Happy Trials and Keep on Trekking

I didn’t have to be badgered into applying to be a writer for The Trek (back then it was still Appalachian Trials). Zack officially welcomed me aboard a little over a year ago, and my first post appeared on September 8, 2016. I have been posting more or less the second and fourth Thursdays of every month since then. That makes this post my twenty-fourth. I have also contributed to one or two group posts without bylines.

That’s me, hiking in Pennsylvania’s Raccoon Creek State Park.

After composing original posts twice a month for a year, I am now feeling a little weary, like I have been trekking this trail for too long without a break and need a zero day or zero month. I have also started working a second part-time job (with a co-op that sells outdoor related gear and is usually identified by a three letter designation we would all recognize) to make ends meet and therefore have less time to write. And I have discovered that the more I write about the great outdoors, the less time I have to enjoy them. Now that I am planning to post less often I will hopefully spend fewer hours in front of a keyboard and more time out on the trail — be it a hiking trail, a rail-trail, or water trail.

While I am not calling it quits, I will be cutting back and posting on a less frequent and more unscheduled schedule. In other words, I will be posting only when motivated, inspired, or compelled to write about something related to the topic at hand. When I feel the itch to write, I know The Trek will be here to help me scratch it.

It has been a pleasure and an honor to be part of The Trek team. I thank Zack for welcoming me on The Trek and the help he and The Trek staff have provided me. I appreciate all those who took the time to comment on my posts and occasionally shared Facebook links or retweeted links to my posts. I am particularly grateful to a very special friend who helped me by editing my posts for spelling and grammar (you know who you are).

Writing for The Trek has given me the opportunity to explore outdoor adventure writing, learn to navigate the WordPress platform, and hone my writing skills. Although I have met few if any of the other writers and bloggers who have posted here, I feel part of the (elite) Appalachian Trials/The Trek cyber community of thru-hikers, section hikers, day hikers, hiker wannabes, and lovers of outdoor adventure.

To each and every one of you posting to or reading The Trek I say, “Happy Trials” and ‘Keep on Trekking.”