When you start telling people that you want an adventure, you really can’t complain when what you get is, in fact, an adventure, right? Some time ago, I decided that I wanted to reprise my section hike of the Mid State Trail, that epic footpath across the center of Pennsylvania, which DC UL had done... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “Roan’n and Groan’n” (Roan Highlands Appalachian Trail Section Hike, North Carolina/Tennessee) (Sept. 6-9, 2024) (52 miles)
The black bear growled loudly, freezing me in my tracks. Seeing bears in the Appalachian mountains is common; having them growl at me is not. For a moment, I considered standing very still and quiet, hoping the bear was growling at something other then me. I then considered running down the trail to make an... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “Feels Like the First Time” Ultra-LM (Kennedy Peak at Massanutten, Va) (June 14-15) (9 miles)
You’ve probably heard of us. They are calling us the “Kennedy Peak Four.” I always hated that tag. To my ears it makes us sound like a boy band, as in: “Now opening for the Backstreet Boys, the Kennedy Peak Four!” However, I cannot deny the national interest in us. Most of what you’ve read... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “Surviving Man-Eating Fish on the Foothills Trail” (Foothills Trail Thru-Hike, South/North Carolina) (May 24-27, 2024) (77 miles)
When our backpacking club, DCUL, hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail south of the Shenandoah National Park last year, we called our trip: “Whale Watching in the Blue Ridge Mountains.” It was really just a joke, though. Whales rarely hide in the trees of those mountains. We simply riffed off the name of a... Continue Reading →
Trip Report: “Dry Feet in a Wet Desert” (Utah/Arizona: Escalente NM: Paria Canyon + Death Hollow Canyon + Harris Wash + Buckskin Gulch + Pine Creek Box) (April 13-23, 2024)
“You probably won't even get your feet wet,” the Ranger said as he handed us a permit and a bunch of wag bags. “The conditions in Paria Canyon are unusually perfect. The low chance of rain tomorrow has cleared, the temperatures are warming, and the reliable springs are all flowing.” He saved the best for... Continue Reading →