Adventures with less
For my first big adventure since surgery, I decided to tackle a 150 mile section of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that I had fallen in love with years before. As always, Ted had offered me a lift, and we chatted easily on the long ride from my ending point to the start of the … Read more
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’ We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson It was 3 … Read more
A cold trickle of water ran through my hair and down the side of my face. I swiped it away irritably as I stomped past what probably would have been some of the Adirondacks’ crown jewels. I tried not to let the weather get to me, but I didn’t always succeed. The forecast now called … Read more
Written October 2016 and subsequently published in Backpacking Light Magazine Vleis are marshy clearings often crisscrossed by streams and are commonly found throughout the Adirondacks. Ever since I first traversed this region, I have developed a healthy respect for these wetlands. They were the most similar thing to quicksand that I had encountered, and I … Read more
Crackkk! The world around me exploded in blinding light. I ducked instinctively then chuckled grimly to myself, almost immediately recognizing the futility of this involuntary act. I had been traversing a heavily wooded ridge when the storm had blown in, soaking me in violent downpour. Throwing on my raingear, I began running headlong down the … Read more
We spend much of our days doing things that aren’t important; work-related drudgery, internet surfing, aimless daydreaming (as opposed to the productive kind which fuels our imagination), and numbing ourselves in front of the television. The days slip by and it is hard to say what was really accomplished during that time. Every now and … Read more
For as long as I could remember, I had been asking myself, “What next?” Now, as my girls were getting older, it was becoming increasingly important to me that the time I put into planning my adventures should not come at the cost of family exploration. So it was that on the last day of … Read more
Published in Backpacking Light, March 2014 “We’ll be fine”, I said, not very confidently. Doug had just asked me how far I thought we’d get before the car ran out of gas. I wasn’t sure, but had that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that we weren’t going to get very far. The … Read more
Published in Backpacking Light Magazine, December 2013. It had initially been titled “Twenty Shades of Gray” in reference to the winter skies over Lake Superior, but they thought the title too provocative. J raised an eyebrow inquisitively. She must have noticed the look of longing that had flitted across my face. “You’re not planning something … Read more
It was a bad day to be out on the water without underwear. Winter had come early to northern Michigan, bringing sub-freezing temperatures, snow, and heavy wind. Somewhat inscrutably, I had decided that it might be fun to run the big Two-Hearted River in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Now, as the frigid water ran … Read more