Some of the NCT follows country roads. It’s annoying but reality. If one wants to hike this trail, roads are part of the deal. I knew this when I parked in Marshall last weekend. The trail started in the woods but soon led to B Drive N and followed the road for...
A couple days ago I made my first post in three weeks. That’s a long time, especially with all the words and ideas that have bubbled up. I try to catch and organize them. I get distracted by this idea or that one and end up on yet another path with more ideas to...
Three years ago, I went backpacking in Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. It changed my life. The trip was incredible. I loved being so deeply connected with Nature. Many things shifted that week. I came home determined to return the following year. I trained at the...
“Look up! Think about all the things you are missing!” He said. “Don’t look at the ground. Trust that your feet know where they are and that they will keep you safely on the trail.” I agreed but half-heartedly, not even half-heartedly, a quarter-heartedly. Maybe...
Yesterday I was hiking in Northern Michigan. Without the magic of a blanket of snow, the forest seemed dead. Dead. Bleak. And beat up. Visiting the forest was like showing up unannounced at a friend’s house on Sunday morning after the friend had been on a weekend...
I hike alone. People tell me I shouldn’t, ask me if I’m scared and wonder why I do it. Yesterday I considered these questions as I made my way along the trail. Within the first couple miles I realized I was chilly and added a layer. I was hungry and grabbed a handful...
