About
We should all follow the path that makes our life meaningful and affirms our 'why' in body, mind, and spirit.
Hi, I'm David Ashley. I've adopted the name "David on Earth" as a trail name, the less formal identity that accompanies me on every adventure out in the wilds of nature.
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, who again blessed me with two great-grandsons.
I live in Colorado, but I've lived throughout the midwestern United States and traveled the world for 20 years when I was in the United States Air Force, and then some afterwards. I am now fully retired from the 9-5 life, spending a good amount of my time encouraging active outdoor lifestyles.
I've logged thousands of trail miles over the years. In 2018 I hiked the 500-mile Colorado Trail. I've hiked nearly 400 miles of the Arizona Trail. I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail in California and Nevada. I've also hiked trails in Arkansas, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. God willing, as long as I can move, I intend on adding to this list of places.
On this website I am attempting to be helpful to those who want more of the good life. The blog with insight and tips, gear reviews of my favorite gear, an updated list of gear discounts and deals, my affiliate partner list, and my gear list is all packed in here. It's all leaning a bit toward my generation, but younger folks will also find what I do here to be helpful.
I hope you enjoy this website and my YouTube channel. You can also find me on Instagram. I'd love to hear from you by commenting in the blog on this site or via YouTube or Instagram.
You Can Help
How can this work? Creating content and maintaining a website is more than a casual hobby; it takes an incredible amount of time and effort. Now, I'm happy to do this; I enjoy it. BUT it is not free - it's actually a bit costly. Camera gear, software, travel expenses, hiking gear, etc. etc. I couldn't do this without help. This is where you come in. You can help keep this going by using the links provided on our Affiliate Partners page, banners in the blog articles, and links on my Gear List pages. Every time you click on those links and buy great gear from these companies, I get a tiny little kick back (at no cost to you). It all adds up and helps close the financial gap, allowing all this to continue. I'd like to do this for a long time and I believe you would like to continue getting increased value from what I'm able to create for you - so, I'll say please and thank you in advance for your generous support!
You can also support this work by becoming a patron at my Patreon page. (or you can join for free) This is where I post content that cannot be found anywhere else. Like my Thoughts-of-the-Week video podcast, planning spreadsheet templates, detailed trip reports, a copy of my Colorado Trail e-book, and early access to all YouTube videos (ad free!). Again, I'll thank you in advance of your incredible support!
Now, stop reading this and go live like you want it! I'll see you on the trail!
Disclosure: Some links on this website are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, David on Earth will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Your participation is a great way to support our continued content.