Video

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

Dragon's Tooth Pinnacle

Dayhike: Dragon’s Tooth, Appalachian Trail, Virginia

Dragon's Tooth is a narrow point of rock that rises above Catawba Valley, in southwest Virginia near Roanoke and Blacksburg. Together with nearby McAfee's Knob and Tinker Cliffs, it is part of the Triple Crown of scenic spots on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in southwest Virginia. If you've got the time to string together all…Read more Dayhike: Dragon’s Tooth, Appalachian Trail, Virginia

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

One Year in the Blogosphere – Lessons, Trials, and Tribulations of a Social Media Noob

A year ago, I stumbled eagerly (and ignorantly) into this whole existence I call "Flying Squirrel Outdoors". My mission had nothing to do with blogging, or a social media presence - it was (and is) really about the observation that we are increasingly turning inwards toward things of our own creation.  These things are, themselves,…Read more One Year in the Blogosphere – Lessons, Trials, and Tribulations of a Social Media Noob

Feuerzangenbowle – German Christmas Fire Wine! (Wilderness Chef #8)

A quasi-guest-post by my brother, Mike, here - we had the joy of sharing a Christmas celebration at his house this year (and for a good solid week, I've been completely absent from the internet!)  I'd witnessed the creation of a Feuerzangenbowle before, but this time I was able to get some instruction, and video…Read more Feuerzangenbowle – German Christmas Fire Wine! (Wilderness Chef #8)

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

Thanksgiving Outdoors, with a Dutch Oven Turkey

If you're spending any time outside this Thanksgiving - hiking, camping, paddling...  there's no need to pass on traditional holiday fare.   Heck, even if you're not in the woods, this recipe yields a really tasty result, including the satisfaction of cooking over a fire! Equipment Let me just confess up front - a standard dutch…Read more Thanksgiving Outdoors, with a Dutch Oven Turkey

Downeast Maine, Part 2 – Whale Watching and Lighthouses

Part 2 of our Maine adventure, featuring a very foggy day in the Atlantic looking for whales, a short hike to Bar Island along the low-tide accessible sand bar that gives Bar Harbor its name, and various lighthouses.  A note on the whale watching trip, through Bar Harbor Whale Watch:  The touring company uses high speed,…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 2 – Whale Watching and Lighthouses

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

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