Dawn along the C&O Canal towpath. The Potomac River is still, just above Dam 5. This is looking south into West Virginia, from Maryland.
Iceland 2019 – Part 7, Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon)
This is Part 7 in a series outlining my family's exploration of Iceland during the summer of 2019, pre-COVID. It was a mostly outdoor experience, exploring the wild and natural sights of a beautiful country during the height of summer. For the full journey, and notes on places to go and things to see, check…Read more Iceland 2019 – Part 7, Jökulsárlón (Glacier Lagoon)
Teamwork on the Trail
The great thing about backpacking is that it's an individual sport. The only things to overcome are your own physical and mental limitations. The rewards include immersion in wilderness, a sense of accomplishment like no other, and satisfaction that comes from knowledge and confidence in one's self. Except... for all the focus on self-reliance and…Read more Teamwork on the Trail
Iceland 2019 – Part 6, Southern Coast
This is part six in a series outlining my family's exploration of Iceland during the summer of 2019, pre-COVID. It was a mostly outdoor experience, exploring the wild and natural sights of a beautiful country during the height of summer. For the full journey, and notes on places to go and things to see, check…Read more Iceland 2019 – Part 6, Southern Coast
Reynisdrangar, Vik, Iceland
Legend has it that two large trolls spotted a three-masted ship adrift in the sea, and waded out to tow it to shore. As so often seems to happen with trolls, they mistimed their efforts, and were caught by the rising sun, which turned them to the basaltic sea stacks that remain today. This view…Read more Reynisdrangar, Vik, Iceland
Bumblebees and Azaleas
Azaleas are a "garden" flower, or maybe a nice shrub to line the driveway - but occasionally, walking through the forest, you see these relics alongside daffodils, indicators of a more human-cultivated past. They bear testimony that a homesite used to stand here, and the plants, and the bees that love them, thrive long after…Read more Bumblebees and Azaleas
Long Overdue – A Camping Weekend on the Chesapeake
A gentle breeze blows through the tall pines that line the edges of the cliff. Waves lap against the cliff several hundred feet below, as the Chesapeake Bay slowly carves into land which once formed the bed of an inland sea, and still releases Miocene fossils onto the beach below. Canada geese erupt with a…Read more Long Overdue – A Camping Weekend on the Chesapeake
Springtime in the Swamp
Springtime in the Swamp! New shoots coming up, the duckweed and lilies are greening, and the beavers are busy!
Iceland 2019 – Part 5, Landmannalaugar
This is Part 5 in a series outlining my family's exploration of Iceland during the summer of 2019, pre-COVID. It was a mostly outdoor experience, exploring the wild and natural sights of a beautiful country during the height of summer. For the full journey, and notes on places to go and things to see, check…Read more Iceland 2019 – Part 5, Landmannalaugar
Laugavegur and Grænagil
Standing by a steaming sulfur vent, looking across the chaotic jumble of a lava field, into Grænagil, the Green Canyon. Laugavegur Trail, Landmannalaugar, Iceland.
To Build A Fire
One of the most often-repeated lessons I have with students learning how to build fire is: It takes patience. Too many times, we just want to pile up fuel and strike a match, and it never works that way. Fire is often compared to a living thing, and like so many things in life, it…Read more To Build A Fire
Iceland, 2019 – Part 4, Roaming in Reykjavik
This is the Part 4 in a series outlining my family's exploration of Iceland during the summer of 2019, pre-COVID. It was a mostly outdoor experience, exploring the wild and natural sights of a beautiful country during the height of summer. For the full journey, and notes on places to go and things to see,…Read more Iceland, 2019 – Part 4, Roaming in Reykjavik
First Day of Spring, 2021
Happy to start to see some glimpses of normal human interaction again. These guys sure were happy to see each other. A great (but cold!) two nights out camping.
Spring Sailing
Daylight savings time is not yet here, and so the evenings come early, and the water is COLD (about 40 deg F / 4.4 deg C), but it's hard to pass up a strong March breeze. The spring season is officially underway - maybe, finally, an indication of normal life returning.
Faxi (Faxafoss), Iceland
A bonus image of Faxi, to go along with my recent Iceland 2019 post. Great views can be had from the spot at the bottom left of the falls, but this perspective, taken from the picnic area, is great too.
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 