In my opinion, there are few things in life more awe-inspiring than standing on top of a mountain or on the shoreline of a high alpine lake. High altitude environments, where the climate is so unforgiving and oxygen so little that trees no longer are able to grow, have an enigmatic quality to them. If you time your hike just right, standing on a 13,000′ peak can feel like paradise. The sky is a...
We’ve dreamt of owning a piece of property for years. Tiny homes and off-grid living have always appealed to us far more than living in a conventional house. Our trajectory in life over the last decade kept affirming that idea and this past summer was when we were finally ready to start seriously shopping for property. After a few months, we’d left our footprints on a few dozen...
This year. Wow. It’s been unlike any other. For the first time in 15 years Mark & I’s professional lives diverged and we spent more time apart than we ever have before. While I spent a lot of my time on commercial airliners, traveling for work, Mark spent most of his in a Kitfox, flying around the Idaho backcountry teaching others the art of being a tailwheel pilot. This month...
You can thank my mom for this post. She’s reminded me that just because we’re not living on the road anymore doesn’t mean I should stop posting : ) We’ve lived in Idaho for a little over two months now. Last week we sold the Casita and if I’m being honest, I wasn’t sad to see it go. It served the exact purpose we bought it for. To have a comfortable means...
Yes, you read that right. We are moving to Idaho! I’m excited to share this story with you but I thought I’d jump straight to the point so you can decide if you want to stick around for what may be the longest post I’ve ever written. It may be long, but I promise…it’s a good story. April entailed bringing a dream to fruition after a long, hard year of soul-searching. The start of...
It’s been one year since we bought our airplane and a lot has happened since then! Mark spent the summer refurbishing the motor since it had been sitting for 10 years and did not run when we bought it. On the last day of September it was flight-worthy and he flew it for the first time. I finally put together a video celebrating the occasion. If you’ve got 8 minutes to spare and...
When we bought our Kitfox airplane three weeks ago, we bought it knowing there was a possibility it would need a new motor. We got such a great deal, the airframe alone was worth the price we paid, that we were willing to take the risk of having to buy a new motor. However, we’re not made of money and while we were willing to take the risk, the idea of having to buy a new motor had us a...
Tuesday was one of those days that we’ll never forget. After a year-long, exhaustive search for an airplane that would fit our budget, our lifestyle and would perform well in the mountains…we finally found it. And in the most unexpected way. Through the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association), Mark found two people in our county that own Kitfox airplanes. Two weeks ago he reached...
When crossing over the Colorado state line, a very humble little rickety old brown sign welcomes you. “Welcome to colorful Colorado” it says. It’s the least flashy welcome sign I’ve ever seen and yet Colorado is one of the most magnificent places I’ve ever been. If you’re looking for a place to sweep you off your feet, to stop you dead in your tracks, the...
I constantly feel the need to be planning, following a schedule and keeping track of every little thing on a to-do list. Professionally and personally. After a while it gets exhausting. This is what I’ve come to love about camping and road trips, you don’t always need an itinerary. There are no flight schedules and hotel reservations to keep track of. You go where you want, when...
