Sunset

Sunset

by M John Fayhee March 4, 2013 War Paint

A high percentage of those reading these words are still of an age where you correctly observe about yourself that you are indeed “bulletproof.” You can fall off a cliff and your only concern will be if the one-hitter in your shirt pocket managed to survive the impact. A high percentage of those reading these [...]

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Misdirection

Misdirection

by M John Fayhee January 29, 2013 War Paint

Illustration by Chad Bassett Off to the north of a trail I have hiked, biked, skied and snowshoed more times than I can remember lies the approach to a side/tributary gulch (I’ll call it Pilgrim Gulch), which is, if not exactly hidden, is at least not blatantly obvious. From below, the mouth of Pilgrim Gulch [...]

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Post-apocalyptic skill sets

Post-apocalyptic skill sets

by M John Fayhee December 18, 2012 War Paint

I do not know why I am such a big fan of dystopic literature, especially of the post-apocalyptic variety. OK, first, I need to clarify: When I use the word “literature,” what I really mean — or at least mostly mean (in terms of both inflection and frequency) — is “movies” and “TV shows.” When [...]

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Judgmental

Judgmental

by M John Fayhee November 26, 2012 War Paint

It was an unexpected honor, after having lived back in Silver City for only a year, to be asked to serve as one of the judges for our annual Christmas Parade. The panel, I was informed, would consist solely of local media people, which I guess I was, though, truth be told, given my inclination [...]

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The High Country happiness paradox

The High Country happiness paradox

by M John Fayhee November 16, 2012 War Paint

It’s weird how, among the hundreds of titles displayed in a large bookstore, your eyes can light upon one cover that draws you in fetish-like, and you know instantly that said tome will be accompanying you on your drive home. Thus it was with Eric Weiner’s “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the [...]

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Recreational NIMBYism

Recreational NIMBYism

by M John Fayhee October 19, 2012 War Paint

the earliest published use of the acronym/term, “NIMBY” — which, of course, means “Not In My Back Yard” — occurred in the “Christian Science Monitor” in 1980.

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Your place or mine?

Your place or mine?

by M John Fayhee October 17, 2012 War Paint

In most parts of the Mountain Time Zone, social interactions take place in wonderfully neutral settings: bars mostly, but also on trails, at civic meetings and in jail cells.

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Going for Uniformity

Going for Uniformity

by M John Fayhee September 19, 2012 War Paint

The only point to this is that tribalism, in all its manifestations, is an ancient survival strategy, and, truthfully, true individualism is a hard thing to find.

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Hike Down Memory Lane

Hike Down Memory Lane

by M John Fayhee September 17, 2012 War Paint

I had not thought much lately of those heady, Ragg-sweater-and-leather-boots days of the mid-’70s until Joe laid those old Backpackers on me.

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Why then do we do it?

Why then do we do it?

by M John Fayhee August 28, 2012 War Paint

Backpacking — especially of the long-distance, long-duration variety — is an activity that requires Zen-like, mind-over-matter-type discipline

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