I'm kind of a slob. I don't have a complete disregard for order and cleanliness, but my life - both at home and work - does tend to accumulate a bit of clutter. It's a symptom of trying to have too many hobbies or too many things going on at the same time. Ideas and…Read more Better Camping Through Hyper-Organization
Backpacking
Navigating Unpredictable Weather on Hiking Trips
We focus on the challenges of elevation, distance, the unconquerable mountain peak - but weather can be an overlooked antagonist on backcountry trips.
Backpacking: Mt. Sterling, Pretty Hollow, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC
A 26-mile, 2 night loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Invasive Feral Hogs in the Smoky Mountains
A lot of my blog-posting derives from encountering something interesting that prompts me to go down a road of research and discovery. This is one of those posts. Last week, my son and I spent three days and two nights backpacking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (more on that soon, including video), and we…Read more Invasive Feral Hogs in the Smoky Mountains
Gear Shaming Is Gate Keeping
Not too long ago I went into the shop to get a new backpack. Some of the inner stays on my older pack had broken while on a long trip, and while I was able to lash things together long enough to complete the trip, it was time for something new. The purchase went fine…Read more Gear Shaming Is Gate Keeping
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
Risk Mitigation for Outdoor Adventure
Back in 2019, I had the opportunity to combine a work trip with an extra night out backpacking somewhere in the Front Range between Denver and Colorado Springs. A little research led me to the Pike National Forest, Lost Creek Wilderness area, and the Goose Creek Trailhead. Cutting to the finale, it turned out to…Read more Risk Mitigation for Outdoor Adventure
Backpacking: Browns Hollow and Emerald Knob, Massanutten Mountain, Luray, VA
Aug 31-Sept 1, 2024 -- Racing thunderstorms to reach a beautiful spring-fed pond high up on the ridges of Massanutten Mountain within George Washington National Forest, Luray, VA. The embedded video tracks an overnight trip in late summer, dealing with wet weather and finding surprising isolation within the very narrow Massanutten ridge system. Spring-fed Emerald…Read more Backpacking: Browns Hollow and Emerald Knob, Massanutten Mountain, Luray, VA
Backpacking Sugar Knob / Racer Camp Hollow – VA/WV
Oct 27-28, 2023 -- A beautiful 12 mile loop in the Great North Mountain area of the George Washington National Forest, along the VA/WV border. The embedded video tracks an overnight trip in October, slightly past the peak of fall color in the Allegheny Mountains. I had numerous and varied wildlife sightings and solitude during…Read more Backpacking Sugar Knob / Racer Camp Hollow – VA/WV
New Mexico or Bust
We're almost ready. After numerous small trips (of escalating difficulty and complexity), skills work, planning sessions, gear shakedowns, shakedowns, and more shakedowns, we're on the homestretch. Within 72 hours, we'll all be headed for Colorado, and then New Mexico, for a two-week expedition. The training has paid off. We've managed to get a bunch of…Read more New Mexico or Bust
Little Stoney Creek
Enjoying a moment of solitude at the end of a long day backpacking. Little Stoney Creek, in GWNF along the VA/WV border. Little Stoney Creek drains the basin between Little Sluice Mountain (east) and Mill Mountain (west), and was a welcome sight after spending the day high and dry among the ridgetops. We also happened…Read more Little Stoney Creek
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
Hiking Signal Knob, Massanutten Mountain, VA
Enjoy historic views on this this 10.4-mile loop as a dayhike or a leisurely overnight on the prominent north end of the Massanutten Mountain ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Massanutten is a fifty-mile long ridge that stands alone in the center of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Because of its length, Massanutten forms a significant…Read more Hiking Signal Knob, Massanutten Mountain, VA
Wild Oak from Little Bald Knob, VA
The first clear view on Virginia's Wild Oak Trail comes after about 8 miles and 4,000 feet of climbing. The trailhead is in the notch left of center, directly under the sun, and the trail wraps around these mountains from left to right, climbing up and over three mountains in the process. Get Out There!…Read more Wild Oak from Little Bald Knob, VA
Backpacking the Wild Oak Trail, VA
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
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 