I had greatly enjoyed my Memorial Day weekend trip last year to Pennsylvania, finishing up the last section of the Tuscarora Trail. Sure, it had been oppressively hot, and my legs were torn up by rocks and thorns. But I loved these wild and out-of-the-way trails, and I wanted to do a similar trip this... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “This Trail Has Everything” (Allegheny Trail, Section 2 – Blackwater Falls SP to Durbin, West Virginia) (May 22-26, 2025) (73 miles)
********** The scene: Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” with Stefon Zelesky and Seth Meyers. Stefon Zelesky (in his soft, breathy voice): “New York’s hottest new nightclub is: Crease. The club promoter has gone all out. This place has everything: banjos, lights, stilts, ice sculptures, bear traps, screaming babies in Mozart wigs, carnival barkers, a cat from a... Continue Reading →
DCUL: Trip Report: Mid-State Trail: May 1-5, 2025: PA-164 to Stillhouse Hollow Road
In the lead up to this trip, the weather report got worse pretty much every time we looked at it. The weather people seem to me to always be predicting the apocalypse and under delivering, but it certainly seemed as if we were looking at a wet weekend. Thursday, I did something I’ve not done... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: Wild “Wet” Oak Trail (28 miles, May 2-4, 2025)
IT'S GREAT BEING RED A quick disclaimer that I am not trying to match David O's creative writing prowess of "It's Not Easy Being Green". This is merely an attempt to highlight another humble amphibian that became the unofficial mascot of our Wild Oak Trail hike: Red-Spotted Newt. We've counted 22 of these little guys... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “It’s Not Easy Being Green” or “Severance, Season 3—the Backpacking Version” (Green Ridge S.F. Thru-Hike, Flintstone, MD) (April 25-27, 2025) (40 miles)
PROLOGUE It was Friday night, and the Green Ridge State Forest frogs were having the party of the year. Nothing shouts “mating season” like the first warm, drizzly evening of springtime. The loud disco music kept the crowd hopping as they all chanted in unison along with their favorite tunes. The alcohol was flowing—most enjoyed... Continue Reading →