This is our hike on Segment 9 of the Colorado Trail in September 2020 during the pandemic. The Continental Divide Trail shares this section of the Colorado Trail and both footpaths traverse the scenic Holycross Wilderness with elevation above 11,500 feet. There are two cabins available for rent just off the Trail and close to Tennessee Pass at the end of this section. … [Read more...]
The Appalachian Trail @ 25 Years
July 24, 2020 By Leave a Comment
It's been 25 years since I set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Time has moved exponentially since then, and I now appreciate that there are a few pivotal years in your life. 1994 was the year for me. In the winter of 1994 I lived in Chicago. I moved to Illinois from North Carolina and as a 20 something enjoyed the conveniences of this large city - walking to restaurants, bars, friend's houses, and taking the short train rides to Cubs and Bears games. … [Read more...]
Conasauga River 2002 v’s 2020
June 19, 2020 By Leave a Comment
Conasauga River 2020 - Reggie above is sitting just beyond where John leans against a rock below. Conasauga River 2002 - Some beach erosion since 2002 – but still a great spot. … [Read more...]
Tough Times & Sassafras Mountain
April 19, 2020 By Leave a Comment
There was a period nearly 20 years ago when times were tough. Airlines stopped flying, people stopped working, and the media spouted doom and gloom on cable TV for 24 hours a day. It was 9/11/01 and my first impulse was to get to the wilderness. So when the weekend came - that is exactly what we did. Here we are at the Chattooga River trailhead in 2001. Tough times are here again – albeit in a very different scenario. Stay at home orders are in place, schools are … [Read more...]
Episode 59: The Man Who Hiked It All
December 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment
In Episode 59, I speak with Bart Smith (aka Infinite Dust) who was recently featured in Backpacker Magazine as "The Man Who Hiked It All". Since 1992, Bart has hiked nearly 35,000 miles on 30 of America's National Scenic and Historic Trails - completing the last of the Trails by October 2nd, 2018 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the National Trails Act. In the show, Bart tells us about his backcountry photography, the coffee table book he completed with Earl Shaffer on the … [Read more...]
Camp Fugarwi Cabin – Ariel View Early 1990’s v’s 2017
December 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Check out our backcountry cabin in Northern Ontario in the early 90's v's 2017. I pulled the bottom photo from Cater's drone video taken in late August of 2017. The top photo was shot from a seaplane in the early 90's. Looks like we lost a number of birch trees since then and the water level was even higher 25+ years ago... … [Read more...]
Rainbow Lakes Near Ward, Colorado
July 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Hiking to the Rainbow Lakes near Ward, Colorado. Lots of moose poop around here today - but haven't seen one yet. … [Read more...]
Explored Cumberland Mountain State Park today…
July 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Explored Cumberland Mountain State Park today in Tennessee. Cool suspension bridge and cave on this #hike if you are ever near Crossville. http://ow.ly/PGC330kXFEs … [Read more...]
Backcountry Death Scene
July 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Stumbled on to this death scene on a recent hike. It appears the battle ended in a draw. … [Read more...]
Bottled Oxygen
June 16, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Hitting the bottled oxygen at 9000 feet near Devils Thumb in Colorado. Not quite the boost I expected. Tough to go from 1K to 9K feet in 24 hours. … [Read more...]
