Cabin Life: Year in Tollgate Canyon

One whole year, 365 days in the books living up on the mountain. My wife and I have experienced and grown so much since moving into our dream log cabin in August 2021. But now is a time to recap on all the highs and lows that we’ve gone though living in Tollgate Canyon just outside of Park City, UT. The Wildlife First thing that comes to mind is the wildlife! Before moving up here, I’d seen maybe 3 Moose in total in Utah. Within our first month, we had seen a moose on our property 4-5 times a week! And …

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Trail Running With Your Dog and Developing a Bond

My adventure dog Gregor and I head out most mornings from the house in the dark, cold, quiet, mountain air. Headlamps and light-up collars sending us off into the dark on the dirt roads, up and down along the contours of the mountainside we live on. My dog, living his best life, runs ahead by about 10 feet smelling all the scents along the way. As cars come, I call him back, waiting for the neighbor to pass by. Deer scramble from the open areas, into the wooded sections, upon the first sight of us. Sometimes my dog will try …

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Cabin Life: Gathering and Cutting Firewood Uinta National Forest

Whether you heat your home with firewood, just burn a few logs here and there when friends are over, or are looking to have tons of firewood for your nights at camp, did you know that you can cut down your own firewood in the Uintas. To be honest, I was shocked how easy the process was. From getting the permits to coming home with over a cord of wood. Each district is slightly different, but overall here is the overview on how to cut your own firewood for less than $8 per cord of wood. Starting off, a cord …

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Cabin Life: We Bought a Cabin in the Mountains of Tollgate Canyon

To be honest, saying this is the house I’ve always wanted just isn’t true. That’s because I didn’t know cabins like this actually existed outside of movies or book covers. Once I moved up to New England after college, I was immediately hooked on the romanticism of an A-Frame cabin, hoping one day to be the owner of one. Realistically, I thought it would be a really small cabin that we’d only use on the weekends far off in the mountains of Wyoming or Idaho. As luck would have it, and it really was all luck, we were actually able …

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Hiking Mount Elbert | Colorado’s Tallest Mountain

Summiting a 14er, the coveted goal of most hikers in the USA and around the world. Similar to hiking a 4,000 footer in New England, a 14er is any mountain whose summit stands over 14,000 feet in elevation. But don’t let that staggering elevation discourage anyone from trying. Most 14ers have trailhead that start at 10,000 feet or higher, making the elevation gain only around 4,000 feet, similar to the hikes in New England. Well, Courtney and I are just like the rest of the ambitious hikers in Colorado with a goal of summiting Colorado’s tallest mountain, Mount Elbert! On …

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Capitol Peak | My Experience On One of Colorado’s Most Dangerous Mountains

The most shocking part about climbing this mountain is how different the experience can be for each climber in the same party. For my 3 friends, it was an incredible time, totally fun, no big deal. For me, this mountain almost killed me, and has changed my feeling towards mountains for the rest of my life. I will never climb on any rock this sketchy ever again, and will reconsider my climbing trips to mountains and routes that overtly warn against unstable rock combined with high exposure in 100% no-fall zones. This is the story of that trip. The genesis …

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Failing to Summit The Grand Teton

The Grand Teton as a special place in my heart. Ever since my buddies and I did it back in 2019, I’ve always thought about taking Courtney up it. Sure it’s massive and an excruciatingly long day, but she’s strong I and I knew she could do it. Fast forward to the end of August 2020, when nearly out of the blue, she says to me, “Let’s go climb the Grand in September!”Needless to say, I couldn’t have been more stoked. We had about e weeks to prepare, get it more specific climbing shape, and get the best beta we …

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Comprehensive Jacket Guide: Which Jacket is Best for Every Mountain Adventure?

Trying to find or choose the right jacket for your adventures can be an overwhelming task. Depending on the temperature, forecast, activity, etc., the decision on which jacket can be a make or break for success in the mountains. Pack too light, you could go home with hypothermia. Pack too heavy, you might not reach your goal (or you’ll be sweating the entire time). Those are just a few things that can go wrong if you chose the wrong jacket. Zachary KenneyHi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer.  My passion is to tell …

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Hike Mount Olympus (Utah)

You know that one hike, that everyone “seems” to have done, but is still on your bucket list? Well, Mt. Olympus was that one for me.  Mount Olympus, like many other mountain peaks, looms over the Salt Lake Valley below. It’s an intimidating mountain to look at when driving down I-215 South. And even though it’s only 9,030′ tall, it’s legendary status to those who live here. It is just one of those peaks, that no matter where you’re standing in Salt Lake, you can look up and see it towering above. And finally, on June 16th, Court, Gregor, and …

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Stop Comparing Everything You Do To Mt. Everest

With Mt. Everest being front and center in the news as of late due to the viral photo we all have seen, I figured there was no better time to post this article I wrote a little while back.  Just because your body went up a cumulative 29,029 feet does NOT even come close to the same level achievement and accomplishment that comes with actually summiting Mount Everest. I have not summited the tallest mountain in the world, but I can say with high certainty that neither did you. It takes so much time and effort to accomplish this feat, …

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