When I was served with divorce papers in the ‘80s at the end of a 22-year marriage, I did what anyone would do—I signed up for a “highlight” camping and hiking trip with the Sierra Club that would take us to Alaska …

“Ah!” I turn and see my nine-year-old daughter on the ground, her hands clasped around her knee, blood tricking from between her fingers. The large root protrudes from the earth immediately below the boulder from which we’ve just descended. It’s Alex’s first …

“I can’t believe these miles don’t even count”, I was reiterating to my friend that I had set out with on the Appalachian Trail. A few hours earlier we had completed the transportation juggle of driving to Atlanta from New York, taking …

Late in the spring of 2005, Atticus and I were climbing Cannon Mountain and had reached what would become one of my favorite places in the White Mountains – Cannon Cliffs. For two novice hikers, it was an astounding view and when …

Thinking back to some of the mistakes I made as a novice backpacker makes me shudder. Did I really suffer that much? Yes I did! With no instruction or mentors I learnt initially by trial and error, mostly the latter. Sleeping out …

“Hey man, I’ve got an idea,” I said with a coaxing voice. “How ‘bout going out to hike on the Appalachian Trail with me?” It was the spring of 2005, and I had the Bill Bryson syndrome. Like so many other mortals, …

When setting off on a long-distance hike, I’m often asked by my friends if I am afraid. The question is a direct response to the media’s daily onslaught of horror. In their minds, why should the trails be any different? Women usually …

I led an Appalachian Mountain Club Beginner Hiking Trip and Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop on Mount Pemigewasset (also called ‘Indian Head’) in Franconia Notch on Saturday that was a lot of fun. We had great weather and clear views from the …

I’ve gone on a lot of group hikes this year and made a lot of new friends. While I’ve always done some group hiking, I’m never spent such a large percentage of my time hiking with others during the course of a …

I’ve spent so much time hiking above treeline this year that I will soon qualify for a pilot’s license. I’ve got the bug bad. Standing among the cairns in the howling wind under brilliant blue skies, dwarfed by immense piles of rock and dust, there are few …

Have you ever observed the footwork of a very experienced hiker? They tend to walk very efficiently, at a constant pace, often without looking at their feet. It’s something I do unconsciously now, but it took a couple of year of serious …

It is a typical drive north. With pre-dawn skies my only witness, I have taken flight upon four wheels. I manage to slip through the choking grasp of the Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River. I bypass the vast amount of …

I like square flat tarps because they give me the opportunity to select or create different pitches depending on my environmental needs or aesthetic desires for the night. It’s like shelter origami ( see Square Tarp Pitches.) Contrary to what you might expect, …

There are many mountains in the world and mountaineering traditions where it’s common to climb the major summit in addition to its sub-peaks. That’s not the peakbagging tradition in New Hampshire’s White Mountains however, where most hikers concentrate all of their energies …