Hammock – Exploring Michigan and other cool places

Close Encounters with Moose

When you wake up to discover there’s a moose in your campsite…

Rain and Ice on the Manistee River

Hiking and paddling the Manistee River region

There’s a saying with expensive hobbies, “Buy nice or buy twice.” In some cases, I’ve found that to be true, but as a beginning backpacker, it just didn’t make sense to blow a bunch of money I didn’t have on expensive gear before I even knew if I liked backpacking! Over time, I have upgradedContinue reading “A few of my favorite things…”

Gear testing in a low risk environment

A night in the rain provides an opportunity to discover just how well your gear works.

The Joys and Challenges of Winter Hiking and Camping

There is a certain magic to hearing the absolute stillness of a snowy forest, seeing the snow-draped boughs of the evergreen trees, and finding tracks from deer, bobcat, bear, turkeys, and other creatures in the snowy path. Lying in my hammock at night, listening to the hoot of owls, yips of coyotes, and gentle fallingContinue reading “The Joys and Challenges of Winter Hiking and Camping”