Greg Christensen

Writer

United States

I've called Salt Lake City, New York City, Budapest, Chicago, and Geneva, Switzerland "home." But I'm currently in Dallas. These are some of the things I've learned in my life so far:

My greatest successes are things I did not do alone.

Doing difficult things changes how I see the world.

Being a miser isn't a path to prosperity. You’ll feel happier if you tip generously, support school fundraisers, buy Girl Scout Cookies, and stop at lemonade stands.

The reason I have such passion for running and writing is that both are focused on forward motion.

Portfolio
Atlas Obscura
04/12/2021
The Unsung Ranger Behind the U.S. Forest Service's Iconic Signs

Most Americans haven't heard the name Virgil "Bus" Carrell. But drive across the country and you'll see Carrell's work. And if you've entered a national forest, driven to a natural monument, or crossed the Continental Divide, you've probably even pulled over and snapped a selfie next to one of his creations.

Wayfaremagazine
Recalibrating Unity

I was serving as a bishop in a North Texas ward when sacrament meetings worldwide were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We didn't know it at the time, but it would be three months before we'd be cleared to worship in person again. In retrospect, that doesn't seem very long.

Atlas Obscura
10/20/2022
The Strange, Awful Truth Behind Utah's Eerie Stone Cross

For decades a crudely constructed, 20-foot-tall cement and stone cross stood in a hollow on the northern outskirts of Kaysville, Utah. Marked with a large letter K in the center, the cross was known to locals as Kay's Cross.

Forest History Today
10/19/2022
The Family of Shapes: The History of Bus Carrell's Forest Signs

Government agencies aren’t in the business of design. So it’s remarkable that the U.S. Forest Service has for decades produced signs that are not only recognizable but also appealing: people pull over, jump out of the car, and take a picture of their kids standing next to them.

The Writing Cooperative
03/10/2021
Writing Themed Autobiographies

I’ve written four different autobiographies. And I expect to write more...I write my autobiographies against specific themes. My first is titled "Autobiography of a Paul Simon Fan."

Seattle Backpackers Magazine
08/26/2012
Teton Crest Trail

I've been to beaches where signs posted in the sand read, "WARNING: Sharks may be present." And that was enough to keep me from even wading. Yet recently, I was tromping past sign after sign marked "CAUTION: Bear habitat." And I wasn't just hiking through bear country.

Medium
10/04/2017
The Lessons I Learned from Hurricane Harvey

After the rains from Hurricane Harvey became floodwaters that ran through living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and home offices of the Houston suburbs, my two teenagers and I volunteered to spend a weekend helping to save flood-damaged homes in the area.

The Outbound
Lessons from the Backcountry

Last summer, my son and I spent eleven days hiking through the backcountry of New Mexico's Sangre di Cristo Mountains. As part of a Philmont Scout Ranch trek, eight of us (three adults, and five teenagers) covered over 70 miles and summited an 11,742-foot peak.