Sometimes the stop matters more than progress. I took the Cemetery Trail out of the Roosevelt Lake marina, climbing 2,500 feet into the Superstitions, stepping over my first rattlesnake. The wind out there carries something with it, ghost whispers, barely audible. Agave and prickly pear, bull thistle catching my arms as I hike past. Rock […]
Tag: Trail Magic
Stealth Camping, Great Barrington, MA
Stealth camping in Great Barrington under a sky that threatened rain but never delivered. I laid out my sleeping pad and bag directly on the grass, no tent, just open air and the possibility of getting soaked. A half gallon of milk, and a flashlight that probably gave away my position to anyone who cared […]
The Confessional
The pen felt foreign between my bandaged fingers, like trying to thread a needle wearing winter gloves. I stared at the blank page of my trail journal, the one constant companion that had traveled with me through five years of seasons. The paper remained stubbornly empty while my thoughts churned like whitewater over unseen stones. […]
Herky Huffman / Bull Creek WMA, Florida
The flooding along the Florida Trail will not drown fire ants. Instead, their colonies emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, and float with the water until they reach a dry area or object they can hungrily crawl up on, and that could very well be your leg if you happen to walk into […]
Uncle Joe’s Campground, Moore Haven, Florida
There was a storm coming that had many hikers concerned about spending the night outside. Personally, I was more concerned that I’d finished the last of my water before we broke camp at the STA-5 water management complex. We’d be walking the levee along the canal, where water without agricultural runoff would be scarce if […]
Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Florida
At Nobles Campsite mosquitoes hung on the tent, waiting for me to emerge. I ate Crunch n Munch for breakfast, hiking through spider webs stretching across the trail, north towards the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. On the first Sunday of every month, Big Cypress New Testament Baptist Church offers a free meal for anyone who […]
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
Twenty miles through the swamp took all day, with knee to thigh-deep water slowing every step. Unseen holes beneath the surface threatened to slow progress, or worse, bring you to an ankle breaking stop. Every step demands attention, pushing through knee-deep water while searching for solid footing. That alone will wear you out, but the […]
Florida Trail Thru Hike Kickoff
Picked up by two of the finest people you could meet, @adventurepreacher and @boxcar_hikes, to camp with a bunch of friends, old and new. Fed, and fed some more by the incredible @ftthruhike#trailangels Strangers providing food, information, and assistance with logistics to ensure that everyone can embrace the trail in a way that resonates with […]
Little Crater Lake, PCT, Oregon
The effects were subtle, yet profound, following his encounter with the fabled waters of Little Crater Lake. This spring-fed pond, chilling even in summer at a mere 34 degrees, held a reputation for bestowing a unique kind of energy. And as he continued his southbound trek along the Pacific Crest Trail, that energy seemed to […]