You feel wrapped in a wave of contented solitude. People talk about going to the mountains to be alone, but really, you can’t get much more alone anywhere in the country than you will be on the prairie.

Finding experienced people to help you get started in caving is not just a nice help – it’s a requirement.

I’ve got so much I want to explore, and I want to share the experiences and the lessons with others. I expect this to be a year full of tough learning.

Even I have yet to explore everything it has to offer, and it's likely that you couldn't experience it all in less than a week.

Guad Peak is not for the faint of heart. It’s a tough hike that will make you earn every inch, but you will be rewarded with arguably the best view in the state.

All-in-all, Carlsbad Caverns holds a special place in my heart… it encapsulates what National Parks are supposed to be in a way that not many other parks do.

This fish was another beast, about the same size as that first one. It took me about two minutes to bring it in to my feet. It measured about 16 inches, which isn’t huge for a Cutthroat, but it’s definitely a respectable fish.

Don’t walk away from a lake after spending an hour not catching anything and let yourself believe that you’re not a good fisherman. You are an excellent fisherman, because you got off your ass and went out to the lake to practice today.

It certainly wasn’t a trophy, but that didn’t matter. It was my trophy.

The thing that made me the happiest was sharing that deer with everyone around. It started to get me thinking about how I could start sharing my hunts in other ways.