The Swell

The Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province is full of contradictory features. How do we winnow the exceptions from the rules?

Back Home: Gallup, New Mexico

There’s nothing like a pilgrimage home — even if you’ve made the trip a thousand times.

Living Crystals

Post-Gila journal extract: A meditation on the similarities between plants and crystals.

Caving In The Guadalupes, Part 2: Hallowed Ground

There’s a radical transformation that takes place for those who descend into the caves of southeast New Mexico’s Guadalupe Mountains — as if the world were changing before your very eyes.

The Gila’s Sleeping Giants

Hikers who make the effort to head down to the Gila will be rewarded with an incredible array of terrains, from slot canyons to meadows to 10,000-foot peaks. This stunning variety is largely thanks to a quartet of supervolcanoes!

Caving In The Guadalupes, Part 1: Wen, Christmas Tree And Lake Caves

A first cave-centered pilgrimage to “The Guads” induces awe and reveals cosmic mysteries.

Piles Of Dead Bodies

The Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas are a vast playground for climbers, hikers and cavers. Crazy thing is that they’re composed almost entirely of defunct sea creatures.

Caving The Grand Canyon, Part 1: Cave Of The Domes

A trip to Cave of the Domes, the only cavern in Grand Canyon National Park that’s open to recreational caving.

Exploring The Grand Canyon’s Fractal Dimensions

After a caving trip to one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the universe feels more infinite than ever.

Chalked Up

Virtually every climber uses chalk to improve friction. Unfortunately, few are willing to clean up after themselves.

Farther Still

A map of one hominid's journey through Deep Time

geology