Colleen Drake

Rules for Living

In the photo above I am happy and smiling. It had rained hard the previous day, and my Camelback had leaked and completely soaked my sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack. The rain had continued into the night, and I had slept wet and cold. Still I found something to smile about theContinue reading “Rules for Living”

Pause and Rest

For all the desert’s dreamlike beauty, to travel here…was not just to pitch yourself into oblivion; it was to grind away at yourself until nothing was left. It was to aspire to the condition of sand. William Atkins in The Immeasurable World When I planned a trip to Nevada earlier this month I never imaginedContinue reading “Pause and Rest”

Hiking with Rubies

It is good to walk. Even if you have somewhere to go. Richard Paul Evans in The Walk I began my road trip early this month, hoping to find some degree of peace and relaxation after a difficult spring and summer due to a major transition in my life. I always seem to seek thisContinue reading “Hiking with Rubies”

Something Worth Writing

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. Benjamin Franklin When I started this blog about a year-and-a-half ago I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be posting weekly. I thought if I managed once a month I would be doing well. I was certain that I would run outContinue reading “Something Worth Writing”

The Evening’s Entertainment

Learn the alchemy human beings know the moment you accept what troubles you’ve been given, the door will open. Welcome the difficulty as a familiar comrade. Rumi Before there were Ur Sacks and canisters there were still hungry bears in the woods, and the only option available to hikers who wanted to keep their foodContinue reading “The Evening’s Entertainment”

The Grouse and I

But ask now the beasts, And they shall teach thee, And the fouls of the air, And they shall teach thee; Or speak to the earth And it shall teach thee And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Job 12:7-8, KJV Most hikers who have spent any time at all on theContinue reading “The Grouse and I”

Party Time

The door to the woods is the door to the temple. Mary Oliver Rumi The fourth of July weekend is here, and my usual quiet home is a little more lively than usual. I live on a hill above Curlew Lake, where Black Beach Resort welcomes guests at RV sites and cabins. It is notContinue reading “Party Time”

First Solo Hike of the Summer

Age is simply the number of years the world has been enjoying you. Anonymous Author Unknown Most of my hiking this spring has been with friends, which is a wonderful way to spend time, a celebration of the mountains and the trail with people I care about. We had a cool spring here in theContinue reading “First Solo Hike of the Summer”

That Which We Have Walked

You’re walking. And you don’t always realize it But you’re always falling With each step, you fall forward slightly And then catch yourself from falling. Laurie Anderson in Walking and Falling Like most infants my twin daughters were about a year old when they started to walk. I remember those moments well, for they remainContinue reading “That Which We Have Walked”

Advice for Chloe

There is not any advantage to be won from grim lamentation. Homer A recent article in a San Francisco newspaper bemoaned the end of thru hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. Hundreds of aspirants still show up at the southern terminus in April with the intention of making the long trek to Canada by summer’sContinue reading “Advice for Chloe”