Putting My Condition into Remission

Today marks two weeks since I have been off prednisone. I had been on the medication for just over three years starting when I was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), an auto immune inflammatory disorder. My symptoms began in the spring of 2020 shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak—and they grew progressively worst that by…

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Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge 2nd edition

Day Hiking Columbia River Gorge, 2nd Edition: Waterfalls * Vistas * State Parks * National Scenic Area Paperback – April 1, 2024 Now featuring 115 hikes including 35 new destinations many in areas not widely covered such as the Silver Star Scenic Area, Cottonwood Canyon State park and the Monte Cristo Monte Carlo Buck Creek…

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2,280.1 miles!

2023 was an excellent year for me on the trail! I ended up tallying just under 2300 running and hiking miles which included some pretty memorable experiences. And despite that I upped my game when it came to ultra-running, I actually ran 41 miles less this year than last! I must be slowing down! I…

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Cuyamaca 100K Endurance Run

Running 62 miles to celebrate 62 years A few minutes after midnight I came over the finish line. I had started running at 6:30 am the previous morning alongside 245 other participants. We assembled in beautiful Rancho Cuyamaca State Park in the mountains east of San Diego to run the Cuyamaca 100K Endurance Run. We…

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Skagit Flats Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K

Running the short distance for a long return I’ve been regularly participating in the Skagit Flats Marathon since I moved to the Skagit Valley in 2007. As a distance runner, I’ve signed up over the years to participate in the half marathon (13.1 miles) or full marathon (26.2) race. But this year I decided to…

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Famous Idaho Potato Marathon

A spudtastic good time in Boise Idaho and potatoes are synonymous. The Gem State is the number one producer of potatoes in America, responsible for growing one third of the country’s crop. But Washington’s production is no small potatoes. The Evergreen State ranks second in the US growing more than 20% of the nation’s spuds.…

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Californians blame influx of Washingtonians for Trail Crowding

Throughout the Golden State from the Redwoods to the Sierra to the Mojave Desert, Californians are growing tired of the influx of out-of-staters, particularly folks from Washington State on their trails. In fact, increasing numbers of Californians are blaming many of the state’s trail problems and park incidents on these out-of-staters. “They compete with us…

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2,321.1 miles!

Last year was a good year for me on the trail! I ended up amassing more than 2300 running and hiking miles which included some pretty memorable experiences. While I got hit with Covid (who hasn’t at this point?) in May, I thankfully was able to recover fairly fast and get back on the trail.…

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Pandemic Ponderings

It’s been a long past 12 months. But on this First day of Spring 2021, the sun is finally shining a little bit brighter on us. I spent a lot of time on the trail this past year doing a lot of thinking about us as a society, our relationships with the land, and what…

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Finding Solitude in Motorcycle Country

I love wilderness areas—especially wilderness areas with a large W. In those federally protected areas I am assured that the land I will be hiking or camping in is protected from incompatible uses such as resource extraction, roads, and developments. It will remain untrammeled. No bikes, motorcycles, motorized equipment, drones and other modern day intrusions,…

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