Welcome to my blog.
Expect reflections on long distance hiking, hiking culture, nature, creativity and my undying love for backrests.
All in gear
Sometimes I think my trail name should be Notebook.
I carry three on every hike.
So much for ultralight.
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
~Martin Buber
What you put on your booty matters out on the trail.
Especially for women who find themselves, ahem, repositioning their booty-covers many times a day as they strive to stay hydrated on a long trek.
I've found the secret that makes pulling up after a pee a delight, even when you're sweaty and everything is soggy and wet down there.
Don't tell my tent, but I'm having a clandestine affair with a hammock.
It was a tough decision to make. I thought it through, trying not to let my emotions get the best of me. I crunched the data--weights and costs. Pros and cons. Whoopies and webbing.
It's all here. Plus, the one thing it ultimately boils down to when deciding between a tent and a hammock.
I finally had a chance to try out my new tent, the Lightheart Gear Solo, this past week on an overnight trek along the Art Loeb Trail. (Two words: ball buster. The hike, not the tent.)
Here's what I thought about it--the good, the bad and the ugly.
The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy has been quietly buying up land and putting in into conservation easements and we in Western NC are the more fortunate for their work.
In the twenty years I've lived here, I've never hiked in this area.
And now there are at least three hikes that are in the rotation and more to explore, thanks to the CMLC.
Every day you get to spend walking and dreaming and celebrating your badassery is a good day.
This training hike was a good two days in spite of the challenge.
Or maybe because of it.
This is a GREAT hike for training for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike because it is EXACTLY like a typical day on the trail would be....HARD.
So when the day is done, and many miles have been hiked in unforgiving footwear, I like to give my little piggies a special treat.
I like to massage them with my special Thru-Hiker Foot Balm.
I wanted to share my special Foot Balm recipe with you because I want your feet to be pampered and appreciated, too.
Your feet are going to LOVE this!
And Ruby’s hips gonna hafta be happy when she's sleeping out in the woods.
So when I bought a sleeping pad sight unseen off the interwebs, I didn't hold my breath.
But I'm really pleased with my new Klymit pad. Keep reading to find out why and to see how it compares to the most popular ultralight sleeping pad on the market.
I'm training for my upcoming Appalachian Trail thru-hike and I'm fortunate to live in a place that makes training easy and fun.
Even in the rain, this loop is one of my favorite training hikes in my lead-up to my thru-hike.
Which I'm certain will leave me begging for an umbrella, a rain coat, a poncho and dry undies before all is said and done.
