Iceland is sprinkled with rural churches that stand alone, isolated on a vast empty landscape. Buđakirkja is one of the more famous, owing to its black and white simplicity.
Trips
Hawai’i, 2018: Day 1 – Around the Big Island
Way back in the summer of 2018, in the "before time", we could travel, and hang out in large groups. Remember those days? Ah, innocence. Little did we know... Well, it was about summer 2018 when my blogging, YouTubing, and general sharing started waning significantly. Things were getting tense in the online community, I had…Read more Hawai’i, 2018: Day 1 – Around the Big Island
Sunset at Lower Matecumbe
Still catching up on 2019, we spent a week sailing and snorkeling in the Florida Keys. This was our first sunset afloat, headed out to an anchorage at Lower Matecumbe Key. More to come on this trip as well... Get Out There! http://www.flying-squirrel.org
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
Winter Camping Without a Tent
December was a crazy month - it always is during the run up to the holidays, trying to prepare at home, and preemptively get everything done at work. Like I mentioned in the run-up to Christmas though, I had plans, and some of them have come to fruition. In mid-December, I was able to complete…Read more Winter Camping Without a Tent
Downeast Maine, Part 4 (Final) – Oceanarium, and Points East
This is the last installment of our summer Maine adventure. (Hooray, the crowd goes wild!) At this point, I was facing a little bit of mutiny from the boys. "No hiking today". Well, we all have our limits. So instead, we went to the Oceanarium, home of the US's only lobster hatchery, and some good…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 4 (Final) – Oceanarium, and Points East
Downeast Maine, Part 3 – Schoodic Peninsula and Jordan Pond
On our third excursion, we found a quiet corner of Acadia. The Schoodic Peninsula lies about 20 miles east of Mount Desert Island, where Bar Harbor and the primary chunk of Acadia National Park are located. Schoodic is a quieter place, without the height and drama of large mountains and freshwater ponds, but with the…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 3 – Schoodic Peninsula and Jordan Pond
Downeast Maine, Part 1 – Acadia
Back in August, I posted a quick synopsis of a trip we took to the Bar Harbor, ME area. I'm finally getting around to reviewing footage from that trip and sharing some of the highlights via YouTube. Here's the first installment - a quick hit at some Acadia highlights: Thunder Hole, Otter Creek, Cadillac Mountain, …Read more Downeast Maine, Part 1 – Acadia
Orienteering – Step Up Your Navigation Game
What does this little snippet of a map mean to you? If you're familiar with topographical maps, it may be relatively easy to see a creek valley (blue line) with a wide bottom and intermittent flooding (blue shading, also known as a marsh). Brown lines show elevation contours that indicate changes in elevation, and close…Read more Orienteering – Step Up Your Navigation Game
Cedarville State Forest, MD
Washington, DC traffic is no fun. Some love the area, but for many, the 50 miles surrounding our nation's capitol are viewed as a mass of commuters that grows in density and frustration, the I-495, the Beltway, marking an orbit of wasted time and despair. Given that many of us are forced to deal with…Read more Cedarville State Forest, MD
Sugarloaf Mountain, MD
Rocks, and the smell of hickory. Those were the two primary impressions this mountain made on me one recent, overcast workday afternoon. Before I get too far - I'm NOT talking about any famous ski resorts, I'm referring to a mountain in Maryland that sits by itself well east of the Catcotins and the main…Read more Sugarloaf Mountain, MD
Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Rising above the very deep valley of East Hawksbill Creek, Hawksbill is the tallest mountain in Shenandoah National Park, standing at 4,049 ft above sea level, and beating out neighboring Stony Man by 38 feet. Aside from its superlative height within the park, its dramatic prominence over its namesake creek (over 2,000 feet) makes Hawksbill…Read more Dayhike: Hawksbill, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
A short, but extremely scenic and exhilarating scramble over boulders and cliffs to the rocky ridgeline of Bearfence Mountain at 3,545 feet. From the Bearfence Parking area on Skyline Drive (Mile 55.5), take the blue-blazed Bearfence trail up and over the cliffs. Keep your hands free, and be ready to climb. The view on top…Read more Dayhike: Bearfence Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
White Oak River, NC
Far off among the trees, a pileated woodpecker drums on a dead snag. Turtles abandon their sunny logs and disappear into the dark water. Butterflies flit over a half-acre of pickerelweed, marsh mallow, and cardinal flower blooms, while a great blue heron stands in the shallows, looking to catch its next meal. The water, stained…Read more White Oak River, NC
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 