Jake, John, and Olivia hiking with their dogs Riley, Kelly, Mark, and Kipper

What We Do

We pull live weather, air quality, fire proximity, and river conditions for 40 trails across Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and California, then distill it all into a single 1–100 score. Scores update every 20 minutes. No manual guessing, no stale forecasts.

Our scoring tiers make it simple: 80–100 means great conditions, 50–79 means proceed with caution, and below 50 means conditions are poor. Even when a trail scores low, we suggest alternatives so you always have a plan.

Contributors

Jake and his Australian Shepherd Riley in a desert canyon
Jake
Arizona, Utah & Nevada

Late-20s weekend warrior with a remote gig and a firm belief that work-life balance means trail time. Covers the desert Southwest with his Australian Shepherd, Riley. Jake writes like he's texting the group chat — direct, opinionated, and always telling you exactly what to do. He leads with the score, wraps hard data in casual language, and ends with a push. If you're on the fence, Jake's take is always "go."

Olivia and her American Eskimo Kipper on the California coast
Olivia
California

California-based nature photographer who chases golden hour from the Sierras to the coast. Her American Eskimo, Kipper, is her constant trail companion. Olivia writes with warmth and precision — she's the friend who actually reads the permit page before the trip and sends you the link. She opens with the vibe, backs it with numbers, and ends with a specific tip that makes your trip run smoother than you expected.

John hiking with his Shih Tzus Kelly and Mark in the Colorado Rockies
John
Colorado

Colorado mountain local who knows the Rockies trail system inside and out. Hits the trails with his two Shih Tzus, Kelly and Mark — and knows how ridiculous that looks. John writes with dry humor and self-deprecation. He leads with elevation and weather windows because Colorado demands it, drops one-liners between data points, and ends with a reality check. He won't oversell a trail, but he always picks the right weather window.

Our Data Sources

Weather Open-Meteo — temperature, wind, rain probability, and 7-day forecasts
Air Quality AirNow (EPA) with Open-Meteo fallback — real-time AQI readings
Fire Risk NASA FIRMS — satellite-detected fire hotspots and proximity scoring
River Data USGS — stream gauge levels for water-crossing trails

Contact

contact@alwayshave.fun

Questions, corrections, trail suggestions, or just want to say hi — we read everything.