, understanding the essentials will help you make smarter decisions. What defines a Wyoming…
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Rocky Mountains Travel & Conservation Guide: Wildlife, Safety, and Responsible Outdoor Adventures
The Rocky Mountains remain one of the planet’s most compelling landscapes for outdoor adventure, wildlife viewing, and conservation innovation. Stretching across vast elevations, these ranges offer dramatic peaks, alpine meadows, old-growth forests, and river corridors that sustain rich biodiversity and vibrant mountain communities. Why the Rockies matterHigh-elevation ecosystems in the Rockies act as natural water…
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Moab’s parks are a compact wonderland for hikers, bikers, climbers and off-roaders.
Moab’s parks are a compact wonderland for hikers, bikers, climbers and off-roaders. Centered around Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and surrounded by Bureau of Land Management terrain, the area offers dramatic sandstone arches, carved canyons, slickrock ridges and a range of outdoor experiences that reward careful planning. Top attractions and trails– Delicate Arch: A must-see…
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Navajo Art Guide: Identify Authentic Weavings & Jewelry — Ethical Buying & Care
Navajo art—often referred to by many as Diné art—remains one of the most recognized and evolving expressions of Indigenous creativity in North America. Rooted in closely held traditions but open to contemporary reinterpretation, Navajo art spans textiles, silver and turquoise jewelry, sandpainting, and carving. Each medium carries cultural significance, technical skill, and a living lineage…
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Mining towns have always captured the imagination
Mining towns have always captured the imagination: rugged landscapes, sudden wealth, tight-knit communities, and the distinctive challenges that come with resource dependence. Today, these settlements are evolving — some fading into ghost towns, others reinventing themselves as hubs of tourism, renewable energy, or advanced mineral processing. Understanding the life cycle of a mining town helps…
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Rocky Mountains Visitor Guide: Ecology, Recreation & Safety Tips
Rocky Mountains: What to Know About Ecology, Recreation, and Safety The Rocky Mountains stretch across a vast landscape of peaks, forests, and alpine tundra, drawing hikers, climbers, anglers, and nature lovers from around the world. Whether you’re planning a day hike in a national park, a multi-day backpacking trip, or simply learning about mountain ecology,…
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Hiking Colorado 14ers: Essential Safety, Gear & Route Tips
Hiking Colorado’s fourteeners offers an unforgettable blend of high alpine scenery, brisk challenge, and wide-open sky. For anyone chasing summits, the difference between a great day and a serious emergency often comes down to planning, acclimatization, and respect for mountain conditions. These practical tips help hikers get the most from their climbs while staying safe…
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1. Ultimate Moab Guide: Plan Your Visit to Arches, Canyonlands & Dead Horse Point
Moab and its nearby parklands are a magnet for outdoor lovers, offering iconic sandstone arches, expansive canyon vistas, slickrock bike trails, and world-class canyoneering. Whether you plan to see Delicate Arch at sunrise, ride the Slickrock Trail, or scramble to Mesa Arch for that classic canyon sunrise photo, a little planning goes a long way…