Some of my favorite places in the world can be found in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains and I've recently discovered my favorite time of the year to be there: the fall (or autumn as some readers know it). Why? Over the course of four days my group and I saw zero bugs and crossed paths
Australia Bike Tour Day 54: It’s So Hot
The Outback is not a very hospitable place for bicyclists (mostly thanks to the flies and wind), and you can be assured that I would not be bicycling across it were it not the middle of Australia's winter. Until now, the sun and the heat have not been too great of obstacles (the rain has had a
Australia Bike Tour Day 48: Tailwind!
One of the first things I learned not to underestimate on a bicycle tour was the wind (followed by: flies, butt chafe, and the smell of roadkill). Although the rain has come close, the wind is the only thing that's given me reason to fall from my bike and cry in the dirt on the side of the road.
Australia Bike Tour Day 41: The Rain
I should just learn to embrace the rain. When you think about it, rain is pretty mind blowing (as is the rest of nature). Here I am complaining about not being able to find water, and it's falling from the fucking sky. I am sure some people in the world (maybe someone living in the Atacama
Australia Bike Tour Day 32: Headwind
I've had my differences with the wind before, but the amount of frustration this large-scale flow of gases has caused me since setting out on my mission to cross Australia via bicycle trumps all my past experience. I can now assure you with near-absolute certainty that the world offers few
How To Survive A Thunderstorm: What To Do (Part 4 of 4)
So there's good news and bad news, which do you want first? Bad news? Alright. The bad news is (and I've mentioned this many times before), that there is no safe place outdoors during a thunderstorm. You cannot do anything to guarantee your safety, only things to marginally improve your
How To Survive A Thunderstorm: The Myths (Part 3 of 4)
I've already discussed the basics of thunderstorms and how to predict them, but now we'll discuss something important: the most common myths and misconceptions surrounding lightning. Unfortunately, searching the internet for information on how to correctly behave during a thunderstorm can lead
How To Survive A Thunderstorm: Prediction (Part 2 of 4)
One of the best ways to protect yourself from lightning strikes is to avoid being in a compromising position in the first place. I know this doesn't help if you're in the backcountry when you're caught in a storm, but since there is no safe place outdoors during a thunderstorm (and since there's