Mountain Day on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington
On August 11, 2016, Japan’s inaugural Mountain Day holiday, I was climbing Mount Fuji with my son and thousands of other hikers. We didn’t know it was Mountain Day, but […]
Mountains
36-hour Montana Road Trip: Driving into the Big Hole and the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway
In 1905, Montana pioneer Joe Maurice experienced the worst possible losses. Although blind in one eye from a horse kick, the Belgium immigrant had persevered in eking out a living at the […]
Mount Roberts: The rich legacy of a bankrupt millionaire
Mount Roberts, a small peak with big views, is “such stuff as dreams are made on”: one man’s dream, for building castles in the air. Although he can’t claim credit for […]
The Little Lodges that Could: Exploring Maine’s North Woods with AMC
I stepped outside the Library to watch the sunrise glow on snow-covered Long Pond. Not a soul or a sound deep in the North Woods of Maine. Instead of the […]
Celebrating the new year in hut heaven: Champagne toasts at Maine Huts & Trails
At Poplar Hut, nestled on a hill in Maine’s Carrabassett Valley, the staff sets out the champagne glasses at 9:30 p.m. By 10 p.m., most guests will be fast asleep […]
A September walk in the woods: Mount Cabot to Unknown Pond
Mount Cabot or the Carters? As I drove up Pinkham Notch early on a lovely September Saturday, the many cars spilling from every parking lot cinched my decision: on to […]
Caps and castles on Mount Jefferson
On Friday, prospects for a hike up Mount Jefferson looked gloomy. The higher summits forecast called for steady 50 mph winds, with hurricane force gusts, and winter temperatures in New […]
The loneliest road in southern Utah
As the road changed from pavement into dirt, and the canyon walls pressed in on both sides, it seemed that we were heading deep into a wilderness where we might […]
Closing the door on Angel’s Landing
This time, when I gave up on trying to climb to Angel’s Landing in Utah’s Zion National Park, I knew I wouldn’t be trying again. The third time won’t be […]
Rediscovering the beautiful silence on Coppermine Trail
The car thermometer read two degrees as we pulled on gloves, strapped on snowshoes, and set out on the Coppermine Trail to Bridal Veil Falls. The trail began flat and […]