Adventures with less
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
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
“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
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
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
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
Originally published May 2011 The Shipwreck Coast refers to the Lake Superior Shoreline in the upper peninsula of Michigan between Marquette and Whitefish Point, and includes the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It gets its name from a long and storied history of shipwrecks; Lake Superior is well known for sudden storms and dangerous reefs. The … Read more
Originally published March 2011 My in-laws have been trying pretty hard to convince us to move to North Carolina to be closer to family. After blindly resisting for years, it occurred to me that all I know of NC is what I’ve seen from the car window during Christmas visits, so I decided to experience … Read more