Blue Ridge Parkway
Day 66: Blue Blazing and More Van-Shenanigans
My feelings about Blue Blazing have evolved over the last two months. At Springer Mountain, the thought of a Blue Blaze shortcut would set my teeth on edge. Now, I’ll...
Day 61: Shock and Comfort
“Love you. Please contact me asap. Sad news. I’m going to tell you via text because I don’t want you to think it’s the kids or anything. I’m so sorry...
Day 60: The Virginia Blues?
The high dropout rate in Virginia is often blamed on the length of the trail compared to other states, as if crossing state lines is the only thing that keeps...
Day 59: Feeling Better…Feeling Worse
After yesterday’s rattlesnake encounter, I had a mild case of the snake willies all morning. I come from rattlesnake country and have met my share of venomous snakes. I’ve even...
Day 58: An Angel, a Serpent, an Attack Fawn, a Witch, Caesar, and Blue Blazin’
I woke up feeling off, but not quite sick. I wasn’t hungry, which was weird, and I couldn’t finish my oatmeal. Oatmeal never goes unfinished at my breakfast table. And...
Day 57: It’s Nice to Get Up in the Morning, But it’s Nicer to Stay in Bed
After a long pause, I answered that I wanted to do exactly nothing today. I was wrung out.
Day 56: A Clustercuss
I walked into Black Horse Gap having decided to stop for the day. I’d spend the afternoon writing, hanging out with Northstar, and resting my weary bones. And that’s when...
On Trail Time
The Miscalculation of Time Though I will only turn 48 on the trail (see what I did there), I often find I am caught up in a psychological miscalculation of...
Don’t Count The Winter Out
It's always a bummer in the East after the leaves have fallen, but the winter hikes can bring some great rewards! Growing up in California, I had never heard of...
Great Southeastern Loop: Shining Rock Section
The Art Loeb Trail. Wow. What do I say. I feel like the Art Loeb Trail was built entirely as a challenge trail. It's not comfortable. It's got long dry...