We waited with bated breath aboard a rocking boat in the grey Pacific, both kids standing on the bow. And were rewarded with a mighty blow as the world’s second longest animal surfaced. When the fin whale porpoised through the clear water to dive down for more breakfast, we cheered. […]
I. Bones of earth rise at random jagged, cracked and knobby or smooth, vast, curved. They sink into fissures that delve deeper than Hades spewing salt that cracks our heels, our lips, our hair our hearts. Spewing water hot with sulphur its turquoise shocking against white red brown grey. – […]
“Todo es posible. Nada es segura.” I heard the snorts first, echoing like gunshots through the sauna-thick air. Then I saw heads jack-in-the-box out of the lake, right off the bow of our wooden canoe. “Giant river otters!” whispered our guide, Gilder. Two, four, eight otters zig-zagged near the lush […]
Don’t let nay-sayers stop you from adventuring outside with your babe.
I finally feel like my head and my heart are back in the same groove after our recent adventures in jungles, deserts, oceans and mountains. Read on to hear why, and to check out photos from our travels!
Snorkeling brings a new intimacy to my relationship with rivers and creeks that running rapids or matching the hatch never could. Here’s a little ditty on how and why you should snorkel Montana’s rivers.
When my dad was 17, he floated 60 miles of the Colorado River on a ping-pong table. Talon, like his grandfather, is an adventurer at heart. But, unlike his grandfather, he required a LOT more gear to get down his first river.
I bet you never thought birding was hard-core. I didn’t really, either. But then we added a baby to the mix, and Montana decided to sprinkle in some of its famous fickle weather to make our bird-watching missions more extreme.
We had a taste of paradise again: a two-week sneak preview of our former life, and our (hopefully) someday-life-to-be. Using airline miles and a tent, we spent two cheap weeks camping on the island of Kaua’i, introducing our Pacific-conceived baby to the best ocean on earth. He liked it. I could […]
“Yesterday, there was a war here,” said Romeo, our Burmese trekking guide. He was holding a hand-drawn map, and pointing to the spot where we were about to embark on a 3-day hike through northeastern Myanmar. “Wait, what?” I said. “A war? What do you mean, ‘war’?” I asked half […]
My husband says that having a pregnant wife is like riding on the back of a motorcycle—you give up control, replace it with trust, and hold on for dear life. He told me that after I declared that riding on the back of our rented motorcycle for a week in […]
We couldn’t speak the language. We didn’t understand the social structure in the ethnic Shan villages. We slept on the floor of a teak cabin in the home of complete strangers in the mountains of Myanmar. But even in a completely foreign setting, tea and babies allowed us to bridge […]
Here it is: the video for part two of our week-long motorcycle trip through northwest Thailand. This one features fly fishing footage from our trip on the Yuam River, guided by NG River Guides (partly run by Montana Fly Company). Check out the nice mahseer I caught. It also shows […]
Last week, we put the two-and-a-half of us, one small duffel and our beat-up Panamanian guitar on a motorcycle for a week-long road trip in Southeast Asia. We were ready for smaller towns and some Thailand scenery. The 800 kilometer Mae Hong Son motorcycle loop has over 2,000 turns. Most […]
As we leave the Pacific for Southeast Asia, it seems like a good time to reflect upon what we’ve seen this past year. Here are a few of our favorite photos, which give a taste of sailing, swimming and living across the South Pacific islands. Note: This Top 10 album […]
A cyclone looks remarkably similar to a single ripple spreading slowly over calm water. Except that the ripple spins and grows, a wild engine powered by wind and water. We saw that natural engine spin a little too close for comfort here in Vava’u, Tonga, this past weekend. Cyclone Ian […]
It was a typical Randall sister reunion, full of music, good food and lots of novel-reading between the many outdoor adventures. Cassidy left yesterday after a month with us here in Vava’u. I cried tears of joy when she arrived, and tears of sorrow when she left. If you’re a […]
6,000 nautical miles 26 tropical islands 8 countries 7 sailboats 6 months living on the sea 3 months living in Tonga 2 careers put on hold 2 big backpacks 1 incredible year In some ways, it feels like 2013 was the longest year in ages. Probably because a lot happened. […]
Imagine a place where hundreds of birds fly overhead. Where baby birds squeak from every branch you can see. Where eggs litter the ground you walk on. Imagine a place ringed by white sand and coral reef, a place you can circumnavigate in under ten minutes. Imagine a place where […]
A few weeks ago, just before dinner with some friends on Fetoko Island, I heard Rob telling hunting stories. He was re-enacting past elk kills, and explaining how he stalked ungulates through misty Montana mountains each fall. I suddenly realized it was opening day of hunting season back home. Rob […]
We’ve now lived in the Kingdom of Tonga for one full month. It’s awesome here, and I say that after exploring only 3 of the 170 islands. We plan on staying in Vava’u through at least January to see a few more, and to soak up the sights and sounds […]
Last year, I soared off Hogback Mountain over Rock Creek, a blue-ribbon trout stream in Montana. This article about the first paragliding flight off the mountain appeared in the October 2013 issue of Hang Gliding & Paragliding Magazine. Click on the photo below to zoom in and read on.
It’s always an adventure in El Coche, the nickname Rob dubbed upon Compass Rose(y)’s 10-foot inflatable sidekick. We rely on El Coche for getting to shore to buy supplies like food and fuel, visiting neighbors, and exploring reefs. Basically, the dinghy is like your car at home: not essential to […]
Lime green and lavender. These are the colors of our honeymoon in Niue. Wait, honeymoon? Didn’t you guys get married a year and a month ago? Yup. But we never took a honeymoon, since we were gearing up for our sailing + travel adventure. After six weeks aboard Compass Rose(y) […]
We got this awesome email from Paul Parsons here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Paul replaced Rob at Trout Unlimited, and sent this great update on Rob’s old stomping grounds fixing streams in the Ninemile Valley just west of Missoula in Montana. We appreciate hearing the news, and […]