Waterfall wonderland on the Ammo Trail to Mount Monroe
Every May, I try to fit in my “end-0f-the-semester hike”, a few days after completing grades and graduation. In May, this hike usually involves some snow and ice, along with […]
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 […]
Winter wonderland: Among the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon
When we stop to pull off jackets, I take in the snow-draped hoodoos towering above us. What was it like for Mormon pioneer Ebenezer Bryce to wander into this amphitheater […]
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 […]
Lives lived, and lost, at the Kittery Town Forest
Sometimes when I walk in Kittery’s 72-acre Town Forest, I wonder what became of Ella Hill and her girl Annie. From 1891 to about 1897, Ella and Annie lived here […]
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 […]
Wandering in the wilderness of Mount Paugus
In New Hampshire’s heavily visited White Mountains, solitude often seems like a lost dream on beautiful autumn weekends, when throngs of people climb popular peaks. But not far from the […]
Gray jays, great day: A fall hike on Mount Waumbek
Hiking on the Starr King Trail to 4,006-foot Mount Waumbek, it’s hard to believe that this off-the-beaten-path peak once was part of a proposal for a mega-ski resort stretching across […]
Hiking the Baldface Circle Trail, plus twenty
The guidebook describes the Baldface Circle Trail as “a strenuous trip not to be underestimated,” but I didn’t remember it as so. I first hiked this 9.8 mile loop with […]
A Ride on the Wild Quiet Side: Exploring Acadia’s Schoodic Peninsula
Schoodic Peninsula is one of those out-of-the way Maine destinations that provokes conflicting emotions: I want to share its beauty, but also hope it remains off the well-beaten path. On […]