If you actually bothered to click on this link, I guess you really want to know about me for some odd reason. The name is Paul Magnanti. Paul Mags or just Mags for short. Mags is a family nick name that goes back to at least my grandfather. Having an unusual last name of Italian origin leaves many English speakers stumped. Easier to say "Mags" than trying to pronounce the last name. (In Italian is is pronounced Mon-nyan-tee, like lasagna. "Americanized", we pronounce it Mag-nan-tee. Rhymes with bag-fan-tea).

I am a Rhode Island native; which leaves me with a fondness for Del's Lemonade , Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee, some very-bad-for-you-but oh-so-good weiners ,  clam cakes and "chowda". In addition, I insist that Disney World is in a state called "Flah-ra-dah".

One year to the day after finishing my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, I moved to Colorado.

Currently Boulder, CO is the place I call home. This town is situated at the very edge of Rocky Mountain foothills. Within an hour of my home is Rocky Mountain National Park, the Indian Peaks and many other places for outdoor pursuits. I also get to have coffee in one of Boulder's nearly one-million coffee shops.

The outdoors is my passion. Hiking and backpacking in particular are my first outdoor loves. Love the simplicity, the journey on foot, the personal challenge and how the intensity of physical activity seems to make everything that much more beautiful. With my love for the outdoors, I aspire to live up to my hiker trash label.

In the past few years, I've dabbled in running (4 marathons, 2 50 milers, an attempt at Leaville...all done slowly!) and have become passionate about ski touring as well. When I can't hike, I'll tour on skis! Winter is not a reason to say indoors, it is a reason to pull out a different set of toys. Gliding along on fresh snow, the sun shining on my face and skiing off into the distant vista is about as close to heaven as you can get in winter.