On Adventure
On Adventure On a rest day in Ullapool, when hiking the Scottish National Trail, I found myself talking with a man clearly familiar with outdoor life in the Highlands. He had been in the same hostel bunk room as me the night before but had gotten up very early, I presumed because he was off […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 27, June 6, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 27, June 6, 2022 A zero day (did not walk except from the campground to the service station/ cafe then to the Kinlochewe hotel). Had breakfast at the cafe run by wonderful people with a nice set-up and great sausage and bacon buns. As usual with people in this country, […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 19, May 29, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 19, May 29, 2022 Kingussie to Laggan An inauspicious morning became a highlight of the trip thus far. The Duke of Gordon Hotel serves a big breakfast spread, so I delayed departure to get my dose of bacon, sausage, blood pudding, haggis, beans and eggs. The hike out of Kingussie […]
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 17, May 27, 2022
Walking to Cape Wrath, Day 17, May 27, 2022 Bynack Lodge to Ruigh Aiteachain Today was definitely a tale of two treks. I woke at the Bynack Lodge ruins to rain and wind on my tent. Not being in a hurry to start (only a 21 km day), I gathered my equipment and read until […]
Career
Career The northern parts of Benton Mackaye Trail prior to entering the Great Smoky Mountain National Park generally consist of thin, overgrown paths—steep, rutted, rooted, wet, rocky, and usually devoid of other humans (plenty of nonhumans though). Solitude in those circumstances is not contemplative. Instead each step must be taken with care and precision, a […]
Mediating a Mountain
Mediating a Mountain—some thoughts on Nan Shepherd and Elise Wortley After some years of exploring nature writing through actual material practices (e.g., that time we framed up Thoreau’s house using only the tools he could have used “Building Thoreau’s House”), I was gratified to read Robert Macfarlane’s The Old Ways where he encountered Edward Thomas’s […]
In Tasmania Day 17
In Tasmania Day 17 (Jan 31) Launceston to Cradle Mountain park Ronny Creek to Windemere Hut 18.5 Km The group from the Arthouse Hostel nearly filled the Overland Transport van that took us first to a little town called Sterling for breakfast, then on to the visitor center for the incredibly popular park. We were […]
In Patagonia Day 19
In Patagonia Day 19 D’Agostini Campground to El Chaltén Woke to the sound of light rain on the tent and a distinct chill in the air. Dozed a bit, looked out at the other tents where no one was stirring. My cold, wet-weather New Zealand training kicked in, and methodically I gathered my things, filled […]
Water
Water Mountains weep. No sadness there, though they do have moods. Water seeps from cracks in rocks, down from thin streams, or gurgles beneath mats of moss. Paths are suddenly slick, the smell of the air changes as does the temperature. You become aware of something that had been absent–or maybe it was following you […]