Howdy! We had a weird week in Denver. It dropped 6-8 inches of snow on Wednesday morning, and by the end of the day, it was nearly all melted. And now we have mid-80's coming our way. Talk about whiplash! But it's been much needed to stave off what could have been a TERRIBLE wildfire season. We're no longer in last place for the worst snowpack/winter on record. Congrats to us all.

Personally, life's been slow, and I've been enjoying it. I haven't flown in over a month, which sort of seems crazy after the first three months, when I had like 10 flights! As the trails melt out, I've been trying to hike twice a week and get my lungs ready for 13ers and 14ers here in Colorado.

What's inside:

• Talking about HBO's incredible docuseries, The Dark Wizard
• Arches National Park Highlight
• New YouTube video about traveling to Alaska
• Recent articles you may enjoy

The Dark Wizard

Free Solo. Meru. 14 Peaks. Valley Uprising. The Dawn Wall. The Alpinest. And now, The Dark Wizard.

I'm a sucker for Adventure/Climbing documentaries. Especially the ones where your palms sweat as you watch, and you're wondering how they're going to survive. With the Dark Wizard, it was that and more. Now, I won't spoil anything here - though all of it is known.

To start, I didn't know much about Dean Potter. I'd heard the name from the iconic Valley Uprising, but his climbing era was before social media took off, and when I was still in high school and college. Basically, it's a complete badass and a bit crazy (semi-literally).

The doc highlights his incredible climbing ability, mental health battles, and his transition into base jumping and wingsuit flying. While so much of it will leave your mouth agape, the Third Episode, when he's in China, will have your palms sweating. For nearly the entire hour-long episode, I was in disbelief.

Additionally, what I didn't realize was that Alex Honnold and Dean Potter were mini-rivals. Dean was 13 years older than Alex, so when Honnold broke onto the scene in Yosemite, he had the youth and better focus to pursue his climbing objectives. Hearing Alex interviewed for the doc showed a TOTALLY different side of him than I think we all know. He sounded far more ruthless and unempathetic at times, but objectively, it was true. It was just interesting to hear what was going on in the early days before Alex Honnold became "Free Solo Alex Honnold."

I highly recommend this 4-part docuseries, and you'll be blown away by the physical endurance, insane risk-taking, and a story with so many twists and turns. If you've seen The Dark Wizard, let me know what you thought!

I know flights are insanely expensive right now. One thing that has helped me is Thrifty Traveler. They scour the internet for the best flight deals and then send them to you. If you sign up here, you'll save $20 on the first year.

National Park Spotlight of the Week - Arches

Quick Facts:

• Over 2,000 natural arches - the highest density in the world
• The red color comes from iron oxide
• Landscape Arch is the longest arch in North America
• Became a National Park in 1971
• 21st in visitation in 2025 with 1.511 million visitors
• On August 4, 2008, Wall Arch — the 12th largest free-standing arch in the park with a 71-foot span — collapsed overnight along the Devils Garden Trail. No one witnessed it.

Has your national park pass expired? Get a new one here. ​

Best time to visit?

Not the summer. It gets crazy hot, crowded, and expensive. After my recent trip in December, I'm fully convinced the offseason is the time to visit. Hotels were under $75, and because it's all rocks, it doesn't matter if the plants/trees are dead. Now, December can be cold - we got lucky with highs in the 50s. I might suggest Nov/March as other options.

How many days?

While Arches can be done in 1-2 days, the Greater Moab area is incredible and offers an amazing amount of things to do. I recommend 5 days in Moab. With nearby Canyonlands National Park, the Colorado Scenic Byway, and more, you won't run out of things to do.

​5-day Moab Itinerary​

Main things to see in Arches?

• Delicate Arch is world-famous
• Double-O Arch is a great hike, and you walk by Landscape Arch, which is over 300 feet wide (long?)
• Walk Park Avenue
• Watch sunset from The Windows/Turret Arch
• Firey Furnace, if you're able to get a tour ticket

​Best things to do in Arches​

Want to purchase prints of Arches and the Moab area? Some of these are never-before-seen images.
​Click here to browse or purchase. ​
This is the best way to support photographers.

Answer Questions from Alaska

If you have Alaska on your mind this summer, I sat down and answered 10 common questions about visiting. Please like and subscribe as well to help more people see it. (When I get to 1,000 subscribers, I'll give away some prints as a thank you!)

​WATCH IT HERE​

Recent Articles You May Have Missed

Here are some articles you might enjoy!

​The 16 Best Things to Do in Yellowstone National Park​

​5-day Redwood National Park Itinerary, Tips, and Photos​

​This is the best summer road trip in the USA and Canada​

​The Best Camping Games to Bring on Your Next Trip​

​The Perfect 3-Day Monterey Itinerary (+ Best Things to Do)​

​Ultimate Costa Rica Itinerary: 9 Days of Rainforests, Beaches & Wildlife​

​The 13 Best National Parks to Visit in the United States (From my experience)​

Finally, Happy 100th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough, the voice behind so many National Geographic and Planet Earth documentaries. He's inspired so many to protect this world, learn about nature, and immerse ourselves in beautiful places.

PSS the REI Anniversary Sale starts next Friday. Keep an eye on this space for my top picks to maximize discounts.

Any questions? Topics you're interested in? Don't hesitate to reach out.