Up in the air at Kluane National Park, Yukon Territory
The clearing weather presented both a threat (mostly to our wallets) and an opportunity. As we pulled into Haines Junction, we debated our options. The circle was nearly complete. Along […]
Mountains
A trip to Bennett Lake, British Columbia, then, and now
In 1986, when I arrived at Bennett Lake, my body was beat up, but my spirit was soaring. After four days of backpacking on “the meanest 33 miles of history,” […]
Spooky solitude: The lonely trail to Owl’s Head
When I finally arrive at the rock slide, after six miles of hiking, I hear a tiny voice in my head: “Maybe doing this hike alone wasn’t a great idea.” […]
Moriah, my Moriah: Why did I wait so long to climb thee?
As I hike through a lacy hemlock forest, I wonder why I have waited so long to hike 4,049-foot Mount Moriah. The Carter-Moriah Trail climbs 3,400 feet from its base […]
On my own on the Osceolas with Captain Samuel Willard
On the Osceola Trail, I’m on my own, but hiking in footsteps more than 250 years old — maybe. As I hike uphill on a moderate-grade-by-White-Mountain-standards, I wonder if this […]
Inventing Nature at Acadia National Park
I love the barren open summits of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. On Memorial Day, we set out from the Jordan Pond House and completed the 6-mile-ish […]
Round up: Five great family hikes in Maine
The temperature has risen to a magical 60 degrees, the daffodils are blooming, and the forsythia are primed for an explosion of yellow. The tulips won’t be far behind, and […]
Jill Kinmont, my forgotten hero
I remember the swishing sound of skis as she pulled up in front of the camera. Blond hair, blue eye, a big smile. “My name is Jill Kinmont, and I […]
When the cold fails, try the warmth
Five things to do instead of skiing during New Mexico’s worst drought ever I am probably the only person in the United States who was disappointed by snowfall totals this […]
Missing my (Wild)Cat: Skittering on New Mexico’s ski slopes
Here in New England, skiers are familiar with what I call the “skitter” – the combination of a clattering sound and a slipping movement a skier experiences when she is […]