How many of us run on trails, bike, hike, fish, camp, and explore the great outdoors but never give a thought to the animals that inhabit the great landscapes? When is that last time you thought about natural reproducing trout, the rabbits and bobcats, owls and eagles that are probably watching you with interest from a distance as you tromp around and make a general racket and mess of things. What can we do to help out little woodland creatures frolicking in their Sherwood Forests?

The Midwest is not all about corn and beans, and Wisconsin is not all cheese. There is some fun to be had in the upper Midwest,more fun then you can handle. You guessed it, the great and famous Wisconsin Dells is a magnet for vacationers and adventurers a like. Don't be a stick in the mud, you can have fun when you're not sleeping in a tent or scaling a mountain. Why do so many people flock to the Wisconsin Dells for vacation? Well, it is known as the water park capitol of the world, there are plenty of places to get wet. …

Who would win the battle over claiming the title of Colorado's most popular and well known 14er? Would it be Pikes Peak, Quandary Peak or Longs Peak? I suppose you could rate all the 14ers by different categories and would come out with different answers. Most hiked, easiest, hardest, most well known, local favorite, most assessable. In the end who knows which one is the best, but for sure they are well known, especially the famous Longs Peak, all 14,256 feet of it. …

Flash! As I run past you, appearing as a blur, all you can see is the bottom of my feet and the dust and gravel that I kick up in your face. Ummm...Ok, maybe not such much, but in my dreams sometimes I run that fast. Usually I'm plodding along like a viking slave with my wife as the whipping master behind me. So am I the only skeptical runner out there? I've always had a hard time believing in all the science behind working out and running. Don't a lot of us just believe in "pushing" through everything, that you can either do it or you cant? Well, slowly but surely I'm starting to realize I might be wrong, starting with my 2 year old Asics …

We must find that final frontier, with or without Captain Kirk. Who doesn't dream about it? The outdoor industry is modeled around the idea of a final final frontier, pushing to the extreme, finding some place to put your feet where no one else has tread before. Isn't there something intoxicating about that idea? How many people in today's world have done that? Most people literally plod through life following the footsteps of those who went before, like a long line of robots on an assembly line, but not you. Adventure is the name of the game, exploring the untouched wilderness...finding the final frontier. Blast Off …

Lions, Tigers, and Bears.. Oh my. I've been hiking in the wilderness with my backpack on thinking about bears, it can be quite unnerving. The thought of walking through the bush wondering when a tiger will pounce from behind gives me the cold sweats too. I will probably have dreams of "Ghost In The Darkness" tonight. If you haven't seen it, don't if your planning a safari anytime soon. As I was whistling in my car coming from a day in the cubicle, NPR on the radio, I heard a tidbit about safari adventures. It seems these exotic endeavors that were once for old rich men to shoot some nice animal for the wall has become more main stream of late. Safari adventures coupled with Eco-Tourism, even during this so called down-turn, have been on the rise, and seem to be within reach of the average person also. …

Perhaps you know Crested Butte because you have skied there, or you have heard that the mountain bike trails in the Crested Butte area offer a tremendous variety of terrain and skill level. Maybe you have seen some advertising about the "wildflower capital of Colorado" that is put out by the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce. But, do you know that, in addition to all of the above, Crested Butte is a scenically rich hiking destination where most of the best trails have never been published? …

Sometimes I dream about what it would be like if I was cool and popular, and people would send me free gear to test out. Yes, I am still dreaming, no such luck...yet. But, there are those so lucky out there, like the Tactical Gear Blog. If you have never checked out the Tactical Gear Blog and web site you should head on over, it is pretty cool. It's very high quality gear, not your run of the mill Walmart stuff. Everything that they show its new, top of line, just plain sweet. Right now they are running a contest called "Share Your Core Story, Win a Sunnto Watch." …

Blahh, clothing and fabric finish, who in the heck would write about something so boring? Apparently my wife things I need to, I mean I do tap her mind for ideas when looking for the next blog article so I am greatly in debt to her. I'm thinking it's probably her outdoor retail experience kicking in, but hey, it did turn into a good idea the more I researched this topic. If I was a real adventurer I would probably know this stuff, I mean I pay a lot of money for all this gear with things I don't understand written all over the tags. It's about time we all change this, suck it up, and figure out what is what and why. If that makes sense. …

Ah, cutting through the water like a ice skate, almost without effort, moving forward with no friction, something you can only experience in a quality sea kayak. You know, paddling around in canoe is fun, but a lot of work, especially when your wife makes you do all the paddling, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. Anyone who enjoys life on the water and is part muskrat and part adventurer needs to get out on a kayak, it's a must. There are a few different types of kayaks out there, but the sea kayaks are by far my favorite. …