Paul Mags

Magic 8 Ball for Public Lands Management Public lands increasingly look less like shared landscapes and more like economic assets. From Moab to Big Bend, the pattern keeps repeating.

State of the Union and thoughts on public lands management.

pmags.com/magic-8-ball...

We pivoted after much-needed Friday rain. We avoided muddy roads Saturday and spent two nights poking around a spot reachable only thanks to temporary water-filled potholes and a handy Ziploc. Revisiting old sights, red rock and big views marked spring’s unofficial long-weekend start around Moab.

Joan and I finally felt better and returned to the backcountry. Slept outside, soaked in the quiet. Canyon wrens by day, owls by night. Old places revisited, new places seen. The land endures.
#hiking #backpacking #utah #pictographs #petroglyphs

Recovering from the flu, Joan and I kept things local this weekend and revisited a place I had not seen since shortly after moving to Moab.

We walked ground where over a millennium of history meets, including the path of the Buffalo Soldiers. The Moab Museum has an exhibit on this starting in June.

Small, good things.

Treasury Department ends Booz Allen Hamilton contracts after leak of Trump's tax returns The Treasury Department has cut contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton after a former contractor leaked tax information about wealthy individuals, including Donald Trump.

Curious to see what happens to rec dot gov. Beyinf that, BAH has their hands in much of the federal security pie. (Remember Eric Snowden?)

www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...

Cold weather, a bit of snow (finally!), and our truck still not quite ready made it a good weekend to hike locally. We revisited a few places we had not seen in a while and enjoyed our local public lands, with canyons and rock images close to home. #hiking #mob #utah #pictrographs #petroglyphs

Gear Review – Nalgene Ultralite Wide-Mouth Bottle A look at the Nalgene UL widemouthed bottle that has a place in our cold weather kit.

A practical addition to our cold-weather kit.
pmags.com/gear-review-...

2025 in review The annual navel gazing I call the “Year in Review.” But, hey, there are pretty photos!

The annual navel-gazing I call the “Year in Review.”
But there are pretty photos. So, there's that.

Change, continuity, and a lot of time outside. Onward!

pmags.com/2025-in-review

Yep. Mentioned in my article. :)

Quick Tip – Customize your “America the Beautiful” Pass Have a new 2026 “America the Beautiful Pass?” Want a different set of photos on said pass? Some easy tips!

If you have a new 2026 "America the Beautiful" pass and prefer natural scenery over photos of presidents, here’s a compliant way to feature a cute pika, a majestic lake, or an NPS-appropriate bison. Save your fee collectors some potential grief based on recent news! 🙂

pmags.com/quick-tip-cu...

We wrapped up Joan’s New Year’s time off with two more nights in the backcountry.

Sunrise, sunset, an intensely bright full moon, and quiet canyon walking. A mellow way to ease into the New Year, with a few places already calling us back. #hiking #backpacking #utah #pictographs #camping

We closed out 2025 with four days on the Colorado Plateau. We revisited familiar places, found new ones together, and this land again brought Whitman to mind: “much unseen is also here.” December light, cold nights, chocolate, and cider. #utah #hiking #backpacking #petroglyphs #pictographs

Happy Solstice! A quick Honda-friendly trip while our truck is in the body shop. We followed an old stock trail, wandered a mesa, and caught an incredible sunset over canyon country. Not a bad way to welcome winter, even if it feels more like October. 😔
#utah #hiking #backpacking #camping