Mark Sundeen

New Mexico

Contributing Editor at Outside Magazine

Either that or turn into a hawk.

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Articles

Laws that Help Wildlife Also Benefit the Rich. Is that OK?

1 week ago | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog,I’m a biologist and land conservationist who has spent the last two decades working with farmers and ranchers to keep their land and way of life intact. I walk their property looking for habitats that might harbor rare plants and threatened wildlife. If the property meets certain ecological criteria, the owner can place the land under “conservation easement,” basically a legal agreement ensuring they will not develop or subdivide the land.
My Cycling Buddies Bought E-Bikes. Now I Can’t Keep Up.

1 month ago | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: My buddies and I have been mountain biking together for more than 20 years. We’re not racers, but we ride hard and push each other. A few years back, one of the guys had a hip replacement and could no longer keep up, so he got an e-mountain bike. It was the right call to keep the gang together, even though it limited our access to trails that allow e-bikes.
My Property Sits Next to Public Land. Locals Are Driving Me Crazy.

2 months ago | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: I’ve always been an environmentalist and lived as close to nature as possible. Years ago I was lucky enough to buy a parcel that borders on public land near a river. I’ve designed and built a dream house that allows me to feel like I’m a part of the natural surroundings. The house is not visible from the river; I intentionally left the bottomlands untouched.
A Cougar Pounced on a Child but Didn’t Kill It. Should the Cat Die?

Feb 5, 2025 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog, Last September, in California’s Malibu Creek State Park, a mountain lion pounced on a five-year-old child. The father managed to save his kid by fighting off the cat, and soon after, officials euthanized the cougar. Isn’t this immoral and outrageous? The lion was behaving just as nature intended. — People againsthe Unethical Murder of AnimalsDear PUMA,This is not the only recent alarming attack on humans by a cougar.
Am I a Jerk for Not Owning an Electric Car?

Jan 22, 2025 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: Am I a jerk for not owning an electric vehicle yet? I live in a city, commute to work, and like to get outside. I have a decent car that gets decent mileage, but feel like I would be doing better for myself and the planet with an EV. Should I buy one? —Looking for Environmental Alternatives that are FriendlyDear LEAF,Let’s say you’re the average American who commutes 42 miles per day round-trip to a job that you find moderately soul-sucking.
They Were Tracking Threatened Turtles. They Found Human Bones Instead.

Jan 7, 2025 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

In the summer of 1991, Mical Garcia was 19 years old, taking classes at a cosmetology school in the farm town of Manteca, California, when she got an alarming call from her stepdad in Las Vegas. Her mother had run off. He came home from work to find her possessions gone, and a note explaining that she’d been leading a double life and did not want to be contacted. Mical, who helps people pronounce her name by saying “like ‘me call you,’” was surprised but not overly concerned at the time.
The Battle for Campsites Is Crazy. Is it Ever OK to Steal One?

Nov 4, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: Floating down Desolation Canyon in Utah on a private trip, pulling the oars against the upstream wind, we were passed by commercial rafts lashed together buzzing their motors to snag the primo camps. I know it’s bad form for parties to send a boat ahead to steal a camp, but this situation just demanded some sort of justice. Is it OK to break the rules to combat the commercial guide domination?
I Loaned My Friend Gear Because I Thought He Was a Dirtbag. Turns Out He's Loaded.

Oct 12, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: Decades ago I worked with a close friend as a river guide and we were both complete dirtbags, living in our cars during raft season then traveling around during the winter. Since then, I’ve become financially successful and have a garage filled with rafts, kayaks, trailers, oars, paddles, and SUPs to prove it. My friend has worked as a freelancer and has always been candid about how difficult it is to pay his mortgage and make ends meet.
Do I Have To Pay the Cancellation Fee for My Campsite?

Sep 2, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: While on a road trip, I reserved a public campsite online which cost $15. When the day arrived, I saw that we weren’t going to make it that far, so I went to cancel. I did not expect a refund, but learned that I would have to pay an additional $10 to cancel. My rule-following partner wanted to pay the fee, but I said forget about it. Who was right?
Starlink Lets You Work from the Wilderness. But Should You?

Jul 11, 2024 | outsideonline.com | Mark Sundeen

Dear Sundog: Now that Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service is available all over the world, I’m having this nightmare. In it, I’m floating the Middle Fork of the Salmon—which runs through the largest designated wilderness in the lower 48. I tie up to shore, and just as I’m settling into the riverside warm springs, some hot-pot stranger whips out his phone and announces, “I gotta jump on a Zoom call.” Can we stop this hideous future before it’s too late?