I've been EXTREMELY busy over the last week or so. Something different going on every night - some things new and exciting, maybe I'll share here soon. As a delaying tactic for finishing up my story of Bones in Washington, getting videos made for that trip, and several other things... here's a quick video taken…Read more Something Completely Different…
Maryland
Myrtle Point (Sept 14, 2025)
Today I'm recapping a short (2 mile) perimeter walk at Myrtle Point Park, in southern Maryland, highlighting some later summer/fall flora and calm river views. Late summer has been great for getting outdoors in the mid-Atlantic. Even before Labor Day, the temps were cool and the air was dry. We've seen a few days back…Read more Myrtle Point (Sept 14, 2025)
Calvert Cliffs, MD (Sept 1, 2025)
This past week has been absolutely gorgeous through the Mid-Atlantic. An early glimpse of fall, the temps have been low, the humidity non-existent. There's a hint of a chill in the air, and certain trees seem to suddenly have gotten the cue to start changing color (though, this is almost certainly more due to water…Read more Calvert Cliffs, MD (Sept 1, 2025)
Black Bears Are Back: Southern Maryland Sightings Signal Expanding Territory
When Leon Smith stepped outside his St. Mary's County home in mid-July and found his bird feeder knocked over, he probably wasn't expecting to come face-to-face with a black bear. The rural Maryland county along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay is not an established part of the black bear's range, and the animals…Read more Black Bears Are Back: Southern Maryland Sightings Signal Expanding Territory
Little Bennett Regional Park, Montgomery County, MD – NuCamp T@G
A couple weeks back I wrote about some modifications I was making to our little NuCamp T@G teardrop camper. This weekend, we took it out to spend some time with some good friends and fellow empty-nester couples. Our destination was new to us, but it came recommended as a place requiring a reasonably short drive,…Read more Little Bennett Regional Park, Montgomery County, MD – NuCamp T@G
Dayhike: American Chestnut Land Trust – Oriole Trail
Last weekend I took the opportunity in the wake of a strong cold front to go check out a new (to me) local trail at the American Chestnut Land Trust, in Calvert County, MD. I had noticed on my GPS app that there was a trail there not already covered by my various path traces,…Read more Dayhike: American Chestnut Land Trust – Oriole Trail
Dayhike: Paw Paw Tunnel, C&O Canal, MD
The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal was built in the late 1700's and through the early 1800's to connect the goods and citizens on the East Coast of a young United States to what was then the western frontier, beyond the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. The utility of the canal was overcome by railroads…Read more Dayhike: Paw Paw Tunnel, C&O Canal, MD
Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
Running for 37 miles along Maryland's eastern shore, Assateague Island is wild Atlantic coast. It's a barrier island, long and slender with the Atlantic Ocean on on the east side and a shallow saltwater bay on the west. In between, several different ecosystems and habitats shift with the seasonal ebb and flow of tides, coastal…Read more Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
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
Dam 5, Potomac River, C&O Canal
Dam 5, C&O Canal towpath along the Potomac River. Built in 1835, the dam raised the river level enough to fill 22 miles of the canal. It's a great place to stop and rest after a day of biking the towpath!
Potomac River, C&O Canal
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.
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.
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.
Calm Before The Storm
(Note, I posted this most places on Sept 12, as Florence approached - but remote interface for WordPress was acting flaky. Sorry it's late, the sentiment still holds true!) Calm before the storm. Out on the fringes of the Florence cloud deck, thinking of all those enduring the fury. Y'all stay safe!
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 