13 minutes from order placed to shipment and tracking information received. Must be some sort of record! 📦

🆕📝 7 Things This Week [#179]

All the great links!

Families who adventure together…have awesome memories together? Is that the saying? Either way, I love seeing kids and their parents do rad things together and cheer each other on. It warms my heart. 😍

Five-star review for climbing experience posted on August 18 2025. A family enjoyed a half-day climb and challenging routes. Praise for guide Jarrod’s expertise and motivation on an extended hike up Gothics.

Enjoyed a grand adventure yesterday with @jmhaas73 checking out the South Face of Gothics and climbing the Original Route. Getting in and out is bushwacky, but the climbing is pure fun. What it lacks in difficulty, it more than makes up for with its spectacular setting. Can’t wait to go back and do more there!

(Final pic is of the anchor on top of South Face Direct, not Original Route. We just went to check out its condition, which is good!)

A climber wearing reflective sunglasses and a green helmet smiles on a rocky ledge with lush green forested mountains in the background. Mountain slope covered in dense green forest sits under clear blue sky with rocky formations visible along the ridgeline and distant peaks in the background. Large rock face with moss and grass growing in a narrow crevice slopes upward towards a cloudy sky suggesting an outdoor mountain setting. Climber ascending steep rock face holding onto crevice under blue sky with scattered clouds rope trailing behind amidst rugged terrain with patches of grass. A rope leads down a steep rocky cliff covered in patches of grass and moss amid a densely forested mountain landscape in the background. A climber ascends a steep, rocky cliff face, using both hands for grip. The surrounding landscape is lush with dense green forests stretching across rolling hills. Gloved hand holding climbing rope with metal rings, secured to a thick fallen branch among dense green foliage and trees in a forest setting.

Went for the extra credit peak yesterday on a scouting mission for an upcoming guided trip. MacNaughton, and therefore all the ADK 4,000-footers, are in the bag! ⛰️

The first 5 or so miles are super enjoyable! The last 2 are a bushwhack during which you get to play hide and seek with the “trail” (not a trail). A fun adventure on a hot day, capped with visit to Rocky Falls and dip in Heart Lake. 8.5 hours car-to-car. 🥾

A person wearing a yellow shirt and blue backpack stands smiling in a forested area beside a wooden sign that reads MCNaughton Mountain. Wooden trail signpost displays paths to Scotts Clearing 1.4 miles Indian Pass 2.8 miles Upper Works 7.0 miles and Rocky Falls in a densely wooded forest setting. A forest path winds through dense trees in sunlight with trail markers on a tree. The markers read: Four Ponds 0.7 and denote a trail designation. A pile of large rocks sits near a small pond, surrounded by lush green grass and a dense forest of tall trees. A ripe banana rests on a large rock by a serene lake surrounded by lush trees and distant hills under a clear blue sky. Topographic map depicting MacNaughton Mountain 3983 with contour lines indicating elevation changes. An orange trail leads to the summit. Lakes are visible to the northeast. Nearby elevations include 3600 3400 3200 3000 feet. A tall evergreen tree stands amidst dense green shrubs in a forest clearing under a blue sky with scattered white clouds surrounding distant mountains. Boulders lie scattered in a shallow stream amidst evergreen trees on both sides under a blue sky with fluffy clouds in a forest setting. Rocks are scattered across the forest floor with green trees surrounding them in a dense wooded area under a soft light through the canopy. Clear stream flows gently between large rocks surrounded by dense green forest under a bright sky reflecting sunlight onto smooth pebbles in the calm water.

