Before Memory Changes It
Rusty Pickett never began keeping journals for anyone else to read. He wrote because memory has a way of shortening the hard climbs, softening the mistakes, and changing a journey into a better story than the one a fellow actually lived.
Rusty Pickett Never Told Me What Year It Was
When I first started writing Rusty Pickett, I never assigned him a year. The journal simply needed to feel old. Then I began noticing how seemingly innocent details—a water filter, trail mix, a sleeping pad—quietly anchored him in a much more modern world. Join me behind the scenes as I share how a careful edit moved Rusty back to around 1895–1905, one object and one word at a time.
Three Wet Matches and a Bad Decision
Most survival books teach skills. A Wild Guide tells stories. Each journal entry is written as though it came from the well-worn field notebook of wilderness traveler Rusty Pickett, where practical lessons emerge naturally from long days, changing weather, and hard-earned experience. In "Three Wet Matches and a Bad Decision," a cold October rain reminds Rusty that impatience can be more dangerous than the weather itself.
The Book That Became Many Journals
A Wild Guide began as the field journal of a single wilderness journey. Then Rusty Pickett needed mountains, deserts, forests, rivers, and more room to live each adventure honestly. Here is why one proposed guide became a collection of complete field journals.
Every Map Tells Two Stories
Maps don't just tell us where places are. They quietly reveal what someone thought was worth remembering. That's why I've always been drawn to hand-drawn maps.
A Trail Worth Remembering
Some trails stay with us long after we've walked them. It isn't always because they're the most beautiful or the most challenging. Sometimes it's because they quietly become part of our story. Here's why that idea became an important part of Journeys Of The Crew.
Why I Still Carry a Paper Map
A GPS can tell you where you are. A paper map asks you to figure it out. Discover why I still carry a paper map, and how learning to read the landscape became one of the guiding philosophies behind Journeys Of The Crew.
Sketching the Map
Every memorable adventure needs a place to begin. Before the first chapter was written, I picked up a pencil and started sketching a simple map. What began as a few trails and landmarks soon became an essential part of building the world behind Journeys Of The Crew: The Adventure Begins.
The Campfire That Inspired a Scene
A childhood camping trip taught me that adventure does not always begin with experience. Sometimes it begins when someone says yes. Decades later, one small campfire lesson from that night found its way into Journeys Of The Crew.
This Page Will Never Be in the Book
Every chapter begins long before the first sentence. Take a peek behind the curtain at the notebook pages filled with sketches, questions, crossed-out ideas, and arrows that slowly become a Journeys Of The Crew adventure.
The Rule I Keep Breaking
One of the hardest lessons I've learned as a writer isn't knowing what to add. It's knowing what to leave out. Here's why I keep deleting explanations and trusting readers to discover the story alongside Tommy.
The Things You'll (Hopefully) Never Notice
Every finished story is supported by countless decisions readers will never see. From hand-drawn maps to trail distances and changing light, here's why the invisible work matters just as much as the words on the page.
Building a World One Question at a Time
Believable worlds aren't built by having all the answers. They're built by asking better questions. From muddy trails to forgotten landmarks, here's why curiosity is at the heart of every Journeys Of The Crew adventure.
Learning to Notice
We spend so much time looking that we often forget to notice. Sometimes the smallest details hold the biggest stories, if we simply slow down long enough to see them.
The Best Outdoor Lessons Aren't Taught
The goal of Journeys Of The Crew isn't to lecture readers about the outdoors. It's to tell an adventure so engaging that curiosity quietly does the teaching.
No One Sees the Whole Trail
Tommy may be the main character, but he should not be the only one who notices what matters. Nate sees possibilities, Adam spots problems, and Murphy senses what the boys cannot. Together, they see more than any one of them could alone.
The Day Tommy Stopped Being an Idea
Every memorable character starts as an idea. Over time, though, something changes. Here's how Tommy, Nate, and Adam stopped being names on a page and became boys whose decisions I could no longer write for them.
Why Adventure Doesn't Need Dragons
As children, a creek felt enormous, a trail seemed endless, and an afternoon could last forever. Maybe the world hasn't become smaller. Maybe we've just forgotten how to see it. Here's why Journeys Of The Crew doesn't need dragons to create adventure.
The Story Behind "Adventure Still Exists Beyond the Familiar"
The phrase "Adventure Still Exists Beyond the Familiar" isn't just the tagline for Journeys Of The Crew. It's the idea the entire series was built upon. Here's the story behind those six words and why they matter more than "far away."
Why I Keep Going Back to the Woods
Every visit to the woods teaches me something new. Sometimes I come home with a photograph. Other times I come home with a story. More often than not, I come home with a reminder to slow down and pay attention.