Month: October 2019
Yakutat Bay, Alaska
The city of Yakutat lies in the Gulf of Alaska at the mouth of Yakutat Bay, approximately 200 miles from Juneau. The largest city in the United States by area, Yakutat is home to only about 600ish full time inhabitants. I was traveling to Yakutat for work as I did every year at this time. … Read more
Bike, Hike, Paddle: A Self-Propelled Exploration of Michigan’s Manistee River
I try very hard not to let my dog see me pack for a trip, particularly when he is not coming along. Maybe I’m anthropomorphizing a little too much, but I know how excited he gets when he sees a backpack and I don’t want him to feel let down by getting left behind. I … Read more
Saving Sophie and a Trip Gone Badly
A young dog was brought into our hospital a couple of months ago after being hit by a car. She had sustained multiple fractures of her pelvis, femur, and tibia. It had clearly not been an easy life for her up until that point either. Barely a year old, she had already been bred and … Read more
Pictured Rocks in Winter
Planning a trip to Pictured Rocks in winter had been on my mind ever since I passed through all too quickly last May. Pictured Rocks had it all; gigantic sand dunes, sandstone cliffs, abundant wildlife, clear blue waters, and many hidden treasures. Problem was, everyone else knew it too. During peak season, Pictured Rocks sees … Read more
Tahquamenon Falls
Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with those who favor fire.But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hateTo say that for destruction iceIs also greatAnd would suffice. -Robert Frost Winter’s been slow in coming to Michigan this year. I’d … Read more
Where the Wild Things Are
“What book do you want to read tonight?” I was taking my girls to bed.My eldest, Keira, hands me one. She likes to take charge of these sorts of decisions. Rowan, our 3 year old, is already curled up comfortably in my lap. “Here daddy, we can read your favorite.”It’s by Maurice Sendak. Where the … Read more
Failure to Launch: A Misadventure Along Michigan’s Shore to Shore Trail
Warning: The following trip report depicts poor planning, long road walks, and minimal scenery. It also features a despicable, though inadvertent, act of vandalism. There will be no uplifting epiphany at the end. This was one of the worst backpacking trips of my life, and was doomed to failure from the start. You have been … Read more
Northville Placid Trail: From Past to Present
I started backpacking because of a dog. He was a big red dog of questionable descent, what the locals called a “Rock” (mixed breed Rottweiler). I had rescued him off the streets of West Philly as a sick little parvovirus puppy, but he soon grew into a giant. His name was Ike. Ike was the … Read more
Situk Lake, Tongass National Forest
Originally published August 2011 Every August, I take part in a professional conference in Yakutat, a small fishing village on the southeast coast of Alaska. Lecturing and coordinating small group trips to the Situk River helps to subsidize the cost of the trip each year. What I love most though is getting up there a … Read more