It is not the length of life but depth of life. Ralph Waldo Emerson It has been a long time since I sat by a warm fire on the trail. The world is simply too warm and campfires too great a risk. Where I live in northeastern Washington, even outdoor barbecues are not allowed typicallyContinue reading “Around the Campfire”
Tag Archives: Hiking Equipment
Drinking Straight from the Source
The doors to the world of the wild self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door. If you have an old old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it that is a door. If youContinue reading “Drinking Straight from the Source”
Not the Same
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
I am a part of all that I have seen. James Joyce in Ulysses No, I will not be singing the praises of “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” today, though these things are worthy of celebration. My favorite things are what you see in the photo above: a bear canister filled with freezeContinue reading “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things”
Seeking the Path
The chaos of Christmas has passed, and though it was a special day spent with family, I am always glad when things settle down and I can return to the quiet of my home. With this quiet comes a time of reflection for me each year. I do not exactly come up with New Years’Continue reading “Seeking the Path”
Savoring the Warmth
I have returned recently from a backpacking trip that will unfortunately be added to my list of really bad trips. It is a reminder that there is much about hiking that we do not control, such as the weather. There are also things that we do control, such as the gear we carry with us.Continue reading “Savoring the Warmth”
Here There Be Predators
I come into the peace of wild things. Wendell Berry After last week’s post I was reminded by my readers that gear matters. How we protect our campsite and food matters, and hikers have a lot of opinions and ideas about how to do that best. As usual, whenever I post about gear I receiveContinue reading “Here There Be Predators”
Still Fiddling Around
It’s not the load that weighs you down, it’s the way you carry it. Lena Horne I have had a backpack since I was eighteen years old, when I carried my brother’s old Boy Scout pack on the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier. Obviously over the many years and miles that have followed I haveContinue reading “Still Fiddling Around”
Making Choices
Like most hikers and backpackers I have long considered myself to be an environmentalist. I remember the first Earth Day in 1970. I was a sophomore in college, and it was a warm spring day. I stood in the commons listening to speakers tell us of various threats to the sanctity of our planet. NoContinue reading “Making Choices”
Living on the Edges
Backpacking is the art of knowing what not to take. Sheridan Anders The first time I carried my cell phone with me on a backpacking trip was completely unplanned. This trip took place many years ago, before the days of smart phones, and I had my flip phone with me in my truck as IContinue reading “Living on the Edges”
The Solitude Trail 