Dragon's Tooth is a narrow point of rock that rises above Catawba Valley, in southwest Virginia near Roanoke and Blacksburg. Together with nearby McAfee's Knob and Tinker Cliffs, it is part of the Triple Crown of scenic spots on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in southwest Virginia. If you've got the time to string together all…Read more Dayhike: Dragon’s Tooth, Appalachian Trail, Virginia
Bird Language
Do you talk to the birds around your home? I would imagine probably not - the physical structure of the human larynx is not well suited to the trills and warbles that most songbirds can create with their dual syrinx setup. But even if we can't talk directly to them, most of us certainly appreciate…Read more Bird Language
The Routine Magic of Flight
I realize that my observations here are from the perspective of someone who has the privilege (and sometimes obligation) to spend a lot of time in airplanes... But I find modern commercial air travel to be disorienting. I'm not talking about the frustrating dance we do with buying tickets, picking seats, getting to and from…Read more The Routine Magic of Flight
Sunrise Solar Eclipse, March 29, 2025
About two weeks ago, I wrote about the upcoming total lunar eclipse (the Blood Worm Moon), and mentioned that eclipses tend to come in pairs. Well, the second half of that pairing is due this Saturday morning, March 29, when much of the North Atlantic, including northwestern Africa, western and northern Europe, and the northeastern…Read more Sunrise Solar Eclipse, March 29, 2025
Orienteering Basics
If you enjoy hiking (particularly bushwhacking), are good with a topographical map and have a sense of how to correlate terrain features to it, I want to try to encourage you to try competitive orienteering. It's great fun, and excuse to get out and run through the woods with minimal technology - just a map,…Read more Orienteering Basics
Bighorn Sheep… Of The Gods?
Happy Vernal Equinox everybody, and welcome spring! Last week I had to spend a little bit of time in Colorado Springs, CO. I was there with someone who had never been to Colorado, and who really wanted to get out and into the mountains, but we had almost no time for anything fun. Best we…Read more Bighorn Sheep… Of The Gods?
St. Patrick’s Day, 2025
[In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I'm re-sharing a post made way back in 2017. Enjoy!] Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Today is the day we appreciate those with Irish heritage - red hair, green eyes, freckles, rainbows, gold-hoarding leprechauns, and all things green. All the green provides us with a reminder that spring is…Read more St. Patrick’s Day, 2025
Silence of Spring: A World Without Wings
Imagine, if you will, an empty meadow. Not just empty in the way humans tend to define it - without crops, buildings, commerce or a parking lot - but empty in the sense of being an ecological ghost town. No buzzing of insects, no chirping of birds. Grasses and wildflowers swaying in the wind, but…Read more Silence of Spring: A World Without Wings
Total Lunar Eclipse, March 13-14, 2025: The Blood Worm Moon!
It's been two years since the Americas had a total lunar eclipse, and we're making up for it this week. The ENTIRETY of North and South America will be able to see the totally eclipsed "Blood Moon" (The Blood WORM Moon!) at some point overnight between Thursday night and Friday morning. Peak totality will be…Read more Total Lunar Eclipse, March 13-14, 2025: The Blood Worm Moon!
Baking Bread In a Dutch Oven Is HARD!!
I make a lot of things in cast iron dutch ovens - main courses, desserts, breakfast, dinner - but I've never just baked bread in one. There's something special about the smell of fresh-baked bread, and in a campsite setting it's almost a luxury, a wonderful side to any dish and a perfect accompaniment to…Read more Baking Bread In a Dutch Oven Is HARD!!
What Type of Outdoor User Are You?
As I've delved more and more into the broader online community, I've been confronted with a bit of a crisis of identity. Like a teenager moving to a new town, I am unmistakably a part of the student body at my new school, and I'm pretty good at getting along with most everybody, but the…Read more What Type of Outdoor User Are You?
The Enigmatic Blaze Star, T Coronae Borealis
There are a lot of natural phenomena in the world that generate awe - a sincere response to beauty, grandeur, something big and overwhelming that makes us feel small and insignificant, yet blessed by the opportunity to witness it. Then, there are unique occurrences that make us raise an eyebrow in curiosity, but that don't…Read more The Enigmatic Blaze Star, T Coronae Borealis
Humpback Whales in Maui
February is peak humpback whale season in Maui. There are about a thousand in the triangular area of water between the west shore of Maui, Lanai and Molokai, giving birth, mating, singing non-stop to each other, and getting up to all sorts of whale antics. You can see them almost constantly, from the beach, from…Read more Humpback Whales in Maui
Mars Retrograde – Update
Just a quick reminder that today, Feb 24, marks the extent of Mars's western motion across the stars, and from here on out, it will be moving back in its correct, eastern direction. Mars on Feb 24, Western extent of Retrograde Motion (Stellarium) Note its position this week, in the center of Gemini, and keep…Read more Mars Retrograde – Update
Backpacking Haleakala, Maui: Overnight in a Volcano
February 9-10, 2025 -- Most people, when you mention Hawai'i, think of a lush tropical paradise and beautiful beaches. But these islands wouldn't be what they are without the volcanism that created them. On the "newer" islands in particular, Hawai'i has some significant volcanoes that reach above 10,000 feet elevation and create their own weather…Read more Backpacking Haleakala, Maui: Overnight in a Volcano
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 