September Fishing Forecast: What Turns On After Labor Day
A forward look at September fishing in Washington and Oregon — which salmon runs build, where trout get aggressive again, and why some of the year's best days happen after the crowds leave.
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Guides, gear, and stories
Everything we've published — guides, gear reviews, recipes, and field notes from the outdoors.
Set Up Your Tent: A Step-by-Step Guide
Walks through pitching a tent from site selection to safety check — ground prep, poles, stakes, rainfly, and guy lines — plus strategies for setting up in wind and rain and fifteen common mistakes that leave campers wet, cold, or sliding downhill.
Setting Up a Portable Easel or Sketching Station for Outdoor Painting & Sketching
How to build a plein air setup that works in the field: choosing between tripod, French box, and tabletop easels, what surfaces and supplies to pack, and how to site, stabilize, and organize your station for changing light and weather.
Shed Antler Ethics: Why Waiting Until May Helps Herds
Shed hunting is a great excuse to be in the woods — but going too early costs deer and elk exactly when they can least afford it. Here's the case for waiting, and what you can do instead.
Shed Antler Scouting: Why October Is When You Should Look
Fall is shed-hunting prep season — how October sign reading finds next spring's antler grounds, where bucks will drop, and the maps to build now.
Sight-In Day: 5 Shots That Tell You Everything
A five-shot diagnostic for sighting in your rifle — what each shot position tells you about scope mounts, ammo, and whether your zero is real.
Sketch Moving Subjects Like Animals or Water in Outdoor Painting & Sketching
Field techniques for sketching subjects that won't hold still: quick 30- second gesture drawings and shape simplification for wildlife, flowing lines and highlight work for moving water, plus the tools and habits that make outdoor sessions go smoothly.
Snowmelt Stream Crossings: When to Cross, When to Turn Around, and How to Stay Upright
Decide whether a spring runoff crossing is sane, scout upstream and down, wade with a solid plan (unclip pack, faces upstream, staff or team), and know the real signs it is time to camp, reroute, or walk away—before the water gets a vote.
Snowshoeing for Beginners: Rentals, Routes, and Layering
How to start snowshoeing without buying gear — rentals, shoe types by terrain, a layering system built for snow travel, easy first routes, and the etiquette and safety basics.
Solo Elk Pack-Out: The Honest Gear and Game Plan
What solo elk packing actually requires — quartering, gear, multiple trips, timing around weather, and honest expectations for one person with a cow tag.
Spring Bird Migration in May: Weather Windows, Habitat Edges, and Field Manners
Catch May movement pulses by reading wind, fronts, and nighttime flights; work habitat edges at dawn; identify safer without blasting playback; and treat nests, private land, and busy boardwalks like community assets.
Spring Chinook Countdown: 2026 Season Outlook and Gear
What to expect from the 2026 spring Chinook season on the Columbia and Willamette, how forecasts shape the fisheries, and the gear worth rigging before the first counts post.