I’m back.

Both literally and figuratively here.

Last week, I shared about the hard journey of saying goodbye to Greyson, my furry friend and honorary firstborn son, of 18 years. I finished writing and signed off, and immediately started to feel the heavy reality set in that comes from sharing about something you’re going through in a public way.

Whenever I’m feeling down in the dumps, the first thing I always try to do is call up some friends and make a plan to blow off some steam. But, it hit me that some of my closest friends were all headed out on a big Hut Trip backpacking/snowshoe adventure the very next morning. I had dropped out from the trip a few months back because I’ve been dealing with both a knee and shoulder injury that really set me back.

Between the injuries, the exhaustion (and joy!) of raising a 3 and 4-year-old, and the struggles of small business life over the last few years, I’ve been really feeling it lately. Am I in the worst shape of my life right now? If you have to ask, you probably know the answer, right?

Either way, I knew weeks ago that it wasn’t my year to do the trip, and I wasn’t even having any doubts about it as I saw everyone else train and prep for what was sure to be a really hard hike in.

About 9 pm that night though, my friend Bret called to check in on me, and he made an offer: the group was leaving first thing in the morning, but if I could be packed and ready to leave the next day, he’d hang back and do the hike in with me.

“I’m in,” I heard someone say. And it turns out that someone was me.

I joked later that he got me at my most vulnerable. Maybe it was the grief, maybe it was that I had raised a few martini toasts to Greyson right before that call, but either way, I answered quickly because I knew what I needed was what I always need in those moments: to blow off some steam.

But, for someone with a lot of steam to blow off, I sure ran out of it quickly on the hike.

There were parts where I legitimately thought I wasn’t going to make it. There was a moment when I thought I was struggling to catch my breath, but it turned out I was actually having a mini panic attack.

I was so in my own head about whether I had made a really dumb decision, and all at once it was hitting me just how dangerous a dumb decision can be. Especially when you’re snowshoeing up a steep mountain with a limited amount of sun left. Hello, panic, my old friend.

I’ll spare you all the “character-building“ I went through along the way, and just get to this:

I made it. (Thanks Bret)

And at the end of the journey, near the top of a mountain, was a beautiful, log-cabin hut with a fire going. Filled with 7 more friends who had all carried up epic amounts of food and fun, and we spent the weekend collectively blowing off steam in some of the best ways I know how.

And every time I looked out at that once-in-a-lifetime view, every time I laughed until I cried, and thought “How the hell did I end up here with 24-hours notice?”, I realized how lucky I was.

You don’t have to be in shape (but it helps). You don’t have to be feeling your best, and you don’t have to feel ready.

When life hits you, sometimes you just have to start walking with some good friends by your side. The rest will take care of itself.

-Seth

On Saturday at the Hut, we had a monumental task ahead of us: cook about 12lbs of Prime Rib that had been painstakingly carried up the mountain, and don’t screw it up.

There’s no running water or electricity (besides some solar lights) inside the hut, and the oven was a 1900s-style wood-burning cast iron stove. Game on.

First, you get a little fire going in the side compartment, and then use a combination of dampers to control both the amount of air that feeds the fire, and how much of that heat goes into the oven or out the flue.

None of us had any real experience cooking in and oven like this before, let alone trying to slow cook two massive prime ribs.

But, I brought a tool with me that made it damn near foolproof, so this week instead of sharing a recipe I’m going to tell you about one of my favorite kitchen gadgets - the Combustion Thermometer.

It’s wireless, works on Bluetooth or WiFi, and has 8 sensors in it so you always know where the coldest part of the meat is even if you don’t place it perfectly into the center. It also measures the air temperature, the surface temperature, and even accurately tells you how how much time is left until it's done.

I've got no affiliation and no kickback, I’m just here to tell you that if you do any cooking, grilling, or smoking - you need one of these.

We got that antique style oven dialed in quickly, and the meat cooked to a perfect, medium-rare, all while mostly sitting on the porch and enjoying the sunset. Thanks Combustion.

NEW! Trout Print Hammock

We've got a brand new hammock print on the way just in time for summer.

Preorder the Trout Hammock now, with our Pro Hanging Straps included, and you'll be relaxing by the river every time you close your eyes.

Our preorder quantities are very limited, with estimated delivery in Early May.