Diapensia Lapponica
June 1st, 1732 Elevation 5,344 ft Winter has reluctantly loosened its grip on the mountains, and patches of snow still linger in shadows. The alpine casts shades of olive and […]
Month: April 2020
Lightning and Risk
BOOM. I jolted upright as the walls of the tent exploded with another violent flash of light. Rain pounded at the walls and the thin fabric strained precariously under torrents […]
Trailwork, Beards, and Brownies
June 2018. I was hard at work brushing in a herd path when a stranger with a beard appeared and offered me a brownie. I had only been working as […]
“All by Yourself”
A journal entry from July, 2018. I wake up – in the John’s Brook Valley – curled tightly in my sleeping bag, and watch as my breath appears in the […]
Whitewater Trails
A story from June, 2019. If there is one thing I’ve learned from the Adirondacks it’s that when it rains it rains. This went way beyond the typical dampness you […]
Day 12 and the Trip Home
“Returning home is the most difficult part of long-distance hiking; You have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.” – Cindy Ross It was a short hike […]
Days 11 – 13: Saguaro to Mt. Lemmon
The last few days have been full of amazing views and tough climbs. Two days ago we hiked through Saguaro National Park: from the low elevation Saguaro cacti forest, up […]
Day 10: Thoughts from a Saguaro Forest
Gila woodpeckers: Loud and conspicuous residence of the desert who sound a bit like an over excited gull. Gila (The “G” sounds like a “H”) is a name that pops […]
Day 9: Coatimundies & Peanut Butter
I had a re-supply box waiting at Colossal Cave, a hiker-friendly business that is typically open for public cave tours of the local and (you guessed it) colossal cave. Although […]
Day 8: The Beauty of Washes
After applying copious amounts of antibiotic ointment to my blister and packing some for the trail, I was ready to get hiking once again. Vance’s knee still hurt, but he […]