Yes, Fortunately There Are Bears
When fear dominates our sense of possibility collapses. Sharon Salzberg The title for today’s post is from a trail guide to the Beartooth Mountains in northern Wyoming. It is the title of a section that includes of course all the usual recommendations for avoiding dangerous bear encounters, and since, in the words of my WyomingContinue reading “Yes, Fortunately There Are Bears”
Nameless Wildness
You are my nameless wildness. Marc Bolan A recent article in Backpacker magazine which purported to suggest what we should and should not worry about as hikers advised that we are thirty-three times more likely to be struck by lightening than to be attacked by a bear. I found this only minimally reassuring since unluckyContinue reading “Nameless Wildness”
On the Trail with Teacup
Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves–slowly, evenly without rushing toward the future. Thich Nhat Hahn Those of you who have followed my blog likely will have figured out by now that I have a one-size-fits-all solution to whatever may be wrong in theContinue reading “On the Trail with Teacup”
Go into the Wilderness Alone
Yet to learn to see, to learn to hear, you must do this–go into the wilderness alone. Don Jose I first started hiking alone in my early twenties and had started my first job as a Registered Nurse after graduating from college. I was newly married and had begun the life I thought I wanted:Continue reading “Go into the Wilderness Alone”
Sheltering in Place
Walk close to me. I’ll shelter you. William Barnes I was eight years old when I went on my first backpacking trip with my family. We hiked just a short distance up the Skokomish River in Olympic National Park to a well named site called Camp Pleasant, about three to four miles from the trailheadContinue reading “Sheltering in Place”
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”
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