Pretty killer deal for this Slim 120W 4-port power adapter with Find My from Twelve South. Usually $120, I just bought it for nearly half off with the on-page coupon. (via The Verge)

Enjoyed some delightful boat time with the wifey this weekend 🛶 👍

A person’s feet rest inside a yellow canoe gliding on a calm lake surrounded by lush trees under a clear blue sky. Text reads Outfitter Edition We•no•nah. A person wearing sunglasses and a grey shirt takes a selfie in a canoe on a calm river. Another person smiles while paddling. Green trees line the riverbank under a clear sky. A topographical map shows Tupper Lake with roads and terrain details in varying elevations The Raquette River flows through marked areas Text includes Tupper Lake Dugal Road The Wild Center and Sunmount Development Center

🆕📝 I just don’t feel like blogging today

Massive kudos to Ryan and David for taking on the Gothics cable route yesterday! We pushed a solid pace all day to avoid some weather and they were totally game. High Peak 5/46 in the bag. Oh, and we counted 378 stairs built into the Orebed Slide if anyone’s wondering. 😅

@newyorkoutdoorguides @lakeplacidadk #Adirondacks #PerfectDayADK #HireAGuide

🆕📝 One Small Improvement

It was a little screwed up, and just took a few screws to fix.

🆕📝 One Small Improvement

It was a little screwed up, and just took a few screws to fix.

Matt Birchler with some subscription news that I can really get behind:

As of today, the annual plan drops to $35/year (from $50). The monthly option is no longer available.

Basically, I really want to encourage longer term relationships with readers. I think the value of this blog is revealed over time, and I want to encourage people to give me a year to earn their subscription renewal.

If you enjoy Matt’s blog, you should really consider joining his More Birchtree membership. It’s great writing, and while not One a Month, is really good value.

🆕📝 Your Time, Our Time, All Time

This video has really stuck with me.

🆕📝 Your Time, Our Time, All Time

This video has really stuck with me.

🆕📝 Burning the Candle

At both ends.

🆕📝 Burning the Candle

At both ends.

🆕📝 Oasis Is No Longer So

What are you doing, Amazon??

🆕📝 Oasis Is No Longer So

What are you doing, Amazon??

Via MacRumors, Apple’s foldable iPhone is sounding more and more like the ultimate mini comeback story:

Apple’s first foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.8-inch inner display, and a 5.5-inch outer display, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

Oh? 5.5-inch outer display? Just bigger than my beloved iPhone mini?? 7.8-inch inner display? Just smaller than my beloved original iPad mini?? Sign 👏 Me 👏 Up!

Name that classic climb!

Feet wearing climbing shoes grip a rocky ledge as a rope stretches downward past trees into a forested area where climbers are visible below. A climber wearing a bright green helmet and blue shirt smiles while standing on a rock face surrounded by lush green trees and secured with climbing ropes. A climber wearing a helmet and harness ascends a steep rock face using ropes surrounded by a forest of green trees.

🔗 David Pogue announces ‘Apple: The First 50 Years’ book, pre-order:

David Pogue’s been covering technology (and Apple) for longer than many 9to5Mac readers have been alive. And to celebrate Apple’s upcoming 50th anniversary next April, the “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent is releasing a book where he promises stories, photos, and “fresh interviews” that will help tell the story of how 1976 Apple became today’s Apple.

This is going straight onto my to-read list.

🆕📝 7 Things This Week [#178]

Get yer links! Get your links over here!

🆕📝 7 Things This Week [#178]

Get yer links! Get yer links over here!

The Vagueness and Vagaries of ‘Personal Superintelligence’ – Pixel Envy

No mention of being careful, no mention of choosing what to open source. Zuckerberg took an ostensibly strong, principled view supportive of open source A.I. when it benefitted the company, and is now taking an ostensibly strong, principled view that it requires more nuance.

Men who don’t stand for something will fall for anything.

I couldn’t figure out why there were so many cat pics in this NYT article about Trump’s continued playing by an Authoritarian rulebook. Then I remembered I’d installed this Safari extension that swaps out pictures of Trump for ones of cats instead because I can’t stand to look at his stupid face.

A webpage screenshot from the New York Times showing an article titled “Trump’s Efforts to Control Information Echo an Authoritarian Playbook.” Below the title, a summary explains the firing of a Labor Department official. The article is written by Peter Baker. The page also features an image of a light-colored kitten with blue eyes, resting its paws on the edge of a woven basket. The browser window shows various tabs, menus, and a background image of tall trees.