On your next winter camping trip.

Children can add an extra element of consideration and work when camping. But using the experience to teach them to be self-sufficient will pay off big time. There are several ways children can pull their own weight on a camping trip this winter, and one is cooking. 

Advance food preparation is a big help when planning meals for a camping trip, and your child's role doesn't have to end there. Of course not all ages can be working over a grill or campfire, but they can certainly prepare and serve meals, making your camping trip a little more enjoyable.

Good eatin' leads to good sleepin'.

So, grab these ingredients, a bunch of aluminum foil, and get your children cooking.

Fat-bike this winter.

Trying new things can be hard, and I'm guilty of new-thing-trying apprehension all the time, most recently concerning smartphones—I was a late convert and often wish I could switch back. I'm the same way about my outdoor pursuits, holding on to what I know until faced with undeniable evidence that change is necessary. My unwillingness to try fat-biking is the current case in point.

And I've been resistant to this why...?

Early-season powder turns.

Last week, I made my first turns of the ski season. Rising around 5am, I drove up Bridger Canyon, pulling into A Lot around six. I slid into my boots and slapped on my skins. I double-checked my gear and started up the hill.

It was overcast and snowing lightly, but temps were in the 20s and before long I was shedding layers. I got into a rhythm and made good time to the base of the Alpine chair. While I thought I'd be elbowing my way through other skiers, I'd been alone since leaving the base area. Every once in a while, I'd catch a whisper on the wind, but all in all, I climbed on in silence.

Shock & awful.

The presidential election shocked many this past November 8, but there were also statewide races with important ramifications for the environment and our public lands. Here are some key takeaways:

On the public-lands front, this election brought some gains and losses.
• We retained Governor Bullock by a slim margin, who is committed to public-land access.
• We gained Supreme Court Justice Sandefur, who will fight for the law, not viewing Stream Access as a “monumental erosion” of private property rights, as his opponent stated. I prognosticate we will very much need our Supreme Court.