Decorative paint strokes with faint image of man writing at a desk

Ryan Johnson

digital work / analog life

  • Oct 18, 2025

    The Falling of Small Stones

    The increasing cruelty, illegality, and moral bankruptcy of authoritarianism in our country and abroad has seemed insurmountable as of late. I’m learning to be content with small but meaningful acts of resistance.

  • Sep 13, 2025

    Photos: “Bachelor” elk and trailkeeping

    Photos from an unusual elk sighting in my neighborhood and work on a trail I’ve been visiting for well over a decade

  • Sep 7, 2025

    How to be alone in the woods: a walk to Plaza Lake

    I’ve been asked why I haven’t hiked many of the most popular trails on Mt. Hood in the 25 years I’ve lived in Oregon. The question contains its own answer: popular means crowded.

  • Sep 1, 2025

    Nasty Rock…but not Not Nasty Rock

    I’ve been doing trail work just about every weekend for a couple months, so on this long weekend I decided to get out for hike on an unmarked and unmaintained trail to the source of the Molalla River.

  • Jul 21, 2025

    Trailkeepers event: Hidden Lake

    I attended my third trail party with Trailkeepers of Oregon yesterday. It was a cool summer day on beautiful mountain trail.

  • Jun 22, 2025

    Back to volunteering

    After leaving the search and rescue team a few months ago, I decided it was time to get back into volunteer work. Today I volunteered with Trailkeepers of Oregon.

  • Jun 6, 2025

    June snow and other adventures

    Teddy and I continue to take advantage of unplanned unemployment.

  • May 27, 2025

    Looking out (cherish what survives: part 2)

    I have some extra time right now, so I made a return visit to a fire lookout that miraculously survived a massive wildfire.

  • Apr 27, 2025

    Big changes have come for me

    Time has run out on an important phase of my life.

  • Dec 27, 2024

    The 10 best books I read in 2024

    For the six year in a row, I’m sharing my 10 favorite books I read (or listened to) this year.

Older →

RSS feed

Analog and relunctantly digital thoughts and observations. Opinions are mine alone unless otherwise stated.