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New and Exciting Year

New year brings new exciting developments at David on Earth

Get Snowshoeing!

Get out and do some snowshoeing!

Three Things to Know about Winter Hiking

Winter hiking should be as enjoyable as summer hiking. Here are some tips to make it great!

Recap of 2020 and looking forward to 2021

Here's a quick recap of my hiking in 2020 and a look forward to great things in 2021.

The Pescatarian Hiker released today!

The Pescatarian Hiker book was released today in ebook, paper, and pdf formats. Get yours now!

Fifty Miles in the Flat Tops Wilderness

Hiking the Flat Tops Wilderness in Colorado

Finishing the Colorado Trail

Finishing the Colorado Trail two years after hiking it - a story about finishing right.

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About

About
The good life starts with being present and being on purpose.
We should all follow the path that makes us happy and well... content in body, mind, and spirit... with a positive purpose.
I'm David Ashley, David on Earth when I'm on trail. And I am SO thrilled you are reading this.

A little about me: I've been happily married for all my adult life to the same wonderful woman.
She gave me two beautiful girls who blessed me with four grandchildren.
Currently I live in Colorado, but I've lived throughout the Midwest and traveled the world for 20 years when I was in the Air Force.

On this site I bring you stories of the trail and insights from my pursuit of the good life. I've logged 2000 trail miles over the past 6 years. In 2018 I hiked the 500-mile Colorado Trail. In 2020 I began my section hike of the Arizona Trail.
Please enjoy this site and my YouTube channel. You can also find me on MeWe and Instagram. Drop me a note. I'd love to hear from you by commenting in the blog or via any of my social media connections.

And please check out my ebooks and merch
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eBooks

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Purpose on the Colorado Trail

Now with the Collegiate East and West Routes! Take a journey of a life-time with David Ashley (David on Earth) along one of the most beautiful trails in the world - the Colorado Trail. Learn how a strong sense of purpose can push anyone to achieve accomplishments beyond their expectations, overcoming difficult odds, and breaking through personal boundaries. David takes you from his childhood through a string of circumstances that brought him to the southern terminus, facing 500 miles of Colorado back country wilderness, experiencing the beauty and often unforgiving and relentless terrain. The book is illustrated with hundreds of photographs, paired with a day-by-day account of life on the trail. A gear list, some Q&A, and lessons learned are also included. This makes for a great preparation source for those planning to hike this trail. THIS IS THE PDF VERSION. The PRINTED and E-BOOK versions can be found on Amazon by searching: "Purpose on the Colorado Trail"

$4.99
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New

The Pescatarian Hiker

With an astonishing 38% growth of the plant-based (meatless) food industry over the past couple years, it is only a matter of time before trail food suppliers start offering more accommodating choices. Until then, David addresses the topic head-on with thorough research and a practical approach. But this book is not just for a those who are on a meatless diet. It is an excellent educational resource for good eating on the trail - for almost any diet. Backpacking long distance trails quickly depletes energy sources and can cause major disruptions to performance and general health status - both mental and physical. Discover why this happens and how to replenish the body to take full advantage of time in nature. The book contains easy to prepare, great tasting meal recipes with on and off trail preparation steps. Ingredients are labeled with key nutritional information to help the reader understand the contribution of each toward full daily recovery and health maintenance. It also contains recipe options for hot cooking, cold soaking, and raw preparation styles. If the goal is to maintain optimal performance levels throughout the day and enjoyment at mealtime, this book is a must read. Available here only in PDF Format. eBook formats and print copies can be purchased on Amazon - https://amzn.to/30JZexr

$3.99