It had been a long time since I'd climbed a hill this steep, this high, for this long. My legs reminded me of this inescapable fact with every step I took. As long as I kept my head up and focused on the yellow and red trees, it didn't matter. My outdoor adventures had been…Read more Backpacking the Wild Oak Trail, VA
Trips
Paddling Under A Full Moon
It was July 4th, but I still didn't expect so many explosions. Due to crowd restrictions, all the public fireworks displays in our area were canceled, and most of them have been rescheduled for Labor Day. With no plans for the evening, we decided to take advantage of a clear, warm summer night and go…Read more Paddling Under A Full Moon
COVID Camp
Times are strange. Even though a lot of what I like to do is, by its nature, remote - backpacking, canoeing/kayaking, sailing, etc - all these activities became extremely popular as soon as we started getting guidance not to congregate. The bars closed down and the trailheads clogged up. Add to that the challenges of…Read more COVID Camp
Water-tight?
In my efforts to test myself, I sometimes get a little overconfident. I like to think I'm fairly level-headed and consider risks enough that I'm not doing anything downright STUPID, but I have certainly messed up enough to make me wonder just what the heck I thought was going to happen. Such was the case…Read more Water-tight?
Outdoor Ethics on the Appalachian Trail
Every year as March rolls around, thousands of people set out to fulfill a bucket-list item and complete the Appalachian Trail. Best wishes to those who are setting out now, and in the next couple weeks, as the Class of 2020! Thru-hikers admonish each other to "hike your own hike" - a reminder that there…Read more Outdoor Ethics on the Appalachian Trail
Sunset at Bear’s Den Rocks
Bears Den Rocks, looking west off the Appalachian Trail in northern Virginia. North end of the "Roller Coaster". Get Out There Troy http://www.flying-squirrel.org
Bear’s Den Trail Center
A familiar site to AT hikers - we've taken over with a crowd of teenagers! Appalachian castle at Bears Den. Get Out There Troy http://www.flying-squirrel.org
Apres Ski!
Waking up in a lakeside cabin after a hard, long day of skiing in southeastern PA. Better than any hotel room! Get Out There Troy http://www.flying-squirrel.org
Gettysburg Dawn
After dense fog and rain for most of the trip, our final morning at Gettysburg dawned clear, cold, and beautiful. Get Out There http://www.flying-squirrel.org
Gettysburg Camp
Not a wilderness shot - but the site of my most recent campsite. On the grounds of a US Civil War, Confederate field hospital in Gettysburg, PA. (We camped to the right of the barn, just out of frame). Confederate doctors treated officers in the house, enlisted in the barn, completing about 1,500 amputations and…Read more Gettysburg Camp
Midnight Sun
I recently returned from a vacation in Iceland. I spent a week just south of the Arctic Circle, one week after the summer solstice. There's a lot to talk about following such an amazing trip (and I will), but having recently written about dark skies, I thought a lot about the almost-24-hour daylight we…Read more Midnight Sun
Journey’s End
Another adventure comes to an end. A week aboard a 41-foot ketch in the Florida Keys. Tough to go back to real life, but always looking forward to getting home.
Discovering Iceland
We just returned from a whirlwind exploration of southern Iceland. More to come on this beautiful country!
Tearing Up Jack…
I really enjoy trail-riding on my mountain bike (an old Specialized Rock Hopper). At the same time, I hate what mountain bikes do to some of my favorite trails. It's a conundrum, forcing a little bit of self-examination and recognition of hypocrisy that I haven't figured out how to resolve. To be clear, I'm not…Read more Tearing Up Jack…
Westward Bound
Keeping up the sailing theme - the "Dove" was the smaller of two ships carrying those who founded the colony of Maryland in 1634. It took an act of courage to venture across the Atlantic.
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 