Quandary Magazine: Adventures

Feisty Elk Moms

Cole Noble — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:02:04 GMT

The Sun was Blazing Hot, and Our Goal was to Find a Quick, Easy Hike in the Shade

I try to get out for a hike once a week. But on the heels of a particularly tough bike ride, I opted for something familiar in a wilderness area we had come to love.

The trailhead we typically started from was closed, so we headed to the other side of the park to tackle a br…

The Elusive Otter of Radnor Lake

Cole Noble — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:03:18 GMT

Editor’s Note — I appreciate your patience the last few weeks. I’ve been traveling across the country and starting a new job. Now that I’m settled in, I’ve got a backlog of adventures to push through the pipeline.

My cross-country relocation offered a great opportunity for adventure; the move out/move in dates didn’t quite line up, which left me with a full week without someplace to live.

On the upside, this meant there was absolutely no rush to finish my 2000 mile drive.

My brother in Tennessee was gracious enough to host me for a few days, and find us a halfway decent hike to help stretch my legs.

We settled on a place called Radnor Lake, which sounded to me like something borrowed from Norse mythology. The trail wound through the still-dormant forest, up along a riverbank and over a small dam, before working its way around the eponymous lake.

The Fortress on the Lake

Cole Noble — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:01:26 GMT

Editor’s Introduction

Today’s traveler is sharing the culmination of a lifetime of wonder in New York’s Catskill Mountain range, surrounding a mysterious lakeside castle.

This region holds a special place in my heart; growing up on Long Island, most of our camping and skiing trips took place here. My family maintained a decades-old traditional pilgrimage …

The Breathtaking, Tangible History of Colorado's Mountain Railways

Cole Noble — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:01:32 GMT

I like Trains. I also like fun Facts.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad has both.

Somehow, I managed to spend years living in Colorado without ever actually climbing aboard the train. Georgetown had always been an enjoyable place to stop on my way to, or back from, another mountain journey; but I’d never explored the history of the town itself properly.

Recently, I decided to remedy this, and bought my ticket.

Passengers board at Devil’s Gate Depot, a creek-side station nestled near the end of a long mountain valley. Overhead, a dizzying bridge frames a gorgeous view of the eastward road back into town.

"I Thought I'd Lose My Fingers to Frostbite," — Why ill-Fated Adventures Inspire Us

Cole Noble — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 15:00:56 GMT

Of all the interviews I’ve been through, nothing has ever come close to my Eagle Scout Board of Review. Years of dedication, mastering new skills, learning leadership, and personal growth — all culminating in a singe evening of questioning. All in service of an honor I’d been chasing since I could talk.

12 years after the fact, I still remember quite a l…