The Trek Planner

Hey everyone! I’ve gotten a few messages asking about this week’s video.



Because of how special the place/subject were that Annie and I visited, I felt I needed a little bit more time to edit it. I’ll be posting it next week!



I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season. Thank you so much for everything! You’re truly the best!

1 month ago | [YT] | 681

The Trek Planner

Have you seen this yet? I don’t usually get political on my channel, but this issue directly impacts all of us who love and appreciate the outdoors.

There was recently a proposal in Congress—part of Senator Mike Lee’s amendment to the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—that would have FORCED the sale of up to 3 million acres of public land over the next five years, with over 250 million acres potentially eligible for future "disposal". This included both BLM and Forest Service lands—the very places many of us explore, enjoy, and deeply value. In fact, some of these areas have already been featured in my videos!

Fortunately, that version of the proposal was struck down, but a new, revised version is already gaining traction. This scaled-back plan would still allow the sale of up to 1.2 million acres of BLM land across the West. The threat remains very real—and the long-term consequences are just as serious. Selling off public land threatens our access to wild spaces, puts cultural and archaeological sites at risk, and prioritizes short-term gains and oil/gas industry interests over preservation.

If you care about protecting public lands, now’s the time to act. Contact your senators and representatives - call or send them a letter! Once public land is sold, we don’t get it back.

I have already contacted my senators (it took 2 minutes!) and you should do too. Do it today!

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Here are links to learn more about it and what you can do to help:

www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2025/06/26/mike…

www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/250-mi…

8 months ago | [YT] | 1,059

The Trek Planner

Hey friends! No, I didn’t forget to post a video ;-) I’ve just been on vacation in California 🏖️☀️

BUT! I am SO excited to bring you some amazing things very soon!! 🌵🏜️

Thank you for supporting The Trek Planner - for your comments and kind words. I appreciate you all!

9 months ago | [YT] | 1,713

The Trek Planner

Hey friends!

I’m honored to share that I’ve been invited to be part of the 9th Annual Podcast of Hope, an amazing event hosted by the Geocache Talk Network to raise $12,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. I’ll be joining the livestream this Saturday, December 7, from 9–10 PM, and I’d love for you to tune in! This six-hour event is full with stories, special guests, and a chance to make a real difference for kids through St. Jude Children's Hospital!

Here is the link to view the livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w667K...

We will see you there! :-)

1 year ago | [YT] | 124

The Trek Planner

Hello friends! I've recently received several emails from viewers saying I am "deceiving" or "lying" to them by using AI-generated images in my thumbnail pictures. What's a thumbnail picture? It's the image you see representing a video when scrolling through YouTube. My thumbnails usually have a red arrow and some text in it.

One viewer sent me this message:
"Hey Jeff, I’ve enjoyed your content for a long time, but I have to say, I’m quite disappointed to learn you’re using AI for your thumbnails. It's dishonest."

When I asked which video they were referring to, they mentioned my recent upload about ruins inside a cave (the thumbnail for that video is attached). Here's the funny part though - the image in that thumbnail isn’t manipulated at all. It’s REAL. I don't use AI images in my thumbnails to show you things that are not in my videos.

This got me thinking: Do you feel it’s okay for creators to use AI images in thumbnails if the image doesn’t represent something shown in the actual video? Or does it feel like "tricking" or "clickbaiting" viewers?

But I’m curious, what’s your take on this? Is this just the nature of YouTube, or do you think there’s an expectation for thumbnails to accurately represent the content?

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 1,609