Colleen Drake

The New and Improved First Aid Kit

I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. George Trevelyan A few days after I posted last week about my oversized first aid kit, I came upon the “new and improved version” I created a couple of years ago when I was preparing to hike the Pacific Northwest Trail and wanted to lightenContinue reading “The New and Improved First Aid Kit”

The Eight Pound First Aid Kit

You may do this, I tell you it is permitted. Begin again the story of your life. Jane Hirshfield Readers who listened to the blog a couple of weeks ago will know that throughout most of my lifetime of hiking, I carried a very large pack. I was not alone in this. The term “ultra-lite”Continue reading “The Eight Pound First Aid Kit”

Loving a Place to Death

I will walk by myself and cure myself in the sunshine and the wind. Charles Reznikoff Last summer the Forest Service announced that it would close a dirt road that provides access to a popular lake in the Olympics, as well as to the trails that lead hikers along the Skokomish River to the beautifulContinue reading “Loving a Place to Death”

Listen Now: “Jester” Section Hiker Podcast

Join me with Jester on Saturday, January 9th for an interview about loving a place to death. You’ll also hear about my hiking companion, Lulu, and how I got my trail name, Teacup.

Soul Saver

I sit here with my laptop perched. . .where else? On my lap. Before me parades a never ending collection of photographs, all of which I have taken on various treks over the years, mostly since digital photography came into being but a few downloaded from a distant time when photos were taken with film,Continue reading “Soul Saver”