Sunday, August 27 we arrived at Munising Tourist Park in the afternoon, using several sites on the western edge of the campground. I went for a swim in Lake Superior and found the water pretty comfortable, a result of being in the bay where the water is a little more shallow. After everyone in ourContinue reading “Pictured Rocks Through Hike”
Tag Archives: Hiking
A sense of awe
“Sometimes there’s so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can’t take it and my heart is just going to cave in.” This line from the film American Beauty has always resonated with me–it’s exactly how I feel sometimes when I witness natural splendor–an overwhelming sense of awe at the beauty, perfection, andContinue reading “A sense of awe”
Pigeon River Youth Backpacking Trip
Today I completed guiding my first of three “Wilderness Adventures” for a local summer camp, spending three nights in the Pigeon River State Forest. My 11 campers were between 13 and 15 years of age, from all over Michigan, and a couple from out of state. One of the things that I love about guidingContinue reading “Pigeon River Youth Backpacking Trip”
A solo winter’s day hike on the NCT
An unexpected day off and a decent weather forecast: Where should I go hiking? I decided to fill in a gap in my NCT progress through Emmet County, along a stretch that contained enough road walk that I didn’t want to do it when there would be a lot of traffic. A Monday morning seemedContinue reading “A solo winter’s day hike on the NCT”
To build a fire
Starting a fire in your fireplace or a backyard fire pit is a skill that many people feel confident in, but how about starting a fire in the backcountry, without a Duraflame fire starter and a foot-long fire stick lighter? When I first began backpacking, I hadn’t started a fire in years. I had aContinue reading “To build a fire”
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 wasContinue reading “Out of the classroom and into the woods”
Gear testing in a low risk environment
A night in the rain provides an opportunity to discover just how well your gear works.
A love song to my tarp(s)
Tarps are a game-changer when rain is in the forecast for your outdoors weekend.
Wild Childhood
Growing up on the lakes, and in the woods.
Hiking: A History Lesson
My roots as a history nerd run deep, probably from the time my mom began reading me the Little House series, when I was a child. Because my parents’ idea of a vacation often involved sailing or cross-country skiing, we saw a lot of Michigan, and often our destinations had historical significance, such as theContinue reading “Hiking: A History Lesson”
Exploring Michigan and other cool places 