Hiking makes me happy.
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Two Flatlanders Attempt Mountains
“Do you still want the shuttle?” appeared in my Messenger alert. I watched the rain hitting the window pane, the tree limbs blowing in the early morning light, and wondered to myself if I did indeed want to be shuttled from this warm and dry place to the southern end of Shenandoah National Park at… Read more
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Out of the classroom and into the woods
“Does anyone want to play ‘Mafia’?” Not something you typically hear on a backpacking trip, but this time, I was chaperoning a group of 13-15 year olds, so nothing I heard really surprised me. When I signed up to lead a couple of wilderness trips for a local summer camp, I felt like I was… Read more
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Gear testing in a low risk environment
A night in the rain provides an opportunity to discover just how well your gear works.
My Work
I teach English and social studies online and in person, working with students as young as 7th grade, through early college. I also work as a freelance writer with experience writing for newspapers and magazines. In the last couple of years, I have become active with a hiking group, attending and leading group trips throughout Michigan, focusing on beginning backpacking skills.
About Me
My parents encouraged a love of nature from the time I was a small child; pontoon rides on Houghton Lake, fishing from the dock, and collecting fossils along the shore. We cross-country skied and snowmobiled in the winter, and sailed Lake Michigan in the summer. My love of hiking and backpacking comes from my desire to explore all of Michigan’s beauty, and escape the humdrum of everyday life.
Exploring Michigan and other cool places 