travel – Page 3 – The Solitude Trail

Hiking with Bruno

One Last Time

Most of my hiking friends have favorite destinations, places they have perhaps visited only once but linger in their memories as particularly beautiful. At my age these memories occur as places where I would like to return one last time. Avalanche Valley on the eastern slope of Mt. Adams in the Cascades is one suchContinue reading “One Last Time”

With Me On the Trail

I cannot live without books. Thomas Jefferson On a bottom book shelf in my bedroom is a collection of books that have always been precious to me. Most books are precious to me, but these books are especially so, and I keep them there so that if my house is ever beset by wildfire andContinue reading “With Me On the Trail”

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”

Growing Up in the Ring of Fire

The world is always ending somewhere. It just depends on whether it falls in your line of vision or not. Akweaka Emezi As I have written several times in these posts, I grew up with a view of Mt. Rainier from my bedroom window, and it never failed to delight, especially when the morning sunContinue reading “Growing Up in the Ring of Fire”

Hanging Out with the Monkey Mafia

When I first heard the phrase monkey mafia I thought our tour guide was referring to a sinister group of thieves who hang out in the popular coastal towns, helping themselves to the wallets of vulnerable tourists. We were warned to keep our belongings close to our bodies and not to carry food with us.Continue reading “Hanging Out with the Monkey Mafia”

A World without Flowers

It is late January as I write these words, and the snow that fell a couple of weeks ago has mostly melted, brought about by warming temperatures, then rain, then ice, and now the mud that must invariably follow. This is a trend that would be more likely seen in April. People around here refer to itContinue reading “A World without Flowers”

The Trembling Path

There will never be a storm That can wash the path from my feet The direction from my heart The light from my eyes Or the purpose from this life. Swami Satmanda Sarasuati Many years ago I hiked a challenging route in Olympic National Park called the Six Ridge Trail that takes the hiker fromContinue reading “The Trembling Path”

Walking Away from It All

Recently my website host reminded me that it has now been three years since I started this blog, something that came as a surprise to me. From the beginning it has seemed like an easy and natural process, like walking. The words come easily each week as long as I keep moving. In the beginning I envisionedContinue reading “Walking Away from It All”

Tender Blades of Grass

I would like to do whatever it is that presses the essence from the hour. Mary Oliver One of many wonderful things about living in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, as I did for several years, is the close proximity to Yellowstone National Park. Though I rarely went there in the summertime, preferring not to competeContinue reading “Tender Blades of Grass”