Bryan Hansel
Outdoor writer/photographer who hosts gear‑nerd conversations that draw meaningful replies.
Republicans Could Dismantle 30 Years of Public‑land Protections
The Republicans just tabled the point of order that would have ruled the Congressional Review Act as not applicable to this type of executive land management action. The CRA has never been used this way. Now with a simple majority they can strip protection from any public land protected by agency actions. This is going to cause chaos across public lands and could upend everything from timber to oil to hiking trails. We're looking at the potential of 30+ years of public land policy being upended.
Senate Republicans Threaten Boundary Waters with Foreign Mining
It sounds like the Republicans in the Senate are going to try to sell out the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to a foreign mining company today. The BWCA is a million acres of designated Wilderness in northern Minnesota with...
Add Post-Ride Stretching to Rouvy and Zwift
What would make Rouvy and Zwift better is if after a ride, they'd run you through a stretching program.
US Trade Deal with Iran: Biggest Policy Blunder
Trying to catch up because we went out to dinner at DQ as a family in case Trump did his "a whole civilization will die tonight" demented bullshit and the world changed. Thankfully, he TACO'd. So, the agreement that Trump...
Fake AI Images Mistaken for Artemis Photos Surge
The number of fake AI generated things that people are believing are photos from Artemis is unreal.
Feds Shut Down Grand Rapids Lab, Leading Forestry Research Hub
Feds to close US Forest Service Grand Rapids lab that does global-leading research on forestry, climate change https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/03/federal-government-to-close-grand-rapids-lab-known-for-forestry-and-climate-research
Artemis Captures Earth From Behind, Unlike Apollo.
Left to right: Original unedited Apollo 17 mission Blue Marble photo; Artemis II's Hello, World photo; Apollo 17 Blue Marble edited by NASA; and NASA's EPIC camera onboard NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite on the 50th anniversary of the...
Military Spending Eclipses NASA; Raise Extraction Royalties
For the people complaining about the cost of NASA, Trump spent more attacking Iran in a month than NASA gets all year. The fat in the budget is in the military. Want to raise money in a different way? Raise...
Everyone Deserves Senior Park Pass Despite Rising Costs
With how expensive everything is getting, everyone regardless of age should be able to get the senior national park pass and its discounted rates.
Minnesota Moves to Regulate E‑Motos, Not E‑Bikes
E-moto "bikes" may be regulated in Minnesota soon. A new bill defines what an e-moto is and then requires licensing and insurance; sets an age limit of 15 and above; restricts where they can operate; requires a driver's license; and...
Free Superior Hiking Trail Maps + Desktop Wallpaper
My Unofficial Superior Hiking Trail maps are as done as they are going to be for this March 2026 edition. They are now available for free. I'm also throwing in an image of mine that you can use for your...
Minnesota Mining Leak: 400,000 Gallons Escaped Unpermitted
When someone tells you that Minnesota has tough mining standards be sure to share this with them. Of the 11 documented failures that were admitted, the "largest unpermitted release was nearly 400,000 gallons" and it may have reached the Beaver...
11 Must‑Visit Vermont Towns Beyond Montpelier
If you were going to map Vermont and include Montpelier on the map, what other 11 artsy, touristy, or outdoor-orientated towns would you include?
Explore Cook County’s Spring Gravel Biking Trails
I have a short article about gravel biking in Cook County, MN in the Spring issue of Minnesota Trails Magazine. The magazine is free online and at state parks, visitor centers and many tourism-related businesses.
Politicians Praise High Oil Prices, Consumers Feel the Pain
Trump: So when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on high oil prices: So overall for the US economy, this isn't bad news. Average American at the Gas Pump: High prices suck.